malfunctions and lessons in raising boys.

I was never prepared to raise two boys.  I have "girl" running all through this body.  I've required much training along the way.  Jason, however, is a champ in this area.  He's graciously taught me a few things.

I set out to teach them spot-on manners, but have watched in horror as they burp at a meal and laugh hysterically.  Jason says it's just what they do.  I've since decided that there's a long unsaid list of those things that seem to be okay simply because "they are boys."

Touching unfathomable things such as someone's chewed gum from under a table... and chewing it.
Using the toilet bowl for target practice... which doesn't seem to change with age.
Adding just one more Hot Wheels car to the pile that already is in the hundreds.
Intentionally leaving out Legos to test your mom's agility and ability not to swear under pressure.
Possessing manners is nice, but not required.
Bathroom humor will always be funny.
Napkins are never necessary.... shirts and arms do the trick.
And urination can be handled anywhere... no restroom needed.

Some of those rules were tough for me at first.  But that last one was pretty easy for me.  Actually, both boys learned to potty outside before they were ever interested in toilets.  Jack has actually grown up a little and is a little more peculiar about this than Max, but we've learned to keep a sharp eye on Max.  He's had things whipped out in the Mall parking lot before we could say a word, and believe it or not, we still have some standards when it comes to urinating outside.

Actually we've had more than one occasion where the side of the road just wasn't an option.  So we've worked intently to master "the bottle."  I, honestly, thought this was one of my best skills.  But isn't it funny how things can change in a second?

Last night we were on our way home and the obligatory "I have to tee-tee" was stated.  We had no intentions of getting out of the car on the side of the road at night in India so Jason pulled out the trusty bottle.  It all worked like clock work.  And then Max started crying.  The next few seconds moved in slow motion.

I quickly asked what was the matter, but was interrupted by a steady stream of warm liquid in my face.  I was stunned.  Where was it coming from?  What was it?  How do I stop it?  And as it flowed in my open mouth I wondered would I die?

Jason seemed completely in control of the situation (despite his efforts not to laugh hysterically.)  As he tried to regain control of the escaped convict, their now seemed to be a "sprinkler effect."  Jack started complaining that something wet was hitting him.  And the flow of water that was once hitting me square in the face was not spraying over my entire body.  After what seemed like an eternity, the shooting ceased.  The culprit was back in custody, but the madness had only started.

At this point, Max's tears continued to flow and the wailing  began.  He kept saying, "It's all my fault!" Jack laughed at him and reassured him "it was DEFINITELY all [his] fault." This only fueled Max's breakdown.  By this time, I had begun to regain consciousness.  As drops of liquid ran down my face and drenched my hair, I suddenly realized that the unknown substance was in fact urine and that not only was I wearing it but I had actually ingested some of it.  Though I was definitely injured and near death, this was no time to crumble under pressure.

I learned long ago that a mother of boys wasn't properly armed unless she had baby wipes on her at all times.  And last night was living proof of that.  As I scrubbed down myself, Jack, and the truck with the trusted wipes, I couldn't help but wonder what my future with these boys held.  Just when I think I've figured out this whole "boy thing," WHAM!  They hit me in the face with something new!

I have to wonder what's in store for me in the next few years--- and still I wouldn't trade those boys for a girl any day of the week.  I now know that my learning has only begun!  So I say "Bring it on boys!" I'm fully prepared for whatever comes my way!  Besides, Bear Grylls says that drinking urine can be a necessary skill in surviving on a deserted island.  You all are just honing my survival skills, right!?




And Max- I assure you it wasn't your fault.  I have replayed the situation in my head a million times and I'm certain there was a malfunction in the bottle placement.  TRUST ME- it won't happen again!       ~Mama

five on friday

1.  Guess what we woke up to this week?

That, my friends, is proof that we actually saw rain in India.  It's been about six months since I've seen it.  It was pretty exciting.  We even had thunder to go with it.  I miss a good rain!

2.  I don't write much about her, but we still have our sweet dog, Lucy.  She's all puppy and still has a long way to go to learn proper etiquette.  She can snatch a snack from your hand before you can blink an eye.  We've found this to be the best way to eat the last chocolate chip cookie.

3.  But Max has a soft spot for her.  He loves to lay with her, even it means he has to meet her in her territory.  Anybody that'll sleep on cold tile under the table with you must really love you.



