Thursday, December 15, 2011

Winding Down

Tomorrow we leave for the good ol' USA. Finally! I can't wait to see my boys! All three of them.

We leave at 11:15pm on a direct flight to DC. We finished our last set of meetings today. Finally no presentations. Afterward we had a very late lunch at the hotel restaurant situated on the water. I had grilled tilapia (the whole fish, head and all!), jolof rice and a bitter lemon drink. It was fantastic.

Here is me (no, I'm not drunk-just a bad picture)


A view of the beach from one of the hotel restuarants



A little lunch friend (these lizards like to hang at the pool too)



See/talk to you soon!

Love you!

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Monday, December 12, 2011

Ghana

We left Dakar at 3 am this morning and we arrived in Accra Ghana at 8 am. The hotel we are staying in is modest but there is a pool and it is on the ocean.

We had a very busy weekend visiting villages where the whole village (at least 40 people) came to meet us. It's overwhelming and undeserved but it's interesting. These villages farm for their own consumption and now farm crops to sell. They farm maize (corn), millet, peanuts, and some vegetables like peppers, cabbage and lettuce. The women are amazing and do everything from farming, caring for children, cooking, cleaning, and they are learning to read and write. And I thought I was busy. Hardly.

My feet are covered in mosquito bites and my stomach is off and on quesy but not bad. Others have had more severe stomach issues. Cross my fingers I will remain well.

From Dakar to Accra via Banjul (the Gambia - yes, Jason it is a country) we flew Air Nigeria. That is my first and last time flying that airline.

We are here until Friday and I can't wait to go home. I wish it was today.

Live and miss you!

Hotel in Accra



My favorite tree in Senegal, baobab tree-they make candy and drinks from it.



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Friday, December 9, 2011

Senegal

We left Kenya on Wednesday for Senegal. I really saw nothing of Kenya but my hotel which was really great. We stayed at Tribe Hotel if you want to google it.

I think Senegal might just be my very favorite place in Africa. Here is our hotel and view from my room.





Leo and Aidan you would love it here at the hotel! The pool is awesome. I think the reason I like Senegal so much because it's on the water. I was feeling a little tired and down on the way here but being by the water was just the uplift I needed.

My room is terrific. Obviously the view, I have 1.5 baths, it's big, and they brought me a mid-day snack of water, fresh fruit and some like applesauce but with mire exotic fruits.

On Thursday we went to a market and it was interesting for about 20 minutes and then it became exhausting. There are people everywhere trying to get you to buy their goods. They would say 'pretty lady, come and look in my shop', 'looking is free, you come here', 'you promised to look in my shop', 'i give you good price'...and at the end of the day they didn't want to give a foreigner a good price and i didn't buy a thing. i just couldn't take it anymore.

Tomorrow we go outside of Dakar to visit some farms and then we leave Dakar at sunday night/Monday morning. All i can say is Mon Dieu.

Love to all

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

Spirit Week

This week is Spirit Week at Aidan and Leo's school. Today is crazy hair or hat day. Our kids went with crazy hair!

Leo's been dying to spike his hair up and wear it to school! Viola!

Aidan's hair always looks beautiful because he has luscious locks! -- which I proudly take credit for. It's a Foster thang!




Word big bird!




Yesterday was pajama day which they loved and Tuesday was twin day. Aidan and his friend Max dressed alike.

This is the first year we've really been into spirit week. It's fun!

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Monday, October 10, 2011

Happy Birthday Grandpa Russ



Ooops! We meant....


 We love you and hope you have a super great day!!!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Kindergarten Field Trip

Yesterday Leo's class went on a field trip to Homestead Farms to pick pumpkins. I was selected as one of the parents who got to help. We had such a great time!

On the bus...


Arriving at the farm...


On the straw ride...apparently it's not hay it's straw don't cha know...


Picking the perfect pumpkin...


I had 4 really great kids with me. I was so lucky to have one of my friends' daughters in my group, Emma. It is a lot of work keeping four kindergarteners together and having fun. My kids were SO, SO good. I told them how proud I was of them and what a good job the did listening and staying together.

I always made my four stick close together because I was NOT going to be THAT parent. The one who lost a child (there was a girl who got separated from her parent and class!) but we found her.

I had great fun and again was awed and inspired by teachers, especially Kindergarten teachers!

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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Driving home from beach weekend

Sadly, we left the beach and are on our way back to reality. It takes about 4 hours to get from Virginia Beach to Rockville. Here is a glimpse of our ride:

Such a good driver...


Living the dream on his birthday


Crashing in the car...


Blogging ...


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