Dakar Fun

Here are some pictures of what we do a lot around here ... play on the playground at ISD, dress up as various explorers and superheroes, and swim. These were taken at a pool we went to that required women with long hair to wear what Lucy called "floaties for your head."

Ice Skating in Dakar

A few weeks ago we went "ice skating" in Dakar - an activity that required lots of sunblock and sunglasses - a far cry from ice skating at Kettler rink in Arlington. It's a synthetic surface that is supposed to mimic ice and you use ice skates and glide in a similar fashion to the real thing. Fred and the kids had a great time and I got to cheer them on from the shade overlooking the ocean.

First Day of School!

After some last-minute school changes, Charlie and Max are happily enrolled at the International School of Dakar (ISD) and Lucy is at the Group Prescolaire La Pointe des Almadies preschool. Max is in third grade, Charlie is in kindergarten and Lucy is in Petite Section (3 year old class). Max and Charlie learn in English all day, with an hour of daily French. Lucy is in a half-day program, completely in French. Little Lucy is still adjusting to school, to put it mildly. The first preschool didn't work out and so we switched her to a new one with better results. I have no idea where she got her stubborn streak - currently refusing to eat snack or speak to the other kids in her mini-revolt of having to be there. But each day gets better ... petite a petite, as they say here. But you'd never know from the pictures ... first Max and Charlie's first day, then take 1 and 2 for Lucy.

Ile de Goree

One of our first excursions in Dakar was taking a ferry to Ile de Goree (Goree Island), a former slave transport island. Fred and I will return to take a more in-depth tour of the island and the various buildings and memorials - with the kids, the highlights were the ferry ride, lunch on the cliffs with bird friends, scaring their mom by walking along the cliffs, and going for a swim.

Dakar Here We Come!

After our unexpected departure from Mali, the kids and I had fun in the States, spending quality time with family (thank you Jason and Anna!) and friends before moving to Dakar in early August. We celebrated Lucy's third birthday and managed to acquire a whole lot of stuff during our stay. Lucy is super excited to be headed to Dakar and daddy ... this is before she realizes taking a shuttle to Dulles airport is only the beginning of our adventure.