Pardon Me, But Isn’t it October?

Yesterday the whole fam was out and this is what the sky looked like.

These photos aren’t the best, but they give you an idea…

Dust storm is rolling in!!!

Regular sunny sky quickly being covered by giant cloud of dust. Quick! Run for cover! We were happily in our car, but many more were not. Poor things.

And a few minutes later it had descended on us.

Plech.

And then laaater…

It started POURING rain.

It’s October. Sand storms and rain are supposed to be done for awhile, but this a surprise storm and it was a big one! Riding in the car on the way home we had the windows cracked to cut down on the steam on the windshield. It was a bit chilly and my boy said “I am frosted up in here!”

Ha! It was cold, but we laughed, because my normally well-spoken and large-vocabulary boy didn’t quite have the right phrase to express the unusual sensation he was feeling in his body. He he.  We’re not often cold around here…

They were already soaked so they enjoyed some playin' in the rain time before a warm bath.

The First Rain

Each year, I note the first rain. I don’t know why really. Probably because we, uh, live in the desert and rain is a rare occurrence. I was about to say it’s lovely when it rains also, but I’m not certain about that one.

This year we’ve had several days of sprinkles but last night was the first real rain.

By now I am hyper-sensitive to changes in the weather while I sleep. Mostly to wind because wind means a haboob (dust storm) and a haboob means get up and turn off the coolers and close the windows and shove towels under the door and hope tomorrow is a day your house helper is supposed to come because the sky and therefore, your house will soon fill with orange dust.

So this morning at 3am I awoke to wind. I immediately looked out the window for signs of a haboob. The signs were there, so Mikey and I made our rounds. But as I lay back down for a few minutes, I heard something else. It was definitely the sound of rain drops! So I got back up and started a whole second set of rounds. I went out on the balcony to bring in the chair cushions and make sure the sandbox was covered. Under my sun shade it felt like a cool mist, but when I stepped out from under the shade cool wet drops were falling steadily on my skin. Refreshing. I stood there for a moment enjoying the early morning quiet and wetness of our normally busy and dry city.

Then I went back inside, turned on the light in the bathroom and checked my skin in the mirror before I laid back down in bed. I learned a long time ago that the rain isn’t always clean. But last night I didn’t have mud drops instead of rain drops and I didn’t have to take a shower to clean myself off after standing in the rain. Glory!

We expect more rain to come soon… and more haboobs, unfortunately… this year there have been a crazy amount of them. Lately, there have been more dusty days than not! Blech.

Highs and Lows

Do you think I’m doing the whole best-and-worst-about-my-day thing? ‘Roses and thorns’ as some say? He he. I’m not. Although that’s not a bad idea.  But no, this post is about the weather. Specifically, the temperature. I know you get a lot of this from me, but too bad, I just can’t not talk about it!

So we have this handy dandy electronic thermometer that we brought over a few years ago. It takes the temp inside and then we strung a wire outside (not hard to do when all windows and doors have huge gaps) to take the temp outside too.

This was 7 pm a couple days ago. 91.8 inside and 94.8 outside. Whew! We must not have run the air cooler in there before I took this pic, cause the kids’ air cooler (this is in their bedroom) really cools it down to the 80s fairly easily.

Aaaanyway…

The thing also has a memory to keep track of the highs and lows until you reset it.

And we were recently gone for a year.

So we didn’t reset it for a year.

What we have now is a very accurate and fun and interesting year long record of the all-time highs and lows inside the house and outside on the balcony.

Ready?!

Lows first. The coldest it ever got outside was 55.8 degrees. Maybe not cold to you, but REALLY cold up in here. Parkas and beanies cold. Seriously. Actually,  the locals bring out the parkas and beanies at about 80 or 85 degrees. True story.

And it was a chilly 64 degrees inside. At 64 in our house I would have been sleeping under at least six blankets. I’d have two pairs of socks on. I’d also be wearing socks on my hands and two layers of clothing, and probably a hoodie besides, tied tightly around my chin. No joke. That’s really cold inside for here.

And now…

The highs! 106.3 inside. Seems hot, but our bedroom and the kitchen easily get up to 100 during the day. 100-ish in dry heat is not so bad. And also it’s just that our bodies are accustomed to it. However, 100 (and higher) and super high humidity (like in the fall months here) is like torture. Pure torture. I’d take 120 and dry any day over 100 and humid. Anyway… I’m rambling.

