sorry I'm slacking!!

Ah! Its been about 10 days since my last post! So sorry! I feel like I really am living here now and not just on a trip so either a lot of stuff has become normal and I don't think to share it or things have become just routine with the work now. Soon I will be heading to a new place with all new adventures so I will pick back up again I am sure!

The kids have been wonderful! The rewards chart is working so well and their manners are improving so much. They have all earned face painting so we had an afternoon of tigers, spidermen, and butterflies! Since this month they do not have school we have been able to bring them around the small kids in the morning some days. A few of the older kids will sit against the wall holding one of the bigger babies while other kids will bounce babies in their little bouncy chairs. They are so good with them and its good to have them all together. One afternoon this week we made musical shakers with the older kids they loooved it! We often do obstacle courses or play dance freeze. Ah I have some of the best videos of them dancing!! We are planning an outing for next weekend to take all 12 of the older kids so I am very excited about that and pray that it all works out!

I have found that there are some things here that I can only take mental pictures of. Twice last week I on my walk to work I saw a little boy pulling a makeshift car on a string. It was an old liter juice box with part of the top cut out. He then took two sticks and stuck them through as axels and then he fixed bottle caps on the ends for wheels. I dunno why I am sharing this but it was just one of those things that stuck out in my mind.

I have found myself reading the paper occasionally here which I never do at home. Sometimes its while I am waiting for a friend at the internet cafe and other times I pick it up at the house. I also watch the news fairly often. When we watch it in Kiswahili I have no idea I can only sometimes figure out what is going on but there are also a few English news shows on. Actually the news plays a lot on the TV here. Anyways... A lot of stories have been on the water shortage and how it is effecting the country. They were showing cattle on the TV last night and they were so thin you could see their ribs. Its like that when I see them around too- def not plump cows like we have in America. The story that really got to me though was in the paper last week and it was saying how some families, especially in some of the slums, are buying animal feed to feed their families because it is cheaper then corn and wheat. I just can't even imagine....

As for the babies... Chris is really sick and it just breaks my heart to look at him. He is just under 6 months old but looks like a premature baby just born. He has an umbilical hernia which is what has been causing a lot of the problems. Please pray for him to get better!! Naomi has been working on standing herself up. I now know what parents feel when their child takes their first step because when I was able to let go and she stood by herself (even if it was just for a min) I become so wicked excited!! I am determined to get her walking by herself before I leave here! Things have just been really good with them all. They still looove bubbles and it calms all of them down if they are having a cry fest. We've been doing baby massages too to help with digestion and relaxation too.

The house is now calm with only 4 volunteers in it aside from the family. I do miss a lot of the people that have been there but an so thankful for everyone I have met here. My nights are often just relaxing and watching a movie. I was sick for the first time here this past week. I had a fever and just felt crappy. I was fine after a day of rest so I think in three months having one sick day is okay with me. I am so thankful to have stayed in such good health here. I can't believe I only have two weeks left here before going to my next project in Tanzania. As much as Nairobi drives me crazy some days... I will miss the city. I started to make a list of things to remember about Kenya and then a list of things I miss from America. I am happy to say that my Kenya list is much longer! I promise two more Kenya posts before I leave here.