Where There Is No Doctor (Baby #3)

Mokhotlong is a beautiful place to live.  The people are friendly and welcoming, the mountains are majestic and awe-inspiring, the days are slow and quiet.  It is known for cold winters and mild summers.  We really feel at home here in our corner of Lesotho.  Really one of the only drawbacks to living in such a delightfully secluded place is the lack of medical care.

With Baby #3 on the way, I already find myself worrying about it.  What if I get stuck on Sani Pass giving birth in the back-a-Rocky?  It’s a genuine concern.  While the back-a-Rocky does tend to provide us with a variety services, a delivery table isn’t one I’m looking to add to the list.  Immediately when we found out were expecting, we began discussing our various options for prenatal check ups and where to deliver.

Having been pregnant in three different countries, I’ve seen my share of doctors.  My first doctor experience in Mexico was unnerving to say the least.  Thankfully my second doctor experience in Mexico redeemed things significantly.  I delivered Kyle in the US with my favorite Doctor but I couldn’t talk her into coming with me to Africa to deliver Ellee.

Arriving to South Africa/Lesotho late in my pregnancy with Ellee, I really just had to take the luck of the draw with a doctor.  I ended up recommended by a general practitioner to an OB-GYN that I absolutely loved.  He was laid back, conservative, calming and easy to talk to.  He was perfectly willing to work with our situation of living in Lesotho but traveling to South Africa for check ups and delivery.  We were living about two hours away from Bloemfontein, where Ellee was born, and traveling back and forth a number of times before we went to stay for her birth.  

Now in Mokhotlong, we are a solid four hours drive to the nearest private hospital in South Africa, five hours drive from where I plan to see a doctor and deliver Baby #3.  Unfortunately, seeing my Doctor in Bloemfontein is out of the question, as the drive now from Mokhotlong is 7-8 hours.  So, I’m taking the recommendation of a friend and hoping and praying I am pleased with my new doctor the way I was with my Ellee doctor.  We leave this weekend for my first appointment on Monday.

Throughout my pregnancy, we will travel back and forth to Durban for check ups.  I anticipate seeing the doctor every 4-6 weeks early on, until maybe August or September, when we’ll have to go more regularly to check things like blood pressure, etc.  Hopefully after my first appointment, we’ll have a good idea on what the doctor is thinking and we can proceed from there.

Another serious concern for our accessibility to medical care is the border gate.  The nearest border to South Africa is closed from 6pm-6am daily.  The only border which is open 24 hours is the border at the capital city, which is 5-6 hours drive from here.  Using that boarder would send us to Bloemfontein.  

Thus our only real option is to head out significantly before the baby is due and await the birth.  We anticipate spending the month of October waiting for Baby in Durban.  Because Ellee came two weeks early and Kyle came five days late, it is totally impossible to know what this baby may or may not do.  It is, of course, our hope that Baby will come a bit early so we aren’t waiting for what feels like forever away from home.  But only God knows if that will happen.  

Right now all I can really think about is how miserably sick I am.  I’m not sick quite like I was with Ellee, less vomiting this time.  But goodness am I sick and my family is sick of me.  I’m not coping very well.  I am so eager to get past these awful weeks and enjoy being pregnant and feel like I have a better handle on life.

It won't be such a bad place to have a baby.

~Abby

Kart Wheels

In the past couple of months, Kyle has decided he thoroughly enjoys helping me in the kitchen whenever possible.  Admittedly, there are times when I try to sneak into the kitchen to accomplish something before he realizes I'm in there.... only to hear, "Mommy what are you doing in there?" as he rounds the corner into the dining room, grabs a chair to stand on, and comes trotting into the kitchen ready to help, chair in tow.  I am constantly reminding myself that these years fly by; I need to take advantage of my time with him even when I'd rather just get the job done.  So he helps me measure flour, stir batter, get milk from the fridge, eggs from the counter..... And I smile because he is just the little buddy I prayed for.

