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Published: April 5th 2011
What is normal?
As I lay on a lounger chilling at the beach, completely relaxed, I contemplated what is “normal”?
I have a 3 month old baby who feeds constantly and needs to be held all day, and an almost 2 year old who is cheeky and particularly strong willed, and an almost 4 year old who loves to talk constantly, and a husband who travels 25% of the time. Yet here I am sitting on this lounger, shaded by the coconut palms, by myself, completely relaxed.
The reason I’m relaxed, is Mama Messe. She has Emma strapped to her back with a kikoy, while braiding Charlotte’s hair, and helping Hayley build a sandcastle. Murray is snorkeling. Mama Messe has 6 children, she is 40 years old, and her children range in age from 25 to 5. Her husband left her, and this is ‘normal’ here in Kenya.
As I lie there, I think about the life that has become normal, and what my kids view as normal. And I was challenged to try to show you what has become normal to us.
Since we arrived back in early February, Murray hasn’t travelled for work, although
he managed a quick weekend to UK for a friends wedding. He now heads to UK for meetings, Norway for a conference, and then Haiti to follow up on progress and that’s all in April.
Charlotte is enjoying school. She is learning French and Swahili, as well as ballet, monkeynastics and horse riding. Charlotte had sports day at her school this term and did very well coming second in all her races, she would have won if she hadn’t slowed down to see where her friends were. Charlotte is doing swimming lessons, and has really progressed, doing the “spider” around the edge of the pool. Charlotte will be 4 years old at the end of April, and has just recently started eating meat, Ya!!
Hayley is talking more and more and really enjoying her sisters. She is very cheeky and has continued to nick name people, the funniest one is Mildred (Flora’s sister who helps us out occasionally) she calls Judy, and she has the cheekiest grin when she says it. Hayley has started monkeynastics, still does baby bible and a one morning school at my friend Wendy’s house, with a Montessori teacher. She has just started joining
in at swimming lessons, after getting over her fear of the teacher “Mr Tony”.
Emma is now 3 months old, and is very easy really. She smiles all the time and has just started cooing, and sleeps very well. All the night sleeping seems to mean she is awake most of the day, and social, so likes to be held and adored. So the days are busy.
And me, I’m trying to keep up with the hectic playgroup/school pick up schedule as well as fulfilling my duty as the milk machine. I’ve been keeping up the girls memory things, like scrapbooking and editing videos to send home. I am still on Iron supplements (since Emmas birth) and am having some tests done as I haven’t been “healthy” for a while.
Murrays sister and family will visit us at the end of April and beginning of May.
So lots to look forward to in the next few months.
CU
Miriam
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DadF
non-member comment
Good Spelling
Dear Miriam, I am very impressed with the spelling in this blog. Did Flora check it for you? There only seem to be two problems. The word Bible is a proper noun and has a capital 'B' and also, when writing a story it is usual to write numbers in words. I was very pleased to see the baby photos. Love from DadF.