Don't forget to put the seat down (w/ disclaimer)

***Disclaimer: This blog was once shared with a very small group of people most of which were family and a certain someone:-) made repeated requests to share it with others so...sorry to have to go the direction of potty talk but we're just trying to share the full experience!!

As I often do these days, I found myself in a situation this morning in which I just never would have placed myself. I tried to talk to the boys' teacher about an issue they are having, but apparently it was a big enough issue that she felt the need to direct me to the school director.

So after getting the boys settled, I headed to the office where I was invited to be seated and the director and her assistant sat across from me. I then had to explain and request that my children be allowed to stand up to pee!

It is really bothering the boys that the "aunties" make them sit down to pee. Aunties are the women who put on and take off shoes, take backpacks, set up and clean up activities serve lunch and walk around with brooms sweeping up after the kids. At first I thought maybe the sitting was a cultural difference that we were going to have to adapt to, but then I remembered that I see about 13 men a day peeing on the side of the road so I'm pretty sure it's a universal practice. I think it might be that the aunties just don't want to have to clean up after those who miss their "target" and believe me, I get that. But really....

Thankfully the school was very accommodating and Samuel and Everett will be back to their normal routine this morning.....whatever that may be these days...

Hit me with your best shot....

My mother will be thrilled to find out that I finally took the opportunity today to get an immunization that I was due. I didn't have time to finish the series before I left the States, and I have not been real eager to deal with it here.

Thankfully, even though I was off my prescribed schedule, it was no problem getting the prescription. There's no word for schedule in Hindi....just kidding there is...it just isn't often used.

So, I went to "get" my shot and I "got it." In a box. With one tiny little band aid on top.

My web md training did not prepare me for that.

Sigh...another day in paradise...

Every Tribe and Tongue

We finally settled on a church this week, just in time for Palm Sunday. We attended Bangalore International Fellowship and many many nations were represented in the congregation.

What a joy to hear "Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest" shouted in 10 different accents.

And even more of a joy to hear Everett shout it out 3 seconds after everyone else was finished.

(This is our street....no shortage of palms this Sunday or any!)

Coconut Milk

He said he "loved it a little." I think he was a little more interested in the machete that the man used to chop the top off.

Safety First..or if not first then really high up on the list...

We spent the morning at HyperCity. This is Bangalore's version of Super Target. Well it's actually the UK's version of Super Target and it opened in our neighborhood yesterday. It is the talk of the town and I actually ran into several neighbors while we were there. I also ran into the guy who is starting Walmart in Bangalore. He was apparently doing a little market research and since we look like people with keen business senses (or stick out like a white sore thumb around here) he thought we would be the perfect people to talk with.

We were like kids in a candy store finding all sorts of hard to find items like olive oil, canned pears and diet coke sold in cases. It really is a wonderful store.

So all this to say, this was a very modern building, very clean, somewhat efficient in it's operation and it even had a parking garage...it was almost like being home....almost....

We are still in India. We still had to enter through metal detectors. I still had to have my purse searched. Our driver, Channa, was, as always, present. There were still throngs of people. There
were still sales people following me around encouraging me to buy. It still took us close to an hour to check out.

My favorite part was going into the very modern parking garage and seeing this.
















Just makes you feel safe.

Prepositions

Carl and I love to "message" each other on our blackberries during the day. Apparently messaging is better than texting because according to Carl, blah blah blah technical term...I don't know, it just is. (also you don't end up sending inappropriate texts to your cousin in Guam that were intended for your husband....someone I know or am related to did this....I can't remember who... Clare)

We message a lot because moving to a foreign country with your spouse is basically like one big giant marriage retreat. Take away friends, family, social activities, television, and well...hunting and fishing, and you end up with nothing else to do but bond.

Anyhoo. This is the message I got this morning. "It is raining in my office." About 3 months ago I would have called that I typo but I knew better this morning.

Someone left the air conditioner on in Carl's office all night and it rained all night on his desk. He has apparently moved his office to avoid electrocution and is soaking up the water with some old fabric samples. I'm so glad he's from Alaska. I feel it trained him to handle these in-climate conditions.

Strength

Everett had his first day of school EVER.

Carl and I had fully intended on Everett's first day of school starting out with packing all his favorite things in his spiderman lunchbox and depositing him into the loving and capable arms of Mrs McGinnis at Coram Deo.

Plans change....

He hit the ground running, or limping as it were, in new country, with a broken foot, all Indian teachers, a vegetarian Indian menu in the cafeteria and no Americans in his class.

How did he do?

Fine. Just fine.

We love you E-ticket. Since birth you have reminded us from where our help comes.

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.". II Corinthians 12:9,10