Nemo

The campus is really beautiful lately, and sunny days brighten our moods

Sam's really into fish lately for some reason (with turtles a close second). The last time I was at Costco, I bought two sets of Disney/Pixar films, remarkably none that we owned. The first one we got for Sam was Finding Nemo, and he's really been enjoying it. He must have watched it at school, because he seemed familiar with the plot. After watching it only a couple of times, he already knows some of the phrases in Local Language. It's really fun to watch him dancing and talking. It's like he is an amalgam of us and this culture. He's a pretty happy kid, although increasingly strong willed. One night I let him adjust the water temperature on his bath, and now we've had to nix his desire to alternate adding cold and hot until the water overflows. He's at the toddler stage where he has almost unlimited energy and also a high degree of stubborness. Still, he's distractable and has a fairly sweet temperment. I don't want to forget this phase, because it's just really fun. He's willing to give people hugs and kisses goodbye and likes to "help" with tasks (although we asked him to throw out a diaper today and he put it in the toilet--still working on specifics).

I told a friend today that I feel like Emily and I together accomplish the work of one person, but the nanny does the work of two people. So, she watched the twins, cooked lunch with leftovers for dinner, washed both kids, and continues to help us with daily life logistics (ordering replacement items, getting things fixed, figuring out where to pay bills, etc.). I know this won't last forever, so it's important for us to keep a sense of gratitude without getting TOO used to the help. Honestly, this would be nearly impossible if we were on our own. I still sometimes wonder how we ended up with twins, and its only through grace and unexpected providence that we have a semblance of normal life. Our nanny is also networked in the church and knows the school, so she's helping us figure out social relations here, which are still the thing that probably most baffles me. It helps to have someone experienced who has an intuitive grasp of teacher/student/staff relations, of church politics, how to get things done, etc.

I'm feeling like I'm mostly put together. I liked my class today. My language skills need work, but with iffy spoken language and translated powerpoints and activities and video clips, I can do at least a solidly OK two hour class.

The rest of my work is coming along. I was talking to my dad yesterday and we talked about "over-functioning." Post-birth, I'm back in language classes, working on many projects, filing medical receipts, starting a newsletter, organizing guest speakers, etc., etc., and I find it hard to keep the pieces together sometime. I told Emily I think we need a real vacation this summer--perhaps a full week at the beach, or in a new city, or something comparable. I think we've done a lot and come a long ways, and the momentum has kept us going, but at some point we will need some time of pure rest and sabbath.

More another time. I have a bit of a cold, and despite two naps today, I'm just tired out. Tomorrow's a new day.