The Cool Kid

Loumy was born cool. I don't know what it is, but once you meet him, you just know that he is cool, even when he is just a goofy little kid pretending every pointed object is a light saber.

Today at lunch Deedle was bothering him about a new transformer he just received from his grandmother (Deb just returned from nearly 3 weeks on a cruise up the Danube. She found beautiful nesting dolls for the girls in Hungary but there wasn't much by way of boy stuff so she bought him the transformer and he is as happy as can be).

Anyway, Deedle is bothering him and he just says, as gently and kindly as can be, "Can you please not be getting all up in my face?"

Nancy laughed the other day when she noticed another funny but cool thing he does. If he is impatient or upset, he speaks with out moving his mouth. It is very hard to understand when he does this, but it makes me laugh. I literally have to say, "I need you to move your mouth when you say that so I can understand you." But, as with most mothers, I can usually understand what he's saying anyway.

And what's with the baby photos? Yesterday I was searching through old photos to find some that I want to use for a project. Seeing pics of my babies made my heart ache. I miss those babies somuch sometimes and I am always filled with regret that I didn't appreciate them as much or love them as hard as I should have. I don't know if that makes sense. Especially there is missing and regret regarding Loumy. I have often heard people say, "I have no regrets." And I think, "Well, that's nice. But I do. And hopefully those regrets motivate me to live better and more fully each day." Anywho...I missed most of the first 10 months of his life. Then just a few weeks after he came home the hepA virus kicked into full gear and I was sick for the next 6 months. Because of dehydration, pain, and other problems, many memories from Loumy's first 6 months to year home are simply gone. Its sad. Here are a few photos. Luckily some of them remind me of little things. He was just such an amazingly gorgeous baby. So, let me post these and dwell on my regret for just a moment and then I will move forward, hug him harder, and try not to let more days pass with out appreciating and loving my kids at each stage.
He loved the bath...
When he was learning to walk, he hated to walk on any surface that wasn't smooth. Wood chips and grass were his nemesis.
Just cute. He is being held by Aunt Amy.
He loves peek-a-boo. Here he is with Aunt Kathy posing for the camera.

More Catch Up

I love these two photos of my sleeping boys, even if I only have a crummy camera!


At the beginning of the summer we went to the Zoo with Nancy and Zhateal. I bought a season pass. Haha. Good one. Like we're ever going again. But it was a lot of fun...for the kids...and in that I felt better about myself as a mother for making such a trek.

Somehow I caught a lot of large bottoms in my photos of women who are completely unrelated. I hope no stranger has a very unflattering photo of my backside on their blog.

For a good chuckle, make sure to check out Deedle's expressions in nearly every photo.

Catching Up

This post is just one big catch up on a lot of stuff that I thought I wanted to blog about but never had the time to do. And all of this is being underlined like it is a nice link and its not supposed to be. Oh well

String Cheese participated in a British Soccer Camp this year. She was the only girl in a group with 9 boys. I was very proud of her for how brave she was. She is getting to be a very good little player. They had "Wacky Wednesday" and the kids were supposed to dress up. This pic is cool because it sums up SC pretty well.

Remember this post? Here is an update:

Against her wishes, my mother was chosen as Mother of the Year for the city in which I was born and raised. The organization wanted her to be in a parade on the 24th of July. She said she'd only do it if she could have some of her grandkids with her to draw the attention away from her. So, they got a nice little truck and some of the grandkids were able to be in the parade with her. I love you, Mom. And think you are the best mother in the world!



She let the grandkids dress up, if they so desired. My kids chose outfits that best fit their personalities and I let them wear them. It was over 100 degrees and Loumy had on that Superman outfit. Unbeknownst to me, he was also wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt underneath. Glad he didn't get heatstroke!


Speaking of my Mama, she celebrated her 73rd birthday on July 27th. I called her to see what was going on and found out that she didn't have any birthday dinner plans. She told me they were going to have leftovers and that she had purchased a pie to bake for herself. So, I talked her into coming over for some fish tacos and some time with us. Its funny, when I get my parents alone on special occasions I almost feel like I'm being sneaky or something to the rest of my siblings. It is always just a really special treat for us all!Finn is now 5 months old and is continuing to thrive and be just the best, happiest baby I've ever met. We love him madly. He is enjoying his bath time and beginning to figure out how to swallow semi-solid foods.

The girls got school haircuts a week or two ago. Here SC is looking more like 17 than 7 to me!

A Crazy Thought Train About Scary Things

Tia just shared a spooky spooky SPOOKY story about spiders that now has me feeling like I need to go take a shower because I'm itchy and SPOOKED! I do not allow the use of the word "hate" in our home. Its an ugly word and an ugly thing. How beautiful this world would be with out it. But guess what, I HATE spiders.

