The Andersens!

Let me introduce you to the lovely children that we homeschool and care for.

Uriah is 8 and is the oldest. He's been nicknamed 'Dances with Chickens' He goes and checks the coop everyday for both eggs or chicks. It's a good thing too because there are about 13 chicks just in the time we've been here! But it's not just chickens: he LOVES birds! When we were still in Kijabe, all he could talk about was wanting to be here and go bird trapping! I told him I want to see every bird he traps. I also used the bird ID book they have to get him to actually enjoy drawing. (He hated it before!)

Ja-el is the oldest girl. She's 7. She doesn't mind getting dirty and what's even better Rachel doesn't care that she's dirty either. So at the swimming pool, with no hesitation, I did this to her! She loves to tell, read and write stories. I tried interrupting her reading to ask something and she was determined to keep reading, she stopped when she heard 'swimming' but still finished the chapter! She's a complete space cadet most of the time and is way fidgety. However her desire for learning is really fun to watch! Even Rachel says she's 'wierd smart'.

Acacia just turned 6. I'm sure she's named after the tree which is in the background of this picture. She loves to help with baby Ezra. Sometimes we call her 'mama-sita' but she gets real shy about it, as she does alot of things. She has a very tender heart, which I understand, so I work on that with her from time to time. But she's so adorable, its hard not to tease a little bit! She's a girly-girl and has enjoyed all the artistic endeavors I've taking them on. She's taken hundreds of pictures on both Emma's camera and mine for this very reason!

Miriam is 4. She's a silly goose! She named her feet! Kanza and Konzo. Ones a boy and one's a girl. Hilarious! She and I butted heads a bit at the beginning. I didn't let her cuteness let her get away with stuff. But lo and behold her opinion has changed! She was very proud to be able to count to 7 one day and I just so happened to be up to 7 in Swahili so we counted together! Funnier still is Eddie and Rachel then counted in Gabbra! We're all learning here!

Silas is 3. He's adorable!!! He's only three, but talks always in complete sentences. 'Can you do it Si?' ' I Can!' Rachel always says he's a grown man caught in a little persons body. This is kinda what she means:

I call him a squeaky toy, because it's a squeak when he says 'huh' (meaning uh-huh) Most of the time he's really quiet and just loves to watch what you're doing. One time I was sitting with him, and he grabbed my hand and put on this cheezy smile and said 'I'm holding your hand!' This kid's gonna be a heart breaker if he keeps that up!

Ezra's the baby! I love every chance I get to hold him. Rachel cheers when he spits up on anyone. He wants to stand up already! Salo, one of Rachels' house helps, sings to him in Gabbra. He bacame mezermized by my cards during a card game the other day. It looked like he was trying to play!