Journal Entry: Tuesday, October 13, 2009

I'm writing these final entries in the Panama airport, right back where I started a week ago. It makes me sad to be here without my boys ... But I look forward to seeing the rest of my family tomorrow - it can't come soon enough.

Yesterday (Monday) Alec got sick with the fever. Right away Lawanna put him on antibiotics since we assume it's what all the other kids have had. He spent much of the day in Grandma's arms, especially since the boys staggered their naps so we had to "divide and conquer."

At lunchtime, we had tomato soup with torn-up grilled cheese soaked in for the babies. As if to make up for the previous day's tantrum, Ian refused to eat from Mom but ate the whole bowl happily for me.

Dinner was delicious - potatoes and sweet carrots and kielbasa. At the end of the meal, I presented the Chile gifts to everyone. They were a hit and Pedro's good taste was widely praised ... :)

We took our time getting the boys down for bed. Most of their toys had already been transferred to Lawanna's apartment but they made do with my comb and brush and ripping up tissues and fighting over the one remaining puzzle. It was bittersweet knowing this was the last time we'd put them to bed and we'd be leaving first thing in the morning.

Alec screamed when I put him in his crib, so I let him lay beside me until he fell asleep. He is such a skin-to-skin baby and kept pinching me and patting my tummy even in the dark. Ian chattered and hummed himself to sleep in his own cute way.

Several hours later when we were all in our own beds sleeping soundly, the generator was turned off. I could hear fans humming in the apartments where the inverters work, but ours lost all power. So commenced our last night in the village. Mom was concerned about the boys [and] heat exposure ... we were forced to open the door, slather on more Deet mosquito repellant, and then I set up a cot on the front porch both for cooler air and to stand guard at the entrance to our place (ours was the house nearest the main entrance, which is closed but not locked at night.) For the next five hours, Mom and I alternately dozed, chatted, checked on the boys, sat on the front step, and longed for morning. At least now I can tell my kids that I've been under the "Haitian moon and stars" just like in their book and I have to say the book is highly accurate, especially the sights and sounds and the people rising so early (some before 5 a.m. and most before 6 a.m.) to begin pulling water from the well and starting cooking fires and filling wash buckets for a new day's laundry.

I took the flashlight and slipped into Lawanna's apartment around 4 a.m. for drinks for us and the boys. At 5:30 a.m. Mom got bathed and returned to our dark house to dress. At 6:00 a.m. I slipped back into Lawanna's apartment to check Alec's temperature, which was 102.8. Just as I was leaving, the battery power went out and I praised God to hear the generator being turned on again! I had already gotten a fresh bucket of well water for our baths, so I gave Alec his medicine and went to get cleaned up myself.

We dressed the boys, zipped up suitcases, picked up the room and at 7:00 (Tuesday) deposited Ian and Alec in their high chairs in Lawanna's living room. She fed them while we finished final sweeping and garbage disposal in our house. A quick granola bar, teeth brushing and cold drink later, Barb was saying it was time to go and we had to quickly kiss the two sticky, crying boys goodbye and walk out the door one last time. I held back the tears even though it broke my heart to say goodbye ...