week three :(

So now I am on to my third week here and I have decided to block out that there are only three more days at the clinic! I look at all of the beautiful children and am so sad each night as we step onto the bus to go back to the hotel. I just have to give out as many hugs and kisses as possible and imprint on my brain all of the smiling faces. Over the weekend five of the remaining people took a weekend excursions to Iasi (pronounced Yash) to tour painted monasteries and then to tour Iasi- we spent most of city tour outside because the buildings we were going to go to were closed for renovations. we did get the chance to have an authenic romanian meal complete with plum brandy and homemade wine. We had a different bus driver who did not like the horn as much as last weekend. He had never been to Iasi before so he would go touring with us. He also paid attention to when we were trying to take pictures out of the windows so he would actually stop the bus for us. I was completely amazed at the difference in the ecomomic status the further we drove out of barlad. I was reminded of home by a lot of the sights and smells. We woke up to the smell of wood burning stoves and at almost every meal there was dill in some dish. And on our way back we had asked the tourguide to ask the bus driver to find a nice well by the side of the road so we could stop and take pictures of it. The next thing we know he was slamming on the breaks and backing up the bus for us. He did this twice for us and at the second well our tour guide even demonstrated how to use the well. We happened to be stopped by a bunch of plum trees at the side of the road and our bus driver and guide picked plums off the tree for us to eat. Now our group is down to 8 and yesterday we returned to Tutova with a group of 6- we were short one because one of the volunteers had a cold. We did ok until it started to rain in the afternoon which meant all 25 of the children were cooped up inside!! They were so used to being outside that we were doing everything we could to entertain them. And today for some reason we did not take the babies and crawlers outside so we had 17 kids and 5 adults in one small area! When it came to snack time we just started sticking spoonfuls of yogurt into any mouth that happened pass by. It was a room full of Birds vieing for a worm. and then they brought out the bottles for the babies at the time so now each of us had about five mouths to feed some of us were holding two babies and feeding 3 crawlers. We were never so happy for naptime as we were today!! after lunch we made sure all of the kids were outside. It is amazing how many little milestones we were able to view in the three weeks we have been here. I will never forget the pleasure in seeing the excitement in seeing baby smile, or giggle, or turn over for the first time. And putting a baby on the scale and seeing her gain two pounds in two weeks. We also challanged a 6 year old to feed herself with a spoon for the first time. I only have three more days here But I keep praying every day for a new memory to store up. I know those babies are loved by the nurses and aides so I will feel just a bit better about leaving. I want you all to pray for me about 1030am your time on wednesday because somehow I am going to have to dance after dinner. I have learned a very valuable thing-- NEVER say you don't do something in front of a psychologist because the next thing you know you are having to dance in front of a group of strangers. I am thinking it will have to be the chicken dance though because you cannot dance that with just one person. there will also have to be some wine involved as well.