Anything good to go.

I am going to ask simple but hard questions.

What is your vision as a mother?

Where do you see yourself and your children years to come?

I have a vision –on motherhood and wife-hood. I like looking at them quite often just to ensure that I am living everyday in a manner that will seek to accomplish the vision ( desired result).

Some one recently told me and my hubby that God did not create the fish first then thought about the waters later. He had a good plan in mind. So what’s your plan Mum or are you aiming everywhere, saying – Good to go!

You know, everywhere I have worked, we are demanded to learn the vision and mission of the organization. And we are reminded that if we are doing anything that does not work towards achieving that vision, then we are in the wrong place.

Good! I can recite the vision of my organization in my dreams.

So what of being a Mum?

What standards have I set for myself?

What standards have you set for yourself?

Or is anything good to go?

Think about it.

Sugar Cane

Our kids not only love sugar cane, but they are completely in love with them

The next time you visit, please bring along some boiled maize and sugar canes and our kids will love you for good. 

We like  that they would rather opt for sugar cane than lolly pop or chocolate.

They love tomatoes too and will eat  them right  in the market, as long as i have them cleaned. 

So we recently decided to take them to some source of sugar cane  and have it all it their fill!

All they needed was to ask for one and viola!

This is at my Mums, Cucu, and they love going there to eat sugar cane.

We always eat much and carry more... I do no like the job of peelign them, so i always request that i carry a few peeled before i can do the rest.

That is Cucu with the girls, see all the sugar cane behind.

Mnara is catching up too, he used the cane to rub his teething gums. 

Little by Little

Yes sometimes God brings down strongholds in our lives, little by little and finally they go stumbling down.

Many times I am faced with challenges that take long to deal with, they can be so overwhelming, I question Gods’ faithfulness, I question my faith and I even question prayer. I question many things and sometimes I get desperate, I feel like giving up and what people sometime call throwing in the towel.

The other day I was on Thika road, like I will be today and I am amazed by the hips of hills that are now leveled, the rocks that looked immovable are now leveled, especially as you approach Thika near Mangu high school, my husband and I have watched in amazement how those tracks/bulldozers have brought down those rocky hills one at a time.

Hills being leveled up on Thika road

 They reminded me of what happens when we pray- every time we pray concerning a challenge or an issue that we are facing, like those bulldozers we are simply bring down the strongholds little by little. It may take time but you have to keep at it, it may take months, sometimes years but you cannot give up. One day, your prayers will hit the last rock and you will go like-it’s over, it is done! Praise be to God!

And just like those rocky places on Thika road, you will not look the same, things will be leveled up and trust you me, it will be evident.

Little by little, keep praying, keep holding on, and please don’t give up. God has not given up on you and so you cannot give up on yourself.

Remember, little by little your prayers are changing things, your prayers are moving the mountains. 

Luke 18:7

"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?"

Have an awesome week.

Vacation

Today our kids have driven my hubby and I up to the roof.

I had to ask Chris, “are we the ones who are running out of patience or are the kids a little bit of the line today!” for sure they were but we are good to go now.

So nothing funny, other than the fact that we discovered that out of the two weeks of leave, we have only spent one day – (full day in the house). After this leave- we are now heading back to the office on Monday to request for a few days off for a vacation!

We wish!!!!!Dreaming!!!!

Well about the kids, nothing funny, its been busy and cool around the house. We have started getting pressure for Mbuzi Choma courtesy of the goat we got at Carolines’, we are already getting dates!!!Poor goat- I should have known, sharing about the goat – others don’t see the goat, they see Nyamchom! Oh! Kenyan and Nyamchom!

Well, we are already fattening it for slaughter! Hopefully for one of the kids birthday!

I am on a mission to make Cinnamon rolls this weekend..Its been a while! 

Have a good one!

Two weeks of thanksgiving

Today, I am thankful that I have been home (sometimes) with the kids for almost the last two weeks. It’s been great, it has helped me appreciate many things and love my kids all the more. The house help has been away and it has helped me realize that my kids are now all grown up. That I can do most of things I would love to do while still taking care of three kids. My hubby has also been very supportive. The best part of the leave is when we ALL get to sleep at 2pm and wake up at 4Pm, take a walk and get home for dinner-which have to make. We have traveled in a smelly car, yelled in the car, sang, played together, spanked more often but all in all, had a great superb time!

We are thankful to God and we know it’s through him that we are able to enjoy such times.