While in South Africa earlier this week for an AIM prayer day, we found Kyle an adorable little baking set for kids.  I couldn't pass it up, complete with an apron and tiny cooking utensils.  He has been giddy about cooking something with his new toys.  So yesterday we pulled out the Alpha-Bakery cookbook my Aunt gave us and flipped through the pages until we settled on something quick, easy and consisting of ingredients I had on hand.

Photo credit : Kyle

Then we started making Kart Wheels.  We complied the components and got to work.  First, measure the butter and get it softened in the micro because it's still rock solid on the kitchen counter.  Then, measure the flour, baking powder, powdered sugar and milk.  Mix all the ingredients together until a nice ball of pastry has formed.  We halved the recipe because I was only looking for a tiny treat.  Divide into equal pieces and shape into balls.  Situate them on a baking sheet like so, flattened slightly and mash a hole in the middle with your finger for the jam.   We did two apricot and one strawberry.  Fill with about a tablespoon of jam and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until edges are slightly browned.

"See, Daddy, this is what we are making!"

You never know who is watching you lick the spoon.  Photo credit : Kyle 

(See the hairless spot in the back of Kyle's head?  That was the fight he got into with the gravel road in front of our house 6 months ago.  Quite the fright, with blood everywhere we anticipated an emergency trip out of the mountains.  But after some evaluation and careful cleaning by Dad, we decided to just baby it and try to avoid stitches...)

The proud baker!

A pretty delicious snack for not much work....

Kart Wheels (full recipe)

1 1/2 flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons milk

About 1 cup pie filling or jam (any flavor)

1.  Heat oven to 375*

1.  Mix flour, butter, powdered sugar, baking powder and just enough milk until dough forms.  (If dough seems dry, mix in more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.)

3. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts.  Shape each part into a ball.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet; flatten slightly.  Make an indentation in center of each flattened ball.  Fill each indentation with about 2 tablespoons pie filling or jam.  Bake until the edges begin to brown, 20-25 minutes.  Makes 6 Kart Wheels.

~Abby

Kyle Turns Three!

Kyle's long awaited birthday finally came and went yesterday.  He's been saying for months that he was almost "three more olds."  Since we found out last summer that we'd be coming to the US during the time of his birthday, I've been thrilled to know we'd be surrounded by family for this special day.  Last year's second birthday felt really lonely without any family to celebrate with us so it was wonderful to have lots of love surrounding him this year.

With each passing month, I enjoy watching him grow more and more.  It has been so fun to witness his vocabulary explode and his understanding expand over this year.  I love being able to have real conversations with him.  He often snuggles up to me and wants to chat "for a while."  Watching him with Ellee has been such a joy.   He is so gentle and loving towards her.  I can't wait to watch them run and play together before long.  He reminds us often that soon she'll get bigger and we can put her shoes on and they can play together outside in the yard.

Since Monsters are some of Kyle's new favorite friends, we decided to go with a Monsters themed birthday party.  I ordered the basic party supplies online and requested a Sully cake and Mike cupcakes from my favorite cake lady, Tracey.  We put together a few snack-type foods to serve to a few friends and lots of family.  A small party is nearly impossible when the family makes the minimum at about ten to begin with.  Nevertheless, we kept it simple and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

Just for kicks, I thought I'd post pictures from all four of Kyle's birthdays.

Here he is on his original birthday:

And his 1 year birthday :

And his 2 year old birthday :

Monsters 3 year old birthday :

Happiest of birthdays to my favorite little guy!  I can't wait to see him grow and change even more this year.  He is such a joy to have in our lives.

~Abby

Christmas in Lesotho

Christmas changes as you get older; it's a well known fact.  And it really changes if you up and move around the world to a remote foreign country.  But, it also provides opportunity for new traditions, new reflection, and new joy.

