Desert Sunrise: Little Boys

Family Time

Every night at 7:30 we have family time. Each volunteer is paired with two other volunteers and are assigned to a group of kids we call our family.

I am assigned to a group of little boys.

I slept through the first night of family time due to the crazy all-night events in Mumbai. Since I slept through the first night I didn't want to go the second night, but I did and I fell asleep on the floor before family time was over.

I was supposed to put them to bed not the other way around.

Seeing as family time obviously is not on my top of priorities I did not want to go tonight. After dinner I wanted to jump into bed, blog and get ready to sleep.

Really, getting there was the only hurdle. Once I was there I was overwhelmed with love. Seems like that is a common occurrence.

The little boy who read to me last night(when I fell asleep), Satij, grabbed me as soon as I walked into the boys' room and pulled me to the ground. He had a new book to read to me.

I wasn't tired tonight. I was impressed he remembered me, my name and that I would listen to him read.

These children have homework the volunteers help them do during family time and this little boy has to read fifteen minuets a night.

I remember reading with my mom for homework as a child. I found myself doing EXACTLY what my mom did when I read to her. My mom was a reading specialist so it was particularly frustrating reading to her seeing as I couldn't get away with making up my own words.

I made him sound out the words when he struggled. I wouldn't just tell him the word and move on. If he made up his own words I stopped him and asked him to try again. Both those things were exactly what I hated when I read to my mom. I think she knew what she was doing.

Thanks mom for all the years of tutoring.

Satij is such a good reader.

I love these little boys. They are so curious and climb all over you. I have the sweetest family. They all work so hard to do their reading and writing during family time.

these are my perfect children

I walked over to Cassie's family of boys. It was a madhouse. They were all fighting and chasing each other. When Cassie walked in to calm them down they all jumped on her. Poor girl. :)

These are her hellions