Life at ILRI

Today I woke up and I just felt like giggling all morning. There are a lot of days here when I feel happy for no particular reason. No day is the same, but many of them share elements that bring joy.

If you are going to go for a walk, why not dress like a princess?

Our mornings start with the rising sun, but are not rushed. Nathan's commute is a 3-minute walk; the kids and I have a 15 or 20-minute trip mostly through neighborhoods (and these days I don't even have to drive - we still ride with our taxi driver, David, while we wait for our new car's registration and plates... which will apparently take at least a month). Silas is often home with me (where he is happy) while Cora goes to school (where she is happy). We often do little shopping trips and errands after dropping Cora; we occasionally treat ourselves at Java House, a chain coffee shop in Nairobi that rivals Starbucks (but cheaper and with more food options - you can get Huevos Rancheros with your $2 cappuccino or burgers in the afternoon with your strawberry lemonade).

When we get home it is around 9am. Silas plays while I put away groceries or start a bread to rise. I have been baking almost every day -- I make all our own sandwich bread and now am doing bagels and baguettes weekly at least. We take the dog for a walk if she didn't go out in the early morning. Most days someone is texting or calling or dropping in at some point in the morning. Silas will have an impromptu play date with Aiden or Yacoba - at their house with their nanny, or maybe I will take the boys swimming or host at our house. Or neighbors will drop by with babies on walks, or with cheese to deliver, or to invite me to come have coffee or go for a walk. If there is nothing happening, Silas and I will walk Nimona down to Nate's office for a treat at the coffee shop there. 

Nate comes home almost every day for lunch. I take a spinning class at the gym during some lunch breaks while he plays with Silas. At 1:30 Silas naps in a room that our househelper, Maximelda, has just cleaned on three days of the week. At 3:15 we go pick up Cora at school and come home in time to have tea with Maximelda before she takes the 4:30 bus home. We take the dog for her evening walk, and usually see many neighbors doing the same; or we play fetch with her in the green lawn across from our house; or we walk her down to the lawn by Nate's work to play fetch until he emerges from his office to walk home with us.

The lawn across from our house

Nate comes home before 6. Sometimes we swim before dinner, sometimes we go to neighbor's houses to eat, sometimes we have friends over who bring guitars and play after dinner while the kids play dress up. Mostly we eat at home, just us.

Just a random Tuesday night in our backyard

The kids are in bed by 7:30 on school nights - we still do two books, a made-up story, and two songs each for our bedtime routine.

I know this lifestyle won't be satisfying forever - I recognize I am in an expat bubble, that I'll miss working, that the car commuting will get old - but for now it is enough. I am smiling, the kids are smiling, and Nate is smiling, too.