Feb Photo update

January and February are hot months in Uganda.  Not my favorite, I'll admit.  But there have been some dry air, blue sky days with banana leaves blowing in the dry wind that makes you think, of course Africa is beautiful and relaxed and full of life.   And the picture of pity that is often depicted doesn't even compute as people are smilingly pushing their wares down the street, chatting with friends as they sell chapatis on the side of the road, bathing their children and dressing them for school, hanging out at night around the charcoal stove laughing, singing, recounting the tales of their day.  

Mary has started a sketch book of "the way Ugandans do it"-- cooking, carrying babies, growing food, etc.   And I'm grateful for my time here that will never really allow me to pity another culture-- all people merit compassion with sickness, war, corruption, lack of access, financial hardship, etc.  But there are really no broad-brush strokes to paint a culture and its way of life as more or less lacking than another.  

I'm not really trying to be comprehensive in any real worldview statement as much as I'm saying that despite my personal aversion for the hot months, I can see and relate to the joys of the sun, the joys of a culture that is more connected with the earth and its seasons.  I know that when we move back and I meet up with a Ugandan friend for coffee some fall or winter day, at what I deem to be a cozy, sentimental time of year, I will understand what they are missing.  They are missing the equatorial sun that really does feel a bit nearer, the sound of leaves flapping, the laughter, the crowds, the loud music and evangelistic sounds systems strapped to pick up trucks, the meals of matoke with family who somehow also includes whatever visitors/extended family/clansmen/church folk/ etc happens to be there that day, wheelbarrows of pineapples and mangos and the ever present social life of their home culture. 

Okay, ramble aside, here are some pictures from the last 6 weeks-- two kittens have now left home leaving us with momma kitty and Orie (yes, keeping the tolkien naming theme strong here) .  

3 kittens in a basket!

Nursing mother keeping Daniel company!

A sketch of crested Cranes on barkcloth

The colors of Uganda to me-- was trying to work on some t-shirt designs for USP

Jean's birthday-- getting some assistance for smiling!

The cat has definitely been under less duress than the dog with the whole feeding babies thing!

Rachel's birthday when my parents were still here

Rachel and Noll both have Feb 4th birthdays--Rachel turned 5 and Noll turned 2!

Rachel definitely growing out of young child stage to fun child stage!

While the girls may have finished at St. Elizabeths, Jean has just begun and seems to be doing well!

We're all watching the monkeys playing... I have a one minute video but can't get it to upload!  Suffice to say, pretty fun to watch monkeys playing with a wiffle ball and each other!

Noll's cupcakes--- have to admit that after Mark, Jean, Rachel, I find I'm pretty done with the birthday gig! Sorry, Noll.  Luckily, I think you won't really remember this. :) 

Was trying to capture the three kids swinging, one girl jump roaping and Noll in the background toddling around with a toy CD player-- playing the same song over and over.  

The closing of one chapter, the opening of another-- School for the girls

This video from the Christmas production: Rachel is there with the the mike and her gomesi!

Goodbye-St. Elizabeth's Montessori!  The girls enjoyed their term at a local Montessori school where many UCU faculty are sending their children.  It is very progressive in Uganda in that it only offers school from 8-2 (most schools go from 7am-5+pm).  It has more hands on activities.  The ratio of students to teachers is 1:15 ( the government schools are probably around 1:100; private schools probably range from 1:20 up to 1:70).  The school also was focused on helping the children learn phonics and good reading skills early.  The director has a daughter living in the US so she does buy many montessori materials-- especially notable in the math department as I think children do learn math better with more representational concepts (blocks, counting, etc).  I felt like the academics were strong (perhaps stronger than international schools) but the socialization is what is most different for our kids at a local school.  I do think that if we were committed to living in Uganda long term, I might commit to the process of helping the kids settle in there as I think children can adapt.  The girls would have found ways to fit into that setting but also to enjoy other contexts where they could socialize as Westerners. But the area of identity in a group is a clear place where culture diverges.  I could see how cultural values and backgrounds differ in the way we socialize children (communication, appearance, discipline, manners, social skills with peers, etc) 