On what we have been upto while i have been on leave;

Just played at home.

Visited Bomet to see Caroline

Attended a great wedding. Congrats to Esther and John

Visited Nyanya

Swang the big Man-a little bit-He loves it and the girls love the pushing!

Attended Mercys' Graduation- these are great friends of ours, we were a best couple to them on their wedding  Mercy is now a graduate on United States International University (USIU) with  a degree in Hotel Management. Go girl! with Sammy-Her Hubby! 

Riding the bikes and "elephant"

 

Mum and Dad-out with friends. I am the one hanging on to my hubby! I love this man to bits!

Celebrated Auntie Shirohs' birthday. We devoured her cake!

Travelled to Kiboko- the roots!

Fed grandmas; cows

Fed cows again

Met more grandparents

Walked through the Shamba with another grandma and harvested Kales ( Sukuma and spinach)

Eaten loads of Sugar cane.

Thank you Lord. I have enjoyed my leave. its been two weeks, i have been with great people, learnt great things and most all of all in the company of family- Blessed be your Holy Name!

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2Peter 1:3 

Save you a worm

I like clean Sukuma wiki(Kales),

The thought of engaging with a worm while eating makes me scream!

The thought that I could be squeezing a small snail between my teeth, makes me shiver

So sometimes i prefer cabbages because i imagine, it is more likely that you will see a snail or worm on a cabbage than in Sukuma (kales)

Last weekend my mum in law, taught me a good one

To soak or clean the Sukuma with salty water, everything come falling off, all the tiny snails and the worms

So this is what I am doing, just soaking it all up in salty water ( i think a lot of salt)ha!

Thank God, I can now eat Sukumas' in peace and my kids can enjoy more greens in the house.

Please give this advice to to your house helps as they clean the Sukuma..it might save you and your children a worm!!!! or worse a fatty slug/snail! Ouch!

Apologies

I am always apologizing for my kids in restaurants and Hotels. They play keyboard with Forks and knifes, they completely make a mess of  the table, they wave to other customers. Sometimes this does not go very well and though sometimes they get a wave back, some customers really get irritated. 


I can only imagine  how the waiters feel after we leave. Even when we get some bad service, I sometimes feel obliged to tip, because the waiters need it, they have to work extra hard to clear all the mess my kids make. 


Guys, what to do? I have really been thinking. How do I stop the turning of plates into drums and fork and knifes into key boards. And most of all the spilling of stuff on the floor. 

Look at this...chocolate all down.

Take time out

It is very important for Mums and Dads to take time off, if you haven't in the recent past, please plan to. I took time off this weekend and organized to have our kids taken care of. My hubby and I decided to hide, just to get to breath and it went very very well. Rest is important, it prevents parenting burn out and helps you to come back to your kids feeling all fresh and all new. The kids even look more beautiful - they do!

Try it out, it does not have to be expensive but trust you me, it helps to sleep somewhere else other than your house and not wake up to yelling kids at 7am.

Waking up at 9am and wondering - where on earth am I, its so silent!

When you get back home, the kids come running giving awesome hugs.

I think they also appreciate you more!!!!

No saying No.

Our kids like to answer No when asked to do many things. A normal conversation will go like this.

Mum: Kendi and Tana, please get inside the house, it’s a cold day

Kendi or Tana: Mum, No...we want to play outside.
Mum: But its cold
Kendi or Tana: No, its not

Mum: No saying No to Mum, you need to honor and respect Mum, I am saying you get inside because its cold and you can easily get a flu. So, no saying No to mum, please get inside. 

Kendi or Tana: Okay...(with some attitude)
Mum: Okay who?
Kendi or Tana: Okay Mum. 

  

So the other day-a cold day, the kids were indoors and they were playing all over the seats. I was sleeping on the big couch reading a book; Tana comes over to me and asks me to move so that she can jump from the seat. I told her No, I am resting and reading a book, she needs to look for another seat to jump from.

This is the response i got "Mum, No saying No to Tana, please move"

May be if I said "Okay" - She would have gone further to say
"Okay who?"
and I am supposed to answer
"Okay Tana"

Dear me, how do we do this? ...why do they not understand you are the parent here?

Many thanks

We are just thankful to be home, having fun with the kids-having taken time off work. We are loving it every day and we are so thankful that we can do this. My house-help  is on leave too-for the two weeks and its home alone. We love it, we truly do and are thankful to God that we can have this time as family.

