It's harder than I thought it would be. The days are long and I find myself feeling emotions I never expected. Emotions like anger and annoyance at the children and the whole situation. Its not that I don't adore them all and appreciate the experience but lately I have been feeling very confused and overwhelmed. Children I think push your boundaries in ways nothing and no one else can, thats why having them is such a feat. This experience has made me appreciate my mother even more than ever. I find myself channeling her on a regular basis. I see how unfairly people around the world treat children and I am so grateful for how respectfully I was treated as a child. My mother has an uncanny way of validating  her children. I was never an easy child ( basically refusing to go to school) but I was allowed to become who I am because she always honored and respected my feelings. There is this concept that children are some how less than us adults. But in reality they are individuals with their own path and their own history and just as much our equal. Especially these children who come to us with unfathomable stories of neglect, tragedy and abuse already in their young lives. I think the best thing you can do when a child is acting "naughty" is not try fight  the "bad" behavior by yelling or getting angry but instead respect their feelings and try honor them. This of course is not always easy when you have thirty children shouting and hitting each other but maybe its the thought that counts. 

 I have learned have found in my brief experience of playing "mama" that being a mother or a guardian to a child is not necessarily about being all "lovey dovey" but about being a solid and reliable force in their lives. You should act as a sturdy tree for them to climb on and explore from; both literally and figuratively.  It is hard to work with children, they are uncontrollable and the more you try to control them the more they will rail against you.  

We went to the Cape of Good Hope on friday. I stood at the end of world and  staring back at the striking mountains of the African coast rising out of the two oceans I thought what a site to see as an early explorer. That night we went to a restaurant in town called Mama Africa. It is decorated with funky African art and a live band plays in one corner. We ordered a mixed grilled platter which consisted of crocodile, ostrich, koodoo and wild game sausage. All was very enjoyable and very filling. Crocodile is a white meat, quite a lot like chicken and it is even served with peanut sauce. The others are very tender red meats but with stronger flavors than beef. Cape Town at night is a bustle of different kinds of people.  There are many different accents floating through the air and I have found that most people are eager to chat and meet. The energy is fabulous here and I love just sitting in a cafe or a bar and soaking it all in.