Successful First Week

Hi, all! I know you teachers understand this when I say that going back to a schedule after a long wonderful summer is...simply...bittersweet! Our day off today felt like it was weeks overdue! HA!

Joshua and I are truly enjoying school this week. His impulsivity is truly growing more character in me (said with gritted teeth). And I miss Jasmine so much, my heart might explode! But, in all honesty, she is super happy to go every day and to tell us what she's learning. Truthfully, it's going well. Here's a glimpse......

First up, was our first 'science experience' - working with classification. So a couple friends donated shoes and we had our mixture too.....I shoulve' photographed the entire room - but here's a small portion of it. First he had to decide on kingdoms (he chose color) then he had to decide on phylum (closed or open shoe) and then order (child or adult). We both had fun doing this. He saw how difficult it would be with living objects in creation! wowzers! all the things to consider!

below was interesting! it starts out yellow.....shades to orange and then becomes pink...this one in particular had all 3 stages - see the tiny berries (seed containers) there? We see the police and private guards eat these (well, not during RamaDaan of course). I heard they taste like grapes - since I also see same people and stray dogs urinate on such plants....I'd rather not taste them, thank you very much.

Below we had to get special permission - again my Arabic came in handy! This is right next to a US Embassy "posting" and I'll leave it at that - the head of security was pleasantly talkative in English after I explained we were doing a school study...he told me the word for this flower, but I forgot to write it down (I didn't bring my own notebook) **edited, apparently "cocks comb" grows in the US, I've apparently never seen it in Michigan but it's there! This place had yellow, red, purple and pink cocks comb.** same word in Arabic..just...in Arabic! ha! Literal translation tho is "chicken" not the rooster distinction.**

We could **not** find any conifers (pine trees). But we're hopeful Grandpa Bob will bring us 3-4 pinecones when he travels this fall.


below is a close up of the sporangia on the wing plant that Joshua is sketching (above) for phylum Pterophyta. try to say that 10 times ;) he is soaking up all we're learning and experiencing in Botany and History (which includes Bible and geography as well)

YES MOSS GROWS IN THE DESERT!
The book we're studying is created for botany in the US - it even tells you what lessons, at what time of year study based on which area of the US....well it says moss grows in the desert. We walked to the most-lush places - zip! nada! But then we stopped at a little landscaping shop that's 100% shaded and even the ground is wet around us....we petted this, and the guy confirmed as well as our research...WE FOUND MOSS IN THE DESERT! Next time we're IN the "actual" desert - we'll look and tell ya if we found any! ha! I doubt it ;) Perhaps in parts of the Sahara where it floods?? Perhaps near the Nile as well...MUCH closer than us! ha!


The last photo was taken during school. I looked out to watch a guy mowing the yard (yes, I still enjoy the sight and sound) and saw this "wagon" there was a guy in a dress (of course it's NOT a dress, but you know what I mean! ha!) walking up and down the street yelling something...then moving it a bit...and men would come out to look at it - see the guy dressed nicely to check it out?
WHAT ARE IN THOSE DRUMS? crude oil? ha! Just...another - well I want to say crazy siting, but really that sounds so negative - so many things really still baffle me! Like the TODDLER (half the size of tiny Jasmine) hanging from his dad's back on the back of bike in bumper to bumper traffic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no I didn't miss any words in that sentence! I think my grandpa R might've said "well, it'll put hair on his chest" yes, and the hair off his dad's back, kill 2 birds w/ one stone - or just one baby w/ one bump! yikes!

or...the donkey carts without drivers. I am noticing sometimes the donkey carts aren't driven...they know their routes so well..they RUN THRU TRAFFIC W/ THEIR CARTS! yep...they do their thing....w/o manpower. ????

**BIG THANK YOU TO GAGE AND MELANIE!!!!!!!!!!!** the sunscreen got here 3 days after we ran out - WHEW! JUST IN TIME TO NOT GO STIR CRAZY WAITING FOR SUNSCREEN! LOVE MELALUCA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and Joshua was doin a big jig for the joke on the sketch as well as he has the snow flakes in his room - he's going to hang them in winter. He's working on a written letter back to **everyone** He wanted to write it, so it takes some time.

