Dam builders

We really enjoy the PBS series Curious George and were inspired by an episode where George learns about dam building.  So we made use of a little drainage ditch in our yard and had a grand time making a little dam of our own!

Restarting our blog! September 16, 2013

It's always a bit awkward restarting the blog after a long lapse.  I feel guilt.  I feel like I have to start off with a bang....wonderful pictures, expert prose.  I don't know whether I should offer excuses or long recaps of the last 4 months.  So I will just jump in and share some everyday photos of our lives these last couple of weeks.

(A quick recap for those of you who are wondering:  We spent June and July in the USA making wonderful memories with family.We returned to Salatiga at the end of the July and had a long adjustment from jetlag and restoring of routines.  We've had some sickness.  Probably my biggest reason for not blogging, however, has been that both Jonathan and Joshua have decreased their naps -- Jonathan now with no nap and Joshua with just an afternoon nap!  This leaves much less time for computer work!)

So here goes!

     These 2 pictures are from our first trial-run day at preschool.  Dave and I are hoping and praying that we can do something to help the boys learn the local language.  This little preschool up the road, just a 1 minute walk from our house, seemed perfect.  They look happy to to go, but our first trial run was kind of a disaster and I had to push my "abort mission" button after just one hour.  I am still re-grouping and planning for a second attempt....if they will accept us back!  Oh by the way, you can see the boys are all gussied up in their matching batik outfits.  I even combed their hair.  Then we got to the school and discovered it was casual Friday....and we were overdressed!  Oh well!

    Ha, ha, you know how we laugh at how big the cell phones were in the 80s?  This is Dave using our laptop for a wireless phone call to Grandma and Grandpa Patrow....I thought cell phones were getting smaller?

You may wonder, do I just have large empty bins around for the boys to play cars/trains in?  No, these are our toy bins.   If this fun game is being played it means that all of the toys have been dumped out unceremoniously somewhere in the house!   It's the ancient truth....kids like the boxes better than the toys!

Here is one of those moments where you say "Wow, that looks dangerous, but hold still while I get a picture!  Don't fall in the meantime!"

We don't have snow, so the other day Jonathan had an idea.  "Mom, I want to make a Duplo angel!"

Here is the result ....my photoshopped outline included.  Joshua is trying to make a Duplo angel too.

I know Joshua's hair was getting long.....yes, was.  This photo was in the last moments of his wanna-be-Dutch-boy look.  The back of his head was plastered in blood as he had just had a fall off the bed and bumped the edge of a desk, resulting in a small laceration.  We had to give him a hair cut to get down to the wound and apply steri-strips.  And here is what he looks like now.....

 

 

This is Jonathan's version of helping to carry in the groceries!  (Takes quite a long time this way, but it is imaginative!)

Jonathan just had to climb into daddy's lap for one extra hug....

You may be wondering, where is the mommy?  Ah, yes, in the files I did find a picture of myself with two precious friends, Calista and Christy!

Our dear friend Calista is living in our town for 6 months studying language before moving on for service on another island as a nurse-midwife.  We are loving having her in town ....she is a real life auntie for the boys and our evenings are always more cheerful when she comes over for dinner!  Christy is another friend I've known since my single missionary nurse days, and she was also living in Chicago at the same time I did!  Now she is serving on another island and was in our town for annual meetings!  It's a rare event and an amazing blessing to have two "old" friends here at the same time! 

Seen and overheard at our house this spring

We're getting ready to be in America for two months, and my preparation list is a mile long!  But I have these photos and quotes that are so cute....and if I don't post them now, they will be buried in the backlog! So here goes!

Although in general I don't approve of toilet humor, this quote from Jonathan just makes me laugh everytime!

"If you go poopoo, and that poopoo pops, that is called tooting."

If any of you are familiar with the Berenstain Bears, you will know that Papa Bear once took his family camping and made them some Wilderness Stew. This is Jonathan's reaction when he read about how it tasted!

Jonathan:  Mommy, God has power.
Jennifer:  Yes, he does.
Jonathan:  Mommy, why does God have power?


Playing fireman:  
Jonathan:  Emergency!
Dave:  What's the emergency?
Jonathan:  All the people are watching a scary movie!  Come on daddy!  Let's change it to a movie that's not scary!  We're gonna save you!

First time ever licking the beater!

Joshua age 16 months

Joshua's Vocabulary list:

Dank-yu -- thank you  (This was his first consistent word)

Peez -- please

cheez -- cheese (for photos)

Shoes

Mommy

Daddy

Nonny/ Onna -- Jonathan

ep -- help

Dada -- goodbye, goodnight

Ka-ker -- cracker

Doddy-- doggie

Bob-bu -- diaper

Poo-poo

Peek -boo

kuh -- truck

Uh oh

Bah -- ball

luvoo -- love you

Buh -- book

ow-sai -- outside

Wey-wey -- rain 

No

Yes/ Yeah
Owie -- Sorry
Owie -- Owie
Buh-By -- Bug Bite

Just copying what he sees Mom and Dad doing....

