Doctor Robert

I threw up this morning.  I only felt really bad right when I needed to throw up.  There is a chance it might be my doxy that is making me sick (or I could just be the normal Africa kind of sick).  I'm supposed to take it with food…and I do…I'm just not eating very much.  I think I am going to change my strategy and eat more of my stores for breakfast before I take the Doxy rather than eating what is served here.

The kids are eating fine and still doing well.   They are scratching from the scabies but I found my clippers and cut their nails.  I am pretty sure that Nat is teething but he doesn't like to take medicine.  I've been rubbing his gums and he loves that. Katie Mumbi is potty trained and she is quite happy that we have figured out how to communicate about using the potty. I do have her in pull-ups just in case. She is also still nuts for Cheerios - especially with water.

This morning we watched an old video of Liz and Tip.  I talked to Katie in Swahili about "little Liz" and "little Tip" and and then showed pictures of "big Liz" and "big Tip".  For one picture of Liz, Katie Mumbi kept saying "Mama".  I guess Liz does still look like me.  She definitely was using that as my name and not an all encompassing term for women or even white women.  I'm feeling optimistic about having Millie around KM.  We are talking a lot about Mbwa Millie.  We have pictures of our immediate family (plus Babu Opa) around the room.  She can point to Mbwa Millie and say "Mbwa Millie".

The kids were both up early (4:45 am for Nat and 5:30 am for Katie Mumbi).  We watched the home video of Liz and Tip (when they were 5 and 3 years old) to stay quiet and then ventured out to play ball and go to breakfast at 6:30 am.   We didn't have water this morning so the kids will have to wait until this evening for baths.  I think when the water tank is empty it is just empty until it gets refilled.  We do have water now.

After breakfast we went out to play ball again and Katie hit Joseph.  I had to take her aside and tell her not to hit and to be gentle as best I could in our Swahili-English communications.  Joseph is five and speaks Tshiluba so they mostly just kick a ball and Katie looks at him suspiciously.  Joseph doesn't seem phased by her hitting.  He's twice her size.

While we outside playing ball I felt pretty green.  Jeremy carried Nat for me and Katie carried her mpira (ball) and motogari (car) up to the room as fast as we could manage.  We walked in the door and I went straight to the bathroom.  Katie Mumbi watched me hurl and she has been really taking it easy on me ever since.  We all laid down and Nat fell asleep.  Then I moved him to the other side of the bed and Katie Mumbi curled up with me to watch "Sound of Music".  I think I slept more than she did…but that is better for tonight.

Dinner here isn't until 7:15 pm and that just isn't going to work for us with them waking up so early.  Dad and I discussed a new strategy.  I'll get up early with the kids and eat a big first breakfast in our room. Then we will come down at 7:15 am for the St. Anne's breakfast.  Katie really likes the bread and butter. We may try to have a later but large lunch out (or ordered in) and spend more money on that.  We've been under budget each day.  And then I think we can skip dinner downstairs and just snack up in the room and have the kids down by 8:00 pm.

Taking care of Mama

-B