Thanks for reading the blog! Glad you can enjoy it!! Oh and thanks to Excel for the gallon man idea - he's working out FABULOUS! I think I laminated it for 3rd grade last year. Anywho - wish I was there helping prep your classrooms w/ lamination!! I miss you all! I bet the parking lot isn't the same w/o my big truck driven by a spastic sassy momma! LOL

Love,
Wendy

First Day of School 2010-2011

The first day of this school year went off with a bang! And quite a few beeps too! Oh, this is not a traffic post? Well...back to the fun school stuff then!

Both kids were eager, and me too! Last night, I sat outside in the folding "camp" chair Rob got me (THANKS I LOVE NOT SITTING ON THE CURB ANYMORE) underneat 10+ bats reading Shurley Grammar, Botany and History lessons for the week to become very familiar with it. After that, I felt overwhelmed, discouraged and found myself sobbing!! Then I remembered that even those of you who are trained and equipped properly need the Lord to truly excel! So, I pushed aside my whining and dove in with a big smile!

Jasmine started picking clothes Thursday evening....you will see she finally decided. ha! I love her flare! This is taken at the entryway on the ground level of our apartment building.


As you can tell, even Sam realized today was a big day..it's the first time he's camped at our door to cry for me...I didn't pet him, I wanted him to keep crying - this photo cracks me up, he looks pathetic! ha! Darling little beast! Yes, that's the door to our apt. the elevator is beside me w/ the camera.

(I adore how she was excited to use her new water bottle from daddy)

Jasmine in front of her quaint, cozy, home-feel school where she declared to have enjoyed her first day (especially her treat of purple gatorade). She goes to school from 8 am - 1:30 pm daily. It is a 20 min walk in one direction. Thankfully, the humidity didn't seem so high today.


On the way home, I saw this and HAD to take a photo. Not only do I think this is a stunning vehicle, but if you could "grasp" the poverty it's parked next to, you'd be as baffled as I am as to its presence? Perhaps one of the extreme poor in the shack behind me are watching it for a job - great idea! I hope that's what happened.


Joshua and I started school at 9 after I had my shower. We took a recess mid morningof riding his scooter while I just sat and breathed and listened to the church service in Arabic and the beautiful sound of Sudanese music. I am not good enough yet to understant a church service..but I do hear things here and there and "get" some of it.

Yes, I look like a dork in socks and sandals, but I have my reasons! LOL
That is Waleed's motorcycle, I wanted to share the shade with it.

Joshua favorite today was to pick the biography we would read together each morning - he chose Davy Crockett. He likes to talk about moral character and remember specific teachers telling specific things.....I like that it makes his stories come alive and more applicable to himself and our lives wherever we are! smooches to you teachers! ALL of you!



I made a gallon man.....after I stood back and beheld it, I realized there's something not quite up to par for OCD...but I gotta leave it....construction paper is a RARE AND VALUABLE ITEM HERE, I will not risk destroying what precious bit we have! I bet H from the UP and Betty from NJ will be the first to find the annoying most part. (Josiah, see my picture I still have gracing my walls? I love it!)


Of course here's Joshua on his first day of THIRD GRADE! wheeeeeeeeen did that happen, mom? sniff sniff.......onward we go!


After 5 hrs of school, we did not finish, and neither did we become bored. I am going to focus more on repetition in math instead of 30 min of one thing each day. 10 min of the new thing (multiplication and algebra) but then constant repeat of the other stuff - he hates repeating, he hates not getting new stuff on the first try - so I'm being more flexible this year with math. I did however, completely lose him after lunch and wasted almost 40 minutes with his impulsivity.

He loves his new History book and his favorite "project" was starting his journal. His least favorite is writing down new words he learned that day and what they mean.

So that's our day in a nutshell and a few pics! Thanks for cheering us on thru the year and praying for us!

I love Jasmine's nervous look here - she really is excited, but you can tell she's holding back some anxiety. Miss Nahed founded and runs this preschool. She makes the hole in my heart for Miss Stacie and Mrs. Aldrich feel a bit full ;) She's quite wonderful, God really lead us to her! Education is not just abc's and 123's..just like St Mark! Jasmine was excited to see her, until she realized I was going home.



Lastly is a photo from last night when Caleb came over while his mom did some work downstairs at the church offices...he and Jasmine had a blast picking thru my veggies and such to make a soup all their own! We really enjoyed it!!! Jasmine remembered making stone soup w/ Gpa and Gma! Wasn't that fun that day last winter?


Wait, that wasn't last! I snuck in another from today....this is the groundskeeper across the street. He is basically "beside" me from the photo above in my chair.....he cuts the grass by hand...obviously he let it go too long and now it's a REAL nightmare. I tried not to be too gross and obvious about photo taking.....never did catch the "sickel" in motion. But you get the idea, right?

