Independence day(s) celebration

It's the end of September and the beginning of October, looks like lots of African countries got their independence around this time.
So the Africans at Wharton threw a joint party today, to celebrate anniversaries gone by and those yet to come (like Uganda's which is in about 9 days time).

We had lots of fun, African music, plenty of dancing, African food of course and a movie "The Last King of Scotland" (there couldn't have been a better choice).

Preschool??!!

So, Mich is having fun at preschool, he has made friends and he likes his teachers.
But with school comes the baggage of viral illnesses and strange behavior.
Last week he didn't go to school for two days because he was down with a cold.
I have also noticed that he cries a lot more these days, even over really petty issues and I was wondering what was happening, I'm thinking it might be because he sees other children crying at school but many of them are younger than he is.
Then just this weekend he said something that I know he definitely heard from somewhere else, he said "I don't like grownups", now that was a shocker and we are trying to deal with it.
Even as he grows, learns and gets more independent, we continue to trim off the rough edges.

Sam in Quantico

Last week Sam came to a point where he thought it was time to change careers apparently school is doing things to him. He decided life as a marine might just work better.




















I hope by now you have realised that I'm just pulling your leg.

On a serious note, Sam and a few other Wharton students had the opportunity to experience life as a marine for a day. They went to quantico the camping and training base for the marines and this is what happened.



































And lastly the writing on the wall.

Mich starts preschool

We all looked forward to Mich's first day at school, he was excited, so was I and Sam was busy getting ready to head back to school too.
On the morning of the first day Mich wasn't too keen on taking his bath or getting dressed, we had to keep reminding him of what exciting things lay ahead, that got him going.
















It's preschool or should I say play school so we didn't have to get him much, just a school bag and some decent clothes.
When we got to school and entered the class room Mich let go off my hand and went off to play with the toys. There were a few kids here and there crying because their parents had left them and one was throwing a serious tantrum. Mich looked at the boy with a bewildered look of "what's the matter dude, we are in school that should be exciting".
Sam and I hang around to speak with the teacher and see how Mich settled in but honestly he couldn't have been bothered with us.















The teacher was nice, she said we should give him time to settle in, that the first day was usually excited but when they get to realise its a daily thing then they get weary and don't look forward to school anymore, we took that to heart.
We said bye to Mich but really he was more concerned with other things.



















Sam and I went to run a few errands and before long it was time to pick him up.
As we got into the school a little girl came up to me and told me how she spent the morning playing with Mich and then she asked if we came from Africa. I said well, yes, then she said " I come from Africa too", I said "oh really?!, which part of Africa?" then she said " somewhere in the jungle" I didn't pursue the conversation any further partly because she had run along by this point.
Mich loved his first day of school, we got there and found the teacher just finishing a story. The little girl told him we had arrived and when the story was over he came out and we went home.

The next day was a little different, when I went to pick him up he wasn't too excited to see me, he said he was still enjoying school and that I should go back. I'm thinking this is the effect of spending all our time together, poor boy can't stand me anymore. Actually on the third day, when he saw me he begun to cry, the teacher was reading a story and he immediately stopped, "Mich why are you crying?", then his little girl friend moved over from where she was sitting stumbling over other kids to get to him and ask him the same question. I was a little embarrassed to say "it's okay, hehe, he just doesn't want to go home yet".
I'm hoping the teachers don't begin to wonder what goes on at home seeing as the young man doesn't really look forward to leaving and is glad when we drop him in the morning.
Well the other issue is, most kids stay at school the whole day and Mich is only there for 3 hours 9am to 12pm, I guess that makes him feel like he is leaving before he should. I'm not convincing my self, it's the truth.

















I like the free time while Mich is at school, it just flies by so fast that by the time I seriously thinking of using it, it's over and I have to go pick him up.

The bigger thing for me now is praying that Mich doesn't pick up any weird or bad habits at school, that he would be learn and grow, make good friends and keep healthy.

We are back!

Yee! It's great to be back, no, not to Uganda but back to Philly.
We took the 12:00pm flight from Dallas, took about 3 hours to get here and thankfully my dear friend Brent and his wife Diane picked us up from the airport.
We spent the first night in a hotel because we couldn't get the keys to our apartment until 12:00pm of the next day (1st September)
My my! west Philadelphia especially the areas surrounding the University was jammed with cars, roads were blocked off, basically that whole part of town looked like back to school day in a boarding school. Students carrying suitcases, furniture, the whole works, but that is because many students especially under grads rent housing close to the compass.

Interestingly it's good to be back, feels more like home than ever (I can't believe I just said that), I guess because everything is familiar. Nothing much has changed.
It's nice to meet up with friends, who were more less acquaintances last semester, there is a lot more in common. Every one is talking about their summer experiences, where they went, and whether or not they are going back at the end of the course.
Gosh! it's wonderful to be a second year, certainly feel more in control and familiar with the school schedule and life in Philly generally. The best part is telling the first year moms "it's tough but you will make it through seeing as some of us lived to tell the story".
Our new apartment is much nicer, at least we can all breathe freely without thoughts of suffocating. Ok may be I have over stated it but our first place was really for survival and not much else. Mich likes the new place and that is a good sign.

What's the plan for the next few weeks?, well, party party party, we are now the matures and hopefully school is going to be less stressful, at least that's what the second year moms' told us last year.
By the way the party's are purposeful, it's not out of control. There has got to be a come-back party, house warming party's, we-made-it-through-the-summer party, before-we-get-back into-intense-reading party's, welcome parties for the first year moms in the kids club ... so you see these parties are all necessary.