The weather in Colombo has been delightfully cool lately – in fact, it is downright chilly in the early mornings (okay, it’s all relative….) Anyway, it’s been very nice. Is has been rainy as well, most often at night, but no thunderstorms. This seems out of sync with then normal monsoon rainfall patterns throughout the year, but it is pleasant.
The first full week of school if behind us and it was a good one. Dad has been working hard (but trying not to work too much), and Mom has been thoroughly enjoying not working. She still has 2 more months on her maternity leave. Though I can’t say that she is enjoying every minute of it. There are definitely times when the kids drive her insane – and this is partly due to the fact that Madeline’s school has not started yet. So the potential for very long days with the kids can be high, even with Rani here. And sometimes by the time Dad gets home, the entire household is fidgety and cranky, and this is not what he wants to see after a long day at work! But that’s a scenario played out in countless households every day.
Mads and Cal are doing well these days. Maddie is a little off her rocker at times; it’s like the ‘terrible twos’ have finally arrived (now that she is almost 3!) and are condensed into a small space. Her difficulty is like that of any kid this age. She wants what she wants immediately, and has a hard time taking no for an answer. And she still has a very hard time with the attention that Calvin gets. I think that’s really the root of her difficulties. Her perceived lack of attention drives her completely crazy at times, as she sometimes won’t even let Mom and Dad talk to each other around her! But she’s the sweetest kid and so much fun to be around. This past weekend she and Dad started another painting project, the first since we’ve been back in Colombo. She still has the artistic touch! And on Wednesday, her school starts again. This will be great for all concerned parties. Calvin likes tummy time, and last week rolled over twice!
Yesterday we went to the Colombo zoon for the first time. It was quite an experience! First of all, getting there was extremely difficult. Colombo is a very very hard city to navigate by car and finding things off the beaten path can put your navigating skills to the test. We went with Mark, Meredith, and Sonia, and without them leading the way in thier car, I don’t think we could have found it (even then, we got lost more than a few times…)
We’ve been in Sri Lanka now for a year, and we’ve been to lots of far out places here, but nothing prepared us for the spectacle at the zoo. We were the most interesting attraction for the Sunday masses there – not since Malawi, as a Peace Corps volunteer, have I felt more awkward and out of place and stared at so consistently by crowds of people. Part of it was definitely because of Calvin, Maddie, and Sonia – these kids were like a walking freak show! After a while we simply had to just tell people: DO NOT touch Madeline. People mean well, and are charmed by her, but she herself started freaking out at all the attention. Calvin was protected by his stroller (he slept most of the time and was covered), so we was safe from the prying hands and fascination. Anyway, it was fun, but next time we will not go on a Sunday. The zoo in Colombo is very well done, with lots of animals, beautiful grounds, and quite clean and comfortable. We only explored part of it before we had had enough. And poor Sonia was sick the whole time, so we cut the visit short on her account too.
) – Henry and Scarlett are two of the most charming kids in the world and Maddie loves playing with them.
