First Campout

We bought a tent about two years ago and finally used it (outside of the house that is). We were trying to attend a boat race on the Cambodia/Lao border but didn't make it there and ended up camping near the ranger's station. The cool weather disappeared that night but it was pleasant. Slept to the sounds of barking deer. Nothing different to home really. Jarrah fell in love with a ginger cat at the ranger station.

The Birthday

The birthday present

Took some lessons before she realised she was supposed to blow out the candles - then she wanted to blow them out over and over again.

Reading time. It has been cold lately hence the beanies. Usually reading time is on the toilet in the background.

Going out with Daddy

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It was Jarrah's birthday on Saturday. 2! Amelie had gone in with Daddy and bought Jarrah a red "hoppity hop" dog. She also got a toy sheep (a recycled baby present that i hadn't given her yet - bad parents we are). We baked her a carrot cake and decorated it with purple icing and snakes and M&Ms. Very exciting for a 2 year old - she preferred to eat the snakes and the M&Ms and the black cherry jelly.

The squirrel is currently caged. He has been in and out since the incident. Yesterday he was out and seemed to be making Amelie's room into his room. He was in there a lot of the day. When Jarrah and I went to take Jarrah's nap, we put the mossie net down (or should I call it the squirrel net) and managed to have a nap - he noticed us there and jumped onto the net one time, but jumped straight off. He managed to bite holes in the spines of 3 books. I am also finding lots of Jombok seeds stashed all over the house. This is good for Jarrah because she loves (really LOVES) Jombok (or BaBa as she calls them). At one time, when they were plentiful, she would enlist any willing person to "dom Jombok" for her (split the seeds) for her to eat. Quite obsessive about it. Now they aren't so plentiful so we have a little peace. But thanks to Buggy, there are a few around to make her happy.

Amelie has been going to Khmer school for a good stretch of time lately. We will be going to Thailand next week so she'll miss a couple of weeks of school there. And lately, we haven't been doing homeschooling faithfully because I was working. She said to me today that she remembers all her Khmer numbers but has forgotten her English. We better get back to our program! She is reading very well on her own though. Lucky for me she is a quick learner.

Jarrah

Jarrah who is two tomorrow has been spending a lot of time in the village these last couple of days while i have been working. She is watched over by Ung's wife or whoever else there is in the family will play with her. She loves her time there but hates it when i take her - or rather hates me leaving her there. So I try to get Ben to drop her off when she is happy to go to Om Nuon. On Monday, when took I took Amelie to school, I dropped her off myself resulting in many tears. After I left she actually went to sleep with Om Nuon and wouldn't let her exit the hammock. On Tuesday, I couldn't bear to drop her off myself so I brought her home and did this and that till i was ready to start my work. Then Ung came to take her but she was a bit suspicious and wary of going to Ung (she normally loves to spend time with him) - I had some money in my pocket so told her to go to buy some "num" so off she went happily with 500 riel in her pocket to buy something to eat. This is something I scoffed at with Amelie - Amelie didn't know what buying things was and didn't know what money was for at 2. I didn't think children shouldn't be asking for money to buy things at such a young age and now I am setting up Jarrah to do so!! The things we do to make things easier for the moment!
And now, what I was actually going to write about - Jarrah is learning all sorts of things in the village. She is standing here as type this with Ben's bike pump and saying "Vie Mummy Vie Mummy," lightly hitting me with it. You can imagine what Vie means. Khmers will affectionately vie little children... sometimes not so affectionatly also, but it kind of has a similar meaning to "your so cute, I want to eat you!"
She is also learning how to play marbles. She has about 4 marbles which are lost at the moment. She tries to get us to play with her and puts her hands up like the kids do when they line up their marbles. But alas her parents are so unskilled. She has her village friends luckily and calls for Chey and Nan to play with her.
She is talking lots now. Her pronunciation is not so good (i.e. "date" could mean gate or snake or some other words can't think of right now).. she is blowing at me right now wanting i gather meaning she wants me to blow bubbles with her so i better go... bye.

Buppy

Apparently someone was reading the blog last night and didn't appreciate the way I was writing about him. I had gone to bed very late - very late for the 4th night in a row thanks to Ben being away in Chhaeb (can't sleep), a new internet connection (i can play) and the proprosal (i should be working) i am helping on. Last night I was looking for school supplies to order for Amelie. After about 1.5 hours of sleep for me, Amelie wakes up screaming - she needs me to take her to the toilet (we haven't worked out how to get there ourselves yet in the dark or how to remember to keep a torch by the bed or how to put lights on in the dark). This as expected, woke up Jarrah - had to get her. Brought her into my bed. The had to go get her water ("wawer"). Amelie had to get into bed too. Jarrah was way too much awake but finally we got back to sleep. At 6 am (3 hours later) I get woken up to sharp scratching and pain on my face. Immediately realising Buggy was biting me grabbed him and threw him away. He left. Blood dripping everywhere. Went to look in the mirror and had two deep cuts on my face with blood pouring and also two on my middle finger. Sat down and held the red towel on my face for a while. Two very concerned little girls helping as much as they could.

This all happened because there are no mosquitos. Because there were no mosquitos I wasn't using the mosquito net. I will use the mosquito net tonight. I called Ben and told him to come home early today (he was planning on coming home in the evening). So he came home.

I am thankful for two, no three things. That Buggy didn't get the girls. That I have red towels. That Ben got home early.

A very exciting morning it was.

Back Again

three little koalas

We now have 3G in Rovieng. And at home too. Amazing how things change - 5 years ago we didn't even have phone service up here. So it should be a little easier to actually keep this blog updated. I shall try and we shall see.

Just to get started again - here are a few odd photos from the last year. Very odd photos.

Things we are doing now:

Amelie is in school. In Khmer school and also homeschooling when the mother makes her.

Ben is working in Chhaeb.

Jarrah is usually at home with me.

And I have been working for the last 18 work days on a proposal. So Jarrah has of late been playing in the village working on her Khmer - she is better than Amelie (although she doesn't talk.. much.. yet)

We have a squirrel - he is called Buggy the terrorist. (Buppy the terrorist by Jarrah). He was hand raised by Ben and was a cute and sweet little pet. Note the word was. Now he jumps on you when you are not expecting him. He has sharp little rodent teeth. He demands his daily bananas. Every afternoon he comes in the window by the bed and walks through the house, making us all run - making his way to the banana stash.

Amelie and Jarrah and I wake up at 6ish (depending on the littlest one). We get ready for school and all hop on our bikes and ride to school. Jarrah and I enjoy the fresh -i mean dusty - air early in the morning.

Jarrah climbing her tree (note the peacock tail in the foreground)

Amelie's 6th birthday party

Jarrah and her chicken

Buggy (a.k.a. buppy) the terrorist