Wow! Again, I don't know how to put into the exact words my past 4 RIDICULOUSLY CRAZY hours with the kids, but I'm willing to give it a try. Let's see what my creative writing classes of the past can help me produce for you...
Yesterday they just played "kid scramble" between all 4 houses. Now there are 2 boys houses and 2 girls, two with lil' ones and two with biggins'. Today I had the chiquitos (little boys) for what felt like an eternity. Picture the scene- 3 three-year-olds in the process of being potty-trained, 2 five-year-old hyper-active twins that most likely have ADHD and something else, 3 insane six-year-olds( 2 that also act attention-starved and thus require TONS out of you), 1 youngster that seems to have Autism/OCD and is constantly in the bathroom playing with water or flipping the lightswitches on and off, on and off, on and off, on and off, on and off...you get the point!
Also enter in Luis, the sweet boy in the wheelchair that is SO EXCITED about his trip out tonight for his birthday (it's not actually his bday bc no one knows when his real bday was bc he was dropped off outside the orphanage walls with no one to tell his story and with his special needs, he's not able to tell us much of his past either. Tomorrow he is leaving for another orphanage that can better accommodate his wheelchair and disabilities. I'm sad to think of him not being here and the insta-smile I can get from him. I love how he sees me coming and asks for "cosquillas", basically to be tickled.)
As soon as I came, 2/3 of the potty trainers pooped in their potty-training basins. When I wasn't watching them like a hawk, I was saying "NO!!!" to the constant hitting and wars between all the tikes. During lunch time, very few were following instructions that they KNOW and so after many opportunities to correct/change behavior, those that didn't listen were sent to their beds. Meanwhile on "bed patrol", the last of the potty trainers came to my with poop running down his leg into his socks. Perfect. Since they just all changed houses and closets, I had no clue where to find clothes or supplies.
This didnt stop Mr. Poopy Ankles from darting here and there and all around the square. I finally let some of the "bed-bound" children play and resume their chaos, just to find that as soon as one of them ran outside and started playing, he also started puking! What the heck?! I tried to shoo as many kids outside to play as I could to claim some peace of mind. However, they just came in minutes later crying, saying someone threw a rock at someones head, someone pushed someone else, etc.
At 3:00, the madre was supposed to return. However, in Peru, you always add AT LEAST an hour on to whatever time they tell you. She got back at 4:20. This meant me leading her homework group and taking Luis in the wheelchair to the bathroom. When she got home, my mind was so frizz frazzled that it was almost impossible to relay all of the wonderful events of the day to her in Spanish!!
I just keep thinking that I will be at a beautiful beach with a wonderful new volunteer friend in a few days. Ashley and I need to renew our visas by crossing the border (and I DON'T mean going to Taco Bell) to Ecuador and returning. We are hitting the popular beach town of Mancora, Peru on the way. SERENITY NOW!!!
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