After our brother paid Labolla for Nonhlanhla, her and their three year old daughter Olwethu moved to our compound permanently and now it seems we have a permanent weekend child! When she is not there to greet us bright and early on weekend mornings we quickly find ourselves asking "I wonder where Olwethu is?" She is so bright, saucy and funny and has come to almost completely fill the void left in my heart when I had to leave Caroline, Ireland, Emma and Nichole in Denver (who she is able to name as she points to their pictures on our refrigerator along with Eli and Anna Rose - pronounced anyadarose).
She helps with our laundry and dishes, flirts with Derek and eats all the food we offer her even if it makes her gag as the hummus did last week! When I introduced her to hot chocolate she nearly lost her mind and started running around yelling "siyaphuze ichocolate" (we are drinking chocolate). She talks non-stop in isiZulu to us and must think we have some sort of learning disability because we answer her back inappropriately over and over. "Eish Melissa." But the other day she did say as clear as anything "it is hot" before eating her eggs. Then she proceeded to ask who had cooked them and if they were nice because she only likes nice eggs. One of the best parts of my week is listening to her and Derek have a full on conversation where neither one of them has a clue what the other is talking about for ten minutes but they are finally able to agree that if she stops messing with his paint brushes, he will give her some juice, but she must clean up the floor if she spills it. I wish I could video tape the fiasco that has become laundry since she is always present to help us - it takes double the time as we have to correct her without her knowing we are doing so lest she loose her mind and reprimand us very sternly.
We have made an agreement with her mom that if she matriculates with good grades from high school we will pay for her to fly to the states for a visit so you all will be able to meet her some day about 15 years from now if you don't come to visit before then.
