Humorous

Happy Thanksgiving from the Sisco family.
We have spent this weeks school days learning about the Mayflower and making pilgrim hats. Of course we also blurbed inappropriate things.  Unfortunately, I had a moment on Tuesday and forgot myself.  I was telling the kids how the pilgrims gave thanks for all the things God had done for them.  They were thankful for the food they had to eat and for their Indian friends who helped them to learn how to grow some things.  Why I needed to say the next part I cannot say but the kids were happily putting their pilgrim hats on when I said, "They shouldn't have trusted them though because Americans ended up taking their land and killing most of them."  John snapped to attention and asked, "Is that true?"  And for goodness sake I couldn't say no.  So I was quite the dark cloud that day.
On that note I will say that we have made the decision to send two of our number to school.  I just can't do the whole of this job.  I have been trying to teach 3 different grades through a slight language barrier and a possible learning disorder.   Trying to man Ivey and trying to get breakfast, snacks and lunch ready on top of that has just proven to be more than I can do.  I must admit is hard for me to give it up because I feel like I failed.  I know realistically that that is not true but that is just how it feels.  I really wanted to be a super fun mom/teacher who made school so fun and exciting that they ran to the door each day to greet Andrew with the project of the day or some amazing fact that they had learned attentively.  But alas that was not the case.  I was actually snappy and super NOT fun because I almost always ran late by the time I got breakfast cleared and then I would feel a rush of getting everyone started.  We always started with calendar time and I tell you rushing 6-9 year olds through the writing of the day of the week or the month of the year is really a tedious task.   I may be a little bald on the sides now.   I am glad I didn't go with a degree in Kindergarten teaching after all.  Also, I found the cultural differences a little difficult to navigate.  For example, in Alberts books there is a writing section and it was always giving prompts like:  tell about a day at the circus, or write the rules of how to play baseball.  Then I would spend twice as long trying to explain those things just to change the instructions to something like; tell about a fun day going to the market or tell the rules of playing soccer.  Anyway, I will still be teaching 1st and then 2nd grade to Levi and John and I am hoping that I can redeem myself and maybe not blurt out crazy stuff that ruins holiday projects.

Today was humorous for several reasons.  First, I decided to make thanksgiving dinner.  That is laughable because I have proven over the years to be a not-so-great cook.  But there is no Nanny here to make the dinner so I had to do it.  We had chicken instead of turkey but I wanted to make the stuffing, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie that I always had growing up in the U.S.  We also had mashed potatoes but they were instant.  Everything had to be from scratch because neither French's nor Libby's is sold at Adnan's supermarket.  So I fried the onions and pureed the pumpkin.  The whole dinner had the potential to be awful.  I looked like a mad scientist with all my calculations on the refrigerator for the conversion of Fahrenheit to Celsius(our oven is Celsius) and substitutions for pumpkin pie seasoning.  I had to estimate 16 ounces of pumpkin puree by holding up a 12 oz dr. pepper can to the clear bowl and try to reason how much an extra four would be.  Also, when making fall cookies with the kids two days ago(before the thought vomit problem) I realized that I have no rolling pin here.  I guess I sold it at one of our yard sales or something.  So, I had to use the small one from the girls play kitchen.  It looks like an alligator on the handles and I had to laugh at myself rolling pie crust with that to the sound of Family Force 5 singing 'My Favorite Things'.  I'm pretty sure that was not the picture at Nanny's house today.
But, we had a happy day and the dinner wasn't too terrible.  It certainly wasn't up to the usual standards but that is part of what makes grandparents so grand.  We miss all of you lots today and hope that your Thanksgiving Day is full of things to be thankful for.

The Very Merry Un Birthdays

Isatu is sevem as she would say.  She won't smile all the way in these photo's because she is missing her two front teeth.  For her party she, Ivey and I painted fingernails, put on makeup, and made party hats.  Obviously, we did not do hair.  I am the worst at hair, especially in this humidity.  We then had the boys join us for a tea party with crowns and all.  As you can see from this photo Albert wasn't amused.  Cold tea in tiny cups wasn't his thing I guess.  

                                       Isatu has asked me for an apron countless times.  She loves to be in the kitchen, serve bowls and taste everything.  I am sure that she will be some kind of chef or taste tester.  So for her gift we gave her an apron and several food items for the kitchen.  She and Ivey promptly began the preparations for 'dinner' while the boys did what boys will do and made the party blowers into weapons of mass destruction- all the while laughing contagiously.  

 Also, Albert turned 15, or so we thought.  For him we had a different kind of party.  We let him play any music he wanted as loud as he wanted.  That meant the music they play in Krio on the radio here with the dubbed-in atari sounds that drive Andrew crazy.  Once DJ Alberto was ready we had a dance party with glow in the dark balloons(thanks to pinterest). 

 Then we had a race with remote control cars, ate cake and played some more.

As for Alberts gifts, that was a long time coming.  About two years ago I went with one of the TRS teams to Kroo Bay where we served food and had a short prayer and song time for the kids we were serving.  There were hundreds of kids in the room including about 15 of the older kids from TRS that were allowed to come with us on this service project.  Albert was there.  I watched him lead these hundreds of kids in a prayer and sing songs with the other leaders in the making.  And I felt so privileged that God had allowed me to be a part of his life.  After the food was served I saw him at the window staring out into the distance and I wondered what he was looking at.  As I approached he was so lost in this vision that I startled him.  He was watching a boy ride a bike.  I asked him if he had ever ridden one.  No he had not.  I made the decision right then and there that if ever given the chance I would buy that boy a bicycle.  October the 13th 2012 was the day.

Here in Sierra Leone they don't do the same paperwork in the same time frames as you do in the US.  So apparently some people never get a birth certificate and some people may get theirs months or years after they were born.  Therefore, the certificate may just be a close estimate of the birthday.  In a turn of events Albert's family came to town this last week and brought his birth certificate.  It showed that he is younger than we thought.  And that he wasn't born in October.  So, we didn't actually celebrate his birthday on his birthday and for now he is 14. 

The first time I heard Albert's story I remember feeling so bad for his parents.  I can't imagine how terrible it would be to have to watch your child be hungry or to have to trust someone else with them in hopes for something better.  Albert expressed the desire to see his mother again and I hoped that I too would be able to meet her.  I met his father before.  That proved to be a difficult task though because they live in a village that is many hours into the bush and there would be no place for us to stay.  So, Albert and I would have to wait.  

Last week we got our chance.  The parents came to do business in town and let us know that they were here and they would like to greet us.  How exciting. We found out that Albert's mother has just had another baby.  Apparently, her birthday isn't what we thought either because I was under the impression that she was too old to have any more children. So we met them at the center and Albert was beside himself.  His usually patient and quiet way was sidetracked by his excitement.  I let him sit in the front seat and he kept talking to stalled cars to hurry up and get out of the way.  As we approached the gate he gripped the passenger handle of the car.  Once there, there was no stopping the jump from the car.  I almost didn't get a photo of it.   I should note that the fact that they do not stand to greet him is cultural and not an indication of their excitement.  

                      Albert likes babies and holding babies.  He loved holding his own super cute baby brother, Bundu.  

Years ago when we were in the U.S. Erica gave me a necklace that had our three kids photo epoxied on.  When I would wear it I would be reminded of them and pray.  On this day I have quite different reminders when those three kids yell through the house and come up to me 20 times a day telling me they are hungry or the three extra times a year when my calendar tells me it is time to plan another birthday party.  So since I have no need for it now, I gave that necklace to Alberts mom so that she now can be reminded of a child she loves and remember that I promised to take the best care of him that I know how.  Including some very merry un-birthdays.