Cultural Notes for Today.....

Today is the 10th Day of RamaDaan. I'm not sure of the significance, or if everyone is just happy they made it past the first week....but people in the store were talking about how happy they were it was the 10th day...at least that's the part I understood in the lightening-fast speed of native-spoken Arabic. ha!

Keeping food and water in the house is harder now during RamaDaan.

Food - for starters, the people bringing the fresh supplies are coming in whenever they want anyway all year round, but at least by 11 am. Now that it's RamaDaan, there's no real "commitment" so it's really hit or miss for fruits/veggies and meats.
Right now, there's no sense trying to shop before 2 pm due to this reason, HOWEVER, 1pm is when most of the middle class here....or the upper class servants...go out out to grocery shop for their night of eating! oh dear!

What a packed store! zaHma! Crowded!! KETIIR! too much people (literal translation) Also what happens is, people are SOOOO hungry at this point (they haven't eaten since like 5 am) that "their eyes are bigger than their stomachs" so they are making larger purchases - demand is up, supply...maintained all year round - eek!

Water - deman is up due to heat, supply ..... maintained all year round - EEK!

"my guys" - there are 4 specific men at the store I use (Seoudi's) it's sorta like saying Saudi only it's See-owe-dee said quickly) Seoudi's guys see me coming and they **know** I'm going to tip big, so today while I had 3 carts full (blushing BUT THEY ARE DINKY CARTS! AND THEY FINALLY HAD EVERYTHING I NEEDED EXCEPT.....chic broth which I'll make myself) so I stocked up (even Doritos!!)

So they see me coming, they load my stuff onto the belt...they tell me they're out of water!! 2 guys volunteer to go find it for me ;) They checked 2 stores - one store had a box of bottled water I need and the other one had the dispenser size (praise be to God!) - one in each store - sorry....my neighbors...I took the last of it for the day! oopsie!

Anyway, so 3 guys bring my stuff on bikes today instead of the typical 2 and when I gave them the double tip (due to RamaDaan), they remind me I tipped them double last week...I told them I'll tip them double every week for RamaDaan...the 2 younger ones were hootin - what a riot!

Today in the store, this has happened a few times actually....a guy who didn't know me was at the deli counter, in Arabic, he tells this other guy to translate...that guy tells him I speak Arabic and I respond positively in Arabic....then I get 10 questions from the locals ;) (well maybe just a bunch of looks and 3 questions, but it is still funny)

Then while I'm at the meat counter I was thinking about what it'll be like to stand in Meijer where no one will answer their phone will processing your meat then touch your meat.....and where there will be a large supply of food all the time and everything will be clean...where more than one cart fits down an aisle.....and where...

I will wait in line politely or take a number....

not push ahead and shout out

I WANT BLAH BLAH BLAH

in Arabic

LOLOLOLOLOL

I'm polite about it, but I've been told by expats, that I'm officially a local even at the grocery store ;) Except I use manners, I say please and I let old ladies go first and people w/ small orders, etc.......it's not that Egyptians lack manners, it's that they don't recognize personal boundaries..."if you're not going, I am" kind of mentality and it's not "rude" truly - BUT I remember BEING offended for quite some time....now here I am!

Ok so I'm standing at the meat counter thinking this when I hear the guys processing the cuts we all want...chatting about some Americans...I know it's not me cuz they know I can understand...then I realize...there's gotta be some white people behind me dressed inappropriately...

I slowly turned and looked them up and down...I definitely have become a local! I gave my look of disapproval - then I blushed and turned back when I realized what I did! OH DEAR!

LOLOL!

They spoke to me in English, I pretended I didn't understand...I didn't want to ruin my good reputation at the store!

MWAH HA HA HA! my evil laugh..I think the heat got to me ;)

Oh and look at these ADORABLE local pears THEY ARE SOOOOO SWEET AND JUICY!


Thanks for reading! Off to sweat, I mean off to church. 106 at 4:45 pm. My 3rd shower will be at 6:30 tonight while I wait for my pizza delivery!

First Trip to the Dentist

first, THANKS to Rob.....he got this picture onto the chip for me, so you can see Amy's birthday pizza pie! and her gorgeous smile!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMY!!!


Today, we walked down this alley, then up the stairwell beside Jasmine, at the top was a nice little office!