It's not such a big deal here, the Christmas season.  One might see the occasional Christmas tree sparsely decorated with a string of lights and a little tinsel in a large shopping mall.  Finding lights hanging from roof tops, Christmas trees shimmering in the window of a dimly lit home, clerks dressed as elves, apple cider or peppermint Kisses would be an impossible task in this country.  For one thing, the vast majority of people who even have electricity don't have enough money to waste on decorative lights.  Homes aren't large enough to make room for a Christmas tree and stores are hardly focused on the upcoming holiday.  It is a holiday, of course. Things are closed, workers get the day off, people are visiting family and such; but, the big to-do isn't here.  If you are fortunate, your family might slaughter an animal and you'll have the rare treat of meat for dinner.  That's about the extent of the celebration.

Being the American I am, I can't bring myself to let go of the traditions I was raised with.  But, being the foreigner I am, I can't help but reflect on what Christmas is to me.  I love warm cider and a beautifully lit home on an old country road, but do I love it more than Christmas--the true meaning of Christmas?  Christmas is so much more than presents and lights, and it's much easier to see from around the world.

Growing up in a large family, we never did big Christmas.  We had our traditions, our gifts to and from family, our modest collection of special toys on Christmas morning from our parents.  And I like it that way.  I like doing the things that are special, the gift choosing, wrapping and giving.  But, I really like how simplicity helped remind me even as a child that Christmas isn't about the stuff that was coming, but rather the One who came.  We are able carry on many of the same traditions, small and special Christmas traditions with our children now, even here in the Mountain Kingdom.

I put out our few Christmas decorations on December 1st.  Kyle was pretty sure the stockings were meant to go on his feet.  I tried to explain that they'd be used on the 25th for gifts, but two year olds have very little concept of time.  

Not a posed photo

Before we moved last year, I started this project of making an advent calendar.  One of my favorite Christmas memories as a kid was moving the tiny bear from place to place on our advent calendar in anticipation of the 25th, where he finally found the tree in the living room, towering over a pile of presents.  So, I started stitching these little pockets to make a calendar for my kids.  I got all the pockets finished before I became deathly ill during my pregnancy with Ellee and that little project went on the back burner for months.  It never got finished amidst the chaos of our move (and my lingering sickness) in January.  My mom finished it for me and sent it in a package from home and I cried when I saw it; I didn't know she had finished it.  Kyle has enjoyed hopping the gingerbread man from day to day, saying "we're almost to Chris-miss."  Occasionally he'd jump a whole week, and say, "we're almost there!" before I tried to explain that you can't just time travel like that.  I don't think he got it.  Our other decorations are stockings and a small quilt hanging, also from my mom, and a pair of Christmas light salt and pepper shakers.  I hung the stockings by the door, as that was the only place I could find nails already sticking out.  Hanging things is a real pain here with the concrete walls because it requires a drill and there's not easy patch work...I digress.

Maseru Christmas decorations

I brought our advent calendar and stockings with us to Maseru.  We are here for the week celebrating Christmas with our new friends from Holland, our Unit Leaders from South Africa, and another family from America.  Our friends had decorated the little apartment we stay in behind their house with a few Christmas things to add to the Christmas spirit (and they think we're a tad bit odd, as Dutchies aren't so into Christmas like Americans. Still, they're humoring us......).  We also received via a package from home a Little People Nativity set which is great fun for both kids.

At least there is a decent stocking hanging spot in our holiday house.... :)

When we moved last year, we gave away nearly all of Kyle's toys.  That was really tough on all of us.  Little by little over the past year we've re accumulated things that are now very special to him.  He doesn't need anything, truly, and has so many more things than any of the kids we live amongst.  So, we bought him some pre-school-ish toys, Play-doh and Legos for instance, that I hope will occupy him for hours.  We also got him a new movie, snuggle socks, and a small bag of caramel popcorn for his stocking and a set of Curious George books for lazy days on the couch.  This is his third Christmas and each year just gets more exciting.  He is so thrilled by the smallest things and I love seeing the joy on his face.  He also loves watching Ellee open her new toys, and was very excited about giving her the princess Little People we bought for her.