Nyanya visited today....G..R..E..A...T... and the kids are having a blast. Its hard to get them to sleep because  they want Nyanya to share a bed with them. 

Okay just to let you know- the Paternal grandparents are Nyanya and Babu, while the maternal are Cucu and Guka. That is how we thought wise to differentiate for the kids. 

So Nyanya is here! and I am so thankful to God that the kids are truly are enjoying her company.

They took Nyanya for a walk. How nice!

Nyanya and Mnara, having a swing time.

A grandson Moment.

 We are also very thankful for our friends the Roberts. They were finally cleared to go and pick up their son in Ethiopia. It’s been a long wait for them, they have been patient and we are thankful to God for their breakthrough. Our God is faithful !!!!!

Caroline

Some years back, we learnt about Caroline Chepkorir. A  brave girl, who after securing a place in Sosiot girls High School, she borrowed money from her relatives and took herself to Sosiot girls’ High school  to ensure that she was there on the day admission.  She requested to see the Principal and narrated how she has nothing but her faith and brains and sought to be admitted to the school.

That was a brave!!! I think her faith must have moved the headmistress, who allowed her to join the form ones but the school had to donate everything for her. From clothes to the very bathing soap.

When we learnt about it, we decided to help.  So we have been supporting her through her secondary education and she finally cleared high school last year. I want to thank my Sister Sylvia too for her support in this. One thing I must say is that we never saw Caroline  for the four years she was in school.

She only sent letters and her report forms and I think I must have written back to her once or twice just to encourage her. However we did visit her during the prayer day for the form fours, which took place during the her term. And it was all tears on both ends.

We have been trying to secure a college for her, and she has now been admitted to Mount Kenya University where she will be pursuing studies in  Community development.

So, we decided to visit her family on Monday in Chemanel, Longisa in Bomet, ( the place is not far-its very very far) to honour them and to let them know that we are not taking away their daughter, we are only helping. I must say it was nothing but an emotional meeting.  The family treated us so well, and we were so glad to see how God unites people. Of course they think we are these great people, who are sponsoring their daughter, but little do they now that we are ordinary Kenyans-loved by God, just like them and saved by grace.

From left to right ( Caroline's Mum, Dad, Chris and I and Mnara)

Caroline with Mnara, her mum and, and a baby girl that I just loved.. 

The kids were many and my kids just played on. I love the heart of kids, they just blend in, they know no race, no colour, no tribe-Just the childrens' race. Can we be like that?

Our kids played with this goat most of the time. Little did we know it was ours in waiting. 

The gathering was large as you can see.  The lady on the left in a grey sweater is her Aunt, she lives in Litein and hosted Caroline during school holidays.

Leaving their home. They gave us alot of potatoes, cabbages, maize pumpkins and all the things they could get from their shamba. 

They gave Chris a kid (baby goat) and they gave me a gourd for storing milk and a cup for taking it.

It was lovely, we ate loads of boiled and fried meat with rice and potatoes and chapati s. They had outdone themselves!  They are a great people!

We have learnt that, we may not be able to save the whole world, but we can help in our own little ways and change lives.

Caroline is a blessing to our family, after high school, she had visited us occasionally, stayed with us, my kids just love her, she like a big sister to them.

We hope that she will continue with her education and I pray that she will be a light to her family. We are trusting God for finances to take her through college, and we have no doubt that God will provide. Caroline loves God, she is born again and has GREAT faith and I know God will honor that.

A visit to Nyanya

My leave is here! I have been away from my laptop. Went to see grandparents (paternal), attended a friends wedding and went to Bomet to visit Caroline's  family-will share more on that.

The kids had a ball, it was awesome. They slept together, which was very cool. We are trying to teach them to sleep together so that it gets easy to travel and spend anywhere. I am so glad that they can now comfortably share any bed, even in a hotel. Once you tuck them in, they sing for a while and sleep eventually.

Sharing a bed.

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They hang out together too!

They harassed Nyanya a lot, but were quite helpful too in removing the peas.

 Do I say that this is more work than you think? After all the helping, you have to work hard to get all the ones that have fallen on the ground and most of the time they are more than 
what went inside the bowl.

We had a good time and loved it. Looking forward to some more!

Lollypop!

I have been following up on what has been happening at the Daily Vacation Bible School.

The teacher recently narrated a story about a boy named Peter who had been sent to the shop and lost some money on his way home. 

The teacher asked the kids – what would you do if you found the money that Peter had lost and you knew it was Peter who lost it?

