It Takes A Bit Of Courage

It takes a bit of courage as Kindergartner
to stand up in front of the entire elementary school
and share some thoughts about your country.

In fact some kids only stood and didn't want to speak in front of all students, teachers, and parents.

Between Kinders A & B there are kids from:
South America & Mexico

Northern Africa & Arabia

USA, Canada, & Ireland

and India.

Zach shared that in America we celebrate Christmas and the 4th of July. He also had written that we are also a Democracy but decided that might be a bit much.

Also Zach is becoming a very good reader. His class has a reading garden. Each day they can bring home a book and after they have read it they write the title and their name on a paper flower to add to the garden.

Homesick

It all started yesterday. We stayed home from church because Chris has been doing 12 hour night shift field jobs and was in no condition to drive. Graham was too snot faced to go to nursery and I didn't want to drive two hours just to chase him in the halls for three then drive two hours back home. Since we don't get a Conference Sunday here I made yesterday my Conference Friday. Everything went well, the boys occupied themselves destroying the house while I tried to listen.

It all went south in the afternoon. Traditionally we watch family home videos on the Sabbath instead of regular TV. Ethan chose one that started the Easter he was 1.5 yrs. - his 2nd birthday. I was shocked at how much he and Graham look and act the same as Graham is that exact age. The main difference is that E had brown curly hair and G has blond stick straight hair.

I think the video confused Graham when he saw the baby had a Binky he went and tried to get his. He saw Ethan climb up on my bed and that night he tried to do the same which he has never even attempted previously.

As all this unfolded before me I just started to wither....until I was almost in tears.

I MISS:

My Family & Friends
Mountains
Green
My House
Convenience
The Temple
Church Nearby
Moose's Tooth
Good Mexican Food
My Running Trail
Wild Animals
Rain
Snow Activities
Biking Along Turnagain Arm

Just to name a few!

In fact I was so homesick when I went to sleep that I dreamed I went to Moose's Tooth but Chris woke me up this morning before I had finished my slice of pizza. GRRRRR!

This is the first time since moving that I've had it this bad. Only two more months and we'll be home to enjoy the best Alaska has to offer.

I have way too blessed of a life here so I can't really complain. Living here offers so many things that Alaska didn't, mostly the international travel that I enjoy so much. I am sure that a month and a half visit home will cure me.....if I can just hold on.

Yummm Coke Zero

Forget Diet Coke! In THIS house we drinkCoke Zero. We agree it tastes more like the coke we drank when we were young. I especially like it with two cherries and a hint of cherry juice since we don't have Cherry Coke Zero here.

I pretty much only drink them when I have a headache and occasionally just because I want one. Chris however, drinks them more frequently especially to stay awake on our long drives back and forth to Dharan.

Wednesday nights are weekend movie nights and Ethan rarely has the ability to stay awake for an entire movie. On a recent Wed. afternoon I found an open Coke Zero on the counter. I was very confused and looked at the clock. Had Chris come home early? Surely not. Where did this come from? Of course Mr. Mischief must be questioned and after so he confirmed that yes he had opened the Coke Zero....but why?

"I needed a Coke so I could stay awake for the movie tonight." was his reply.

I told him he didn't need to be drinking them but because they were going to have a baby sitter that night (yes it was amazing Chris and I got to go on a real date) I wasn't too upset that he might be a bit wired.

I don't think Ethan stayed up too late for the sitters but all that Coke must explain why he peed all over the last bunch of his brother's diapers and then tried to blame it on Graham.

.............................................

Then this week we had some new friends over for dinner. Ethan was such a good host by repeatedly going to the fridge and offering drinks, snacks, and boiled eggs. When Zach said he'd like the Coke Zero offered, Ethan quickly replied, "NO! Kids can't have these!"

According to the latest news our pancreas says we shouldn't have them either....so we'll get right on that.....ASAP....or maybe next week.

Update: We never stopped drinking Coke Zero.

The Bike of Doom

When we moved here someone graciously gave us a bike for Zach to use. It was slightly bigger than the one he had coming. By the time it got around to biking season he had outgrown his old bike and gave it to Ethan, who was thrilled. This hand me down bike didn't last long as Zach quickly outgrew it and after so many hand me downs around camp it's not in very good shape anymore. So the last morning of out trip in Dubai was spent at Wolfi's bike shop where we had excellent service and happy boys all the way home.

With all that in mind I would like to introduce:

THE BIKE OF DOOMas Zach calls it. It has Ben 10 colors and it looks "Creepy cool," as he says.
I call it Dr. Doom because so far it has been an instrument of torture.

It is slightly too big so he has trouble stopping and getting his foot planted fast enough so he crashes EVERY TIME HE TRIES TO STOP.

But I am super proud of him because each time he falls he gets right back on.

AND he has not shed one tear in all of the well.....25-30 times he's fallen.

I think E is just about as excited as Z because he thinks one day this will be his. Chances are E will need a new bike of his own before Z outgrows this one.

All About Graham

Graham is officially a year and a half immunized and all.
This little chunk of a guy is adored by the whole family. His older brothers are so good to him.
He loves to pose so mom can take his picture.

Now that Z & E are older I can tell many of the personality traits they had at this age have continued, intensified, and are shaping who they are.

So my guess for this guy is that he will be our comedic athlete. Anything that is 6" or longer becomes a bat or golf club and everything else becomes a ball. He makes this tiss, tiss, or chew chew sound that is just like a light saber as he swings things around or pretends to shoot a dart gun.

He has an interesting way of communicating if he's at a loss for words......an ear piercing scream fills the spot.
Since his vocab is limited to:
Good bye, yep, cool, whoa, NO, NO MAMA, and shoes,
that leaves a lot of squealing to fill in the rest.

He will take you by the hand and show you what he wants but usually I just know....it's a mom thing.
He used to say dada and mama but now he just calls us both mama. Both Zach and Ethan are just Zach. He likes to keep it simple.

He is my PICKIEST eater and he throws everything off his tray but not just down to the floor around him but ACROSS the room. Sometimes during a meal he'll chuck something and it will end up one of our plates or in our lap.

He gives the best kisses on request and sometimes by surprise and will even blow you a kiss across the room.

He HATES, HATES, HATES nursery! The other 3 children are all 3 years old and are good friends and excellent talkers. He is just this little guy that still wants his mommy and doesn't like the toys. Last week it was my turn to do Nursery and as soon as he saw the room he went ballistic. Even when I didn't leave he went and hid in the closet and cried until his face was covered in mucous. When he finally allowed me to hold him he had a death grip on me and would not let go. None of my other kids were this way.....

HE IS A MAMA'S BOY!

And a super cute one.

More Dirt

I love rain...the smell and how it is so refreshing.

Not here. The rain when is comes usually does so during or just after a Shamal or dust storm.

So instead or a nice refreshing sprinkle is rains....

MUD.

If you get caught in it, you actually get dirty. So here you definitely run to get out of the rain.

Also it RARELY rains all day but sometimes we do get a downpour that can be significant. Other wise it is just a quick 5 minute sprinkle just enough to make things really yucky then it moves on.

Another Visit Already

Last night Zach lost another bottom tooth......

but this time he pulled it himself!

He came in from jumping on the trampoline with blood on his chin, so naturally I thought he was hurt. But then he showed me his prize and said something about pretending to be a shark....yada yada, I couldn't quite get the whole story because everyone Z, E, and Carlos were screaming with excitement.