The days leading up to my family leaving yesterday were filled with more sickness, tagteam errands by the mommy and daddy, and slow sweet bonding with Charles Tucker. Yes, Mary Taylor was sick for two days, then Henry was sick for two days; leaving only one day to enjoy one another before they headed back to America! Wooo...were those two weeks a world wind!! As sad I was to see them go yesterday, it is best that Mary Taylor return home where she cannot catch anymore illnesses and stay away from the mesquitos. By the time she left yesterday she looked like she had chicken pox...those little bugs seemed to love her! Really, what a blessing it is to have this time to bond with CT before we go back to the wild, fast paced American life. It is funny how God worked that out..I guess he knew I would not choose this path, so he chose it for me....little did I know what an ideal situation this is...as long as I don't get stuck over here for more than three more weeks. Then God and I will have to talk..HeHe (:
Day 12 in Uganda:
Poor baby, he was pitiful for 36 hours..
We were stuck in the guest house for four days straight. Charles Tucker wasted time by pushing this Ugandan toy around the house...It takes some skill to use this toy, I was impressed...
While I took pictures of ants...look how big it is!! They are about 3/4 of an inch long...
And lizards crawling on the walls of our guest house...believe it or not, I found this lizard today being eaten by thousands of ants on the window seal..Discusting! The ants attack any food or dead animal within minutes of being left on the floor. I barely have time to clean up the kids messes at lunch before they come attack..
And I had plenty of time to go talk to our masson builder creating a masterpiece of stone around the gardens at the home. He was thrilled to discover I would be putting his picture on the internet....
After Dee ran errands all morning..I decided I needed to get out of the house and take the two twins with me. So we ventured across the street to the Montisouri School where the load music always comes from that often keeps us up on Saturday nights. In America, people would call the police for music that loud. (I think they rent the grounds for weddings and parties.) The school guard was so gracious to let us play on the playground...
Doesn't this picture tell a story??!! Yes, Mary Taylor likes to play, by hitting, but CT obviously does not like this kind of play. So MT proceeds to hit him three times, while I am taking pictures at the same time as telling her to stop. Yes, we are all learning one another at this stage of the game. CT is not sure what to think of his new playmates....
Then MT gave him a hug and he was over it!
And proceeded to play "peekaboo"...Where's Charles Tucker???
There he is!!
The whole time we were playing on the playground these two kept looking back at the party and at one point MT started dancing...
As we were leaving, we stopped by the party to get a closer look. Then the people at the party asked us to join them...and seated us in the front row, infront of the performing 9 and 10 year old girls. This was one interesting, elaborate 2 year old birthday party!
These girls kept changing clothes and performing dances and lip singing to different American booty music while an MC introduced them each time. At one point they all came out in bathingsuits, some even had on bikinis. They then proceeded to be runway models and dance infront of 30 or 40 people...at a 2 year old birthday party! It was quite humous. I think they watch American TV and just assume this is what we let our 9 and 10 year old girls do. Too funny!! What was interesting too, was many of the women had on head coverings...which led me to believe this was a muslim party...I was so confused..
Then it was adult dance party time...
And then the floor was open to anyone...we just stayed seated as Charles Tucker was not sure to think and Mary Taylor screamed everytime someone came up to her to touch her hair or try to hold her. At one point, CT decided he was ready to go and just hopped down out of my lap and ran about 100 feet toward home. I had to run after him and he was not pleased to go back to the party. I would have left, but I felt rude leaving too quickly.
Then the birthday girl was breaking it down too!
During all of the dancing, I had the chance to talk to the lady sitting next to me about CT. I think they were all curious if he was my child or not. She was very pleased with me adopting him and then proceeded to tell me her 8 year old daughter wanted me to adopt her too. She likes my skin and wants to go to America. I am sure she was joking, but it is interesting how much people around the world love America. Wow!
Many of the children had on these Mardi Gra masks...
About five minutes later, I tried to tell the host of the party "Thank you" and "Goodbye", but they insisted that we stay for cake.
Wow! What an interesting experience!! Ugandan 2 year old birthday party...CHECK!
We walked back to our guest house to see Mary Taylor's two favorite people in Uganda...Aunti Julie and Phiona...
They both work for Bridge Africa, the organization that owns our guest houses. And they both miss Mary Taylor so much already... Aunti Julie stole a picture of MT to put in her room!
Phiona is outgoing and very friendly...
Auntie Julie is a quite and gentle spirit, but when you get to know her, she has a lot to say, she is great!...Look at Mary Taylor in this picture...she has become quite the bully these days..you should have seen her at the babies home...
Day 13 in Uganda:
Early in the morning, Daddy and CT ventured off with our driver David to the IMO for CT's medical exam to meet the requirements of the visa. They finally got back after five hours of waiting in the office and sitting in a "jam" (traffic jam). I think CT was a little emotionally worn out by all the picking and prodding..We have to go back on Thursday for the doctor to read the TB test.
