And no, there is not a fence between us and the giraffe (there is a fence around the children's houses but not the lodge where we are staying). We also saw 8 monkeys run across the backyard and into the trees, this is not the best picture but you get the idea...
Miranda discovered a new game today...SPLASHING! A large pot of water was left outside and playing in it became a great game. We gave her cups and bowls and she spent hours playing in the water, making mud, getting wet... She was very animated, all smiles, and lots of chatter. She would give me a cup to "drink" and then would take a drink herself. I tried to prevent her from drinking the water from the pot (since there were sticks and dirt in it) but soon gave up. Somehow drinking water from the pot was half the fun. She was so excited by this that she did not take a morning nap. As a result she fell asleep at lunch in between bites of yogurt (literally). After her nap we took her for a walk in a borrowed all-terrain stroller. Then we spent another hour playing in the pot of water again (and soaked her second outfit of the day). It was great fun to play with her and see her so entertained. I love to see her smile, it lights up her entire face.
This afternoon she started repeating after me in English such as "green grass", "sky", "yellow flowers". I would point to an object and say its name several times and she would repeat it. And when I ask her a question there are times when she'll say "Yesh" and it seems like she really means "Yes". Dad looked up a Zulu/English translator online and we tried to figure out some words that she repeats a lot. However, we were unsuccessful. Her house mom said that she often only pronounces the first part of a word (which of course does not work for an online translator :)
Bedtime was still the hardest part of the day. Tonight went better than last night, especially because Andiswa played with her while I gave her a bath and got her ready for bed. There a few tears but not many.
Dear Jen,
ReplyDeleteMiranda is so blessed to you as her Mommy!!! When I read your entries I can visualize everything you are sharing and find myself vacillating between warm hearted smiles; and tears stinging the back of my eyes. You are an inspiration and so very insightful. My prayers are with you, your Dad, Miranda and your new friends.
Janet
Kids and water- a winning combination. Glad you had fun. It would have turned to ice really fast here with our very chilly temperatures. Thanks for keeping us up to date! Love, Mom
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