Tues. June 2

 The girls and I started off this morning scrubbing the stairway walls. Something I’d been wanting to get to ever since I 1st laid eyes on them! For a long time I kept thinking I’d have my maid do it but after trying to get her to do other little extra jobs it starts seeming easier to just try to get it done ourselves sometime! Trying to teach her how to clean something beyond her norm is quite an act of Congress and then the final product is often still not clean! With the latter being the most disheartening after seeing her scrub for “an hour” on a project😏 I’m still hoping to someday teach her how to clean windows without leaving then smeared. Wish me luck.

Lonnie got the weekly chickens processed. And the weekly pork washed and in the freezer.

The girls and I did our Music and Bangla classes then took a walk, meeting up with Lonnie at Neekonjo, where he spends time with the villagers these days. Got some yummy drinks..a lychee drink and an electrolyte “juice” box. 

Mon June 1

 Today the girls and I started Music Class and Bangla Class. The Music book that went by the wayside when we 1st got to Bangladesh and I thought going thru our Bangla books with the girls might be a good way to give me a badly needed refresher course plus give them a foundation in the language. Also these classes would be a way for me to spend time with the girls. It feels like they have been fending for themselves or left with Miss Christina so much of the time this last year while our time was taken up with Bangla class, toddler, Dr appts, toddler, new baby, just learning the ropes of everything, toddler, new baby, etc, etc.  

Sun. May 31

 It feels like Summer Vacation has officially begun with the teacher not being here😄

The power stayed on all day which was a lovely thing as I kept the washing machine busy getting everything sent thru after the weekend. And it was a H.O.T. sunshiny day perfect for drying load after load on the line ☀️ 

Gentry has started pulling himself up on furniture or whatever else is available. Which is actually quite frightening as he often does not sit down gracefully but ends up falling and hitting his head with that horrific thud on the unforgiving tile floor😫 He also found out that his current happy place is if somebody will so kindly take his hands and walk with him. He has gotten to where if we’re holding him he’ll grab our hands and fuss till we walk with him (is it ever tiring for the one doing that!) but he gives his happy sound( Ive tried to imitate it, but in its exact likeness is beyond me! But he vibrates his lips with air flow like a sound you might make for an engine sound and adds little happy screeches to it🥹) He also loves going on stroller rides💙

Sat. May 30

 Bro Liton had invited Brian and Lonnie to come to his home before he had to go to work at his barber shop, so  it was for 7:30.

Here at the house we made French toast and sausage patties for when they got back although Liton’s parents had already served them the whole 9 yards, even if Brian had told them, just cha ☕️.

Teachers and Jaira went for a bike ride as we only have 3 suitable bikes. The Dhaka Sisters, Maddie, Kaylee and I and our toddlers went for a short walk in the village, Brian and Lonnie played Carrom at the house while the babies napped. 

We went into Khulna City to Mambo’s for a late lunch then to Babies Dream, an indoor playground we’d been wanting to check out. 

The Dhaka folks headed on to Gopalgonj from there so they could spend Sun. with the cong. there. They took Miss Christina with them for a little 2 week Summer Vacation.

We got our weekly shopping done with Lonnie taking a turn going into the vegetable mkt for me🫶🏼

Fri. May 29

 I stayed home from Sunday Schools with Gentry (+ I was having a gurgling stomach and was afraid I had come down with the same thing the littles had, fast forward.. by noon I was feeling better and so thankful!) Kaylee and her little Lars stayed home with Gentry and I while the others went on to the 2nd S.S. It was Such. A. Tremendously. Hot. Sticky. Day. 

Grilled drumsticks and thighs, roasted tater/veggie mix,  Chinese cabbage salad, watermelon, and flan for dessert.

Just as starting time for our afternoon service was rolling around, a little wind storm came rolling in also! Like it was blustery enough it didn’t feel safe to be out in it for a bit especially when one considers the type of things that fly About in windstorms here…metal roofs, huge palm fronds, etc. the wind died down and we could enjoy the cooler weather it brought with😌 Dhaka brother Brian was set on getting over to church so he could listen to the rain on the metal roof 😉 We told him if it rained too hard we wouldn’t be having a service there!… thankfully that wasn’t the case, but the weather did postpone the arrival of the rest of the afternoon’s attendance! Our crew got the church swept, chairs set up, songbooks put out, and then we sang a few songs before Shanto’s family arrived. We started the service officially then with a couple more songs. Shanto had opening and Brian the message. Interpreter Kobid was stuck in Chakrakhali with the bad weather so Lonnie asked Espondant to interpret. Kobid finally showed up halfway thru the message. But Espondant finished interpreting. Oh! I forgot to say! Antoor brought his girlfriend Tondra to church for the 1st time! They have had a relationship for 1 1/2 yrs..

We invited everybody over after church. We quickly stirred up Rhidoy’s favorite cookie (chocolate oatmeal No Bakes)😉 to go with our cha ☕️ and biscuits. A very enjoyable, jolly time with everybody😄 

After everybody left, it was such a beautiful, cooler night the teachers and girls went up to the roof and played shadow tag. 

I think it was this night sometime that Miss Aleigha, Lonnie, and I sang a few of my favorite songs and then Brian joined after a game of Carrom with the Sisters and soon I had to opt out to take care of the Bud..

Thurs May 28

 Was very happy to see Dipti show up for work today! As soon as she was done cleaning upstairs, I could go in and make beds on the floor in the classroom for the Dhaka Sisters and the bed for Brian’s in the girls room.

1:00 lunch at Shanto’s. They invited us a month ago, since Rhidoy and Pinky were gonna be back home for the 1st visit, after leaving rather suddenly to go work in Dhaka, back in Jan? They had vacation days since it’s the Muslim Eid holiday this weekend. And the Dhaka folks decided to come down this weekend also because of the long Eid weekend. Was So good to be with everybody again🤗 Shanto’s had others there also.. Pinky’s dad, Shotti’s sibling and family, Shanto’s employees and their wives and children.. served us in 2 settings right there on their concrete floor. Sitting around in a circle. With the dishes of food in the middle . They fill each plate for us.. later they served the cookies I brought and meeshti balls.(kind of like deep fried cake? Donut holes soaked in a sugar syrup?) I don’t know the actual process but that’s what it tastes like🙃 Rhidoy says, “You made Pinky and Antoor’s favorite cookie, but not mine!?” I told him he’d have to tell me what his favorite cookie is! He tried to explain it, but finally found them online…Chocolate No Bake cookies! 

Lonnie and Espondant played chess

Then we took the children home for naps.

Later we went up to Bisho Rd for chotputi, fuska, and fallada.

Wed. May 27

 Happy birthday to my little brother on the other side of the world 🎂 

Lonnie grilled chicken for the weekend.

Dipti didnt come to work because her son’s fiancé’s family was coming for a visit. So I tried my hand at making chicken curry for lunch.

We started working on washing bedding and the girls moved downstairs to the room next to ours in preparation for weekend guests.

Made choc chip cookies (Antoor’s favorite) for lunch tomorrow