Ho! Ho! Ho!

Hello all and Merry Christmas to you too!

Christmas!

This week we had the surprise delivery of mail that had been sent in early December.  So to all of you who sent me Christmas letters and cards, thank you and your responses are on the way.  It truly was wonderful to see the giant stack of letters just waiting to be opened.  Apparently they aren't equipped here in Chad for the Christmas rush.  One of the pieces of mail was a package from my mom containing maple extract.  We have already enjoyed some maple syrup on pancakes and one of the cupboards in our kitchen has a maple aroma that simply cannot be ignored.  It is truly wonderful.

As Easter break quickly approaches the projects begin or in some cases get finished.  A bit more free time means we get to allow the creative juices to flow.  I have finished embroidering one of my pillowcases with the seasons, just a gentle reminder of the seasons, which don't exist here in Chad.  It is always nice to have something to do with my hands.  New ideas for projects continue to come up, now it is just finding the time, discipline, and overcoming the heat.

Cooling off.

The other big news is the additions to our compound.  We have set up a child size pool in the back yard, which the children are thoroughly enjoying.  It has only a 10-foot diameter and is only 2.5 feet deep, but the coolness of the water makes it all worth it, even if we did spend 3+ hours inflating the top ring with a hand pump.  You may notice in the picture that the water going through the filter is far from clear…. just a little illustration of our rusty water for you.  A brick oven is also being constructed in our back yard as I type.  Lately it is just unbearable to turn the oven on due to it heating up our whole house.  The gas oven we have also produces quite a few fumes so once something goes in, we just ignore the kitchen until we need to check on our baked item.  We are greatly looking forward to baking some delicious treats out back.

Perhaps next week I will have a bit more to share about Easter traditions here in Chad.  But until then, I hope that everyone has a wonderful week and that you are enjoying springtime and all its beauty.


Summer

Fall





Winter

Spring

Birthday Joy!

Hello one and all! Today has been a day of joy and happiness. I was able to celebrate my birthday by eating delicious food, receiving beautiful gifts, and then getting letters from my dear friends. It really is a bummer that the mail system is so slow, but I am grateful for all the letters I receive connecting me to those I care about.

Fun!

So this week was a typical week of school, with a fun activity planned for Friday. Who says that math can't be fun! I organized a scavenger hunt which had clues that were math problems (each kid had problems according to their level of math). They then had to take their answers and convert them into letters and unscramble the word or words. (We also just finished a Third Grade Detectives book so we incorporated their secret code as well). It was a lot of fun to see them frantically solving their problems and then trying to figure out what the words said (especially if there was a mistake). Of course there was a prize of popsicles at the end, so we all enjoyed those outside. The kids really enjoyed it, and the math review was pretty effective. There was also very little fighting or disagreeing which I was slightly surprised about. OH the things we can do in homeschool!


Birthday present!

This was a big week in terms of additions to the house! We got woven grass walls to go around the porch so we can sleep outside with some privacy. I also got a woven grass roof on one side of my studio which blocks the sun (to keep the indoor temperature cooler) and it can act like a little porch. The biggest addition, however, is ceiling fans in all the rooms. If the air is hot, at least we can move it around now and create a breeze. My fan needs a bit of an adjustment still since it is rather noisy, but it is a blessing for sure that the electrician was able to come and install them.

The average temperature is now 105°F during the day and 88°F during the night.  Yes the candles continue to bend, but soon they will be matching!

Getting Hotter ...

Hi!

Vietnamese Spring Rolls



Not a whole lot of news to report this week from Chad.  School continues as well as the birthday parties.  This week I got to learn how to make Vietnamese spring rolls, not something I had anticipated living here in Chad. 

Monday Candles

Saturday Candles

Temperatures continue to increase, we are averaging about 102 F during the day and 88 F at night.   The candles continue to melt, as we try to hide inside under the fans and just recognize that a layer of sweat is inevitable.  Today we set up our "outdoor room" on the front porch.  There is a large woven grass mat to create a wall on two sides.   We have gotten two new mats to put on the porch and then we have hung up mosquito nets.  It looks a bit strange, but considering it is about a 10 degree difference outside and inside, we will do anything for cooler temperatures.  The problem is that our house absorbs the sun during the day and the bricks just hold the heat in.

Fancy Pants

Anyway, here are a few pictures to enjoy and hopefully next week there will be more to report.  I have finished one sewing project however….what my friend Laura and I like to call fancy pants!  I think the pattern could use some improving but I am satisfied for now.