This is the third entry I wrote, but I think it's still the second day....
The kids at the Care Center are so cute. I so want to play, cuddle, and adore Belly Boy, but these kids here grab you, hug you, and want attention, that it’s hard not to play with them. I, of course, prefer playing with Belly Boy to swinging little kids around in a circle and doing hand games with them, but I love it still.
When we first got there, the kids were so loving. They wanted to show you what they could do and wanted to be held and wanted to play soccer with us. One boy wanted Dad to hold him. When he did, I leaned toward the little boy to smile and he placed his hand against my cheek and kissed me. It was so sweet.
Today I spent the most time with the kids. Belly Boy was tired and cuddly today, so when one of us was holding him, the others really had nothing to do, so we did the next best thing- play with the kids!! One little girl grabbed my hands and spun me around until I eventually was swinging her around by her wrists. She couldn’t understand me, so I had to motion that I was dizzy and done with that. It wasn’t long until other kids were grabbing me to do the same thing to them. I kept trying to show that I was dizzy. The first girl kept yelling at them in Amharic. Then they’d pout so I’d motion that it was her turn right now. Another girl got mad at the first and hit her. When she pouted, I ignored it as I played with a little boy. Later she and the little girl were hugging on to me front and back as I leaned over playing with a little boy! After the kids understood I was tired of spinning, the girls wanted to play clapping games with me. I played along. One hand, clap, next hand, clap… We got a great rhythm going. I tried to speed it up sometimes. The kids quickly understood that they had to take turns with me so they would push each other away when someone else was trying to push their way to me and point to whoever was playing with me and basically say it was their turn. It was so cool. The first girl ran off for her friend and got my attention as she showed a new clapping game. I watched and learned and then offered to try it with one of them. I actually caught on quickly. It wasn’t that hard. One hand, clap, next hand, clap, both hands, clap. It was just hard doing it faster. I had to think through each move.
The older kids that I’m guessing are around 7 or 8 still would ask you to hold them. They’d say “up, up!” (the opposite of the “big” kids back home), and I would say, “No, no, you’re too big.” But obviously they could not understand me. So I’d shake my head no. Occasionally I would let up for this one adorable girl and she’d clasp me around the neck and giggle. Once she gave me a kiss. But she was like a monkey and I’d have to tickle her to get her to let go.
The kids loved Dad’s watch and my pony tail holder on my wrist. They wanted to make Dad’s watch beep and were intrigued with it. The little girls liked putting my pony tail holder on their own wrist and then back on mine.
Mom played jump rope with the kids , kicked a soccer ball about, and just played with the kids and made them feel special.
Today we brought fun toys for Belly Boy, and before we knew it the ball and two books were taken away by the kids who hang around the adopting families. We found the ball, but a little girl took to naptime at least one of the books. How sweet. So we left her alone.
The kids are so eager for attention, but it’s not like they don’t get any from their nannies. They love their nannies too.
It’s cute because the kids call out Mommy , Daddy when we leave and when we come. They also found how to squeeze through the gate to us!
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