Day #8

7/5/12

Wedley did fall asleep after probably 1/2 hour. I went out and all the staff were watching a movie - Faith Like Potatoes - on a big screen sheet hanging from the 2nd floor railing, with projector and sound system. Was a gorgeous evening. I guess we missed the first feature which was Madagascar (which all the kids had watched as well) - pretty high class entertainment for Haiti. Wedley missed it, but we have the movie so he'll get to enjoy it many times in the future - and this way we got to work through our normal routine - as it was it was still pretty late by the time he went to bed.

We slept in till 7:30, got ready and played for a few minutes in the bedroom. Then I cooked scrambled eggs and toast for us. Then we spent 1/2 hour with the dump truck in the playground. With a little bit of struggle I then was able to break away to help Nick on the network project. Wedley hung around leaving and coming back to say hi. Driving his truck around, helping pick up garbage.

We took a break to have the adult breakfast at 10:30 or so, Wedley had a snack of Pineapple. At breakfast we were chatting about all kinds of tech stuff, Nikki gave us a bad time for using words and terms that she and others had no clue what we were talking about - Geek talk. Then off to more working on the wiring, we're making progress.

 At 12:30 one of the Nannies or kitchen staff came by with a bowl of lunch for Wedley so we washed up and he ate and then went to nap. Today I left the door open and sat working on my computer out at the table in the dining area where he could see me. Seemed to work, he was asleep in 10min or so.

Nick and I continued to work on the networking rack and wiring project with good success. We broke again for lunch - seemed like right away, but I guess wasn't - time flies when you are having fun. It has been fun to have a bit of a project. Been loving all the time with Wedley - working the transition, and it is necessary, but being on a trip to a missions destination, feels like I should be doing projects all the time etc. Nikki has mentioned a number of times that it would be great to get a group together to come down and do work projects. They get lots of volunteers to work with the kids, but very few groups that can do work projects.

 After lunch (which is always midafternoon) I checked in again on Wedley's nap and he was awake so he got up and dressed. We went in search of his dump truck - as this is a nice pacifier to keep him busy and in the area while I'm working the project. It worked for the most part - he comes and goes, bring the dump truck into the office every so often to see what was happening. Nick and I finished the project for the most part (except cleanup) when it was time for both of us to spend some time engaged in play time. Nikki and I decided it would be a good time to tackle a haircut - Wedley on the other hand wasn't so sure. Just going up the stairs to Nick and Nikki's is very rough - maybe he thinks I'm going to leave him up there I think. He knows that isn't where he lives anymore - but probably thinks that we're going to live in the room we're in down below them. So, anyway, I carried him up against his best judgment. When up there we spent quite a bit of time trying to coerce him, I promised him that we'd do snack time after. In the end Nikki had to trim Eventz's hair and we were finally able to give him a trim. I ended up doing it - just basically combing it out and then a buzz with a #2. Piece of cake, looked good (in my opinion).

Next we spent some Daddy/Wedley time - we walked to the covered building where the tractor, 4 wheeler, dune buggy (Haitian/homemade), Motos (2), and little 4wheeler. We did pictures on each.

Then we took a walk outside the gate, down the road. Out a bit away from COTP the road breaks out more into the valley - you can see very far and wide - great views, lots of sky. There were thunder storms on several sides in the distance, but nothing hit us tonight. But made for some very nice views - also the Citadel is on top of one of the mountains directly to the south.

Wedley likes to ride on my shoulders, which is great, but with the sunburn I got - after a while I need him to walk - we struggled with that a little, but he seemed to conform after I had to be a little stern with him. He enjoyed the 4 or 5 dump trucks that passed during the walk - they are hauling rock constantly for work that is being done at the airport - seems to be expansion that hopes to bring in the likes of American Airlines at some point. Fun thing with the dump trucks, was that I think all of them that Wedley waved at gave him some nice pulls of their horns.

We walked back, through the courtyard and then headed to get some pictures of the latest progress on the house in the back and Nick and Nikki's future house. On the house, they had put lots of re-bar across the roof to get ready to pour the roof and had a ramp to eventually be stairs. Nick and Nikki's had some more work on the exterior stairs. As we were getting to Nick and Nikki's - Nick, Josiah, and Eventz were walking towards us as well. They joined us as we entered Nick and Nikki's and Nick gave some more commentary on the project and things he had worked into the design. Then Nikki showed up as well and we went to the roof - such great views. If that ever gets built on for a 2nd story, they will have incredible views of much of the valley and mountains in the distance (with Citadel right there in plain view). Very nice.

Wedley found a bottle and started playing with it (on top of the roof). Nick took it from him and I put Wedley on my shoulders. Result: medium melt down. Asking for it 50 times and whimpering and then a good cry. I let Nick and Nikki and their kids head back while I stayed with Wedley a bit. First was going to just pull him back in the wagon, but then decided to hold him. He laid his head on my shoulder and took it as consoling. 3/4 of the way back he had worked through his crying. We went and got him some dinner from the baby house.

After dinner we read some books, never have been able to find the airplane book since there was a kid invasion into the Volunteer house a few days ago for book reading. Probably ok, as the airplane frenzy is still super strong - whenever one goes overhead (we're right in the Cap Haitien flight path) - he points it out multpile times. After books we had a successful bath time - that's no problem anymore. Then he picked a toy out of his backpack, the coloring pad per my leading. He drew a little, but more often handed the crayon to me and asked me to draw this or that (hat, mouse, airplane). Then he put it away (was successful in putting all the crayons and pad away and then the band around it) and I pulled out his airplane toy again. He flew it around some and enjoyed turning the lights on and off. Then he put that away (and he now always puts his water bottle away in the backpack also). We read the usual 4 books, of course identifying all the pictures where Mommy and Daddy are wearing backpacks, or where there is any possibility that they might be.

Then we sang, prayed, shut off the lights, and tonight I held him while I sang Amazing Grace several times. Then set him on his side and am working on my computer on the floor across the room. He's still stirring - been probably 15 minutes. We'll see how long it takes tonight. You never know....

Tomorrow morning - 7am departure for the Citadel, our last day here! - Wow. Have decided not to take Wedley (big hike, lots of steep areas), so Mateja volunteered to watch him, hopefully that goes ok. Should because he really likes her, but making the departure might be interesting.