It was just a matter of time...

Until the first bone was broken. Bill and the boys were going to take our guests to the castle outside of town. Zaky had gotten two juice cups for he and his brother. Then decided it would be a good idea to climb into the window of the car to put them in his car seat. Well he fell. After a good long cry and quick shower he fell asleep on our bed. Over the next hour (6-7 pm) he woke up teary. When Bill got home from the castle little man was sleeping but there was some swelling. Praise God we had guests and the other two kids were in bed, so both Bill and I could take him to the ER. He was a trooper.

Not quite

Although he repeatedly says he is a big boy, when it suits his desires, he just isn't quite tall enough to reach.

Done

We were blessed by friends in Beirut with their sons' slightly used clothes. Over the last two years we have received over 12 vacuum bags of clothes for our boys. Last time we visited with them she even said she had started writing her boys names on half the tag to leave the other half for our name! Well we were then cursed with rats who made a home in our boys' closet. The chewed into all but two bags and made a nest in the bag of winter coats. After sorting through all the bags, throwing away about 10%, washing, drying, folding and now restoring, we are done with 3 tubs of clothes! Haleluya!!

Turtles

Our friends who lived here before us left three turtles in the yard. Now we have counted 7. Here is Zaki and Jo with the baby.

Morning with Dad

It is Saturday so Christy gets to sleep in and Bill is in charge. So I (Bill) try to keep up with the high precedent Christy has set. I get everyone changed and fed. But then the boys go missing until I check the guest room wardrobe. Keeping up with the boys alphabet lesson was fun.

Rainbow

Yesterday's rainy day ended with a beautiful rainbow....and then it rain again all night.

1st school play

Zaki had his first school play on Thursday. As to be expected the parents laughed and laughed as the 4-5 year olds did their thing on stage. Here are some pictures too of the after party.

Hide and seak

Under our bed would be a good spot except for the giggling and shouting "were under your bed"...

Good bye

Aunt Lisa sent us our first package soon after we arrived to Syria, with a purse, coffee and two coffee mugs. This coffee shop is sold now and the mug was just broken for the third and last time. ( unseen bottom lip sticking out) and sigh...

Wisdom from the four year old

Zaky talking endlessly.................
Zaky: mama. Mama, MAMA
Me: WHAT Zaky??
Zaky: continues talking and talking and talking
Me: hey Zaky, I'm sorry I yelled at you.
Zaky: that's ok we all make mistakes

Zaky sitting at the dinner table
"How am I going to get bigger if I poop all my food out?"
Me: we'll your body gets takes what it needs
Zaky: but I poop a lot

Pretzels

Pretzels were Bill's request for dinner. The boys and I gave it our best shot. They looked like soft pretzels, they smelled like pretzels, Bill's review "they don't taste like any pretzel I have ever had, but they're not bad."

Rainy days

I love an occasional rainy Saturday. Every excuse to stay in our p.js and watch t.v. Made home made bread (in the bread maker ) did puzzles, played cars, good times.

Cutie

Cutie. He still doesn't like his uniform though. He hasn't seen the warm weather outfit yet, he'll hate even more, bright pink shirt!

My stuffed grape leaves

We'r-a I-resh, stuffed grape leaves, not called doma. Zaky saw me rolling them when he got out bed Sunday night, and said "oh I like those Mama". They both ate them all up. Successful farmer, they all woke up at 5 Wednesday and 5:15 this morning, I am a farmer!!!

Sayings

Zaky "Lets think about this real hard"

Jonas is working on asking verses demanding, today he shouts "move out of my way" I respond "jonas! that is not a nice way to ask" Jonas in his softer two year old voice "Will you.. (then he returns to his previous tone) .. move out of my way"

If Jonas likes something "that's delicious" "so yummy" if he doesn't like something "to spicy"

How was school today Jonas?
J: I was sad (always the first response )
Me: what did you do after you were sad?
J: I was stinking
Me: what?
J: I was stinking mama!
This goes back and forth about 5 times, he was singing!!! Yaa, yaa I figured it out and yaa Jonas is warming up to school a bit more, my little introvert, love him to pieces

Jonas

This Jonas' mean face

Update

Zaky: is taking to school much better. He has learned his two friends names. And the Ali who was bigger then him he now shorter then him. I was told by our friend that they don't do permission slips prior to field trips your kid just comes talking about the place they went. Yesterday was Zaky's first field trip. His favorite part was riding in the bus without a seat belt! I still haven't quite figured out where he went. Apparently there were kids there who were poor and "didn't have money to go to a school", there were also horses and sheep and dogs. His highlight, aside from no seat belts, was saying "bonjour" to the horses! He told this to Bill coming home from school and Bill said "great you are learning French...bonjour Zaki." Zaki replied, "no baba you only say bonjour when you go into school." He also is learning to stand up for himself a bit more, he told Bill when the bigger kids were circling around him he told them to "khalus" (stop it), I'm proud he is learning to defend himself verbally in another language, and doesn't seem to shaken by it. He has made the suggestion today that we give them a DVD so they can know Jesus and not be mean anymore.

Jonas and Zaky got donuts after supper as a treat. Jonas ate his then started crying to have a piece of Zaky's. I poked his tummy and asked him where his donut went? " It is in your tummy" I said, "no it's not, it's in my poo poo" he says.

Getting closer

Or further away. She has just started scooting in her anger, when content she pretty much stays put.

Spring time

I have a love hate relationship with my current host country. But some of the things I love are now in season, and they are not rain drops on noses or whiskers on kittens. And to sweeten the pie, strawberries are going for $1.30 a kilo!!!

I'm a farmer

I have made a pie from berries we grew on our tree, I will make stuffed grape leaves from our own grape vine, and I am almost always up by 5:45am. I meet most of the requirements, right?

Sleep over

Some of our friends had their anniversary and so their two boys slept over. This was their guys first sleep over and our first at the new house. All four in the same room didn't last very long.