4.  We have another pet.  It's not an official pet, but the boys love it!  This creature lives in our house.

 

We first found it when it jumped out of one of our bags while we were unpacking and every now and then it shows up.  I guess you think we're crazy for letting it remain, but it helps out with mosquitoes.  And other than relieving itself on walls and floors or jumping out of places and scaring you to death, it's really not a bother.

5.  Tomorrow my daddy turns 65!  I don't think I have a bigger cheerleader in this world!  Here's hoping your day is wonderful, Daddy!  Sending you lots of love from India!

And a great big Happy Birthday to his twin brother and his wife!  Happy Birthday, Uncle Perry and Aunt Angie!  We love you!

what's it like?- new doors

We were desperately in need of screen doors. We keep our doors open most of the day to help with the temperature in the house, but we were also welcoming thousands of mosquitoes inside each day- mosquitoes that carry some pretty ugly diseases.

This process was not what I was used to. In America, I'd load up my crew and head over to this place.

I'd look through the doors that they had to offer, make a decision, purchase, and head home for the man to install it... most likely all on the same day.

But not here. First, I call my landlord- the one person in India that I've decided can do anything or at least he'll call the right person for us. And he'll send "some guys." I don't know where he finds them, but they are all over India- "guys" that possess these long lost craftsman skills that we don't see in America anymore.

When they arrive, they won't show up with your door. Rather they'll bring a pile of wood and you'll wonder how this pile could ever turn into a door.

They'll work tirelessly for a few days in the heat, only stopping to ask you for some cold water occasionally. You'll hear them chatting a little, but for the most part they are fairly quiet as they work. You'll eventually notice that something is missing- the hum of power tools. But they didn't bring any. Instead, their work is carefully carried out with these jewels:

They work tirelessly- each one doing his part like a well-oiled machine. They have this trade down so well, that they don't even stop to discuss the plans or what each person's part will be. (Please notice how they use their bare feet to hold the boards.)

And after a few days of hard, manual labor, the dust begins to settle.

Before you know it, they'll start creating a door.

They'll assemble the pieces, add some screen, and their work will begin to come to an end.

When they are finished, you'll be left with brand-spanking new screen doors.

But that's not all. Every time you open them, you'll think of those three men. Those men who don't have their own mode of transportation. Those men who wore the same clothes EVERY day for all four days. Those men that never complained or asked for anything beyond water. Those men who possess a lost art but get paid mere pennies for such an advanced skill level. And those doors will become more than just doors. They'll have someone's story attached to them forever. They'll teach you gratitude and appreciation of others and an appreciation for simple things like new screen doors.

Lowe's doesn't sell doors like these.

just in case things change.

Dear Boys,

Today you are best friends. If we lived in America, things might be different. But here, you are each other's side kick. You start your mornings together each day- making sure not to come downstairs without the other.

You're rarely separated from each other. And you both like it that way. Jack's three hour school days are pure torture for Max. Both of you count the minutes until you can play again.

The few times you are separated, you reunite with an "I missed you," or my favorite, "How's my favorite boy been?"

I know some days it's a struggle. After all, there is a four year gap between your ages. You still fight like brothers, but there's something special about the way you play together. I've watched you both play things that were totally out of your league just so you could enjoy life "together!"

I know it wasn't easy for you to leave your friends. And I know it isn't always easy to be with the same kid day in and day out. But somehow you've made it work. Somehow in the midst of moving, you found that your brother made a pretty good friend.

I know that things won't always be this way. The days of sword fights, Lego building, and Hot-Wheels racing won't last forever. Playing pretend, swinging, and wrestling will be a thing of the past one day.

But if one day you look back and wonder what things used to be like, I hope you can look back on these pictures with fond memories.

And just in case things change, I want you to know that today you are best friends.

five on friday

1. There's a new member in the Swimming Club! We 'convinced' Max to remove his floaties and before we knew it, he was in the deepend swimming alone doing cannonballs and dives. It didn't take long! I won't deny it- Bribes were involved... notice his first comment when he gets to Jason! :) In addition to his "swimming membership," he's now the proud owner of new Hotwheels cars.

2. The pool where we swim is located at a local hotel. They are hosting a Mexican Food Bizarre this week. They didn't have to ask us twice. It was great! We enjoyed tacos with salsa, sour cream, and gaucamole, beans, rice, nachos, flan, and many other things.

Jack was particularly fond of the desserts. Most of these belong to him.

And some of these are his.

And he finished it off with one last bowl of ice cream.

They went all out on costumes and decorations.

And to top it off, they had live country music. Because country music and mexican food are one in the same, don't you think? It's not every day that you can sit in India, eat Mexican food, and listen to an Indian couple sing Islands in the Stream and Take Me Home Country Road!

