Welcome to Nairobi

Maybe you've heard of Nairobi, possibly a lot more lately due to two HUGE things happening in the past few months, but before I get into all that, I am going to start off with us still being in Laos, because that's where a lot of our biggest decisions had to be made to end up here in Nairobi.

Firstly our initial 2nd posting in the Foreign Service was supposed to be Accra, Ghana, but things changed and we had a list of 4 places we could go. Because we lost our post, we figured we'd get our first choice, and we did! Nairobi, Kenya.

While we were still in Laos, and after we found out we would be going to Kenya and how all the timing would work we found out I was pregnant with baby number 4, so everything we had planned had to be changed, in big ways. Instead of selling our car that we couldn't take to Nairobi ,we would ship our car back to The States. Instead of all flying to Nairobi in June, Mike and I would part ways for the summer (2 months in case you were wondering) and with the help of my older brother I'd drive across the U.S. to spend the summer in Arizona with my family waiting to have baby number 4. After baby number 4 was born Mike and the three older children would fly to Kenya, alone, so they could attend school and I would fly to Kenya at a later date. With a few bumps in the road, this all happened.

The kids and I didn't have the BEST summer, but it was nice. Both older kids got to go to summer camp, while Tess and I puttered about. It's nice to have a 2 year old who operates at the same pace as a 8-month pregnant lady, afternoon naps were a must for us both! I have to admit that I wasn't at my best this summer, with lots of yelling, T.V. watching and McDonald's eating, Mike couldn't come home soon enough.

The two weeks we go to spend together were fantastic! It was the summer I had in-visioned when I decided to go back to Tucson in the first place. Two weeks was just too short in my book, but I knew it was all we had so we made the best of it until Mike and the kids had to leave just a week after the baby was born.

Tess looks skeptical, but she is the happiest of them all.

Now we get back to the news that some people may have heard back in August. The International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya caught fire and through chaos, most of the international terminal burned down. Holy panic attack! Mike and the kids were supposed to fly into said burned down airport in just 1 week! Most women who've had a baby know it can be a total roller coaster of emotions and I was a hot mess. Panicking about how Mike would handle flying with all 3 kids, getting through an airport that was operating at less than 100% and not to mention be a geographically-working-single dad! You'd think I was having to do all that with how much I stressed about it. He really makes it seem like it was no big deal, but that's just because he's cool like that. I know it was very trying and couldn't be happier with my choice of husband/father to my kids! I'm sure if he had to do it over again, he would.

So, Ty, baby number 4, and I stayed in Arizona for 6 excruciatingly long weeks. Thanks to a few friends and mostly my mom and some other family, we got through it and even got all of our paperwork done with only 1 emotional crying fit to Mike and the wonderful nurses at the State Department.

With all the paperwork done, and Ty and me both cleared to fly, we jumped at our chance and arrived less than 2 weeks ago. A few days after I arrived Mike, in all his awesomeness, planned a welcome party for us to give me an opportunity to meet some people we'd be with for the next 2 years. It was planned for Saturday, September 21, early afternoon...

Now that brings us to the news lately. I imagine most people have heard at least a blurb about a shopping mall attack in Nairobi where 62 people were killed, scores more injured and a days long siege took place.

The shopping mall was named Westgate and Mike had told me we should go to this particular mall to get some grocery shopping done, because it was a bigger shop and had more of what I might be looking for. Now keep in mind, I've been in Nairobi 4 days and am extremely sleep deprived, you know new baby and jet lag, they don't mix all that well. We arrived at the mall late in the morning and got our shopping done, but after about an hour of wondering and feeling like I wasn't finding anything or feeling completely out of it, I asked Mike to just take me home. While I waited, somewhat seething, in the car while he ran back in for Ice, I watched the set up of a cooking demonstration. after waiting 15 minutes my anger was boiling over, but he finally came back and we headed home. Just after arriving back Mike started receiving phone calls about a shooting at the mall we were just at. Continuing to set up for our party, we monitored the news and he continued to get texts, emails and calls about what was really happening in the mall. Because of this, he ended up having to go to work and I hosted my own welcome party with the spouses of the officers who work with Mike. It was very nice that people still ended up coming and it was nice to be able to chat about what was going on with other people, especially since I knew no one here and would've ended up being alone during all of it.

