July 11, 2010

(Ellie)

9:10PM

The wonders of a few hours of uninterrupted sleep! Not that we have attained sleeping through the night here…ANY of us…but we all got a good bit of rest between 11PM and 4AM. It has made all the difference today.

Josie was bright eyed at 4 on the dot, and Jeremiah was already downstairs working on his class…so I quickly grabbed her ipod from the carry-on and shoved an earbud in her ear. That sounds a little dramatic and rough, but, well, it was. I was so hoping I could keep her quiet and in turn keep Lucy sleeping, and I knew I had to act fast...once the baby wakes there is no going back. It worked!

We laid in bed listening to Bullfrogs & Butterflies (a record I listene to as a kid that my Dad transferred to my computer so I could make Josie a new playlist for Africa) in one ear and listened to the streets of Addis awake in the other. Muslim and Orthodox prayer calls at 4 and 5 (I think these could be part of the problem of the 4AM wake time since our window doesn’t shut properly) and roosters crowing and shoes shuffling and dogs barking and cars honking and radios blaring and gates clanging and taxi callers calling and finally at 7, the breakfast bell ringing.

Our longtime family friends, Tom & Ramonda Lunsford arrived late last night and it was fun to catch up with them this morning and see and hear the SIM Ethiopian staff go nuts over them. It was especially fun for me to see them in Ethiopia as I have grown up reading their newsletters on the fridge and hearing bits and pieces of Ramonda’s letters to Mrs. Shirley Ann over the years…I really loved seeing the excitement on their faces this morning to be back together in Ethiopia…they really love this country. And this country really loves and misses them, it is clear.

Emily Kiltz was also here for breakfast before she heads down country to work in a medical clinic for the rest of the summer – we had a nice long chat while I assembled the lovely cloth diapers I have a love/hate relationship with. :) She reminded me that when I used to babysit her we would occasionally drive fast on Nichol Sawmill Road and blare Shania Twain. Shania Twain?! Oh yes, I do remember having that CD. Those poor Kiltz kids, what I exposed them too :) Driving barefoot, speeding and Shania Twain. Did I really sing along with “Man, I feel like a woman?”???

She also reminded me that she’s always wanted to be able to babysit MY children one day…and I’m thinking that day might have come :) Depending on how tonight goes, she might be getting a knock on her door at 4AM.

We toured SIM’s K-12th international school this afternoon, Bingham Academy and really enjoyed our time on their campus. It reminded me a bit of Rift Valley Academy in Kenya, where my sister and brother in law served for two years. We met with the Director and he wasn’t afraid to put the offer out there to come back, and to send others! Of course I was thinking of you, Molly! They really do have a neat thing going…so great that there is a quality education as well as social activities available for children who’s parents are on the mission field. They use the Cambridge School Curriculum, which I am now very interested in researching.

To be honest, between the jet lag, small space and meetings, we have been feeling a little stir crazy. So we all joined the 8th grade class at Bingham in their PE time, playing soccer, badminton, ping pong, rock climbing and jumping on the trampoline. Oh, and of course Josie practicing her pirouettes. The guys even had a game of soccer (futbol) going with two of the Ethiopian workers. I’ll let you guess who won.

The evening was full of watching the first FIFA World Cup Soccer game with a room full of people from all over the world, then dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant with our team.

During dinner, Josie fell asleep in Jeremiahs arms and there was no hope in waking her. This sort of thing NEVER happens…Josie doesn’t even fall asleep in her carseat! She is a 10-12 hours a night and 2-3 hour napper every day. Routine is the name of the game for her. So this past week has rocked her world big time…evidenced by the passing out during dinner. We are praying that tonight she will be able to get good rest. There is a mystery area of balance between helping her adjust to the time change (which most would say is staying up and getting on local time immediately, and no naps), and giving her body what it needs to stay healthy (SLEEP). We are working to find that balance, and feel good about taking a 2 hour nap early today and then pushing through our normal nap time until 7:30 bedtime (even if it was at dinner) if possible.

I’m hopeful!

I’m also very tired…’night.