The joys of the season

What a lovely escapade we had traveling to the US for Christmas. Aside from the 30 to 35 hour gruel of the journey --during which I learned that Kenyans are much kinder to a mother traveling alone with a kid than Europeans or, especially, Americans-- it was fun delving back into the land of smooth, wide roads, shopping galore, and wide blue cloudless New Mexico skies.

Well, yes, the skies are like that in Nairobi too. The difference being: when you are looking at the sky in New Mexico in December you are bundled from nose to toes and still shivering. Or at least you are when you've gotten used to thinking that 60 degrees F is cold.

Highlights of the trip (excluding the food factor, because those are too many to list) include:

• Seeing my mom direct the children's choir at church with my daughter timidly singing in it
• Working at home, and overhearing:
• My daughter: Grandpa, would you like me to do your hair first or buff your nails?
• My father: Let's to my nails first, I haven't had them buffed in much too long.
• Watching my daughter play in the snow with her friends, her dad, and my dad (I enjoyed this much more than when I played in the snow with her myself)
• Having my daughter and her two visiting friends, whom were a highlight all on their own, tromp inside with red noses and bright eyes, gushing about the fort they made out where I used to play 
• Going out to a new movie, at night, with my husband, while grandparents babysat
• Visiting with "my people" - friends whom I have known for way, way longer than 18 months, by this time we have affirmed that we can pick right back up from when we last met
• Visiting with my aunt, whom I haven't seen except on Skype in a few years, and now that she is, ah, up there in age, seeing how much her spirit and manner remind me of my grandmother

Then, there was the coming home to Kenya. What really blew me away was that I really felt I was coming home after a month way. This thought is quickly followed by, "Oh crap! We're moving in 6 months!"

C'est la vive.

Impressions of home

Eight days ago, my daughter and I arrived in the States for an extended Christmas holiday. (Hubby will be following shortly for a less extended vacation.) Immediately we notice a few sublime differences, unabashedly pointed out by my 6 year old in that way that kids have.


1. Thee road is so smooth! There are no potholes, no speed bumps.

2. It's COLD! (Followed quickly by, "SNOW!" and much running around inside and out)

3. You can drink water from the tap??

4. While watching the Grinch on TV, with real actual commercial breaks..."Why do they keep saying, 'buy this' and 'you need that' all the time?"

5. At the store: Can we get cherries? (yes.) Can we get strawberries? (yes.) Can we get toaster waffles? (yes.) Can we get fruit bars? (yes.)..... et cetera.

6. (2 hours after sundown in a parking lot) It is not dark out here! It can't be night time!

I for one, am enjoying the sedate style of driving and am getting over my shock at being able to safely and easily go out at night to run errands and do Christmas shopping.

My dad, looking at zebras, with Lake Naivasha just beyond. Just another weekend in Nairobi.

My parents came out for 3 weeks at Christmas, and we had a great time while they saved my tukus once again on the child care front. Swimming, endless games of pretend, computer games, books, the park, they really wore her out.

A couple months ago the kiddo came home from school with her weekly journal, where she had noted that mommy went to the track over the weekend (lovely picture too). I exclaimed to dearest hubby: "We took that child on safari [any self-drive in these parts is stress inducing] and she writes about me going for a jog???"
He answers, "Really, which is more unusual?"
Ouch.

Kenya Christmas

Snooping in our own windows.

Among the series of chaotic events leading up to our move was the fact that our Christmas box did not make the "go to Kenya" shipment -- and it was sent to storage. This was almost the only box I actually took the time and effort to sort through last year for the move. I was mad at sorting time - choosing which memories and kiddo's decorations home made over the years should move or go to storage made for an unhappy momma. Then having the box literally miss the boat was Not Happy. We managed to bring a few things with us, like our hand-quilted-by-Aunt-Charlette stockings, but otherwise we improvised. My mother sent us some ornaments and my daughter stepped up her project-making. Thus, her orange boa adorning the left side and many marker and paper ornaments. That rosemary monster bush on the left sacrificed a number of unruly branches to a wreath that hangs over the mantle. Still seems to sunny for Christmas, but we are playing CD's and having cocoa anyway!

No Santa

Friday night was an exciting event in our family. Our little diva had her first ever Christmas concert. She sang her heart out, along with hundreds of other kindergarten through 5th graders, and had the time of her life.

Unfortunately, she'd been battling a fever for about 24 hrs. I tried to keep her home from school Friday, but the fever was gone (temporarily, it turns out), and she really didn't want to miss math. (She doesn't get that from me.) I let her go half day.


We had a low key Friday afternoon, a high-key concert, and dragged ourselves home. By the late hour of 8pm, we were all feeling a little worse for wear. By Saturday morning, Andrew was encapsulated in blankets with a roaring fever; I was holding off the shakes myself. Calynn claimed she was "better", but around 11AM I came into the room to find...





Saturday was the day Santa came to the American Embassy folk. We heard it was great for the kids...