Miranda had the entire month of April off and has now returned to preschool where she will have 3 months until she starts kindergarten. The last day of the 2nd term of preschool is actually the first day of Kindergarten, so she'll have to say goodbye a few days early. Jackson is almost 20 months and hit a milestone at 18 months where he figured out how to jump off the floor with both feet. Now he does this constantly. More sickness has swept through the family with ear infections, sinus infection, stomach flu, headaches, etc. I don't think our bodies will ever fully adjust to the climate here before we head back home. It's starting to get cold, down into the 40s at night. And without any central air or furnaces, it can get quite chilly in the house. The rains have stopped and with the field burning, the air has gotten pretty hazy. I would think burning during the dry season would be a bad thing, but that's just my opinion.
The dog (Jozi) is becoming very spoiled. She's getting bigger and we're hoping her baby teeth start falling out soon because they are tearing holes in our clothes when she bites us. We're working on that. She loves to dig holes and find any dead animal that has deceased in our garden over the years. The yard is completely surrounded by vast vegetation so there are a lot of places for her to explore and destroy. She got her first haircut this week, and it was only $25 including tip. They come to your house in their van and park it in your driveway, hook up to the outdoor hose running it through their own water heater, plug into an outlet, and take care of everything right there in the back of the truck. They have converted it into a dog washing/grooming station. Genius!
We have had a couple of dinners with our wonderful local neighbors. We invited them over for a traditional American dinner full of stuff imported from the states. The next weekend we were over at their house for an Afrikaans dinner. Some foods are similar, just cooked a little differently or with other ingredients added to change the flavor a bit. Apparently it's normal to put ice in your wine (but not in your soda). I am really going to miss this family when we move home.
I found a self-serve frozen yogurt place and tried it out a few weeks ago. The customers coming in really didn't know what to do, but I felt like a pro having gone to several back home. But it just wasn't the same. It's almost like it was missing a lot of the fat and sugar, so it tasted bland. And the flavors are different. Mint is 'mint', like spearmint gum. And there was a 'condensed milk' flavor. I'll try it next time. Woolworths (my favorite grocery store) has started carrying more items that I didn't know I missed until I couldn't have them. The applesauce and saltines have been very helpful to me this week. Maybe they'll get graham crackers next! Wishful thinking, I'm sure.
Rusty's sister had her baby a week ago and we finally got to see him on Skype last night. It will be fun when we get home and all these little babies will be running around! The homesickness is starting to really set in, especially with several families here moving home and others going back for a summer visit. I really wish I could come back to the 'real world' for just a couple of weeks, but looking at the airline prices and thinking about 24 hours of travel with 2 kids by myself makes me change my mind very quickly. My parents will be flying here a week from today, so hopefully that will ease it a little bit. The countdown has begun, so if you're thinking you want to visit, you better book your flight soon!