The spread

Ellee girl has been in desperate need of some girl toys for the past couple of months.  I've been holding off until Christmas knowing we already had a few things for her.  I ordered her a stuffed lamb and a set of Little People and she also received a teddy bear, an outfit, and a few other shiny, fun toys from our Christmas shipment from home.  She had a "milk teeth" toothbrush and toothpaste in her stocking.  Alas, as she is still toothless, those will have to wait a while yet.

A very big thank you to our extremely generous "Uncle" who shipped us our Christmas presents all the way from the US.  Having a few things to unwrap and be surprised by was such a blessing to these parents' hearts.  It was very special to tell them that Lollee and Pops, Grammy and PaPa and Uncle Ric and Aunt Rachel sent them Christmas presents all the way from America.  I also got a box of 144 s'mores Poptarts, which is just about the best Christmas present I ever received.  

Today we made a fairly traditional Christmas dinner complete with turkey, ham, Stove Top stuffing (also an American import, very tasty), potatoes and gravy, cinnamon roasted winter vegetables and pumpkin & pecan pies and tiramisu for dessert.  Boukje and I spent the whole day in the kitchen and I didn't even think to photograph our spread.  I dare say it was just near perfect.  We had a full table, lots of kids running around, and two toothless babies in our midst.  It was hot and sticky with humidity, not very unlike Christmas in South Carolina oftentimes.  We had a great time and tried not to eat too much......... Well, at least I did; I can't speak for anyone else.

Certainly we miss home during this time, I miss the shops decorated for Christmas, the foods you can only get this time of year, the joy and generosity that comes with the season.  But, it is good to be here, to celebrate with others, to grow closer as a family and to remember that it isn't about gifts or tinsel... It is about Jesus and He is why we live here, He is why we live at all.  We are blessed beyond measure and my heart overflows with gratefulness for my Savior, my family, our supporters and our friends.

Merry Christmas!

~Abby

30 Months

This afternoon Kyle and I spent a couple hours playing outside together in the spring sunshine.  My very sweet and very active little guy usually takes an afternoon nap during those warm sunny hours but today we opted to skip it.  He has been on a too late schedule - too late waking up, too late napping, too late going to bed - so I decided we needed to forgo nap time today and make it an early bedtime.  My sweetie girl was fast asleep, however, and Jonathan needed to do some studying for his classes.  So, Kyle and I headed out doors to spend some time one on one.  

Watch out, Mom, here I come!

Our friends have a trampoline and he and I had a good ol' time playing on it.  He enjoys jumping and he also discovered that he could roll from the edge inwards towards where I was laying and knock right into me.  To a goofy two and a half year old, that is a very entertaining game.  

I tried to grab him to take a photo but he was determined to get away.....

So, I tackled him instead.

Then he agreed to calm down long enough to document our crazy hair!

Mine turned out a little crazier than his.

Pause jumping for a quick trip down the slide.

Ok, back to being goofy with Mom.

Yes, two and a half.  My big boy turned two and a half on my birthday, September 2nd.  I can hardly believe what a big boy he is.  He is no longer a baby, not a bit.  He still likes to snuggle, sometimes, and he isn't potty trained, but he's all boy....Big, strong, handsome boy.  The potty training thing is a real sore spot, since we haven't had the opportunity to even begin that sequence yet.  And the next couple of months aren't looking very good either with all the traveling we have to do, but I'm going to give it my best shot as soon as I have a good full week and a washing machine plugged in.  But I digress....

