Like much of the world we are spending most of our days at home. Changes in our normal routine:
Masks on outside of home. Curfew 7PM-5AM Once/week to the grocery store. No other shopping. Morning walks in Karura Forest with dogs. Bike rides/walks with dogs every evening before curfew. Virtual learning 8AM-3PM (timing flexible for ES children but we try to keep to this schedule with many breaks). Children have been given a temporary phone to be used until school reopens. They use it for Whats App, Skype & FaceTime with friends and family. Our staff is living with us for safety. Our housekeeper and her adorable 4-year-old daughter now live in our guest room downstairs. I count myself very lucky that she was willing to do this!
8 months ago....
...how times have changed!
Trumpet Lesson!
Show George the hamster to his friends.
A virtual introduction to Middle School.
Other parents are promising me that I never have to look at this schedule again. Apparently the kids figure it out easily. Yikes!
Rinsing off the dogs after a muddy romp in Karura Forest.
Maria's teacher conducting a Zoom class with a read aloud.
The school library challenged us to recreated a few book covers....
Off for a bike ride/dog walk before curfew.
I feel so lucky that I get to spend nearly every morning (sometimes I let Paolo go) walking the dogs in Karura. It is the only time I spend away from home these days.
How is this comfortable? This is her favorite sleeping spot. Look below for a video of how she gets herself in there....
The kids and I spend quite a bit of time cooking together these days. Gio has a real passion for it. Today's request was to attempt cake pops...
Success!
A positive about this stay at home period is that Maria has two friends living with us. Rose (left) has always lived with her (her father is Paolo's driver) but last weekend Jasmin moved into our guest room with her mother who is our housekeeper. The two little girls are teaching Maria Kiswahili and Maria is helping them with English. They are a loud and happy trio!
Here is that promised video.
How much longer will she be able to do this??
(She is still growing!)
Virtual learning is easier with Bruno's company!
Dogs enjoying Karura after a big rain...
Post Karura rest.
Ready to pounce on her friend Pepper!
My two wildest beasts enjoy the flooding from our very heavy rainy season....
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Every single school day....
Jasmin (left, housekeeper's daughter) and Rose (right, driver's daughter). Maria loves having two friends living here.
Our feral cat Cinnamon has taken to spending his days with Paolo in his office. Beware any dog who dares come near!
Seesaw math activities are Maria's favorites.
One of Maria's Earth Day assignments was to go outside and record the sounds in the garden. Jagger had other plans.
When I have spent too long on the puzzle Salt intervenes....
On the final Friday of April we took in this foster dog. The adoption agency (TNR Trust) asked us to rename him as he had not actually had a name at KSPCA. Gio chose "Ragu." He is 12 years old and had been at KSPCA for 2 years. He is a real sweetheart and never leaves my side.
Guess who turns 1 next month! Plenty of time to improve her table manners....
We are guessing May will look much like this past month. 6 more weeks of virtual learning...