3. On another culinary note, we received a HUGE box of goodies from East Heights Baptist Church this week. Among the many fun things we received, these three little boxes were included:

I know the prices have gone up considerably, and the boxes are smaller than ever, but can I just remind that life with Girl Scout Cookies is just better. I'm considering starting a Girl Scout troop here just so I can have access to these babies once a year! Thank you to the kind person who knew us well enough to know that our year wouldn't be complete without these!

4. And for my last food related post, I'm a huge pina colada fan.... the virgin kind of course. Actually even if I were a "drinker," I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to ruin that perfectly wonderful taste by adding alcohol. I digress. The point of this is that thanks to Pinterest, we have been enjoying popsicles that offer a hint of that wonderful pina colada taste that I love so much.

Blend together and freeze:

1 can of pineapple (fruit and juice)

1 banana

1 can of coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

You can find the recipe on this blog: The Reality of Skinny. I think they are supposed to be healthy, but at the rate we consume them, I think that positive goes right out the window!

5. Lastly, I mentioned reading The Hunger Games a few weeks ago. I LOVED the books. BUT I watched the movie and I was sooooo disappointed. If the remaining movies are equivalent, then I'm not sure I can force myself to watch them. Spare yourself... stick to the books!

five on friday

1. I got tired of looking at the blog I created almost two years ago. My blogging intelligence has increased ever so slightly since then, so I sat down and got busy on a new header, footer, etc. I'm still putting finishing touches here, but this is the gist of it! Hope you can stand to look at it for a while, because it may be another two years before I change it.

2. We had our first National (someone from India) over this week. Jason met Rakesh doing trainings in a town near Bhopal. It just so happened that Rakesh was heading through Bhopal on Monday and Jason invited him over for lunch. I sweated over it briefly- wondering what sort of food to fix. This was his first time to eat American food. We kept it simple with grilled chicken sandwiches, homemade french fries, and baked beans. We finished it off with brownies. He ate and had seconds. The best part was we got to practice our Hindi for over an hour since his English is very limited! Good times.

3. Max surprised us this week with a wall mural. It's not his first attempt at wall decorating. He worked on erasing it for approximately 3 seconds. Lucky for him, we are hoping to paint the walls soon!

4. One of the things I'm learning in India is how to enjoy fruits and vegetables when they are in season. We don't grow things artificially on this side of the world, so when they are gone, they are gone until next year. I thought my luck had run out with strawberries but our sweet "fruit guy" found us some that were still in pretty good shape. $16 dollars later I was at home washing, cutting, and freezing 16 containers of strawberries. Hopefully these will tie us over until they return next year!

5. And yesterday I'm pretty sure I turned 32. I find it funny how your perception of what is considered "old" changes with each passing year! 32 looks more like a spring chicken to me! In fact, in my mind, 32 still looks like this:

I'm looking forward to many more birthdays to come!

what's it like?- seasons

Changes have come in droves for us. But the differences in the seasons have been one of the hardest to adjust to. We no longer recognize "Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter." In India, it looks more like "Summer, Monsoon, Post-Monsoon, and Winter." Here's my take on them all...

SUMMER- I'll start with this, because it's just beginning for us. It starts around March and last through June. The temperature can easily top 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That may sound normal to many of you, but keep in mind, we don't get to survive it with central air conditioning. In fact, we are among the minority in India because we have small window units in our bedrooms. We don't run them all day because they do crazy things to the electricity bill! We try to survive with fans during the day and sleep with the AC at night.

There are a few tell-tell signs that Summer has arrived. Small ants will start showing up throughout homes. They seem to like bathrooms and kitchens most. Also, you'll start to notice a "glow" on every face. This "glow" is mainly sweat and oil from enduring the high temps all day. I find it rather unbecoming on myself, but there seems to be no cure! In addition, you may notice a haze in the sky. Due to the dry air, heat, and lack of rain (not a drop), the dust seems to roam, looking for a safe place to land. Unfortunately, those sweaty, oily faces are a perfect home for the dust! That is why my child looks like this at the end of most days!

The best way to experience this season for yourself would be to turn your hairdryer on high and put your face directly in front of it. Throw in some body odor from others around you, and you have India in a nutshell!

MONSOON- We walked right into Monsoon Season when we moved to India. The most recognizable characteristic is that it seriously rains almost every single day. I'd honestly never seen anything like it. The rain holds off the entire year and releases its fury during the months of June to September. The amount of rainfall determines the water conditions for India for the coming year. Good rainfall means adequate water for people, but low rainfall will lead to water deficits all over India.