Clean, air conditioned and wonderful! Dr. M. S was educated in Germany. He is very gentle, he does all his own work, there is no hygenist position here, just 2 lovely assistants. Joshua really liked getting to rinse and spit! ha! In the US, we rinse and they slurp it out..here we get to rinse and spit.


Joshua went first.....



then Jasmine...




they saved the best for last - ME! ha ha ha!
Joshua took this pic of us almost home from our galvanting today....he wanted you to see the sweat puddles - eeeeeeeeeeeeew! I think the glazing of sweat is obvious...and my eyes give away how exhausted I am after walking in heat like this....but I hope you can see the sparkle of joy and laughter!


Joshua told me today he either wants to know all about plants like Waleed or he wants to be a dentist like Dr. Mahmoud - tee hee! cutie!



Afterwards, we walked to the barber. Remember the rug guys? Alli told me about a guy he knows who speaks very good English and cuts hair....so we tried it out a few weeks ago, liked it, Rob tried him, was very happy. he's more expensive BUT I do like that we can communicate and he can engage Joshua easily too! Here is Joshua and Mido after the hair-do (sorry, couldn't help myself but be corney)





his place is on the 2nd floor of the darker building, just showin ya where we was. Henceforth, I must teach grammar, so I figured I'd toss in a bit of superior snazzy mistake. (on purpose, of course other times they're just..negligence on my part)

Visa's, Lego's and Ice Cream OH MY!

Hi, all! This is our last week before school hits full force. I feel ready - a good balance of inadequate feelings and excitement! ha! I know you'll pray for me when you read that though. Joshua is really looking forward to botany and history!! Woo hoo! Math....well....I'm not sure either of us will pass 3rd grade math! HA!! We'll do GREAT together! I didn't expect to get a call to spend today getting our visa's (me and the kids), but it had to be done...since...well...like our other ones had expired - oopsie!

6 Month Tourist Visa
Every 6 months, the kids and I have to re-apply for a tourist visa (or if we leave the country, we re-apply upon re-entry). Today Mr. Osama sent a driver and car for us as last time, but this time he met us at the enormous curvey government building. I sorta felt like cattle in there today - not sure if it was the smell of us all, the closeness or the irritation! ha!
It went very well. Much quicker and smoother...what with the 3-star general speaking to me directly this time....with lots of shock and awe from the on-lookers in the private office! HA!!
Mr. Osama had other business to do, but said the car and driver was mine for the rest of the day...what do we want to?

Lego's
Well when you're close enough to knock windows out of the Egyptian Museum w/ a baseball....YOU GO TO THE MUSEUM! who wouldn't, right? Well, it was 40 degrees - what is that? H-O-T! the sun is SO intense, I'm telling you - boiling point! ha!
(speaking of conversations, I went the wrong with meters - the pool is NOT 8 meters - tee hee! It's likely 4 meters tho - sorry!). Anyway, so Bakhiif dropped us off at the museum w/ his phone number programmed into my phone. We looked thru the Ramses II collection again then hurried off to the Children's area that we hadn't seen yet. Since no food or water was available to us and it'd been 4 hrs already..and we'd been sweating profusely.....I didn't want to do the WHOLE museum ;) But since we were there (NOT easy for us to get access to from our home).

Lego's! the children's museum had a neat collection of artifcats that were interesting and educational - enjoyable all around! Intermixed were GIANT LEGO STATUES OF ...... ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LIFE.....TUT ANKH AMUN'S MASK! all kinds of things! THEN a room with lego tables and millions (ok maybe only thousands, but STILLL....) of legos!!!!!!!!! Thankfully this area WAS air conditioned, so we found some respite while Joshua made a statue of Ramses II as well as King Kufu's giant pyramid in Giza (of course his were able to be held in the palm of a hand! ha ha)

Sadly, of course, remember the Egyptian Museum post? No camera's allowed. Only outside and we've already photographed the outside!

Man, did we ever guzzle the water nonstop upon arrival at home! Lunch at 2:15 was more of a quick feast...because at 3 pm today....

ICE CREAM

We took the kids to Amy's office, she went home and relieved her nanny to break the fast...and our 3 kids played together while Rob and I went out to eat. I of course wasn't really hungry, but to eat out something different...I had to do it!

I was skeptical if we could eat before the break fast.....we found a place called The Grand Cafe. We sat with 2 fans blowing on us, in the shade, upon the Nile - how nice it was!

Here's us...and what we saw. You can also see more of the RamaDaan decorations (correct spelling so that I pronounce it as the locals instead of the foreigners - ha!)








