We started Mikayla’s Toddler School this week. If you missed that post you should check it out for more details! This week Mikayla learned a lot about the Letter M!
The kids returned to the hostel this week, which means the twins also returned (although they left our care last Saturday). The transition was really smooth. Mikayla is doing well being the only child again (she was only in time out one or two times the whole week, compared to the numerous times daily when the twins were here). We miss the twins, but have fallen easily back into our old routines. Meal time is much less stressful now, only trying to feed one kid and not three. The twins are having a bit of a harder time with adjustment, Nosipho especially. She is grumpy as ever and is much clingier than she ever was with us. Their sister (probably five years old) lives at the hostel as well and Nosipho has really taken to her. The other day she didn’t want to have anything to do with anyone else besides her. Neither are walking yet, but Nosipho did take a few independent steps. Simo is scooting along on the floor and trying really hard to pull himself up on furniture and the like.
Speaking of the hostel Mikayla has magically transformed her behavior while at the hostel. Before the break she was really clingy and whiney when we were there. This week she has marched right in and started playing immediately. Of course it helps that all the kids are offering her sweets (candy) and biscuits (cookies)!! On Saturday she played by herself with me out of sight for a good hour. She has even buddied up with the twins older sister. And she partook in dance lessons from one of the girls the other day. She is becoming quite the Swazi and definitely has more rhythm than both her parents!
On Wednesday we spent an entire day in the capital city, Mbabane to get our fingerprints taken. We are still working through the process of getting our work permits taken care of and this is just part of it. Mikayla thought it was fun though and she even took her baby’s fingerprints in the car on the way home.
After our day in Mbabane we went on a mini safari to see some animals. We saw mostly deer like animals (impala, kudu, etc), some warthogs and most excitedly of all some zebra. Mikayla had fun scouting out the animals and only complained of the rain once and got right over it. We drove around for awhile and then walked around the main lodge area in the rain for a bit. It was fun to introduce Mikayla to some real African wild life and not just cows and goats!
We didn’t have to make a lot of home purchases when we arrived because our house was furnished; but we have picked up a few minor things along the way like some Tupperware and of course my mixer! However, this week we got one of our biggest home purchase yet (including home purchases back in the states). We had a custom table and chairs built by a local carpenter. It is really beautiful. The chairs need some cushions, but besides that it is amazing. We have never bought new furniture before, so this was exciting for us. For the table and six chairs we paid E1660, roughly $230! Amazing! Too bad you can’t get custom made furniture like that everywhere!
When we arrived in Swaziland the sisters told us that we could have the satellite that was on another volunteers house and use it at ours, we just had to move it and get it hooked up. We finally broke down this weekend, and by we I mean Ben and a maintenance guy named Esau, and hooked it up. I came home for a parents meeting and entertainment at the hostel to find the Food Network! Ah the simple pleasures in life!
Macaroni necklace. Mikayla was actually really good at threading the noodles onto her ribbon. Any good suggestions for activities dealing with fine motor??
Counting caterpillar – she was putting the correct number of macaroni noodles on each number of the caterpillar. He goes to 10, but we stopped at five this week.
What better way to celebrate the Letter M than to make muffins! I hope to incorporate cooking activities in with each letter.
Our new table and chairs!
New chairs, aren’t they pretty?
Zebra, aren’t they beautiful??
Tags: Mikayla, Toddler School, twins, weeks happenings
You probably already know this but for fine motor skills, try moving objects with clothes pins.