Retreat

A few weeks ago the three of us went on a retreat with some people we work with here in Jordan. It is always great to get out of the city for a few days, and we really enjoyed our time away. The retreat was in Ajloun, a small town north of Amman, home to a crusader-era castle. We went up there with Jonathan's parents when they came to visit us in March.

We've gone a retreat with the same people every year since moving to Jordan, so this one was our fourth. Our time is spent in fellowship, listening to teaching, times of solitude, and enjoying the trees and hills that surround us. Of course, having a toddler changes things, so a lot of our time was spent herding Guy as he explored the compound, climbed stairs, and played with the other kids.

Because of Guy's food allergies, I had to organize several days of meals to take with us. I can't believe kids require so much stuff. It took me two days to pack for a four day trip. One mom with four kids arrived at the retreat exhausted because of all the time and energy she put into packing. I can only imagine.

Guy helping me pack for the retreat

He's really good at going up and down stairs.

What's this? The boy doesn't see much nature in Amman.

Childcare was for walkers only, so Guy was with us during the teachings and fellowship times. There were other kids with us too (crawlers and shy ones), which kept him pretty entertained.

A good time was had by all! It was funny, though, because all the single people left the retreat talking about how rested and refreshed they were. On the other hand, all the families looked totally worn out and were really ready to get back to their homes and routines. I was mostly ready to not be sharing a room with Guy, who couldn't understand being stuck in a pack-n-play and having to sleep while we were in the room with him. I have pictures from Thanksgiving, so I'll get those posted next.

What's a post without pictures?

For some reason I feel like I can't post a blog unless I have some great pictures to illustrate what I'm writing about. Pretty flawed reasoning I'd say, since I can be lazy when it comes to uploading new pictures onto our computer. Hence, the delay in today's blog. That, plus the inertia that hits me after I write two blogs in one month. Why is that?

Fortunately for you, we've taken loads of pictures recently, so this won't be a post when you must go without. However, it is missing an important event I really wish I had photos of. Guy took his first steps this last week! He and I were talking with my mom on Skype on Tuesday. Somewhat jokingly I stood Guy up about 2 feet from the computer and my mom spontaneously said "Walk to Grannie"...AND HE DID! The little boy took three steady steps right over to the computer. We cheered him like he was a rock star.

By far the best part of this event was his own reaction to his accomplishment. I'm not sure I've ever seen Guy so excited in his whole life. He started jabbering and laughing and screaming. He was giddy, and I swore to myself that I wanted to engrave that moment in my mind for the rest of my life. Really, it was one of the most precious things I've ever seen. He was too hyper to try again. Every time I stood him up he just tumbled forward giggling. And then after a while he threw me an I've-had-enough-of-this look, so we called it quits for the day.

Here's my boy enjoying his snack-trap full of Cheerios. I'm not sure what I would do without those two things (the snack-trap and the Cheerios). I can certainly tell you life would be much fussier.

Waste not, want not. Here Guy is licking, yes, licking rogue Cheerios off the kitchen floor. Who needs hands?

I would tell him not to lick Cheerios off the floor, but he's healthy and happy. Plus, it's sort of funny to watch.

Our little dwarf. Notice, he's still got the snack-trap and the Cheerios. This is him all day long.

Cuddling with my boy. On really tiring days, we both enjoy a Baby Einstein video for a break. Unfortunately, Disney is now telling me Guy won't automatically become a genius just by watching them. Drat.

Sometimes I leave Guy alone in a room and come back to check on him. Sometimes I arrive too late. In this instance, Guy's been rummaging through my kitchen drawers and has already taken out and unraveled all my wax paper. Makes for some crazy fun times rolling that stuff back up.

Guy is a busy, busy boy. He's been keeping me on my toes, that's for sure!