the little ones

i’ve had the lovely chance to supervise the little boys and the little girls (separate days) for two hours in this past week or so. I am realizing how much patience it takes, and how much parenting, or at least caring for kids, is a forever a trial and error kinda deal. the little boys were absolutely frightening and glorious at the same time, and it only took two minutes to develop a truckload of respect for their supervisor. none of them wanted to listen to me, even though Emma’s homework would only take him 30 seconds to complete, and Lucas making his bed ONE more time would not give him the black plague. but it ended with me reading the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection to Guillermo and then continually crashing cars into each other for twenty minutes. it was delightful. this past tuesday, I got to watch the three youngest girls: Carla, Pati, + Evelin. we played marbles for an hour, with Carla slinging them all across their room and giggling neverendingly, and then went outside to play with Barbies while a storm rolled in, and they bathed their plastic dolls in the running water of the Garden of Hope and got the bottom of their pants and their knees plastered in water and grass. sometimes you’ve gotta let little girls unleash their little boy side. i’m just starting to learn how precious new minds are, the fresh perspective they bring, the infectiousness of their cherry happiness, and what a testimony they stand to the whole restoration found in Jesus Christ.