overheard @ bedtime

@ seems to be in a growth spurt so I went through his underclothes basket while Jonathan was reading the night time story. I pulled out the smallest looking 4Ts and opened up a package of 5Ts in his cabinet.
@: "Dad, let me know what color underwear you're wearing in the morning so that I can wear the same color. "

a public apology

When I was a child we lived in a small town. Once every couple of months we would head to a larger town that had a mall and a wal-mart. While in the stores I would inevitably get lost. It was a confluence of events really. I was born curious and, I suspect, prone to being an extrovert. My mom is not the tallest person you will ever meet. I was not and am not currently a tall person. So you see, it was inevitable that I would get lost at the K-Mart. We'd get into the maze of clothing racks. I would linger longer over something and turn around to find that I couldn't see my mom. And then adventure and tears normally ensued. The one time I recall the best was that I finally gave up trying to find my mom and wandered to the customer service desk. My guess is that it was with the encouragement of some nice K-Mart employee. And there I would whimper my mom's name "Betty Way"and they would ask me again because that doesn't sound like a person's name and "can you understand what that little lost girl is saying?" and I would again say "Betty Way" and they would call for "Betty Way" over the intercom and my mom would come to the front half furious and half relieved and then when she saw little whimpering girl, she just felt relieved. The thing is that "Betty Way" is not my mom's name. See I had a real problem with the /r/ sound for nearly forever and my last name didn't help matters.

So today I was at the grocery store. @ was desperate to go see pets. I needed to stop and read lightbulbs so I sent him ahead to pets (at the end of the next aisle over) and told him to stay there, I'd be there in a minute. I called Jonathan about the lightbulb/ extension cord he wanted. I walked to pets. And you guessed it, kid is gone. So I start looking and see his red shirt darting by at the end of the aisle, by lightbulbs. So I run, but he is too. Then I see him duck down the milk aisle, So I run. And now I'm calling out my child's rather unique name. Now if you were an adult and you saw a noticeably different boy running the wrong way from a noticeably different mother yelling a name, you'd grab that kid and point to the woman right? Well you weren't around. Not a helpful person could be found in the store. Then I saw the kid run through the produce section. Then I saw him run through the lightbulbs and then I couldn't see him anymore. Until finally I hear over the intercom my kid's name looking for his mom. And then I'm running to the customer service desk.

Now your saying, why didn't you go to the customer service desk? Because my kid doesn't listen to it and I don't think he would know what to do necessarily. Because I'm a bad mom that hadn't taught him what to do if he got lost. This is the first time I ever let him out of my sight in the store. And the thing is he normally refuses to use his language, so I wasn't sure how he was going to tell someone he's lost. For real, we've done our best on the language front but I can't make the kid produce it. Anyway there was a happy ending and he somehow knew what he was supposed to do.

But all of that to say, I'm sorry I was a frustrating kid mom.

So Proud

Rent out tigers in order to save them? - World environment- msnbc.com

going on a road trip

After 10 years of marriage, we are going on our first truly free form road trip. Jonathan likes the idea of them but it doesn't always work out so well for him. But we've gotten comfortable enough with all things local here that we can pretty well take it where we want. We have a rough sketch of where we are going. Haven't made reservations because we can't find information for the places that we've been told are there. So we're going to take it as it comes. The idea is that we will spend a day or so on the south coast seeing what is there. Apparently that won't include a lot of ocean swimming as the rip on the south coast can be pretty awesome. So wading and rock walking are the plan. Really I think if we are going to take a child to the south coast, 5yrs old seems like the perfect time, before he is old enough to think he really can swim against awesome rip and before he believes he can surf. We're also thinking on trying to find a cave where they play music with the stalagtites and stalagmites. Don't get mad at me, they've been doing it for centuries, wether or not I come and see it. So we thought we should go and see it. The colors are supposed to be amazing too.

So we're going south and it really is as free form as it gets around here. That being said. I have checked the maps. In fact I have a bag of maps. And I know what you are thinking, "if you have a map that isn't a free form road trip, rhea". Not true. When we're in the states we don't need maps, there are signs and the reasonable assurance that if you get your mini-van up a hill there will be a road down on the other side. That isn't true hill. Roads do suddenly terminate into bamboo foot bridges over rivers. And its a road that you were getting your minivan down just fine 2 seconds ago. Roads do go up a hill with no way to turn around or get down the other side. This has happened to me now on two continents. Backing uphill 100 yards isn't easy kids. So I have maps to try to keep on roads that stay roads.

Inadvertently over the years I have developed my road trip clothes. Its a uniform good for all weather conditions in equatorial regions. Longish flowy cotton capris, tank top, over shirt, hiking sandals. Its hot but if we get out of the car and stop at a temple and they won't let me in because I'm in a tank top and my shoulders or knees might tempt away the faithful holy masses, well I have an overshirt and flowy capri pants. I don't recommend trotting around the world in the Nike sports tank that the girls on Amazing Race always seem to embrace. It isn't the best way to make friends and influence people in more traditional countries. The overshirt and capri pants is a nod to cultural respect and thus walking through centuries old temples.

