MOVIE!!

One day Noah got really excited and decided that we had to go to the park and make a movie. He wanted to put it on a DVD and try to sell it at the [bootleg] video store.

But for my own sanity and for the sake of my camera's battery I only take short clips. Here are the few that we submitted to the academy. Look for us in the "very sort film snippets" category at the Oscars!

















Hope we win the Oscar!!!! I've got the perfect place for it!

Maybe Our Weirdest One Yet!

A few notes about this video...

*speaking some of our language here, some English
*loves playing with baby dolls- puts them to beds and then shushes everyone else because the baby is sleeping
*I promise we do more than watch tv
*she loves Nemo, Spirit (on the other Video), and JoJo's Circus
*she busted her nose on a stool while building a fort with Noah and Callie
*at the end she is saying "I see, I see"
*most importantly... I think this may be our weirdest child yet. I can't imagine how weird #4 could be. But I'm lovin' every minute of this sweet goofy person!

Dancing Queen

Just Got Back from the Bakery

Callie's birthday is on Friday. The child is having THREE celebrations!!! I know its too much, but she's more than worth celebrating!!! Her kindergarten class will have a celebration. I am to bring a cake, something salty, and juice. Then on Friday evening we usually share a meal and have "church" with our group. I am in charge of dessert, and I'll make a cake. Then on Saturday we'll have the usual tea party style birthday party. Its sort of by word of mouth, and you can't be sure exactly who will come. Neighbors, friends, who knows.... The women sit around, talk, and eat; and the kids run around the flat like caged animals! Its fun! HA!

So, with all that the kids and I made a trip to our local bakery to order two cakes- one for school and one for the party (the other cake and rest of the food I'll have to make myself!!!). I think I understood everything that was being said. But then the nice man went to a cabinet and began pulling out special cake toppers. I was relieved when Callie turned her nose up at the graduate, but she swooned at the high heel, flowers, and plastic heart that said "Happy Mother's Day!". This ought to be interesting!

Hair Raising

If you ever hear me say..."I think I'll try out my new bendy rollers!" on the day of any type of speech, or ya know... if I have to been seen by the public, PLEASE stop me!!

Speech- DONE!
Sweat- MANAGEABLE!
Lucy- FULL BLOWN 2 AND A HALF YEAR OLD (we are looking for foster parents if anyone is interested)
Noah- ALL BOY- currently in the living room shooting plastic bebes at army men
Callie- ENTERTAINING, ADORABLE, ALMOST 6!!!
Life- GOOD!
GOD- BETTER!

A Random List

1. On the way out the door to swimming lessons today Noah asked Justin if he could drive the bus again!

2. Speech- TOMORROW! How best to procrastinate? Laundry, vacuuming, and blogging of course!!

3. Most importantly... if you read this blog you may know that I tend to sweat when I get nervous. I didn't really know this until I came here. As it turns out, I'm nervous a lot here! My sweet husband, who knows me so well, warned me to dress appropriately tomorrow, as he knows I'll be sweating like a hog (pretty, I know!) during my speech. Do you think it would be distracting if I wore a bathing suit and brought a fan to plug in?

4. Lucy says Osman. It is the cutest thing you have ever heard. Osman is the name of the 1 year old baby downstairs. It's the first local name that she says!

5. Something in the kids' room stinks. We thought that we had found the culprit after much searching produced a sippy cup whose contents had solidified. The smell remained. We scrubbed the carpet where the cup was found thinking that it had leaked. The smell remains! We might just have to move to get away from it!!

6. I have stopped buying juice because Lucy would beg for it all day long. She didn't want to drink milk or water. It is like the end of the world! She has had a harder time giving up juice than her passy!

Bus Driver

Noah and Callie started swimming lessons today. Thank you, God, for something that burns energy!!! Justin took the kids for their first lesson. As they boarded the very crowded bus, the bus driver was enchanted with the kids. He tried to get Callie to sit with him (your read that correctly), but she was too shy. Noah was more than willing to sit with him and help drive the bus. Another one of those NEVER in America moments!

When they got home driving the bus was the first thing Noah told me about. He was pumped!!! His only regret was that he didn't get to blow the horn enough!


In other news...


Lucy has the chicken pox. Since she had one dose of the vaccine, it has been a very mild and easy case. The spots began to show up on Tuesday and are already clearing up. She only had 1 on her face, several in her hair, and several on her shoulders back and tummy. She'll go back to preschool on Monday.

My speech is on Monday. I am going to talk about knitting. I have to talk for about 15 to 20 minutes, so I decided to finish up by teaching the other students the basic knit stitch. That will help me gage the time, and draw it out or speed it up. It ought to be interesting to see some of these people knitting. I'm not sure the Arab men will even pick up the needles!

Language Learning

We are all working really hard at learning the language spoken here. Noah and Callie have done an amazing job "picking it up." Justin has worked his tail off, and is also really good. Lucy understands both and speaks a little of both.

And then there's me...

For almost the first year, I tried to use a language helper. She came to my house and we worked on random things. The problem was that I had to organize the lesson, and I just couldn't do it. I felt like it took too much time and foresight that I would have preferred to just spend studying the language. So, last July I enrolled in a local university that offered classes in the local language.

It has been a wonderful blessing. I love being in the classroom. I love that I do not have to organize my lessons, and try to figure out what to learn next. I love meeting other ex-pats. Not to mention that it is a much needed chance to get out of our flat!

But, for as much as I love my classes, it is hitting me that I am in university. I am sitting here, procrastinating on the composition that I should be writing. And the 15 minute presentation that I have to give next week is weighing heavily on my mind.

I took several communications classes for my major in college, but I never had to present for 15 minutes, and now... in a foreign language! Sweet mercy!! I am supposed to explain any topic to my class. Do you have a suggestion for me? What can I tell a group of foreigners from around the world (without using really difficult grammar and vocabulary)? HELP!!!

the POX

Lucy has chicken pox!! She even had the vaccination, but she still has'em! UGH! She is a bit more snugly, though. Usually she's so busy that she doesn't have 2 seconds to let me squeeze her, so I'll take this even if it does come with spots!

Whaaat??

Um... they don't show the commercials here! During the commercial breaks, the camera just shows the field in silence. Do you realize how many commercial breaks there are?

Super Bowl

Why on earth am I staying up this late to watch the Super Bowl? Is it to hear the National Anthem and see the flag waving since I haven't heard or seen either in a year and a half? Is it to feel like an American? Maybe just to celebrate the fact that even here I can see it? Is it the commercials? The Cardinals? Hmmm. I really don't know.

An early evening start time in America + 7 hour time difference = not much sleep.

I hope my nanny gets here before the kids wake up!
-Oh!! NO nanny?!?!

Ok, I hope my mom will get up with the kids!
-Oh... she's thousands of miles away?!?!

Well then, I hope next year I'm more responsible!
-Not likely!

toofs