Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Thursday 13 - Growin' Up in Mozambique

Esmé’s Mommy here.
Esmé had an “accident” late this afternoon on our bed that went all the way through the duvet, pillow, sheets, and mattress. Let that be a lesson to anyone who thinks it is cute when their babies escape during diaper changing sessions.
And of course when the duvet was in the washing machine, something weird happened and the water overflowed all over the garage. So now I’m waiting for the duvet to dry, and I don’t want to think about the garage.
Let’s think about good things, instead. The dog still has not eaten the bunnies! He literally salivates every time I let them out of their cage. And those things eat, let me tell you! I’m feeding them three times a day and they don’t leave a drop, a scrap, in their cage. Why didn’t anyone tell me this before?
On to Thursday Thirteen – how you know you’re a 15-month-old American bebe growin’ up in Mozambique.
  1. You fall asleep while riding on the potholed roads and wake up on the smooth tarmac. And you pray before every drive in the car – even just around the block.
  2. Going to the doctor for shots is an all-day excursion across the border. And when you get funny bumps on you, you’re treated for both chicken pox and fly maggots.
  3. You have to add pages to your passport before you’re 15 months old.
  4. You spent your first Christmas at the beach eating sand.
  5. You know the word “no” in four languages.
  6. The first animal you REALLY saw in the wild was a giraffe. And one of your first words was "monkey." And you know the sound a monkey makes for "Old MacDonald."
  7. Your first pet dog is a vicious looking Rottweiler mix watchdog with a reputation for biting (though never you, of course).
  8. You complain about cold water in your bath, only to have Mommy tell you to be glad you didn’t have to carry that water 2 miles on your head.
  9. The first fruits you ate were mango and papaya. And you never ate Cheerios until you were 13 months old. And when you don’t eat your food and your Mommy tells you she’s going to give your dessert to the starving children in Africa, she means it. Literally.
  10. You sleep under a mosquito net. And you started using mosquito repellent long before you were “old enough.”
  11. There is ALWAYS sunscreen in your diaper bag. All year long.
  12. As far as you know, Shoprite is the only grocery store in the world. And you always check the ice cream before you buy it to make sure it hasn’t melted and been refrozen.
  13. You know that frangipani blossoms are edible.
I was looking for something profound, like “You know what it means to share with those in need” or “You know how blessed you really are,” but at 15 months, I think those types of lessons still escape the little mind . . .
The best I could come up with is "You know it's just as much fun to play in the dirt and ant hills with the village kids as as it is to watch Sesame Street on the BIG screen TV with your rich buddies." And she DOES know that.

26 comments:

Lori said...

wow what an amazing experience she has already had in her life

SandyCarlson said...

What an amazing experience. Are you writing all of this down for posterity?

Shannon said...

Amazing! She has so much to be proud of, I hope you are saving a copy of this for her when she is older. :)

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed reading this list. it's so unique. How long will you be in Mozambique anyway?

sobeit said...

She is going to love reading about this when she is older! happy tt!

sobeit
http://sobeit89.squarespace.com

SJ Reidhead said...

Wonderful!

You are putting this into a diary, I hope.

SJR
The Pink Flamingo

marcia@joyismygoal said...

ah that was awesome what a neat way to write that all down

Anonymous said...

WOw that is an awesome experience for a child!

Carol said...

I love how different others live compared to us. Fascinating! But no Cheerios? Oh, that doesn't sound fun to me.

Good 13!

Jen @ One Moms World said...

I'm so glad I found your blog. This is so neat to read about your experience in another country. Big (((HUGS))). I love that picture too!

pussreboots said...

Wow! What an eye opening TT. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Awesome and unique experiences and also a really great 13!

Crystal said...

Fly maggots? Oh my. I think I may be sick. And to think I scream at the sight of a spider. I would never survive.

Busymama Karen said...

Such an amazing experience.

Anonymous said...

That photo is great, what a great adventure. Thanks for stopping by my TT!

Pretty Life Online said...

Cool entry for TT! Mine's up too hope you can drop by... Happy TT!

Anonymous said...

wow thats really cool

Damselfly said...

Did Old MacDonald really have a monkey on his farm?! ;)

Great list -- lots of unique experiences.

KathyLikesPink said...

What is exotic to me is common place for bebe. I don't even have a passport!

Sandra said...

I LOVED this, as you know I was born in Mozambique and this was like a step back in time for me.

Wonderful!

Christie O. said...

what an absolutely wonderful experience your little doll has and continues to have. what a blessing that is!

Anonymous said...

This is such a fabulous list. She is going to love reading this one day. What an amazing experience.

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph said...

That photo is beautiful and I want to say you are amazing but it looks like every other commenter has said that already...!

Steph

Danielle said...

I liked the part about not having to carry the water on head. I am sure as she gets older she will have many profound thoughts on her experiences. Great post as usual!

Lilibeth said...

I can identify with many of these--mango and guayaba were my first fruits. I still love them today, but papaya I hated and would only drink it forced down as a medicine for upset tummy. Your child is blessed for having a better outlook on the world in these formative years and you have a lot of courage, I might add.

Unknown said...

Even if there wasn't anything profound, Esme is having such a rich upbringing, with experiences that most American kids will never know even exist.

What a blessed bebe!