So, as December rolled around, I faced the question of what to do with the kids.   I had some ambivalence about how they were fitting in (esp. Mary) but frankly at this point, I was also worrying about "me" time!  With the girls leaving at 8 am and coming home sometimes at 1pm, I felt that I really still didn't have chunks of time to begin to explore some work (perhaps grad school) options for me.  (Not aided by the fact that I was homeschooling Daniel for that term-- anyone who wants to hear more about that can, but can't say that's a great fit for me and Daniel!)  And the Ugandan schedule means the big holiday is Dec/Jan/early Feb, 3 weeks off in May, 6 weeks in august/half of Sept.  We often travel June and July and I thought, "I'm never going to get any solid chunks of time!"

And here I am writing because with the switch to the new school and the use of a driver at times, I am finding I can get more uninterrupted periods of time.  I won't promise you that the time is totally streamlined and productive yet.  But it can be.  And it will be.  Except when Mark travels for 3 weeks.  And the kids get sick.  And they have a week off for spring break.  And Mark goes on the Rwanda trip.   And the kids get sick.  Okay, I may be exaggerating but even as I anticipate having some time, I'm trying to be realistic about the extent of my work/mental commitments.  

At pick up at the new school

In the end of quarter production

Mary's class-- that is Teacher Becky leading them! :) 

The whole school-- Daniel is hiding in the back with a sprained ankle

Abby, at home alone! Yeah! :) 

Children's books

So, I haven't yet filled in details on the grown-up books that I've been reading.  Ideally, I will sort myself out on Good Reads and try to do some reviews (mini) there, since that may venue might be a bit more suitable...

I thought I'd mention a few children's books that I've enjoyed in the last couple months.

1. A Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith
I love his illuminated illustrations!  And I daresay, I have just discovered a horibble, terrible, no good thing--- He has heaps of gorgeous books that I haven't read yet! And the kids are growing up, and my mom's (wonderful!) children's library on campus doesn't have them.  I will definitely have to slowly add some to our collection.

2. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt


A clever book where the different color crayons register their complaints with their owner.  For example the beige crayon says in his letter; "It's not fair that Brown gets all the bears, ponies and puppies while the only things I get are turkey dinners (if I'm lucky) and wheat, and let's be honest-- when was the last time you saw a kid excited about coloring wheat?"  Fun pictures, creative way of thinking about colors and great humor in personifying crayons.

3. A Country Far Away by Nigel Gray

This is a nice book for our kids (probably best for kids age 4-6, mostly illustration), but I think could also be nice for kids who don't live outside the US but want to learn about other perspectives, etc.  The author/illustrator go through a day in the life of an American boy (probably between 6-8) and an African boy illustrating that their days and lives have similar content but in different environments/contexts.  Nice because its not patronizing or pitying.

Mark has begun reading the Narnia Series to Mary and both girls are now beginning to read books on their own which is great.  Daniel has started The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and we all are listening to Cressida Crowell's series How to Train Your Dragon that we buy through audible-- a total godsend for the kid's school commute (2 hours a day).  

Books that I've read in 2013--this is the outline which I hoped to fill in! :)

1, Books I have read (all if not almost all!): 

a. Parenting/Self-Help
Raising Emotionally Intelligent Children

Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom Ages 4-14 

Mystery of Marriage

b. Theological/Spirituality:
Being Consumed
Transformed into Fire
Faith and Doubt
More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity

c. Memoir:
Pastrix
Composing a Life
Bittersweet

d. Fiction: 
Cold Mountain

2. Non-books-- blogs and articles= Lots of them! :) 

3. Parts of:

Leading Lives that Matter: What we Should Do and Who We Should Be (anthology)
Unbroken (novel)
Good Poems: Selected by Garrison Keillor
Don't Forgive Too Soon: Extending the two hands that heal
Enhancing Missionary Vitality: Mental Health Professions Serving Global Mission

4. In the coming year, some reading goals include:
Finishing many of the started books! 
More fiction and memoir (self-help is a bit overwhelming!:)
Mexico Profundo: Reclaiming a Civilization 
Gilead

Activities of Christmas in Uganda

While I miss many of the cozy and nostalgic activities that surround a Christmas break in my memories, I wanted to record a couple of the activities that I'm sure will be nostalgic in our kids memories from their many Christmases in Uganda.  If I were more clever, I would think of someway to record this as "the twelve days of christmas" or some such.  But, for now, I just want to make sure I get a record of equatorial activities of Christmas!