The rain is a welcome sight and many people dance and play at the start of it, because they have waited so long for it. It helps to wash away some of the dust that has covered India, but it causes its own share of problems.

With the rain comes humidity that is off the charts. Damp houses, rain, and humidity can only mean one thing... MOLD! And it will grow anywhere- outside and inside. It'll grow on walls, on wet shoes, moist clothes... anywhere! I haven't dealt with it like some of our friends have, but I know my day is coming! Those sporadic ants that could be seen in Summer are replaced with entire armies. Cleaning, spraying, and killing do little to control their invasion. It's important to become comfortable with them early in the season as they stick around for quite a while!

Laundry also suffers at the hand of the rains. Since we don't have a dryer, we hang our clothes on a line to dry. The rains come when you least expect them so being able to dart in and out of rain while grabbing clothes is a necessary skill. Otherwise, you'll find yourself washing the same load of clothes SEVERAL times. But even when you miss the rains, you'll likely find that your clothes will not EVER completely dry, leaving a mildew smell on everything you wash. I've learned not to smell clothes during monsoon season!

POST-MONSOON- This season is less noticeable that the others. It doesn't have any special qualities and it probably gets lost amongst the others. The temps are still hot, but the rain stops and the humidity goes with it. You'll notice the temperatures start to gradually decrease and before you know it, you'll be able to go outside without risking your life. The mold will start to recede and my hair will finally be straight and smooth! It'll last until November where we welcome what is best known as Winter.

WINTER- Don't get your hopes us... it's not what you think. There is no snow, and water will never freeze. But it does get cool. The coolest place is not outside though- it's inside your house. Our houses are made of concrete and the floors have marble/tile on them. The combination of these two creates a very cold home. We actually go outside to warm up. We don't own a heater, but it's not because I haven't begged for one! Jason could be found like this often last winter.

By January, we actually wear long-sleeves and pants, which surprised me a little. But somehow before I know it, we are right back where we started with summer, sweating our rear-ends off!

We are learning to appreciate each season for it's positive qualities and learning to adapt and regroup to survive the negative qualities. Some are more difficult to deal with than others, but they all work together to create the climate of India. How cool is it that God put His fingerprint on EVERY place in the world... right down to different seasons for each individual place!

"He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning." Daniel 2:21

what's it like?

I would have paid one thousand dollars the night before I jumped on a plane to head here for an answer to that question. I just didn't know what to expect. I'd never been to India. I had no compartment for this place. My "India Filing Cabinet" contained very few details: "sticky dots" on the forehead, saris, and LOTS of people. I just didn't know what I was in store for when we stepped off the plane!

I remember laying in bed the night before we left. I laughed (probably to keep from crying) and I asked Jason were we crazy- crazy for selling almost everything, crazy for quitting our jobs, crazy for pulling our kids out of school, crazy for committing at least three years of our lives-- and all for a place that we knew NOTHING about. Of course, he quickly assured me that we were not crazy-- we were OBEDIENT. My mind was leaning more towards "crazy."

And when we stepped off of the plane, our craziness was sealed! No one in America has a compartment for this place. There is no way to describe it, there is no comparison for it, and it overwhelms you on so many levels. Our first day in the market pushed every one of my senses to the limit and then went one step further. It's just like nothing I've ever seen, smelled, tasted, heard, or felt before. And every corner holds a new revelation.

I think that's why I quit writing. I knew my words and pictures couldn't adequately explain what we were seeing each day. I would try to put stuff down "on paper," but I couldn't put the smells and the sounds and the temperature and the other billion additions on there that make it a reality. So I chose to experience it first for myself. But now I'm ready to share it with you.

Nothing is the same here... except Oreos. Some of the differences are a loss for us, and some of them go down as gains. Some of the differences find a home in their own little category because we don't know whether they are good or bad, necessary or unnecessary, etc. But what we do know is that life here is a reality for us. We live it every day and we've had to accept it ALL. It greets us each morning whether we like it or not, and the best option for us is to just experience all it has to offer.

With that said, I thought I'd start a new blog series to let you know "what it's like?" I'll try to compare what we know and experience as Americans with what we see and confront each day here in India! I'll do my best to give you all the details, but just remember that a computer screen can only give you a visual sense of India. Without the smells, sounds, smells, heat, smells, and pollution, you just can't fully understand it all! It's truly a world of its own!