One day at Cornerstone

Yesterday was probably the best day I have had since I came back to Uganda.  It was amazing and tiring and exciting and everything all at once.

It started with many of the children being sad in the morning.  Their school semester here had just ended for one month, so this was the first day of holidays, when no boarders or day schoolers would be around to play with.  The kids told me they missed their friends and they also didn't have school to occupy them (kids in Uganda enjoy attending school, as opposed to the attitude of many students in America).  The kids at the orphanage were looking at a long boring day.
So I decided to come with a bag of tricks (literally).  First, we made some origami, and even the preschoolers joined in and the older kids helped them.
Then we held races in the courtyard (I beat the kids' "mom," Aunt Monica, in our foot race, which made the kids laugh and cheer as much as it surprised me.  She is a short, thin woman, and I am not  :)  After the races, I taught them Hide n Seek, and remembered why I never include preschoolers in this game.  The first round, Charity and Isaac, both 4 years old, trailed behind the "it" person and told where everyone was hiding; they sort of missed the point of the game, at least for the older kids.  :)
After a quick water and potty break for me (it was around 85/90 out and we had been playing in the direct sunlight all morning), I brought out "Go Fish," which some of the kids knew (thank you, Dina Poulin!).  Four-kids-at-a-time came and played the game in one of the classrooms, and while we played, the other 20 kids were at the windows and doorways, itching for their turn to come and play.  Even their "mom" asked to come to play- this was her first time!
Afterwards, we ate lunch together and then the kids rested.  Moses got mad at me (he was playing in his water cup instead of eating, so I took the cup away) and threw a huge fit, screaming and throwing himself down.  So, I decided to take him and put him down for a nap.  An hour and a half later, he woke up happy and willing to try walking and talking (he says 10 words now!) and hanging out with me with me again.  Ah, 3-year-olds.  Africa or America, they are still the same.   
Once rest time was over, we sang songs and played some hand-clapping games together.  It was almost time for dinner when I decided to call it a day. 

This one day was so fun for me because I got to spend time just loving on and playing with these kids.  Small things (like adult attention) sure go a long way.
And thanks for reading my blogs from over here!  I would always love to hear from you, here, on facebook, or through email.  Have a great week.
-Abby