Travel: West Kili with our friends to Yoka’s farm

Travelled with  the Foleys to the organic farm near Kili.  Climbed to almost first base of MT.  (after driving up as far as road would take us.)  Drank, caught rats, watched the sun, talked, and hiked.  Good times.

Porch pics.

Cole with tummy cramps.  giardia, worms, mountain sickness, 6 yo I don’t want to walk cramps- who knows.

Sundowner- everyone who reads are blog knows this term by now.  Wine, cheese, fanta, sun.

Kili hike.  ( Cole looks good at the start????)

The closest Joey will get to the top.

Charles is a rodent guru.  He brought traps so that we could catch mice.  We set 10 traps and got 4 mice the next day.  One for each kid to name.  Cool timing since their play was called RATS at school.  Lots of songs from the play for the ride to the rat catching site.

On the way home picnic and river stop for kids to play. 

Lesson: Tai Kwon Do testing is scary for moms

We aren’t big practice practice practice parents. Cole had 103 fever and tummy cramps all night. We forgot testing was this am. We got there 20 minutes late- but in true Africa time so was everyone else. He was going for green belt. It looked like it might take 30 minutes per kid ughh !!! We didn’t plan for that kind of testing day time commitment. We made it through. Funny these classes are different then classes I would choose in USA. Prosper is good with kids and cares about kids but is a different kind of teacher than a lets all be happy USA teacher. Lots of “do better you little girl, kick higher or you go in the trash can, give me back your belt since you are not good today” kind of teaching/humor. Hard for a USA mom to take sometimes. Cole never seems to mind. In fact he did a great job today. Be proud grandparents!!! I like that the judge had to get up and retie his yellow belt. I like that his white butt got all brown waiting for his turn since there was a huge dust storm. I like that in some of the videos you can hear my voice going AHHHH! at the end of his punches.

Adventure: Turning 7 with friends.

 

Cole’s b-day party. Spy theme with spy game. Spy kids 4 the movie. 7 boys, 2 gin and tonics, 1 happy b-day kid. VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Lesson: Make your kids do plays and go to both performances!

“Rats the musical”- the big Hollywood event in Arusha. Starring Birch as narrator 2. Cole’s class with all the other classes each had a song. Birch was in CCA drama club so he has a speaking part.

I did the rat on his costume- yes me- no way.

Birch being narrator. Birch Trying not to be bored as narrator. Birch and cast going for applause.

Cole’s song. He is back row- but I am told the “ leader of the back row”.

Cole accepting applause at the end- he is in the middle. the RATS poster.

Videos…

Adventure: Africa attempt at Christmas Fair

 

Job well done.  Food, crafts, art, shopping, jumpy jump and Santa.  All post thanksgiving- how American.  Santa asked a child to sing him a song.  No one would, but no worries Cole jumped up and sang jingle bells batman smells version then hummed the rest. 

 

David wants to buy this-  I bought lots of other stuff that he doesn’t know about.

Lesson: Be Thankful wherever you are!

Thanks to Lara and Charles for putting on the bestest turkey dinner ever.  Here is the group.  The thanks tree.  Our leaf for the family this year.  Cole in his fancy clothes.  Birch holding a surprise hedgehog friend who joins us-  wash your hands hedgehogs also have tapeworm- maybe not a bad idea after this big dinner.