Those doughnut things

Yesterday I was hugging and kissing the boys and telling them that there was nothing greater to me than getting hugs and kisses from them. Dawson agreed, saying he loved getting kisses from me. I asked Kenan if getting hugs and kisses was his favorite thing in the world. He said, "no, those doughnut things are my favorite." Thanks, Kenan, glad to know how I rank in the world. :)

So since those doughnut things are so special to him, I thought I'd post about them.

They are made of millet (an animal feed in the States) or sometimes corn. There is a little sugar in them I think as well. They are fried and are like doughnut holes, I guess, but definitely less sweet. Kenan loves these things. During Ramadan, he was eating them every night for dinner since they lady was cooking them then. Now, since people are eating again in the mornings, she cooks only in the morning so now they are his breakfast/morning snack.

He runs down to the corner (not watching out for the motorcycles well I must add) and hands her the money. It's usually our neighbor, Ami, but lately a younger family member has been selling them. I've forgotten her name at the moment.

We sit and wait for a little bit. And then they are off back to the house.

I had to add this one because Silas started off so far behind Kenan and then you see him pass him. It just speaks to the speed and personality of the two boys. Kenan is our low key, slow mover. Silas is about speed and getting things done.

Getting ready to eat.

Thankfully the boys are skinny enough that we don't have to worry about them eating fried food all the time...at least for now.

This week

I came outside the other day and the three were sitting like this talking and eating popcorn. I wish I could have caught them talking. It was cute to see them hanging out and talking like big boys.

There are tons of praying mantises around now. Kenan is holding his eye because the mantis was walking all over him, including his face, and walked on/beside/too near to his eye.

It's on his head.

These aren't actually from this week, but I wanted to post them. Playing in the sprinkler.

I just liked the lighting.

So this week:

I cut my hand with a knife. Really, I jabbed the knife into my hand in the area between my thumb and pointer finger. This has caused me to be one handed this week. Never knew how much I used my left hand. Can’t open sippy cups, fill up waters, put on diapers, take a shower and many other things without pain and difficulty. Hopefully it will heal soon.

Dawson finished his first week of school. I think it went well. He seemed to enjoy it. I wouldn’t know since he won’t tell me what he does. J I definitely have boys. We have had the issues of restarting school, though. He’s been a little more moody, tired, and a bit difficult. As Brett says, he has to be good at school, so he does it as long as he can and then he has to let loose at home. I was a bit surprised at how him starting school made me feel. As I drove away one day I was struck that this was the start of his schooling experience. He’s in the class alone and unless more people come, he will always be. The next closest in age will be Kenan. I had the thought of feeling bad for him because he won’t have a “real” experience at school. I’ve thought of this before, but now that he had actually started, the thought was more difficult for me to handle. I had to remind myself that this will be all he will ever know and it will be his “real” school. He won’t be deprived by being there. I’m not neglecting him. It’s just different, not bad. I think his experience is really dependent on my attitude toward it. Do I think it’s good? Do I act like it is a fun place and a great experience? Actually, I think the boys are pretty lucky. I mean, they get to live in a different culture and experience many different things while still getting many of the comforts of America. They aren’t missing out on much at all really. Family and maybe some more kid interaction, but they do have each other. They get to grow up learning different languages and seeing a life different than theirs. Like yesterday, D went up to the hospital with Brett to see a girl who has been there for 2 months with Tuberculosis and heart failure. They’ve played with burn kids at the hospital and other kids. I think it’s good for them. They get to meet the kids their daddy helps. That’s a special experience for them.

Kenan has also had to deal with D at school. Three days this means he has room time alone because D has school in the afternoon. It has not gone well. He enjoys his brother. They act like they don’t like room time but I think they do. I think they really have fun together. So we’re trying to get K used to playing without D.

Silas has been potty training and actually done really well. We’ve been doing a little here and there but last Saturday I tried to be more intentional about it. The last three days he runs over and tells me when he has to go pee pee, even if he is wearing a diaper. We’ve only had two accidents which were both while he was outside playing so I guess he was distracted. I’m feeling good that the years of diapers may soon be over. I must say that there is nothing cuter than a little chubby bum bum in underwear. I’ve put in an order for his bed so maybe once that is done (in a few months) we will tackle sleeping in a big boy bed.

This week I’ve also wanted to reread “So Long Insecurity,” “Don’t make me count to three,” “The heart of Anger” and “Youniquely Woman.” I’ve felt like a failure in so many things. I often feel like I’m not training my kids as I should, that they aren’t as well behaved as they should and many other things. I hate seeing the sin of anger in them since I know it comes straight from me. I pray so often that the Lord would heal me of it before the boys are old enough to remember me as a mom who is quick to anger. I do see improvements, praise the Lord, but there is much left to do. I am also annoyed how I see insecurity plague so many areas of my life. I didn’t consider myself an insecure person 5 years ago but I am now. It was great reading the book by Beth Moore this summer. Really opened my eyes to how much I let insecurity rule me. Comments people make that have nothing to do with me can change my behavior or make me feel insecure about what I do. Or thinking about what I wear so that the 11 yo and 13 yo who have to ride in my car to school will think I’m cool. I’m almost too embarrassed to write that. It’s silly and I don’t like it. I want to be free of it. I’ve just been burdened this week by my failures. I’ve been listening a lot to Chris Tomlin. Two songs speak how I feel. One line is “You know the depths of my heart and you love me the same. You are amazing God.” That does amaze me. He knows me completely, my failures, my insecurity, my anger and He loves me still. Another song is “Your grace is enough for me.” Praise the Lord for His grace. His grace that set me free to live with him and the grace that sets me free each day. The grace, that if I surrender to him, He gives freely. When I lay my failures at His feet He can turn those to triumphs. For His glory, not mine.