Technically from last year, but some sort of a party at the trampoline for our neighbors and community

Also, technically from last year... this is a slip and slide made from a large advertising banner--hours of fun with this bequeathed to us from the Button family when they left

Wonder World-- so much fun though from my perspective it is so worn down-- luckily, the kids haven't exactly honed in on that.  And they were boasting that Disney Land costs $100 dollars but Wonder World is only 4 dollars! A bargain--maybe 100 dollar entrance would translate into a bit more upkeep. 

Our neighbors always host a carols night for UCU staff

Mark preparing for Kidepo-- but in a few days, we'll be doing the same prep for a trip to take the girls on safari at Murchison falls where they have never been. 

Christmas breaks (and the hot month of December) usually means lots  of swimming

Christmas traditions--religious with some cultural observations!

Religious:

Advent:

a. Advent wreath-- light a candle every Sunday of advent and the christmas candle on Christmas day.  Follow the prayers of the Book of Common Prayer for each sunday of advent, or look around for other sources of prayers and readings.
b. Advent calendar:  The children get to count each day of Advent.  We've never done a chocolate advent calendar but those could be fun in the future.

My grandmother made this Advent calendar

Mark gave me this one for Christmas--picked out by me in Nairobi from a "beyond fair trade" company (cheaper for me since I was there, but its a project worth supporting)
http://www.amaniafrica.org/product-category/christmas-2

c. This year we did this activity because the girls love this bible.  Could be good for anyone out there with younger kids. http://adrielbooker.com/advent-jesus-storybook-bible/

d. I have visions of taking the level of content up some levels every year as the kids get older as it is such a meaningful time of year and with the "carrot" of Christmas, I think kids are ready to be pretty engaged in the process of Advent.

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day:
This year we went to a Christmas Eve service and Christmas Day.  In Uganda the Christmas Day service is the main event, but our campus has scheduled a 5pm service for the expats, mostly.  Anyway,  this year as we wiped sweat from our brow, our friend Brian Dennison preached the Christmas Eve sermon and the most resounding "carol" was "Feliz Navidad" at the end of the service! After Christmas Eve service, we went home for dinner and opening on gift.  In future, I hope we'll be reading "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" on Dec 23rd and 24th as both Mark and I grew up doing that and its a very warm-hearted kid-friendly way to remind us of the meaning of Christmas.

Christmas Day, the campus also had a service that was fairly low in numbers (many people go home to their villages for Christmas).  However the numbers in Sunday school were plenty.  We had one of those funny things happen where some kind church goer at home sends gifts for children in Africa, and our kids come home with baggies of goods from Oriental Trading company.  Like last year when our children got gifts from Samaratin's Purse "shoebox" efforts.  Yikes, should we write the thank you note to this kid in America from a middle class American child who lives in Uganda?

Before church, we opened our stockings and one bigger present and after church we opened the remaining gifts.

Daniel and Mary got legos-- legos are a real classic, glad they are making a come back even if there is a marketing component to the whole gig.  

Post-church presents-- photo to show that the cat has made it indoors!

Rachel always wants to wear my classes--now she has her own--bought for $1.50 from a street vendor. Score. 

