March Happenings

March Fun - 2009

Hello family and friends! I'm sorry I didn't realize so much time had gone by since I last updated our blog. These pictures are a collection of different things that happened in the month of March like Dan's birthday, Lucas finishing potty training and my buying a traditional Senegalese dress. The others are just for fun. Enjoy!

Dinosaurs, Pumpkins, and other Fun Stories

2 Cute Kids!

Well, since our last blog we've had time to compile a few fun stories that we hope you will enjoy!

Lucas and I (Allison) were talking at breakfast one morning about how my ankle sometimes hurts. The tile floors here are hard on feet and legs. I told Lucas that I'd broken my ankle when I was 13 and it hurts from time to time. He asked, "Was that before dinosaurs were dead or after?" Thanks a lot!

One evening last week we lost electricity so I went to find some candles. I was having trouble opening the package when Lucas said, "Mommy, I can do it for you. I have smart fingers."

This story actually happened in January but it's too cute to pass up. Alexis picked up a toy hammer and said, "I'm gonna bang your head. Okay, Mommy?" What???? No way!

While driving around Alexis likes to ask Dan these questions about once a week: "Daddy, do you want to eat sheep? Do you want to eat cow? Do you want to eat horse?" Then we get to help her understand what's better to eat and what is not.

Lucas and I were reading about Moses and the burning bush. He wanted to know why Moses didn't have shoes on. He was very concerned he would get worms in his feet. (Yes! He's listening!) I laughed as I tried to explain that God told him to take his shoes off so God would protect his feet too!

We decided to surprise the kids by setting up an Easter egg hunt for them to find one morning. Lucas found it and came running to our room saying there were little things all over the living room. We asked him what they were and after a long pause he said, "Pumpkins!"

Family Fun Nights!

Movie Night

One of the great things about living in Africa is the slower pace of life. There are a few scenic places to visit (we have seen them)and a few adventures to have (we've done most of them)and then there is free time. We don't have movie theaters, shopping centers, bowling alleys, etc. but we do have lots of time to be together as a family. So, we wanted to share a few of the things that we do since we have family fun nights, well....every night!

A family favorite is "Hide and Seek". Dan is most creative in his hiding and the kids love looking for him with their flashlights. We play in the dark regardless of whether or not we have electricity. We play "Duck, Duck, Goose." Alexis and I (Allison) played this tonight which was a little tricky with only the 2 of us but we did make it work! We race through our apartment or play "Tag." Sometimes we sing along with a worship DVD or do silly tricks on our gymnastics mat. Every other week we take a walk to Dakar Academy and check out books. This helps us to slow down our adventurous evenings! But by far, Lucas and Alexis' favorite way to spend an evening is with a movie and popcorn.

Here's a fun story from the last time we walked to check out books. We arrived after school was out and as we were walking by some classrooms, Lucas found one that was open. He popped in and saw an African man sitting at the teacher's desk. He promptly said, "Je m'apelle Lucas" which means "My name is Lucas." I laughed when I realized he had just spoken to the French teacher!

Various Activities from February

February - random pics of life

February held some fun events for us - Dan's softball tournament, playing in the park, Valentine's Day, Lucas smashing his thumb, and of course we have included a few cultural pictures of Dakar because there are always things happening that amaze us! Enjoy!

Our Trip to Henriette's Village

Henriette's village

Here are quite a few pictures from our trip last Saturday. Enjoy!

Poulet Yassa

Poulet Yassa

Poulet Yassa is a Senegalese meal that we eat quite often. It is Dan and Alexis' favorite meal and our house helper, Henriette, makes it for us almost every other Tuesday.

Check out http://www.gowestafrica.org/media/recipes.php for this and other West African recipes!

Poulet is the French word for "chicken". So, basically it's a meal made with LOTS of rice, a whole chicken (cut up and cooked), diced vegetables, and an onion sauce made with LOTS and LOTS of onions. Henriette used to slice 6-7 onions before realizing that was just a few too many for our taste. Even when she slices 3-4 it makes my eyes water! The onions however are Alexis' favorite part. She picks them out of the sauce and eats them like spaghetti noodles.

Our pictures include one large dish of Poulet Yassa with several spoons around it. This is how you eat with a large gathering of people. Each person has their own "pie-shaped" space in front of them and they only eat within those boundaries. No crossing over to eat something on another part of the plate! It is a little tricky to pull chicken off the bone with a spoon and you most definitely are not allowed to use your left hand to help in anyway!

There are also a few pictures from Le Ricef, a restaurant on the westernmost tip of the peninsula with a beautiful view of the ocean. Check out what Dan got for dinner. The presentation of the meal surprised him quite a bit!

Worms, worms, worms...

De-worming

We have de-wormed! What??? It is recommended that missionaries living in West Africa de-worm every 6 months. Thankfully the process is simple. Dan and I each take one pill of Vermox and the kids each drink one small bottle of Zentel. Good thing Alexis only had to drink one bottle because she didn't like the taste of it at all. On the other hand, Lucas would have taken hers too if we would've let him! What kind of worms are we talking about? Well, the kind that live in your stomach, for example. They cause all kinds of nice things I won't mention but I'm sure you can imagine. Thankfully, we haven't had to experience this and our de-worming was merely a precaution.