How we passed the days...

For the next few days, we communicated amazingly through the nonverbals we normally take for granted. We said the few phrases we knew frequently: "How are you? Are you happy? We're happy to know you. We love you." We also had Turnbull's English/Kreyole dictionary to look up specific words we might need to use: wash, supper, bed, teeth, hungry, quiet, wait. We probably sounded funny, but we tried. So did they. Both kids were willing to repeat phrases in English. A couple times they had no choice. Once Ange-Laurette was in the center of the pool in a float and was obviously trying to tell Bruce to take her back to the side. (She was not fond of her first time in the pool, but she became an underwater fish by day three.) Bruce told her to say, "Take me to the side." Again, she called out the phrase in Kreyole. He repeated his request, and she yelled, "Tate me to da side!" They will learn quickly :)

They loved the pool, playing with dolls, coloring and writing in notebooks, picking out their clothes for each day/night, and choosing snacks from the large stash we brought with us. Tips for other parents traveling, that were shared with us: bring extra pairs of underwear as they insist on wearing them under swimsuits, favorite foods are Cheetos/jerky/poptarts/gummies, bring socks for the tile floors in cold air conditioned rooms, have dissolvable cough strips for the colds they catch, and bring bags of markers with paper to keep them busy during lengthy supper times. Ange-Laurette and the other girls had their hair braided special for our visit but still enjoyed having new beads/bands/barrettes put in each day. They love play watches, jewelry, caps, sunglasses, having their nails painted...just like any other kids their age. Hooded sweatshirts were a must when they got cold after swimming...and extra towels for the room and pool, to add to the only 3 or 4 you will have in your room. Our kids were content with the Disney channel on the television there, rather than sitting through entire DVDs that we had brought along. They also liked just playing matching card games, catch, soccer out in the grounds, jump rope, and talking with their friends. They are experts at making their own fun and playing a "jacks" type of game with rocks they find.

Leaving BRESMA, with the shirts on their backs ~

The other parents were eager to leave the orphanage and get to the hotel to enjoy time with their kids. On our next trip we hope to stay much longer at the orphanage, to spend time with all the children there and to get a better feel for their life there. It seemed strange to have the kids leave the orphanage with only the clothes on their back, but that was all they had. We had packed all the clothes, toys, and snacks they would need for the next 4 days and nights.

So, we all 12 piled in the van for another trip through Port-au-Prince to check in to our hotel. It was Friday afternoon, and we would stay there within the hotel complex until we returned the kids on Tuesday morning. We were encouraged to focus on bonding with the kids and to not venture out to the markets etc. on our own. If we wanted art etc on another trip, we could give the money to our driver to make the purchase...much better deals when not made by actual Americans!

In the van, Pierre immediately took off my sunglasses to wear on the trip. (Luckily we had packed a pair for each...which they insisted on wearing ALL the time...even to supper after dark.) As we drove, they both reached to hold our hands, leaning against us and looking up and smiling periodically. Bruce and I had that "new parents" look...of awe and pride and love! There was such a stark contrast between what we were feeling and would be experiencing at the hotel...and what we saw on the streets along the way. As Bruce and the other parents checked in, I sat with the kids on the couches in the lobby. They were chattering about going swimming and posing for as many photos as I would take. Pierre handed the camera to Ange-Laurette and said "Foto!" for the picture below of us. They also made several trips to the public restroom where they used western toilets and washed their hands in warm water with tons of soap!