It's that time of year again - VACATION!!! We are leaving today for our spring break, and I can hardly wait to get on the plane. I don't care how long the flight is, I don't care if there's any shopping where we're going.....all I care about is knowing that we can leave Angola!
It's been a stressful few weeks here. Being on the PTA board is awful (though I do love the girls who are on it with me), we've got water problems again, and there have been some robberies/shootings that have happened in places that we go to frequently. So....this mama needs a getaway.
I was chatting with a neighbor yesterday, who told me that she thinks she might be able to compete with me for the 'house with the most problems' title in our neighborhood. I laughed, because I had sort of forgotten that we are the proud holders of that title. Anyway, she's had a leaking roof and mold, and no one seems to be able to fix it. She has called the help desk numerous times, and each time is told that someone will come, but no one does. This is nothing new. What is new is that yesterday she called again, and they told her to be patient, because they'd hired a new service company. The only catch? The service company doesn't have any tools yet. I'll just let that sink in for a moment.
Seriously? A service company without tools. Of course! That, my friends, is the stuff that Angola is made of.
So yes, I'm really anxious to have a break from this place. I will return with pictures, stories, and hopefully - renewed patience, because clearly I am going to need it!
Friday, March 22, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Still here
I'm sorry! I haven't posted in a month, and it's not because there hasn't been anything exciting, funny, or traumatic happening over here - I've just been a slacker about writing it down for you. My mom came to visit for three weeks, and it was AMAZING! Every hard thing in life seems a little easier with my mom around, and it was just what I needed. The kids had a blast with her, and now that she's gone...it's tough.
But there's a story that I've been itching to share, and it's about my sweet oldest child. I have hesitated to write many stories about him here, because he's getting older (12!). I never want him to feel like I've embarrassed him by my posts, or betrayed his trust - so that's the reason you won't see me mentioning him as much as his siblings. But rest assured, Max has given his permission for me to share this story, and I'm so glad he did!
My last post here was on Valentine's Day, and I had no idea what my boy was up to that day. Adam had just left for London for a week, and when the kids came home from school, there was no mention of Valentine's Day. Maybe 10 days later, a friend happened to casually mention to me that Max had bought flowers for a girl at school on Valentine's Day! I was shocked, and because I'm a little bit of an oversensitive mama (maybe!), I was sad that Max hadn't told me. My next reaction was concern, because how on earth did he pay for these flowers? He hadn't asked me for money, and I knew that the money he had from Christmas and his birthday had long ago been spent. I couldn't imagine how he had gotten the money to pay for these flowers (15 roses, in Angola!), purchased them, given them to a girl, and never uttered a word to me about it.
I imagined all sorts of scenarios. Did he take the money from my purse without asking? Did he borrow the money from a friend? Nothing made sense, and I had an hour to obsess over it before Max got home. By the time he walked in the door, I was a little crazy (maybe!) to get my questions answered. Wouldn't you like to know where a kid gets $40 without his parents knowing, in a foreign country, with no access to relatives, mail, or any other source of cash? I sat him down and demanded the answer. After I let Max know that I had found out about his romantic purchase, he spilled the details.
When we came back from the US this summer, we brought a number of supplies with us. One of the things we brought were a few large boxes of fruit rollups, for the kids to take in their lunch boxes. It seems that my enterprising young son found out that these snacks were in high demand at his school, so he started selling them instead of eating them. Can you guess how many fruit rollups he sold in order to make $40?
Two. Who knew that there was such a market over here for fruit snacks?! If you're planning a trip to Angola, forget packing clothes and shoes - bring some fruit rollups! I know a kid who can turn those snacks into cash for you.
But there's a story that I've been itching to share, and it's about my sweet oldest child. I have hesitated to write many stories about him here, because he's getting older (12!). I never want him to feel like I've embarrassed him by my posts, or betrayed his trust - so that's the reason you won't see me mentioning him as much as his siblings. But rest assured, Max has given his permission for me to share this story, and I'm so glad he did!
My last post here was on Valentine's Day, and I had no idea what my boy was up to that day. Adam had just left for London for a week, and when the kids came home from school, there was no mention of Valentine's Day. Maybe 10 days later, a friend happened to casually mention to me that Max had bought flowers for a girl at school on Valentine's Day! I was shocked, and because I'm a little bit of an oversensitive mama (maybe!), I was sad that Max hadn't told me. My next reaction was concern, because how on earth did he pay for these flowers? He hadn't asked me for money, and I knew that the money he had from Christmas and his birthday had long ago been spent. I couldn't imagine how he had gotten the money to pay for these flowers (15 roses, in Angola!), purchased them, given them to a girl, and never uttered a word to me about it.
I imagined all sorts of scenarios. Did he take the money from my purse without asking? Did he borrow the money from a friend? Nothing made sense, and I had an hour to obsess over it before Max got home. By the time he walked in the door, I was a little crazy (maybe!) to get my questions answered. Wouldn't you like to know where a kid gets $40 without his parents knowing, in a foreign country, with no access to relatives, mail, or any other source of cash? I sat him down and demanded the answer. After I let Max know that I had found out about his romantic purchase, he spilled the details.
When we came back from the US this summer, we brought a number of supplies with us. One of the things we brought were a few large boxes of fruit rollups, for the kids to take in their lunch boxes. It seems that my enterprising young son found out that these snacks were in high demand at his school, so he started selling them instead of eating them. Can you guess how many fruit rollups he sold in order to make $40?
Two. Who knew that there was such a market over here for fruit snacks?! If you're planning a trip to Angola, forget packing clothes and shoes - bring some fruit rollups! I know a kid who can turn those snacks into cash for you.
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