Christmas Eve 2009

Christmas Eve 2009

The girls are starting to adjust to the time change finally. They are actually sleeping until around 7 in the morning now.

Yesterday, we ventured out in a tiny little car called a Ford KA. It doesn't have air conditioner and it was very, very hot so we didn't stay out for long. We went to the post office to mail the cards that Sienna and Sofia wrote for Nonna, Aunt Carla, Mae Mae, and Papa. Then we went to a home furnishing store and the grocery store. The shops are so full right now that it is hard to even walk in them. And Sofia and Sienna want to carry moosey and froggy everywhere and throw them up in the air and try to catch them. They start giggling and get silly. It's hard to get anything done!

They took a short nap and then we went out for a walk in the neighborhood where we are staying. It is really pretty and it had cooled down because of the rain. We walked Biscuit, James's little yorkshire terrier.

Today- Christmas Eve- we left around 10 am to go look for appliances and beds for the house. I bought a refrigerator, washing machine and microwave. The washing machine and refrigerator are miniature compared o what we have in the US.

We had a different driver. A very sweet man named Lunghi. I have known him for several years and he has nevery had a wreck. He was one of the people who was laid off in August from the Heifer cutbacks. I feel really bad for him because he and his wife both are not working. He said they were not going to be able to do anything special for Christmas and his children would not have any presents. I bought his kids bags of chocolate candy and gave him extra money in addition to paying him for driving us for the day. It is so sad. But I will most likely hire him back since that other guy will not be working for us anymore. He was so happy to get a little money.

The girls seem excited about Christmas but it doesn't really seem like Christmas because we aren't dashing around buying presents. And because we are here in SA by ourselves.

Sienna said Santa is brown because we are in Africa.

When we were out today the girls saw ladies carrying bags and other things on their heads. They loved that. They were trying to carry froggy and moosy on their heads.

They also saw some muslim ladies wearing the head to toe burquas with only a small slit for their eyes and they didn't understand why they were covered up.

They are very observant and very respectful of the different things they are seeing. There are people on the side of the roads who sell things. They come up to your car when you are stopped. Sienna enjoys talking to them and making them smile.