My sweet bold Kendi raises her hand and says

“Teacher, I would take the money and buy lollypop!”

Okay- too innocent- I was told the class burst out laughing.

Well, looks like we need to do more training on that area. We hardly give our kids lolly-pops and when they bump into them in the supermarket, they say "Hi lolly-pops" talk of kids and getting your attention!


We always in return ask them to say "bye lolly-pops" and they obediently wave goodbye.... I guess wondering why their trick didn't work. 


So, I guess this is the ONE thing she would LOVE to do-just get hold of money and buy the lolly-pops!

Report...

We are thankful

The kids have been attending the Daily Vacation Bible School for this week

We were so thankful and glad that it has been going on well.

We got a report that despite our girls’ being the youngest in the class,

They are the most disciplined and their teachers really love them.

We thank God – for that kind of favour. 

Truly it only comes from GOD. 

Let me think

A friend of mine was recently narrating how her househelp was drugged near some kiosk in the estate. The girl had gone to buy some household items and all she remembers was some men asking her for direction and then she blacked out. She later found herself near some bush but has no re-collection of what happened. Thankfully, she had not been raped!

She found her way back to the house (her employers). However, her employers’ daughter had come from school and waited for hours because the house was locked. When the house help appeared she was looking confused. So they sought the help of the neighbor who called my friend, narrated the story and asked her what to do?

Apparently the house help had lost the house keys in the drama or rather they were taken away from her without her knowledge.

When my friend was called- she was shocked, to say the least, and after the neighbor narrated the horrendous experience- my friend told her, thanks for calling, give me 10 minutes I think.

My friend was in Mombasa when all this was happening, busy in work related workshop.

Let me think? This is the point where I thought she was being funny!

The curious me asked her, why on earth would you want to think-just ask them to get someone to break the door, I mean your kids need to sleep at the end of the day?

But in her thinking, she talked to how her colleagues helped her think through the matter and she came to a conclusion that she needs;

a)      To ask the neighbor  to host her kids and house help for a few hours

b)      To call her brother to pick the kids so that they can sleep at his place

c)       To send her keys ( through Securicor the next day) so that they can open the house

You know, I was impressed. Had it been me, I would have said-BREAK the door!!!!! Get me the watchman and break that DOOR!

She told me, she thought breaking the door was not wise, because her kids would have slept in an insecure house that night and it would have cost her more to break and repair the door.

I was impressed!!!!!

Then I remember reading something like this in a book sometime back.

“It is not wise to act in the height of emotions, no matter the situation; we need to wait for sound wisdom, before we act on an impulse”

So, Mums, let’s put our emotions in order, especially when we are dealing with the children that God has given us. Next time some dramatic event happens that concerns your children or otherwise…if time can allow, please say-let me think. You are likely to make a wiser decision!!!!! Both for you and your children! 

Some good English

We are trying so hard to teach our kids the right – or what we would call the correct version of English. Which should we use? American or British.

Whichever the case, we have realized of late that we have been speaking some form of corrupt version of English. Needles to say, I have heard people speak the same in high level meetings and I think its has been a slow fade, you do not even realize it until your children start picking it up and then it dawns on you that you are also speaking the same. (I am not even sure if what I am typing now is corrupt too)

Examples

Wrong: Mum, you are going where?

Correct: Mum, where are you going?

Wrong: We are eating what?

Correct: What are we eating?

Wrong: Mum, you are saying what?

Correct: What are you saying Mum?

Wrong: Dad that is who?

Correct: Dad, Who is that?

And many more……….but somehow always in form of questions.

Lets help each other….now that our children are speaking English more than Kiswahili, we need to have it right!

Be easy....

Okay the other day- I met this Mum and her daughter, I have no clue who she is, but she was fussing about her gas cylinder. She was buying some cooking gas. But she caught my attention because I needed to be attended to and she was right before me.

She made noise to the attendant (she was literary giving him a piece of her mind) a big piece for that matter about how her cylinder is clean and she was about to get a dirty one.

She complained and complained so much about the high price of the cooking gas and how dirty the cylinders were. She asked why they sell such dirty cylinders and questioned why they cannot clean them.  She went on to complain and complain, including the fact that the gas cylinder she was about to get had some dent on it

All this time, I have three kids packed in the car and I am next on the queue waiting to buy some items!  I felt like telling her-“Please just go and look for the kind of cylinder you want somewhere else!” 

