The entire world is focused on South Africa right now. Except perhaps, the United States of America, which prefers its baseball and basketball and American football. Even Josiah, at 2 ½ years old, knows how to distinguish between a football and a ‘merican football.
Did you know that worldwide, the World Cup is bigger than the Olympics? I don’t think I would have known that if I had lived my life in the States. Well, and if I hadn’t been married to a maniac soccer…er…football fan. This morning he left for South Africa for a week. Which he’s been talking about for the last four years. I have to go, he told me. Because South Africa is so close. Yeah, close. Like Chicago is close to Los Angeles, that kind of close. But how could I disappoint him? Since he’s been talking about it for four years? The first plan was that he and about 25 of his students would take a road trip down there. But let me tell ya, taking a road trip through Zambia and Zimbabwe and Botswana isn’t exactly the same as a road trip through Utah and Kansas and Colorado. Small differences, like you don’t need three visas and an armored vehicle to get through Kansas. So you could say I was relieved when he decided to fly. Needless to say, the enthusiasm of the students (or rather, their parents) waned over the last few years and now there are only 4 students going with him. But they are very, very, very excited. So I am excited for them.
He’ll be at the Spain game on Monday and the USA game on Wednesday. So if you join the world in watching, look for him in the stands! And the rest of the time he’s there? Well, he’ll be shopping for me! Of course.
So this week I am officially a World Cup Widow. And how will I be filling my time? By potty training Josiah.
Let the games begin!
5. Normally, the French Fries are wrapped in packets of tin foil. This turns the fries into something that is as limp as a wet sock. So, I always bring my own container and ask them to put the fries in that instead of the foil. This time, as happens many times, they did use my container, but then covered the whole thing with tin foil. Sigh.
6. Bring food home to waiting family. Heat up oil on the stove and dump all the fries into oil to crisp them up.
7. Over one hour after leaving the house, serve very yummy fries, meat, rice and beans to family.
Was this what you imagined? Ah yes. They have to all be followed by their “jockies” so that they go the right direction. The large blue “prod” in the back keeps them moving. Why? Because, well, a goat might just stop and decide he wants to eat the grass instead of race. 
We took along Thomas, a former student, and Cecilie, a current student. It was a fun day considering that it rained about half the time and turned the entire arena into a mud pit. But really, it was still fun.
Just about the cutest little Spiderman that ever was. The next couple of days after, he kept asking me, “What happened to my Spiderman face?” Grace got a little exasperated with this and responded more than once, “We washed it down the drain, Josiah!” Such a big sister.
