Pets and Events

Our Pet situation:  

Our beloved Athena, at the wise old age of 7 or 8 years old (that's between 50 and 60 years old)-- has four living puppies.   Pictured here are the two that we think we'll keep-- their "pet" names are Twinkle Toes and Wrinkle face.  I'm pretty sure they also have Tolkien names as well but i can't seem to keep those straight--Bjorn and Thorin perhaps! Even if one of them is a girl! 

Which brings me to our cat... The cat's name has been "Fiasco", then Mr. Whiskers, and now is mostly referred to as Bilbo.  Bilbo is also expecting kittens sometime! Yikes, I don't know that i'm up for this den of nurturing going on all around me! Luckily, the kids are taking their roles of pet care seriously--Daniel's in charge of the dogs including poop pick up which isn't pleasant and Mary is taking her job with the cat seriously.



Friends for the kids:

We have been I think unusually blessed to have a number of families on campus the whole time we've been in Uganda.  I do feel like our kids are growing up with some of the benefits of the "old" days in terms of a sort of pack of kids, various ages and personalities, a somewhat cousin-like acceptance that these other kids are your people and you going along, get along.  Despite some loud moments of disagreement,  there is an overriding sense of acceptance and belonging for the kids that I wouldn't trade (even if I grumble for the fact that about my lack of knowing when the house will be silent and when the whole pack will descend).

Our kids with friends, after swimming at a nearby pool

Tour at a sugar factory with the Dennisons who are also homeschooling

Sadly, this was the cough drop making week at the factory-- a reality that Rachel wasn't happy about

Events:

1. Halloween-- Halloween basically consists of trick or treating on campus.  Sometimes when a family has the energy we've done a little Halloween party but with many kids in Kampala schools (i.e. leaving home at 6:15 am), Thursday night is not an ideal time to have kids up late.  Here you can see that the Elmo costume we had for Daniel at age 3 is still getting use! I'm afraid Noll may win the cake for cutest in the Elmo suit!

Trick or treating at Rachel's house-- we had about 10 houses to stop at which was nice. 

2. Solar Eclipse
a. a recent article about Solar Eclipse in Uganda.
b. different forms for viewing eclipse... glasses that Rachel is putting on. Also you see basins of water in the yard--you can look at the reflection in the water

Pin-hole photo box: Don't know that I can explain it but Mark made a box with a pin-hole prick and the image of the sun is shown at the end of the box (upside down, I think). I gather this is similar to what artist would have used back in the day to try and make more photographic images of what they were going to paint.

You see the small image of the moon passing over the sun in the box?

I think all the adults could appreciate the change in the quality of light, but i'll confess that the kids were expecting that it might get as black as night when it happened and therefore had fun running around but weren't awe-struck by the event.  

3. Kampala Kids League: A weekly event we've tried this fall is joining Kampala Kids league.  It is a very organized football league that is open to those who can pay, but mostly is a project that uses its profits for making football available to disadvantaged kids.  Mark is there right now with the kids which is why I have the chance to write this blog entry! :)

For grandparents and the very devoted, there are some cute pictures of the kids on the KKL facebook page-- click here: photos of the kids at the league.  

Miscellaneous photo mantage--an attempt to break the blogging drought!

A thing of beauty is a joy forever!

A little chronological update:

1. I went to Nairobi in August to attend a USAID conference re: writing some grants for UCU this year.  Mark also enabled me to have 2 days of grown up time alone which was lovely-- included are some pictures from the National museum.  I also enjoyed some different coffee treats, different crafts and arts project. I also appreciated how much greenery is in Nairobi due to the efforts of Wangari Maathai, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangari_Maathai.  

2. Daniel had his 9th birthday-- the last two photos include some moments from that.  This semester Mark and I have done some homeschooling with Daniel.  While it includes some benefits like focusing on what he needs, doing Rosetta stone spanish and getting to do some field trips (this week we'll go to the sugar factory), Daniel is missing the social aspect of school.  Daniel is loving watching Broncos games with Mark, loving playing with his friends, learning to play some sports, and still enjoys a good prank from time to time.  

