Need. More. Sleep.

It's the first day of the school holidays. Technically it's the winter break, being in the southern hemisphere but the sun shines and it's hot all year round! I am sitting here in a pair of jeans, watching a movie with the girls.

What's so strange about that? I'm in jeans! I think I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've worn jeans since we arrived in Tanzania (see Fashion Police) and I'm even wearing them on a day when Maria (our house mama) will see me.

The reason? I'm tired and I just want to feel cosy and 'normal'! Just for the day! Although to be honest it will probably get too hot and I'll have to change before the day is over!

Right now to describe my state of mind as 'tired' would probably be quite the understatement! Both me and Mark are amazed that we get to the end of the day in one piece. (And by the end of the day I mean about 7.30pm.) Total lightweights? Or are we?

With our brains working overtime getting used to culture, language, climate, constantly meeting new people, learning how everything is done ... and everything else, we knew that this transition would take it's toll on us in the tiredness stakes. It's happened before so we were expecting it again.

On top of that Naomi has never been the best sleeper. There were no surprises then that she has taken longer to settle sleep-wise than we would have chosen but at least we know it is something we can work at (Good Night Sleep Tight) and we are winning the battle! Here she is just a few weeks old sleeping peacefully ... if only that would last!

Abigail, the good sleeper, has been a little less predictable as normal. Instead of seeing her once or twice a month in the night, it's been once or twice a week! Thankfully our bed is huge here and there is enough room for all four of us. As long as the little two don't fidget too much. However I believe they are yet to receive that memo!

Currently we have the extra added bonus that Naomi is in the process of getting her two-year-old molars. One down three to go. Just another reason for her to be noisy and unsettled during the night. She has never been one to teeth gracefully and we're certainly being treated to the same weird and wonderful behaviour as we were first time round.

Added to all that is the fact that we're still not really in a position to feel totally settled as we continue to chase up getting our container here, our visa's are only temporary and the car we're using is borrowed as nothing good seems to be coming available. 

It all requires the brain to work double, triple maybe even quadruple time on less sleep than we're used to, in a climate and at an altitude we're not used ... no wonder we're tired! We're just trying to remember to stay patient in the process!

On the flip-side, we're all really enjoying the bits that we're awake for. Loving the new experiences, the sunshine, the vibrant culture, the new friends of all different nationalities. We just hit our 'wall' of tiredness a lot sooner than we're used to. It's something we're learning that is part of our current 'normal'. Knowing that it is just a season and will come to an end at some point.

Here are just a few of the things that we're looking forward to and we know there will be a day when it will be so. Proper visas, our belongings to be here, all four of Naomi's second molars to be through, sleep-filled nights on a regular basis not just one good night every couple of weeks. 

In the meantime my mantra (and most probably Mark's) will be the same ... Need. More. Sleep. And also in the meantime, you'll find me drinking a little more coffee than I usually do and on occasion, you might find me being cosy in my jeans!!!