My wife’s colleague and our friend came with her daughter to stay with us for a while.
03rd August
10th August
12th August
Gio wanted to stay with/on the swing in the supermarket
19th August
23rd August
28th August
29th August
Wyse’s 2nd birthday party.
Click any of the pictures to view the gallery in large size.
Sunday, 1st March 2015
Wednesday, 4th March 2015
Saturday, 7th March 2015
Wednesday, 11th March
Chilling with Mama
18th March
Sunday 22nd March – Hunger and Speech
We were going for a birthday bash at The Jolly Roger. There is a sand-pit there, so we picked Gio’s bucket and tools. When we got out of the house, Gio ran behind the house, which is where he normally goes to play with soil.
We called him back.
He picked the bucket and ran behind the house again.
He cried when brought back.
He cried and cried as we drove to The Jolly Roger.
Finally, he paused in his crying and said ‘Eat.’
My wife was quite amused, that Gio was so hungry that he spoke. I felt sorry for him.
Sandpit Violence
At the sanpit at the Jolly Roger, a boy came and joined in the playing. He tried about twice to get the shovel that Gio had. I found the boy rather irritating. Gio refused to give it to him.
One time he took an old one that was there and tried to exchange it with the new one that Gio had. Gio did not want that deal.
Gio knocked the boy on the head with the plastic shovel, I think. The boy started crying. I verbally reprimanded Gio but was quite pleased amused.
We fled the scene of crime.
As we were leaving the Jolly Roger, Gio saw some boys also leaving. He joyfully ran after them, solidifying my view that he should join school and play with other children.
29th March 2015
Looking at ants/termites
That boy was peeing and Gio was curious
01st February 2015
Gio loves the boots in this picture.
A number of times I would be seated in the house and he’d bring me the boots for me to get him into them.
Problem is, it’s quite a difficult process getting his feet properly into the boots.
06th February 2015
07th February 2015
Gio eviscerated his lovey.
11th February 2015
Gio loves playing with my coins. His mother doesn’t like him doing that.
18th February 2015
Saturday, 17th January 2015
Thursday, 22nd January
Gio started throwing things in the corner space behind the TV.
The nanny then decided that that would be a good place to be stashing his toys.
Friday, 23rd January
Gio turned two today, as did this blog 🙂
Thanks for taking your time to read and comment.
We thank God for Gio’s life and health.
Saturday, 24th January
The bash was bigger than portrayed by the pictures below.
More pictures will be uploaded later.
Sunday, 25th January
Unwrapped Gio’s birthday gifts.
Some more friends visited and brought Gio more gifts.
26th January
Undated Event
One day as I came home, I approached the place where the nannies often gather to chat as the children play. The nannies were there this time, as well as a neighbour’s child, a girl of maybe three.
I had some trash to dispose of, so I passed where the congregation was and headed towards the trash bin.
“Uncle Telo! Uncle Telo!” called the little girl.
“Anajificha!” (He/she is hiding!) “Anajificha!”
Nani? (Who?)
“Aunty Telo.” (Telo’s Auntie (nanny))
The gathered nannies were laughing at this.
“Wapi?” (Where?) I asked.
“Huko.” (There.) she pointed.
I went upstairs to our house and found the nanny standing at the balcony looking all innocent.
Saturday, 31st January – Moving Day.
My wife told the nanny she can’t work with someone who does not follow her instructions.
She cited the time when she had again left Gio asleep in the house and gone downstairs, then ran when she saw me arriving, but was reported by the neighbour’s child. He could go to the bathroom and take detergent. He could go to the stairs and fall. He could…
She did not deny the charges, but tried to downplay the incident. She was fired.
On reaching the new house, Telo’s time to sleep. Since his bed(room) had not been set up, we put a mattress on the floor in the living room and put him on it. He slept through all the commotion around.
Thursday, 01st January 2015
We went to celebrate New Year with my dad and siblings
Friday, 02nd January
My cousin Eunice visited.
Saturday, 3rd January
Sunday, 04th January
Monday, 5th January
Tuesday, 6th January
Wednesday, 7th January
I passed something to Gio and he said his version of ‘Thank you.’ I felt very proud of him.
I came back home and found nanny removing clothes from the line?
Where is Gio
He was asleep in his crib.
This is Gio who can now get out of his crib (Sunday, 22nd June 2014)
This is Gio who can open doors (16th Dec 2014).
Friday, 9th January
Saturday, 10th
Sunday, 11th January
Monday, 1st December 2014
My wife bought sweet potato flour to use instead of wheat, since Gio reacts to wheat.
Gio’s lovey underwent corrective surgery.
Following the successful operation, Gio started playing with it again.
