Bullets

I haven't updated much lately, so I thought I would write a little bullet list of all the interesting things I've been doing and thinking of... (For the reading pleasure of the 2 people who actually read my blog...)

* Swimming/trampoline jumping/running through the fields of the British High 'Permissioners' house.
* Reading for hours with Josh and Claire and Andrew
* Feeding Peter--and reading by myself for hours
* Doing 'fun projects' like: making zoo animals with shapes (tangrams); fences out of popcicle sticks; worksheets on all the letters of the alphabet; painting on the walls outside with water colored with food coloring and sponge brushes; etc. etc. etc.
* Going to Playgroups
* Wednesday outings: Going to the Zoo; to a fitness walk; and our favorite of last week, riding bikes around a giant parking lot by the Palais des Congres!
* Swimming at the embassy pool, then lunch with Dad
* Swinging in the front yard
* Puddle Jumping at the giant parking lot of the Palais des Congres
* Story time
* Shopping with dad at the Marche
* Dancing to Music
* Watching Scooby Doo
* Going on long walks almost every morning

These are just a few of our favorite things that we've done in the past little while.

I've been trying to take on more responsibility so that once I get to Finland, it won't be such a shock to my system to have to do it all again. :) It seems like I'm having a race to see how much I can do before my housekeeper can get to it! Ha! So, in the morning, I have the kids help me do laundry, make their beds, get dressed, make breakfast, do the dishes, clean the living room, pick up their toys, and go outside and play--all before 8 am! I feel like super mom every morning! Then, it seems like Pascaline and Meekness don't have as much to do. They sweep and mop the whole house every day--something that I wouldn't do. That's a big enough job as it is--who would want to seriously sweep and mop a 4,000+ sq ft tile floor every day? Not me! They also clean all 6 bathrooms every day--which is also something that I wouldn't do if left to my own devices. (I also wouldn't have 6 bathrooms if given a choice. Three is my happy number.) They also iron ALL the clothes. And I do mean ALL. Socks, underwear, t-shirts, towels, jeans, EVERYTHING!! I've had to tell them to start reading labels because there are seriously some things that you just don't iron. If it were me, I would only iron button up shirts and slacks. Although, at this point, I'm just letting it go since we really don't have that much time left. However, I have noticed that if you iron everything every day, it wears out MUCH faster. I must say, that anyone planning to come to Africa and have household help, just plan on replacing pretty much everything you own after being here for 2+ years. It is all seriously worn out! Crazy.

(We just experienced a funny, so I had to write it down. Devin and the kids are playing hide and go seek. Claire was it and turned into the corner to count. She closed her eyes, folded her arms and started: "Heavenly Father,...Oh! Wait! One, two, three..." Ha!!! At least I've taught them to pray with their eyes closed! :))