Bananas

Just got back from the farmer's market. Bob bought Ava $7 worth of bananas--turned out to be quite a bunch! But we have to wait for them to ripen. And I hope they don't all ripen at once, or we will have to get creative.

This weekend Ava had her first dance lesson--classic Indian dance. The class is preparing a show for Divali this fall. The two teachers are adorable but spent waaaay too long fiddling around with iPods and laptops trying to get some music to play, and then spent the entire class teaching a step that could be described as "one, two" (that's it, just "one, two" "one, two" over and over) OMG I was about ready to throw them in the pool after 30 minutes of it, but Ava hung in there. I could never expect that much patience/perseverance in HOME school. If she gets bored she just runs into her room and starts playing. But except for a little freestyle booty shaking when the music finally came on, she was a model student. We'll see what they add on to the routine next week, and then make a call. I really want this to work!


Ava has learned to body surf! I had nothing to do with it! We went to a windward beach a few days ago--a nice shallow beach but lots of waves. I took Ava out first, carefully holding her hand and hoisting her over the waves so her head stayed dry, coaching her to jump over the waves and keeping her knee-deep. On Bob's turn, I was SHOCKED to seem him pitch Ava in and away she went--and she couldn't get enough of it! She doesn't even wipe her eyes when her head comes out of the water, just jumps up and points her butt into the waves for the next ride. It was exhausting. For me. She found a sand dollar on the beach and that is all she has wanted to write about in her journal this week: body surfing and her "sandy dollar".

The other highlight of our week was a Drama Club meeting at Tara and Mishka's house. They are renting a gorgeous home not too far from us. Mishka is on tour in the US until March so Tara is parenting and homeschooling on her own for a while. It turns out she and I both bought the exact same kid's drama books from Amazon.com (victims of the People Who Bought THIS also bought THAT scheme) so we were able to collaborate on some fun games and activities before the first meeting. But we did feel very unoriginal!

My stars

So, it turns out the star Ava and I were wishing on is a planet! What are the odds of that!! Astronomical. Ha, it's been SPAAAAAACE WEEEEEK in homeschool...where we find out that venus (or "weenus", as our Indian friends call it) is the "morning star" AND the "evening star" and the brightest object in the sky besides the moon. So I guess I won't be seeing that case of Almond Joys any time soon.

Ava had a scare at the beach this week...she was in a foot of water digging in the sand for treasure. She found the edge of something big (she said she thought it was a treasure chest :-)) and pulled..and out popped this disgusting fleshy creature with eyeballs and a blobby head. She screamed BLOODY MURDER and threw it over her head and behind her, and ran up onto the beach screaming BLOODY MURDER. I wasn't there, but Bob tells me he had quite a time getting her to calm down. He waded out there and found it..it turns out it was a fighting conch with the animal extended out of the shell. Scared the bejeezus out of her! She laughs about it now...but she hasn't asked to go to the beach since.

So yesterday we swam in the pool on campus and then Ava rode her scooter around the tennis courts rescuing caterpillars. She'd put them into the basket of her scooter and empty them into the landscaping. We Are Animal Rescuers.

A good week.

Things are settling into a routine, finally. Bob goes to work early, but is kind enough to make coffee and give the goat a bottle before he leaves. Ava and I feed and walk the goat every morning, then start school. And that has gotten a lot better. The first day was fun while we explored some of the cool stuff I brought/shipped down, but then there was a sharp decline in Ava's interest and attitude after that. She just wanted to play with the goat, go swimming and play with her ponies. Bob and I took her to tour a new Montessori-style private school, and that seemed to straighten things right out for both of us. So we have compromised: lots of breaks, lots of games, more fun, fewer worksheets. And wow! Progress. Here Ava paints her interpretation of the Big Bang :-)


We have a big screened in front porch and an amazing, constant breeze. It has rained just a little almost every day or night, and we have caught a rainbow or two. A real magic moment was a few nights ago when Ava discovered the full moon right over the yard. We sat outside and watched the clouds, enjoyed the breeze and just chatted and watched the bats. Wished on the first star. She wouldn't tell me what she wished for.

Goooood Mooorrrning Nevis Nam!

Happy Groundhog Day! Another six weeks of winter for those back home. It's warm and sunny here, not hot yet and very breezy. Just over two weeks ago Ava and I traded in our long johns for flip flops and flew into Nevis. It was an exhausing day of travel, even though we ended up spending over six hours in the St. Maarten airport waiting for the last connection.

Everything on the island is about as we left it except: The Four Seasons has closed, (different rumors floating around as to why), the new building at the school is finished but not yet opened, and it is the biggest building on the entire island. They're installing AV equipment and some final fixtures. And...last but not least, we are in a new rental house that has a nice fenced in yard, two bedrooms, two full baths and AC. And a clothes dryer, for that not-at-all-damp feeling for our sheets! Gotta love that. Come visit! I spent the first week and a half without internet, and the remaining time playing catchup with the internet classes I am taking.

The highlight of the Super Bowl for me was the power outage lasting through the first quarter, during which I cooked dinner with a flashlight clamped under one arm. We got only local commercials (in Spanish) so I didn't get to see the guy get hit in the head twice with a golf club, which made me laugh out loud at the sneak preview. That's bad, isn't it.

Passage Interdit

My boy is full of surprises! Here he is with the Eiffel Tower in the background. How'd that happen? Why, somebody frisked off to Paris without telling his parents, first! I hope he was studying for his French Exam!

Jessie and Bill's Visit

Bob's parents came for a week to help him usher in his 2nd half-century. Bob woke up on his 50th birthday and said his joints hurt. He looked in the mirror and said he looked like hell. I'm sure it was due to having spent the night on the floor, and not his imminent descent into the grave. We had a lovely dinner at Shirley's beach bar and many friends showed up to give him hell.

The next day we took the car ferry over to St. Kitts for a little adventure. Bob's parents hit the casino at the Marriott and came out winners, much unlike their recent trip to Las Vegas. While they flexed the slot machines we got mango smoothies by the pool. Then drove over to Caribelle Batik to get a demo. I was expecting a little sweatshop filled with boiling vats of water and wax, but was astounded to find the most lush garden plantation with a VERY nice batik demonstration and shop. We came back with a dress for Ava (she can't wear it until her birthday, so no picture) and a bit of cloth that I'm supposed to sew into a dress for Ava (but I can't sew, so no picture.)...lunch on the beach and we just pulled onto the ferry right before they raised up the gate.

Ava was devastated to see Jessie and Bill leave, so we threw together an impromtu pool party to take her mind off of her grandparents. That and some homemade ice cream with chocolate syrup for breakfast the next day seemed to do the trick!

Finding Mishka

Those of you who follow the every move of Matthew McConaughey may know that he spent some time in Nevis last year getting to know a reggae recording artist named Mishka, who lives here on the island part time. They developed a friendship and are collaborating on a future album together. Anyway, I have been keeping my eyes peeled for a Matthew sighting, just in case, but ended up stumbling right into Mishka's home! We met his parents, wife and children, and spent some time drinking lemonade and letting Ava play with his kids, who are also homeschooled. It was funny, because I had no idea at the time whose house we were at, even though his mom said her son was a singer and songwriter and artist. It wasn't until I saw him and got his name when I shook his hand that the coin dropped. I thought it was pretty funny. Anyway, I've been playing his music at home for Ava, compliments of www.mishka.com/music ...peace out, doods!