Anyway, reading about spiders I realized that I might be more scared of spiders than anything else in the world. Small spaces and spiders. Yes, I know what the official phobias are called and I have them. But then I started to think that I am not so scared of everything. I mean, my sisters tell me weird things all the time that they are terrified of and I just think, "Hm...yes, that would be scary if you drove into a lake with all of your children in the car (Nancy)...and yes, that would be scary if you got attacked by some kind of wild animal in the cat family (Amy)...and yes, that would be not too cool to have a mouse run across your foot (Kelly) but I can't say that I am really scared of that happening or that it is something I think about."

That made me think of my dear friend, Isson. He is one of the founders of Haitian Roots and is just the best guy. But he is very scared of snakes. He told me that once but I didn't really know how scared until he was at our house one time and I told Loumy to sneak up behind him with this little wooden snake that we had. It is made out of wooden chips and is on a ribbon and moves like a real snake. Maybe some of you have seen those toys. Anywho...that is one of those moments that I would have given anything to have on video. Isson jumped sky high and the look of terror in his eyes was something fierce, even once he knew it was a toy. But that's not nice of me to laugh about.

And that made me think about the time that we were out in the backyard and String Cheese and Deedle were playing on the swingset while Chancho and I did some yard work. SC and D were talking about snakes and their distaste for them. This was a few years ago so the girls were very tiny and this is what happened.
SC: I don't like snakes. Are there snakes around where we live, Mom?
Me: Well, yes, some snakes do live in our state.
SC: But not around here, right?
Deedle: Yes! There are snakes around here!
SC: But not right in our house. Are there mom? There aren't snakes out here in our yard, are there?
At that exact moment, I jumped and stifled a yelp as a long, black snake slithered slightly under the weeds I had just pulled. I stood for a moment holding my heart and trying not to scream.
Me: Chancho (I said it amazingly calmly). Chancho could you come over here for a minute with your shovel?
SC: Mom! Mom! I asked if there are ever snakes in our yard? There are no snakes in our yard, right?
Me: Chancho, hurry quickly please.
I smiled at SC and Deedle and pointed to the snake for Chancho to see. Then I stepped in front of him as he attacked the snake with the shovel.
SC: Mom!!! I said there are no snakes in our yard, right???!!!
Me: No, honey. No worries. (Chancho and I are now laughing as he surreptitiously scoops up pieces of the snake with the shovel to throw in the trash bag). No snakes around here!

And that story reminds me of the cool kid I met while running on Saturday. We have a lovely trail by my house and I've been getting back into shape little by little. I was nearing the end of my run Saturday afternoon when I slowed and then stopped because of the strange sight in front of me. About 20 yards in front of me on the path I saw what appeared to be a little boy walking his bike and holding...could it be...a snake. As I got a little closer, my initial sighting was confirmed. The boy was maybe 7 or 8 and the snake was big for around here. It was literally at least 5 feet long from head to tail and a good 2 inches in diameter at its thickest middle.

I approached cautiously as the snakes moved about. The boy held it out at arms length and smiled at me.
Me: So, I see you've got a snake there.
Boy: Yep. You know what kind it is?
Me: Nope. Its got a strange block pattern I don't recognize. Maybe you should put it down.
Boy: I think its a rattler. Do you think it is?
Me: Well, no, it doesn't have a rattle on the end, but it might not be really nice.
Boy: Yeah, it already bit me once. I like snakes, though. But I don't like them when they bite me really hard and it hurts and makes me cry. See, this one bit me right here on the leg but it didn't really hurt. Do you think its a rattler?
Me: No, its not a rattler. But since we don't know what kind it is, it might be a good idea to put it back down.
Boy: No, I caught it. I caught 16 of 'em. I like snakes. I'm gonna take it home.
Me: Hm...well...um...
Boy: Are you scared a' snakes?
Me: Actually, yes. I'm kind of scared of snakes.
Boy: I'm not. I love snakes. Do you think this is a rattler?
Me: No.
Boy: What kind do you think it is?
Me: Garter snake?
Boy: No. Its not a garden snake. But I don't know what kind it is. I'm gonna take it home.
Me: Well, I think it would be a better idea for you to not pick up snakes if you don't know what kind they are because it might be poisonous and could hurt you.
Boy: It didn't really hurt that much when it bit me. What kind do you think it is?
Me: I don't know. I guess if you take it home you could ask your mom to look up the pattern on the internet or something.
Boy: Yeah. Its not a rattler.
Me: Okay, well, be careful, all right? I'm going to go now.

