First Snow In 26 Years!

First snow in 26 years!!!!! Such a big event on Wednesday – everyone was gob smacked. It never snows in Johannesburg and it did this week. I even remember the snow in 1981, we played in it all day and then packed the snow in Tupperware and put it in the freezer for the next day. Who would ever think that Kailey’s first snow would be in Africa!
Needless to say it did not last very long – but it was still fun!

Beautiful, Happy, Hippy Family

Playtime!

Kailey's Playtime!


Deric's Playtime!

And both of them have that same "I'm so serious" look on their faces!

She Wont Sit Down.......

I have no idea why my child is in such a hurry to do everything!!!!!
She is not exactly getting up and standing on her own, but she will push her legs straight to get herself up. We keep trying to get her to sit but she just wont!!!

I have had a lot of people wanting to see Kaileys first two teeth.... well here they are. No sign of number 3, but we are waiting. Excuse the blur, its hard to get a 4 month old to stay still for the camera.

Things have been mad around here, my Mom broke her arm and was in and out of hospital all of last week having screws put in. But we will survive and she will be as good as new in about 8 weeks.



Deric is doing well - we are on the 6 month count down. I feel so fortunate to have such a sort time to wait. A lot of our frinds have gone for 15 months. But soon we will all be together again when everyone is back!
He is enjoying the video's I have been sending him of Kailey. They are such fun to make and when he comes to see us in December he will still have been a part of her life.

After the birth of Kailey I have not been able to sit down very long, I was on painkillers for my coccyx for 3 months. So I decided to go to the doctor when I got to SA. He had X-Rays done, and after looking at them told me I should stop taking painkillers, as there is nothing wrong with me.

I still could not sit down comfortably, but I stopped taking pills. The doctor called me in this week, (2 weeks after seeing him) to tell me he sent the X-Rays for a second opinion and I have fractured my coccyx!!!!!!! He then said ‘you had better take painkillers!’ I told him I had stopped since he told me to… he was like ‘no you will never cope without them!’ He is obviously not a woman!

Kai has been a busy girl lately.....

Today I decided I would brave the South African Government Departments and get Kailey’s visa sorted out to ensure her legal stay. You see, she has been registered as a South African citizen, something you have to do before you get a passport. But this is going to take three moths and then we have to wait another three to four months for her passport!
Well the other thing is that all this will happen in the above time line if there are no strikes or go slows of government employees!!!!!!!!!! So I am taking no chances and getting her the visa…..

So I call the Immigration department today and ask for directions. The very helpful woman on the other side of the phone directs me to the town, the road and then says ‘you will see a Shell garage on the left, go in there and ask them how to get to us, they know’ Well what could I do – I went to the Shell found a man who knew how to get there and he directed me up the road to the building.
I had to giggle only in Africa!

Two Posts at the Same Time!!

Hello again from the Stan! Here is a picture of me and my new friend. Below the photo is a blog Joanne asked be to post. I also threw in a picture of Kai and Jo (They are much better to look at than me!! Enjoy.

Deric



Hello Everyone,

Good to be back! Good old blogging – its addictive you know.

Anyway – things here have been fine, I am getting use to the differences here. I always seem to be getting use to the differences in some or other country. I have made a full circle in 6 years, and my adventure continues.

You forget so much when you leave a place.
• I forgot how long lunches here are… I love that.
• You are always invited to friend’s houses for tea and cake…I love that.
• Having your hair done is fantastic, it cost half the price and you get double the treatments…. I love that.
• Going to a day spa in the country with your friends is a relatively normal thing to do and it costs so little… I love that.
So as you can see, I am figuring out all these fun things.

On the down side – I miss my husband and my home so very much………… I hate that. I am however grateful to be in a loving environment and also for having such a wonderful daughter.

School is fine – I go in at the moment for 2 classes a week – on a Monday and Tuesday. So I am not away from Kailey too long. I do my assignments and study at night when she is asleep.

As for Kailey.. She has 2 teeth now, weighs in at 14lbs. Not a small girl! But so happy! She greets me every morning with a smile when I go to her crib, and she laughs all day long. (Well till her dinner that is, then she screams, which she thinks is her God given right!) She loves going out, but keeps to her schedule no matter where we are. This makes going out so easy. There is another great thing that makes going out easy too….. Nursing rooms for moms. This expands my world!!!! I can go out with ease! They also have family rooms where Dads can change babies, and potty training rooms, where there are tiny loo’s! Genius I tell you Genius!!!

Deric and I celebrated our two-year marriage anniversary this past weekend… how much can happen in two years is amazing. Our wedding anniversary is in December. We figured with two anniversaries Deric is bound to be around for at least one a year!

Keep in Touch - Love to you all

Joanne

South Africian Internet?!?!?!

Deric here (in Afghanistan) writing this blog update for Joanne and Kailey (in South Africa). Crazy....

Anyway... the deal is South African Internet is not the same as American Internet and it shuts down all the time. Thus, not allowing Jo to update this blog as often as she'd like. So, because I'm such a GREAT husband..... I told here I'd update it for her!!

However.... I'm in a dust filled room in Afghanistan using internet that is probably only a little better than Jo's down South. So I am going to keep this short.

Joanne and Kai are doing very well. They are both adjusted now and on a good schedule (feeding, sleeping, playing, sleeping, feeding.....). And guess what... Kai got her first tooth!! How cool is that! Jo says it is causing more slobber on her than pain for Kailey. There has not been any crying or fussing from Kai about her teething! Joanne is very thankful....

I am also fine. Working hard and trying to do my best over here.

With all that, here is the most important part of the blog.... Pictures.

Enjoy







Hope you enjoyed the photos. I'll try and keep them coming as Jo sends them to me.

Take care

Deric

We are finally getting more settled lately. I started school this week and to my surprise I only go in Mondays and Tuesdays, but for the next two weeks I don’t go in on Mondays at all. I do have a lot of homework to do … and Kailey is not having any of it! It was so strange to go in this week, nothing has changed – everything is exactly where I left it. The lectures are all the same and were so welcoming. To make me feel extra old, some of the 3rd years were my Grade 8 students when I taught at Pro-Arte. I think I will be happy there – as long as I get all my assignments done!

The good news for me… Kailey is getting to bed by 7:30, getting up at 3am to feed and then wakes again at 8. This is heaven. So much so that tomorrow night after putting her down I give the monitor to my Mom and I am going to have dinner with Claudia and Olga.

Here is a picture of Gladis and Kailey – this is how Gladis walks around the house with her…. See now my child is officially an African American…..
I am trying to learn how to do this but you can’t believe how hard it is to get the kid on your back to begin with!
Gotta Love It!

All in a days work

All in a days work

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100 Years Apart

I'm back!

I took Kailey to see my gran the other day. She was born in 1906 and Kailey in 2007. It was so special to see her reaction even though she is slowing down so much. She grabbed Kailey and gave her a kiss, I then put her in her arms and they both just lay there. She kept saying how beautiful she was. It was a very spacial moment. I'm just glad Kailey could get to meet this phenomenal woman.

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