Rain, Glorious Rain!

One of my favorite sounds is the sound of rain, drumming on a metal roof.  There is just something soothing and cozy about the sound.  I remember it being so strange the last time I was home to NOT know when it was raining.  You couldn't just hear the sound and know, you'ld actually have to be looking out the window to even notice it.

Right now we are still in our "Dry Season" in PNG.  Most years, the word 'dry' is really relative.  A more apt description of our two seasons is often "Wet" and "Wetter".  But not this year.  In my 10 years of living here in PNG, I can honestly say that I have never seen a dry season this dry.  I mean, even the grass has turned brown.  Now, for my fellow Californians, I know that doesn't seem strange when the grass is only green there a few, very short months of the year.  But here, I've NEVER seen brown grass.  Everything, everywhere is just green, as far as the eye can see.

A slight tangent, but related:  Once, Matt was hiking in the jungle with a couple of his Nukna buddies.  They came to a resting place and Matt noticed that there was trash everywhere!  Coke cans hung from the trees.  Cracker wrappers placed on twigs or in bushes.  Curious, he asked his buddies why there was trash everywhere.  They answered him that they were just so sick of green everywhere... the jungle floor, the trees, the mountains all around them.... that people hung up the cans and wrappers so there would be some colors other than green!  So yeah, brown is not a normal color here!

 
We're very dependent on the rain here.  All our drinking water comes from rainwater collected in tanks.  And this dry season many of our friends here in Ukarumpa have had their tanks run dry from the lack of rain.  When that happens, there aren't many options other than filling the tank with river water and pouring tons of bleach into it to kill off whatever bacteria and diseases it carries, and then using that murky water for drinking and cooking.  Thankfully, in our house, we still have rainwater in our tank.  Our house is set up so that only the cold faucets in our kitchen and bathroom sinks receive the tank water.  All the rest of the water in our house comes from the river water... toilet, shower (both hot and cold), hot kitchen tap and laundry.  So while our tank got down to just half-full, we have not been in danger of running out completely.

But the rain that's been pouring down today is such a blessing!  It's watering the thirsty ground and (more importantly) gardens which are the livelihood for the people living around us who rely on their crops for almost all of the food they eat.  It's taming the dust on the roads, and filling our water tanks.

And, it's just fun to go outside and play in!

I'm sure, in a few more months, when the rainy season has really settled in, I'll be complaining about the mud that cakes and stains everything.  Squishing through the grass.  Spending hours each week scrubbing the kids clothes to attempt to get the mud out.  Never being able to get the laundry dry.   But for now, I'm enjoying the sound of the rain splashing on my roof!

raindrops hanging from my clothesline

Changing by the Day

I tried to get a picture of E with his black eye (on the left) but it really didn't show up

Elijah is at a really fun age/stage right now.  He's learning new things constantly, and surprising us by what he knows and does.  But he still is at that (mostly) innocent age where he doesn't talk back yet, or deliberately disobey (well, not very often at least).

I would probably say that of the 5 kids, he was the least verbal for the longest time.  And no wonder... with 4 other siblings who would probably consider it torture if they had to actually keep theirs mouths closed and silent.... it's hard to get a word in edge-wise around here!  But in the last 2 weeks, Elijah has literally been adding 2 or so new words to his vocabulary a day.  Just out of the blue he'll start using a new word.  About a week ago at dinner I almost fell off my chair when he said, 'pleeeese'!  How did I manage to get a 22 month old with manners, when I can't seem to find a way to keep the older kids remembering them!  Then walking to school a few days ago he pointed out a truck to me.  Up to that point, every vehicle was either a car or a bike.  He had never said 'truck' before.  I said, "A car?" and he replied, "No Mama, TRUCK!".  He's also very specific about things, and clarifies if they are big or little, up or down, hot or cold.  Some of his most used phrases right now are "Mama, look!", or "Watch, Mama," or "My turn!".  I think I hear his little voice saying "look" dozens of times a day!  So it's been fun hearing his vocabulary expand and his sentences grow. 

He is also very busy trying to keep up with the older kids.  Anything they do, or anywhere they go and he feels like he should be able to manange it too!  So this week has been rough for him.  He got his first black eye from tripping and hitting his face against a chair.  Then less than 24 hours later, he got his pinkie finger slammed in the door by his older sister.  Poor guy... I don't think I've ever seen a more smashed finger before.  But aside from a bent nail, small cut and a row of blood blisters, I think he's going to be fine!  But the poor guy has been walking around for a couple days with his black eye and holding his hand up, spread-fingers, trying not to touch anything with his 'owie'.

I know this stage is going to pass far too quickly and then I'll forget what it was like when Elijah was just learning to talk and becoming a 'big boy'.  So I'm trying to treasure these moments now.