BEYOND THE BORDERS

Okay, this weeks' update is specifically for family members who really want more photos of Alec than they do of our day to day life.  Kari, Jonathan and Alec return to Senegal on Wednesday so next Sundays' blog update will have something else besides Alec, Alec, Alec.  Of course, Alec is more entertaining than our day to day life of travel, travel, travel.

Isn't he a dapper young man in his jaunty neck scarf?

We try to take Alec for a short walk each day and because his blood is so thin from living in Africa, we have to dress him in so many layers to make sure he is warm outside.  Love his fleece jump suit???  At least it is warm!

We have a stroller for Alec but he will only be content in it for a couple of minutes so even though it sort of looks like we're walking a dog, we broke down and bought a harness for Alec.  He likes to walk but not always where we want him to go, and he is FAST at going where he wants to go!  So, rather than fearing for his life on our walks and at the mall, we hook him up and let him walk.  It works!

I have a different philosophy than some people.  Within reason, I feel that we should remove what we don't want a child to play with rather than to always be saying, "No, don't touch that" and "Don't touch that either".      I also like to provide as many places possible for a child to play rather than block him or her into a corner because they get bored easily in small places.  So, I moved the couch forward so that Alec can play behind it.   I thought this was such a cute photo of Alec playing behind the couch while Glenn plays Solitaire on his Kindle.

Alec is very active and it takes all four of us (Glenn, Kari, Jonathan and me) to keep him occupied.  I don't know how Kari does it, but he sure is cute, funny and loving so hopefully that makes it easier!

He loves looking through our bathroom cabinet drawers over and over and over, and playing with the tubes of toothpaste, bars of soap, and medicine bottles.  Fortunately, he can't get into the medicine bottles.  YET.  We'll have them locked up or moved by the next visit because I'm sure he'll be able to figure out how to open childproof bottles soon!

Jonathan wakes up in the mornings and takes care of Alec, giving Kari another hour or two of sleep.  Here, they are playing with bubbles.

Kari mixed up something called Cloud Dough that she found on Pinterest for Alec to "experience".  He was hesitant to play with it, at first, because he doesn't like to get his hands dirty.

Evidently, from the amount of flour on him, he got over the dirty hands and enjoyed the feel of it.

One day he played with shaving cream in his high chair.  He does this quite often in Senegal, both in the tub and on his sliding glass doors that lead out onto their balcony, but I think he prefers using a sponge brush to using his hands.

Daily, Alec likes to unload the shelves where we keep our tea boxes and powdered drinks (hot chocolate, spiced cider, and Kool-aid).  I don't mind it.  We just have to be careful where we step when we're in the kitchen cooking.

We have a morning ritual.  When I come down to start the day, I wash the dishes that accumulated between the dinner dishes the night before and going to bed.  In an effort to keep Alec occupied, I put him on a chair beside me and let him play with the water dripping in the sink next to me.  HE LOVES IT!  Now, anytime he sees me washing dishes, he wants to "help".  :-)

It happens EVERY day, and as long as I'm not in a hurry, I enjoy the time with him, watching him play!  :-)

We've decided Alec is very kinesthetic because he loves to touch EVERYTHING, and Kari is big into providing sensory activities for him.  Pinterest has become her good friend.  :-)   Here, she is letting him play with play dough in water.  It becomes slimy, a new "feeling" for him.

Alec loves to Skype with his cousins, Jazmine, Renae, Sammy and Colton.  Anytime he hears the Skype ring, he runs to the computer with excitement.  We've been able to Skype with Jazmine (his cousin on Kari's side, our grand-daughter) quite a lot recently, which Glenn and I love too!

With all the energy that Alec expends, he needs to refuel quite often.  He will eat whatever anyone else is eating, and with the four of us adults, chances are good that at least one of us is eating something at all times.  Kari says that the only thing he doesn't like is papaya.  I believe her.  He eats everything else.

Glenn gave me a blender for Christmas so that I can make my own frappacinos (ice coffee).  (Glenn calculated that the blender is equal to the cost of 14 Starbucks frappacinos.)   They're also good for making smoothies.  Kari loves fruit smoothies and has been regaling us with them each day and she's a real trooper to make each of us the smoothie of our choice.  Alec likes to sample everyone's!

We were invited to a "day-after-Christmas" party at one of our co-workers' house.  Kari, Jonathan, and Alec went with us.  I think Alec was a little overwhelmed with so many new people because he actually was content to sit in my lap for a few minutes ... until enough people oohed and aahed over him and he felt like he was on center stage and then he came alive.  Such a cutie!

Today it started snowing again.  (The white dots on the picture are snow flakes.)  I wrapped Alec in a blanket and took him out on the balcony to see the snow and watch the snow flakes fall.  The snow was moist, so it was easy for him to grab a handful and it would stick together long enough for him to be able to get the snow in his mouth.   Boys who grow up in Africa don't usually get to play in snow so I was glad it snowed for Alec.

Well, Alec leaves on Wednesday so probably not too many more pictures of him after this week.  Glad we will see him again this summer when we go on our stateside assignment at the same time as theirs.  :-)

Before I close here, I want to give a shout-out to my niece, Corrie, and ask all my friends to pray for her.  She leaves on the 8th for a Semester-at-Sea.  She will be traveling around the world by ship for the next four months with other college students and seeing fantastic sights and experiencing things that most of us only dream of.  (Sorry, dangling preposition, I know.)   She'll ride an elephant and sleep in a palace, among so many other awesome things!   Have a great time, Corrie!  Can't wait to hear all about it when we see you in July!!!