Sunday, May 25, 2014

Conversations I'll be having soon...

Our oldest child has memories of the United States, but the other two...don't.  I can only imagine some of the conversations we'll be having after 3 years out of the USA when we arrive in a few days....
This my friends, is a picture of a ....snowman.  What?  You didn't guess?  Olivia made it.  Signs we've been in a country with no snow for awhile....
  • Yes honey you can really drink water from that tap AND you can brush your teeth with it!  
  • What?  Mom knows how to drive?  I don't believe it... (I haven't driven since we left 3 years ago)
  • What's a drive thru? 
  • How come we have to wear seatbelts ALL.THE.TIME?
  • Mom look...there's someone from Senegal!  No honey, they're probably not from Senegal.  Mom, yes they are, just wait I'll ask them "D'ou tu viens?" (where are you from)  No honey, they don't speak french or wolof....
  • No, this 7-11 isn't the big grocery store in the city...just you wait for Costco  or WalMart kids!
  • Mom, why are things SO cheap here (a quick trip to buy three things costs about $10,000 cfa in Senegal) which amounts to about $20.
  • THIS children, is a movie theatre.  :)
  • THIS children is a McDonalds (no, I actually wish I could hide these from the kids because it will be harder to bring them back to a place without them afterwards...;)
  • Why do people dress so BORING here, where are the colors!?
  • Where are the taxis?
  • LOOK trees!  (Louis already yells with delight whenever he sees them here, they are pretty rare where we live)
  • Why so many yards have no fences and do have lawns
  • Where are all the people (you literally can't leave your house without running into people every 20 feet)
  • There are so many garbage cans here mom!
  • Mom, where are all the (insert: sheep, cows, goats) on the roads here?
That's only the tip of the iceberg.   A lot of them will be funny, but I realize that the kids are going to be experiencing some serious culture shock when we return.  There are so many things we are looking forward to, but I need to remind myself to TAKE IT SLOW for the kids' sake and so I don't burst out crying in the isles of Target or Wal-Mart when we first arrive (which I hear is a coming occurrence for first time returning overseas workers;). 

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Dakar waterfront in our Senegalese duds

We took advantage of our time with a vehicle (Daniel drove and picked up a family at the airport and in return he was able to borrow their truck for the week!) and went to icecream, the waterfront and took me out to a mothers' day lunch. We really enjoyed the freedom of being able to GO places that a vehicle affords. Yes, taxis work, but are so much more stressful and less convenient for a family with little ones! Plus the drivers can be...a little scary at times. It works, but man, having a car was nice! Here we are on Mother's day after church followed by a lunch out, then a walk on the Dakar waterfront. We had fun:)