Wait, we’re not done.

The high outside was 127.8?! 128? 128, really?!

Oh no.

Maybe it would have been better never to be reminded of what is headed our way this summer.

Stupid temperature experiment.

ZAP

After this 'summer' post a few weeks ago, summer disappeared for a couple weeks again. It was magical. Wonderful. Glorious.

Time out.

Please pause for a side-note from your sponsor (?!):

Maybe you're tired of reading about the weather over the past few years. Namely, the heat. But I'm here to tell you that I'm not gonna stop writing about it. I thought about it, but then I thought "That's impossible!" Frankly, it's a big enough part of life here that how could I not mention it in this blog o' mine? So I threw all caution to the wind and instead of trying to avoid the subject I created a label for it instead. That's in case you've got a chill in your bones... you can easily read all my posts about the weather here. Most of them will make you sweat and will take that chill right out of ya'.

Ha!

Aaaanyway...

What was I saying?

Right.

That heat.

Soooo... summer is back now and ZAP! Just like that my energy is gone. Like, looong gone.

Fourteen times a day my eyelids weigh two tons each and my feet weight four tons each. My pillow calls my name like I have never heard before and my body wants nothing more than to be horizontal and motionless.

I. Can't. Seem. To. Do. Anything.

I keep trying to remind myself that this is normal. Each spring expectations must be adjusted and most rest must be taken.

Okay. Fine. I get it.

I'll try to adjust.

But wait.

That is easier said than done.

Who exactly who is going to feed my children and husband two to three times a day? Who is gonna fold the laundry that has been hung to dry all over my house? Who is gonna pack the bags for our summer travels? Who is gonna water the plants? Who is gonna brush the tiny teeth in this house? Who is gonna wipe up that mystery sticky mess in the 'fridge? Who is gonna check the whole bag of medications for expired ones? Who is gonna get that focaccia in the oven for our dinner guests? Who is gonna clear all the toys out of the sandbox? Who is gonna organize those messy shelves near the balcony? Who is gonna do scratch n' sniff painting one more time with my boy and who is gonna wash out those paint pots when we're done?

Um.

That'd be me.

Except the brushing tiny teeth part. I neeever remember to do that and so Mikey does that most of the time. I hope he doesn't mind.

Now... if I could just get my bottom off this chair, wipe the heavy glaze from my eyeballs and get these feet movin'... I've GOT to get something done.

Or I could just lay down on the rug in front of the cooler and 'rest my eyes' for just a moment or two...

Hello Summer

Today the temperature was around 110 F.

Lord have mercy. Summer is here. Sweaty, moody, short-tempered, can't-get-nearly-as-much done-as-I-want-to, do-I-have-a-wet-mark-on-my-bottom-from-sweat? summer. A friend of mine actually had to take her earrings off today because the sun was hitting them just the right way to heat them up and begin to burn her earlobes.

Now that is summer, my friends. Yowzers.

I mean, I should have been expecting it, right? Winter hung on for dear life around here this year and we are soooooo thankful.

But today it was just plain hot. We were out most of the day and sitting directly in front of the AC in the car hardly even took the edge off. Hot.

Am I a broken record here? I think you get it. I'll try not to use the H word again.

And it exhausted me. But please, can someone puh-lease tell me why 110 degree temps don't exhaust my children like they do adults? I mean it is uncanny. It is ludicrous. It is just plain un-fair how much energy my children still had today.

Wait! Don't go! I have a positive side too! Can you believe it?!

Today I discovered that when it's 110 outside and your living room air cooler is broken it is not necessary to bother hanging the cloth diapers on the line to dry.



Just dump them on the rug, turn on the ceiling fan, go to church, come home and find them dry.

See? There is something good about the arrival of summer. I am rather surprised myself...

p.s. We have at least 10 more degrees to go.

A Fleecey Kind of Day

I know you hear me talk a lot about the weather. I can't help it. I guess it's just 'cause frankly... the weather is a big part of life here.

So there.

And lately it's been frigid. You already know this cause I showed you the five covers I've been sleeping under. What I didn't tell you is that the other day I added a sixth. A quilt.

Oh my.

Aaaaannyway...



We've all been wearing fleece.

Currently I'm wearing two layers.

