An ice storm blew through my town a couple of days ago and left me without power. No internet, no TV, no lights, no hot water, and worse yet... no heat. So, yesterday Bethany asked me to come over and babysit -- it gave me a chance to see her girls and to stay in a heated home.

I've been a bit low this week. I'm just so anxious to hear if Peanut is in fact in the orphanage. Hopefully I'll learn more next week. The woman who escorted the kids here last summer is obtaining permission from the Ministry of Education to visit his orphanage. As soon as she has that paper she'll be on her way. (Bless her heart. Major, major prayers of thanks are being said for her.)

In addition to getting me out of my chilly home, I knew seeing Bethany's girls would be good for my spirit. And I was right.

Party Girl is in such a fun stage now. She points and hollers to direct you to what she wants and she'll break out in a huge grin over seemingly nothing. You can't help but smile and laugh when her four little teeth are grinning at you.

After Bethany put Party Girl down for the night and went out with her husband, Sass and I were left to have fun. Dancing, tent-building, and her unique form of hide-and-seek ("you hide here and I'll count") soon followed.

Later we were drawing and had the following exchange:

- Sass draws a circle and proclaims that it is a duck. "See, this part is the head."

- I suggest she adds a wing, so she draws a line. "Beautiful wing, Sass" says I.

- Then I mention the duck's need for legs. Two lines are artfully added. "Those are perfect legs, Sass" says I.

- "How about a tail?" I ask. One line off the back and her duck is finished.

- She then moves to a previously drawn circle and starts drawing lines. Knowing now that lines can be a variety of items I ask her what she has drawn.

- Sass looks at me with all seriousness and says "lines."



Later in the evening we were completing an alphabet puzzle. I was placing the "L is for Lemon" piece so I showed Sass how your face would look if you ate a lemon. She laughed and said "You're funny, Marnie."

Nothing warms the heart more than a 3-year-old telling you you're funny.