what do peanut butter, a lost tooth, and powertools have in common?

Today, I was greeted by Ms. Davidson with the words "come Friday, it will be you and I and Elin, just us three."

We received word that all of the children will be transferred by Friday. Last week we lost three. Yesterday we lost one. Today we lost two more. In the coming days, more and more children will be quietly taken by different homes in the Kingston area pending repairs on the roof at Marigold.

The environment lately has been one painted with uncertainty and tension as the jobs of many of these caregivers remain unknown. The repairs on the buildings will take up to 2 weeks, during which time dangerous conditions mean no children. No children means no caregivers. The tension is tangible. And as more and more children leave, the caregivers become exponentially more restless and unsettled. Since Marigold is a place of safety, the chances of all 36 children returning are slim to none. Further than that, the chances of 36 new children needing a place of safety is even slimmer. So for the time being, we focus on the moment. Because the present moment is all we have with these children until they move to different homes in Kingston. Most moving forward to places that hold promise of a better life. So we acknowledge our wants and set them aside. We fill ourselves up with love, understanding, laughter, and smiles. And like a balloon that is stretched to the last fiber, we let go of the nozzle and let it all rain down on the children and caregivers at Marigold.

It was a hard day. After having food poisoning this weekend, I went to work with an empty stomach and a dizzy mind. Nauseous and achy, I fought through the hours of the day, time moving as slow as viscous condensed milk. My unbalanced body paralleling the environment at Marigold. But it was peppered with joyful moments that kept me putting one foot in front of the other.

1. This morning we had the toddlers again as the older children were testing so we made play doe out of powdered sugar, peanut butter and honey (who knew? oh Elin of course). What started as a fun art lesson quickly turned into The Akheel Cooking Show as the babes ran around stuffing their faces with peanut butter candy and in the middle of it all Akheel made dumplings, potatoes, bananas, and mangoes. It was delightful to say the least :) A huge huge mess, but lets be honest whats life without a little mess?

2. Jamani has been adopted! His adoptive parents came to meet him for the first time today, and it was truly wonderful to see them together. The parents were beaming with joy as they picked up their new son and he clung to them like a monkey. They made jokes and laughed with him and told him about his new life in a huge house with his own playground set. About how he has family is Canada, and how all his relatives simply can not wait to meet him. As he lay on his new daddy's shoulder, being put to sleep by the constant bobbing of his hips, Jamani looked like he was finally home.

3. Elin and I played the tooth fairy today! While on the way to Ocho Rios last week, Scheveron lost his front tooth!... and then gave it to Elin. Little did he know, Elin placed the tooth under her pillow and woke up this weekend with a candy bar! and a note! When we asked him if he wanted to eat his candy by himself or share it with his friends, he ran inside and gave a piece to everyone in class.

4. Christopher Dudus Coke has been captured! Nuff said. Elin and I turned on BBC World News today to see the headlines celebrating his extradition to the US.

lats av love,

tkm