Georgie Problematico!!

That is the new word I learned for this week and it means TROUBLEMAKER.

Thursday I went to the Womens' Bible Study and then came home and we ate lunch. I was doing the mound of combined breakfast/lunch dishes, adrift in thought, when Julia said "Mommy, look!". I turned, and there was Georgie holding my bottle of Vegetable Oil, which at this point had a hodge-podge of crayons, pens and pencils floating in a smidge of oil at the bottom. "What happened to the oil?" I asked Julia. I knew I had about an inch or inch and a half of oil left in this jumbo-sized bottle. "It's on the couch", she said. I ran for the couch, grabbed the DRIPPING wet with oil cushions, flew them back to the kitchen, and was frantically trying to get the tight covers off them when Julia said "Mommy, LOOOOK". I dropped the cushions and darted into the living room, only to see Georgie who had found a packet of cocoa-powder (sold in plastic bags here), enthralled with watching the cocoa powder rain down. He was waving it around, so it had completely covered the couch (thankfully AFTER I had removed the oil soaked cushions or we would've had an even worse disaster). It had also covered David's briefcase and even inside the parts that weren't zipped.

THANKFULLY, the suitcase came (my siblings sent us an ice cream maker down with Daniel Fleming) and so we had ice cream to go with the brownines Georgie was making! KIDDING. We decided NOT to make ice cream that day. But I was especially glad that Aunt Dawnie had sent a paint-your-own tea set, which kept the four older kids totally enthralled while I tried to clean the mess.

At 5:17, Rosanna Fleming showed up. We had asked her to babysit, but we weren't sure if she could or not until she showed up. I practically bolted out of the house! While we were gone, Georgie climbed up on a chair and spilled the jug of orange kool-aid like stuff all over the table and himself. His skin had an orange tinge even after a bath.

Anyways, back to the couch-cleaning. I took one cushion and tried to clean it with hot water and detergent in the washing machine. The other I decided to leave and see which came out better. So far, 3 days later, both are still dripping oil. Any advice, cleaning experts?? Please post!

Friday our former tutors, Christian and Pilar, now newlyweds and headed for Dallas where Christian will attend Dallas Theological Seminary, came over to fix supper for us and another couple from the church. First, we fed Christian and Pilar lunch. From there I thought it would be a very relaxing day having supper fixed for us but it turned out not to be that relaxing of a day. Pilar started cooking at 2:30 and ended at 7:30!!! First, I felt really bad for her working away. Then I was in and out fixing various snacks to tide the kids over. And you know how it is cooking in a strange kitchen, where is this and that, can I borrow this or that, and I was trying to keep on top of the dishes. In between, I was trying to work on the CUSHIONS. The covers needed some major repair work (sewing up rips along the seams), but the cushion covers were feeling pretty oily (on the inside, I was sewing with them inside out, but I think the outsides will be OK) even after their hot-soap-and-water bath, and it was taking forever. In my mind, I thought I'd repair them and stuff the dry cushions back in them before the other couple came, not knowing that 3 days later the cushions still wouldn't be dry. As it turned out, the cushions weren't dry and the covers still aren't repaired, and all the company and us sat around the dining room table!

Saturday was Family Day at Davey and Meleah's school. It started with a 2 hour program. Davey and Meleah's classes said Deuteronomy 5:16 in English. I'm kind of bummed that the school is trying to go bi-lingual this year as it won't help their Spanish any. But I really like the school, it has one of the smallest class sizes around and I like that they are very solid biblically and the teachers pray with and for the kids. David had a meeting to go to after that, so the kids and I headed to the park and then in for "supper", always a bit more casual when David's not here, and baths.

And today, Sunday, I think we are finally back to normal. We are excited about the Lords' work here in Bogotá. It is neat to see things happening and know it isn't our abilities and strengths pushing it along, we feel so weak in so many areas, but to know it is the Lord's hands pushing things along. We are especially excited about a bible study that David and another couple, Alfonso and Estella, are having with some people from our church that live up on "Cerro Norte", North Hill. This is a very poor neighborhood and our hearts go out to the people there. We and Alfonso and Estella hope to start some outreach activities soon.

David's tutors have both left, one to Dallas for four years, the other to Turkey Hill Ranch Bible Camp in Missouri for the summer. We are checking into other options for both of us.