3. In September the girls started attending a local school here in Mukono which is very progressive by Ugandan standards but may still be a bit too "rote" for our kids and the school schedule (their main break all of Dec, Jan and some of Feb) and no break in our summertime is not ideal.  So, it may not be a permanent option, but i've been very proud of them for their efforts and good attitude about it despite the less "play-based" mentality of preschool/kindergarten.  Not decided yet for January what we'll do about school, but will keep you posted. 

All things trees hold a special place in my heart... a cool stain glass mosaic at the National Museum in Nairobi.

A cool bench design!

The map of Kenya in stained glass-- praying for Kenya and all of East Africa due to terrorist threats from Al Shabab, a terrorist group from Somalia.

I've shown shoes at the door photo before (cultural practice here)-- but can you see what's added in this photo? We're at the age of legos, star Wars and Lord of the Rings.  

Using the card shuffler from Grandma Kay-- Daniel's birthday (yes, early September!)

Cooking time with Dorothy--prob Daniel's birthday cake!

Love calls us to the things of this world

1. Watch this first: Wilbur reading "Love calls us to the things of this world"

2. I copied the following from a university site with several authors commenting on the poem... I included it just to give the connection to Augustine-- for the title and for the tension the world of other-wordly things is tempting but especially in the life of motherhood, I try to let love call me back to this world! 

St. Augustine

Insofar as "things of this world" derives from Augustine’s Confessions, it is a phrase that aims precisely at complicating the relation between the objective and the conceptual world, as in this passage: "I have learnt to love you late, Beauty at once so ancient and new! I have learnt to love you late! You were within me, and I was in the world outside myself. I searched for you outside myself and, disfigured as I was, I fell upon the lovely things of your creation. You were with me, but I was not with you. The beautiful things of this world kept me far from you and yet, if they had not been in you, they would have no being at all." (Book X, paragraph 27), trans. R. S. Pine-Coffin.

---

Donald L. Hill

The title "Love Calls Us to the Things of This World' is taken from St. Augustine. "Plato, St. Teresa, and the rest of us in our degree," says Wilbur, "have known that it is painful to return to the cave, to the earth, to the quotidian; Augustine says it is love that brings us back."

Daniel and mom doing errands, with a treat to motivate us!

Kids doing spa day; of course, Daniel goes first

We have a new kitty, a pleasure to watch him bounding around the yard chasing invisible things

The kids dressed up the dogs in sweatshirts

Luckily the table we got last year for dining is officially the art table now

No wonder girls love pink, it is rare and gorgeous--a certain pink light of day comes for about 10 minutes each dusk

Dressed up the puppy--we were trying to take care of this guy but sadly he died (from a wound inflicted by our other dog when the puppy sauntered into their cage). Sad and sobering. 

A favorite friend of the kids was taking videos of their dance moves on the porch

Baby Noll in a Batman suit, on a plasma car,  making his "serious" face

Friends helping us tie-dye shirts

Finished products

Oh, silliness!

Daily examen

The following is taken from this website (have no idea what authority this website has but it seemed clear and basic).  Italics is the summary of the "prayer of examen".  My thoughts come after the italicized section. 

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/how-can-i-pray/

How Can I Pray?

A great way to pray is to look for God’s presence in your life. More than 400 years ago St. Ignatius Loyola encouraged prayer-filled mindfulness by proposing what has been called the Daily Examen. The Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and to discern his direction for us. Try this version of St. Ignatius’s prayer.

1. Become aware of God’s presence. Look back on the events of the day in the company of the Holy Spirit. The day may seem confusing to you—a blur, a jumble, a muddle. Ask God to bring clarity and understanding.