So here's to free form road trips

Haiti

I've begun to understand a bit more about earthquakes in the last few years. We moved to earthquake country and by and large they don't ruffle too many people here. Understand that folks are still effected and traumatized. People mobilize to help and give whereever they can but its not something that is really surprising. People don't say "How could that happen? We've never had an earthquake before." Rather, on the contrary, people tend to compare notes from past earthquakes. I suspect its a little like Gulf Coast and Florida residents when it comes to hurricanes.

I think that is what gets me about an 7.0 Earthquake in Haiti. They haven't had an earthquake of any real magnitude in over 200 years. That's crazy. Jonathan and I were talking about it and really earthquakes are something. You can't prevent them. Its difficult to guard against there effects (even earthquake proof buildings give at some point and condition). You can't predict them. It really is a little like a bus falling out of the sky.

You'll notice at the top of the page in the sidebar is a widget for Relief Aid to Haiti. Let me assure you, if I give you a link its something I've already done. I take giving very seriously. I want you to also. If you have ability to give of your time, of your things, of your money. Please do so. Giving should be part of everyday life and not reserved for diasters and crisis. If you have a organization you already give to, Congratulations! You're already experiencing joy. If you do not, please let me suggest Compassion International. Compassion has been present in Haiti since 1968. Partnering with churches to provide for the basic needs of food, health care and education for children and their families. They have a million children in their sponsoring system worldwide and have consistently recieved top marks for accountablity with finances. That's important folks. Compassion is ready on the ground to aid the people of Haiti.

If you are giving through another organization, I encourage you to check their financial information. Really if you ever give money, check the financial information. 501(c)(3) is a tax designation for charitable/ non for profit organizations. If you are giving to a 501(c)(3), you should know that you can deduct the gift on your yearly tax returns- that maybe something you are interested in. But beyond the tax status, do a little homework. Know where the money is going and how much is going. Certainly a percentage may go toward a central office or other types of overhead, but if you are giving to the people of Haiti, you should know how much of that money is getting to the people of Haiti. Ask the who, what, when, where, why, how and how much. Get some answers to that before you write a check. That's not stingy, that's wise.

Some organizations I would recommend and I have given to:

World Vision- In Haiti for 30 years working in child sponsorship.


International Disaster Emergency Services - providing food and financial support to work worldwide. If you are interested in being a physical help, go to the IDES website. They have a food packing site for relief work. They don't put too many limits on the size of groups to come and pack food. Anyone thinking roadtrip to Indiana?

swimming lessons in the rain

@'s first swimming lesson started out on a dry day but half way through the rain started. But rain isn't something so concerning when you are in the middle of your firts swimming lesson and your mom doesn't stop you from playing in it. In fact for @, rainy swimming lesson was more fun- mom allowed him to splash and play in the puddles (because the puddle was the kiddie pool). It was a great lesson, @ had a great time and is excited that mom calls this part of homeschool!

the culture of swimming lessons

Some months ago we had talked about putting @ in swimming lessons. He's so assured that he can do it by himself that he really won't let us help in the water for more than minute. The problem was that we were anticipating a trip out for visa work and then as the visa work dragged on it took a life of its own. Swimming lessons floated to the background.

We spent a day at the pool with some friends and @ really wanted to swim with the big boy. He borrowed goggles from friends and tried everything the big boy did. He continued to talk about it the next several weeks so for christmas, @ got goggles with swimming lessons tucked inside. We've been talking about swimming lessons since christmas with the idea that after the new year we'd go around to some of the local pools and find out details.

Understand I knew things wouldn't work like traditional summer swimming lessons in the states. I think with that you sign up at the pool. Its so many mornings/ week in the summer. They put the kids in the class based on age and ability. And its a set cost, paid upfront.

There is no real summer here. There is the end of school break in June/July but kids don't take lessons then, they go on holiday. Kids take lessons all during the school year. For all kinds of things. For swim lessons, you go to the pool of your choice (we have 3 within a mile of us) and find out the details of when the swim teacher comes. I checked into 2 different pools. At Royal Family (its the name of the housing complex, we'll come to the funny at another time), you pay the entrance ticket to the pool and then you pay the swim teacher/ month. At SMG Beautiful (translation), its the same deal. But any arrangement for the lesson is made with the instructor, not with the pool.

We decided on SMG Beautiful. They have a better pool for lap swimming, it provides some shade, and its a bit cheaper of entry. We watched a young man give lessons for about 30 minutes. He was kind, got involved with helping child position his body, gave feedback as the child went along. Mostly, he seemed to have a kind happy face. We spoke with him for a while in Local language and found that he was able to respond a bit in english. A definite plus as @'s language is still very basic. And @ will begin swimming lessons next monday afternoon at 3:30. Swimming lessons are always in the afternoon here. Locals would never swim in the middle of the day- too hot, too sunny. Lessons are always after school, normally starting around 3 or 4 and kids will take lesson into the evening hours 7 or 8.

Thus the culture & language lessons of swimming lessons