Monday,
the 10th
Today was
slow and long. The weather has been so
dry and clinging to around 90. My
antibiotics helped me to burn on my back within about 20 minutes of playing
soccer this morning, a bright red flash above my shirt line and on me feet.
Potty
training was good sometimes, and miserable at others. If I do not go into the bathroom with him, he
just pees all over the wall, or floor or himself. If I follow him in, then he hops right up,
and does his business where it belongs.
I cleaned
up the room, and no rats – score one for me.
One of the Canadian girls did say that she has seen a rat 3 different
times running from the front of the house to the back, but that it always ran
out. Apparently, on her side of the
building there are screens on the windows, so although their window glass is
broken like mine, they do have something to keep rats out.
I paid
for a laundry service for my outer clothes (which is how they differentiate –
inner and outer) and they were done within a few hours. The more I give her, the happier she is, so I
will make it a habit of maybe twice a week, or every few days. I feel horrible not doing it myself, when I
can, but she probably depends on the laundry money from guests. I did receive them back very damp, and am
hoping that if I just hang them all over the room, they will dry before
nightfall to avoid mosquitoes.
I think I
like Benny’s naptime the best, because no matter how hard or difficult our
mornings might be, at nap time, he wants my arm firmly wrapped around him, with
my palm n his stomach. It is a sweet
little gesture, but kind of his way (and mine) of knowing that even though this
can be wicked hard, I am not going anywhere.
Benny
really likes the waiters here. He hops
out of his seat when they are around and goes and watches them work. It is not a good habit, but do I really want
to fight with him about it. Besides, it
looks nothing like a restaurant in America.
It looks more like someone’s front porch, done up in a tropical beach
hut theme, a few octagonal tables, 4 chairs per table, and a tiki bar where
they serve tropical drinks and coffee items (if they have power).
The
problem with it, really, is that he is becoming attached to them, and that is
not particularly healthy. Sometimes,
Janet can get Michael to eat better than I can – she kind of flirts with him,
and bats her eyes and begs. When Noel
comes over to play soccer – Benny points to me and jabbers and points to the
chair – like “Hey you, I do not need you anymore, I found a guy to play with –
sit down where you belong.” Which is
fine too, I welcome the reprieve from standing and chasing a ball up and down
hill for 3 hours a day, but in a few weeks, I will be removing Benny from here
and these people, and this ‘temporary home’ to go to his new home, and it will
have been his 7th home since he has been alive.
I have
given a great deal of thought to just moving to a different hostel in Kampala
for a few weeks, break some ties, see someplace new, kill the monotony, but I
am not sure I can. I know this place
now, we have a routine. We are on
Linda’s way home and to the office. The
people are nice to Benny, and although I barely understand them, I am
comfortable. Also, a lot of hostels do
not have restaurants attached to them, so I would have the daily added expense
of a driver in order to eat a meal.
So, where
I see it as a huge headache to be teaching Benny how to eat surrounded by different
people at every meal, it saves me about 80,00UGX to not have to leave for every
meal….of course, we have tried almost every single dish offered at this place,
and I have not loved any of them. Benny
is getting tired of the food too. Where
he used to eat matoke and toast with peanut butter, and bowls of fruit, he now
refuses it all. He used to eat tomatoes
and potatoes and now he throws fits when he sees them. I started ordering him eggs at breakfast this
morning, which he seems to like, but who knows for how long. For a few days, he liked the Mojo Clif bars,
but not today – he crumbled it into a million pieces all over the bed. Again,
he is just trying to figure out his limits and boundaries, how I will react,
and genuinely just discovering different types of foods.
Father
Michel had said that he was concerned because in the village, you eat the same
thing every single day, every single meal, and that their bodies lack so many
vitamins and nutrients. Not only that,
but you couple it with low immune systems, exposure to constant infection,
mosquito bites, parasites, and unclean water, and your body is a breeding
ground for everything under the sun.
Benny has never had a wide pyramid diet, although he normally eat
everything pretty well. He has a dream
paleo diet – mostly fruits, veggies – but those are limited to mango and
bananas, and then tomatoes, corn and potatoes.
No variety, nothing real rich in iron, no fatty acids, nothing dark
green. The meat of choice, if they get
any, is chicken.
I brought
supplements, and you couple those with the vitamins, deworming meds, bottled
water, new foods, antibiotics for his intestinal bug, and you have a whole mess
of new stuff upsetting his body – which is probably why he is being picky.
I prayed
for a call to pick up his passport would come at any second. I prayed for rain, and upon looking at the
Tuesday’s forecast, I think they were answered.
I started the novena to St. Joseph for my husband – his strength,
confidence, security, attitude. I did
the single parent thing while living in California with the children when he
was in Alabama buying the house. I did
the SP thing while he was working all day, and going to school all night for
years and years – although I always knew that he would eventually come home,
but only to do homework, eat and sleep.
It is hard and lonely. At least
all of the kids are in school all day, and have activities at night that keep
them out of the house. St. Joseph, I
know, will be a huge aid to his soul.
Notes from my prayer journal: Today,
I tried to focus on patience – patience with the people that work where I live,
patience for me teaching Benny new things, patience for Benny who is a typical
2 year old – rebellious, wondering, wandering, learning new things, trying to
obey. I find the more I focus on praying
for my children and my husband, the happier I am, like I am still effecting
their lives even though physically I am not present. I pray for all of the people back home, whose
petitions I keep close to my heart. I
know that everything I go through, could and bad, can be gifts to them.
“As for God, His way is perfect, the word of
the Lord is flawless, He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.”
-
Psalm 18:30
Soundtrack song of the day – All I Want is You – U2 (A throw back to Reality Bites)
Consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Heart Pondering Prayer, Day 19
The Novena to the Divine Mercy, Day 1 & The Novena to
St. Joseph, Day 1
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