Meer's Third Day of School

Meer woke up for his third day of school with BAGS under his eyes!  I asked him if wanted to go to school, and he said, "Home?"!!  We got ready for school anyway, but by the time we got to the car, it was apparent that his mood wasn't in the excellent category!  So we bailed and played hookie instead!  Poor guy was so excited by it all he hadn't been sleeping nicely in his naps OR during the night – tossing and turning violently with words like "FAST! Fast! Fast… fast… fa…" and "FLOWER!" (his word for drawing – drawing flowers).  He fell asleep by 10am that morning, too!

 So today was his third day – he went with Josaphine – and participated in all the lessons right up until STORY TIME – which he flatly said was "NOT NICE", and refused to stay in the room with the other kids!! Ha ha ha!  Josaphine called me, and I came to pick him up about 20 minutes early.  But he hung in there with the other kids for over three hours!

 He also came home with his FIRST ART PROJECT EVER – a necklace made of string, straws, and paper squares.  SO cute!  And… he refused to go to sleep when he came home!  Stayed awake the entire afternoon – playing – running around – like it what he did everyday!  Little booger.  Until of course 5:30 rolled around – he crashed hard and was sleeping by 5:35!  Woops.  Just hoping he sleeps straight through…

 ANYWAY – that is the big news.  Think we might try going to school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday off, then back for Thursday and Friday.  I guess we will have to see how it goes!

 Well – off to rest while the resting is good!

Love and light…

Meer's Second Day at School

... or shall I say, "The Longest Four Hours of my Life"!!! 

 

So it is safe to say that Meer likes school - he was happy to wave goodbye to Daddy and Kasimbi this morning - all pleased to get in his car seat, and sat like a perfectly quiet angel all the way to school.  We went in together (Josaphine was with us), and changed our shoes.  My New Best Friend - a 3 year old named Elizabeth - came running over - to tell me her Mommy wasn't there!  I told her it was because she was such a big girl, and we walked into the outdoor "practical area" where the children were sitting down at a table playing with a variety of balls, beads, bits, and bobs. 

 

Meer sat down at the table beside Elizabeth - who immediately confiscated Meer's beads!  Meer took it quite well, and happily accepted a replacement set of prickly colored balls.  A teacher came over and stood behind them - helping both of them with their hand-eye coordination, etc.  I took the opportunity to take Josaphine and tour her around the place.  She was impressed with all the different rooms, and variety of activities, etc.

 

ANYWAY - Josaphine waited in a nearby room in case Meer needed a translator, or help of any kind, and I... left!  It was even MORE weird than yesterday.  I did a quick shop at Nakumatt, and then went to Gigiri house to wait.  I timed it - and it was about a 60 second to drive back to the school in case Meer wanted me...  I waited.  Then I waited.  Time actually went backwards.  It was for EVER!  Josaphine called me at snack time to tell me that Meer was having a great time, and saying that he was "happy" when he was asked!  So that was great.  I waited for another phone call, but never got one.  IMAGINE - he didn't even want his mother.  Sigh.

 

I waited the full 4 hours, and went back at 12:30 to collect him.  Some of the other parents were there picking up their kids, and Meer was so sleepy he was almost falling over!!  NOT joking.  Apparently Elizabeth had been taking him by the hand, and running around with him outside - going down the slide, playing around - having a GREAT time!  So no wonder he didn't miss me!

 

AND - I even made a trip to the gym at Village to get a YOGA SCHEDULE!!!  NOT JOKING.  Basically they have 2 classes a week that fit in perfectly with Meer's new schedule - 9:00 - 10:30.  So that sure will be lovely!  It has been YEARS since I have exercised... I can "feel the burn" already!

 

Anyway - that is about all I can think of just now.

Love and light...

Meer's First Day of School

Well - HOW EXCITING! Meer has a fantastic first day at school! He was a bit shy - didn't want to play in the same room as the rest of the kids. But was totally happy hanging out without Kasimbi and I for about 2 hours straight! Then he wanted Kasimbi - I think mostly because he was hungry. After a snack, he was fine going around with the teachers.

Tomorrow they asked me to just drop him off - Kasimbi and I both not stay with him. I basically said NO, and suggested that Josaphine stay with him instead. I mean - my version of school for Meer at this stage in his life (he turns two at the end of June), is purely enjoyment. And any sort of seperation anxiety is absolutely unacceptable at this stage in his development!

