Highlights!!

There has been a lot going on here lately, so I thought I would just write a few of the highlights....

-Yesterday we were going to have a staff meeting and I was put in charge of finding Nick.  Turns out he was mowing the soccer field across the street for all the community kids!  When I went out there, Nick was driving the tractor around with the help of about 9 kids.  There were 5 kids in the bucket, 1 on his lap, and a few hanging out around the seat.  Nick lifted the bucket up so the kids could grab Mango's out of the tree!  They were all having so much fun, I felt like the Grinch telling them they had to get out because Nick had to leave.  It was so cute, unfortunately I didn't have a camera to capture this.  Needless to say, Nick is a huge hit with all the village kids now!!

- Three babies have gone home since we have been here.  It's really great to see the how happy these families are that their children are healthy enough to return home.  A lot of the parents of our children come to visit on a regular basis.  This is really important in order to keep the relationships between parent and child. Since we have been here, Renel (our Creole teacher) has been working with the kids from the school sponsorship program.  A few kids have come who lived here a few years ago.  These kids are healthy, happy, and doing well!  It's really nice to see this!!

-Giving the birthday boy his FIRST haircut!  In Haiti boys don't get a haircut until after their birthday, no matter how long their hair is!  It's fun to be a part of this and then save part of it in a baggy for their parents.  We also take before and after pictures to help document it!!  I cut all the boys hair this weekend, and accidentally forgot to put the clipper on the razor, so the first boy ended up with his head buzzed!  Sorry buddy, at least it'll grow back!!

- Twice a day I do Depot which is where we give out supplies to the nannies, cleaning ladies, and cooks.  At the beginning of this I always yell "Depot" so that everyone knows I am ready.  Yesterday morning after I yelled it one of the little girls from the elephant room walked around saying "depot" for the next hour.  We all gave her lots of praise and so now most of the elephants are trying to say it.  Last night when I walked in the baby house, this little girl looked at me and yelled "Depot" before I even had a chance to say it.  She knew it was almost bed time and therefore it must be Depot time.  Kids are so smart!

-Last night I tried to teach the kids how to say my name.  I would point to myself and say Nikki.  Now today whenever I try to get the kids to say my name, they point to themselves and say "Didi."  Not quite right, but it's still very cute!!  One of these days they will learn that they shouldn't point to themselves when saying it.  The elephant kids are really starting to talk a lot!  It's really fun to see!!

-Every night before bed the Elephants and Alligators watch a short movie.  The nannies like to watch shrek 2, but the kids prefer movies that sing kids songs.  They all get so into it!  A few will stand and shake their hips while others sit and do the hand motions!  They all stare at it and enjoy every minute of it.  I can't even explain how cute they are when they are watching this.  You will just have to come down here and see them for yourselves!!

-Today I told one of our nannies that I wanted to learn to do the kids hair.  There were about 4 nannies standing around and they all began to laugh hysterically.  I'm not sure if they were laughing at my poor Creole, the fact that I don't know how to do hair, or that they just couldn't imagine me doing it!!  They began to show me how to braid by using a blanket and intertwining it.  I tried to tell them that I knew how to do that but that I needed to learn the rest of it.  Madam Jeremie defiantly did the majority of it, but I helped.  Her hair turned out pretty good!!!

I'm sure there are more things that I am forgetting, but this is a few for now.