To be honest her exchange and complaining took like 6 minute and I was getting fed up. Oh and did I say, that in the midst of that conversation – she gets a call, which she attends  too, and when I am thinking that  I need to take this chance to purchase what I wanted, she ends her call and continues lamenting!

Needless to say- that the daughter was watching in awe all this time!

One thing I know for sure- I have no time for fussing especially when the object in question does not affect my destiny.

Many of us make mountains out of molehills. Something so so small- we make it look like the world is about to come to an end. Honestly - what has a dirty cylinder got to do with your cooking Mum? Please clean it up when you get home if you must!

I know we all have so much on our plates – please take it easy, don’t treat life in such a harsh way- laugh , smile and when you really cannot do much about your situation just move on.

Try to pursue peace, let go off baggage in your life.


I am a choleric, and I am not so much concerned about the details of life as long as they do not affect my goals, may be that helps a lot but honestly lets' learn to choose our battles.

 Do have a peaceful week!

Fun Friday!

I came back Friday – from airport straight to bowling at Village market. Thank God my hubby had left all the kids asleep. I needed the break-I needed the rest. It was a busy week! I needed to detox. 

Hooked up with friends and had tons and tons of fun!

Being shady! 

These friends – they are all couples, we have formed a group that helps us to keep check on each other, we meet monthly in someone’s house- we agree who is cooking what, and just meet to address marriage issues, of course based on the word of God. Husbands and wives Hague (report) each other depending on what is going on in their marriage. We get objective ideas on how to handle various issues. We are all from different backgrounds and attended various places of worship. So we meet because of Christ-friendship and marriage and believe you me, its awesome! – we need more of this around. Support networks!We have benefited greatly from this group.

Zippy and Tony! Expecting their first in a few weeks! 

Rosemary and Jerry! we call them Rosejerry! They have a 9 months boy -Jabu.

Sylvia and Alex . Have a 20 months girl - Samara

Kate and Reuben- Have a 13 months old boy - Leon 

Gladwell  and David-were unable to make it.  

We do breakfast for the girls (Mums) once a month and the men have their breakfast too.

The crazy Mums! 

Don't they look great!

Okay now I am bowling- and I did some very many good shots! It was a well spent night- got home late but I needed the break. 

Nothing short of busy!

This week as been nothing short of busy!

We have been busy working on logistics to take members of parliament to Mombasa to lobby for a separate Gender and Equality Commission. A bit of information and news on this click here.

I have worked late, spent days with no lunch and had nightmares on logistics-the whole office has been on standstill.

What I thank God for is that-My hubby has been dropping me in the office almost every day and picking me up in the evening – together with the kids!

What a site, what a joy!

My hubby has sacrificed so much to make this week easier for me; he has taken care of the kids very well and given me the support that I have needed. The hugs and the kisses have been many too.

I love you hubby – You ROCK my world! Thanks for being there and I TRULY thank God for you!

Knowing how hard it can get for working Mums- to juggle between work and family-I am nothing but super grateful to God-for giving me an understanding and Super supportive hubby! I get to leave him for Mombasa and he will drop and pick me from the Airport. Thanks Love.

I also thank God that the kids have been sleeping very well this time-they wake up after 8am, and sometimes, they have had to be woken up at 9am. Pretty cool, especially when Mnara gets to sleep the entire night, it makes us rest much better. Thank you Lord!

Kendi, yesterday asked me when I was kissing her goodnight-"Mum are you fine?" I think she could see the stress all over my face. Then she gave me a big huge hug. I thank God that she can be able to see when Mum is stressed a bit and ask if Mum is fine. What a blessing! I just want to be a friend to my children and let them see me for who I really am.-Just a mum-saved by grace. 

More than everything- who do I give the glory? GOD! He is faithful and His grace-always more than sufficient – He is Lord over all! I PRAISE HIM!

Stickers!

My kids love stickers- it like the greatest of rewards when they do something extra special.

So I have been using them to reinforce positive behaviour and great achievements around the house.

And when they have done some extremely great things, I draw some smiling face, or a smiling sun on it and they get to walk around feeling, great, all day, or all evening.

I try not to miss use them though, they must know the stickers come at a cost. So when one is done with food and they go like “Mum, I have finished my food, can I have a sticker?”

“Nope! That was not an achievement – it was rather expected!” but if you ate your food well, without making a mess on the table and on the floor, yes-you can have a sticker. 

So what do you do or use to reward positive behavior?