It's around 65 in the house.

Brr. That does sound cold. Maybe I'm not crazy. Or maybe I literally have lost all sense for a normal person's idea of hot and cold. I have no idea.

But it's a funny thing. Cause I can sit here freezing and not be able to FATHOM sitting in the same spot in a few months roasting. Literally, I'll be sitting here in three months time, dripping in sweat, wrists sticking to the keyboard, half-dehydrated while my kids play under the fan in their skivvies while the air-coolers run full-blast.

Except I can't remember that feeling. The actually FEELING of being hot. It's completely lost on me at the moment.

And you can be sure that in THAT 'what-am-I-doing-living-in-these-temperatures MUST DRINK ICE WATER' moment that I won't be able to conjure up this feeling of chill that I am feeling now.

It's a funny thing, these feelings of hot and cold.

I don't have it figured out.

All I know is that today...



...it's a fleecey kind of day.

Chilly

Last night I slept under this purple fleece blanket,



this green woven blanket,



tan woven blanket number one,



tan woven blanket number two,



and a jersey sheet.



Oh. And I wore these socks.

The temperature in my bedroom as I laid down?



80.6 degrees. (Fahrenheit)

Wow.

I suppose that when one spends most of the year functioning at temperatures 100 to 125... 80 feels pretty darn chilly!

Stay warm!

:)

Cold Front

It's gotten a tad chilly around here in the early mornings.



So chilly, in fact, that when H wanted to go outside he insisted on much outerwear.



Sweatshirt (hood up), hat, socks, crocs, and his 'puppets' (socks on his hands like mittens).

It all kept him nice and toasty for the 63 degree temp. Wait... there was also a cool breeze, so it probably was a windchill factor of, like, 60.

Brrrr.



N didn't ask for a hat or puppets.



She was pretty content.

:)

Chilly

It's really cooled down around here lately.

Glory Hallelujah!



When we had brunch on the balcony this weekend we all had to bundle up in our sweatshirts.



My boy LOVES wearing his sweatshirt with the hood up. And I'm just glad the weather is finally appropriate. Cause he does it even if it's 100 degrees and he sweats like crazy underneath!

Yay for winter!

Highs in the mid-80's.
Lows in the low-60's.

Brrrr.

Seasons

You might be able to say that the place we live has one season: Hot. But after over four years here, I realize that's not quite right. I would say there are actually three:

1. Hot and dry
2. Hot, rainy and humid
3. Hot and cooler at night

That's about it. Oh... and they should all include 'dusty.' I forgot to mention that. Every season is extremely dusty.

But anyway...

I miss the changing of seasons (I mean... the real changing of seasons as I know it.) For some reason I feel more aware of it this year. I hear talk from home of pumpkins and leaves changing and hay rides and fall temperatures. And here I am, in Africa, sweating in the early morning and seeing a forecast today of more sweat. Yes, it's still season number two.

That's what I get for making my home in the Sahara Desert, huh?

The changing of seasons is a way to mark the passing of time. It's no wonder that when living here, days blend together... as do weeks and months. It's not unusual for me to not know what day of the week it is. Even the current month recently alluded me. There aren't many environmental factors to differentiate days, weeks and months. It's all just kinda the same. Seasons usually give you some change to experience. Something to look forward to. Some passing of time.

And I miss that.

But it's not like me to dwell on the negative, so I'm a-gonna walk down memory lane and rejoice in the last year that we did get to experience the changing of seasons.

Last summer when we flew home for a visit, we didn't know we'd be spending almost a year Stateside. But visas (or lack thereof) and pregnancy and quick-get-a-bachelors-degree-in-nine-months all kinda factored in and made it happen out of our control. And it's a good thing it did, cause without that amazingly quick bachelors degree my Mikey worked really hard for, we wouldn't be back here today. I love how God sees the big picture even when we cannot.

So anyway, lemme tell ya... we experienced those seasons and I sure did love it! Nothing like four virtually season-less years to make a girl appreciate summer, autumn, winter and spring! We sure did make the best of it!



In the summer we went camping in the mountains of Colorado with some dear friends. Wow. Was that a good time or what?! I love me some tents and campfires and hot dogs and picnic tables and having to walk a few hundred yards to use the bathroom. Wait, did I say that last one? I didn't mean it.



