Dexter and I have been working on financial aid applications in the last couple of weeks, trying to see just how much money we can eek out of the loan process. It has been grueling, tiring, stressful work. I spent a long time working out a bare-bones budget with no frills attached (no eating out, gifts, extravagant shopping, and on), and even still, what we get from loans will be well under this estimate. I have to admit when I think about it, and do the math, I get stressed out and begin to panic slightly. I vow things like, "rice + beans 4eva" and plot various ways to save money. Then I do a 180 and rush out to the grocery store and buy things that I probably shouldn't, but that, at that moment, I just need.
Right now, I do not know exactly what the next few months or even couple of years will look like. But I have been seeing so many signs of God's Grace and for us these past few months, that I can't help but think it will turn out okay.
Here are but a few glimpses of God's grace:
-- monthly mystery gift cards arriving in the mail - two to Trader Joe's, one to a local diner so we could have a morning breakfast out!
-- two very unexpected and very generous monetary gifts from friends which (of course) came at exactly the right time. Plus we were able to get an air-conditioner (and a good night of sleep!) for our room and some small rugs for the house.
-- Our gas & electric bill having a random credit on it which means we didn't have to pay last month, and might not pay this month. I mean...what?!
-- a huge box of hand-me-down clothes for Kyalo (including an awesome winter coat!) from my Aunt Ellen
-- Immeasurable support from my parents - so much so that perhaps that deserves its own blog post! :)
These little glimpses of grace offer me encouragement and reassurance that we weren't totally crazy to come to the US for school. I know some people might wonder. . . In the long run we'll see the benefits, but these two years will tight.
I'm not complaining - please don't think that! In fact, when I look at the above list, I am truly awed and humbled by the community around us that is supporting us in such interesting and tangible ways. I look forward to {some day!!!} being able to pay the love forward.
In the mean time...what do YOU do to save money? Do you have any good recipes (or food websites) that are cheap and easy? I'd be happy for any kind of tip you can send my way.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
overdue
The Kenyan version of "Happy Birthday" is so awesome and unique, I knew I had to get it on video...especially since we wouldn't be in Kenya for Kyalo's birthday (sob). It took a couple of tries (mostly because the first time, my camera ran out of memory about 1 second in) to get this video. I suppose I could have saved posting it til Kyalo's 2nd birthday, but it is too great not to share, esp since I got it on the blog, finally!
We played it a LOT for Kyalo around his birthday, and hope to every year. I love these guys -- my Bible Study group and their (many! wow.) kids who were willing to put up with me and sing this song for Kyalo multiple times a month before his birthday.
My friend Francis is the leader of the song, you'll see him in the back somewhere.
Tell me you don't love it. . .
rice bucket
Considering how much fun Kyalo had on the beach in Ocean City, my mom thought it would be a great idea to get Kyalo a rice bucket that he could play with. She envisioned him happily pouring the rice from one container to another, letting it fall through his hands, etc, for many hours of uninterrupted fun.
Not exactly.
I will say this, though. The rice bucket DID provide good entertainment for Kyalo three ways: playing with it & dumping it on the floor, then spreading the rice further out on the floor, and then watching me clean it all up.
Sigh.
I even moved the party to our back yard, but that just resulted in him dumping the rice on the ground and then picking up handfuls of rice and dirt and eating it. Yuck.
We're sticking with cleaner (and cooler!) activities like playing with ice cubes for now.
Not exactly.
I will say this, though. The rice bucket DID provide good entertainment for Kyalo three ways: playing with it & dumping it on the floor, then spreading the rice further out on the floor, and then watching me clean it all up.
do you see the rice everywhere?
Sigh.
I even moved the party to our back yard, but that just resulted in him dumping the rice on the ground and then picking up handfuls of rice and dirt and eating it. Yuck.
We're sticking with cleaner (and cooler!) activities like playing with ice cubes for now.
Monday, July 23, 2012
more adventures
After the wedding, and a brunch at Tim & Ellen's house on Sunday (where I at entirely too many pieces of the best.bacon.EVER), Dexter and I got together with a roommate of mine from college. Amanda and her husband live in DC, so drove the hour to see us. The goal was to get some dinner, but this proved to be a challenging excursion because everything was closed. The greatest city in America is deader than dead. It was nice to see them and catch up a little bit. I'm loving reconnecting with people I haven't seen in years. This is definitely one big bonus to being on the east coast again.