 

      The economy is this country is really booming, and in our neighborhood too.  There is so much new construction .....thus the infestation of rove beetles as I described in an earlier post.  A week ago, the lot you see in this photo used to be a shady banana tree garden!  Now it will soon be storefronts.  Yet oh the excitement for the neighborhood children when this genuine giant excavator arrived to carve away the hillside for the foundation!  We stopped with the stroller on the way to school one day to watch it work.  Just 4 shovelfuls filled up a dumptruck! 

As Iron Sharpens Iron --- Thankful for Friends!

About a year and a half ago, I remember crying in my living room because I couldn't arrange any playdates for Jonathan.  I couldn't find any little boys in our community who could come play.  I felt that Jonathan needed the practice to learn how to share, be gentle, be polite!

In the next year, God provided several little friends for Jonathan.  It's been very special because two kind boys are quite a bit older than him (kindergarten), but still are faithful to come for a playdate at our house or play on the school playground each week.  Jonathan thinks these big boys are worth emulating. 

We LOVE this friend who comes to play every Wednesday afternoon!

On this day, Joshua just would NOT leave him alone, wanted to hug him or sit on his lap for 30 minutes solid!  Our friend is the youngest of 5 kids, so doesn't have any younger siblings.  He didn't mind the baby love.

This friend is from the Phillipines.  His mom works at Mountainview.  We've been playing with him twice a week for the last 6 months or so, and although he is shy, he and Jonathan love each other.  In this picture, he was sick at the hospital and we went to visit him there.  He had typhoid fever but is all better now.

Sunday School play time

Another blessing this year has been the little 3-5 year old Sunday School class that was started at the international fellowship where we attend.  We started in September, when he was not yet 3, always accompanied by a parent and closely coached.  Now he goes to Sunday School by himself and has learned to sing songs in the group and (sometimes) sit quietly for story time!  After the lesson and craft, there is usually some play time. 

We miss this friend who already moved to Papua in February.

As we live in a language school town, many of the ex-pats who come to town only stay for 10 months to a year, and then move on to another island or area of Java.  Jonathan has lost several friends this way already.  He often asks "When are we going to move to Papua, Mommy?"  A few of his friends have already moved to this far eastern island, so he thinks maybe we will too.

When good friends leave, new ones arrive.  Here is a friend who arrived with his parentsfor language school in December. 

Of course it's nice to have some female friends too.  Sometimes these two sisters come to play, and Jonathan always agrees be the patient while they play with his medical kit.  Nothing like being doted upon even when you're not actually sick.

Even Joshua has had a regular play date this year.  It has been such a joy to watch these two little boys, only 16 days apart in age, grow up together!  Sadly, Monday will be our last playdate with him and he will move away with his parents!  Words cannot express how much we will miss them! 

Critters 3 -- The Rove Beetle vs Jonathan

We had a frustrating mystery in our house about a month ago when Jonathan sustained an injury of unknown cause to his chest.  Here is an excerpt from the e-mail I sent to our parents about it:

"First big frustration is on Monday Jonathan complained of pain on his chest area.  I saw a faint rash and thought perhaps he had rubbed himself on a raw surface of bamboo on the play structure (which can leave miniature slivers in the skin -- although the workmen had sanded it all clean, I thought they might have missed some spots).  On Tuesday the rash was HORRIBLE, it looked like a serious burn injury.  It looked like he had been splattered with a chemical and the surrounding areas looked scalded.  I tried all kinds of different creams and medicines ....no relief and he was cranky all day, on a very short temper, and seemed to be having pain spasms.  That night he woke up screaming 4 times.   Finally Wednesday morning I decided to try some generic burn cream from a friend....it worked.  After that the rash didn't hurt anymore and has been healing since then.  But I am so frustrated because we have NO IDEA what caused it!  I was right by his side or close by all of his waking hours!  And except for a short time around bath time, he was always wearing a shirt.  He wasn't even separated from me to go play with his daddy at school because Dave home with a cold that weekend!  The only time he wasn't right with me was Sunday School, and they had 3 teachers for about 8 kids that day, so he was closely supervised.  For all of the protection Dave and I give this child, how could this injury have happened?  We asked him all kinds of questions if he had gotten into anything or played with any bottles (chemicals) or seen any big bugs (maybe he got sprayed with a vinegar scorpion?) ...and he thought about it and answered slowly "I don't think so."  I believe him.  Have no idea what happened ....but at least it is healing.  I'm going to attach a picture of the rash, taken on Tuesday so you can see why I'm so frustrated and confused! "

Ouch

Fortunately the following week, his skin healed and now only a faint shadow of the inflamed area is left.  Finally last week another teacher at school had a similar lesion on her neck and she told us it was from a "Tomcat Bug."  Internet searches soon gave us enough information to confirm, although we never saw the creature, that this is what caused Jonathan's horrible rash.  To this day, I still haven't seen a Rove beetle (as they are known officially) around our house, but I've been told they have been on campus and in the dormitories.  I've also found several Indonesian newspaper articles reporting of severe infestations on this island even last year, with up to 300 people going to the hospital for care.   The bugs live in rice paddies or forest areas, but often are disrupted by new construction projects.   If you only knew how many new construction projects have been started in our neighborhood these last few months. 