I was about four months prego here... I felt pretty good! I mean what prego gal wouldn't be feeling good when the all the makings of s'mores are sitting only an arms reach away?



Mikey cooking. Good times. Rare times too. But we won't dwell on that.



Love this.



Ohmygoodness he was so small and still a baby... not yet two! And he's looking hysterical in those sweat pants and socks with his sandals. I swear I didn't put him in that outfit...



Then came fall on our street in Colorado... gorgeous tree, the Rocky Mountains and my sweet boy enjoying being outside in his little socked feet.



And sidewalks... something else we really appreciated! Ha!



Oooh... and grass! Wow. The list goes on and on!



This is a glorious harvest day at a local historical ranch. Hot chocolate, banana muffins, crisp temperatures and the sun shining. Glory Hallelujah! Autumn is most definitely my favorite.

The belly was growing as the seasons pass too... yikes!



And winter came! [crunch crunch crunch]



"Never to little to shovel the sidewalk..." That's what we always say around here... he he



The Christmas Parade downtown wasn't such a hit with our little guy. He got a bit cold. Me? Not so much. My little personal belly heater was in full-swing by now.

And by 'little personal belly heater' I meant a very large personal belly heater. Nope. No more pictures of the pregnant belly growing. Trust me, you've seen enough. Promise.

But here is a picture of the little belly dweller after she had spent three months out of my belly and in our arms... a bit of SPRING with our families.



I even appreciate the dreary drippiness of spring in the midwest.



The fresh rain and it's clean smell?! Wow. It's so beautiful! (This picture of Poppi with his two grandsons was taken by Atalie Bale.)

But the spring rains brought spring tears as we said goodbye, packed up our eight suitcases and flew half-way around the world to settle back into our home on this side of the globe.

We've been back for six months now and feeling quite at home. Yeah... I miss things about the States, but there is so much to be thankful for over here too.

Now if I could just remember where I put those fake fall leaves and that recipe for a homemade pumpkin spice latte. Maybe it would taste good over ice...

Under the Stars

I think I have slept under the stars three times in my life.

First time was two years ago at the first annual "Women's Weekend Away" for international women working in this country. I was excited and nervous about sleeping out that night. Will it get cold (it was November)? Will the skeeters get me? Will I sleep well? I thought about it a lot before I took the plunge.

It was such a big deal to me you'd have thought I was 9 years old or something.

And it did get cold. I remember FREEZING and cursing myself for not bringing extra socks and more blankets. And the skeeters did get me. They always do. And I didn't sleep well. I was too cold and itchy and the roosters cock-a-doodle-dooing all night didn't help either. But I refused to admit defeat and move inside with the other smart women who choose to sleep on the rugs or the couches in the first place.

But when my toes thawed out, my cheeks stopped itching, and the roosters had been shot (just kidding)... I loved it! I felt like I joined some special club.

The next time was when we were camping along the Nile with some friends. We slept on some funny folding lounge chairs under a tree with a mosquito net hanging above us. I don't remember getting cold, or getting bit, or being assaulted by a noisy rooster either.

So when the women's retreat came around again this year I was pumped to sleep under the stars again. I put my baby girl inside and I set up my bed outside. And what I mean by 'set up my bed' is I threw my thin foam mattress down on the floor of the roof and spread an old sheet on top of it.

I settled in and looked up to see the stars.

Except there were none. It had sprinkled earlier in the night and it was hazy and cloudy. No stars to be seen. Boo.

I covered up with a sheet to keep the mosquitoes away and had even gone so far to wrap my neck and chin and forehead in the sheet, tucking it around my ears so that only a few square inches of my face was exposed to the air. AND I had doused myself in mosquito repellent.

I really wanted this to work.

Really.

I eventually fell asleep, but woke up often. At one point I put on my socks and a blanket cause the temperature had dropped.

Then later I woke up again sweaty because the temperature had strangely risen again by 2am. Does this sound strange to you? Yeah. I thought it was strange as well and assumed maybe I was imagining it, but indeed it was confirmed by a friend the next morning that it did get hotter for a bit in the middle of the night. I did not know this could happen. Go figure.

Anyway. By this time my sweaty itchy self gave up on sleeping under the stars starless sky, grabbed my pillow and blanket and joined my daughter inside under the air conditioner.

I was rather disappointed that it didn't work out.

