A break for the summer travels?
I never quite addressed the fact that I might not have time and mental space to keep up with the "blog" when we are on more full-time child-care family visit. One mommy blogger that I read said "A rest" in describing that she was going on family vacation and wouldn't be writing for two weeks. I am predicting that when she returns to the blog she'll be saying "A rest?"
But, a couple quick cultural observations via the kids:
1. Mary: "Why is everything just so beautiful and organized in America? If I could have all the people I love in Uganda in America, I think that would be my favorite."
2. Rachel and Mary: "Mom, cover the toilet, I don't want it to flush on me". Whoever designed the self-flushing toilets including the volume of them was not considering preschool children and the parents who travel with them-- i.e. Abby, rachel and mary in a one public bathroom stall...
3. Playgrounds and general worlds of child-centered activity: I could homeschool my kids for free at the Sewickley public library--- literally the list of activities they have for every age group, including myself is astounding.
4. Cheap stuff: I went to a flea market the other day and was thinking that if you could pull off one of those in Uganda, people would go wild. The variety of things you can get for 50 cents is amazing; a good cake pan, 4 baby outfits, 5 Barbies, a leather baseball, a backpack, etc, etc.
5. Despite the world of entertainment, the culture of children is not as accepted in America as Uganda: Privacy, control, noise, order... I think the average Ugandan would over-greet our children (i.e. would assume that the highlight of their day would be interacting with children) and here I hesitate to push another person's kid on a swing for fear that the parent might think I'm a child-abducter.
6. TV-- out of control. Who knew so many controls on movie-size monitors was possible?
7. Options-- I sent Mark to the grocery the other day. My dad's main advice to Mark was to take his phone so that once he was there he could call us for directions; what to choose and where it was in the store?
8. Less local food: I was at the flea market and there were tables of produce. I was assuming it was sort of farmer's market-y but then realized a woman was peeling off the stickers on the tomatoes. My mom then said, "oh, these are california strawberries".... Anyway, amazing US has the infrastructure to haul things around and still sell them for so cheap but sad that we're not helping local farmers.
Last point: "Wherever you go, there you are".... As much as we are in a different culture/material setting, we are essentially who we are -- with all the virtues and flaws that reside within.
I never quite addressed the fact that I might not have time and mental space to keep up with the "blog" when we are on more full-time child-care family visit. One mommy blogger that I read said "A rest" in describing that she was going on family vacation and wouldn't be writing for two weeks. I am predicting that when she returns to the blog she'll be saying "A rest?"
But, a couple quick cultural observations via the kids:
1. Mary: "Why is everything just so beautiful and organized in America? If I could have all the people I love in Uganda in America, I think that would be my favorite."
2. Rachel and Mary: "Mom, cover the toilet, I don't want it to flush on me". Whoever designed the self-flushing toilets including the volume of them was not considering preschool children and the parents who travel with them-- i.e. Abby, rachel and mary in a one public bathroom stall...
3. Playgrounds and general worlds of child-centered activity: I could homeschool my kids for free at the Sewickley public library--- literally the list of activities they have for every age group, including myself is astounding.
4. Cheap stuff: I went to a flea market the other day and was thinking that if you could pull off one of those in Uganda, people would go wild. The variety of things you can get for 50 cents is amazing; a good cake pan, 4 baby outfits, 5 Barbies, a leather baseball, a backpack, etc, etc.
5. Despite the world of entertainment, the culture of children is not as accepted in America as Uganda: Privacy, control, noise, order... I think the average Ugandan would over-greet our children (i.e. would assume that the highlight of their day would be interacting with children) and here I hesitate to push another person's kid on a swing for fear that the parent might think I'm a child-abducter.
6. TV-- out of control. Who knew so many controls on movie-size monitors was possible?
7. Options-- I sent Mark to the grocery the other day. My dad's main advice to Mark was to take his phone so that once he was there he could call us for directions; what to choose and where it was in the store?
8. Less local food: I was at the flea market and there were tables of produce. I was assuming it was sort of farmer's market-y but then realized a woman was peeling off the stickers on the tomatoes. My mom then said, "oh, these are california strawberries".... Anyway, amazing US has the infrastructure to haul things around and still sell them for so cheap but sad that we're not helping local farmers.
Last point: "Wherever you go, there you are".... As much as we are in a different culture/material setting, we are essentially who we are -- with all the virtues and flaws that reside within.