Many people have commented about how unlucky I am to have just arrived and had this tragic attack take place, but I honestly feel lucky. Lucky to have left when we did, obviously, but more lucky and grateful that I was here to support my husband and more importantly to be here for my kids, one of whom is very well aware of what happened. No, I don't think they would've been at that mall that Saturday of the attack if I wasn't here, but it still would've happened and I wouldn't be here to take over the house while daddy had to work crazy long days.

In the end, I still feel panicky going into places here and leaving the house, but I know I have to continue to get to know Nairobi and not let these awful events rule the next 2 years of my life.

What happened over the past YEAR!

We moved to Nairobi and oh yeah, had a new baby!

Let's take a look back a little to see what you all missed:

A totally rockin' Halloween, where I convinced Mike he had to wear tights for yet another Halloween costume party:

Meet the Thundercats!

A very eventful car trip through Northern Laos in which most of our family got sick in our car...YUCK. 

F T and M at the Plain of Jars

We took one last trip to Ngam Ngum Reservoir and Vang Vieng with one of our favorite Laos family friends:

After a long weekend riding in boats and tubing down rivers

Then we had a totally awesome farewell party to say good-bye to a wonderful bunch of friends where Mike ended up like this:

no caption needed ;)

We will miss Laos forever:

Then we went back to the U.S. where we took a road trip in an R.V. across the Southwest:

Notice the look of what have I gotten myself into...

Mike and I took a honeymoon after 7-years of marriage:

Bumming it in Curacao

We returned to D.C for a short time before Mike and I split for the summer:

My brother and I spent 3 days driving across the U.S with my 3 kids while I was 7 1/2 months pregnant and Mike flew to Nairobi, Kenya to start his new job.

I was reacquainted with Summer in Tucson

The kids got to go to an American summer camp and play for 2 months with my youngest brother until Mike returned:

Welcome back to our crazy!

We had a new baby:

Meet baby Ty!

A week after baby Ty was born Mike flew to Kenya with the big kids:

Watch out Nairobi, the Pryor kids are taking over

Ty and I were reunited with our loves a month later:

And that was our last year leading up to two big changes!

Little girl Lost

Last night I experienced the longest 30 minutes of my life. Maggie disappeared from the local park; like we couldn’t find her anywhere. Imagine losing your kid in the States, where you speak the language. Now imagine losing your kid in a country that you do not speak the language. Here’s the story:

After dinner at a pizza restaurant we decided to take the kids to the local playground. The playground is in a park -Chou Anouavong Park- that spans about a mile, from a historical Statue, King Chou Anouavong, to the end of the night market, which has grown immensely since we arrived last year. As usual in the evenings the park was buzzing. Aerobics class was being held on the steps, the playground was full of Lao children and the night market was hopping, even for it being down season.

Mike asked if we could go sit on the grass, I told him I wasn’t all that comfortable leaving the kids on the playground without being able to see them, it was hard enough standing in the middle of all the kids, I doubted I’d be much of a conversationalist with my eyes darting all over trying to keep track of the kids. Tess was clingy and Mike said it was a perfect opportunity to sit, so I made a point to tell Maggie and Finn that we’d be sitting in the grass; which was not more than 30 feet from where she was standing. Mike had been out of town all weekend, so it is nice to have the kids entertained while we get a chance to talk a little without constant interruption.

Sitting in the grass, I have eyes on Finn and Tess is wadling about near us, I tell Mike, “I don’t see Maggie.” “I see her she’s by the slide. Oh there she is. I see her look over in our direction, but we don’t make eye contact. I wave, but she doesn’t see me and goes up the stairs. I have a fleeting thought that she might be overwhelmed with so many kids, but as she walks up the stairs, Mike and I comment about the way she carries herself now. Her mannerisms are those of a confident teenager. After a little bit, Tess was antsy about going to the playground, so I go with her. I see Finn, but I don’t see Maggie. My heart beat picks up a bit, but I try not to fret, she’s probably in one of the 4 play structures. After a minute I see Finn, but still no Maggie. I scoop Tess up and walk frantically calmly from structure to structure looking, not quite to the screaming of her name point, but I can feel it, she’s not here.

Mike walks over and I angrily tell him “I can’t find Maggie!” Woah, so am I mad at him? I shouldn’t be, yet I want to be. It’s not time to panic yet, do another sweep of the area. Nope, no Maggie.

I grab Finn and head straight to the Night Market, where the toilets are. Maybe she went there? Nope. We wander through half of the market looking, at this point I am calling for her and the tears are bubbling. Mike calls…No Maggie.