On Monday Dexter left in the wee hours to catch a 5 AM train back to Newark (ugh) and at a more reasonable time, my parents and I drove down to Williamsburg, VA, to see my mom's half sister, Dorothy, who is 93. They have the same father. Dorothy was his first born, and my mom, his last born. Dorothy and my mom's mom were especially close and so a relationship eventually blossomed between her and my mom, too. Dorothy is amazing, I think. Her memory is still sharp, she lives alone (!!) and is witty as ever. I'm so glad that I got to see her again, and that she got to meet Kyalo. We were only there a couple of days (and did no site seeing, unfortunately) but it was a sweet reunion.
It had been a LONG week for Kyalo, and he was pretty much at the end of his rope. We wanted to get some charming photos of him with Dorothy & my mom, but that just wasn't to be...
On the way back to Newark, we made a bit of a detour to go to Ocean City, MD, to see Dorothy's son, Robert, and The Alaska Stand, a burger joint on the boardwalk that has been in their family for almost 80 years. If you're ever in Ocean City, I highly recommend you swing by. The burger was very good! And chances are pretty good that Robert will be there taking your order, answering the phone, or just saying hello.
On Monday Dexter left in the wee hours to catch a 5 AM train back to Newark (ugh) and at a more reasonable time, my parents and I drove down to Williamsburg, VA, to see my mom's half sister, Dorothy, who is 93. They have the same father. Dorothy was his first born, and my mom, his last born. Dorothy and my mom's mom were especially close and so a relationship eventually blossomed between her and my mom, too. Dorothy is amazing, I think. Her memory is still sharp, she lives alone (!!) and is witty as ever. I'm so glad that I got to see her again, and that she got to meet Kyalo. We were only there a couple of days (and did no site seeing, unfortunately) but it was a sweet reunion.
doesn't she look amazing? I hope to look this good at 93!
On the way back to Newark, we made a bit of a detour to go to Ocean City, MD, to see Dorothy's son, Robert, and The Alaska Stand, a burger joint on the boardwalk that has been in their family for almost 80 years. If you're ever in Ocean City, I highly recommend you swing by. The burger was very good! And chances are pretty good that Robert will be there taking your order, answering the phone, or just saying hello.
yum
kites!
Kyalo really needed to get down and dirty. . .
Robert, my mom, Kyalo
It was a wonderful trip, but it was also very wonderful to get back home and to get back into a bit of a routine.
Friday, July 20, 2012
wedding day
My cousin, Rachel, got married on the seventh. After our adventures to Lexington Market, we returned for showers and naps and then headed to the wedding at 6. Thankfully, the wedding was about 10 feet from the hotel, since the heat hadn't broken we were all glad to not walk too far.
Weddings always make me a little weepy. There's just something so special and romantic about seeing the bride for the first time, her arm on her dad. I usually try to glance at the groom but this time, I forgot.
The fun thing about this wedding, was it was the first time for me to see some of my cousins in 10 years (or more!) Nice to make a connection with them again after so long...
Weddings always make me a little weepy. There's just something so special and romantic about seeing the bride for the first time, her arm on her dad. I usually try to glance at the groom but this time, I forgot.
The fun thing about this wedding, was it was the first time for me to see some of my cousins in 10 years (or more!) Nice to make a connection with them again after so long...
::brothers::
my dad, Tim (father of the bride) and the Don
Burgin & Jessica
I was meeting Burgin for the first time (finally! It is nice to no longer be on the other side of the world. geesh.)
Rachel with the five Mering siblings:
Don, Anne, Margie, David and Tim
There we all are. I won't name them all. But missing from this picture are my brother, his wife and SIX kids, my cousin Jon, his wife and their three kids, and my cousin Jason, his wife and their one kid. I wonder if we'll ever ALL be together. . .
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
busy in Baltimore
It seems hard to believe that it is already more than a week since we were in Baltimore. We squeezed a lot in to this 6-day trip, including a trip to Williamsburg, VA, and Ocean City, MD. Kyalo can now cross two more states off his list. (I think he's up to 8 right now, which is pretty good.)
The reason for the trip was for my cousin's wedding. Both my parents are from Baltimore, so I spent a lot of time there (usually around Christmas) growing up. It was nice to be back. Since the wedding was in the evening, we had a chance to do some exploring.
The most important stop, according to my parents, was this place:
Faidley's is a seafood joint that we always go to when in town. They serve the best crab cakes or soft-shell crab sandwiches. Stop in next time you're in Baltimore. But, before we could get to the crab cakes, we needed to have some oysters on the half shell.
The reason for the trip was for my cousin's wedding. Both my parents are from Baltimore, so I spent a lot of time there (usually around Christmas) growing up. It was nice to be back. Since the wedding was in the evening, we had a chance to do some exploring.
