The Best Part About Working With Kids

4/8/11

Last week I went to a zoo type thing with llamas and different types of tropical birds! It is actually right across the street from my house, only a couple of blocks away. It is right behind the Central Bank, which is the biggest bank I have ever seen! There is also a museum next to the bank and ancient ruins. Here are some pictures of me with the ancien also another picture of me with my two good friends, Krista and Suzy… and a llama J If I wanted to , I could have gone up and touched it. J But I didn’t because I was scared. I was t ruins. And this is also excited to see a toucan in the zoo, a tropical bird that I have never seen in real life.

It is so crazy that I am right in the middle of the city next to these big buildings and homes, and right there next to it is this huge park with llamas and a pond and ancient ruins!

4/9/11

Today I went the orphanage with like 30 girls and 15 boys. It was great. I haven’t been there in a few weeks and it was just great to go back. First we worked. I washed windows with a little girl who always follows me and laughs with me when I am there. She is probably 10 years old. We washed the windows with a bucket of water and newspaper. And surprisingly, it worked! Then we did face painting. The girls were the ones who were supposed to get their faces painted, but I ended up getting my face covered and smeared with paint twice. They are so convincing! Like I would be right in the middle of painting one girls’ face who was sitting on the table, and then a girl was on my right, and then one on my lap… and the other girls would just paint my face. And I couldn’t really get away so I just let them have their fun. The little girl Adrianna later helped me clean off my face with the same bucket of water and rag ( it was actually an old shirt) that I had used to clean the window. I really don’t care about getting dirty when I am there. It is just all about the kids.

                Most times I would be grossed out by certain things like dirty water or mud, but there all that matters is that I am making the kids happy. I love them so much. I played chase with several of the little girls today. They kept on shouting, “ You cant get me!” So I’d run after all of them, then scoop them up and spin them around and tickle them. And they just laughed and laughed. I tried to not think about how out of breath I was getting because I knew those cute girls were having a blast.

                There was also a little toddler boy there today. When I first got there and throughout the first hour we were there, I tried to smile and wave at the little boy, but he would frown and turn away. So after awhile, I decided that I wouldn’t give him a choice. I was going to give him some attention. So I went over to him, just us two, and I sat down and smiled and talked. And smiled some more… and some more… At first he was hesitant, but then he smiled again and again! Later, I saw him standing alone, looking around the bush at some of us playing, and then I went over to him and had him play with us. It was great. To make one of these children smile when they seem like they don’t want to is one of the best feelings ever.

Soon the time came for me to go, and one of the girls grabbed on my leg and wouldn’t let go. Of course finally she did. As I drove away, I waved at them and blew as kiss. And just before the bus turned the corner, she blew a kiss right back at me. That’s one of those memories that will be etched in my mind forever.

P.S. On the way home the bus overheated. We got out of the car and it soon began to pour J CLASSIC! I didn’t mind at all. It was a nice little adventure and we got to know the bus driver better.