A very happy birthday x 2!

Today most of the girls did not have school because they had a midterm break. In fact, all of the girls who were away at boarding school came back for 4-5 days because they were on break, as well! So we got to meet those girls, but unfortunately I didn't really get to see them much today because they were in Tumaini and I was eating in Baraka. I did get to see them a little bit at my joint birthday celebration with Johnny though!

During the day today I played with the girls A LOT. I played hopscotch with the younger girls and sang songs as they jumped rope. I used to know so many jump-rope songs--now I can only remember one or two! :( I don't think I took a single break from the girls from around 11am til I came back to go to bed!

Meanwhile, Lindsey did some interviewing and filming with Beth and Mercy, two of the girls whose friendship we're considering making our documentary about. We decided it would be best to split up when we interview the girls because when both of us are there it draws more attention to the camera and it seems to make them less comfortable. So I'm going to do the same thing with them at a later point.

Birthdays here are usually celebrated on the Saturday after your actual birthday, but since the volunteers from Ohio are having their farewell party on Saturday night (because they're leaving Sunday in the early evening), Johnny and I had our celebration tonight! After I had dinner in Baraka, I went over to Maisha house and we all sang and danced for awhile before bringing out the cake. Johnny and I cut the cake together (which was a bit haphazard on his part!) and served everyone cake and vanilla ice cream. The cake here is not quite as sweet as what you'd get in the US. It's very dense, like a pound cake. It's more like a very sweet bread. I like it better that way, personally! The icing is very sweet though, of course! All the people who live in the house where the person whose birthday it is get to eat cake. There is one cake and we cut it up into pretty small pieces--about 2"x2"x3"...but just enough to make you happy : ) And then everyone gets a good amount of ice cream--sometimes vanilla, sometimes strawberry...I don't think we've ever had chocolate. By the time it all gets served to everyone, though, half or more of it is melted though...but it still tastes great with the cake! : ) Johnny helped himself to about a half cup of pure icing by dragging his fingers in the cake pan throughout the whole party : ) After we welcomed everyone to begin enjoying their cake and ice cream so that it didn't melt anymore, the girls who were left (Maisha girls plus three girls from Baraka) went around and gave Johnny and I birthday wishes.

I was wished many a time to have more birthdays than I currently have candles on my cake, a phrase/wish they tend to give a lot. It seems to be a popular Kenyan phrase. Many of the girls thanked me for choosing to be here in Kenya on my birthday and for celebrating with them. I was wished to be a doctor, a saloonist (hair stylist), a pilot, a nurse (by Kathleen because I'm caring), and a pastor (by Mum Helen because I'm kind).

After the well-wishing, the girls adamantly demanded, "WE WANT TO SEE THE PRESENTS! WE WANT TO SEE THE PRESENTS!" Johnny opened up the jacket, pants, shirt, and car that Lindsey and I had gotten him earlier in the week. He LOVES the car. : ) To my surprise, I had some presents too! I got a Snickers, some strawberry gummies, and tic tacs! : ) Of course, all the girls tried to convince me to give them some afterwards, but I didn't give in...until later...

It was a very sweet celebration and one of the best birthdays I've had. : )

For the Maisha girls' movie night tonight, we watched Catch that Kid…not that great of a movie… But I get to choose the movie tomorrow night for Baraka girls!

Oh, and then Lindsey and I made homemade hot chocolate for the volunteers…we boiled milk, melted milk chocolate bars, added the rest of our cinnamon honey and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper for some added spice! It was tasty : )