Kyle's vocabulary is really unbelievable and Jonathan and I are always asking each other, "did you teach him that?"  One of my favorite words he says is, "danerwous".  Knives, moving cars, razor blades, dogs eating their food, stove tops, curling irons, and gas heaters are all danerwous.  His pronunciation isn't probably the best but his ability to compile sentences and express concepts is great.  Currently he is in this phase of breaking up his sentences word by word.  It is exhausting to listen to at times and honestly, I'm ready for this phase to pass.  "Don't. Step. On. Ellee. Make. Her. Cry. Hurt. Her. So. Bad. Go. Around. Be. Good. Brother."  "My. Friends. Go. Bye. Bye. Come. Back. Soon. Move. To. New. House. Be. Lots. Fun. How 'bout that?"  And so his incessant chattering goes.  He loves to end sentences with "how bout that?"   I bet it's so that everything warrants a response.  Sneaky little booger.  He is also stuck on ending each sentence with a really loud and high pitched draw.... like, "Mommy, are you in therrreeeeeee?"  "Mommy, are you going potttyyyyyyy?" Yes, sweetie, announce it to the entire world why don't you?

He is so sweet with Ellee, although he tests his limits occasionally.  I think in his heart, he is truly tender towards her.  It's us he has an issue with sometimes and wants to see how we will react.  Earlier he asked me, "Mommy, we don't put Ellee in the traassshh?"  Um, no, we do not.  The poor girl has already been knocked a number of times, some on purpose and some by accident, but I guess she might as well get used to it now.  Of course, if we know Kyle purposely did anything to hurt her, he gets reprimanded.  However, he can just be very clutzy.  He does show a lot of love towards her.  Last night I had her sitting in her Bumbo seat looking out at the yard and I saw as he ran by her, he stopped to kiss her head before he continued running.  The other day I was inside but the window was open and I heard him saying to Ellee who was also sitting outside, "I wuv you so much, Ellee."  

Jonathan has been diligent in teaching Kyle a few Bible verses and I really feel like we've only scratched the surface of what his little brain can retain.  He knows Genesis 1:1, Matthew 7:12, Ephesians 6:1, Philippians 2:4, Proverbs 18:4 and a couple are slightly paraphrased because Jonathan has simplified them for him.  Kyle loves to read his Bible story at night and to pray about everything he can think of.  "Thank you my food, my family, my cars, my good day, my sister.  Thank you no crying, no screaming, happy heart.  Thank you my friends house let me play outside have lots fun."  It is precious to listen to his little heart and hear how he is processing this crazy life.

Don't get me wrong, we have our share of rough days together.  He is trying so hard to assert himself and find his boundaries and there are days where I'd like to give up on him completely and stick him somewhere he can't get out.  He is stubborn, so very stubborn just like his mother.

Sometimes it boggles my mind that we live on the opposite side of the world now.  Most of the time, I just go through the day and do the things I would do whether I'm here or there - dishes, diapers, dishes, diapers, cooking, diapers, cleaning, etc.  But sometimes I ponder how far away we are and why it is that we came.  And sometimes it feels very, very lonely.  Days like today, however, are such sweet treasures.  I am able to enjoy my big boy (and my baby girl), laugh, play and for a bit, quit worrying about all the other things going on in our life.  I am so very thankful for the two living, breathing, needy distractions I have which force me to think about someone besides myself.

Today I am thankful for my boy who has changed me and stretched me and challenged me so much in these two and a half years.  I love his smile and big blue eyes, his thick hair, and his dirty boy hands I try constantly to keep clean.  I love his sweet voice and his usually agreeable spirit.  I love being his mom.

~Abby

Two!

Birthday Boy!

That's what Kyle tells us when he does something he thinks is proper behavior for a big boy.  Did my precious son turn two last month with so little recognition by my posts in cyber-space?  Yes, he did, and we celebrated although with difficulty being so far from those we love.  He is growing and changing every day and sometimes Jonathan and I have a hard time keeping up with his newest thing.

