Happy Feet

On Saturday, my mom and I had a girl's day out while my dad stayed home and watched the kids ( thanks dad!). It was so fun to go out to the salon and have pedicures with the massaging chairs and the aroma therapy scrubs.:) I can have a pedicure in Nigeria, but I would much rather go to a salon outside my house than have someone come to my apartment and do my nails.:) Then, we went to a movie with no kids and no distractions. It was a really relaxing quiet afternoon which was very welcome after packing the shipment and my daughter waking up at 5 :55 every morning!!!! ugh!! When my mom and I came home, the kids were in the pool with my dad and they both immediately noticed my toe nails. Elizabeth ran to my bathroom and found some nail polish and kept saying " Paint me!!! Paint me!!" So, I gave my little girl her first pedicure on Saturday and she was so proud of her toes. She kept showing them off to my dad, mom and Jeremy. I realized that this is one of the bonding experiences you can only have with your little girl. It makes me happy to think of all the pedicures yet to come.:)

Things we Haven't done in a while...

I was watching the kids play outside in my parents lawn in the sprinkler. It occurred to me that I played in the sprinkler a lot during the summer when I was little. I realized that part of the reason my kids loved it so much was because it was so different for them. Right next to them was a beautiful pool at my parents' home, but they prefer to run around in ice cold water from the hose because it is something they don't get to do in Nigeria since we have an apartment and no real lawn to play on. I started thinking of all the other little things they have been able to do since we got here. It was fun to see Elizabeth sit on the piano stool at my mom's baby grand piano which my grandfather, mother and I had all sat on while we played, and now she is "playing". Since we don't have a piano ( at least not yet) it is something the kids love to do when we are here. Today, my mom and I took the kids to the park and had a picnic. I couldn't remember the last time I had taken the kids on a picnic. I know it had to have been before we moved to Nigeria. It is just so hot and humid there all the time ( yes, even worse than Houston) that it is no fun to even eat outside. Don't get me wrong, I think our experience in Nigeria is teaching us so much and giving us so many opportunities we would never have had without living there. But, there is something to be said to see your children enjoying little things which you also enjoyed when you were little. One of my worries when we were moving to Nigeria was how their childhoods would be diffrent from my own. Would it be a good or bad experience???Even though their world has changed a great deal from when I was little, it is very heartwarming to see that some things remain the same.:)

10 Naira Please!

Today, my mom and I took the kids to one of Jeremy's favorite American places to eat...McDonald's. He and Elizabeth were playing in the play place and I heard him talking to another little girl. They were pretending to place orders in the drive through. I walked up to him and told him I wanted to order a happy meal, and he said, "That will be 10 naira, please." as he held out hi hand for the money. I had to start laughing.....he has been in Nigeria too long.:)

It's Gone

Today, the movers came to pack up my sea shipment. It is always hard for me to part with a project I have been working on for a while. It almost feels like a piece of me is missing.....um ...no way!!!! I was so happy to get it sent out!!!! yeah!!! Yes, two thousand pounds of goods which I spent the last two weeks collecting is now going to head out on a ship bound for Lagos. I can now finally relax a little bit during my time in the States.:) I just hope it doesn't sit in customs too long....it will be annoying to not have all the toilet paper I bought once it makes it across the ocean.:)

Time is Flying!!!

The kids and I got back to the States on June 4 and during that time, it has been so busy with Doctor's appointments, gathering things for the shipment, visiting with Family, and trying to relax while I am at home.:) I thought I would post a few pictures of what we have been up to the last two weeks...

1) Went to the Livermore rodeo and parade
2) Went to three doctor's appointments

3) Lived at Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, and the local grocery store to gather things for the shipment
4) Saw my brother and his fiance this last weekend. They came up to see my folks for Father's day weekend
5) Took Jeremy to get fitted for a tuxedo for my brother's wedding ( he is going to be the ring bearer):)
6) Got our malarone prescriptions refilled.:)

7) Celebrated Jeremy's fifth birthday a little early

8) Celebrated my mom and dad's 35th wedding anniversary

9) Celebrated Father's day

10) Swimming, swimming and more swimming

So, there is a quick run through of what we have been up to lately. I can't believe that soon it is time for us to leave and head for Michigan.....I forgot...was this a vacation???? ha ha :)

Deja Vu???

It seems like I am experiencing deja vu ....I swear I have done this before.:) The kids and I arrived back in the states last Saturday and I have been busy going to doctor's appointments and getting things to put in our yearly shipment to Nigeria. I can't believe how quickly this year seems to have gone by. I feel like I just packed a shipment a few weeks ago and now I have to pack one for another year all over again. The main questions which keep going through my mind right now is how many diapers should I buy??? I was planning on potty training Elizabeth this summer...but I don't know if that will happen...so, should I buy a lot ?? Or, should I not buy so many and that will make me have to potty train her sooner??? Will I have the patience for that?Should I buy more than enough laundry detergent or will that make my shipment overweight?? How many birthday supplies should I get for the kids' birthdays ( which really haven't been planned yet?) What should I get the kids for their Christmas and birthday presents? How will I really know what they will like in six months? I will be happy when the shipment is done and packed up. For now, Wal-mart, Target, and Costco are my second home.:)

Happy Father's Day ( a little early)

I haven't been on the blog for a while. The kids and I have once again traveled back to the U.S. But, before we we left Nigeria, we had to celebrate Father's Day with Guy.:) Since the kids were going to be apart from him this summer over Father's day, we gave him his gifts early. I went to the fabric market and picked out some fabric and had a local tailor copy a shirt for Jeremy and Guy to have matching shirts. I also had a new Nigerian outfit made for Guy since he said the last one he had wasn't as "wild and bright" as he wanted it.:) And, of Course, Jeremy has a matching outfit to go with it. ( Elizabeth and I have matching outfits as well.) It was so neat to watch Guy open his gifts and the kids get so excited to see him opening the gift. Jeremy was even able to keep it a secret...amazing. They even made him some Father's day cards, too. To top it off, we had Korean food for lunch. ( One of Guy's favorites) At the end of the day, I asked Guy what he thought about his Father's day, and he said," It was the best Father's day ever because I have the most wonderful kids." I have to say, I truly agree with him.:)

Is she Nigerian?

Today I was starting to think that possibly Elizabeth is becoming very Nigerian. Over the past few weeks, she has said and done things that really make me think she is very accustomed to living here:

1) She was talking on her pink play phone. I asked her who she was talking to and she said, "Fatai" I asked her what she was telling him and she said ," I flash Fatai" as she walked down the halway in her purple click clack heels.

2) She won't let me put a single clip in her hair, but she will sit still on the couch for 15 minutes to let Happiness put her hair in a zillion pony tails.:)

3) She is saying all words that end in "R" with the British way of pronouncing "R".

4)She picks out her own clothes and usually ends up with very bright colors that don't match at all.

5) She regularly calls her back side as a "bum bum".

I don't know....I am pretty sure she really will be Nigerian!!!:)