The most important stop, according to my parents, was this place:
since 1782! a little slice of history, right there
because inside, it has this:
oysters, horseradish, a little lemon, maybe a little hot sauce
divine
Eating oysters-on-the-half-shell (ie, raw) is kind of a right of passage for outsiders to really be considered TRUE Merings. My sister-in-law, Noelle, did it either before or right after getting married. Now it was Dexter's turn. He's not really a seafood lover, so it was more of a challenge for him. But he did it!
uta do?
(a Kenyan slang phrase meaning, roughly, "what're you gonna do about it?")
Sure is a weight off everyone's shoulders to be able to welcome Dexter fully into the family!
Then we moved on to the other side of the room to get crab cakes and sandwiches.
yum
Dexter opted out of this, having done his duty, and got a Philly Cheese-steak sub, which is also a good choice.
Faidley's has a little piece of advice for you, free of charge.
so there you go
On the way to the market, I saw this.
Did you know? I did not.
And considering how run down the city feels, I think maybe the title needs to be reconsidered. . .
This was a very nice way to spend the morning of the wedding, and, except for the walk there and back in 107* F temps I'd say it was perfect!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
our 4th of July. . .
Did not go as planned.
Instead of a picnic in Central Park with some of Dexter's {international} classmates, we were at home, preparing for a trip to Baltimore the next day, and trying to survive the heat. There was a 75% chance of rain, and no one was quite willing to risk it, especially since there would be babies involved. There was NO rain on the 4th, but it was so hot we all would have been miserable. Maybe some day we'll get that picnic in.
Still, I wanted to do something festive. . .and there was something going on just around the corner from us. Much to Dexter's dismay, we headed out in the blazing temps to walk there to see what was happening. I was thinking it would be a carnival, or something. But, it was a big, fat. . .NOTHING. Even though the 'net had said "day-long-festivities" the truth of the matter was that there was something in the morning, and then the fireworks later in the evening. Not to be deterred, we kept walking to an ice cream store and rewarded ourselves with some yummy ice cream.
Unfortunately, just about an hour after I got Kyalo to bed, the fireworks started, and promptly woke him up and freaked him out. I thought that if he could see them it wouldn't be so scary, but I was wrong. Since the fireworks were happening just outside his bedroom windows, he and I camped out on the couch in the living room. I don't think I've ever been so close to fireworks, and I definitely got the sense of what it might have been like in the Revolutionary War. Intense!
Anyway, Kyalo and I spent an hour or so like this, til the fireworks stopped and we all fell asleep.
Instead of a picnic in Central Park with some of Dexter's {international} classmates, we were at home, preparing for a trip to Baltimore the next day, and trying to survive the heat. There was a 75% chance of rain, and no one was quite willing to risk it, especially since there would be babies involved. There was NO rain on the 4th, but it was so hot we all would have been miserable. Maybe some day we'll get that picnic in.
Still, I wanted to do something festive. . .and there was something going on just around the corner from us. Much to Dexter's dismay, we headed out in the blazing temps to walk there to see what was happening. I was thinking it would be a carnival, or something. But, it was a big, fat. . .NOTHING. Even though the 'net had said "day-long-festivities" the truth of the matter was that there was something in the morning, and then the fireworks later in the evening. Not to be deterred, we kept walking to an ice cream store and rewarded ourselves with some yummy ice cream.
Unfortunately, just about an hour after I got Kyalo to bed, the fireworks started, and promptly woke him up and freaked him out. I thought that if he could see them it wouldn't be so scary, but I was wrong. Since the fireworks were happening just outside his bedroom windows, he and I camped out on the couch in the living room. I don't think I've ever been so close to fireworks, and I definitely got the sense of what it might have been like in the Revolutionary War. Intense!
Anyway, Kyalo and I spent an hour or so like this, til the fireworks stopped and we all fell asleep.
hot and sweaty and tired and scared
Since Kyalo doesn't sit still for much these days, I actually enjoyed the snuggle time. He was so sweet, not letting me let him go, pulling my arms to be tight around him.
Maybe next year he'll be more interested in celebrating.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
what Kyalo loves
This is a continuation of this morning's post. Departure time for Baltimore has been pushed back due to some unforeseen circumstances. I'm basically ready to go, and Kyalo's asleep, so I'll take the time to relax and with the fan on full blast and a glass of iced coffee.
Kyalo is active. You have probably picked up on this fact. I realize that this is nothing particularly unusual for a 15 month old child, especially a boy. It does continually amaze me just how busy he can be. He literally runs circles around the house...which I figure is a good thing because then it wears him out!