But I plan to try again. When the weather cools down some here I'm a-gonna drag a bed onto my balcony, affix a mosquito net to the tree, choose a clear night and sleep under the stars at my own place.

I'm determined to make it work.

What is it that draws us to do this? It's like some strange desire to experience nature, or something else that sounds all natural and organic? Which doesn't really sound like me much at all, frankly. I've never really wanted to 'be one with nature,' Whatever that means.

All I can think is that it's the fresh air. Or just that I love to try new things.

Or maybe it's that I enjoy being disturbed at 5:30am by buses barreling down the road in front of our house that has recently been paved. Or that I love cleaning pigeon poo off the net in the morning. Or that I adore the feeling of one entire arm being covered with mosquito bites because I feel asleep with that arm up against the net and the little buggers feasted on my sweet blood without even getting in my net-protected bed. Or that I get such a thrill waking in the night to a sound of some strange noise on the roof and wondering if we're about to be burgled or kidnapped.

Oh my.

Maybe I best stay inside.

That's More Like It

Early this morning in my dream the power cut but someone continued to shower (despite there being no electricity.) In real life, at that time, the power cut and it was pouring rain outside. Ha!

Really really pouring.

Yes. This is another rain post. What can I say people?... Tired of hearing about the rain? Sorry!

Anyway...

It was lovely. Mike got up to open all the windows to let the cool breeze in before he laid back down.

Then he got back up to close some of windows cause the rain was blowing inside the house all over our stuff. One window in our bedroom had a puddle under it this morning. We didn't care at all. I was glad for more of a 'proper' rain!

Mid morning we went out and the skies were cloudy. This is quite rare and actually a treat!



We had a long drive across the city and encountered many 'puddles' and flooded areas. This is still mild compared to rains of years past... but there is still lots of water in the streets.



They don't have any drainage system in the city...



so every year in rainy season the same thing happens.



It really makes a big mess of things. A dirty, stinky mess!

We were all excited cause this is the first year that we have a 4 x 4. But then Mikey confessed that he doesn't actually know how to turn the four wheel drive on! Good thing we didn't need it...

"It's Waining!"

We've seen a few sprinkles around here. Nothing too significant until today. Frankly I'm a bit disappointed in this year's 'rainy season.' Rainy shmainy. Where are the flooded streets? Where is the water running down my walls and under the windows? Where are the rickshaws stuck in big puddles? (oh wait... I did see one of those!)

Anyway, earlier in the year I blogged about the first rain but had no pics. But today it rained hard during a time when my children were awake! Usually it's been at night or early morning when the sprinkles come. So I ushered H outside to experience the rain...



"It's waining Mommy!!"



Rain is a novelty to our boy. He hasn't experienced it much. During a lull... he said "Make it turn back on Mommy!"



Even little N didn't mind the cold drops on her skin...

Entirely Unrelated

Here I have for you some entirely unrelated photos and comments. I find it very hard not to post each of these in a new post with it's own title because they have absolutely no relation. But I thought I should spare you (as if you care) and just throw 'em all in together.

I guess they are all pictures from today.

So I could have entitled this post 'Pictures from Today.' But that sounds so uninspiring and lacking any sort of interest that I won't. But for the record.... it is actually what I mean. Okay?

Okay.

Getting on with it.

First up:





My boy who sweats almost non-stop from the top of his nose. Nowhere else. Just his nose.

This seems odd to me. Should I be worried?

---

Next up: Same kid. Same nose. But here he's playing a game. Can you guess what game?



This is H playing "which hand?"

Nevermind that he only puts out one hand and that one hand is already open showing you what is in it. It is still a fun game to him. So shut up, don't tell him he's doing it wrong and play along.

---

Next up: Baby Girl!



I have thrown all parenting-book advice out the window and have given her zucchini, apple, potato, carrot, bread, biscuits and bananas all in one day. Most of them she's never had before. And she loves it. In this photo you'd think it was Thanksgiving afternoon and that her body was full of whatever-that-thing-in-turkey-is that they say makes you go to sleep.

Well, maybe to her it was like Thanksgiving. She did just consume the largest meal of her entire life.

---

Last one: Her again.



Here she is informing me that it's time to take the bassinet out of her pack n' play. She's says she's ready for a big girl crib now.

*sniff sniff*