And since coming home, I've decided to do a little research on snakes in my area. There are 31 indigenous snakes in this area and 7 of them are poisonous. Here's an interesting tidbit of info: When you see a snake (or if a little boy is holding up a big huge one) look at the eyes. Check the pupil and shape of the eye itself. Relax if the both the eye itself and the pupil are rounded in shape. However, use extreme caution or call the appropriate authorities if the eye and the pupil are elliptical like a cat's. These are hallmarks of a poisonous snake.

I also am quite sure that the snake this boy found was a Painted Desert glossy snake. It was definitely not a garter or water snake that we commonly see. Anyway, that's enough of my thoughts of scary things.

Take My Poll!

Just out of curiosity, I posted a poll to the right. Please take the time to vote. It's anonymous and just for my own benefit.

The question is: Why don't you give $22/month to send a Haitian child to school?
Possible answers:

	I do! So quit bugging me.
	We are struggling to make our ends meet and can't give at this time.
	I don't think Haitian Roots is a worthy cause.
	I only give charitable donations through my church.
	I think Haitian Roots is great but I give to other charities.
	I probably will one day but mostly I just don't take the time to do it.
	I question the integrity of Haitian Roots
	I don't believe education is the answer to eradicating poverty.
	Other.

Haitian Roots Newsletter July 2009

“Human history becomes more and more a race between education

and catastrophe." ~ H.G. Wells

Dear Supporters and Friends of Haitian Roots,

This is the time of year that most of us are turning our minds towards school. Whether we are going back ourselves, whether we are sending our kids back, or whether it is simply the unmistakable racks of backpacks and binders lining the store shelves in place of the summer merchandise, it is evident that it is “back to school” time! As a mother, I talk to my friends about our feelings about our kids returning to school—will their teachers be good? When is back-to-school night? Did you hear about that sale on notebooks? Is your son on the bus route? How will my daughter do going to school all-day? These are the questions that we discuss. One question that we never ask is, “Will my child be able to go to school this year?” Regrettably in Haiti, this is the question at the forefront of many, many parents minds right now. We want to THANK YOU for helping the children of Haitian Roots to be able to receive an education and answering the prayers of their parents!

What Is New?

• We are excited to provide an education for an additional 20 children this year (bringing our total up to 133). These children live mainly in the Port-au-Prince area and are in desperate need. To see a list of the children, please go to our website: www.haitianroots.com and look at them on our blog or under the “children” tab. It only costs $250/year or $22/month (we can have it deducted automatically from your bank account) to provide education for an entire year for one of these beautiful children!
• These new children will be overseen by a new in-country coordinator, Harry Mardy! We are so happy to have him join our team! Harry is well-known to the Haitian Roots team. He has been a close friend of Isson Joseph’s for over 15 years. The Cox family met Harry four years ago when he was helping to facilitate the adoption of their son from Haiti. Chareyl also became acquainted with Harry through his work with orphans in Haiti. We all love and admire him. Harry is a lifelong resident of Haiti. He lives in and works for an orphanage in Petion-ville. He is married and has two beautiful children. Having worked hard for many years into adulthood to gain his own schooling, Harry truly understands and places great value on education. He and his wife Pascale, have been very excited about Haitian Roots and have been very helpful to us in Haiti long before joining our team. Thanks for joining us, Harry!
• We have a new blog! It is integrated right into our website. You can view the most recent post on our home page www.haitianroots.com. Click on the blog link to read more. We hope this will fill the need for us to have better communication with our supporters. We will be featuring information about the children in Haitian Roots, any experiences we have had with them in Haiti, experiences our supporters have had on their trips to visit Haitian Roots children, and general Haiti information. We also will be featuring information about fundraisers to help give inspiration and ideas. If you have held a fundraiser for Haitian Roots and would be willing to share on our blog, please e-mail us at: info@haitianroots.com

Our Accomplishments and Goals

We are so grateful for the generous support that you have given to us over the past four years. We started with only 23 children in 2005. We now have 135 children in the program. We are so proud of them for working so hard even while in very difficult circumstances outside of the classroom. Our current goals are to find sponsors for all of the children currently in the program as well as raise funds for our first school. We are seeing the need to have a home-base office in Haiti become more and more apparent. There will be many advantages of having our own physical presence in Haiti and we are all excited about it! One major benefit will be that we will have a much better chance of partnering with other organizations to help our children with food and medical needs if we can show these organizations our offices and staff in a specific place in Haiti, whereas right now our children are spread out attending various schools all around Port-au-Prince. We already have the building that we will use but we need to remodel it to turn it into a school. Do you know of any individuals or businesses who are looking for a wonderful project to fund like this?

Reflections on Haiti: June 2009

Board Member Chareyl Moyes traveled to Haiti in June. Haitian Roots advocate and donor Kathy Junk went as well.

