ok....here goes nothin!

Tomorrow we start our journey back....and it aint a short one....we've made our game plan. Swim all day tomorrow to wear ourselves out and enjoy the warm weather. Then home eat a lot...cab to plane...to dar salaam....to amsterdam....to chicago...
Arriving Sunday noon!
Love to you all.....see you soon!!!
Peace,
Sarah

A Day in the Life

So just give you an idea of our day to day existence...thought I'd give you the run down of the next few days for us. This morning started with breakfast as usual...packing of the backpacks, snack, homework, hat, swimsuit, reading books, Read-athon lists. Girls must have a hat if they want to play outside at break time...
Then I went running...pretty much the highlight of my day always...I run from school and head down hill then run back up with a full clear amazing view of Kili...great motivation and inspiration. The elevation is pretty high here so I do some good breathing.....Love listening to my ipod, running by the banana ladies, on the soft dirt roads...
Then on to the office...although today I had to stop at the school bookfair(!!!!)...the girls had huge lists and are used to getting their book needs filled..it was hard for me to indulge as the books are about three years old and about 6 times the price in the US...but I know it is the experience of loving and coveting books that I need to indulge. SO after paying about 25 US dollars for three paperbacks...it was off to the office. Pole sana....no power. So typical...our office is on the 3rd floor and I trudge to get up there....then nothing...ug...trudge downstairs...up the hill to the internet cafe...with the sticking keys if you can't tell.
I'll leave after writing this to go to the second hand clothes market...Pearl is to be an Elf and Nell a child prepared for winter weather for the school xmas sing on Thursday. Pretty funny to be buying cold weather clothes while sweating from every pore...
Nell is participating in a Read a thon and read for 79 straight minutes last night....she is sure she can outdo herself tonight , then Friday she is to dress like her favorite book character. Nell wants to dress as Nancy Drew's boyfriend....note...not Nancy...but her boyfriend?! Pearl hasn't decided...let you know on that. Hoping for power at home for all these preparations...but if not we'll use candles and headlamps. I was reading about the ice storms there and how there were power outages...so weird to think about now...they are an everyday event and I have finally stopped groaning when they happen...
Day in the life....see you all soon!
Peace,
Sarah

Nose pickin

It's more than ok here...everyone does it...full force, knuckle all the way in. While I cringed at first...I have now accidently and quite satisfactorily taken this one on. Men hold hands...no problem there but catches you off guard the first few times you see it. Men scatch "down there" openly...see nose pickin. Utensils are frowned upon...napkins essentially non existent. Road signs...road rules....don't apply to mzungus....
Many people only shake hands with their forearms...think this is potty related but not sure.
I'm going to add to this list but some of my thoughts today!
Peace.
S.

Lighten Up Frances

Whew...just took a big sigh of relief. Our lives have been very full of visitors ( so glad they were here) the porter project...kids school stuff. I feel like I just took the first big relaxed breath in a while. Ahhhh....it's hot sunny, Nell leaves for Safari on Thursday....class field trip ( have you ever?) she has even complained "how many safari's do I have to go on??" Poor thing uh?...Pearl is going to seed farm and sugar plantation. Mama is reading a few books brought to her by the visitors...all is well. One thing I realized through my recent correspondence with the outside world is....it's almost Xmas?! You'd never know here, which is weird in and of itself...no billboards, store decorations, fat WHITE Santa's....just life as usual....chickens, rabbits...and people going about the daily task of surviving. Helps keep it all very real. I have told people recently that I imagine myself in the fetal postion in the toothpaste aisle of Walgreens...Shawna told me she saw decorations in the Amsterdam airpost in Nov??? Hope I can cope...
I am going skiing while home which will help on a lot of fronts...staying outdoors...exercising ( gotta climb that "damn mountain") and being a bit removed from it all. Looking so forward to seeing my family...and all "the cousins" bet they have all grown so much....we've been really really removed. But please bear with us upon reentry....hope it is smooth!!
Love to you all
Peace,
Sarah

other 3 made it to crater rim!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just found out the other 3 kids made it to the crater rim....in the eyes of the National Park they too made it!!!
This means all 26 will walk away with a certificate of accomplishment!!!
Can't wait for Sunday when I get to see them all come down and be presented with their certificates!
WOOHOO!

23 of 26 made it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just got a call from the peak....23 of 26 kids in the porter training project have made it. Really amazing results and a lot of credit needs to go to their guides....obviously good choices were made and everyone was well looked after. This also speaks to the mental strength of these kids...
Just imagine them up there jumping laughing crying!!!!! So cool.

More than half way!

The porter project kids are more than half way up at this point. I have received texts from both Robby and Setty....all is well no one has even a headache!!!! This is like a miracle crew heading up....the guides said they are super insprired toget the whole crew up....they have never had other Tanzanians as "client" and feel the awesomeness of this expereince. My sense from their texts is that everyone is getting more determined as the days go on....they'll need it in dark on their final push to teh summit. Keep these kids in your thougths tomorrow as they attempt the summit. I am going to do a background interview on each of them when they come down and add it to this blog. 85% are orphans....the rest are "vulnerable" in some way.