Before we left the US, probably my biggest concern when facing the months of transition was not knowing how Kyle would take it all.  Last fall he was really giving us a run for our money when we tried to put him to sleep in his pack & play and he hasn’t ever been real keen on sleeping in unfamiliar places.  And up until the days before we flew out, he was waking up nearly every night screaming, sometimes for hours.  I think he was really sensing all the change going on and it was affecting his sleep terribly.  Combined with leaving our family, shifting 8 time zones, changing our eating habits, having to go off with child care workers while Jonathan and I attended training sessions, I figured trying to get this boy to bed down in a new place every few weeks…. Or days…. Was going to be a huge nightmare.  Boy was I wrong.  Since we left the US, I can count on one hand the times he has woken up in the night crying, and certainly nothing like the terror he was experiencing back in November/December.  He has gone to sleep without so much as a protest just about every night we have been in Africa. 

It makes my eyes sweat when I think of how strong he has been these three months and all the changes he has taken in stride at such a young age.  I am especially amazed at how he has adapted to each new “home” we have been in.  As we would walk to our room at Mayfield Guest House or while at ABO, he would point to our door and say, “room.”  In our home stay, when he would get sick of the kids we were living with, he would get up and start walking away.  When I asked him where he was going, he simply replied, “room.”  He knew where his room was and that was safe enough for him.  While we stayed in Maphutseng, he would point to the guest house we were living in and say, “Ty-doe house.”  That means Kyle’s house.  Then at the AIM retreat, he knew which little hut was ours and would start walking “home” saying, “Ty-doe room.”  When we got here to Maseru, I can’t explain how good it felt to tell that sweet boy that this would be “Ty-doe’s” house for quite some time.  Now when we go out into town and start getting near home again, he proudly announces that we are going to “Ty-doe’s house.”   I know he doesn’t understand that we will move again to Bloem for a month for Ellee’s birth and then again to our permanent home but at least for now, I am so thankful that my sweet little guy can sleep in the same room every night for a couple months.

Speaking of sleeping, he made the switch to a big boy bed this weekend.  When he wakes up and we say, “Kyle! Did you sleep in the big boy bed?”, he holds up his two middle fingers and assures us he is “two.”  As a reward, I have a little jar of sugar coated dried fruit in his closet and he is allowed one little piece after he sleeps in his big bed.  He reminds us of his deal before he goes to sleep…. Every time.  We put some pillows along the edge of the single bed under the fitted sheet to keep him hemmed in.  So far he hasn’t rolled out and he has done really well for every nap and bed time.  Needless to say, I am proud of him.  And I am relieved that it was so easy because I will need the pack & play for Ellee in about 9 weeks.

For his birthday, a couple friends gave him his first jigsaw puzzle.  He has enjoyed making it just about every day.  We found a couple more at a store here in Lesotho and bought him those to add a little variation.  He requires some help but some of the obvious matches (like Mater’s eyes and Buzz’s wings) he can put together on his own.  When he completes a puzzle, he claps for himself and says, “yay, Ty-doe!”  And then he fixes his two middle fingers and tells us just how old he is.  Two.  Big boy.

He eats everything I put in front of him and when I asked him what he wanted for lunch today, he told me “green beans.”  Unfortunately, I was out of green beans but I gave him some chicken salad instead.  Close enough, right?  He is a boccy (broccoli) conesuere and he would eat grapes at every meal if I’d let him.  He loves oatmeal and granola and we both enjoy a delightful breakfast in the morning loaded with peaches, strawberries and bananas.  Daddy eats bacon, eggs and cinnamon toast.  He isn’t much into the fruit stuff.  I’m glad Kyle’s on my side.  Ellee will be, too.

Amidst all the changes and all the unknowns, Jonathan and I have done our best to keep Kyle’s little life as routine as possible.  He loves bath time and has figured out how to remove all his clothes except his shirt sometimes gives him a hassle.  He and Jonathan read a Bible story every night, and each night Kyle relays what the story was from last night.  He is learning to say prayers and blessings and he gets irritated with us if we try to pray quickly before a meal and don’t let him do it.  When that happens, he just starts praying along with us and we are forced to either ignore it or stop and let him finish.  What do you think we do?  Precious boy.  We don’t take nap time lightly and he really seems to enjoy his afternoon snooze.  Jonathan is great about playing with him outside or racing Matchbox cars along the coffee table and it warms my heart to watch them play together. With no Uncle Caleb and Aunt Maggie, Kyle was left with Jono and me as playmates.  Poor guy, we aren’t nearly as cute or as much fun.  He likes to play hide and seek and he’s pretty convinced we can’t see him as long as he can’t see us.  He’ll stand in the middle of the room covering him eyes and call out “Ty-doe?”  to which we are supposed to reply, “have you seen Kyle?”  As soon as he uncovers his eyes, we are allowed to notice he is there. 

