Big weekend…

Big weekend.

Megan comes back to Kenya from her adventure in the US

Ian’s parents arrive for a visit from Portland:

And, this wonderful loaf in the oven that we are expecting turns 15 weeks new!  It is a relief to be over so much of the tiredness and nausea that I have had so far!  Some of you have asked how pre-natal appointments go here in Kenya & for the most part, they are very similar to those in the States, at least at the private hospital I go to http://www.agakhanhospitals.org/:

I have a wonderful physician who grew up in Goa, India who sees me for all of my pre-natal visits, and she also delivers all of her own babies.  Amazing in this day and age!

This is where I’ll go to deliver and recover:

Specifically here:

Looks pretty much like in the States huh?  Overall, the cost is less than a delivery in the States, but because our international insurance does not cover maternity (you had to have that well in advance of getting pregnant), we’ll be saving our pennies for the months before the big arrival.

We’ll have a regular appointment the first part of December, and then an ultrasound around the end of December/first part of January where we can find out the gender.  I’m still on the fence about finding out the gender—-with a lot of encouragement from my friend Eve to save the “surprise” until the actually day.  I told her that a 1 1/2 hour drive to the hospital on the big day was about all of the surprise I needed.  What do you all think?  Should we or shouldn’t we find out?  You know, Ian and I  like to play games and place bets on just about everything, even our precious children.

 

 

Our mini vaca

 

Our night away into Nairobi for our anniversary was fabulous.

As I said before, we began our evening with dinner at Cafe des Arts.   They have a wonderful patio dining area that is covered by a large tent cover.  It is a lovely place to relax and enjoy good food:

Ian was pretty excited about his dinner, he even looks like he's glowing a little

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s an up close of his shredded lamb, slow cooked for 9 hours, then put into a patty that is refrigerated and then grilled just prior to service:

Lamb with mini roasted potatos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I choose the spinach quiche (I love quiche) in hopes of saving room for dessert.  The dessert turned out to be pretty standard European dessert…a little dry and not quite sweet enough.  Next time, I’ll go all out on the dinner itself.  Here I am in a blanket shawl the restaraunt owner gave me when it began to storm outside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a wonderful time, and we still enjoy being together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, we found our way to the Serena Nairobi which was wonderful.  I had to take a few pictures of our accommodations as this is the nicest place I’ve been a quite a while.  We felt pampered, and relaxed and renewed.  It was the perfect was to spend the rest of our anniversary.

Ian relaxing in the air conditioned room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we arrived in our room it was pretty darn cold so I started to hunt around for the thermostat.  It was NO WHERE TO BE FOUND!  Ian even had me look in the closet.  So, finally, I sat on the bed in defeat and looked over at the nightstand.  And what do you know?  There on the nightstand was the REMOTE CONTROL for the air conditioning!  Never seen that before!  It was great.

 

This is the fabulous bathroom that was pretty much my favorite part of the trip.  That gives you insight into our every day bathroom situations, because  a bathroom is not generally my favorite feature to point out:

 

The fact that there was cold AND hot water faucets was amazing and the granite and marble didn’t hurt either.

 

Here was the other half of the bathroom, which was equally as handsome:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then the view of downtown Nairobi from our room:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only question left to answer is:  When can we go again?

 

Sunday lunch

We joined a small group from church. For you non-churchies…that is just a way of saying being assigned a group of friends that you meet with to socialize, and support, and study with.

We’re trying to expand our social circle a little…..it’s a big adjustment to go from many close, close friends in Portland to very few here.

The other families in our group have been in Kenya for almost 10 years each. They’re old pros.

As old pros, they suggested that we go to lunch at Diamond Plaza. The best Indian food around they advertized.

This Diamond Plaza is a place we pass all of the time and cringe….because the traffic is always so backed up there. Crazy drivers going every direction at once. We arrive and the lot is PACKED OUT. Ian, being his forward self asks the security guard who they are saving the “Reserved” spot for. The guard doens’t answer Ian, but tells him he can park, “Right Here”. We took it. No hunting. Good job Ian.

We walk through the plaza which is filled with every kind of shop you would imagine that you would find in India. This truly was like “little India”. Electronics, knock off kids Diesel jeans, rugs & scarfs, buddhas or other gods I’m not aware of…..

And then we arrived outside to the food court. Holy cow!

