At the end of the day, when the medical team from Boston left, they came up to meet the kids and to say goodbye. We chatted for a few minutes and helped them figure out who was who.
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The kids had been in the warehouse where the brand new kitten is learning about her new life as supreme mouse and rat catcher extraordinaire.
The three muskateers were petting her and playing with her and running around the rat filled warehouse chasing her. Each time they came in the house I asked them to wash their hands. For whatever reason, real or imagined, I get paranoid about Haiti animals and touching them ... yes, yes, I know that in reality I cannot make the kids live in a gigantic vat of anti-bacterial hand solution -- and that the germs will indeed get on them ... but I can at least require a hand washing after touching un-immunized animals. Can't I?
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A man on the medical team had a handful of Starburst that he passed around. As he left he stopped down where Isaac, Hope and Noah were playing. He gave them each two Starburst. I walked down shortly after him to find Isaac and Noah unwrapping and shoving the Starburst into their mouths as quickly as humanly possible. Hope stood staring at hers in her hand. I looked at her questioningly. She said, with great wisdom and authority, "It is pretty gross to eat those candies after touching the kitty and playing out here. *I* am going to wash my hands first." Then she gave the slow blink accompanied by the slow left to right head shake... As if to say, my brothers are sooooo terribly simple.
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Paige named the kitten and Hope hates the name Paige chose. Hope refuses to use that name and is calling the kitten Lydia instead. I don't care what anyone calls it - as long as it kills rodents.
