Halloween

No, they don't celebrate Halloween here. But that didn't stop us and our American friends from dressing up! "Any excuse to party!" as my favorite mother-in-law says.

On our way to the party!

Molly was a caterpillar. She has on 3 onesies to make it look like a lot of legs. 

Brian said, "Let's be Indians." I thought it was punny.

Our little butterfly. She decorated her shirt and wings herself.

Darth Vader, Ladybug, Panda, Cheetah...

Pumpkin painting!

Picture of the Week: Simple Things

Becky (in her pjs...sorry Becky) reading to Lydia

In our job, people sometimes assume we do great and awesome things. Honestly, sometimes I'm carried away by that expectation too!

But in the daily reading stories and chopping up fruit, there isn't much to write home about. A group of women came over from the States a to "love on us" for a week. They got to see the city and works we are doing. They also came to the Stock Household. And I put them to work, un-apologetically.

Patty coloring princesses

They started reading stories, peeling pumpkins and washing lettuce. And I thought, this doesn't seem like a big cool thing I would expect to do on this kind of trip. But truth was, from this view, it was. I felt "loved on" and they served with joyful hearts.

Picture of the Week: Sticks and Stones

It was a common question we got before we came. It was a joke...but perhaps showed the fear of the unknown.

"What will your kids play with there? I bet all they'll have are sticks and rocks."

I have to admit, I was a bit scared too. What will my girls do without 75 stuffed animals? Are two wooden puzzles enough for their fine motor skill development? The playgrounds have tetanus-infested metal slides with gaping holes. The swings are always broken (or about to be). The mosquitoes swarm. Where is my soft-surface, eco-friendly, shaded park with a paved running trail and plenty of parking? Can they manage without their play-kitchen, play-stroller, play-vacuum cleaner, sprinklers and bath toys?

Turns out we miss those things, yes. But sticks, a piece of palm bark and a stone pathway make for a great row boat in a raging river...especially with a friend.

Friends at the botanical gardens

Picture of the Week: Worms

How do you know we've been here six months? That's right...it's de-worming time! Apparently, half a year is just about the time that you want to consider ridding your body of all those little travelers you've picked up from the foot, the surfaces, from sucking on your toes (if you are Molly). Each of us got this little pill to chew up and hopefully (ahem) dispose of any hitchhikers. 



We crunched up the kids' in their yogurt. 

Just one of the pleasantries of living here. But hey, at least I have a clean slate. Now to keep Molly from sucking on her toes....