 

I ordered a mango juice and an avocado juice.  They came mixed together.  Not what I anticipated, but good anyhow! 

Here is a sampling of the other food we ordered:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is this???

My mango juice and advocado juice came “together”. Not quite what I expected, but it worked and was actually pretty yummy.

These amazing sliced/fried potatos with cilantro. Mmmmm. Almost better than fries!

Chicken Palak. Looks a little gross. Tasted yummy!

You sit at the table and all of the different vendors swarm you trying to get your business

More Indian food than I’d ever seen in my life

Our friends had a “Flat Stanley” from a 3rd grade class somewhere in the U.S. He’s making his way around the world. He liked the Coke the best.

 

Happy Birthday Ian!

Today (8/22) we celebrate Ian’s birthday!

He’s a big whopping 35 years old.  He is an amazing husband, father, friend and leader!  I am so proud of everything he has directed here in Africa.  He really knows how to get things done!

Here’s what he looked like when we were first married, I think this was at a casino in Tahoe when we were there for a relatives wedding:

Ok, well this was almost 4 years into marriage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s what he looks like today (in all of his full beard glory):

 

Note: I pulled this self portrait from Ian's BEARD file on the computer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went to the market here in Makongeni and designed/ordered a pair of sandal type shoes for him earlier in the week.  The man assured me they would be ready by yesterday.  Silly me,  I forgot I lived in Kenya and believed his time frame.

I went to pick up the shoes yesterday late afternoon after work and…..they weren’t ready.  They hadn’t even been started.  ARGGH.  But, he did have a huge gigormous pile of about 30 other sandals he had made sitting there on the workbench.  When I enquired what they were for, he replied, “Nairobi”.  Dang, I don’t think my 1 shoe order can compare to the demand of the Nairobi market!

Anyhow, at least Ian gets some birthday loving from the kids (complete with way too early morning back scratching) and a birthday outing, dinner & cake.

SKIP FORWARD….THIS IS AN UPDATE ON THE REST OF BIRTH-DAY

So, we went out for our birthday adventure to explore new places of Nairobi with Ian & I both feeling a bit under the weather.  Our explorations to 2 new places in Nairobi were dampened (literally) by ran and horrible traffic.  In total, we probably spent 4-5 hours in the car (with 2 preschoolers) in traffic.  Not the best way to spend the day when you aren’t feeling well, let alone on your birthday.

Megan and I drug Ian and the kids to the Toi Market which we discovered last week.   We thought it was WONDERFUL!   Ian described it as his worst nightmare, but here he is in a rare moment looking at something in the market:

 

Looking for new *old* pants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eli enjoyed the market, especially because vendors kept trying shoes on him:

 

the vendor trying to cram Bob the Builder sandals on Eli

When we got home, Megan and I worked at making dinner and Ian’s birthday cup-cakes:

We ended Ian’s birthday by lighting the candles on his birthday cupcakes and singing happy birthday to him with his parents who had just skyped in.  But, because it had been less than a *perfect* day already, Eli added some drama by throwing up his last tiny, tinybite of soup and then some that dad had somewhat insisted he eat..all over himself, the chair and the floor.  We had to take a little break before we felt ready to eat cupcakes after seeing and cleaning that up.  But in the end, the cupcakes were delish and we all went to bed happy and full.

 

From our encouraging Sunday

On Sunday we had a wonderful visit to the International Church…and as I had posted on Facebook, we all agreed:  A GREAT DAY

I think we all felt that our souls had been feed.

One of the songs that really spoke to me was the following by Matt Redman.  It spoke to me when I was pregnant and still speaks to me when I know we won’t be:

YOU NEVER LET GO

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know you are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

(Chorus:)
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

(Chorus)

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

(Chorus 2x’s)
© 2006 Sparrow

 

Ahh, the doctor’s office

I don’t really mind the doctors office.

At least I never did before.

I’m a little nervous about tomorrow though. I have an appointment with a dermatologist to check over my leg where I had the melanoma removed 2 DAYSbefore we left for Africa.

I guess it’s the whole idea of going to someone with a name I can’t pronounce (granted, that happens in the States too), in a Hospital I’ve never been to, in an almost completely foreign country (we’re getting to know it, so it can’t be completely foreign now can it?).

I’m going at 2pm, on the 2nd floor, in room 222. That’s a lot of twos if you ask me.

