Asina, nanny extraordinaire

Remember when I was writing about how much I hated leaving Eleanor with the nanny?  Remember how I told you that Eleanor would heave and sob every time she left my arms and that I was left wondering if perhaps the problem was Asina? Do you remember how I agonized over leaving my child with someone that wasn't me, and that I felt like I was doing irreperable damage to Eleanor, to myself, and to our relationship?

Turns out that was just Eleanor's giardia talking.

Asina is amazing. And each day I am increasingly grateful to have her as a part of our lives. Not only because it gives me the littlest of breaks (some time alone, which, in addition to having some daylight hours to work, has meant that I've been able to finally start exercising again) but primarily because I see how much fun Eleanor has with her. And I think that Eleanor appreciates the break from mom too- especially when Tim's in the field and it's just she and I 24 hours a day. Asina takes her out into the village where they visit children and can actually talk to them; where they are invited into peoples' homes; where they see the chickens and just born kittens, or the cow that is being milked.

One morning Asina and Eleanor returned from playing outside carrying the match box that I had given them to return to Eleanor's friend, Manca (Manca had given it to her the day before while playing outside and I didn't mean for us to take it home). "We couldn't find Manca, "Asina said, "so we had to just make our own matches."
-kjd