Bwino

Dan and I are proud to introduce the third member of our family:  Bwino Bartholomew Spencer.  Weighing in at approximately three-and-a-half mangoes, he is six weeks old and looks a bit like a teddy bear. 

Arrival at home:  Taking a bath before coming inside

Playing with the neighborhood kids

  

Dan and Bwino on the front porch

Bwino cuddles up for warmth

  

Bwino and Lisa on New Year’s Day

Bwino means “Good” in Chichewa, much to the delight of the neighborhood children.  He currently sleeps in a bacia lined with a ratty old T-shirt.  At night, he cuddles up with a hot water bottle.  There isn't much to his personality, but as far as I can tell, these are his likes and dislikes:

Dislikes:  Taking a bath

Likes:  Dan and Lisa

This morning, we gave him a flea bath and removed more than one hundred fleas from his tiny body.  At least twenty-five were hidden between his toes.  Sadly, he cried the whole time.  The entire process took over two hours and every child within a six-house radius crowded onto our front porch to watch.  

Currently, he is a very easy houseguest to maintain.  He eats a mixture of corn flour, milk, hot water, sugar and oil from a tijela we leave by his bed.  He is not housebroken, of course, but we have a nice, shiny concrete floor.  Finally, and best of all, he sleeps for about 18 hours a day.  At this point, he is just something cute to look at.  

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Three months ago, I created a list of things that Dan and I were interested in receiving in the mail.  Everyone has been wonderful with the things they have sent.  Among other things, Dan and I have received: baby rattles (for Ajuvencia), swedish fish, sour patch kids, lemonheads, sugarbabies, licorice, tea, rice crackers, binders, notebooks, a purse, jewelry, magazines, and no less than seven skirts.  Thank you all so very much.  It feels amazing to receive a package in the mail.  I would now like to update my wish list and add a new category entitled, "Things for Bwino."  "Things" include toys and dog vitamins.  Currently, his only playthings are 

1.  A rock

2. Dan's foot

So we would all be appreciative of a few legitimate toys.  

Our new address is:

(Sister) Lisa Spencer or (Father) Dan Spencer

Corpo Da Paz

C.P. 331

Chimoio, Mozambique

Thank you all, love you dearly, and happy new year from the lonely, distant province of Tete!