BAMBA!

What? What in the world is Bamba? It's a cheese curl, but instead of cheese, it's peanut butter flavored! You read that right: peanut butter flavored cheese curls! They were revolting to me at the outset, but I have to admit, they've grown on me. They are popular here. The word Bamba is part of every young child's vocabulary, though it's techincally the brand name of one company, it's used for all corny, peanut butter curls. Think bandaid. At every turn, someone is handing Georgia Kate bags of Bamba bliss!

The other day while teaching English in the West Bank, Georgia was in the care of one of the staff members at the center. She is normally overfed with all kinds of junk food: chocolate, wafers, chips, sugary sweet juice, etc. I figure she won't die after a day of this. She loves it!

As I excited the class I found Georgia covered in pink juice, chocolate, and crumbs. She proudly held a small bag up to me, and through her slightly orangish, crumby face she shouted, "I have BAMBA!"

But these were no ordinary Bamba. They were TOMATO flavored Bamba! Yum-O! I asked Georgia if I could taste one and she handed it over. What a strange taste...kind of like ketchup. But it was really yummy...or at least I thought so. Georgia agreed.

I bought a bag for the trip back to Jerusalem. And I bought another bag today. Tomato Bamba. Who knew it would be so delicious in such an odd way!

And these are my deep thoughts for the day!

Guess what Georgia Kate feasted on today!

3 moldy pickles! I mean MOLDY! I found them at the back of the fridge from who knows when. They were in a Tupperware modular mate and I sat them on the counter where they stayed. I forgot about them until Georgia came running with the lid and said, "I ate the pickles!"
She ate 3 big, moldy pickles. I, of course, being a mother who is always prepared, promptly washed her off and raced to my computer to google "eating moldy food."

Turns out she won't die. She might throw up. She might have an upset tummy. But she isn't going to die.

I tell you...that girl is going to be the end of me. I still can't figure out how she pried the modular mate container open!

Music obsessions...totally normal!

I get obsessed with music. I tell myself that this is normal, that everyone listens to the same song 50 times in a row without stopping. I refuse to recognize this as an OCD or some other "issue." It's normal. Say it with me: Carrie is not crazy. She is normal. ahem...

Latest obsession? The Call, by Regina Spektor, from one of my favorite movies (which will become yet another of my obsessions the moment it is released on dvd!), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

I bought the soundtrack on iTunes. It's lovely. But this particular song, and how it is portrayed the in movie...well, it just captures me.

I swoon. Love it.

Now, I've just been introduced to a new song by my little sister. I feel another obsession coming on! "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. Poor Scot...

Summer Camp...or why I haven't blogged in the last few days.

I'm not a kid person. Honest. This statement usually prompts a comment like, "But you have so many of your own!" Yes, I love my kids. I even love a few other kids. But naturally, I am not a kid person. I lose my patience. They don't amuse me. Babies? Bring 'em on! Teenagers? Love 'em! But those in-between years? Not so much.

What have I been doing the last 2 weeks? Teaching English lessons at summer camps in the West Bank to KIDS! Lots and lots of kids! We cycle through more than 100 kids a day over the course of 5 sessions at the camp that's running this week. I am up to my ears in kids! And I'm loving it!

Okay...not really loving it like, "Gee, I hope I can do this for the rest of my life." And not even loving it like, "I don't have any complaints because this ministry is so amazingly wonderful!" But loving it because it is what God has called me to do for this time, right here, right now. Nothing else. And there is joy in serving God, even when what he's asked us to do doesn't come naturally.

I'm loving it because lots of these kids have no one else who loves them much in their lives. They have little to laugh about, so I seek to make them laugh. And not just a little snicker. I want a big belly laugh! So, I jump around, make faces, try to make jokes in Arabic...all to make them laugh. Scot's with me in this. And frankly, being with kids doesn't come any more naturally to him than it does to me. But he's got more patience. :)

There is one little girl, a trouble maker. She's got a 'tude. She can be belligerent. She can be argumentative. And she can be violent with the other kids. She's a real pain in class. And she's been there for every single thing we've done so far.