OH MY
We live in a furnished apartment. When we moved in, the landlord told me once I was settled in, to let him know if there was anything I needed to add and we'd talk about adding onto the furniture collection.

So I talked to him about adding a love seat and letting the kids each have a dresser. He let me do the shopping, etc, I sorta told you about it and you saw the love seat he agreed to. Well the dressers came 2 nights ago! They are VERY nice quality - wood, not this cheap flimsey stuff in America (and cheaper here too! woo hoo!). Our landlord is VERY pleased too! And we're glad he's paid for them THANK YOU!

Sometimes, I get so annoyed with my kitchen, i have to remember how many kitchens I've seen that are EVEN smaller here and even LESS counter space, I have to remember to be grateful that my plumbing and appliances always work too! So here's a pic of one of the more typical kitchens in the apartments like ours.....OH MY!

When I asked Jasmine to clean her room for her photo, I obviously didn't detail to make the bed....OH MY! ha ha ha! I still think it looks REALLY SHIP SHAPE! BRAVO!


Look at the scary pile I took from the big shelf and put on top to organize....OH MY!! Lauri B - see anything familiar? :)



Does Joshua SERIOUSLY need all of those shells? OH MY! tee hee!


Lastly.....I hurt my hurt ankle again - OH MY!

Joshua was getting out of control in the pool this week with our friends and he almost hit his head on the wall, I saw it coming, so I jumped in after him....and landed (in the shallows) on a BROKEN PC OF TILE!!!!!!!!!!!!! the pain of course caused my to "give" off the foot, TWISTING MY STILL HURTING, SLIGHTLY SWOLLEN ANKLE!

OH

MY!

Anywho - funny story ;) There was a LOT of blood. Rob and I agree it was due to the pool water, but my poor Canadian friend was woozy and I sent her to go play w/ the kids. Joshua was almost crying until his buddy Kai got him back into the pool (tee hee) and Jasmine didn't leave my side. I stumbled to a chair and 2 lifeguards sprang to action noticing first my wonky walking..then the BLOOD emitting from me!

One ran for the first aid kit, the other took stock of me.....but not before looking like a hurt puppy and saying so cute in broken English "I touch you? I only touch foot, I not touch you? ok, madam?"

He got the bleeding stopped and my foot/ground cleaned up. It's on the "knuckle" on the bottom where my big toe meets my foot - bleck! and the skin came clean off an area 1/2" wide/long and a few scrapes around it - doesn't sound bad unless you need to WALK ON IT! ha!

I'd say I took a few steps back in recovery (pun intended), but.....my head is still in the game and I'm still mobile! ELHAMDOLAYLAH! thanks be to God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for looking!! RamaDaan has been in full force for one week now, I've had 3 taxi rides that were MUCH more .... hmm..pausing to find a word.....without scaring my family! HA! the rides were much more.....exaggerated in response. The driver today only spoke Arabic, i had to explain that sometimes I get sick in the car, so I needed to ride in the front and the a/c needed to be ON (it's not natural for the Egyptians to just use the a/c? I'm spoiled!)

LASTLY - THANKS! for those who have been praying for one of our friends from the Sudan, after 2 weeks of really struggling medically, he was back to work this week....God has seen fit to reach down and miraculously touch him!! One of the men from the congo was struck a couple years ago with a brain tumor that they said would kill him.....the church prayed for him..and here is 2 years later WITH NO TUMOR!?? where did it? PRAISE BE TO THE LORD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad to know our friend from the Congo..that God saw fit to keep him here!

Tomorrow is the dentist...even my teeth have the willies just thinking about it......

BRAVO, JASMINE!!

Bravo - it is Egyptian for "great job!" "Awesome" - I've switched to using it..and obviously to counting in Arabic instead of English as well! HA HA! As I watched this, I realized how natural it's all coming AND HOW THE KIDS KNOW!

Jasmine and I have spent hours alone in the pool this week - for two days, a swim instructor came and passed her back and forth. I'd been having her swim from the wall to me, but then I'd swim her back she felt too afraid...

so he stayed at the wall and we went back and forth and I kept moving back further and further....

he had her jump off and swim to me..he told me not to go for her when she jumped in. He stayed w/in grasp and she panicked but then she swam!!!!!!!!!!