The rest of the kids are super cute and great - only 11 students total, so it is a nice small group. There are a few charmers - sweet little talkative girls, and couple boys that don't want to really speak, but want to stand very close to me! Sweet little hunnies.

I scooted off for a bit this morning - sans Meer. It was SO freaky! I can't even say that I liked it. I felt all weird and guilty - like I was a bad mom, or something! Well - not really, but it was weird. I found myself speedwalking through Nakumatt so I could get back "just incase" he needed me... which he didn't!

The rest of the kids are between the ages of 3 and 6. So Meer is the definately the youngest. His attention span is short as well... about 5 minutes, and then he wants to see something new. Having about 10 different rooms with new stuff in them doesn't help! Apparently one of the other young girls did the same thing for the first month that she was there - just going around from room to room exploring. After the month, she began to follow the group and participate with the rest of the kids.

Meer is enrolled in the morning class - 8:30 - 12:30, Monday to Friday. We are going again tomorrow morning - with Josaphine in tow! Let's see if he keeps on enjoying it as much as he did today!

And WHAT am I going to do with my TIME?? I will have practically FIFTEEN HOURS A WEEK all by myself... IMAGINE! Weird...

Well - I am TRYING to upload a photo or two for you, but my connection is too slow... sigh... HEY! Maybe I will take my laptop and go and sit at Java House for a few hours tomorrow morning! They have free wireless internet - and it is faster, and really close to Meer's school! Yet another brain wave hits me!

Love and light...

... is it still 2008??

Yes - I KNOW - long time, and no update what-so-ever. Horrible of me. True. In any event - we are all alive and well - and happily back in Kenya!

Life in Kenya is wonderful. Absolutely great. Meer is LOVING it! Today we went to see a new Montessori preschool that is nearby... it was 4pm when we got there, so all the kids and teachers had left for the day, but there was an askari who let us in, and then an employee dude of some sort showed up to tour us around.... A good thing, considering Meer had already cased half the place!! ha ha ha! They have converted a house into a school, basically. Every room has a different theme: Nature, Human Body, Space, Numbers, etc. There are cubbie holes for the children's shoes - with their names and pictures on cute laminated cards on each cubbie. (and we all know how many points I assign for proper laminating! ha ha ha!)

So Meer walked around everywhere looking and saying the words excitedly for everything he saw. He found these marble type plastic beads that can be sorted out into a compartmentalized tray, and that was the end of it - we couldn't peel him away or get him back intothe car without a HUGE protest! I always imagined driving away from preschool to the sounds of a screaming child - but I always thought it would be because I was leaving them behind, not taking them with me! ha ha ha!!

I called the head of the school when we got home and asked it Meer could join them for the last month of the semester. The school is really for 3 - 6 year olds, but Meer has been welcomed to join them - starting tomorrow!!! NATURALLY Kasimbi (our houseman) and I will stay there with him. Half day runs from 8:30 until 12:30, so let's see how long Meer lasts! I have this fantasy of dropping Meer and Kasimbi off at school, and then going to the gym for a yoga class... IMAGINE!

The school is small - probably around 12 kids? One of the pictures on the cubbies was of our neighbour's daughter - Yein. (Korean) So this afternoon I saw her mom out in her yard, so we had a chat over the fence. I was all happy to tell her that Meer will be going to school with her daughter tomorrow, and she was like, "Oh REALLY? You no tell me! I get you discount!! The owner is Korean!!" HOW HANDY!

Anyway - that really IS the latest!

Thanks for kicking me in the butt and getting me to post again.
Love to all...

Blurb from the Kenya Buzz

I COULDN'T HAVE SAID THIS BETTER MYSELF!! .......

"About three or four years ago, crime and car-jacking dominated discussions at cocktail parties across Nairobi. The past couple of years, gridlock traffic and the stock market/economy were more popular, a reflection of the thriving economy. Towards the end of 2007, there was a slight bias towards political discussion but it wasn't yet more popular than the traffic issue because everyone thought it would be business as usual no matter who won at the polls. If you have dared to leave the safety of your house at night and have started back on the cocktail circuit, you will have noticed that there is now no other discussion but politics. Everyone is reeling with disbelief over the current state of affairs. And yet in hindsight, not really surprised at all!

