Smoke Peat, Spotty Internet, a Birthday Girl and It's Only Wednesday?

The quietness of the blog isn't necessarily because things are quiet here. The Internet has been horribly spotty. I basically send e-mails to my Mom when it's working so she can at least know we're all OK!

We're a hot, sticky, living-on-top-of-each-other adventure here. The heat wave continues and we really can't do more in the afternoons than put the girls in the stroller and walk. Our routine, such as it is, has developed into getting up, having breakfast, walking as slowly as possible to a playground and playing until around 11 and then heading back to the hotel to wind down and start the lunch process. The girls are a bit reserved at playgrounds when other kids are around, which kind of surprised us coming from an orphanage setting. They prefer to just sit and watch instead of play, which kind of defeats the purpose of getting some energy released.

Right after lunch in the room it's the nap (fight? fest? fiasco? fiesta? Depends on the day). Later afternoon it's an attempt at some quiet(ish) playtime before the stroller stroll and a snack, followed by going back to The Room. Quiet (wishful thinking) playtime is followed by a bath and then dinner and then we try to wind down for bed, which is also an adventure. The language and communication issue has been more difficult than we expected but all we can do is keep powering through and trying our best.

We're so glad to be with them but we are so weary of these days in the hotel and only being able to go where our legs can get us. Our activities are hugely limited for two active girls who want and deserve to run and play and explore. But, when they do run and play and explore in the city where we can go they find unspeakable things on the ground and...blech!

The city is very smoky. Apparently there are peat bogs around and it's so hot they combust and burn, leaving a smoky haze constantly in the city.

We did try our best to recognize Leah's 4th birthday today. She obviously doesn't understand us when we say Happy Birthday and it's too early for Hope to understand if anything special happens that she's not a part of. So, they both got their first sweet treats today which we think contributed to a very fidgety bedtime attempt, but what are you going to do on a girl's 4th birthday when her parents are far from home and can't do what they would do at home!

OK. Off to check a couple of sites before the Internet quits and then Bri and I will tiptoe back into The Room (we spend a lot of time in the hallway during naps and for the first bit of bedtime. I even took a bit of a nap out here today!).

Here are some pics from today. I'll spare you the endless process of identical-looking playground pics with no visible faces or of their backs.

We start the day with hair pulled back (which they always want before we leave the room)

but the hair accessories are quickly pulled out. Their first parentally given cones.

The Birthday Girl.