In no particular order here are some of his loves...
eating
He loves food. You'll notice, however, that there is an awful lot of food on the tray in the top photo. He still tends to chew stuff and then spit it out, which is a) gross, b) frustrating because then I don't know how much he's actually eaten. Lately we've taken to feeding him while he runs around. Not the best habit, I know, but at least then he swallows. Yesterday, however, he seemed to begin a turn-around and is eating/swallowing more in his high chair. He had a big lunch today and didn't even nurse before his nap. More progress! (unless it means he wakes up in 20 minutes...). The second photo is from Monday. We'd spent the morning in a busy government office in Newark, and missed the morning nap. I wanted to get some solid food in his tummy before naptime, but he was just too tired. He has also gotten much better using the spoon himself. His aim is usually pretty accurate these days. He's growing up!
talking
Ok, so even though he doesn't say any actual words just yet, he is NON-STOP talking, babbling, whatever. The boy has a lot on his mind and is working on expressing it. So far the only thing we've really gotten from him is "tah" for hot, which he says for just about everything. Sometimes he's right, other times, not so much. Earlier in the week, he was eating in his high chair, and Dexter was making noise in the back. He got very excited and said, "Dada!!" and since he's done that several more times, I think it is safe to say he's also started to give Dexter a name. Do we have "mama" for me? Noooooo.
Typical.
bathing/brushing teeth
He still only has two teeth! I'm guessing they're just going to explode on us one {miserable} day and night. The boy needs some top teeth. That'd probably help him eat, too. He loves bath time, and he loves to brush his teeth, and sometimes, he loves to combine the two activities.
reading
Kyalo is surrounded by books. We read a lot together, and I take him to story hour at the local library once a week. Lately he's been showing more interest in reading, and sometimes, when he's suspiciously quiet for a while, I will peek at him and find this:
I like this because he's quiet and still and because he's being exposed to books - even he's not reading them properly yet. A few weeks ago we got our first batch of books from the library which was nice. Until he ripped one in half. Guess we'll wait a while before getting another batch!
{Those of you with kids, what are your favorite books to read to your child/ren?}
What also amazes me is how alert he is. When he was new born and for the first several months I consistently read to him three books before bed in the same order. (The Carrot Seed, The Foolish Tortoise, Goodnight Moon. Totally random, I know). I haven't done that for a long time, but the other day I started reciting The Carrot Seed to him. Off he went to the bookshelf to get it!!! Then, he went off and got The Foolish Tortoise and brought it to me, and lastly, he went and got Goodnight Moon!
Am I the only one who finds that amazing?
He also likes reading with us. Here he is, reading a Swahili book with Papa...
pushing/shutting
He recently discovered how to shut doors, which he's doing all the time. Of course, he hasn't learned how to open them yet (or he's just too short to reach the handle) so that usually results in a total meltdown afterwards!
He also loves to push stuff. The laundry basket, chairs, boxes, whatever. In order to do my workout I have to move the coffee table in the living room. I get him to help me with this every day. Now when I say, "Kyalo, I need help pushing..." he'll run, all smiles, to the coffee table.
I apologize for the scary pics of me in my workout outfit. Try to focus on Kyalo.
Ok, I'm turning into one of those types of mothers - you know, the ones who can't stop talking about how amazing their kid is? I don't want to bore you with all the details. I'm sure there are other things I wanted to include, but will likely have forgotten.
I'll be back with a brief post about our rather uneventful 4th of July in the coming days.
Hope those of you in the US are staying cool. . .
Kyalo is active. You have probably picked up on this fact. I realize that this is nothing particularly unusual for a 15 month old child, especially a boy. It does continually amaze me just how busy he can be. He literally runs circles around the house...which I figure is a good thing because then it wears him out!
In no particular order here are some of his loves...
eating
He loves food. You'll notice, however, that there is an awful lot of food on the tray in the top photo. He still tends to chew stuff and then spit it out, which is a) gross, b) frustrating because then I don't know how much he's actually eaten. Lately we've taken to feeding him while he runs around. Not the best habit, I know, but at least then he swallows. Yesterday, however, he seemed to begin a turn-around and is eating/swallowing more in his high chair. He had a big lunch today and didn't even nurse before his nap. More progress! (unless it means he wakes up in 20 minutes...). The second photo is from Monday. We'd spent the morning in a busy government office in Newark, and missed the morning nap. I wanted to get some solid food in his tummy before naptime, but he was just too tired. He has also gotten much better using the spoon himself. His aim is usually pretty accurate these days. He's growing up!
talking
Ok, so even though he doesn't say any actual words just yet, he is NON-STOP talking, babbling, whatever. The boy has a lot on his mind and is working on expressing it. So far the only thing we've really gotten from him is "tah" for hot, which he says for just about everything. Sometimes he's right, other times, not so much. Earlier in the week, he was eating in his high chair, and Dexter was making noise in the back. He got very excited and said, "Dada!!" and since he's done that several more times, I think it is safe to say he's also started to give Dexter a name. Do we have "mama" for me? Noooooo.
