Fun fun fun – stage make-up!!

I don’t know what you would do for a few moments of peace so you can have a quiet cup of tea with a friend – but there isn’t much I wouldn’t do. lol The girls had their friends Z and X over and they dressed up in too-small ballet outfits and decorated in over-the-top stage makeup. We put some music on and it was bliss for 1 hour… yeah!

Harmless fun, I say. Let’s hope they don’t apply makeup like that when they are older, though!

First position!

Hi folks – did you know that it’s International WALK TO SCHOOL month?

In fact, in Kelowna this week is Walk to School week. Now, we walk to school every day… we only live two blocks from the girls’ school (on purpose.) But some people live a little further or just haven’t found the time to try it. Now’s the time. I have to say what I like as much as spending 10 quiet minutes of the day with my kids is the 10 quiet minutes walking back alone from the school. I often read when I walk, so that’s 10 minutes a day to chip at a novel, too.

Purposeful bliss, I say. But if that doesn’t tempt you, here are some other reasons to try walking to school!

International Walk to School is more than just getting together with children and going for a walk to school as a special event. This is certainly important, but the event’s greater aim is to bring forth permanent change in communities across the globe. Below are just a few of its goals:

Encourage physical activity by teaching children the skills to walk safely, how to identify safe routes to school, and the benefits of walking

Raise awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made

Raise concern for the environment

Reduce crime and take back neighborhoods for people on foot

Reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and speed near schools

Share valuable time with local community leaders, parents, and children

Our kids – all ready for cake.

Happy New Year!

OK, o it speaks to my current state of business that I’m writing this two weels late. But accept my belated felicitations!

On our way to the New Year's celebration.

We had a really great new year – we got together with a bunch of other Ethiopian families.Sadly, the party was also to say goodbye to one really awesome family who are moving to Toronto soon. But each time we get together, there is always a new face or new family joining us. Our small community continues to grow.

I know I’ve said it before, but it is such a blessing to be included in our Ethiopian community. They call me an honorary Habesha – I know they are just being nice, but it feels good anyway.

The girls got to wear their fancy dresses and eat food and, best of all! learn some Ethiopian dancing from a few friends in the living room. (Video below – so cute!!!) Bless his heart, the young man who patiently showed Spice how to swing her skirt. I hung out with the ladies, and sometimes a bit with the men. There are a few of the men who are in the same profession as I am, so we talk shop a bit. It’s a pretty gender-divided gathering, though, usually. Not by any design, but rather that the women hardly leave the kitchen.

Some funny moments from New Year – the first was when we were walking/biking over there to our friend H & M’s house. Here the girls were in their uber-traditional dresses, flying down the street on their pink “pixie-dust” BMX bikes. Talk about a bit of a culture mash.

The manditory coffee ceremony. She borrowed my scarf

The other super funny moment was when the dance lessons were happening. My friend W was asking up a bunch of guys to dance – this one fellow starts boogying in a pretty uncoordinated fashion. They told him he danced like ferengi – I objected! and said most of us dance better than that.

The funny thing is that they were speaking Amharic, but I get enough to follow some conversations. It’s really thoughtful though – if someone says a prayer or gives a toast, they often switch back and forth to English and I know it’s for our benefit. They don’t have to – Jrock and I are happy just to blend and nod – but it’s appreciated non-the-less.

Anyway – happy new year! Hope you enjoy the pictures and the video below (which has dancing footage!)

Catching up – we're really good friends with H & M especially.

M presiding over the cake – and the rest of the feast!

My friend W – her husband founded Partners in the Horn of Africa.

H organized a big lotto pool from New Years – but despite all the good vibes, we didn't win.

So cute! And not one drop of icecream cake spilled!

Spice beaming from ear to ear, learning to dance!

  The dance footage: Notice the proud chin and big grin!!! lol

M’s backyard party, just down the street from us.

It seemed that besides our girls, there were a lot of kids born at the end of the summer. It could be just me – but I really think there must be an overload of August babies.

Would you believe we attended three birthday parties in one weekend, for five kids? I “kid” you not! lol

We're the little Ethiopia neighborhood – what can I say! (OK, two of them are Kenyan. You caught me.)

What a beautiful family! M is just two days different in age than our girls.

The pinata never gets old. Swing hard, Spice!

All leaning over the birthday cupcakes to blow them out…

A proud Miss Z raised $342 for Vulnerable Children Society at her party!!!

Jrock’s brother D, his girlfriend C and their three kids visited for a week this summer. It was the first time we got to meet C, and she’s a really nice person. The kids, including ours, were aged 3,4,4.5,4.5,6… so we had quite the gaggle of little people on our hands. But we did lots of fun kid things (Kelowna really is good for that) like going to the beach, riding the steam train in Summerland, Hiking Giant’s Head mountain, geocaching, visiting Davidson Orchards in Vernon, etc. Good times were had by all! And the adults even made it out alive.