Today, she came to the classroom while I was alone, cleaning up. She asked if she could help me with something, so I had her help me hang up some posters. While we were working, she started talking. Her daddy's in an Israeli prison. He might get out in August, but he might not. He had divorced her mother, and remarried. She doesn't see her mother. She lives with her stepmother, who now has children of her own. While she was helping me, I realized she was trying so hard to do something right. She proudly told me she helps the principal in her school with projects. She offered to help me when I need it anytime.

And I choked back tears. I didn't like her. I wrote her off as a problem. I said I'd rather not have her in my class. Shame on me. Here is a 10 year old girl without much in her life that is good. And I am here to make a difference in the lives of children by bringing some love and joy into an otherwise gloomy day, yet I didn't want her around. My heart broke.

I was just this moment thinking about what I can do to keep her busy tomorrow at the end of the day. Maybe it's only 10 minutes, but I can give her that much of my time to see her smile. And she does have a beautiful smile.

So, if I'm absent for a few days, not posting, just know that I'm knee deep in kids...and silly songs, and duck duck goose, and glue, and Arabic, and Red Light, Green Light, and coloring pages, and broken crayons...and I'm busy trying to love some little people who can really use a hug...

I stole this!

I stole this from Beth's blog...and she stole it from Cyn...and the cycle never ends! I hope someone steals it from me! :)

What is in the back of your car?

Honestly, I'm not exactly sure. The car is Scot's domain. I'm sure he's thrilled about that! I know the stroller is back there. Maybe some car supplies?

What color is your toothbrush? I have two. One is pink and white and one is teal and white.

What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Dropping my kids off at summer camp before heading off to the West Bank for English classes with kids.

What Were you doing 45 minutes ago? Giving my girls a bath while hanging laundry.

What is your favorite candy bar? Snickers and this Lindt bar that has hot chili peppers in it!

What was the last thing you said aloud? "Georgia, Maggie did put on Dora and Boots with Santa! That was just a commercial! Go see!" Said in a loud voice of complete exasperation since Georgia was melting down at the very thought that Maggie undermined her choice and put something else on instead!

What is the best ice cream flavor? Turkey Hill Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup. YUM! Can someone send me some of that? HA!

What was the last thing you had to drink? Water

What are you wearing right now? My really old, falling apart use ta be black capri pants and an old yellow t-shirt and my Nile Crocs. You don't really want more details than that, do you?

What was the last thing you ate? An avacado with fresh ground pepper and salt. But I'm hiding a bag of Snyder's of Hanover Buffalo flavored pretzel bits in the cupboard for after the kids are asleep! Yeah, they're great for my diet! :)

Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No, but I just filled my cart at Gap.com with some marked down t-shirts, which I'm sure I'll just leave sitting there for a few days until they are no longer available.

What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? See now, Beth, I love movie theater popcorn, ADD the butter! I also love the popcorn from the More with Less cookbook that Scot sometimes makes. YUM!

Ever go camping? We went to a beautiful national park on the sea in April. Hope to go again in the fall. And I used to camp lots as a kid.

Do you take vitamins daily? Well, I try to remember. It's a goal. Doesn't always happen.

Do you go to church every Sunday? No. Because our church meets on Saturday nights. But if the question is asking if we go every week, then yes. And every other time the doors are open.

Do you have a tan? I think this is physically impossible for me.

Do you like Chinese food over Pizza? Hmmm...tough decision. Depends on where both are from. I wouldn't choose anything over a Mattucci's pizza. Nothing. But a good Chinese buffet over mediocre pizza? Yes.

Do you drink your soda with a straw? I often try. But then the stuff bubbles up out of the straw, or the straw floats so far to the top that it actually falls out. Annoying. Then I remember that I always get annoyed when I try to drink soda with a straw.

Are you someone's best friend? Scot.

What are you doing tomorrow? I'll be teaching English in the West Bank to 6-14 year olds. Hopefully in the evening I get to rest some.

Where is your dad? Pennsylvania.

What color is your watch? It's a silver Citizen watch.

