Home Alone

Shane left today to visit the island next door to do some research on a few community development projects that a few friends are involved in. The projects are in his area of expertise so pray that he can find his engineering brain again!!!! Pray for safe travels as he visits villages and rural areas. Pray that he would find some of the answers and information that he is looking for. Shane wants to do a "guest" blog post when he returns to that he can let you know how he is going!

Please remember the kids and I here at home alone. Normally, it wouldnt be a big deal, but I am a bit stressed about getting the kids to and from school on time. Obviously, Dave will get a 20 minute detention if he is late (which means that he comes home with me), and Noah is a bit shy if he is the last one in class so it is important that he get there early as well.

I feel so frustrated right now about not being able to drive. We just didnt think I was ready to brave the traffic on my own. I still need more practice. Quite a few friends of ours dont drive (the wives), so they hire drivers to drive them. Really, I just find it frustrating not having the freedom and having to rely on others. Our friends feel more frustraed trying to drive so I guess it just depends on your personal preference. Anyways, we are using a friend's driver to help me get the kids to and from school. I am grateful for the driver because that way I dont have to use local transport (a blue bus crammed full of people), but it is still frustrating just not being independent. I am determined that I will be driving on my own next week!!!! After that, I am driving the motorbike!!!! The kids really love riding the bike to school....they arent going to want me to drive them in the car now that they have had a "taste"! So, I will just learn the motorbike.

Also....please be in special prayer about Dave's school. We are thinking about putting him in another class that is only for 2 hours a day and with a different teacher. Dave is still loving it and you wouldnt know anything was wrong, except that Shane and I are just not happy with things. We wont make a decision until Shane gets back on Thursday. I think we will try to have a meeting with the teacher on Friday. The work Dave is expected to do just seems so inappropriate to me. We put him in for the local language, but the teacher told me today that they are using mostly English. Then, she said that he cant write his abc's or his name. But for goodness sake, he is only 3. I just want him to play, paint, and use up some energy!!! That is where different cultural philosophies are coming through. Dave can write and draw lines. He has a great pencil grip, but I dont think it is appropriate to have to write the abcs at age 3! Do you? Give me some encouragement here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know...Noah wouldnt have been able to do all that, and he is very academically inclined!!! I am finding Dave to be more creative and artistic. He loves imagining things and singing. He is very musical....just different from Noah. I really want to foster that, and I dont want him to have to be too grown up before he needs to. This is just something we have to go through I guess...deciding what works best for each child. We will talk with the teacher and see how things go. I think the class below him will be more play-based, but I am not sure. I wouldnt mind keeping him home with me!!!!  Just pray for the Lord's guidance.

Here is a picture of Noah's first soccer training! He has a few classmates who play after school too. It was only from about 2:30-3:00 after school on Mondays. Noah really is thriving and growing. He has one more memory verse to go and he gets his sash in chapel for his memory badges. He is so excited. He started school 3 weeks late, but he is about to surpass most of the kids with his memory verses. We cant believe how well he is doing!!