Makes me think of my reading in Streams in the Desert, September 12.

A man talks of a prayer he once heard at a prayer meeting…

“Lord, support us! Yes, support us on every leaning side!” … This humble man’s prayer pictured them in a new way and illustrated the Great Supporter in a new light, as well. He saw God as always walking alongside the Christian, ready to extend His mighty arm to steady the weak on “every leaning side.”

Child of My love, lean hard,

And let Me feel the pressure of your care;

I know your burden, child. I shaped it;

Balanced it in Mine Own hand; made no proportion

In its weight to your unaided strength,

For even as I laid it on, I said,

“I will be near, and while she leans on Me,

This burden will be Mine, not hers;

So will I keep My child within the circling arms

Of My Own love.” Here lay it down, not fear

To impose it on a shoulder that upholds

The government of worlds. Yet closer come:

You are not near enough. I would embrace your care;

So I might feel My child reclining on My breast.

You love Me, I know. So then do not doubt;

But loving Me, lean hard.

That’s what I want to do, lay my failures and weaknesses at His feet and lean on His everlasting arms.

Dawson's first day of kindergarten

Yesterday was Dawson's first day of kindergarten. It amazes me that he is already starting "real" school, not just preschool and that this year he will learn to read and do various other things.

He was cute the night prior because I told him he would be going to school the next day. He was excited and said, "I'll get to drink the juicy juices!" I told him that was the different school. At the french school he drinks "da" juice everyday. He gets to take his money and buy it. It's a leaf, actually, that they cook and get the liquid out of or whatever and make a juice. He loves it. I was glad he was excited about going to that school. But yesterday was the mission school with the American teachers. He will do two mornings at the mission, three mornings at the french school and three afternoons at the mission as well. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully it won't be too much for him. We want him to continue at the french school just so he can pick up more language.

So here he is cheesing with his brother before school. Silas lost it- I mean LOST it- when we left with Dawson. (not looking forward to when both D and K leave in the mornings and he is left behind.) I will have to get video of Silas one day. It's actually funny. He was so excited all morning because we were getting dressed (yes, that's rare for my boys). He was sure he was going too. He doesn't care when we leave in the mornings for work, he just didn't want D in the car as well.

The big boy.

Another one, just because I think he's cute. :)

In the kindergarten corner that they set up for him.

With us both.

I think he is going to have a great time. His teacher, Mrs. Julie, is great. She and her husband are here for a year filling in for the regular teacher who is in the States for the year. Julie is so good with him and I think it will be a great start to school.

Here is the whole school:

Back: Mr. Brian, Daniel, Ellie, Lily, Maggie, Mrs. Julie

Front: Jeffrey, Dawson, Chloe

This is what I do

Just thought I'd show a picture of some of the babies I've been following the last month or so.

The two in the middle are twin girls. The one of the left is a little girl as well. The one on the right is a little boy.

They were all born all around the same time and weighed from 1000 grams to about 1500 grams (2-3 lbs). They are all growing well now and will soon go home. I wanted to take a picture of them before they all left. They get to go home at 2 kilos (4.4 lbs). It's amazing how they can survive here with just gavage feeding (through a nasal tube), an IV, heat from a incubator and maybe some oxygen. We have become known as the preemie hospital since we have oxygen so there are always a ton of preemies here. We currently have two babies that came in at 900 grams (less than 2 lbs). They seem to be doing well. Hopefully they will make it. Only time will tell.

My baby Silas is now two years old! I cannot believe it. The time has flown by.

We had his party the other night so friends (as in Aunt Jess, Uncle Jake, and Aunt Kristen) could come.

I love this age when all the kids help and the birthday boy doesn't care. Sweet times.

D and K working on getting the ties off of Silas' toy. (really, why does something have to have that many ties?)

Silas showing Jess the birthday present Brett got for him- a baby bird (who has since died, probably because we forgot to feed him, but anyway...)

Blowing out his two candles with help from his brothers.

This is one of the only bites he took of his cake.

But D enjoyed it. As he said, "I love when my brothers' have birthdays...because we get to eat cake and ice cream."

So here is the birthday boy, this morning, on his real birthday. I asked him to smile.

Talking to his "wowo" this morning. Notice the tired eyes. Mine were the same since it was about 5:45!

Another of him being silly. He still only has 12 teeth. Hope they come in soon. We've been thinking he was teething for the last 4 months. :)

Getting love from his brothers this morning.

The three amigos.

He got candles in his cookies today.

Kenan helped with the candles this time.

He was so happy.

We love you, Silas! Your smile is captivating. I love to hear your laugh. I love seeing you play with your big brothers and trying new things. I'm so thankful to be your mommy!

Lighthouse

It's been raining a lot lately. More than it normally does at this time of year. We are thankful for it but it also means we are in the house more. That calls for us to be creative, which you all know is hard for me. Dawson finished a pringles can one day and told me to save it so that we could make a lighthouse. He had seen it on Mister Maker, which is a show on a British channel. (We got satellite TV last year but it is out of South Africa so it is a lot of British shows). Anyway, so he wanted to make a lighthouse. We decided to do it one afternoon. It went well because this is how "we" did it....Brett read the directions. I made it. The boys watched. :) But hey, it was done quickly without a lot of screaming by me... I mean the boys. :)

You put a flash light inside the can.

Up close look.

And this is what it looked like a few minutes later when the boys started destroying/decorating it.

Don't mean to be posting all the time about crafts we do as to make it seem like this is what I do all the time. I don't. It's just so rare when it happens, I feel I must document it. :)