Every New Year is a time for optimism and fresh starts. We had our hopes, our plans and our dreams for great things in 2008. Now all hangs in the balance; the future so unpredictable and frustration is in the air. People want to be optimistic and it seems like it wouldn't be so hard just to "get back to normal" but at this point "normal" will be a facade when landlords are throwing out tenants of different tribes, companies are firing people of different ethnic backgrounds and killing and burning continues around the country.

There may be a fix to the political stalemate as Kofi Annan arrives to help our leaders negotiate a settlement. This may even lead to the economy bouncing back and people getting on their feet again financially. But a comfortable political settlement and a thriving economy won't put us back where we were at the end of last year. There is a tremendous amount of emotional healing that is needed in Kenya. And it would be a terrible mistake to overlook this and hide behind a peaceful facade. Tribal issues need to be addressed explicitly and openly, perhaps through a truth and reconciliation commission. If glossed over, tribalism in Kenya will only brew and simmer beneath the surface to rear its ugly head again at the next election or other trigger event.

Let's share the vision that by next election, everyone will again be safe and welcome anywhere in Kenya.

WE WISH YOU PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN 2008 FROM KENYABUZZ."

http://www.kenyabuzz.com/

Dubai Update

Yes - we are still alive and breathing!  Seems a day or two after Meer's recoverty from the flu, I we both got a pretty rough cold!  Luckily Meer's only lasted a day or so, but as for me - I am still honking the snauze and fillling up tissues like a trucker!  Imagine.  A few days were pretty bad... aches and pains, but now we seem to be almost better!  And really - there are worse things than filling up tissues to the brim! ha ha ha!!

 

Anyway - Meer is being a real champion.  He is at a really sweet stage of almost being able to ask for what he wants - well - he CAN, but sometimes he needs to be reminded to use his words instead of "that"! 

 

He fell really badly a couple days ago - went to "climb up" a cheap metal stool, but obviously it came tumbling down ontop of him - fell back on the tile floor lke a plank, basically - with a stool chaser!  Got a big goose egg on the back of his head, and then a doozy on the front of his head!  YES - he continued to make the most of his hard skull for the rest of the day - bashed his temple ont he cupboard door, and then dinged himself again on soemthing else.  All in all - by the time the next day rolled around - he was headbutting shelves for FUN, basically! ha ha ha!  Poor little guy.  STILL has a big green and purple bruise cover about half of his forehead!

 

So ya.  Thomas is the new thing.  The satelite tv was out one day (during heavy rains - and yes - we are in the DESERT!!) we watched Thomas dvd's as a family... Kush was like, "It's like a SOAP OPERA!!!" Go figure.  And considering Meer has just about everything from his favorite toy store (great staff, and a demo of everything for the kids to play with in the store!!), we are now collecting him the Thomas train stuff!  And to be serious - it is quite pricey - it adds up in a hurry.  So instead of getting something he might get bored of, we get him a piece or two of Thomas the Train.

 

ANYWAY - it is late already, so I am going to be lame and hop into bed!

More as it happens... or shortly there after! ha ha ha!

;-D

Happy Christmas Eve!

HEY!!!

 

So yes - we are really enjoying our stay in Dubai - at a place called "Habtoor Resort and Spa"... have yet to see the "spa", part, though!  Really it is just a hotel with a big pool and private beach.  They have a bunch of stuff for kids - play area, pools, water slides, etc, so there are a LOT of other families here.  It's pretty good.

 

In the New Year we move back into an apartment we stayed at before (without a kids pool), so until then Meer is going to be water-logged from all the time we are spending in the pool!  Kush takes him down this water slide - it is SO great to see Meer so happy!

 

Wishing you all a VERY Merry Christmas...

Merry Christmas!

Yes - yes.  We actually ARE alive!!! 

 

We have been back in Nairobi for the past couple weeks - what a treat!  I mean - I love Dubai, but there is something so great about being back in your own house... ya know?  Speaking of which, we are leaving for Dubai again this week!  Just trying to find suitable accomodation, etc.  The good thing about being there for so long, is we have a big long list of suitable places - nice spots that offer 2 bedroom apartment type rooms.  Thing is - it's booked for the holidays!~ The best I could find still leaves us kicked out for the four days around New Years...