Tuesday, 2nd Dec
Pancakes and raisins
Wednesday, 3rd Dec
Gio likes looking at pictures and watching videos of himself. To be fair to him, maybe he would be equally fascinated by pictures and videos of other kids.
I played for him one of the videos he has watched since he was quite young. He was reciting some letters of the alphabet at the same time as the narrator.
Thursday, 4th
Saturday, 6th December
Sunday, 7th Dec 2014
As we were getting into the house at night, my wife slipped, fell on her foot and fractured two ankle bones. This incident affected activities in our house for weeks after it happened.
Sunday, 2nd November 2014
I Love Playing In Water!
After Church, my wife suggested to members of our Marriage Enrichment Group that we go to the Jolly Roger. We were all to arrive independently. We bought some chicken and chips/fries from KFC, then went to the Jolly Roger.
Gio played in baby pool. He did not sit in the water as most of the other children were doing.
After a while, he got out and walked to the other pool.
After a while, again, he got out of that other pool and started walking to the big pool.
The life guard and I rushed to him.
After the pool, Gio enjoyed one of the swings a bit but I think he did not like too much it because the sun was in his face.
We then went to the sand pit, which he seemed to love.
I Love KFC!
When we got home, I gave hims some of the fries that were left. He liked them. I wanted him to wash his hands before he ate some more.
He resisted my attempts to take him to the sink.
His mother washed his hands then went to the kitchen. Gio remained standing at the baby gate looking into the kitchen and whining. When I showed him the KFC box, his face lit up and he came running. We ate the remainder of the fries and chicken.
He started crying when I told him it was finished, showed him the empty box and I folded the box. He seemed to think I was just denying him the fries.
Monday, 20th October 2014
Wednesday, 22nd October
Gio often cries and turns away when he is being fed, especially if his mother is around (at least according to the nanny).
Sunday, 26th October
We went to visit a friend of ours and her new baby.
Gio enjoyed playing with the dog that was there.
12th October 2014
Gio likes playing with the central lock
A tale of two tablets
Monday, 6th October 2014 – New Nanny
My wife left early in the morning to go interview other possible nannies. The one we had considered earlier did not seem too keen on the job.
In the afternoon, my wife came home and told the current nanny that she is being replaced.
Later, she came back and drove the nanny to the bus stop and afterwards brought home the new nanny.
Tuesday, 7th October
Day one with the new nanny. My wife, of course, gave many instructions on how things are to be done.
Gio woke up at around 10:00 (just like yesterday). He did not seem concerned about this new person.
Eventually, my wife left for work, leaving me at home with Gio and the new nanny.
Wednesday 8th October
Wednesday or Thursday – ‘Technical Difficulties’
The nanny reported that she was unable to operate the TV. She pressed this and that but was unable to get to Gio’s videos.
Gio tried to rescue the situation. He pressed this and that on the TV, (and probably the power switch on the wall) gave the nanny the remote control, waited in vain for his videos to come on screen and finally resorted to playing with his toys.
When my wife came in after work, he immediately gave her the remote.
Friday, 10th October
My wife was out and I told the nanny that I would put Gio to sleep.
When it was about time and I wanted to put Gio to sleep, he protested and fled to the kitchen where the nanny was.
(It was a bit amusing and I found it noteworthy that he considers the new nanny a refuge. I guess that’s a good thing).
“Let me put him on my back and put him to sleep.”
“No, I will put him to sleep,” I told her “and we don’t want him to get used to being carried on the back at night so that he can sleep.”
A while later, she came to the living room where we were and again said she wants to carry Gio on her back and put him to sleep.
“No,” I said. “I will put him to sleep.”
“Ama tungoje Mama.” (Or let’s wait for Mama).
(The nanny normally goes to bed at around 9:30)
“You will wait until she comes back?”
“What time is she coming back?”
“Haijulikani.” (It is not known). “If she comes back at 11 you will wait until 11?”
“She is coming back at 11:00?”
“Mwache nitamlalisha.” (Just leave him I will put him to sleep.)
I was a bit annoyed.
She eventually went to bed. I let Gio play a bit and watch his videos then eventually took him to his room and he slept without much fuss.
Saturday, 11th October
My wife said the nanny reported that the previous night Telo’s dad really insisted on putting the child to sleep – is he able to do that? My wife told her that when she is not there I normally do it.
Sunday, 12th October – Whose Food?
We went to Church and left Gio at the room for children his age. Some parents sit there with their children and there are also some volunteers who look after the children.
After the service, when my wife went back to pick him, he had crumbs on his cheeks.
One or more of the following must have happened:
Gio saw another child being given food and he
– drew near eyeing the food and the caregiver gave him some of the food
– went and leaned forward towards the food until either his mouth was on the food or the caregiver gave him some
– went and simply took the food (this is a bit unlikely but cannot be ruled out).
The Giovanni Chronicles 