Do you use Chapstick? I like to think that I do. But I usally lose it or forget until my lips are so stinkin' chapped that they are killing me! "My lips hurt REAL bad!" And for the record, I will not use the school nurse's chap stick either. I don't care how many sticks she has in her drawer! :)

Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? There are no drive-throughs here. I forget what that convenience is like!

What is your favorite number? 54

Do you have a dog? No.

Last person you talked to on the phone? Scot

Any plans today? Well, it's 7:09pm. My only plan is to get the kids to bed! And enjoy aforementioned pretzels. :)

How many states have you lived in? Two, Pennsylvania and New York

Ever go to college? I did.

Do you dye your hair? Never have.

Biggest annoyance in your life right now? Annoyance? Hmmm...the fact that Georgia Kate thinks she runs the house. Yeah...that gets real old real fast.

Last song listened to? King of Glory by Third Day

Can you say the alphabet backwards? Yes, and I can even sing it in a little Sunday school song too!

Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? My crocs! How did I ever live without these????

Are you jealous of anyone? I don't think so...

Is anyone jealous of you? Doubt it.

Do you love anyone? That would be a long list...

Do any of your friends have children? Yes.

What do you usually do during the day? Study Arabic, teach English, surf SS, scrapbook, read...oh, yeah...and all the mundane, daily stuff like cook, clean, wash clothes, wash dishes, give baths/showers, hang laundry...

Do you hate anyone that you know right now? No...

Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Yep.

What color is your car? White Nissan MPD.

Do you like cats? Yep. We have two, Jesse and Dora.

Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes, Six Flags Texas and Six Flags in Jersey.

How did you get your worst scar? When I fell off the back porch. Dad has just taken the railing off to replace it or fix it...I can't remember why. I slipped on water, fell to the cement and hit my elbow. The kids just asked me about that scar the other day. Yeah. I've got some battle scars from my hard life! :)

This was fun! And silly! Go ahead...steal it! :) But if you do, let me know, so I can read it!

Summer Camp!

Summer camp...a rite of passage? Here, summer camps are very popular! We help run camps throughout the West Bank during the summer, teaching English and art classes, etc. Just today we spent our morning at our ministry center in the northern West Bank giving some special English lessons to children.

In Jerusalem, nearly every elementary school offers a summer camp program. We thought it'd be a good idea to have Scoty go to the Frere summer camp so he could meet some kids he might be in class with in the coming year and begin using and hearing Arabic daily in a fun environment without the pressures of school. After his first day, it looks like we made the right decision! He was so happy when I found him at the end of the day!

Maggie and Thomas are signed up for camp as well, and they had a great time too! It's an answer to prayer to see our kids so happy in the school setting! If you are so inclined, would you keep Scoty in your prayers over these next few months? He's got a lot of adjusting to do. We want to see him happy and successful in school!

But enough thinking about tomorrow. For today the kids are happy! And that's always a good thing!

Can I brag just a minute?

Even if you say no, I'm going to anyway! :) Our kids finished school a few weeks ago, and we just got Thomas' report card. I'm so proud of him, I'm nearly bursting at the seams! He received honors for second grade!

Now, I'd be a proud Mama no matter what, but what makes me extra proud? He studies in Arabic! He takes all of his courses in an Arab school with Palestinian kids. He is the only child who isn't Palestinian in his class. It amazes me that he can learn so much in his second language! Here is a picture of his report card for the year! I just had to share! You'll just have to trust me that it does, in fact, belong to Thomas! His name is written right at the top in Arabic! :)

I love to hear my kids speaking Arabic. They speak it without a foreign accent. They speak it so effortlessly that it makes me jealous. It has truly become their second language. And sometimes their first. You should hear my older two arguing in Arabic!

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I count this as a blessing from God. Not only does it make our lives here easier since my kids have acclimated to the society, but it just makes my heart soar to know that this second language is something that will benefit them for the rest of their lives!

And something that is really funny? Though the school they attend does have some French teachers who are actually from France, most are Palestinian. Thomas speaks French with an Arab accent! How funny is that?

Another Sunshine School Graduate!

