Photo Contest

Our Sunday School had their kick off this morning.  During the month of September each class has had some type of competition going on and the winners were announced this morning during the kick off.  The baby class had "who can drink a bottle of milk the fastest".  Baby C refuses a bottle so she chose not to enter the contest.  Big C's two-three year old class had a family photo competition.  We put in the family photo from the first blog post for Big's C's entry.  As they were announcing the winners, Big C, was in the back playing/talking to herself.  She was quite surprised when she heard her named called but surprised me by being willing to go to the front with me.  She had no idea that we had given a picture to her teacher, that there was a competition and much less that she had won that competition.  So she was very pleased when she was given a wrapped gift.  

When she made it back to her seat and was unwrapping her gift with Papa D we asked her "Why did you get this gift".  Big C very quickly answered with her proud smile "Because I sleep by myself".  hahahahaha  We left it at that.  No need to tell her she won a photo contest.

I'm sorry but I did not think to bring our camera.  Several friends were taking pictures so maybe someone will put it on FB for me and I can send it over here to the Blog.

This is kind of blurry.  Our friend took this picture with her cell phone.

Mama K and Her Girls

Honestly, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be a mother of two girls.  Perhaps that is why it took us eight hours to settle on the name for our second girl after her birth.  I could have given you 100 boys' names but when it came to girls I was undecided.  After three months of mothering two girls I need to say that I could not be happier.  My new dreams for our family of two daughters are even more exciting than any dream I had for a family of boys.  I love that Big C is so sweet and caring and that she loves to shop and paint her nails!  I have no idea what is in store for Baby C or what type of young lady she will become but I do know that she is my perfect gift from God.

I am so excited to watch my two girls grow over the years.  I am excited to cultivate their differences and similarities.  I'm excited to help mold a beautiful sisterhood between them.  While I am not naive enough to believe that there will not be arguments between them, especially as teenagers, I do believe they will have a deep love for one another and respect.  I pray that they will lean on each other and not push against each other as they grow and as they walk through the joys and trails of life.  They are my joy.

Not the Next Mia Hamm

Perhaps I am too quick in making this judgment call but Big C is showing no signs of being a soccer star.  Papa D and myself both enjoy a good game of soccer or futsal.  It seems to me that we would therefore produce sport loving children.  I don't think that we have when it comes to Big C.  Today Big C's preschool rented out an indoor soccer field for a sports day.  I was there with my camera in hand to catch the first shots of Indonesia's future star soccer player.  While I may have gotten a picture of the next big star, it was not Big C.  Oh well, I guess we will let her become a star in her on field of choosing.  That's what good parents do, right?

However, she sure was the prettiest player out there and that counts for something!

Shopping With Big C

Big C has been on a roll for getting rewards.  Her favorite reward is buying a new movie usually a Dora movie.  There is one place that has tons of kid movie/shows collections and that of course is her favorite place to go.  The following were taken yesterday.  Big C is very proud of the big girl she is becoming.  Cheers to Big C growing up (even if it makes Mama K a bit sad).

More on Ants (Grandpa don't look at this blog post)

One tree outside of our house was home to thousands of big red ants.  They would go from that tree to our neighbor's mango tree.  Well, yesterday Papa D had enough of the red ants coming into our house.  He took our little saw and went out and sawed many of the branches off of the tree.  In a frantic search of where to make a home the ants clamored onto part of our gate's wall.  There Papa D sent them to their eternal home.  The war is not over but yesterday's battle was a victory for family Kaemba.  Here are some pictures from the battle field.

Ants' homes within the tree

The eggs of the future generation

The gathering on the wall

The end of the battle

Empathy

Are people born with empathy or is it something you learn?  I know that some people are more empathetic than others but I don't know where the empathy comes from.

People who get teary eyed from commercials I think, are very empathetic people.  A 30 second glimpse into some strangers life on a commercial can make them cry.  That has to be because they can quickly understand how that person (or animal) must be feeling.

I think if you are born with empathy levels then Big was born with high levels of it.  Tonight Big C was able to go buy another movie for another successful day of falling asleep by herself with no tears or help from Mama or Papa.  She picked out the 2nd Tinker Bell movie.  After Baby C had gone to bed and Papa D had left to play bedmitton we snuggled up together and watched the movie.  There is one scene when Tinker Bell cries because she misses her friends.  Big C looks over at me and with the biggest tears and lips stuck out far she says in her sad voice "I'm sad Mama, Tinker Bell is crying.  Tinker Bell is sad.  Why is she sad".  I almost cried myself from Big C's face and tears.  I explained to her what was wrong until she understood and said "Tinker Bell just go find your friends, ok, and then you will be happy".

That is empathy.  I think if we all thought a little more about other people and how they feel our world may have fewer tears and more smiles.

I have new pictures to post but I left the camera in the car so they will have to wait for another day.

Coming and Going

One thing that makes life difficult here is the coming and going of friends.  My Indonesian friends are pretty constant.  We have only had one Indonesian family that we are close to move away.  However, my western friends are constantly going to america or coming back.

Starting on October 4th all of my closest American friends will be Stateside.  I am some  bummed about this.  Have you ever lived overseas?  Or have you notice immigrants living around you and seen how if someone is from your home country you become instant friends.  Here I would say, if you are from an English speaking country you become friends pretty quickly.  People from the same cultural background flock together.  There is a comfort in knowing that someone understands you, not just your language but your humor and way of thinking.

So I write this asking for your prayer during the month of October.  I will be feeling lonely as I miss my American friends but don't worry about me I have plenty of Australian, English, Scottish and Indonesian friends here to keep me happy.