runny noses

Okay, so I don't have tons of time at the moment (lunch is in 5 minutes), but I thought I should pop by and say hello, let you know what's new and exciting.

This morning was the best yet in Nizhni. I went to a baby house. We have these 'service days' on Fridays, and today was our first one. I get to go to a house with babies- which is sad, because they are babies that no one wants. Most of them have some kind of mental development issue, like down syndrome or autism. THEY ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS CHILDREN I HAVE EVER SEEN. They just ran at us (okay, toddled, because for one thing they're pretty little and don't really know how to run without falling down and for another they are bundled up so that they are basically like snowmen with boogers running down and all over their faces)- anyway, they ran at us with arms flung wide open, faces split open with smiles, all laughter. Wanting to be picked up, thrown round, bounced, just touched. I can't remember all their names, or the names of the women in charge, but I think two of them are Nastya and one is Vanya, but they ALL have boogers EVERYWHERE. Which makes it kind of hard to play with them without geting yourself covered in boogs, but whatever. This is Russia.
The woman in charge of the three of us (me, Leah, and Ashleigh, the two other girls who went) decided immediately that I was the best Russian speaker of us and kept talking to me whenever she wanted us to do something or go somewhere. That was fun for me (not so much for hte other two girls) but next week Ruth will be with Ashleigh and I instead of Leah, and she's one ofthe strongest Russian speakers in our group, so it's pretty much hopeless that anyone at the baby house will try to talk to me again. Oh well. I had one good day! We'd been told that the babushka's don't really like it when you pick up the babies (they don't, but I think it's mainly for their safety) and so, thinking that we'd just be holding infants, I was worried that it'd be extremely awkward, showing up at a place you're not wanted. But the women at the house smiled and seemed to enjoy that the children were enjoying us. So. It was good. And it made my heart extremely happy, just to touch the children and make them laugh, because people need that kind of thing.

I must dash to lunch! Oh! I've started taking my camera to meals so I can show you what we eat. I'll post soon! Paka!