Mini picnic

When we had the picnic in July, a few of the kids we work with most regularly weren't allowed to come. We really wanted to include them, too, so we did a mini picnic on the orphanage grounds about a month after the main picnic. I think I actually enjoyed it more than the main event because it was pretty much one on one time with just a few kids, and I know they loved it, too.

We chose a time while Elizabeth was here, so that she could help. It also turned out to be a day when almost all the kids from the orphanage were on another outing, but our same few were left behind again.

When we got there, we found a shady place and left Raia and Elizabeth to set up and prepare plates. Alys and I went off to get the kids. The two girls were still in bed--why even get up when you've been left behind on a day that everyone else got to go out?--so we had the fun of waking them up with big hugs.

After we got them ready, we took them out to our little picnic place, and settled in to eat the food that was waiting there. They were pretty excited, even about that simple treat. Then we watched the same video story that we had had before with the big group. I was really proud of Raia, because partway through some of the orphanage workers came out to talk to me, so I just threw her the puppet that I was translating with and told her to continue... and she did it!

The story was about caterpillars and butterflies. At the big picnic, we had wanted to show one of Bogdan's caterpillars, but weren't able to, because it chose that very day to make its chrysalis. We searched high and low, but couldn't find any more caterpillars then. On this day, as soon as we arrived, we started finding caterpillars! Soon we realised that they were tent caterpillars, and that we were right near their food plants. So, we made a point of observing them with the picnickers (and we brought a few home to Bogdan).

Then we sang and did crafts and just enjoyed being together a little more. For dessert I told them that since we were outside, on a real picnic, we would have potatoes and mushrooms... and then I gave out chocolate "potatoes" and "mushrooms." We laughed about that together.

All too soon it was time for the kids to go back to their groups and for us to head home. We all have great memories of our special time together, though.