Typical.
bathing/brushing teeth
He still only has two teeth! I'm guessing they're just going to explode on us one {miserable} day and night. The boy needs some top teeth. That'd probably help him eat, too. He loves bath time, and he loves to brush his teeth, and sometimes, he loves to combine the two activities.
reading
Kyalo is surrounded by books. We read a lot together, and I take him to story hour at the local library once a week. Lately he's been showing more interest in reading, and sometimes, when he's suspiciously quiet for a while, I will peek at him and find this:
I like this because he's quiet and still and because he's being exposed to books - even he's not reading them properly yet. A few weeks ago we got our first batch of books from the library which was nice. Until he ripped one in half. Guess we'll wait a while before getting another batch!
{Those of you with kids, what are your favorite books to read to your child/ren?}
What also amazes me is how alert he is. When he was new born and for the first several months I consistently read to him three books before bed in the same order. (The Carrot Seed, The Foolish Tortoise, Goodnight Moon. Totally random, I know). I haven't done that for a long time, but the other day I started reciting The Carrot Seed to him. Off he went to the bookshelf to get it!!! Then, he went off and got The Foolish Tortoise and brought it to me, and lastly, he went and got Goodnight Moon!
Am I the only one who finds that amazing?
He also likes reading with us. Here he is, reading a Swahili book with Papa...
He recently discovered how to shut doors, which he's doing all the time. Of course, he hasn't learned how to open them yet (or he's just too short to reach the handle) so that usually results in a total meltdown afterwards!
He also loves to push stuff. The laundry basket, chairs, boxes, whatever. In order to do my workout I have to move the coffee table in the living room. I get him to help me with this every day. Now when I say, "Kyalo, I need help pushing..." he'll run, all smiles, to the coffee table.
I apologize for the scary pics of me in my workout outfit. Try to focus on Kyalo.
is he proud or what?
and yes, he can actually push the table by himself
I'll be back with a brief post about our rather uneventful 4th of July in the coming days.
Hope those of you in the US are staying cool. . .
15 months
This week, Kyalo turned 15 months. While it wasn't quite as hectic and non-stop as the month before it, this was still a fairly full month, with lots of changes and developments. I think for me, the biggest thing is that we're settling into a decent and predictable routine...an hourish nap around 9 AM and another hourish nap around 1 PM. Bed time is a little more tricky, but I had THREE NIGHTS in a row of uninterrupted sleep for the first time since Kyalo was born. But lately he's been waking up around 4:30. Still, one wake up call is so much better. Progress!!
Getting these monthly photos continues to require a bit of creativity. Sitting on a chair is a thing of the past, I think. So, I sat on the chair while he ran around the living room. This one picture was the result.
. . .but Kyalo spent a lot of time walking away from me. . .
yay! a stick!
It is fun to see how Kyalo is growing and learning. His understanding is certainly increasing each day, and we're just having a lot more fun together.
I think I'll wrap this post up for now. I have so much more to say, but I need to finish getting ready for a trip to Baltimore -- and 100* F temps -- this afternoon. My parents are picking Kyalo and me up this afternoon, and Dexter (who had an 8 AM lecture today!?!) will follow tomorrow evening on the train.
I'm excited for a little vacation, and for Kyalo to spend LOTS of time with Grandma & Grandpa.
Getting these monthly photos continues to require a bit of creativity. Sitting on a chair is a thing of the past, I think. So, I sat on the chair while he ran around the living room. This one picture was the result.
I turn to mush
Then we moved to the backyard, which I thought would be a good idea. It was, more or less. . .
. . .but Kyalo spent a lot of time walking away from me. . .
(no hair cut as of yet. soon...)
. . . looking for treasures. . .
It is fun to see how Kyalo is growing and learning. His understanding is certainly increasing each day, and we're just having a lot more fun together.
I think I'll wrap this post up for now. I have so much more to say, but I need to finish getting ready for a trip to Baltimore -- and 100* F temps -- this afternoon. My parents are picking Kyalo and me up this afternoon, and Dexter (who had an 8 AM lecture today!?!) will follow tomorrow evening on the train.
I'm excited for a little vacation, and for Kyalo to spend LOTS of time with Grandma & Grandpa.
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