Baths X 35
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Saturday mornings at Kopila are for bathing and grooming. In the afternoon we play football and dodgeball in the dirt and get dirty again. It's a never-ending cycle and to bathe, clean the ears, check the lice, wash the clothes, and cut the fingernails of 35 (very dirty) children takes a lot of shampoo, soap, and patience. But I'm not complaining. If I'm up for it and I've had a good night's sleep, it's actually one of my favorite parts of the week. It's like our sacred little bonding time and even the boys huddle around and cozy up to me in the sun "Clean my ears, check my lice too," they say. Then I look into their ears and tell them how I think I see a peacock inside and thank goodness they're still young enough to think that's funny.
In case you ever happen to find yourself in a situation where you need to bathe 35 children, the system I've found lately that works best, (assuming we have enough water of course) looks something like this:
Groups of 4/5, rinse in the *solar* shower, 2 kids soap up while 2 shampoo up, scrub scrub scrub the dirt off of feet, behind ears/knees, etc. come out and sit out on the back balcony in the sun with a towel till your dry, lice check, apply lotion, baby oil, and ringworm medicine (if needed) due to the epidemic we currently have going around. Fingernails trimmed and ears q-tipped. Send them down to wash clothes with aunty and send the next 4 up. Repeat.
The boys make me laugh the most, and I'll really miss when they're too shy to let me take part in our little cleanliness regimen. They were particularly entertaining this morning when I snapped this shot.
Other things I'm loving about these days as the weather gets colder are:
Evening sing-alongs outside by the fire,
Warm goat stew dinners and spinach soup from the garden
And extra snuggles with B in the morning who never seems ready to get out of our warm bed, especially when it's cold out.
Bish: Thinks for a second, shakes his head no.
Me: How about now?
Bish: Shakes his head no again (a few minutes later).
Me: We really have to get up now! It's time.
Bish: Looks at me like I'm a snooze button he wants to smack, pulls the covers over his face and rolls to the other side of the bed.
And for all of our little N fans out there. He's doing great. Almoooost walking but probably a little delayed due to the TON of weight he's put on from eating just about everything and anything in his sight thus making him a little bit top heavy. Oh yah and we're seriously thinking about changing his name. Grandfather suggested Poopay. hehe. Typical dad joke, the boys love it. I'm not letting this one stick like Harry Potter did though.
Sweet weekend wishes from all of us. xo Maggie