We meet at the playground and decide to split again, at least Mike can ask people in Lao if they saw Maggie, try being me, asking lots of people if they saw my little girl with brownish blond hair wearing a rust colored dress. Lots of blank stares, while I can usually grasp what someone is saying to me, I have no idea how to tell someone I lost my little girl…bah whoo louk sow is what I kept saying, which to me means I don’t know my daughter. .. One woman told Mike she walked in the direction of the statue. So I go that way, Mike heads back toward the market. I get nothing on my end. Mike calls me to tell me he’s called the RSO…The crying really begins. It must be more serious if we have to call in our security officer and WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!

Calmly Mike tells me not to get worked up, she’s probably wandered off and someone has scooped her up and is keeping her somewhere till it can be figured out how to link her back with us.

I’m not buying it. I’ve seen the Save the Children’s ads: Stop child sex tourism. My mind is going full steam. This is my “imagine the absolute worst and it won’t happen” brain coming out. Now I will note these negative thoughts completely go against how I feel about living here in Laos, it’s safe. I let Finn and Maggie walk, alone, down the street to buy ice creams, or dare I say it, BEER. The kids and families all know us by now. They definitely know not to call Maggie “falang” (really means French, but any foreign person is labeled this), her name is Maggie and she will not speak to or look at you if you call her anything but Maggie.

I so desperately want to blame Mike, or even Finn. Finn how could you not be watching her, but he’s obviously scared. Mom’s crying and we’re looking for Maggie. Don’t lash out at anyone, just keep looking. His feet were hurting, but he knew not to say anything, he just cried with me as we decide to check the car, but after we cross the street, I realize there’s no way Maggie would’ve tried to cross this.

So we head back and I get the call… “I don’t have her but someone does.” Oh thank god!

A couple who were eating dinner at the same restaurant as us was flagged down by a Lao woman and her two children. They recognized Maggie and said that yes, she was at the park with her parents. So they exchange numbers, she keeps Maggie while the couple rush to the playground to find one of us. She was being protective and didn’t want to give her up to just anyone. While it is completely normal for a Lao kid Maggie’s age, or younger to be wandering around without a parent, it is completely abnormal for a “falang” kid to wandering around without a parent. That’s why Mike knew, she is with someone. Although, he’s a bit baffled by the fact that she wasn’t walked back to the playground. Kid wandering around crying, near a playground…you know.

You see, I say this was the longest 30 minutes of my life, but Maggie was actually gone for closer to 40 minutes. That moment when I felt she was overwhelmed on the playground, she went down the slide then wandered off to find us.

In the States, I gave Finn quite a bit of independence. He’d go to the lobby of our apartment building and check the mail, he’d run to the apartment playground a few minutes ahead of me, I’d let him use a public toilet on his own. He’s a drive by pee-er. He’s the kid mom’s dislike when it comes to cleaning toilets (which is why he cleans them). I know it’s 20 seconds tops that he should be in a bathroom, anymore than that and I’m in there. I judge a situation and usually feel pretty confident on my decision based on the situation.

Last night, I probably should’ve listened to my gut a little more than I was; and made a point to show Finn and Maggie exactly where we were, instead of being general about it…over in the grass. I felt that Maggie wasn’t comfortable BUT I had confidence that my kids knew what to do. Maggie had done the wrong thing by wandering off, and this was a good example to us as to why the name game and I’m lost speech only go so far when we are not in the land of security guards and PA systems.

Ever since the kids could start talking I told them about stranger danger, and what to say in the event they do become lost. In most places we designate a go here if you get lost spot. Maggie did most of  this. She said her name and who her parents are. She told them she was an American and she was 3.

In the end, now I know 1. Tell the kids if we leave them in a place and you don’t see us, stay there, we aren’t leaving without you; something close to never leave without telling us, which they know, but what if they are looking for us. 2. Make it perfectly clear where we will be, in case they do need to find us.

There are some people who don’t support my independence pushing parenting style, I can appreciate comments and concern for this; and it’s my choice on what to do with such comments and concern. I certainly don’t begrudge anyone for their opinions of my parenting, because I have my own. This experience won’t stop me from allowing the kids to play solo, I wasn’t a hovering mom before, I won’t be now.

A big thanks to Ann, the woman who kept Maggie safe, and calmed her down. And to our RSO who started calling in our Local guard force and police to come help us look.

Big News in LAOS

Finn Lost his first tooth

Oh yeah, and Secretary Clinton Visited us for a day.

This was a very big day for the Officers, Local staff and family at post. The Lao people were very excited too!



