my kids

Okay, so they aren't really "my" kids but they sure have stolen my heart! We currently have 14 children in our orphanage (or Children's Village as we prefer to call it)
I will tell you just a bit about each so you can know them a bit better.

Starting with our youngest:

• Moyiz - he is both our newest and youngest child. He was brought to us the same day that I got back to Haiti. He was found abandoned by the side of the canal hidden under some bushes. Thankfully he is not able to walk or crawl and so was not able to move into the water. He is 18 months old and can't walk or crawl yet as his legs have not much strength but as we shower him with love and attention (and lots of time in his Jolly Jumper) he is slowly getting more strength in his legs, he can now put pressure on them but is at this time unable to stand unassisted or crawl. He has learned to get around by "scootching" or wiggling his butt and using his head to propel him where he wants to go. We are trying hard to break him of that as it is not good for his head.
• J.J (Jean Jacques) - he is 2 1/2 years old and is our nudist!! He hates keeping clothes on his body! Any time of day you can most likely find him running around butt naked! It is really adorable. He has been with us since he was a month or so old. He is slowly warming up to me and just today came running into my office and wanted to sit on my lap and watch me type. He also loves to look at the many photos I have on the computer.
• Mirlande - my little cutie patootie! She is 3 years old (as of April) and I think of all the kids she changed the most in the ten months I was gone. She is talkative as can be and loves everyone now. She is so cute when she comes running up the yard when I stand on my porch and open my arms. I think she is jealous that JJ and Moyiz take up my attention some times as last year JJ wouldn't come near me and so Mirlande was the only little one that I held or carried and now there are three! But she still has a very special place in my heart. Her and Rose Martha, her big sister were the first two children in the orphanage and have a heart wrenching tale that just broke my heart.
• Steeve - he is 5 years old and going into grade one in Sept but he is the same size as JJ and skinny as can be! He is so adorable that all our visitors fall in love with Steeve! They have this one little game "TonTon Bouki" which is similar I would say to "Simon Says" and Steeve loves to lead it. He could go on for hours at a time. But it is adorable to watch him, as he just totally comes out of his shell and is in his element.
• Rebecca - well, I don't know what to say about Rebecca, she is mischievous to say the least. She is 6 years old and I have a hard time telling her apart from her sister Rachelle. I actually thought for the longest time that they were twins but they are actually 2 years apart. 2 weeks ago Rebecca gave me a scare when she fell on her bike and ripped off the end of her baby toe. I was sick at the time and so could barely look at it but cleaned it up and then decided it was best to take her to the hospital as I wasn't sure if she would need stitches or anything. So up we went to the hospital - where they do NOTHING! The nurse cleaned it again and put Neosporin on it and said that it would fall off on its own and covered it with a bandage. So much for advanced care! But atleast I felt better knowing I had checked. It did fall off and I am interested in seeing if her toenail regrows or not.
• Rachelle, she is 8 years old and is just as mischievous as her sister. I really don't know what else to say about her
• Vladimy - he is our second oldest boy and he is 9 years old. He is very affectionate and is the quiet one of the bunch.
• Sabine - she is also 9 years old and is very sweet. She is one of the quieter girls and sticks very close to the mommies. I actually braided her hair last month. Not an easy task as their hair is wiry and her hair is short but I think I did a good job for my first try! She kept it in for a couple days so I took that as a compliment!
• Meladette - she is 12 years and is built for dancing! She loves to dance and is quite talented at it as well. She is very fun and her face is always lit up by a smile.
• Fedna - she is our second to most recent addition. She came to us in February after living at the hospital for a year with serious skin problems. Before that she had been living on her own for 4 years after her grandma died.
• Serlande - this is our 13 year old diabetic. She has a special place in my heart because I check her blood sugar every morning and then give her insulin shots in the morning and evening. She is very brave and can actually give herself her needle in her leg but prefers me to give it to her in her arm as she thinks it is less painful in her arm. She has a beautiful smile when she decides to show it! She loves to come up to my house on the days when Martha (my domestic helper) isn't working and wash dishes or sweep my floors for me. I think she just like to hang out with me.
• Rose-Martha - This is Mirlande's big sister and she is 13 years old. She is one of those helpful type who love to help in anyway she can. She is great with the younger kids and has a real heart for God.
• Marcus - He is our oldest boy and is 15 years old. He is quite a strapping young man and loves to play soccer and basketball.
• Maudeline - Maudeline is our oldest kid at 19 years old. Her mom passed away from cancer two years ago and since she was still in school, her brothers asked us to take her in so that she would be able to continue with her education. She is beautiful inside & out. Maudeline is our in-home hair stylist and loves to braid my hair as well as the rest of the kids and mommies. She does an excellent job and everyone loves when I braid my hair "Haitian style", me included as it keeps my hair out of my face and is always creative and fun.

So that is all 14 of our kids. I love them all!