Kathy shared the following:

“I had the wonderful privilege of traveling to Haiti in June for a week. Besides being a happy sponsor of Haitian Roots, I also work for Wasatch adoptions in placing children from several orphanages in Haiti. I was able to visit and hold many of the beautiful children available for adoption and was also able to interact with families who were visiting the children they are going to adopt. While I am thrilled anytime a family wants to adopt a child from Haiti and know with complete certainty families are saving a life by adopting a Haitian child, I also came to see that adoption is just a tiny drop in the bucket in helping the children in Haiti. All the children of Haiti cannot be adopted nor should they be. I believe and have faith that one day day ALL the children of Haiti can have the chance for education.

While I knew in theory that education was surely important, it was not until I saw the desperate circumstances Haitians everywhere are facing that I came to realize that educating the children of Haiti is one of the very most important things we can help with. It is through education that these children can grow and become competent, caring leaders for their country.

During my visit to Haiti, I was able to meet the two children my neighborhood has been sponsoring for several years. They are darling children and are continuing to attend school thanks to the financial support of our neighborhood and the support of their parents. The parents of the two children were very respectful and thankful for what Haitian Roots is providing for their children.

Another exciting moment was when I was able to meet all but one of the 20 new children that Haitian Roots is going to be adding to their school program. My heart almost broke to see each child and parent dressed in surely what was their only "nice clothes". I could tell they very much wanted Harry, Chareyl Moyes and I to know that they were serious about their commitment to have their children attend school. They all had to travel some distance by "tap tap" to bring the children to the hotel for their photos and to complete the contracts with Haitian Roots. Each child received a school bag and a soccer ball or doll. You cannot even imagine the look on their faces as they peeked inside their school bag to see colored pencils, clean white notepaper and other school supplies. Each child clutched their school bag to them closely and solemnly nodded as the translator told them these were for school and to take care of them. I just cannot tell you enough about what an amazing experience this was. I actually saw hope in the eyes of parents and children compared to the abject despair I saw in the people living out on the streets.

I am so excited to be a tiny part of Haitian Roots through sponsorship and hope many more sponsors will come forward for this worthy cause.”

To read about Chareyl’s experiences and to learn more about our new coordinator, Harry, please visit our blog at www.haitianroots.com

How You Can Help!

• If you are sponsoring a child, are considering sponsoring a child or making a general donation, please do so TODAY! We still need to raise another $9,000 for our first payment by the end of the August. Mail us a check (609 W. 3850 S., Riverdale, UT 84405) or make a donation through PayPal here.
• Encourage your school to hold a fundraiser.
• Check out the blog on our website for fundraising ideas.
• Invite a member of Haitian Roots to speak to your school, youth group, church group, etc.
• Write about us on your blog and include a link to our website: www.haitianroots.com
• Talk to your place of business about making a charitable donation.
• Can’t make a large donation all at once? That is fine. Contact as at info@haitianroots.com about having a monthly sum of ANY amount deducted directly from your bank account.

You Are Appreciated

In quoting H.G. Wells again, he said, “Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.” It often feels that we truly are in a race. When I feel discouraged, I like to remember these words of Abraham Lincoln: “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.”

We may not save every child in Haiti, but with the light that we have, which shines brighter and brighter with each one of you, we can make a difference. We ARE making a difference. Thank you!

Sincerely,

The Haitian Roots Team

www.haitianroots.com

Soccer Clinic

I have absolutely no time to blog. Okay, I guess its not "absolute" because I am actually trying to blog. I am completely consumed (okay, again, not "completely" but almost) with trying to get things organized and funds raised to be able to send 135 children to school in Haiti this fall. But I do want to record a couple of things.

First, the kids had a super fun time this past week at a free soccer clinic put on by our local Major League Soccer team. We all love soccer and I especially love a free activity. They gave the kids shirts and free water bottles. The coaches were great and there were two players from the team who came. String Cheese was star struck and made me think of my good friend Tia Juana who loves her some celebrity. SC told me that it was one of the best days of her life because these guys, Rafael Cox and Rachid El-Khalifi signed her shirt. But can you blame her?Oh, and the girls got haircuts that day as well. They wanted to go very very short. I loved their long locks but did not want to make a fuss about keeping beautiful hair because, well, who knows when you might lose it so I like to keep a prety nonchalant attitude about hair-importance. And I think they look cute.
A big windstorm started up and there was a bit of rain so we thought it might get canceled, but they pressed on.And there was a lovely rainbow.
I don't know that the kids really learned anything about soccer, but they had a lot of fun. And they had some drill that I have no idea what the point was but they got to run around and scream with Rafael Cox and they thought it was splendid.