For those who have been following the blog awhile, you may remember back to the staff appreciation party we threw in 2010 for Rudy, Norma and their families. For some reason we didn’t do this in Lima (one year we were traveling in Galapagos during December and the other I think we were just overwhelmed with parenting). And then we were stateside.
Well, now that we’re back overseas, we decided it’s the perfect time to reintroduce our Staff Appreciation Party! So last Saturday we invited over Davie, Esther and Schorasticah’s families for an afternoon of food and fun.
It was a big crew – 15 people in total. Davie brought his wife and 3 children. Esther brought her 3 kids and Schorasticah brought her two girls. And then of course there was our family.
We were stoked to try out the new deck but wouldn’t you know it, two hours before the party it started to pour. I’m so happy for the rain to nurture our new yard, but I just wish it would work around our party schedule. Alas, we had to act quick and get the party moved inside.
We ended up sliding over the dining room table and bringing in one of our picnic tables and a card table for the little ones. It was cozy but got the job done. We served a traditional Malawian meal of chicken, rice and vegetables. Everyone loved it and ate til they were stuffed. I enjoyed being able to turn the tables and serve them for a change. It was a good kind of uncomfortable for all of us. (Side note: One of the kiddos was telling everyone that they were going to eat at a Mzungu’s house, which was apparently something they’d never done before. Mzungu = white person).
The rain finally let up after lunch but the damage was done. Lots and lots of mud and a flooded garage. Guess if the kids cared? Nope, not one bit. They just did their thing and got very dirty/wet in the process. Nia was her over-the-top, extroverted self and managed to get all the kids engaged in something. And the play garage was a BIG hit.
Evelyn even debuted a new costume – the Superhero Princess Unicorn. :)
The conversation was a bit awkward at times, but that’s to be expected. There were also some language barriers, as a few of the kids didn’t speak English.
I don’t know how we lucked out yet again, but we’ve managed to find 3 incredible staff members who all work hard and get along. This party was special because it allowed us to meet their loved ones and tell them publicly how important they each are to our family. I also reminded my why I loved this tradition so much! I highly recommend it to others who employ staff. It’s a lovely way to honor them.
I’ll try to post again before Christmas, but if I don’t, Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah!