In Uganda, New Years Day is a big deal and they have a service.  To be specific they have an "all-night" service from 10pm New Years Eve to 8am New Years Day.  Dorothy was telling Rachel about it.  Rachel said, "I could not do church for 12 hours."  I said in my heart, "amen, sister."  But, the tradition of all nighters works here and I can only applaud them from afar. :)

I'm sliding into some "cultural observations".... Basically I think New Years is a huge day (more so than even birthdays. I think it is the time of year all Ugandans observe that we've survived another year.   It is funny but every Sunday during Sunday school, the children have a time of prayer requests and testimony.  Child after child goes up the microphone and says, "thank you to God that I'm alive".   It is one of those more stark cultural realities that I never really get over.  Almost all Ugandans express daily gratitude that they are alive this day-- "give us today our daily bread" in a very real way.  What a thing we take for granted, but also what a fundamental part of our consciousness that is so different-- both when it comes to gratitude and daily trust in God but also when you think of the rational implications that result from counting on being alive for each day at a time.

Future religious traditions:
1. St. Nicholas Day-- candy in shoes? Thinking of others in need?
2. 12 Days of Christmas: Saw some things about this last year but I feel like there may be a way to keep Advent a bit more somber and reflective if I know we can make the 12 days of Christmas more celebratory (again, maybe coming up with ways to do fun activities for the 12 days, maybe thinking of ways to do generosity, sorting and preparing for the new year, etc... )
3. Epiphany--The wise men bring gifts to Jesus-- is there a good way to tie the "gifts" part of Christmas to the story of the wise men.

Basically, I feel I have some Advent traditions in mind, some Christmas Eve and Christmas day things in mind but then things start to go down hill quickly! So, we'll see if that develops in the future!

Responding to "request #1"--Photo updates!

The last time I posted photos was October, so the following are a bit scrambled but are photos from the last two months.... I'll try to give some explanation in the captions!

Daniel and I joined the Community Art class and visited this awesome project, Breakdance Uganda.  They have a cool documentary film available on Itunes called "Bouncing Cats" if you want to find out more (they are also on facebook)

This has been the season of baby animals--these are two of our puppies--Thorin and Bjorn.  And our cat had kittens three weeks ago, so maybe when they come down from their super hiding spot on the top shelf of our outdoor storage tunnel, they'll show up in photos!  I'm temped to bring them inside for the next month--for their uber cuteness and to protect their teenage mother from an inevitable repeat experience! 

This fall with the homeschooling action going on, we signed the kids up for a soccer league in Kampala that was pretty cool.  BTW, next semester, I'm hanging up my homeschooling hat, and trekking the kids into a small international school in Kampala (Acacia International School)

The kids at a local pool-- we have a perfect climate for lots of pool days all year round. 

We went to a sugar factory for a tour (this was not the Hostess tour you remember from days of youth).  Sadly, they were making menthol cough drops this day so there was a pretty strong smell in the place.  On the up side, lots of free candy to sample!

We've had this Elmo costume for 8 years, and it had a pretty cute inhabitant this year-- this is Noll, Dorothy's son-- Rachel's "boyfriend." yikes. 

We got to watch a cool solar eclipse this year-- didn't get quite as dark as the kids were expecting so they weren't super impressed.

Mary turns 6.  After her birthday week, she told me that it wasn't that good of a birthday for her.  Sorry, homeslice, but I did what I can do.  (a home birthday party, an outing, a family birthday meal/gifts, and another small outing with friends)

Rachel had a solo in her class song... someday I'll show some videos to family members! :)

Mary with her class, preparing to dance

The girls were at a Montessori school that would not match Montessori schools in the US, but is very progressive for here where most schooling is based on rote memorization with very large classes.  So as part of the program, the school was showing the parents how they do different types of learning. 

Earlier this fall, I did some tie dye with the missionary kids on campus-- always a winner.

This fall, I made friends with a British mom who has two girls the ages of our girls.  This is pass the parcel at their daughter's birthday party-- a great party that reminded me of parties of my youth.  

Dad is playing Monopoly with the boys-- yeah, Grandpa!

My good friend Gwyn visited us in Uganda this November (she lived here for 4.5 years and worked with Mark) The first picture is of us at lunch in Kampala; this picture is at the Nile where we had lunch. Not shown is the fun trip I took with her and our mutual friends to Fort Portal-- great chats, walks, meals, catching up on life.  Mark was at home on duty which made that a very relaxing grown up trip! 

Having a birthday dinner in town with our friends who are also our neighbors.