It is hard for me to believe that Scoty is now a Sunshine School Alumnus! He graduated yesterday, after 3 years of attending the school! They always celebrate with caps and gowns, fun music, and an enjoyable picnic. Scoty has been asking us every day for the last 3 weeks, "How many more days until I graduate?" He was so excited yesterday! And he did great!

He was featured on the cymbals for the song, "Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" and the rhythm sticks for a few other numbers. He looked so handsome in his cap and gown and his little suit and tie! I'm so proud of my boy!

Maggie was asked to play the violin during the ceremony as well. I accompanied her on my flute. She did great! And this was my first public performance in about 4 years! It was nice to get the instrument out again! I was a little rusty and my lip got tired awfully quickly, but it was still fun!

The Sunshine School has been a wonderful blessing in our lives! It's been a safe place for our kids to grow and learn before heading off to the unknown world of school in a second language. We praise God for a Christian school where our children not only have the opportunity to grow academically, but spiritually as well. Scoty is our 3rd Sunshine School graduate. Hard to believe how much time has passed since we left the US. Georgia Kate begins at the Sunshine School next year! We keep that place in business! :)

What a movie!!!!

Prince Caspian. What a movie! We had the fun opportunity to take the older 3 kids to see Prince Caspian today! This is something that we've been looking forward to for months! We were not disappointed! Well, Scot was a wee bit disappointed. After all, the movie wasn't exactly like the book! But we were able to look past that to see the amazingly fun movie!













We made plans with another family to go see the 11:30am show today. Off we went: 4 adults, 6 kids (the littlest among us stayed behind and we all enjoyed the day just that much more because of that fact! :) We got there early enough and were pleased to find out that they were showing 2 versions simultaneously: one in Hebrew and one in English. The Hebrew theater was packed with kids! Our theater was only half full and our kids were the youngest there.

I have to say, this was the first time that Maggie and Scoty have ever been to the movies! And Thomas was so small for his experience back in the US, that I seriously doubt he remembers it...though he claims he does! The kids were wide-eyed the entire time! It was almost as much fun watching them watch the movie as it was watching the movie itself! Almost...

When we were waiting in line for our popcorn, Scoty turned to Scot and asked, "Baba, where's the TV?" Imagine paying that kind of money to watch a movie on a television! He was in for a real treat when he saw the screen!

They were absolutely captivated! The movie, though not exactly like the book (ahem...yes, thank you Scot!), kept to the book's original theme. The image of Jesus and the crisis of faith was crystal clear throughout the film. At one point, in a scene where Aslan calls to the sea which roars into life in the shape of a man and defeats the enemy, I was so clearly reminded of the line from the worship song, Shout to the Lord: "Mountians bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name!" I had chills!

I caught the kids covering their eyes a few times. But they loved it! We all admitted we'd go back to see it in the theater again tomorrow if we could! What a movie! I'm so glad that my kids' first experience in the theater was for something so completely enjoyable! I can't wait to see it again!

SS Blog Challenge #20, Part 1

Brought to us by Brynn! Love it, Brynn!

If you were able to go on a vacation for 1 week, anywhere you wanted, & with anyone you choose, where would you go, who would you take & why would you choose that location.

I didn't even have to think about this one. I would go to Italy with Scot! I'd see Rome and Florence and Venice and anything else we could cram in! I have always dreamed of going to Italy. One day...one day! There is something romantic in my dreams about Italy.

And I say I would go with Scot. Not the kids. I hope that doesn't sound bad. I love my kids, I do! It's just hard to enjoy touring with 4 small kids. Of course, I'd likely leave them behind for my dream vacation, even if they were older! :)

Second runner up for a week's vacation? An Alaskan cruise. DREAM! Love colder weather. Want to hit all 50 states in my lifetime. Would love to see the Pacific. Of course, I wouldn't mind a week in Hawaii either!

Third runner up? Another week in England! This time I would spend more time outside of London. I would definitely do a few nights in Bath. We were there for a few hours on a bus tour! A few hours! We saw next to nothing...just enough to make me wish I had more time!

I love to travel. Honestly, I'd go just about anywhere given the opportunity. I've been blessed to have been to so many places in my lifetime. And I know we'll have the chance to see many more!

Part 2 still to come...