All ready for the first day of school!! Sugar / Spice

Well, it’s official. My preschoolers aren’t pre-schoolers anymore!

Sugar and Spice had their first day of school today. It’s a gradual entry to full day kindergarten, so today was 1 1.2 hours with the teachers, tomorrow is a 20 minute interview, Monday is morning only, Tuesday is afternoon only and then they start full-time Wednesday. It’s really good for the kids to start this way – but holy smokes, it is a bit of a juggle for the parents. Luckily, my mom decided to come home with us from camping this past weekend and is helping us with childcare, so I can work – oh, and maybe even post about their first day! lol

I really felt like we were crossing over this morning – my babies aren’t at all babies anymore. I think the maternal feelings are flowing. Hurry up little Basotho boy! I need another small person around!

Ooops – quick back alley shoe change. Guess those new shoes weren't a great idea.

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Reading with the librarian… so fun!!!

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Having our snack and examining the new backpacks given by the school.

The cowpoke gang!

Spice riding a pony.

We had a lovely birthday party for the girls on Sunday. Thanks to all our friends who came, ate, rode horses, and had a gallupin’ good time. Also, a special shout out to all of your who made donations to Vulnerable Children Society. The girls decided to ask for donation instead of presents, and boy o boy were they proud that they raised $210!

The day started off with good news – Jrock took Maggie into the clinic and her blood was definitely looking better (and was improved again today.) Then we had a big waffle breakfast (the girls got to choose) and opened their birthday gifts. We gave Spice a bug catcher, which she has been using on lady bugs, spiders and earwigs ever since, as well as a big 5 year old girl puzzle.

Sugar riding a pony.

Sugar got a paint-by-number shadow box from us, which she worked on for 2 hours, as well as her first cookbook, which she is excited about using this week. We spent a total of about $15 on the girls’s presents, but in our experience, small thoughtful gifts go just as far.

Besides – they had an amazing birthday party too! We rented an arena and had ponies give the kids rides yesterday evening. The kids loved it – it was so much fun. We adults lounged around and ate ate ate… including cake. This year, Sugar ordered a blueberry cake with vanilla almond icing and sugared blueberries on top. Spice had a dark chocolate cake with cherries baked in, with vanilla icing and dark chocolate shavings. Those cakes are a labour of love, lemme tell you – but um um yummy!!!

The girls had a wonderful birthday – and that’s not all. Apparently, as of yesterday Spce can now reach several light switches she couldn’t the day before (when she was four years old) and can even reach the sink in the bathroom without a stool. The miracle of 5 YEARS OLD!!!

Our poor baby Maggie. She was really sick on the May long weekend and the two months after (posts 1, 2, 3), but we thought we had beat it.

Two days ago she stopped eating her food again and sure enough – her platelets had dropped like crazy. This time we knew which protocols worked and go her on the right drugs etc. immediately – but it’s not seeming to work. Not her red cells are dropping like crazy. Jrock and I took turns at the clinic last night as she received a blood transfusion. But it’s not seeming to catch. Today, she is panting because she isn’t getting enough oxygen. Poor girl – it must feel scary too.

Please send your best wishes and prayers our way…

A couple of weeks ago we had an unexpected visitor – Sugar and Spice’s friend C! Remember this sweet little boy from Harambe?

Well, his mom had appointments in town, and she brought him along for the 7 hour drive to spend the day with the girls. We had lots of fun, including a few first for C, like eating sushi. C wasn’t too sure about it at first, but then he just dug in.

We then chased dinosaur foodprints downs the streets of Kelowna until they met with a scary surprise!

THEN we had a small pool party with our friends Tigger and Chuckles. Pretty good times.

He probably thinks we have this much fun all the time. Oh wait – we do!

His mom was thinking of trying to get to the Mehaber Camp where we will also be in two weeks – what a nice surprise for the girls if he can make it. The adoration is mutual!!

On a completely lighter note, I ordered the first of the girls’ new bedroom furniture today. Most of it we will source second hand, but I fell in love with these two chairs from Target. We live close to the border (2 hours) so I have them shipped there and then just pick them up.

Aren’t they cute?

We also decided on the girls’ walls – Auntie Ena is going to do 2 foot high Matryoshka dolls all along one wall.

They will be in traditional costumes from a variety of countries – I’m sure the girls will want some from Ethiopia, as well as China, Lesotho, Swaziland and other countries they have friends from.

Sugar would like me to add that they will not be “all pink-skinned like these ones – they will have brown skins too!”

It will be so cute!

BTW, our new guy will have the girls’ current bedroom downstairs – they are taking over the guest room.