So many updates, so little time.

It's already 12:30 A.M. and we've got an early (and busy - keep reading to find out why) morning tomorrow, so bullet format will have to suffice.

• As of earlier this week, we have two little Waghri kiddos staying with us for about a month while their family/home/living situation is sorted out. It was either our house or the streets, and the younger of the two brothers had a horrific ear infection and both have been begging to feed themselves, so I agreed to have them with us for the month. I've known them for years, but their living situation has deteriorated significantly in recent days due to turbulent family events, so we've got new (temporary - no, I swear) additions to the family for the moment. Their names are Rajan and Vicky and they are 5-ish and 7-ish respectively. Very cute, but so, so, soooo naughty. Definitely keeping us on our toes, because, you know, normal day-to-day life here apparently isn't busy enough!

• Ashwini is having surgery TOMORROW! Finally. After such a long wait, she will finally be having the huge holes in her eardrums dealt with, one ear at a time. The doctors will be operating on her right ear tomorrow, and her left ear after a few months. She has 50% hearing loss in each ear, probably from untreated infections during her childhood, and the doctors say that her hearing should be restored following the surgery. I can't even tell you how incredibly excited she is. It's so funny to think that just three years ago when I first took her to the ENT doctor for her check-up (and because she had a bad ear infection) within a week of her coming to live with us, she cried and refused to let the doctor even look in her ears with the otoscope. She wouldn't allow him to come within 2 feet of her because she had never been to a doctor before in her life and was absolutely terrified. And if I remember correctly, the visit ended with her literally fleeing the doctor's office and refusing to go back in. So this girl has come a LONG way!

• We have a patient in very serious condition at Sassoon Hospital right now...the doctors have confirmed falciparum malaria, and because his blood platelet count is unbelievably low, suspect he also has dengue fever. Not a good combination, and we're doing everything we can to ensure that he makes it, which has meant late nights at the hospital and lots of running around to arrange platelet transfusions. So far though, he's stayed stable and the doctors are cautiously optimistic, so we're hopeful...
  

• We held a free dental check-up camp today at our Health Outreach Centre, run by students and faculty members of the Bharati Vidhyapeeth Dental College. It was well attended by the Waghri community, and watching the nursery students walk over from the Education Centre in a single file line with their teachers so that they could get their teeth checked totally made my day. Adorable.

I have some amazing news but am going to wait until tomorrow when I will (hopefully) get the chance to do a proper Thanksgiving post. Yes, we celebrate Thanksgiving here at the AIC house...it's become a tradition now, and the kids really like it. Pilgrims , Native Americans and bountiful harvests aside, giving thanks is something that we could all use more encouragement to do. So we here at the AIC home take the opportunity and talk about what we're grateful for and we even try our hand at some of the traditional Thanksgiving foods (no turkey though, alas).

We have so much to be thankful for this year. More about that soon (and photos, lots of photos!); goodnight for now!