girl updates

leaving Grandpa's house, to the airport for Haiti.

Lily: Big Sigh.  "Welp.  I guess my vacation is OVER."

Grandpa: "Yep, now you really have to get back to work, Lily!"

Lily: Big Sigh.  "YEP."


Upon arriving in Cap-Haitien:

Lily: "Well, that was not very fun.  But now it's fun!  Except we have no suitcases.  And your toe is still bleeding."



Tonight, taking her bath.

Lily: "Well mom, you had a really big day today, didn't you!"

Mom: "Why yes, Lil, I guess I did, huh."

Lily: "I bet you're tired now."



Matt, drawing stick figures for Sofie...:  "Look, So, it's Daddy!"

Sofie:  "No, Daddy.  That's a big chicken."



Now, both girls are absolutely OVER THE MOON for Ethan and Haylie, our newest neighbors.  Haylie is endlessly patient with them, playing dolls and doing art projects, and Sofie has become her little shadow.

I had NO idea that 13 year old Ethan would EVER take any interest in the girls, but he is SO GOOD with them and has spent lots of time each day playing with them.  Yesterday, I even found him packed into the girls playhouse with them, happily taking way-too-much direction from Lily and adding his own sense of humor to their games...sending the girls into peals of laughter frequently.

They beg to play with him, sit with him, and follow him, and after days of telling me "I want to play with that BOY!", Sofie has finally learned "ETAN."  Lily kept getting in trouble at church on Sunday because she and Ethan were doing all they could to crack each other up :)  Two hours into the service...at least they were happy :)


The happiest moments for me as mom lately have been watching the girls thrive in their cross-cultural, bi-lingual lives.  As we were loading up the cars last week for staff retreat, we were piling into our truck when Lily said, "Couldn't I please ride in the van with my friends?"  Her "friends" were all of the security and kitchen staff at EBS, driven by Abel.  I couldn't believe she would actually be brave enough to ride away from her whole family, but she darted into the van and settled into the back next to Paulcine and Kesner, and was happy as can be.

She was also quite sad to learn that Azi and Gideon won't be going to her school again this year.  When I told her, she started to cry, and said, "NONE of my friends are going to school with me!  I'm going to miss Azi and Gideon and Asheline and Alexandra and Madame Nata...."

I cut her off, and explained that it was ONLY Azi and Gideon who won't be at school this year, and that her other friends still will be.

Immediately she returned to happy chatter.  "OH!  Well, I will miss Azi and Gideon, but as long as my other friends are there, too...we're gonna have FUN."

I wasn't sure how to breech it to her that she will be the only ONE foreigner in a school of 600 Haitian children, and now realized that that thought not only hasn't crossed her mind, but ISN'T an issue for her.  She's four.  She cares that she has FRIENDS at school, and upon learning that she does, she is counting down the days.

I LOVE that.  Her childlike understanding of friendship and differences is the way I desire MINE to be.  People are people.

Sofie is growing like a weed...well, at least up.  She's still a bony little thing, and as ornery and cantankerous and cute as she can be.  Everybody seems to have a special spot in their hearts for Spicy Sofie...we're always attracted to trouble makers, aren't we :)  Seeing Sofie recognize and love those around her, Noel...Micheline...Gertha...Thaliya...Granny...the EBS staff...some of the students.  It's GREAT.

The girls continue to be unaware that they don't have any family within a 1000 miles.

Because they do.