2. Review the day with gratitude. Gratitude is the foundation of our relationship with God. Walk through your day in the presence of God and note its joys and delights. Focus on the day’s gifts. Look at the work you did, the people you interacted with. What did you receive from these people? What did you give them? Pay attention to small things—the food you ate, the sights you saw, and other seemingly small pleasures. God is in the details.

3. Pay attention to your emotions. One of St. Ignatius’s great insights was that we detect the presence of the Spirit of God in the movements of our emotions. Reflect on the feelings you experienced during the day. Boredom? Elation? Resentment? Compassion? Anger? Confidence? What is God saying through these feelings?

God will most likely show you some ways that you fell short. Make note of these sins and faults. But look deeply for other implications. Does a feeling of frustration perhaps mean that God wants you consider a new direction in some area of your work? Are you concerned about a friend? Perhaps you should reach out to her in some way.

4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to something during the day that God thinks is particularly important. It may involve a feeling—positive or negative. It may be a significant encounter with another person or a vivid moment of pleasure or peace. Or it may be something that seems rather insignificant. Look at it. Pray about it. Allow the prayer to arise spontaneously from your heart—whetherintercession, praise, repentance, or gratitude.

5. Look toward tomorrow. Ask God to give you light for tomorrow’s challenges. Pay attention to the feelings that surface as you survey what’s coming up. Are you doubtful? Cheerful? Apprehensive? Full of delighted anticipation? Allow these feelings to turn into prayer. Seek God’s guidance. Ask him for help and understanding. Pray for hope.

St. Ignatius encouraged people to talk to Jesus like a friend. End the Daily Examen with a conversation with Jesus. Ask forgiveness for your sins. Ask for his protection and help. Ask for his wisdom about the questions you have and the problems you face. Do all this in the spirit of gratitude. Your life is a gift, and it is adorned with gifts from God. End the Daily Examen with the Our Father.

1. So, first off... I was put on to this subject by a book that I'm reading titled, Transformed Into Fire by Judith Haugen.  It is very thoughtful and integrates lots of good sources (from Ignatious to Buechner) towards the end of guiding the reader into a fuller life in Christ.

In today's chapter about living intentionally, she encourages the reader, presumably a Christian, to learn to appreciate the present and know God in all the present moments.  She goes on to say that the prayer of Examen has been helpful to her and recommends Sleeping with Bread if you want to try this same prayer/approach to the end of the day with your children (reflecting on our greatest moment of consolation and our greatest moment of desolation.)  A friend of mine said her psychology-based family does "high-lows" with their 6 year old.  I've been hearing lots of people talking about gratitude this year and I think the premise of the practice includes gratitude and joy, but I like that it also acknowledges failures, fears, desolations.  I think the gist is that you take time to notice when you've been fully alive and attentive to God's goodness and presence in your life and the world, but also take time to notice when you really didn't see/feel/know God's presence in your life.

2. So, I'll try to report back sometime if I have tried this with the kids (and myself) .  It does resonate as a practical way that I can grow in self-awareness/fullness of spirit, but also as a way that I can help the kids process their moments of consolation and desolation.

A post that my gluten free friends should just pass over!

Making donuts and bagels... the donuts were from a website who said they were close to krispy creme... I would agree that the very day they were sort of krispy creme caliber.  The day after they were sort of Kroger caliber--my friend said, these are like ones you get at the grocery store.  But I'm sure the oil you have affects the taste, etc.  Anyway, was wanting to try donuts in case a birthday party merited such a treat.  They were definitely a win. 

Bagels: I have always wanted to try bagels.  I'll confess that I forgot to add the yeast the first go round and then tried to cheat and mix it in... I think that means this was sort of a non-premiere round of bagels.  That said, they were still pretty good.  Not pictured is the hot water bath the bagels take; has to be healthier than the oil bath the donuts take!

P.S. I had my camera on a funny setting that made all my pictures look like we were already in heaven, glowing from all angels! :) The other day Rachel said, "what does this button mean" and when I slid it over, I noticed that the pictures returned to their normal brightness which I'm glad about.

