12 September 2017

Iddy, your birthday was last month and you turned 15. There is so much to say about you, where do I start? We had a great time on your birthday. We gave you a new pair of Nike shoes, and I think you liked them a lot. We got up the morning of the 3rd and had breakfast together... baked oatmeal and smoothies. Then we loaded up and went to Mombasa. Fabish and Ismael were with us. In the car on the way there you opened cards from Mimi and Pop-pop and Cindy and Roger and got a total of $70. Cindy and Roger's card played "Can't Touch This" and, thanks to your sisters, we listened to that the whole way to Mombasa! I think Mimimo had given you a baseball cap for your birthday earlier. When we arrived we went to Java for lunch... your favorite. We all enjoyed lunch and got milkshakes for dessert. Then, you and Fabish and Ismael and Papa went to play paintball. After paintball you and your friends went to see "War of the Planet of the Apes." We stayed in Mombasa a few more days after that, but I think you had a good time, although you never felt good about going off with your friends and leaving me and Papa behind.

A while ago you told me that when you were little you used to believe that babies came from the market. I thought that was so cute!

You make me proud in so many ways and you are a deep thinker. One day we were talking about a conversation you had with a friend at school who said he didn't believe in God. He said that digestion of food starts in the fingers and that that truth is written in the Quran. You told him that there are things written in Holy Books that aren't true, but that doesn't mean there is no God. The more I thought about what you said the more I found it so deeply profound. What you said so simply and in such a matter-of-fact way and at such a young age has taken me years to grasp. I think that you still aren't sure exactly what to think about God, but I realize that, neither am I. What I also love about you is that you really think about things, your mind is searching, and you aren't afraid to believe differently than those around you. You have no idea how rare and precious and wonderful that is.

I sometimes find it hard to connect with you because I can't keep up with you in sports anymore. You are growing so strong and coordinated. You and Papa like playing basketball and volleyball and ping-pong together. But you and I still find ways to spend time together. Last Friday night we went to Osteria for supper, just the two of us. I loved it so much! We had great conversation and talked about all sorts of things. You are doing well in school and planning ways to keep up your school work when we are in the States for three months. I read one of your English papers last weekend and I was so impressed... your writing has improved so much. You work very hard in school and it shows.

Last weekend you invited Lucas's son, James, over to spend time with you and Ismael. You are always thinking of others and going out of your way to make someone else feel special or included. I love that about you, so very much. There is so much to be proud of... I could go on and on. I love you so very much!

5 September 2017

You turned 5 on August 23. I can't believe it. I missed your birthday because I had to fly home for Grandma's funeral, so we celebrated early, on the 22nd. You didn't seem to notice the difference. When I wished you a happy birthday over the phone on the 23rd you said, "But my birthday was yesterday!" You are 42in/172cm tall. You are beautiful and perfect. You woke up early and I gave you your birthday puzzle which you immediately did. You are so good at puzzles. We had given you a bike for your birthday a few days earlier, so that was your big present. We took you to Bar Bar with the family for breakfast, and we bought you some roses. I made you a cake (Christmas cake, but, again, you didn't seem to mind). We had Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First decorations. We played pin the band-aids on the ouchy from Doc McStuffins. You didn't want to get started until Nora got there. Jim and Phyllis came and Nora and her family. We sang "Happy Birthday" and you cut your own cake. You got a new set of colored pencils from Jim and Phyllis and a pink stuffed puppy and stickers and a Cinderella coloring book from the Straders. You had a card from Mimi and a card and necklace from Cindy and a stroller from Mimimo. We all had fun eating cake together, drinking tea, and celebrating you. You had also had a party at school earlier, before the term ended because you wanted to share cake with all your classmates. You wanted soccer ball cup cakes, so I did my best! You also insisted on wearing your princess Fiona dress to school that day.

You say "peejamies" for pajamas. You call Amani "oomani." You love Oscar so much but can't seem to stop calling him "Alex." You used to say "chapa wewe" when you got frustrated with someone. It was cute at first but then we had to put a stop to it. At a church service the minister was talking about the Kenyan and American flag, and you asked Jen, "which flag is mine?... what's the difference?" You think about things very thoroughly and you want to know and understand. You and AJ had balloons and she popped hers, and you immediately gave her yours. You are just now starting to kick the afternoon nap, but you still need it sometimes. Every night before bed we have to do "books and songs and lay." As I'm leaving the room when you are sleeping you always say, "can you bring us some water and check on us?" When you were at Mimimo's house and we were trying to put you to bed the sun was still out because the summer days in America are longer than in Kenya. You said, "but Mimimo, it's not dark!" in your perfect little Kenyan accent!

You are in the Rhino class at school. This is your last year of kindergarten. You are the youngest in your class but you do very well and love your friends. You are a joy.

5 September 2017

Abby Jones, here are some of the adorable things you say:

"hostipal" (hospital)
"bajreen" (Jabreen)
"parking water" (water park)
"njo" (come in Kiswahili)
"You're my special mommy!"
"Let's play two nose two nose" (a game where we put different body parts together such as nose to nose, cheek to cheek, etc.)
"diarrhea" (diary)

I was away from you for 10 days for Grandma's funeral. When I came back, after a day or two you said, "You were gone for a really long time, I missed you so much!" You love to sing "In the jungle" at bed time and you always request it so me, Iddy, and Papa sing it, complete with the part that goes "ah-wheeeeeeeee ah-whee ah-whee a-mumaway." You love that so much. You also love Twinkle, Twinkle and "Bottle of Ketchup."

You are officially in school and I wasn't here for your first day! Papa got you a haircut and had you looking so cute. Your hair was cut really short but it still looks adorable. Those little curls just kill me. Papa said you were hesitant the first day of school but didn't cry. The next week, when I took you for the first time you were hesitant again but still didn't cry. You did some school last term. Just a few days a week with teacher Lorina. You loved her. Now you have teacher Helen. You love her, too. There are just 3 other girls in your class. A Turkish girl, a Kenyan girl, an Italian girl, and you. You go every day until 12. Sometimes when you are feeling shy or cheeky you put your tongue in your lip in front of your teeth. Or you shrug your shoulder on one side. You still love to hold my pinky. And you still love for me to hold you. It was so hard for me to be away from you for so long. I feel like you need extra snuggles from me now. Sometimes you ask me "are you leaving?" as if you are afraid I will go again. Last night Sofi and Sultana watched you and Ruth Michael. They said you kept passing gas in the bed and saying "it wasn't me!" You make me laugh all the time. You look at me with a big smile on your face and make the squeal sound that I make right before I laugh. It gets me every time.