New Boots!

Here in the jungle it is the rainy season, which means lots of mud, lots of mud puddles, and quite a bit of water.  For example,  an average rain can add up to 4-5 in. and within 30 min. after the rain has stopped the ground would have absorbed the majority of that water.  Its really incredible.   That said, we picked up some rain boots for Cael to play in outside in the mud.  I thought it might help with the clean up after being outside. ha!  Amazingly enough all the mud did come out of his outfit!

All clean and ready to play

We just had to sit in the mud

Since we had already sat in the mud, we thought we might as well fall face first into one of the drainage ditches!  Thank God it wasn't sewage!

Did Somebody Say New Toy?!

Paul picked up a new push toy for Cael to play with this evening and he loved it!  Then so did all the kids in the neighborhood.  It was a great opportunity to learn how to share, which to a bunch of 1 and 2 year olds didn't mean a whole lot.  

Be Nice

When interacting with cats or dogs Cael hasn't quite figured out that you can't pull the tail or the ears or hit the animal just because you are excited.  He is, however, learning how to be nice.  

Rainy Day

Paul and Cael went out for a little walk in the rain just to get out of the house, so Cael was able to try out his poncho.  It is customary to stay inside and sleep when it rains in Pucallpa...there is nothing going on in the communities.  The roads turn into mud and are difficult to navigate so meetings usually are cancelled or postponed until things dry up a little. 

Playing in the Mud Puddles

It finally rained, creating mud puddles all over the main road to our house giving Cael and the other kids a great opportunity to play in the water.  He had a great time watching the other kids, who are a little more experienced in playing in the mud, but he learned quickly and was right in there with the rest of them.  We just need to work a little bit more on our balance...he kept falling in the water and eventually had to take off the shirt.  Its a good thing we live in the jungle where it's hot!

The shirt came off and Cael finally found a ditch that was just his size

Caleb showing Cael how to pick up the mud and rocks

Then he showed him how to fall in the water

Isabel and Cael.  Cael enjoyed just sitting in the water.

The other kids showing Cael how to stomp in the water.  

Anyone want to play?

Cael loves playing with the other children in the neighborhood.  Yesterday we went to visit the twins that live next door to see if they could come out and play.

The Great Outdoors

Cael's new favorite thing to do is push the screen door open and walk outside to play.  He is discovering rocks, dirt, little balls that fall off of a tree outside our front door, grass, ants that bite, and plenty more.  It is so fun to watch him explore and learn new things about the great outdoors.

Cael's Curls

Cael finally has hair, and when we arrived back in Peru, due to the humidity, we noticed he also has curls.  How fun!  I can appreciate this since I never had waves let alone curls!

Mango Slicer

Well I received a mango slicer for Christmas and wanted to try it out since we are nearing the end of mango season.  The result was that it worked perfectly.  Now all I have to worry about it getting poison ivy from cutting up the mangos!  That's right the mango is in the same family as poison ivy...so beware.  I found that out the hard way!

Long Day!

After refusing to take his afternoon nap, Cael could no longer keep his eyes open and fell asleep while eating dinner.  What a long day!

Local Playground

Vicente, Caleb, and Cael swinging

Cael loves to swing

Playing in the sandbox

Out for a walk

Here are a few pictures of the local playground located right outside our house.  It has been a blessing to have a place outside to take Cael where he can play and socialize with other children. He loves interacting with other kids, and between German, Spanish, and English they all seem to communicate well and have a great time together.

The Move

 

Before leaving to spend the holidays with our families, we decided to move to another house located in the same compound to be closer to other families with small children along with a few other reasons.  It was a last minute decision and we had to rely on our friends and neighbors, Megan and Joe Brewster, to help us with the move.  So while we were gone, they grabbed their other team members and graciously moved the majority of our belongings to the other house.  We weren't quite sure what we would be returning to, but were pleasantly surprised to arrive home to a fairly organized house and a made bed!  

So far the house has been cooler than our other house due to larger shade trees and the concrete structure.  We also have internet in the house and a small playground area for Cael to play on during the day.  

We are now into the last 6 months of our term and would ask for your prayers as we try to decide on our next move.