today and yesterday

Tony gave money to a street kid today. I don't know if that was good or bad. It's hard to know what is right in those situations. Some street kids here in Buenos Aires have homes, most do from what I understand. Their parents send them out to beg. If they come home with no money, they get beaten. The money they do come home with, the parents sometimes use it to buy alcohol, or even drugs. At least that's what Tony says. I guess he would know since he's from here.

My daughter was sitting in the back seat today when we stopped at a red light and Tony whistled the kid over. She asked why Papi just gave that kid something, and what did he give him? After I explained, she said, "I bet he has to decide if he's going to buy a toy for himself, or take the money home so he doesn't get beaten." I said, yes, maybe - he probably wasn't thinking to buy a toy for himself, but maybe just something to eat.

Today my two-year old was bothering a dog and got bitten - well, more like grazed on the arm. My first thought was rabies. My sister-in-law assured me that the dog was fully vaccinated, the dog is just old and doesn't want to be bothered, so she snapped. Sick sinking feeling in my stomach, followed by quick urgent pleading prayers as I scrubbed baby's arm with soap and water, and realized I just have to get used to these sorts of things - trusting that God will let me know when I really have to worry and when not.

Today my boy was taking a shower at midnight, after a long weekend out visiting and visiting and visiting ("I am so sick of visiting people all the time!" he said today) - when the water abrubtly shut off. We heard him crying in the shower and went running thinking he got electrocuted again or something. After realizing that, yes, there was suddenly no water in the house, I quickly scrounged around for a few bottles of drinking water which I heated up over the gas stove for Tony to pour over his head so he could rinse the shampoo and soap off. It was so sad when he said he was praying and crying out to God in the shower in his loudest voice to turn the water back on, but nothing happened. As Tony helped rinse him off with the bottled water, I prayed it would go far enough so he could. You never know what bad experience or the way you react to it will turn your kids off to God and ruin their faith... we seem to be walking on such eggs shells these days.

Yesterday we rode in a car that actually had seat belts in it. Wow, what a luxury!, I happily exclaimed to myself. I sat my littlest one on my lap and was able to strap both of us safely in, and even felt really good about doing so. Funny how your definition of safe begins to shift... Later we squeezed 7 people into that same little car: 5 in the back, piled up however we could fit us in, and 2 up front. ALL trips in cars here are bathed in much prayer.

Yesterday we had asado. 

Today we had asado. 

Tomorrow is a holiday, and I think we are having asado. Again. *sigh*

We have been out visiting old friends and remaining family members until you just don't want to see another person for a very long time. My kids are so tired of visiting people. I don't blame them. So am I.

Ah, but alas, we still have all Tony's childhood friends to see, and several more friends from his former work. (*sigh again*)

Yesterday Tony went out for a jog in the morning and was attacked by a dog who wanted to bite him. The dog jumped on him, Tony kicked him away and yelled at him, then took off after him yelling to scare him, and the dog finally ran away. He came back from his healthy little run a bit more sobered and not as much relaxed as he had expected. He also said he felt like his chest was going to explode from all the pollution. It's smells of diesel or cigarrette smoke all the time here. We were spoiled country folk back home.

(I'm still country folk - and still can't wait to get out of town. But, what can you do? Can't move back to Argentina and not see everyone. They'd be so offended if we didn't put in our mandatory two weeks here in BA. I hope it's enough, cause I ain't comin back here.)

just one more week, Lord-willing, til we head to Patagonia...