The AIC week in pictures

(Disclaimer: A couple of these photos/updates are from 10 days ago, but "The AIC week-and-a-half in pictures" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. So let's just let that slide, eh?)

It has been a ridiculously busy week. Unfortunately I don't even have photos of all of the ridiculous-ness. But here are some photos that I did manage to get:

Vicky and Rajan (Raj for short), the two brothers who are staying with us for a short while, are not really able to sit still for long. So reading time sort of turned into jump-on-Eric-dada time that particular night.

The kids have been given an inordinate number of school projects to complete this month. I had been wondering what had caused their school's newfound obsession with arts and crafts assignments when they finally brought home a notice about Exhibition Day. We attended Exhibition Day a few days ago, and had the opportunity to walk around and see all of the kids' projects (because, you know, evidently we didn't see enough of their projects when we helped them complete them late into the night!). Here is Geeta with one of her many, many assignments. [Can we talk about how cute it is that she included Sanjay as one of her soccer heroes??]

The 7th standard tutor pulled me aside one day and told me that Jyoti is "absolutely extraordinary" and that with the proper guidance she could easily become a doctor or engineer or anything, really. (Obviously, my response was something along the lines of, "tell me something I don't already know!") Jyoti turned 14 today...I can barely wrap my mind around how grown-up she's become.

The oh-so-naughty Vicky and his younger brother Rajan. These two are quite a pair. Vicky loves to regale us with stories (this kid has quite the imagination!) and Rajan is an active, smiley little guy. Both LOVE to eat and ask for food every, oh, 5 minutes. They've been with us for less than two weeks, but already we've seen lots of little improvements in their behavior. The big kids are so good with them, too...makes my heart all warm and fuzzy. :-)

We thought we'd throw in a dental camp amidst the surgeries, because, you know, we can't really consider it a full week at AIC unless faculty and students from a local dental college have come to look in hundreds of our kids' and community members' mouths over a two day span in addition to everything else...
You can't really read the writing because of the camera flash, but Pooja's Thanksgiving project says "I am thankful for the chance to go to 5th Std and I am also very, very thankful for my teacher." I can't wait to see where this girl goes in life; she's seriously awesome.

On the morning of Ashwini's operation, all of the Residential kids got together to wish her luck and give her hugs as she was leaving. It was a nice little send-off and she left for the hospital feeling loved and cared about. The surgery was a success and she even had her dressing taken off yesterday, which she was thrilled about, because big, bulky, conspicuously-white bandages wrapped around one's entire head are an image-conscious 14-year old girl's worst nightmare. Poor Ashwini. But at least it's over with for now!
And saving the best for last - here's Sahil, who was up and running (literally) around the hospital a mere 4 days after his open heart surgery! Today, exactly 7 days after the surgery, he was discharged and is staying at the Residential home with his mother for about a week so that his wound won't become infected while it is healing (dirty slum = not good for post-operative care). Also, here we can make sure he takes his medicine correctly and eats lots of healthy food. With Sahil, his mother, Vicky and Rajan, we're up to twenty people living in our home this week! The more the merrier, or so they say...haha.

Thank goodness tomorrow is mostly unscheduled thus far. I am looking forward to a cup of chai and the Sunday newspaper while the kids are at soccer practice...mmmmh.

Happy weekend!