Home sweet home

25^th August 2011. I am once again a bit behind in my blogging life! I’m really not that busy, so I don’t know why I can’t seem to manage putting my thoughts down more often at the moment. I will make it my spring resolution to be a better blogger. And as spring has so very much sprung here in Nairobi, it couldn’t be a better time to make that resolution. We are having a week of perfect weather – Evan’s been playing in his little shell pool thingy and wondering around naked in the garden, I’m in T-shirts and flip-flops and everything is just generally brighter and lighter. I’m such a fan of sunny weather.

So first things first. We are unpacked and officially IN our house. I was so happy to see our container arrive I was almost delighted to do the unpacking – not completely of course, as moving is never the ultimate past time. Anwyay, it took just short of a week & every box was unpacked, sorted and stored somewhere with pictures hung and knick-knacks arranged. Evan has been rediscovering his toys and loves having a selection both upstairs and downstairs and outside. I’m loving having more than 1 pot and 1 frying pan in the kitchen as well as a wider wardrobe selection and Mark of course is delighted that the big screen TV arrived in time for the start of the new Premier League season. Now we have a HOME and are only too happy to have our friends come to visit and stay, so come soon please.

My car is in Nairobi, but as we’re still waiting for immigration to issue Mark with an Alien card (not the UFO type) so he can get a tax number, we can’t get it released. They have to have that number for it to clear without paying duty – so we just wait. In the meanwhile, Clare got back from her holiday and I had to give her car back and the thought of being without wheels again was more than horrifying. So I have a little rented Toyota that is just perfect & I’m very happy just to be mobile and have freedom. I should add at this point that I have never ever seen so many Toyotas in my life! I think the whole world’s second hand Toyotas end up in Kenya – there are thousands and they have models that I’ve never even heard of, ever. Mark has his company car now and it is a Toyota “Klueger”, but there is everything from the “Platz” to the “Sharona” in every parking lot here.

Thanks to a little nepotism, I have a small little job writing some press releases for Mark’s company. Even though it isn’t a lot of hours, it is very nice to have something to do and to have deadlines to meet. I’m also hoping (so hold thumbs tightly) that by the end of the week I’ll have secured a two-morning a week consulting gig too. Will let you know the details once it signed and sealed, but it will be fantastic to have consistent work that doesn’t mean giving up time with my Evan.

Pizza Delivery Ambitions?

 Evan is doing really well. He’s got very tall of a sudden (jeans are hovering at his ankles or higher) and even put on some weight again. The super long holiday is almost over and he starts school (for real) the week after next for 3 mornings a week. We have been lucky enough to make friends with 3 other mums who have kids around about his age and have been getting together with them weekly for a playdate. Although this hasn’t improved Evan’s language skills at all, I think it has definitely improved his social skills as he isn’t stuck to the inside of my knee anymore and heads off to play either on his own or with the others. I have to say that I think one of the most amazing things about motherhood is the almost automatic connection it allows you with other mothers. The other mums are really fantastic women and real friendships are forging – an opportunity I probably wouldn’t ever have had if I didn’t have a child and would have been poorer for in the end.

Mark is trying to get more established at the golf club as he doesn’t have a regular group to play with and has to just try and join games that aren’t full on a Saturday. He is however playing well up here and even won a prize in the competition last weekend. He has a nice team lined up for a game on Sunday morning, so perhaps from there he’ll be closer to having a regular crowd to play with him. He is busy at work and enjoying having his own car (although the traffic is a disaster at times) and also settling in nicely.

We have decided to host an American girl from September for six months or so when she comes out to Nairobi on an internship with a magazine. We haven’t met her yet obviously but her profile sounds good & it’ll be fun to have a new dynamic and dimension to our home. I did just hear that she is a vegetarian … which thanks to my very meat-loving husband, isn’t a regular menu option in our house! My guess is that she’ll become very adept at throwing a stir-fry or omelette together for herself when she gets home in the evening.

Okay, that’s it for now. Hope you’re keeping well & look forward to chatting again soon xxx.