I’m wondering what you do in a skin check in a foreign country. It’s kind of a really intimate, personal thing if you think about having to bear yourself completely for some stranger.

At least my doctor in Portland was this grey haired grandfatherly type.

Let’s hope that I get a good report and that this cancer stuff is well behind us.

 

Purl me

I love to knit.  Knit and purl, and slip one over. 

In the big process of packing up our house for Kenya, Ian inadvertantly packed my knitting….just in the wrong place:  a huge box and NOT my suitcase.  I thought about digging it out until I saw the box it was in the bottom of.  Ian replied, “I’m sure you won’t be knitting in Africa.”  Famous last words.

I even have a sweet case for all of my needles that my awesome sewing sister-in-law made that looks kind of like this except in pink and black (at least I think it’s pink and black, it’s in the bottom of that box you know):

Every once in a while I get the need to knit, and then I knit like a fool for a while, and then leave it for a while or longer.  I have started many a sweater only to finish it after my child is too big for it, and thus I have to find another use for it:  like donating it to the Women of Vision silent auction.  I took a picture of the “Lucy sweater”  before I sent it off, because I thought it was an especially cute sweater & I was especially proud of learning the new technique to get the lacey edging look:

Isn't it cute?

I think I got the pattern for it from this book, but course the book is in that darn box, so now I’m not sure:

Needless to say, I thought it would be pretty easy to find some knitting needles here.  Not so.  I am sad.  I spent yesterday afternoon scouring the  Makongeni Market with Esther, my house help, but to no avail.  I could tell what the shopkeepers  were saying by their nonverbals and gestures in other directions. ”Not here, no I haven’t seen them, try down that way.” 

I’ve googled about every different configuration of knitting and  Nairobi, and haven’t found anything yet.  I know that there must be women knitting here!  I see pictures of African women posted on the web spinning and dying wool for yarn.  And, they wear sweaters and knitted hats when it’s 80 degrees Fahrenheit out here for goodness sakes!  Our night guard (yes, they are different from the day guard people)  even has a sweet knitted ski mask that he wears, except that it looks like it was sized for a baby.  He’s not the only one I’ve seen wearing something like that.  I’ll ask him if it’s ok for me to take his picture some night.  It’s quite a sight:  him in his professional “security guard” uniform and then the baby ski mask thingy.

If I can’t find some needles soon, I might be having one of you back home making a run to the knitting store (if you craft, sew or knit–knitting shops are a visual paradise) to grab a couple pairs of needles and some cheap skeins of yarn.

I think I’ll be working on a pair of these to wear here in Kenya:

Or maybe these:

Or, I’ll just stick to this kind of thing (yes, I think this is cute):

 

Driving School

Today I had the wonderful joy of doing a little retail therapy. I so look forward to the weekend because I know it means we’ll make the drive into Nairobi and explore a little. Today I got to do it with a girlfriend, Armida, who knows her way around (that’s always a shopping plus). The May family split up, boys versus girls and we went our separate ways. Ian with the grocery shopping list, me with the last part of my American dollars ready to exchange and spend.

First I was taken to a consignment shop. Yes, gasp, there is one here!! Tiny, but I was still able to find myself a little shirt (hah! A Macy’s brand) and a nice little bathrobe that I had been hoping for even this morning as I stepped out of the shower. The window advertised “new stock” coming in on Tuesday and I am trying to plot how I might make it back to Nairobi on my own, find the shop, shop, and get back in time to pick the kids up from school. That might have to wait until another day!

From there, we headed to a great handmade ceramic bead factory/shop. I spotted some sweet vendors along the road that I might be visiting another time for some gifts to send you all back home. Anyhow, the shop is known for it’s ceramic bead necklaces, earrings, bracelets and dishes.

After that, some lunch and a few more stops (some good touristy type objects) and my therapy session was over and back to joining the family.

Ian insisted that I drive home from Nairobi….so I did. And we all survived. Only 1 matatu honked at me, and there were no near misses. I’m looking forward to knowing my way around Nairobi…so I can get my shop on whenever the need arises without having to wait for a big weekend trip.

