Party Planning

In less than 3 weeks the girls will turn 5! Unbelievable! They are very excited about their party. We have settled on doing zebra (black and white) and hot pink as the colors. We aren't really doing a theme. They couldn't settle on one them and it was getting chaotic. Their invitations turned out really cute. Today, they passed them out in their class to all their classmates. We will have the party on the 14th. We will do a scavenger hunt, breaking the kids up in 3 groups and also do cupcake decorating like last year.

Gino arrives on Wednesday. Sal arrives on the 11th. yay! It will be good to have family here. I have been busy getting the guest house ready. It looks nice.

Today, when I picked the girls up from school, Asiphile confidently walked up to me and said "I'm going to marry Sofia". I said "Oh really and when will this happen". All the while Sofia is standing there blushing and says "No, Asiphile, I am NOT going to marry you, I already told you that a million times, I am going to marry Quinn and you will marry Sienna". He then proceeds to give Sienna a kiss on the check and asked her to marry him. Sienna says "sure" and blows him a kiss. WHAT???!!!

The Zulu culture is a very complex and interesting one. This weekend, one of my staff had to bring his sister home or welcome her back to the house. She died two years ago and her spirit needed to brought home. Usually, upon death, the Zulu tradition is to burn all the deceased belongings so no evil spirits hover in the vicinity. Depending on when the family can afford and organize this ceremony can dictate whether this happens within a few months or a few years after the death. They speak to the ancestors to allow the deceased to return home to rest. It is believed that at the graves the spirits are hovering on the earth and are restless until they are brought home—an extremely dangerous situation for the family. Animals are slaughtered in anticipation of this event. Chickens, goat and an ox. And lots of traditional beer made of millet and other cereal grains is made. As the elder brother, he had to go and get her spirit and bring her home. Along the trip, as he has the spirit in the vehicle with her, he must talk to her and tell her what is happening. If he stops at a stop sign, he must tell her he is stopping. It is very fascinating. And now she has been returned home and will hopefully look over the family.