amelie.....

today we've had a little girl in school. this is only the 3rd time in the school's history we've had a girl come to school. its a pretty big deal.
ok, a very big deal.
its made me realize a few things.
i figured i'd want to remember long-term, so i'm writing them down here...

1. girls are dainty
2. girls smell good
3. girls don't pick their nose
4. girls dont eat as much as boys
5. girls like to color
6. girls wear pink, a lot.

sweet amelie is the daughter of one of my bosses here on the farm. she's up visiting from roodepoort. big regional conferences are going on here at the lodge so i have a few more students in the school. its been hectic and joyous and exhausting and fun.

the boys and i dont know what to do with girls. girls are just so fragile and dainty. i kept finding myself marveling at amelie. the way she would sit. the way she folds her hands. the way she tucks her hair behind her ear. the boys did too. i tired not to stare, i didn't want amelie to think she is a freak and thats why we were watching her...but when you're used to one thing and something different comes along, you stare. i prefer 'marvel' to stare, but its the same general concept....

she is just so different then my boys. i couldn't get over it. its SO many little things i dont even know where to start. even in similar personality traits the way they present themselves are so different i'm in rapt attention and awe. girls are all cute and sweet and dear and my boys are.....rough, and hilarious, and dirty, and a million other things. its fascinating the differences at even a young young age.

i love watching the boys translate for the new students. i love seeing the kids smile in their eyes doing an activity they enjoy. i love it. today, as much as it held many moments of me wanting to crawl under my bed from exhaustion, was full of joy. i love my job. i really do. each day with the little people i'm reminded again that this is not what i want to do forever, but i enjoy it so much now. 

oh, i enjoy their antics. and them.

them as people.

my little people.

amelie missed her mom a lot today. she kept asking where she was. when she was coming for her. i dont blame her, i like her mom too. but she had to stay in school. we literally marked the clock till 4 and each hour, every few minutes we 'checked' to see how close she was to coming. was it soon? would it be soon? "i love my mom," she'd tell me again and again. poor thing. and so she became a tumor to my body the entire day. never being down or away from me more than a few minutes. 

i learned the afrikaans words for head, shoulders, nose, eyes, mouth, and toes today. we sang a lot.

the kids cried a lot. i wanted to pull out my hair a lot.

we watched a lot of movies. 

sometimes i feel bad putting on a movie for the kids. i want them to imagine. to think. to create. but when it is the ONE activity that stops the constant flow of tears...its hard to say no? you know?

*sigh* perhaps tomorrow my resolve to be creative will outweigh my desire to have a bit of quiet. its doubtful.

i'm exhausted. tomorrow will likely exhaust as well. so off to bed i go. 

but! before i do....

i HAD to share this still from Red Balloon. 

few things delight me as much as balloons...i love this movie. i LOVE this photo. so old timey and whimsical and sweet.

happy monday