P.P.S.  While my current body shape will undermine what I'm about to say, I can't say that I think the "gluten-free" discovery is going to remain a universal dietary rule of thumb in generations to come.  It just doesn't intuitively make sense to me with thousands of years of history of bread, with the majority of cultures having some form of bread as a staple in their diet.  Now, I do think we have a crazy amount of processed flour in our American diet.  And I'm sure that my friends who are going gluten-free for behavioral things in their kids are not purposefully making their lives immensely harder without really seeing the difference in their kids.  But, I'm dying to see what the verdict will be 50 years from now regarding what the connection is between modern day allergies and an age-old staple food of many cultures.  "I am the bread of life"-- how will we understand this in years to come? 

Weather can really affect one's vacation and other musings!

This year, I've been impressed by how much weather affects our vacation plans! 

1. How weather affects a village visit vacation: The first set of photos were from our visit to someone's village home.  Our friend had planned various outside activity but it rained for the first few hours we were there... as you can see we opted for indoor activities.  Later we went out and appreciated the local chorus who came, and the children's fort that they made for our kids.  But I know it caused some stress to our friends, and various visitors who would have stopped by didn't stop by due to the rain. 

 2. How weather affects an April visit to England:  Somehow the visions of tulips and daffodils (as per ) were replaced with lots of huddling and running from the wind.  That said, many other good things outweighed the skipping through pastoral England plans!

 3. How weather affects a family vacation to Coastal Carolina.  My sister and I realized several days into our "beach fest" plans with four children that her two bedroom house might not pass muster as an alternative to tiring kids out at the beach.  On one of the last days, we said, let's take them to the beach in the rain.  Thankfully, no thunderstorms to deter us.

 4. How weather affects the 4th of July.  Somehow the fourth is quintessentially a sunny day holiday.  So, plan B.  The movies-- and it was a plan B for many people!

 5. How weather affects a trip to Lake Mburo.  In many ways, we got all the benefits of visiting a game park in Uganda-- look at the baby zebra! :) But, you can tell by the photos who dry and dusty the park was and if we return during rainy season you would really see the difference in the landscape.  And on a more sober note, many Ugandans are suffering from drought.

A last reflection... this year, as we did some different trips and found how much weather did affect our plans, it made me consider this analogy.  I think in many ways we could understand an African worldview more if we considered our powerlessness over weather.  When I was in NC, I was thinking that people must be so bummed that they spent thousands of dollars for a beach house during a rainy week.  But I also figured that they aren't really going to "sue" anyone regarding this reality, that they couldn't go cash in their "weather insurance" and try for another week.  We do understand that weather is out of our control, and that the best attitude is to sort of adapt and make the most of it.  I think due to so many systems that are out of the common rural Ugandan's control, they also tend to have a very similar attitude towards "out of control" factors (government, roads, corruption, medical options, water, power, etc, etc).  Marx said,  "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people". I think in Marx's view, politicians and governments offer religion/faith to those who suffer to prevent them from taking control and rising up.  

We, as Americans especially, tend to assume so much control over most of life's factors. While this has many virtues, I think we are suffering consequences of "too much control" because when its all said and done, we don't control some of the biggest factors of a human life.  And by internalizing that responsibility, we end up in a false narrative where we will fail and our expectations can't be met.  We can't control our weather.  We can't number our days.  We can't make other people say, do, feel what we want them to.  We can't heal everything that needs healing.  I know this is sort of a rambling generalization, but I think I just felt that "weather" is a good analogy of something we don't control.  And the way we deal with that uncontrollable natural element, is perhaps a healthy way to think about other ways we might more humbly accept things that are out of control.  Obviously, I do think we need a faith narrative (whether we're poor or rich) because I don't think other explanations are sufficient for balancing personal responsibility and personal suffering.