Our Treehouse! Watch Here!

We have a treehouse! We have wanted one for AGES! And Dad has built us one in our mango tree ... it's fantastic! We've been eating meals there and playing up there loads over half term. And now we want to work on some ropes and pulleys and maybe get a zip wire to get down! We also had fun playing with the photos to make a IMovie about it! You can see it here!

The Monger Treehouse from Rachel Monger on Vimeo.



At the top!



Looking up from below!



The ladder up!

Swimming and Sunday School

On Sunday we went to the church in Kayenze. It had rained and the road was full of massive puddles! It was like going through lakes! Often when we get there, Daddy needs the toilet. I understand this because it is a long way from our house. I usually go too! We go to the outhouse of someone we know. When we get there, we are often early, so we arrive during the Sunday school (this is a class for adults but kids can sit in too). I try to listen but it is hard because I can't understand all the Kiswahili. I can get the first bit, but I get lost. I really love going to this church because I can sit on a chair that is my size, next to the children.
Kayenze Boys Click here to listen to the boys sing and dance during the offering!

Annif and I sitting on the small chairs!

After the adult Sunday school, the kids all went outside. It was Amisadai and I with Annif, Enoch and Sophie  - the little kids wandered off! We read a Bible passage about Tunda la Roho (the fruits of the spirit); Annif would read a few words and we would repeat them and there were some questions. Then we sang some songs and then we got to play games like dodge ball. Lots of other kids came to play then too!

Playing dodgeball

On Friday we went to a swimming club gala. I didn't race because it was only for group 6 and up. After the races there was a relay for everyone. I did two lengths of front crawl. I didn't know I could swim that far! I also did a great dive. I also didn't know that I could dive! That was the first time in my life to dive! I am proud of myself for swimming two lengths and doing a great dive!

The relay race

Amisadai (although you can't really see her!)

This is me swimming 2 lengths

 

Bunny Update and Nani Amejamba?

'What d'ya' think you're lookin' at??

My little cutie!

My baby bunnies are now 3 weeks old! They are very, very cute. They all love me so much! I love it when the lick my fingers, because their tongues are so rough and rubbery. I also like it when they nibble me, because their teeth have not yet grown and it tickles.

 

Here are some bunny jokes for you...

How do you know carrots are good for your eyes?

A: Because you never see a rabbit wearing glasses!
 

What do you get when you pour hot water down a rabbit hole?
A: A hot cross bunny!

 

 

Did you hear about the rich rabbit?
A: He was a millionhare!

 

 

And here's one for my Canadian friends:

Where do rabbits work?
A: At IHOP restaurants!

Here I am with all 8 of my little babies!



Here I am hand-feeding the runt, who was extremely thin before.

Look at how much these 3 have grown!

And on the subject of babies ... This little baby was dedicated at Mwanza International Church a few weeks ago. She is so sweet!

A random note: do you know that by adding a little bit of red onto your painting, it will immediately liven it up. Try it and see!

Here is painting I did the other week. I didn't know about the red idea then!

Last Saturday we went to the Mamas Group with Mum. Mama Penina's daughter, Dora came too, but her sister, Maria was away at her aunts house. We had lots of fun, but the funniest thing was when she said "Ah, nani amejamba?" because there was a smell! I won't say who, but someone had "passed wind!"

New Rabbits, New School and an Old Snake

Last week, early on Tuesday morning, Maisy, Louisa's rabbit, had babies! On Monday, we got excited because she pulled out lots of her fur and made a nest, so we knew something was happening! Since they were born, we have been dying to know how many there are. We couldn't see because they are all completely covered in Maisy's fur! Yesterday, we were able to see some of them for the first time and I saw Maisy feeding them. We think there are about six or seven! The other three older bunnies are getting very cute and fat! I am selling them now!

They are so tiny! And no fur yet!

Did you know?

• Baby rabbits are called kits.
• Only 15% of baby rabbits make it to their 1st birthday. So, to ensure the population grows, rabbits have more babies.
• Rabbits can see everywhere around, even behind, except for a tiny blind spot on their nose. This protects them from predators.
• A group of rabbits is called a herd.
• Though very quiet, rabbits communicate vocally a lot.

First day of Secondary School

I have now started Secondary School at Isamilo International School. I am able to wear trousers at last! I am really enjoying it, except for all the homework! Sometimes we get four pieces of homework in one day with some of it due the next day. I have also started the Swim Club which I am enjoying!

A few days ago, we started training our dogs. We are starting with "SIT, COME and STAY" and then will try training them to bark when there are people at the gate. Mum made peanut butter dog treats to reward them. I don't think it's going so well yet! But give it some time!

Mum gets Snowy to Sit!

We found a snake in the garden the other day! We were playing bows and arrows and I didn't see it under the grass and stepped on the end of it. Joseph was there and shouted! He used my bow to kill it for us!

Disposing of the dead snake

 

Going Shopping on a Daladala (by Louisa)

Today my family and I went shopping. Our car has a problem with the brakes so ...

We went on a daladala. Now, daladalas are a little bit scary and very crowded but quite fun too. On the way when Amisadai and Mummy had jumped off, many big ladies piled in. One lady was sitting next to me or should I say sitting on me! I was squished on the edge of the seat because she put her massive handbag (like a suitcase) behind my back! There were lots of crying babies, a lady singing and loads of boxes.

On the daladala

Coming into town on our daladala

We went to the Post Office and found a treat waiting for us in a package from James and Dan! We were very excited to get chocolate because we haven't had any since we left England! The lady in the Post Office said she wanted my sunglasses! It was very busy in town. The Chadema party (a political party) and lots of teenagers were marching all over the roads making lots of traffic jams and there were soldiers and policemen everywhere.