Now she's UNSTOPPABLE!

and when I get out to study Arabic...she is DEVASTATED to put on her armbands ;) She is in 8 meters of water........I wish you could see the lifeguards cheering for her today!! But I try to give the people their privacy ;)

BRAVO, JASMINE! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Three New Videos today

Clarification - the guys on bikes with gas cans....

it is an old bike - you've seen the pics from the first posts, right? of the bikes? OK - it is TWO "welding size" (what I call them) propane tanks on the back of a bike in this traffic with a guy banging it.....

not for cars, sorry to be confusing. but that actually was a good assumption! I might take it up myself and make a business out of it ;) Then I could "ride like an Egyptian"

Ramadan is on full schedule - the kids were appauled at how grumpy and standoffish the delivery guys were w/ our groceries - until I reminded them of what their day has been like. I followed suit and tipped double since they did what I asked. The younger guy seemed to notice, the older man did not (yet).

A Kentwood neighbor wanted to see MORE of the kids....as do the grandparents of course...and a beloved sister in Cutlerville wanted to see more videos...so I combined that for both of you and added a coupe of videos. I listened to it and did say one word a little wrong....that'll make more sense after you see the videos - not that any of you can understand me anyway! HA HA HA!

Here's jasmine walking home after swimming today - she looked so precious, I had to share!


I also wanted you to see some great finds at the store today that made me do a jig!!! I must admit, I guzzled water today outside...in public...I couldn't take it! My shirt was dripping wet (thanks to my mom sending me a salt deoderant, i don't stink at least! ha!) and my eyes were burning from the constant flow of sweat....so I had to drink...I was feeling a little weird in the head....I did it at a very "slow" corner with my back to traffic..... I want to respect the Islamic Egyptians BUT MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I found out that Coptic Egyptians fast even MORE than the Muslims!!!!!!! my GOODNESS!

OWW - 3 videos below

I took clips from each of the 3 songs the kids lead tonight during worship. What a blessing to see them enjoy this time!

Serena is Phillips' little sister. She is in the red capris - isn't she AMAZING?! I love how music, singing, dancing is such a big part of who she is! Caleb is a couple people away, closer to me with curly hair, gorgeous brown skin and denim shorts.

You can see Joshua. And you'll see Amy with the guitar and the other guy is Ben, he's one of the guitarists. You can see Tyson and Hany, couple of wonderful young man..and others I don't know their names but am thankful for the energy and love they put into the kids this week!!

Today is Amy's birthday HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! so of course she came over after supper - the kids had an eraser war using their shields of faith as protection (ha) and I just had to put candles in her favorite supper....

seafood pizza

(yuck) that's OK, I had some not-so-bad ravioli (ain't got nuttin on Olive Garden tho! which makes me miss my CBC lady friends!)

AND....apparently I took the photo w/o the card in..so it's on the internal drive and I have no idea how to access it....oh well! You'll have to take my word for it that they were here, there were candles in shrim bodies and we were smiling and laughting!!

O.W.W.

One Wild Way (to end One Wild Week)

This afternoon I stood in a small cement bathroom filling waterballoons with my friend Amy.....in the midst of it, her intern thought it'd be funny to throw one at us, it landed just above my head and exploded in my face....Amy found out today, that I'm a screamer...SORRY AMY!

tee hee!! none of you feel sorry for her, do you?

Here's some photos of the last 1.5 hrs of the day! One Wild Way (to end One Wild Week)




Joshua and Phillips - water balloon toss contest!











































































































above - gone wild with water bottles!
A shot of Amy's boy Caleb and Jasmine finding a low spot in the floor - a puddle to swim in! oh my goodness! ha ha ha!!


Above - Amy's intern and 4 teenage boys I know - talked me into this....Joshua wanted his picture with Miss Amy, so he didn't even know was coming! She felt the love...but only for a moment! I'm not sure if she's still my friend after this! HA HA HA!! (no worries, I ran home for a towel for her, remember I live across the street! ha!) Kim, now you know what went on under the tent today ;) HA!
One Excited boy! Today they went to the Pharonic Village - Joshua's favorite part was making a boat out of dried papryus that is harvested out of the Nile! HOW COOL IS THAT?! and it really does float!! of course, Kim and Bruce, his is military colored! ha!


Thanks for enjoying the One Wild Week with us! I also added a video of Joshua - he just got a tennis racket and football gear this week (soccer for all you Americans). Everyone who plays tennis says kids can't start until they can control the ball for at least a 10-count volley...well after 2 evenings of practice...that's Joshua. I will be looking into a tennis coach now obviously!