Thursday 13 - What We Like In the US

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For today's 13 list, we thought we'd give you thirteen things we are enjoying while here in the US (specifically Oregon):

1. Wearing Stockings. I got to wear stockings for the first time now! It is much too hot for them in Mozambique, but they keep me warm here - even better than pants since there is no opening between the sock and the pants. Mommy surprisingly likes them too, since they make her legs look flawless, but I don't have to worry about that...
2. Shopping at 10 p.m. Can't find anything open in Mozambique at that time, but here it is the perfect time to go grocery shopping, since you can get any parking spot you want! And I'm still a little jetlagged, so don't fret too much about my sleeping hours. Sleep time is all relative.
3. Microwave Popcorn. Did I ever tell you how much I like popcorn? It is SO easy to make here, so I get to eat it a lot! You DO get microwave popcorn in Africa, but it is waaay expensive.
4. Libraries. We checked out a bunch of DVDs so I can watch something other than Barney all day. Though I still like Barney the best. And of course I can expand my collection of books beyond the small handful we brought back with us - and even rotate volumes in my collection!
5. Kid Classes at Church. It's nice to walk into a classroom that's all decorated with bright things just for us kids! And there are lots of kids in my class, and they all speak English! The teacher gave me a CD with the class songs on it, and a memory verse card and a magazine, and I've got everything memorized now!
6. Wireless Internet. It's so nice to be untethered by by network wires! Technically, you can get this in Africa, but we've been unable to get it to work at all. Thanks in part to serious communication issues with our internet provider there. Which brings us to...
7. Customer Service. I know you all have your horror stories even in the US. But on a scale of 1-10, I'd average US at about a 7 and Africa at a negative 9. Most places we've been to in Africa have the attitude that it is the customer's PRIVILEGE to be able to shop at their store. The reason it's not a negative 10 is there are a few shining exceptions.
8. Soft Feet. We're not running around barefoot here. Well, actually, I am. I always kick my socks and shoes off. Unless I have fancy pretty new shoes that don't match my Scooby Doo shirt (see yesterday's post). But Mommy doesn't let me run around barefoot OUTSIDE. So all our callouses are softening up...
9. Berries. That's Mommy's thing. I could do without the berries, personally. Grapes are okay, though. And I really like watermelon!
10. Taco Bell. Had to mention it. Just had to. But now that I'm refusing to eat beans, it's not as exciting any more. Nachos work. And those fruit slushie things. I far prefer pizza, myself.
11. Craft Supplies. It's amazingly odd to be able to just go buy the craft supplies we need for the week. We're used to being innovative with whatever we've got on hand. Which isn't a bad thing, just a little tougher. The hard part now is staying within a budget when there are so many awesome and reasonably priced things available...
12. Decent Drivers. Don't laugh. If you've never driven in Mozambique, you don't know how bad drivers can REALLY be. We can't imagine why people have road rage in this country. Especially when the roads are so nice and smooth, too.
13. Playgrounds. There weren't any public playgrounds for me to play on in Africa. What few playgrounds there were weren't very safe. I'm loving the slides and swings here!

Lest you feel we are whining about African living at all, don't you fear. We'll balance this all out with a list of 13 things we miss about Africa next week...