Little People

In Toy Story 3, the toys are donated to Sunnyside Daycare Center. Upon entrance, the gang introduced to a calm group of children nicely playing with toys in the Butterfly Room. They start to believe that this place may be safe and loving, excited to begin their new adventure.

Then they enter the Caterpillar Room.

In this analogy, I am the toy and the older children’s play area at Sanyu is the Caterpillar room.

Now, I love the older kids in the home. They have spunk, personality, and need a lot of attention.  It’s very different from the babies who are mostly content to eat and sleep all day. Each child has such a great personality, so I thought I’d share a few. 

“Scooter”

He doesn’t walk, doesn’t crawl, but he causes more mischief than any other 10 month old I’ve ever met.  His means of transport, scooting. He always has a smile on his face and the Mama’s refer to him as “the one that likes to fight”, due to his greeting of hitting everything he encounters. I like to think it’s out of excitement and poor depth perception.

“Angelica”

As the eldest at the home, Angelica knows all the rules and how to break them. I give her this name because she reminds me of the girl off of Rugrats, only less selfish. She likes to help out in the kitchen and is excellent at telling the other kids what to do. She’s a tough cookie, she’s had a tough life, but she really looks out for everyone and is great to have around. & She has one of those hideous dolls.

“Scut Farkus” 

Every playground has one, the bully. He’s big and tough and one of the biggest headaches in the sand box. Don’t tell the other kids this, but he’s a huge softy who just needs some love. It’s hard getting attention when you’re older, so acting out is how he gets his fill.  

“Chicken Little”

I honestly have yet to learn this little guy’s name, but he is the free-roaming chickens’ worst nightmare around here. When the enkuku (Luganda for chicken) make their way to the playground he raises a rebel yell that must mean, “Kill the Chickens”. I kid you not, he comes within inches of catching them as the other kids cheer and throw shoes. Chicken catching is probably the highlight of my afternoon. Reminds me of Orange is the New Black, which makes me laugh even harder. Thanks, Chicken Little, I will learn your name tomorrow.

“Chompers”

Take the world’s worst case of the terrible two’s and triple it into one feisty toddler. Now, meet Chompers. I learned Chompers name first, simply because all of the Mamas yell her name at some point during the day. She smiles at you with a full set of teeth that go straight into your leg. When you react, she laughs. Yet when she is upset (90% of the time of her own accord) she cuddles up in your lap for hugs. God help if there are other children already there. She also hates wearing pants. We get along.

"Madonna"

Everything is a song. Literally everything. I don’t understand half of what she sings, but it’s adorable.

"Mr. Smooth"

He’s a sweet talker with a big smile and full of mischief. You can’t help but love him, even when he’s ornery. He's kind of the Angelica for the boys at Sanyu since he's the oldest and knows the ropes. They play a key role in setting the tone for the day and help keep everyone in line. Or out of it. Again, depends on the day.

"Him"

He’s the one every mother worries about when their daughter says she’s going to work in an orphanage. That is, the one that steals her heart. This little guy is about one and a half and was abandoned at Sanyu when he was just a week old. He’s kind of the runt of the older kids and needs some extra help getting around. The Mama’s call him “stubborn” because he likes to be held and is not quite ready to be “one of the big kids”. Let’s just say I think I’ve discovered what love is. & It’s terrifying.   

These are just a few of the lovely little people who inhabit this home and make my job more fun. & I promised I'd post more often. So here it is.