Another funny thing, we have this book called Everyone Poops. It discusses the full anatomy of pooping across the animal kingdom. On one page it discusses how some animals poop in place while others poop on the move. Why am I talking about this? Well coming home I almost hit a cow that was refusing to move from my lane. Who knew cows are one of the animals that don’t do it on the move. Got to stand still to make duty. OK, another thing I didn’t know I didn’t know.

 

Playgyms rock….so does soda

On one of the weekend days we try to get to Nairobi. We get money for our weeks expenses and do the shopping that can’t be done here in our own town, although the shopping in Nairobi is getting smaller and smaller as we learn to navigate and shop for things at our local market.

For several weeks, on our way to one of the large shopping centers, the kids have pointed out a play area on the way and have begged to eat there. It has never been the best time to stop…either too early for lunch or we are too stressed out about getting in to Nairobi early so we can make it home before the traffic piles out of Nairobi onto Thika Road. Because we got a late start today and our trip into Nairobi was spontaneous, we passed by the play area just at lunch time. Imagine the indoor play area at the Murray Rd or Cornell McDonalds, and you’ll know what we found. Plastic playground galore! The kids were so excited and happy to play on some equipment. I heard them pretend playing astronaut and monsters, and well, prettty much just monsters. Monsters consists of Eli yelling, “Watch out, there’s a monster down there!” Followed by pretend screams from Lucy who then quickly jumps and climbs up the plastic corkscrew slide.

Slides rule...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For lunch, our choices were:

Pizza. Pretty hard to mess up

Chicken tenders with rice

Frozen yogurt concoctions

I went for the pizza. Ian went for the chiken tenders. The pizza won by a mile. It was a margarita pizza, and pretty darn close to what you might find in the states. It cost 440 shillings with unlimited refillable coca-cola products.

I know, I know. There is always a segway into a tangent, and today is no different.

Coca-cola products. Or any soft drink for that matter have been strictly off limits for our kids. We even went so far as to give them some La Croix water (If you haven’t tried it yet you should), knowing they would hate it, and then we fibbed a little and said, “See, that’s soda!” So, they have rarely begged for a sip when we tell them soda is being served etc.

Last week, while I was doing something around the house I let Eli play outside and he went over to the neighbors househelp who was preparing greens out back and hung out by here. No harm. Then I peeked out to check on him and there he was, happily sipping “Ginger Ale mom!” out of a straw. His joy was like a cat that has tried cat nip for the first time. Pure pleasure.

I had been so vigilent about letting family and others know that the kids don’t drink soda and then it didn’t even occur to me here that I would need to pass the message on. Perhaps it was the whole moving to a foreign country and getting ones bearings thing that distracted me.

Needless to say (back to the playground/pizza adventure), Eli was THRILLED that the drink was unlimited refills. I think between the 4 of us we had 4 small soda cups full of Orange Fanta. There’s a lot of Orange Fanta around here. There’s a lot of soda around here actually. A Kenyan teacher at the kids school informed me at the birthday party that soda is “good” for kids and that the pediatrician recommended it. HUH???? Is it just me or does that seem backwards? I said, “Oh, we would go for juice over soda.” He said, “Juice???” Like he thought I was wild to even consider that. I think we’ll stick to the irradiated milk and filtered water. And the hundred packets of KoolAid sent along with us by Angie Battle. Thank you very much. (I’m being sincere, here, really).

Oh, by the way, Lucy has found soda too. She only made it 2 years, 8 months before her taste of the nectar. At this rate, when we have another chid (no, this is in no way an announcement), he/she will be drinking soda by around 16 months. And a fourth child (not that we’re planning on 4, but for the sake of the story) they’ll just take it intravenously.

 

New favorite

We love reading books in the May house.  We brought a few of our favorites along with us with the thought that books were heavy and might be hard to come by here, or that they might be expensive.  They’re not too expensive, about what it would cost in the States.

When we were last in Nairobi, we went  to a good bookstore at the suggestion of Roy and Jackie and we found our “new favorite”.

It’s called Tricky Tortoise by Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway.

It has the best double spread watercolor pictures…it has animals, a moral lesson and great writing.  They have also written:

Handsome Hog, Lazy Lion, Greedy Zebra, Enormous Elephant and more.  We’ll slowly work to build these into our collection as well.

We had been enjoying reading Tricky Tortoise, and on our first day at school when I was looking at the classroom library, there it was!  Yea!

If you want to check it out, go to:  www.hodderchildrens.co.uk