Sick kids and tile floors: good combo

The last week was tiring and not fun. For the first (but probably not last) time, all three kids had liquids coming out both ends...at the same time. The good news is that there are few carpets in India and none in our house. The three rugs were put away quickly. All of which made cleaning up a lot easier than it would have been in the USA!

To make matters worse, I got sick on Thursday and am now taking two anti-biotics but feeling better and, most important, able to help Libby. The kids are much better after about 5 days of illness. Another silver lining to the cloud? Sick, lethargic kids don't have energy to fight with each other and like to cuddle more than normal. Ah, yes, hidden blessings, but I'm still happy we're getting healthy again.

What I passed on the National Highway

On my way to the office, I drive on National Highway 7 for about 10 minutes. This morning was a typical morning. I passed the normal collection of amazing, unpredictable things that, after 5 years, seem normal. But fun to record them:

• 8 water buffalo wandering without a guide (presumably on the way to pasture)
• 2 camels with riders heading into town (probably to give rides at a wedding)
• a flower cart (was definitely going below the speed limit)
• bridge that's been under construction for 9 years (!)
• our post office - colonial building with delightful staff and periodic electricity
• several dhabas (essentially truck stops; these are restaurants with outdoor seating, huge portions, and great prices)
• lots of garbage dumped along the road - including coconut shells which, when it rains, will float onto the road and make it exciting for two-wheelers!
• fruit stands
• Army base with a basketball court
• and much more.

Some commutes, like anywhere in the world, are frustrating when there's bad traffic. But today was pleasant. Sunny skies and temps in the 70s F. Freedom on the motorcycle to weave in and out of traffic. Lots of things for the eye to behold!

Swept your dirt or roof lately?

One of the strangely satisfying parts of my holiday was sweeping our roof and front yard. The roof is flat with a railing so it is one of the few big open places for the kids to run around. Unfortunately, cats and birds leave their calling cards occasionally and somehow there were tons of little rocks up there which are hard on little bare feet. All clean now.

Also, our front yard (about 10x6 feet) is packed dirt. The falling leaves and sticks from overhanging trees need to be cleaned, so I sweep the dirt bi-weekly. Feels weird sweeping the dirt (not sweeping up dirt)! But looks clean afterwards and reduces the debris in which mosquitoes and other critters hide.

Next weekend, I'll get some gardeners from our partner org to come by for a few hours. They do the big work of weeding, trimming the plants, and sweeping the concert around the entire house. The price is right: about $2 an hour.

Clapping and crying: new developments...kinda

About a week ago, Asha started clapping. It is fun to see her full smile (with wrinkled brow and squinted eyes) as she claps.

Lukas is at a point where he doesn't want anything in his crib. We recall something similar with Shane. There is lots of crying at bedtime and a fear of the dark. But having Shane in the same room is helpful since he's a good example to his little brother of staying quiet and in bed!

At some point in the next few weeks we need to move Lukas from his crib to a bed. This is so that Asha can shift from her travel cot to the crib. All this allows the new baby to go into the travel cot. Should be a challenge since Lukas is a little more strong willed than Shane and likely to jump out of his bed more!

Don't think we mentioned this anywhere, but when we returned to India in mid-Sept, Shane started taking a stuffed cat (which came with book "If you give a cat a cupcake") to bed. Then he added a heffalump. Shane instructed Lukas to take a tan kitty (gifted at an IDEAS conference) to bed...and Lukas eventually added a moose (which came with book "If you give a moose a muffin). Anyway, apparently Lukas is now old enough and is excising his independent decision making powers.

Grateful in the New Year

First, I'm grateful for 2011 since 2010 was a bit rough. But, second, and more important I'm thankful for several events in 2010 that were divine or answers to prayer. A lot in life could be attributed to happenstance, but a few things are so beyond our control that they are surely Divine. I never want to forget the four following answers to prayer which happened during Libby's struggle with tuburculosis.

1. Just before boarding the plane back to the USA, a long-time friend with a relatively new job offered to help us. Her job? She works with doctors that jointly see patients with possible infectious diseases in their limbs! Exactly the experts we needed to see since Libby's infection was in her left leg. And appointments that usually takes weeks to get were made within 48 hours.
2. The surgeon in USA called in his buddy -- a cancer specialist -- to help with the surgery. Due to their combined skills, they didn't have to extend Libby's incision from previous surgery and took a successful biopsy.
3. During each surgery and then, after the TB meds started, Libby had to stop breastfeeding. But Asha never missed a beat and the transition to a bottle was seamless.
4. Libby never had a reaction or any sideaffects to the massive amounts of medicines (first, via IV for a suspected tropical disease and, later, for TB).

I'm grateful beyond words.