Tackling the Wash Tub

Yesterday, Day 15
I did it. Amongst much giggling, pointing, scolding, and splashing. I washed laundry. Outside. In a tub. I must say, the Art of Washing Laundry the Haitian way is complex and time consuming. I was envisioning throwing all the clothes into a tub of hot water, adding soap and stirring. Haaahahahhaahaha.
 Melinda had six tubs carefully organized with different types of soaps in each one. She sorted the laundry and threw the appropriate clothes into the tubs. When I finally got the point across that I wanted her to show me how, she pointed me to the tub of underwear. She filled it with water from her huge tub and took a ball of white hard soap. Rubbing the underwear vigerously with the soap ball, she proceeded to do this little squeeze/rub thing with it over and over and over and over and over... She then squeezed the water out and tossed it into another tub with a blue liquid that I was SURE would stain our whitey tighteys an eternal shade of blue, but she kept saying "blanc, Belle!" I grabbed a pair, eager to show I could do the same.
I couldn't.
 My hands ended up slipping all over everything while I attempted to rub and wring in the same fashion. Finally Ed, the groundsman came over laughing and tried to show me that you should rub the soaped up cloth on your wrist, then twist it in the water. I tried. They laughed. I giggled. Lather Rinse Repeat. The gate guard even came over from his post to check out the hoopla. It all ended with Abe calling me (FINALLY!) and I was relieved of the attempt to type up a work email for him.
After Abe came home from work, I grabbed Carolanne and we headed towards the Market. Still unable to haggle in Creole, my main shopping is done at a local indoor market with prices clearly marked in Gourdes, the Haitian form of currency. We buy a few things on the street market, but usually ask Melinda to gather the goods from the muck. Soon I will be haggling with all the other Haitian Mamas. :-) Carolanne, it was decided, came with us. We are going to have the kids take turns coming shopping with us each week, as keeping track of four gorgeous traffic stopping kids is a full time job. No brain space left for checking prices and watching the list...
I managed to get everything we needed for the exact amount Abe gave me. That is until I got home and realized we forgot three items. A short walk out the gate to the nearby market fixed that oversight after we got home.
After shopping we went to Abe's job site- the Catholic school. Carolanne was the Belle of the Ball handing out her newly acquired Sweetarts to the workers. Son Son was there as he is the evening crew leader, and he held her nearly the entire time- pausing his work to throw her into the air a midst fits of giggles. Both his AND hers. It is so neat to see someone Abe trained earlier this year, take the initiative and become a crew leader. The positive repercussions of Abe's work are already showing.

Today
Abe took the computer to work and I only have a few more minutes before I need to tuck my babes into bed. Night has fallen and the thick sweet smell of the tree blossoms are all around me. Unfortunately the mosquitoes have also decided it is dinner time. Ick. Any ideas on a natural home made repellent? I try so hard not to use DEET, but the past few days I have just to give my little ones relief. Adam counted sixty bites the other day. Some new, some just scabs left from the scratching. We have the eucalyptus spray, the candles for night time, the all natural spray from a health food store I picked up- these pesky insects just bite right through!
I successfully set up a play room downstairs in the cool of the basement. Every now and then Adam and Carol race up the stairs and grab Dawee (Melinda's son) and pull him downstairs to squish a particularly menacing looking spider. They KNOW better than to call for me. Dawee doesn't mind and his little 7 year old chest puffs up with pride after each kill. Anyways, Abe was impressed with the lack of toys in the "adult" space when he came home today. The kids LOVE the new area.
Today we learned that Ed's real name is-Blah. Yip. Blah. Kind of appropriate as after I hear him scolding the kids in Creole I asked Thaddaeus what he was upset about. Thad answered perplexed, "I don't know. All he ever says is Blah blah blah blah blah." :-)