Of interest about rove beetles:
1.)  They don't bite.  When threatened they emit a fluid from their bodies which is poisonous.  Thus it looked to me like Jonathan had been splashed or scalded with a caustic substance.
2.)  Initial symptoms include reddening of the skin and a burning sensation.
3.)  After 2-4 days symptoms develop to painful skin irritation, pustules and blisters.
4.)  Affected areas are symptomatic for 10 days or so.
4.)  If a rove beetle lands on you, don't smack.  Try to blow it off in some way.
5.)  Treatment is to wash with soapy water.  Things that may help are antihistamines, hydrocortisone, aloe vera.  I ended up using a burn ointment that worked quite well.  

I hope you never get to meet one!

Happy Easter 2013!

This year we are doing the Resurrection Eggs again.  It's our 3rd year doing them, but the experience this year is very different as Jonathan understands much more now.  For those of you who don't know about the Eggs, there 12 plastic eggs each containing a symbol of Christ and Easter.  For example, the first egg contains a donkey to help us remember when Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  We have opened one egg each day and read the Bible story connected with it. 

While we are only "supposed" to open one egg each day, the boys have gotten a bit carried away and we've had opened eggs all over the place!  That's okay, though, because while they play with the eggs, they listen and think about the story. 

 

Jonathan has been paying attention.  We pray every night and thank Jesus for dying on the cross to save us from our sins, so it is not a new concept for him.  This week, however, the Resurrection Eggs have led us to talk about dark and horrible topics like the torture and crucifixion of Christ.   We've talked a lot about how "the bad people" caught Christ and did mean things to them.  "Why did they do mean things to Jesus, Mommy?"  Jonathan repeatedly expressed his belief that Jesus "got away from the bad guys."  When we were talking about the nails used to put Jesus on the Cross, Jonathan said that "the wind blew them back out again mommy."  To be honest, I have hesitated to tell him the truth about the the horrible violent story of Christ's death ....it's so gruesome.  Isn't it too much for a 3 year old who thinks that Thomas the Train is a scary movie? 

"Are these all the mean things, Mommy?"

I decided to move forward and trust God to reveal the truth to Jonathan in His tenderness.  If I wait to tell Jonathan the truth, he may hear it from someone else who doesn't love him as much or in a way that is not as true.  So this week we learned about the coins used to pay Judas, the whip, the crown of thorns, the nails, the die for casting lots, and the spear.  I actually felt nervous and had a feeling of dread each day as I tried to find the right words to tell Jonathan about each thing.  I've realized anew what a horrible thing is the killing of Christ.

So then I got the idea of making a paper mache tomb.  Here is step one ....mixing the flour/water glue and using the paper, etc, to make a BIG MESS!

Step two:  Painting the tomb with Daddy.

The finished product!  Here is a paper Jesus, dead and ready to be wrapped in gauze and put inside.

 The 10th Resurrection Egg had a roll of guaze inside, to help us remember how Jesus' body was wrapped by his friends.  So on Good Friday, Jonathan wrapped our paper Jesus right up and put him in the tomb with the stone closing the opening.  So now we're waiting for Sunday morning!  To be continued.....The resurrection is going to be great!

Ancient playground. Spring break play day

It's Spring Break and although we aren't taking any overnight trips, we did go on a day trip to a nearby temple complex!  We rarely go out of town together as a family so this was a special treat!  If Dave were writing this blog he would tell you all of the exciting things about the history of this place.  I'm less interested in the history so I'll just tell you it's REALLY old.  These are temples built long before Islam entered this country.

Dave took Jonathan to the inside of the temple, where visitors are required to wear helmets. 

This photo reminds me how strong Jonathan is becoming.  He walked under his own power all over the complex....no stroller needed!  I also see from this photo that those pants are getting a little short.  He has grown over 2 inches since his birthday in November!

Humorous family self-portrait attempt.

 

 Here is a rare photo of Jennifer (usually behind the camara) with Jonathan and Joshua.

This site is a big tourist attraction even for locals.  In our home city, there are a lot of Westerners and people are used to seeing us around.  When we go to other towns we attract crowds because of our fair skin.  The boys are cheek-pinched and photographed and hugged.  At this age they don't seem to mind the extra attention from strangers, but it's still a bit overwhelming for us as parents. 

 Oh wow.  So there was a little playground at the park with a small electric train for 30 cents a ride.  Jonathan was in heaven! 

The signs says "Children only" but the man let me ride with Joshua. 

 The little engineer!  The only thing missing is the hat!  Jonathan says this is "me saying All aboard!"

They also had these little pedal-powered go-carts.

Jonathan, our vehicle expert, said this is a "back-end loader with no bucket."  He's a very serious driver!