He is a big helper and he really likes taking things to the trash.  That is a good and a bad thing.  I found something important in the trash the other day and I know exactly who put it there.  When I hand him something to take to the trash, he smiles and toddles into the kitchen.  After I hear him open and close the lid, he often claps for himself and says, “good boy.”  Then he walks back to me with a giant grin on his face.  I can’t help but chuckle at him.  He is learning to pick up his toys before starting to play with other ones and when he is pleased with himself, he says “good boy.”  He is a good boy and we love him.

I am without words when I try to express what joy this little boy brings to our lives.  It is sure hard to have him all the way over here and be watching him grow and change and not be able to share it all with his grandparents and aunts and uncles.  But, having him here with us each day is such a sweet comfort and has made it bearable to have left so many loved ones.  Motherhood has changed me forever and I thank God for allowing me the privilege of raising such a sweet spirited son.  He is an answer to our prayers and a dream come true and I cherish each day we spend together.  I am constantly amazed that I grow to love him more every day.  

Easter family photo.  Keep in mind it was about 7 AM..... sunrise service which Jonathan led.  Kyle's new cheesy smile!

~Abby

Curious George Takes a Bath

If you have been following our lives over the past couple of months, you might have noticed Curious George in some of our pictures.  That little monkey has been on quite the adventure as of late.  As the most recent addition to our family, he has already traveled to Atlanta, Washington DC, Switzerland, Kenya, South Africa and finally to his new home in Lesotho.  That is certainly a lot of travel for such a little monkey and you can see why he was in such need of a bath!

During the time that we stayed with my parents before we left for Africa, Kyle discovered Curious George amidst the large family of stuffed animals whose home is Uncle Caleb’s bed.  For whatever reason, Kyle took right to him and dragged him all around the house for those couple of weeks.  They became close friends quickly as Curious and Kyle had slumber parties each night in Kyle’s crib.  The morning before we left, Uncle Caleb kindly met Kyle, just awake for the morning with Curious in hand, at the top of the stairs to tell him he could take Curious with him to Africa.  So, Curious was packed in Kyle’s carry-on and pretty soon the two were off for a wildly exciting venture around the world. 

Curious was there as we said goodbye in the hotel room.  Flying across the Atlantic, Curious kept Kyle company during his few naps and many sleepless hours.  In Kenya, Curious went with Kyle to class regularly and frequented meal times with him as well.  Back on the airplane, Curious snuggled up to Kyle and geared up for a long night on the red eye flight.  Once we got to Lesotho, Curious and Kyle took a nice snoozer whilst we drove to South Africa for a short visit. Over the past three weeks, we have been nestled back into the mountainous woods of central Lesotho, experiencing village life first hand.  Curious has been here, too, faithfully keeping Kyle company during his naps and at bedtime.  Yesterday while Jonathan, Kyle and I washed the laundry, we pulled Curious out of his comfortable new home in Kyle’s crib and gave that little monkey a bath!  His hands, feet and face were so dirty, you would’ve barely recognized him.  We took turns scrubbing and rinsing him until we all agreed that he was a much cleaner monkey than before.  In typical monkey fashion, he hung upside down to dry over night and we rescued him first thing this morning.  He is as good as new and ready for many more adventures with his best friend, Kyle!

Bath time for Curious!

Kyle helps wash his hands...

Floating in the soapy water

That's where he's going to go once he's rinsed out....

Squeeze all the water out of him....

Silly monkey!

Clean Curious!!

~Abby