Michelle Smiles

Teaching my children to question authority, except mine.

Homesick

April24

Today is really the first day I’ve felt homesick. I’ve only been here for 11 days so I guess it is a little early to whine that I want to go home. I just really miss Steve and how easy everything is at home.

I’m not feeling very welcome in Guatemala today. I had a man (American actually) who said to me “Gee, she doesn’t look anything like you” randomly on the street yesterday. My response was “Shhhh…we are hoping she won’t notice.” Then in a market today, a Guatemalan couple approached me. The woman asked if Sabrina was my child. I responded yes. The husband then started rattling off something in Spanish. I responded that I don’t speak Spanish which set him off on a faster tirade. The gist of what he said was that we take these children out of Guatemala and they never learn to speak Spanish and that I should learn Spanish. I felt slightly bruised but not unsafe. I’m tired. I don’t want to defend my actions in a language I don’t speak. I don’t want to be stared at because I am a white face with a Guatemalan child in a see of non-white faces. I know I have nothing to complain about. My stay here is likely to be relatively short. I am a guest here and should be thankful that I have this opportunity.

Enough whining…time for a few photos.

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Sabrina HATES it when I put her in her tub.  She starts throwing a royal fit.  But after a few minutes, when it becomes clear my intent is not to drown her, she calms down and almost enjoys it.

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Seegal and Abby came to visit us today.  We had a little field trip to get some lunch and run some errands.   One of those errands was to find Abby a hat – so of course the girls had to model them when we got home.  (Sabrina’s was a gift from her foster mom.)  Seegal and Abby are winging their way home tomorrow (Tuesday).  Safe travels my friends!  We will miss them but are happy for them to be going home.

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We are continuing to work on sitting up.  Tonight’s session went well as evidenced here.

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The self portrait – mommy looks a little scary tonight (sporting the lovely Guatemalan hair thingy) and Sabrina of course doesn’t want to share the spotlight so she refuses to smile.

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