Yesterday was great. We had trillions of things to buy (have you ever tried feeding/entertaining 28 crazy kids all day every day?) so we hopped along from store to store as I tried to take in East London. South Africa is an interesting place, as far as I have figured it out the white people have money and servants and the black people don't have money and are servants. Obviously that's an intense generalization, but there are a lot of remnants of apartheid looming around. As Bob puts it, "things are getting better, but the white people had a 100 year head start. " We met up with a local priest for lunch (at a great restaurant where I could see the OCEAN!) who taught me all about ostriches and how small their brains are and how they have human hands tucked under their wings and how they will rip you down the middle if they are going to kill you and how to not let them kill you. No really. He also made Rita and I have something that is basically a milkshake with alcohol in it. The drinking age here is 18, so turning 21 will be anti-climatic for me. We got home in time for playing in the yard before dinner. Last night was Friday Night Movie Night and the kids did not like Happy Feet very much. They were engaged for about the first 10 minutes, got lost somewhere in the middle and appreciated the ending when we finished it up today. It is long and the plot is driven verbally, not enough action or singing and too many penguins : ) They just asked me if I have Narnia, so if someone wants to get them that and send it here with my dad…just kidding…but seriously. Today Rita and I tried, TRIED to make pancakes, we had moderate success. The kids liked them because they were doused in syrup anyway. I don’t think they’ve ever had pancakes before. After that we were off to the Komga Public Library with some of the older kids and Bob gave me the grand tour of Komga and the Location after that. During playtime outside today the things to do were climb me like I am a tree and make my hair beautiful. It is beautiful to say the least. Also a little slimy, but loved.
Everyday at the end of the day I make a point of picking one thing from the day that made the entire trip worth it to remind myself why I am here and focus on the good things when the kids are acting a little bit less good. So far it is difficult each day for me to narrow it down to one. Yesterday it was Kwakhanya proudly showing off some deflated ball (which is good because no one will try and take it from him), we kicked it, threw it and eventually he wore it as a hat. That almost made my heart explode. And today it was Thandazwa (who is itty bitty little and the one in the light blue in the picture that I stole from Sarah's Facebook) sucking the jam off of her toast. Direct quote from Bob ‘there are many ways to eat toast, Thandazwa has chosen the suction method’. The toast is about the size of her little face and she was not licking it off, she had it suctioned, parallel to her face and she was sucking it off. She (and basically all of the kids) ended up with maple syrup and jam all over her hands and face (…and feet and arms and legs and clothes and hair…)
Also the sunrises here are absolutely amazing. I mean seriously. My favorite part is hearing all of the birds and cows and creepy other creatures making more and more noise as the sun gets closer and closer to coming up. The view from Open Arms is absolutely amazing.
Sorry these blogs are rambley. I basically sit down and write whenever I am free and the computer is not in use and don’t have a lot of time to collect my thoughts. Please keep sending me e-mails and comments and other happy things. Oh! And let me know if you want the address to send me snail mail because it will take like a month but also make me very happy. I still don’t have internet on my laptop, but maybe eventually and then I can write stellar posts and put pictures up and check my e-mail more. Maybe, maybe not.
I’m going to take a nap. The days are longer when the kids are home all day. Church and zoo tomorrow!
Love yall
KB
Everyday at the end of the day I make a point of picking one thing from the day that made the entire trip worth it to remind myself why I am here and focus on the good things when the kids are acting a little bit less good. So far it is difficult each day for me to narrow it down to one. Yesterday it was Kwakhanya proudly showing off some deflated ball (which is good because no one will try and take it from him), we kicked it, threw it and eventually he wore it as a hat. That almost made my heart explode. And today it was Thandazwa (who is itty bitty little and the one in the light blue in the picture that I stole from Sarah's Facebook) sucking the jam off of her toast. Direct quote from Bob ‘there are many ways to eat toast, Thandazwa has chosen the suction method’. The toast is about the size of her little face and she was not licking it off, she had it suctioned, parallel to her face and she was sucking it off. She (and basically all of the kids) ended up with maple syrup and jam all over her hands and face (…and feet and arms and legs and clothes and hair…)
Also the sunrises here are absolutely amazing. I mean seriously. My favorite part is hearing all of the birds and cows and creepy other creatures making more and more noise as the sun gets closer and closer to coming up. The view from Open Arms is absolutely amazing.
Sorry these blogs are rambley. I basically sit down and write whenever I am free and the computer is not in use and don’t have a lot of time to collect my thoughts. Please keep sending me e-mails and comments and other happy things. Oh! And let me know if you want the address to send me snail mail because it will take like a month but also make me very happy. I still don’t have internet on my laptop, but maybe eventually and then I can write stellar posts and put pictures up and check my e-mail more. Maybe, maybe not.
I’m going to take a nap. The days are longer when the kids are home all day. Church and zoo tomorrow!
Love yall
KB
3 comments:
i for one like your rambly blogs because it's almost like you're on the phone telling me all the stories at once :)
and i would love to have your address over there!
Pic's! Yeea! Even stolen ones. Rambley is good.
1. The ostrich brain is probably not smaller than yours.
2. You got schwasty on a milkshake?
3. Wait, you actually watched the sunrise?
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