The weekend....

I like the weekend. I don't have a job and I don't got to school....but the weekend is cool. My Mom is more relaxed and we do more fun things. This may also be because we were finally able to obtain a car seat today. My Mom borrowed her friends car with a car seat in it to get me from the Cradle of Love home to my current home....but then I've been stuck in the compound the rest of the week...which means, of course, that so is my Mom! Today we were liberated. We did some errands together and I met some people. My Mom liked that....she is very proud of me. Which she should be of course....I'm extraordinary. My Mom was looking back at photos of me over the last week with her friend Gerda who came to visit today....and she was telling Gerda how far she thinks I've come in just a week. I, of course, think that she has come far in now recognizing all the amazing things about me that she has been able to find over the course of the week. They were there all along..she just needed to SEE them.

My Mom's friend Inneke also came by today and I met her. That was very fun...she's a really nice woman. She has a daughter who is a bit younger than me....and we have a play date planned for Monday or Tuesday...which I'm looking forward to. It's time to meet some new people my own age!

My Mom also made this observation today. She was talking to the cook, Gaspar who comes to our house three days a week and makes really good meals for my Mom and me. She was working in the house on her laptop and had me on the veranda in my jumpy chair and was watching me through the screen as I sang and bounced and entertained myself for about 45 minutes. She was telling Gaspar how impressed she was and how that was one thing that she really liked about African children....there is no time here for children to be entertained 24/7. Here, kids have to learn to entertain themselves and we don't have access to fancy games, videos and toys....we just have to find other ways to be entertained....and guess what??? WE DO! We don't actually need all that stuff....we can play outside and make up games and use creativity or just make up a tune and bounce to it for 45 minutes. My Mom was impressed with this....but I just think it's the normal thing to do. Plus, I'm a happy guy....I've got a new family...what's not to sing and bounce about???

Here is a photo study called "Akira eats breakfast" My Mom's favorite is my scrunchy face. I make it when I'm really playing and having fun....she's so glad she caught it on camera when I was eating breakfast!