following the LEADER

…with me to the house today. So sorry, but I promise to post pictures of it soon. Amina and I were over there cleaning and preparing to move in. It looks like she will sleep there tomorrow night, but it may take us one more day to get all of our stuff moved from the Bible School. We’ll see. Steph blessed me by agreeing to watch Sam so that Amina and I could clean without interruption. Steph and Sam stayed at the Teague’s because the paint fumes are pretty bad right now. They just finished the paint today. It’s my favorite paint job ever. The house looks beautiful.

Sam got a new toy today at play group. One of the families is going home on furlough (I think) and they were getting rid of some of the toys that their kids have grown out of. Sam LOVES his new toy. It has 4 balls that drop into the top and then roll down these slides and spit out at the bottom. He puts them across the tile floor and goes chasing after them only to knock them further away.

Sam is getting pretty close to walking. Dave and I are able to get him to take a few steps between each other. He’ll do it 2 or 3 times back and forth until he gets fed up and wants to crawl away. Mostly we have to bribe him with a sip of orange Fanta. I think he is waiting until his Auntie Liz gets here before he takes his first step. He likes to perform “firsts” when she is around. Until next time……au revoir.

When we wake up in the morning, it doesn’t take Sam long to crawl into the kitchen to see what’s going on with every one in there. He’s usually looking to see what Halima and Amina are up to, but his absolute favorite thing is to watch the cats. They will come to the back door right away if Halima calls them because she gives them scraps.

Wednesday afternoon Halima and Steph sat on the porch and practiced playing the guitar together. They are playing a couple of songs during church this Sunday. Sam and Amina made a great audience. The rest of us enjoyed the serenade from inside the house.

The weather was less hot today because of the amazing storm we had last night. It started around 1am with huge winds blowing dust everywhere. It didn’t take long for the power to go out, and we laid there in the heat listening to branches and fruit hitting the metal roof and our window unit. After 45 minutes or so of wind, the rain started. It poured and poured. Around 3:00 Sam woke up and could not get comfortable in the heat. Luckily at 4 am the power came back on. What a relief. It was an exciting night.

This morning I went back to play group.  Those women are a wealth of knowledge.  I learned today how to get wheat flour made.  I just need to get Amina to go buy some wheat berries.  Then she and I can rinse them and lay them out to dry, taking out any stones we see.  Then, after it dries over night, we can get it milled in the market into flour.  I’m so glad that I can make wheat bread.  That’s one thing I thought I would miss.

Now it is 1 in the afternoon and the house is quiet.  The guys haven’t come back from the Bible School for lunch yet.  Sam is sleeping, and Shelley, Steph, Halima and Amina are all in their respective rooms.  I think I might go finish my video.  I’ve been watching the Jeannette Oak series on DVD.  It’s silly Christian romance.  I think I’m trying to fill my need for some good girl time.  hmmmm.  I miss you gals.

Sam is definitely becoming a toddler with an attitude.  He’s resorted to screaming at the top of his lungs when he doesn‘t get what he wants.  He’s also not slept through the night in way over a month now.  Cute, maybe.  A hand full, without a doubt.  I will be very glad for Amina’s help with him.  He really adores her.  She’s been at the Teague’s‘ every day to help Halima and just hang out around us.  Sam frequently crawls into the kitchen to say hi to them.  I hope they don’t find it annoying because many times they’re very busy working.  We’ve had 13+ for 3 of our last 5 meals.  Because Niamey is the capitol, people are constantly coming and going.  The Teague’s are always willing to feed them.  Right now there are two visiting missionaries and the Ligon’s (missionaries in eastern Niger) are here because their kids (adult kids w/ a 22 month old) are flying out tonight. 

