Blowing Bubbles...

Prime, paint, trim.  Prime, paint, trim.  What will laundry or family meals look like when I get home when this has been my mantra for almost three weeks?  The family could be in some trouble.

Most children go to school on Saturday morning...except Lucky Mike!  (I might take him to Vegas.  Baby needs new shoes!!)  (Wait a minute, can you see one of these kids in Vegas?!  Talk about excess!!  Venetian canals, $2000 purses, the Bellagio fountain?!  I think they would go into shock.)  

Back to the blog, people.  For some reason, Mike's school is in session only Monday through Friday.  Let me define "lucky" for you...having an entire orphanage and grounds to yourself that you normally share with 88 other running, screaming, jumping children of various sizes and ages.  That's better than lucky!, especially when you are a quiet kid like Mike.  

He's quiet but he likes his jewelry...also has a very cool KENYA bracelet...might get one for Ethan.

Mike and I painted trim all morning...and I was definitely carrying the conversation.  I asked him if he was shy, and he shrugged his shoulders and looked down...which I decoded as "yes."  I told him we were a good pair because I talk ALOT!  And if we both talked ALOT, it would be chaos.  And if neither of us talked, it would be very quiet, no information would ever be exchanged, and we wouldn't get to know each other.  He thought that was clever...I could tell by his smile.  (I live for the day when 15 year old boys think I'm clever!)   

Anyway, Deanna and Denise were finishing trim that was already nailed in place at ceiling. Thankyounotverymuch, Francis the trim carpenter!  They stood on rickety tables all day priming and painting trim and correcting various other mistakes at the ceiling/wall juncture.  They can't work miracles so don't expect missing chunks of wall to magically reappear.  

Jenna painted (corrected) the bottom four inches of wall...where the cement-slinging floor trim guys left a huge mess and holes in the plaster from nails.  When I asked them to protect the beautifully painted walls before their cement slinging, I didn't expect them to nail 12 inch scrap boards to the wall.  Clearly, they didn't  think about the chunks of plaster that would fall out from the nail holes when they were done.  This is not "Do It Right The First Time" (a magnet that was on our fridge growing up...does that explain me better?!)  The rework on this job would send any US manager to the loony bin.

Jenna cut out at noon when the kids got home from school.  These kids can't get enough of her...and they love to point out that she is "mtoto" (a child).

Top row:  Irene, Jenna, and Hilda 

Bottom row:  Gordon, Phyllis and (Cute as a) Button

Early last week, (I think...time is starting to blur a bit.), three new children, Steven, Dilan and Rebekah, arrived at the orphanage.  I think I mentioned them in "Shoes for 25, Please!"  because Steven and Dilan arrived with no shoes.  I saw Dilan today blowing bubbles in the gathering area of the existing orphanage.

Such a simple thing.  Blowing bubbles.  He was all alone in the room...the other children were outside playing.  He concentrated on creating each bubble, watching its progress through the room until it burst.  And then he would look at me, the silent mzungu observer, and give me a big smile or giggle, and start the process all over again.  Joy over a simple childhood thing.  It was very sweet.  

After a rock star photo shoot, we started to talk about how he and his brother were new to the orphanage and he is doing fine.  I asked to see his bunk and he proudly showed me where he shared a bed with Pius (also known as Sanya).  When Sanya first came to the orphanage, another boy shared his bed and his clothes with him so he is paying it forward.  That's the start of an awesome young man!

I took this photo of Alice (not excited to be by her brothers), Clinton and Brian...simply because I know Denise D. refreshes my blog three times a day (I'm in Africa, Denise...couldn't post three times a day if I wanted to!!) and because I knew Brian's ever-present snazzy suit coat would make her smile.  :)

Tish