I want to take this chance to clarify a story that is making it's rounds through the expats here in Laos. A frog did not fall on her in the Prime Minister's office.

A man, who looked official, approached the Secretary and the Ambassador and told her that the frog was speaking through her and the spirits had a message for her. What the message was, we don't know, but it's still an intriguing story for her to leave with.

Dinosaurs, Monkeys and caves oh my!

What did you do with your presidents day holiday? Perhaps some of you hit the sales in the states, or others lounged around a pool with a day off...well, we hit the road!

We were really hoping to go to the annual elephant festival, but since Mike was traveling with the Ambassador until the night before, we decided 9+hours in the car headed north with everyone else headed to the same place, plus no where to stay but a possible homestay (with 3 kids) it just wasn't worth it. Instead we headed South!

Our first stop was Thakek for lunch and CAVES! Have you heard me rant about Thakek before, why yes you have! And this time was 10,000X better.

We visited 2 caves, both of which Lonely Planet will tell you are the same, neither are the same.

The first cave we visited - called Elephant Cave, for supposedly having an elephant born in the cave - had tons of Buddha images everywhere and was pretty much just a walk to the top of a huge hill and then seeing some bats and smelling pee.

The second cave we visited, Maggie proclaimed, was the most beautiful place she's been to. I can't recall the name, but it was really awesome. Very similar to several caves in Virginia, but it had pink, purple and yellow lighting everywhere and NO barriers. You could climb and touch anything you wanted, but my American-rule-abiding-motherly ways die hard and I did not let Finn climb any rock surface he saw, till Maggie decided she needed to pee within 5 minutes of us getting to the top of the cave, and I'm sure Mike probably let Finn explore the way boys do. Alas no photos of either cave...

After cave hopping, we got back into the car and headed down to Savannakhet, which is a pretty large Lao city, home to Savahn Vegas, a large casino, and DINOSAURS. Anyone with a 5-year-old boy knows this is the best kind of trip to take. In the middle of town there is a roundabout with a grassy hill and two very large Dinosaurs. The kids were in heaven climbing on them.

The Dinosaur museum itself is very small, with cases of bones and pictures of dig sites where French paleontologists worked in 5 different areas to unearth bones. The actual bones of a very large dino they've found  have not  been fully put together, because, from what we were told, they haven't fully figured out how to piece it together. Although, there is not much to see and can be a bit of a downer for a young kid looking to see tons of dinosaurs, the staff are very happy to talk about everything they know and answer any questions. It was, in my opinion, treasure for Mike, since he could easily switch from Lao to English with our guide and gets tons of information. Below is a picture of Finn and Maggie "holding" the unfinished dino, which is strung out with lights and fragments of bone hanging on the wall to show how it might look.

Once we finished at the Dinosaur museum we hit the road in search of the Monkey Forrest.It was a long drive, but well worth it. The kids got to feed greedy little monkeys to their hearts content and more importantly, I LOVED it. I'm such a kid sometimes. Mike made lots of fun of me since I was so much more enthusiastic than the kids, but I thought it was the coolest. Tess on the other hand didn't quite like the fact that even though she offered a monkey her banana, he took it!

Maggie loved it!

Even farm kids in Laos have some style, reminds me of "Outsiders". Hanging out feeding the monkeys junk food. 

Her you go monkey...wait he just took my banana!!

Then we went home and it was AWESOME!



December birthdays

So Mike may have been a bit upset when, this year, he fully realized that all 3 girls in the family have a December birthday! Yes, all of us. Each about a week a part. Can you say FUN! I can ;)

Maggie Turned 3 before Tess had her first birthday and got to fully indulge in the birthday goodness.

Tess turned 1, WHAT! Our baby is now 1, and it feels like yesterday we took that facebook photo and said, what is her name going to be? I of course said Tess and it stuck. We love our little baby.


Then me, yes me, I turned 26 and got the surprise of a lifetime. A night away in lovely Luang Prabang. I love my husband!




My birthday princesses!



Thanksgiving 2011

We were a bit worried about what we would do for Thanksgiving this year. We've experienced plenty of different Thanksgivings, hosting our Army family, going to a family member's home in town, traveling across the states to spend it with more family, but this year none of those applied, but we do have a new "family" the Foreign Service family. The CLOs (community liaison officers) here at post organized a Thanksgiving potluck, with touch football, swimming (in NOVEMBER!) and FOOD! It was a good Thanksgiving.

Of course Mike enforced his holiday dress up ;)