On the way home we counted 25 people and lots of cabbages in the 15-seater daladala. It was VERY squishy! I got a very hot bottom sitting on the floor over the engine. When we got to our road, I shouted "Hapa Hapa!" but he didn't hear and carried on. We had to shout louder to get off.

Going to Kayenze
Yesterday we went to the village of Kayenze to go to the church there. We were gone all day! Here are some photos we took!

I am holding baby Annis, our friend Anna's new sister.
We went to see Pastor Amon's family in their home after church

Amisadai is helping me climb out of the mango tree.
The man on the motorbike was laughing at us!
There were lots of kids under the mango tree and we
were doing Bible verses and teaching English!

We had some cows with scary horns come towards us on the road home.
I thought this one would scrape our car with his horns.

Going Camping
Last week my family and I went camping for two nights! One day we decided to climb Balili Hill. On the way up, Amisadai and I found a rock that was shaped like a couch! We had a rest before we carried on climbing.


Resting on our "couch"



We saw lots of baboons with their big, bare bums! They really should wear knickers! This one was running around the playground!

Bare-bum baboon

We had lots of fun riding our bikes and playing on the playground there. Here are some photos!

 

 



We had lots of washing to do after camping.
Here I am wearing all the pegs after collecting it all off the line!

 

Three Twitching Noses

Guess what?! I have baby rabbits! Three cute, fuzzy bunnies, running and lollopping around their hutch now! They are two and a half weeks old. They have all opened their eyes, though they still do not have teeth yet. I have called the grey bunny Twitch (because he twitches his nose so much!) but the other two do not have names yet. I need some GOOD suggestions for two more names for two adorable bunnies. Any good ideas?

 

Twitch is on the left

Flora (the mum) with her 3 babies (one is hiding behind her)

Playing It!

My bunnies 5 days old.

The bunnies were a great surprise when we arrived in Mwanza just over a week ago! Before we arrived home we went to Morogoro from Dar es Salaam. We went on the bus which took almost five hours. At the bus stations it is so noisy because sellers are trying to sell you carrots, sodas, bananas, hard-boiled eggs, watches... A man tried to sell nail polish to my Dad and a man even tried to sell cigarettes to Louisa!

This lady was selling carrots to people in the bus through the windows

In Morogoro we stayed with our friends, Matt and Amy, Elia, Fin and Tilly. We had never met Tilly before (she is just over one year old). I loved her so much, she is so cute and she loved cuddles with me! 

 

 

While we were in Dar, we went to Bagamoyo for an overnight holiday with Uncle Huruma and his family. Bagamoyo is historic for trade and also for sad reasons. It is the place where slave traders brought people captured from all over the county and where they were traded to go to Zanzibar and overseas. The name Bagamoyo means "Lay Down Your Heart." Today it is a lovely beach on the Indian Ocean. They have a swimming pool at the place where we stayed and as well, we had fruit salad for breakfast from coconut shell bowls!


Mum relaxing in a hammock!

Me relaxing on the sand!



Louisa, Joan and Marion in a hammock all having fun together!

From England to Tanzania

Our last days in England were fun ones! We went to the New Forest for a day out with Grandma and Granddad. Throughout the whole day I counted 264 horses! We saw squirrels, lots of bees, caterpillars (really cool stripy ones) many different birds and a trail of ants collecting crumbs from someone's lunch and making a pile of it, like in A Bug's Life. We went to the plain that we went to before, and enjoyed lunch there, followed by a game of football (me and dad), a game of boules (Louisa and granddad) and a game of sleeping lions without all the trying-to-keep-still-and-not-laugh bit, just the sleeping part (by mum and grandma).

 

Last time we went to the New Forest we found a rope swing across a stream. I certainly wanted to get straight on but dad said no. Mum and Louisa were disappointed about "chickening out" or as dad said "being sensible." True, we didn't have spare clothes or anything ... but still.

We did it this time though! I was first ... and managed to do it without getting wet. It was so much fun! Then Louisa went, and then mum. She skimmed the top of the water with her feet. Then Louisa went again and kept swinging  until she was stuck in the middle! We managed to pull her up. But after doing it staying dry, we did get pretty wet in the end!

 

MVI 0268 from Rachel Monger on Vimeo.

 

After some more swings, Louisa asked me to go again and to try to touch the other side. I decided to run a few steps, and then jump for the handles and swing. I did it well, but I didn't touch the other side. Louisa told me to try again. So I did. I took a flying leap at the handles and caught them, but my foot got stuck on a root under water, and I slipped straight off,  and fell flat in the water. I got the water all in my eyes and nose, and got a cut on my knee from a sharp rock underneath me. I was soaked, and everyone was laughing, I was too. It must have looked very funny! Dad awarded me the honour of the best fall of the day. But not for long.

 

Mum was next. She jumped at the handles but her hands slipped off them! She was in the position for swinging, not landing so  her feet were underneath her, and she cut her ankle on a sharp rock and bruised her foot. But it was a funny sight and she made a big splash! Now she had the best fall of the day award!



Year 6 performance of The Peacechild

Roasting marshmallows after a BBQ with our cousins

Louisa gets a shock in the loo at Milestones Museum!!!

LANDING IN TANZANIA (by Louisa)

We woke up at 2am early on Saturday morning to be on time for our flight at 6:30am. Our flight was ten and a half hours all together (we stopped in Amsterdam on the way). We arrived at Uncle Huruma and Auntie Joyce's house at 11pm. On my first step in Dar es Salaam, I could feel the humidity already! I am still not used to it, but I will get used to it over the weeks. All the Tanzanians say it is cold here now; we say it is hot!

It is nice to see our friends, Joan and Marion, and spend time with them again. We have a week in Dar es Salaam.