Brighter Side

There are more stories I've been mulling over posting, from our trip.  But the trip was a long time ago now.  So I'm thinking, maybe later. Maybe.  I do want to share, on a personal note, what it was like to travel across the world with two Littles in a general sense.
And then, people, we shall have to move on.  Because life does and because the harder parts of the trip are hard to write about.  Because there are some things that just don't turn out, quite, in words. The good parts, too.
So, for now, let me describe living with my kids for a month at a children's home in Ethiopia.
There were over 20 of us in the compound, which altogether is smaller than the footprint of my house and yard, one level.  My friend was there too, with her own two littles.  The six of us shared a room, sleeping on pads on the floor and sharing two big wool blankets.  We all shared a bathroom with the staff and any visitors, and bathed the kids in the plastic tubs we washed clothes in.  The kitchen was outside with the sun streaming over the large family table each morning.  The power went out sometimes, the water turned off sometimes (memorably the three nights in which one child or another woke up vomiting).  There was smoke from the charcoal cooking fires, there were cats roaming and fighting with the dog.  There was the sound of goats herding by, the ringing din of mosques calling devotees to prayer, and the smell of berbere and coffee always on the air.  There were a couple baby dolls and some crayons we had brought, but (keep in mind the kids at the home are all older than 12 now) there were no toys.
Pretty much as different from home as it could be.
It was awesome.
Here is the reason:
There was fresh bread and real honey and hand roasted/ground coffee each morning, brewed exactly as it has been for centuries.  That was enough reason for the whole trip, right there.

Grinding Fresh Coffee

Heaven in a little cup.

But also. 
Despite what urban legend may have you thinking, the absolute fact is that children are much, much better traveling companions than adults.  Fact!
Because adults get uncomfortable and whiny.  Kids get creative.

-When the lights went out after dark- hide and seek! Flashlight tag!
 

-When the water turned off- who cares? Getting dirty is fun!
 

-When you share a room with five other people? - Sleepover every night!! Dog pile on mama!




-Stray cats? You mean new buddies.
 

-And who needs toys when you have friends?

 

And dirt.


The kids had a blast. Every. Day.

They made magical gardens.

They baked elaborate cakes.


They stole charcoal from old cooking fires and made murals
 
...and played hopscotch.
 

They played endless games of pretend everything.
 

They spent hours making mud.  For the simple sake of making mud. 


Not to mention the exciting sights and sounds when we went out and about.
 
I worried about the complete absence of "childproofing" sometimes.  But there were quite a lot of watchful eyes around.  And I couldn't help but think, every day as I watched them, that this life was somehow closer to the way childhood is just supposed to be, somehow.
They explored and imagined all day.  And when school was out and the big kids came home?
There was an endless supply of friends willing to play tag, hide and seek, swing-me-up-in-the-air,
ring around the rosy, pony ride, race car, Ping pong, dance party, anything under the sun!

Dance Party!

Ping Pong Champions

 

Little One LOVED Her "Fancy Hair"

Ponies

Or to sit quietly and read.
Little One missed a month of school and I admit I did nothing formally to "homeschool" her on this trip.  But she found so many teenagers eager to practice English with her, that She spent hours and hours writing words, then lists, then stories, and practicing reading and simple math. When we returned home her teachers were floored by her new skills.
When we left the US she was reading five letter words and writing some three letter ones.  When we got home she was reading seven letter words in paragraphs and writing two page, phonetic stories. And subtracting on paper.  I did none of that. It was the joy of learning together.

Word Games

Missy always had a doting fan to push her to sleep in a stroller or tote her around.


They were allowed to wear whatever they chose and get as dirty as they pleased.  The nannies could be easily cajoled into feeding them whenever they wanted. And since all the food was all organic, sugar-free, made from scratch, and- thanks to fasting season- allergy friendly, I had no qualms about looking the other way.  When they got tired they slept.  When they woke, they played.  It was child paradise.
No wonder Little One looked like this as we were about to depart.

It took Her weeks to forgive me for leaving.  Missy seems just as happy to be here, there, or anywhere, as long as my hip is present.  But Little One seemed to find Her place in the world on that trip.  She misses Her AFC friends dearly, as do I.  We miss the food, we miss the company, we miss the way days stretch out long enough to lay in the sun and count birds.
On one of the last nights, some new friends threw us a big goodbye party, complete with a feast of Ethiopian food, a traditional coffee ceremony, music and games and fun.

"Please", Little One whispered sleepily in my ear as I carried Her back to the compound, "Please can't we just live here?  Daddy could come and we could all be a big family".  
Under the big moon with the sound of all the kids laughing as we walked, I really wanted to say yes. 
As hard as some of this trip was, it was also inspiring, relaxing,  and a heck of a lot of fun. We are a Navy family and will probably never get to live in such a place.  But part of my heart will always be there. And I hope with the rest of it that my Littles and I, and maybe even J, too, will be back to be blessed by the beauty of Ethiopia again.