Owies with Juice

Roman has been on a kick lately that all Big Owies need several kisses.

In case you're wondering, all owies are Big Owies.

The other day he was sitting on the kitchen counter, where I regularly place him in order to contain the crazies. He was playing with a chip bag clip when suddenly it jumped out and pinched the palm of his hand. He squealed, cried, and then demanded kisses. Like 14 of them. When I needed to stop to recharge my kisser, I suggested that he try some of his juice. He looked at me quizzically and proceeded to "kiss" his owie several times with the spout of his sippy cup.

Often when Roman is crying, he will pause, look at me, and tell me he is sad... then go back to crying. He also stops mid-activity to tell me that something, like pretending to jump like a frog, is fun. Finally, Roman has taken to stopping mid-laugh to announce that whatever is making him laugh is funny.

Selah is sick. Her first fever. She is so upset. And jumpy. She will pause to have a moment of calm, and then Roman will jump by yelling something. She will usually just ignore him, or smile at his antics, but yesterday and today it sets off a whole new round of bawling! Poor thing. She can't breath through her nose, which makes it hard to eat. When she finally gets a full stomach, she usually spits it all back up again. Life is hard.

Tomorrow Roman is going to go to church with Kevin, and Selah and I are going to spend a quiet morning here at the house. I am looking forward to a little bit of quiet time.

In Chirilagua news... Grace Community Church sponsored a Thanksgiving Carnival in the neighborhood. They brought 2 giant moon bouncers, kids games, facepaint, balloon animals, deep fryers for churros, grills and hotdogs, a TON of super volunteers, and 100 Thanksgiving baskets with everything needed for a Thanksgiving dinner (Latino style... with rice, beans, and Maseca for making tortillas)! It was a wonderful day. Neighbors got out to enjoy the wonderful warm weather, the music, and to spend time together. It was a success all around.

My favorite part was that I was able to give coupons guaranteeing a turkey basket to the families of the 8 boys who have been doing their homework with me each day. I had a wonderful evening the night before walking around the neighborhood and meeting the families. It was very special to stand outside of their door, wait for them to ask who was there, and to have the door burst open with surpise and excitement when I said that I was Mr. Hoppe's wife. I am praying that these families were able to see the love of Jesus through the entire experience.