 

Anyway - that is that.

 

Adoption is still on the stove - just shoved onto a back burner until Kush is finished with his work in Dubai.  Hopefully in the early part of the New Year! 

 

So ya... that is the story.  On a GOOD note - I will be dragging my laptop with me this time - so I will still be in touch!

 

MUCH love and holiday cheer...

Christa.

Happy Hhalloween

HEY Everybody!

SORRY for being MIA for so long - we have been in  Dubai  for the past month or so - time reeally flies!

Kush has a bunch of work here, so Meer and I have been  hanging out... toy stores, book stores with  children's reading areas, glass elevators, escalators -  those are the hot spots.  We even have a toy store with a bubble machine - so we go and play in the bubbles once or twice a day at  least!

We have even managed to meet some fellow Canadians here!  Mostly (ok - ALL) from the East Coast!!  One lady works for a company  that iis building a hospital here  for travel  tourism, and another lady is a fabulous real estate chic!  Anyway...

This morning we were playing around the business center of the hotel - it's a fancy marble aand  glass type deal, with  seating  on one side, and a suspended walkway through the center - tres chic, really.  Anyway -  Meer went running  over to his spot -  the wall  of windows with drapes behind the sofas - he  loves  to shake the snott out of the drapery  cords! 

Anyway - sitting alone on one of the sofas was this Arab woman -  covered head to toe in black.  Even her face was covered with a black  scarf.  I smiled as I ran past with Meer, and she moved a bit --  so  I  figured that was friendly!!  The she pulled the scarf up  over her head and started cooing at Meer!  Obviously she  was a grandma - she was making all these lovely soft clucking noises etc!  Anyway -  she was wearing this very  interesting thing - as I  have never seen underneath a woman's head scarf before - (forgive my ignorance please!!) - it was this beautiful golden object that coverd her mouth,  so  that when she spoke nobody  could see her lips... it is SOO  hard to explain!!!!  It also had a thin band of gold across her  forehead too.  I wish I could  explain  it better!  I told Kush about it, and he was like,  "Oh -  she's LOADED."'  (meaning  really really rich).  I  dunno!  Anyway - Meer ran off after his dad, and then  I  carried  him  back  to  say  bye too her.  I wish I spoke Arabic!!  I  don't  know what she was saying,  and it sucked.  I am  pretty  sure Salam means Hi or bye -  same as hebrew... that's what it sounded like, anyway.  So  there is a little snippet of a day-in-the-life...  you know when you are in the Middle East when... huh?? ha ha ha!!

Anyway... we are here for another week or two,  I think.

Missing you all...
Christa.

Toddler Activites - Nesting and Stacking

1) When choosing nesting and stacking toys for your toddlers, look for those that have only a few pieces. Toys with too many pieces to figure out can frustrate toddlers.

2) Make a nesting game for your children by collectintog paper cups in three or four different sizes. Place the cups, right side up, on a table. Show the children how to place the cups inside one another, starting with the largest cup. A set of measuring cups also works well.

3) Boxes make a nice nesting game. Set out three or four boxes in different sizes for your children to nest together.

4) Purchase plastic eggs in small, medium, and large sizes. Put one of each size together to make a fun nesting toy for spring.

5) A nesting set of pots makes a great toy. Your toddlers will love experimenting with them to find out just how they can nest together.

6) Toddlers especially enjoy stacking rings. You can purchase commercially make stacking rings or you can make your own. A small bathroom plunger and some shower curtain rings or large metal canning jar rings make a fun game.

7) You can also make a stacking rings game out of a wooden bottle-drying rack and some old napkin rings. Have your children put the rings on the dowels of the rack.

8) Make a different kind of stacking toy by cutting the tops and bottoms off plastic 2-liter bottles to make cylinders. Cover the cylinders with self-stick paper, if you wish. Show your children how to stack the cylinders on top of each other.

9) Collect several small plastic containers that are all the same size. Let your children stack and unstack them.

10) For an unusual stacking game, collect plastic cups and saucers. Show your children how to stack them by alternating saucers and cups, then let them try to make a two or three cup tower.