After naps, everyone was feeling better...so I thought it would be a good time for some pictures of all three kids with matching outfits before they left the next day...HC (Henry) and MT for once wanted to cooperate, but our new little one wanted nothing to do with our photo shoot...
So we ventured outside for a change of scenery...
I am not sure it helped much...
But, once I gave him his sunglasses...he was good to go...
(baby "B", CT, Baby "A" and Baby "T", and Emily, who is with the other family staying with us who are also adopting from Loving Hearts Baby Home.)
It is such a good thing that he wants only me, because that means he is attaching and bonding with me. But, I am sure it is hard for the "Mamas" at the babies home to see him need someone else besides them. They have raised him for the last nine months of his life. But, these "Mamas" really care deeply for the children and want what is best for them. What a gift they are to all of these babies and to us parents.
CT is probably thinking...Do I have to live with these two people the rest of my life???
CT and I stood in the driveway and waved goodbye to their car until it was out of sight. The little Ugandan boy was not a happy camper and neither was his mommy...
Day 12 in Uganda:
Poor baby, he was pitiful for 36 hours..
We were stuck in the guest house for four days straight. Charles Tucker wasted time by pushing this Ugandan toy around the house...It takes some skill to use this toy, I was impressed...
While I took pictures of ants...look how big it is!! They are about 3/4 of an inch long...
And lizards crawling on the walls of our guest house...believe it or not, I found this lizard today being eaten by thousands of ants on the window seal..Discusting! The ants attack any food or dead animal within minutes of being left on the floor. I barely have time to clean up the kids messes at lunch before they come attack..
And I had plenty of time to go talk to our masson builder creating a masterpiece of stone around the gardens at the home. He was thrilled to discover I would be putting his picture on the internet....
After Dee ran errands all morning..I decided I needed to get out of the house and take the two twins with me. So we ventured across the street to the Montisouri School where the load music always comes from that often keeps us up on Saturday nights. In America, people would call the police for music that loud. (I think they rent the grounds for weddings and parties.) The school guard was so gracious to let us play on the playground...
Then MT gave him a hug and he was over it!
And proceeded to play "peekaboo"...Where's Charles Tucker???
There he is!!
The whole time we were playing on the playground these two kept looking back at the party and at one point MT started dancing...
As we were leaving, we stopped by the party to get a closer look. Then the people at the party asked us to join them...and seated us in the front row, infront of the performing 9 and 10 year old girls. This was one interesting, elaborate 2 year old birthday party!
These girls kept changing clothes and performing dances and lip singing to different American booty music while an MC introduced them each time. At one point they all came out in bathingsuits, some even had on bikinis. They then proceeded to be runway models and dance infront of 30 or 40 people...at a 2 year old birthday party! It was quite humous. I think they watch American TV and just assume this is what we let our 9 and 10 year old girls do. Too funny!! What was interesting too, was many of the women had on head coverings...which led me to believe this was a muslim party...I was so confused..
Then it was adult dance party time...
And then the floor was open to anyone...we just stayed seated as Charles Tucker was not sure to think and Mary Taylor screamed everytime someone came up to her to touch her hair or try to hold her. At one point, CT decided he was ready to go and just hopped down out of my lap and ran about 100 feet toward home. I had to run after him and he was not pleased to go back to the party. I would have left, but I felt rude leaving too quickly.
Then the birthday girl was breaking it down too!
During all of the dancing, I had the chance to talk to the lady sitting next to me about CT. I think they were all curious if he was my child or not. She was very pleased with me adopting him and then proceeded to tell me her 8 year old daughter wanted me to adopt her too. She likes my skin and wants to go to America. I am sure she was joking, but it is interesting how much people around the world love America. Wow!
Many of the children had on these Mardi Gra masks...
About five minutes later, I tried to tell the host of the party "Thank you" and "Goodbye", but they insisted that we stay for cake.
Wow! What an interesting experience!! Ugandan 2 year old birthday party...CHECK!
We walked back to our guest house to see Mary Taylor's two favorite people in Uganda...Aunti Julie and Phiona...
They both work for Bridge Africa, the organization that owns our guest houses. And they both miss Mary Taylor so much already... Aunti Julie stole a picture of MT to put in her room!
Phiona is outgoing and very friendly...
Auntie Julie is a quite and gentle spirit, but when you get to know her, she has a lot to say, she is great!...Look at Mary Taylor in this picture...she has become quite the bully these days..you should have seen her at the babies home...
