Oatmeal cookies, hippos, and swimming in dust!

Alas, spring break is over. The beginning of the end is upon me...referring to the fourth and final quarter, of the school year of course. Here's a little glimpse of what my last few days of break consisted of.

I made oatmeal-raisin cookies. Dad's favorite. When I eat a cookie thinking I'm about to indulge in some creamy chocolate goodness, only for my taste buds to be viciously deceived by a shriveled dried grape, I do not like oatmeal-raisin cookies. As a friend once said, oatmeal-raisin cookies are why I have trust issues! Truth! However, I will admit that I like oatmeal-raisin cookies when I know ahead of time that the dark specks are indeed raisins. 

Upon retrieving the ingredients for my baking, I realized my butter that needed to be softened was very much not. Solution: place the butter in the 110 degree sunshine pouring in through the window. 

 The batter was endless. It was an oatmeal-raisin cookie baking marathon. 

(Don't tell Dad, but I snuck a few craisins in the mix! teehee!)

Besides baking, I have done a lot of swimming. Friday, my friends and I headed to a hotel pool for a fun afternoon of swimming and laying out. Unfortunately, Friday was also the day that a dust storm decided to blow through. It's hard to tell in the pictures, but outside was just an orange-hazy dust-globe. 

 These are two of my good friends here: Ruth and Crystal. 

Ruth is holding the monstrous pepper shaker.

 This is what Jess's sun-bathing looked like! 

We found ourselves in a difficult situation. Get in the pool, and you'll be coated in dust the minute you get out. Stay out of the pool, and you'll find yourself inhaling the fine dirt and sweating profusely! Despite the less-than-perfect swimming conditions, we all had a fun time!

Saturday, my parents and I set out with our Taximan a few kilometers outside of Niamey to see the hippos in the river. You can read a detailed experience about it on my mom's blog. 

 My dad kept singing the "hip-hip-hip hippopotamus" song! 

Do you know it? 

You should. 

It's fantastic.

This is the most we saw of a hippo. Mom has a better picture on her blog. I was expecting to see many many hippos. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. My heart was very sick!

Thankfully, the pirogue ride was pleasant and the conversation between my Dad and our canoers highly entertaining. I was glad I went.

That pretty much sums my the remainder of my break...in pictures anyway. Had a wonderful Easter weekend, spent one last afternoon at the pool on Monday, and today, the teaching began again.