We went by the house yesterday, and it looks really awesome (better than I thought it would) the living room is like very milky chocolate color (or maybe coffee with about half the amount of cream I like).  That opens through an archway into the dining room which will be blue.  They’ve painted one of the bedrooms and Amina’s room bright yellow.  Our room is the same as the living room.  Sam’s room and the office will be green.  It may sound like a lot of colors (and it kind of is), but it’s not as many as we had in New Kent.  It just makes me very excited.  I’m definitely looking forward to nesting and getting into a schedule.  That will be really good for Sam and hopefully for our French.  I’m picking up a little here and there, but I really have a strong desire to study and learn quickly. 

Tonight Brent, Shelley, Stephani, Dave, and I played a half game of phase 10.  It was really fun to sit around the table and have some time to relax.  It’s amazing how much running around there is to do here.  We eat lunch and dinner together most days, but there are usually always guests.  Frequently the conversation is in French.  It was really nice to just be together tonight as Americans.  It was the highlight of my day.  That and the washing machine we purchased.  With the help of Dave’s mom (the purchaser) and our friend Charlie Brown, we will have it loaded on a container to arrive in the beginning of July.  I’m sure Amina and I will both consider it a huge blessing. 

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now.   Miss ya.

Well, I am absolutely crushed that we had to cut our son’s beautiful locks. He definitely had the coolest hair of any kid I have ever seen. However, it has become quite clear after the cutting of the hair, that his cuteness transcends the curly rockstar hair.

Hey folks. 

Things feel like they have been kind of slowing down here.  We’ve passed the two week mark, and everything just feels kind of normal and not so exciting any more.  Not that we’re not enjoying every minute, we’re just adjusting and becoming used to the Niger way of life.  

The last two days have been full of more errands and business concerning our house.  Yesterday morning Sam and I attended a mom’s group for mothers of toddlers.  Even though Sam isn‘t toddling yet, it was really good to meet some other westerners.  Sam thoroughly enjoyed playing in the Sam and eating a cupcake.  I enjoyed listening to the other women.  They ranged from the wife of a US Embassy employee to a missionary who lives in the bush (with 3 kids) in a big tent.  They were a wealth of information and opinions about everything from how to make good corn and flower tortillas to what kind of malaria medicine to put your kids on.  It was really great.  Sam and I plan to go everything Thursday morning.  In a month or two, we may even host the group at our house.  

Besides that it’s been all about the house.  We went over there with the painter this afternoon.  I think he’s a bit overwhelmed at my vast array of color choices (only 4 plus white, but I think that is unusual for around here).  I will be sure to post pictures when it’s done which will hopefully be sometime at the end of next week.  We have water and electricity now.  We’re working on hiring a guard.  We moved some of Stephani’s plants over and put them on our porch (she has now really completely moved out of her apartment).  

Tonight we went to a great Lebanese restaurant called Byblos.  It almost felt like we weren‘t in Niger.  The food was excellent, and the ambience was the best I’ve seen in Niamey.  I even had ice cream for desert.  Always a treat when you’ve spent the day in a 100 degree house.  Apparently Mike Thaler doesn‘t like Lebanese food.  It’s my opinion that the teams are missing out.  Shelley also told me she has 2 Lebanese cook books (one in French and one in English).  Amina and I will be having fun with those recipes in a few weeks, I’ve decided.  

So, that’s pretty much it.  Except for one thing…. we cut Sam’s hair yesterday.  It’s way not as cute as before, but he was just sweltering.  We were both concerned because he’s been scratching the back of his head a lot.  We’re trying to decide if we should just take the clippers to his little head.  I don’t know if that would look better or worse, but I think it would be cooler.  His diaper/heat rash is almost gone.  I’ve been bathing him several times a day to cool him down.   

So, that’s our news.  Tomorrow is Saturday and I hope that Dave will go to the club and play softball with the guys.  I know he would enjoy it, but I don’t know if he’ll put forth the effort of finding his glove, etc. which are packed in one of the many containers we sent a few months ago.  

We hope you all enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.  Wish we could be there to enjoy the weather (and your company of course).