Day 13 in Uganda:
Early in the morning, Daddy and CT ventured off with our driver David to the IMO for CT's medical exam to meet the requirements of the visa. They finally got back after five hours of waiting in the office and sitting in a "jam" (traffic jam). I think CT was a little emotionally worn out by all the picking and prodding..We have to go back on Thursday for the doctor to read the TB test.
After naps, everyone was feeling better...so I thought it would be a good time for some pictures of all three kids with matching outfits before they left the next day...HC (Henry) and MT for once wanted to cooperate, but our new little one wanted nothing to do with our photo shoot...
I am not sure it helped much...
But, once I gave him his sunglasses...he was good to go...
He knows he looks good...
After our photo shoot, I headed up to the babies home with CT for the first time in five days. We chose not to let our kids go..in fear of them getting sick again. So I headed up the big hill to the babies home with CT attached to me by the Baby Bajorn.. Carrying an infant versus a toddler will take a tole on your shoulders and back. I was very nervous about going back to the babies home after five days of not being there. I was worried he would throw a fit...thinking I was going to leave him. So I kept him close to me so he would feel secure...
His contenance changed when we walked in the gates to Loving Hearts Baby Home and he would not go to some of his favorite people...Agnus or Victor. He cried the minute they held him and reached for me. He was fine once he came back into my arms. But, to my surprise, twenty minutes later he jumped out of my arms and went to look at the people on the otherside of the gate with all his friends from the babies home, but he kept a close eye on me...
It is such a good thing that he wants only me, because that means he is attaching and bonding with me. But, I am sure it is hard for the "Mamas" at the babies home to see him need someone else besides them. They have raised him for the last nine months of his life. But, these "Mamas" really care deeply for the children and want what is best for them. What a gift they are to all of these babies and to us parents.
(CT and Baby "B")
CT always laughs when I mention Baby "B"'s name...And HC (Henry) told me, "I want to adopt two babies, so we can adopt Baby "B", he is just so cute!" He was upset when I told him Baby "B" already had a family of his own...
We ended the day back at the guest house rough housing with Daddy...CT has learned very quickly how to play with him...
While Jack and Kevin relax on the coach beside them. These boys are adopting a baby girl from Loving Hearts named Kira, they will soon be a family of seven. They have four boys and now 1 girl in their family. So neat!!
Day 14 in Uganda:
We woke up yesterday morning realizing this was the day we would all part ways for the next two or three weeks, Lord willing. The reality of this set in and I tried to get as many hugs and kisses as they would let me before they left at 7:00 pm last night. I also realized I would not get any cute pictures of them all dressed in their Christmas clothes this year, so Dee was so gracious to agree to take a family picture...
HC on the other hand was not so agree able...you would have thought I told him I was going to cutt his finger off...Can I spank a child if they won't smile for a picture??? Just kidding!!
Our twins win the photo shoot award today...look at those little legs..
Then HC decided to bother everyone else while he protests this torture I am making him endure...
Look at that devious smile...what's funny is MT actually likes playing like this...of course, until she gets hurt...
Love this picture...What faces!!!
My sweet baby girl with chicken pox... (:
More brother/sister love...
Three babies chillin on the steps in Uganda...
One of these babies can't get enough of his shades...
Sweet Mary, whose full name is Mary Taylor, (The grandmother of Kira who is being adopted by a family staying with us in the guest house) took these family pictures of us. Mary is living out her African dream by being in Uganda...
Thank you Mary!!
Then we were off to the craft market to finalize our Christmas gifts to send back to our families. Henry went with me this time, along with our driver David, and Tonya (the mother of the other family adopting)
David and MT...
Craft market...
Yes, this is Henry trying to wrestle with David...
David really played well with Henry and tolerated his antics...
David's aunt also owns a shop at this market, of which I purchased many of the gifts...
After naps we all went to the babies home for Dee and the kids to say goodbye and thank you! We did not last long, because MT was stealing other babies toys and hitting them on the head, she is especially mean to the girls...
So we walked back to the guest house to finish packing. MT and CT goofed around while we packed the bags...
Two peas in a pod...
Two hours later, their car arrived to take them to the airport in Entebbe. It was time for goodbyes. I have only been away from Henry for five days and Mary Taylor two days...so saying goodbye was harder than I thought it would be.
CT and I stood in the driveway and waved goodbye to their car until it was out of sight. The little Ugandan boy was not a happy camper and neither was his mommy...
Our crew should be arriving back in Atlanta at 7:30 pm, which is in 2 1/2 hours. Praying the flight was not too bad for Daddy after 24 hours with the two crazies.
More to come of CT and Mommies first day alone...
Sorry this update was so long. I don't want to forget any details! I hope to post these all to my blog when we return home and then one day make it into a book for Charles Tucker to have to always remember how he became a son.
***Just found out they landed in Chicago but their flight is delayed becasue of the snow and they will probably be spending the night. Not for sure though.
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Thank you for your encouraging words!