February 6th Update – An Epic Adoption Story
The girls love to play house and pretend cook. They pour their juice or water into water bottle lids or preschool measuring and counting cups. If “Bisquick,” their word for bread or crackers, is available they will crush it up in the water and make a mess. Eating in general is pretty messy so, as long as we have daylight the children eat on the porch. Sometimes they will use their hands to eat stuff you should use a utensil for, and use a utensil for finger foods like to eat a roll, or banana, or sandwich. Lots of stuff ends up in their mouths like the lids of water bottles or toys. They will wipe their hands on anything so you must make napkins available.
Going to the bathroom has also been an adventure. We’ve had to do show and tell on using paper, washing hands, the purpose of the toilet “seat.” I don’t want my Ugandan friends to be embarrassed. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Using the bathroom in a village bathroom was not easy for me the first time. Hitting the hole without hitting me was a challenge. For my American friends information toilet seats are a luxury, and typically an outhouse with a hole is the toilet. It’s neither good or bad, but it just is how it is. We are accompanying them every time now with much better results.
Showers are also a new concept. The children hold their breath when sprayed in the face. Kamri asked specifically that the water come primarily from the faucet this morning. They are used to splashing themselves in order to get wet and rinse off. It’s quite effective, but when bathing outside in a tub.
Personal failures as parents include remembering to put on lotion every day. We bought some Vaseline sold as a skin conditioner and used it for the first time today because we are running out of lotion. Our African American friends are most likely thinking, “I told you so.” We also failed to pack jackets on an overcast and cool day as we went to the zoo. The Mzungus were very comfortable, but the Africans were cold – especially the girls in their sun dresses. Woops.
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