Another food thing I forgot.
When my girls buy bags of chips, you can pay to add hot sauce to the bag.
You purchase the bag, the store owner opens it, puts in salsa, then you probably suck the chips out of the bag. It’s a very fine art, tricky to do without getting red liquid all over yourself.
(I’ve included a picture of this on my facebook)
Right now we are having a spider/insect invasion (not including flies). I’m holding up well, considering I used to not kill insects. Now I kill them quite a few times a day without feeling horribly guilty. I’m okay with it because I know if I let them live they will reproduce exponentially. Plus it takes a lot more time to capture them safely and walk them outside then to just smash their little exoskeletons. I don’t really know what else to do.
On Saturday, I went on a bike ride. At one point there was some barbed wire in the road. Danielle said, “Don’t hit that.” And I said, “yeah, that’s some bad barbed wire.” And she was all “no, the insect.” I made some stupid remark about how she’s a hippie, animal loving, Coloradoan (which I mispronounced) before she told me that if I smashed it, it would reek.
I was very happy for that incident, as I saw the exact same bug in my house yesterday. I thought about smashing it, but then realized I didn’t want my house to smell. So it became the first bug I saved in 5 months.
These spiders are the slowest moving spiders I have ever seen. I’ve never seen them walking. They are always just standing still, out in the open, on a wall, on the floor. Even when provoked, the ones I’ve bugged only move far enough away that you aren’t touching them (1 mm?) Maybe they are just lazy spiders. I looked in every spider taxonomy I could find, but still don’t know what kind they are.
Being in Mexico has made me do crazy things. One of those things was going on the bike ride. Danielle made it sound so fun and easy. “We’ll just ride to Gaston’s (a restaurant on the beach), then ride into town and visit the cathedral, then ride home.” The company was good enough, but trying to bike on roads that have a lot of sand isn’t fun. It was a lot of work! And usually when we go to these places, we are in cars, so I miscalculated how far away we were heading in our adventure. I told her that I didn’t want to eat at Gaston’s, but 40 minutes later, I’d certainly changed my mind. When we got there, our server saw us, and he even put our bikes out of the way for us! We probably spent 2 hours there, and I needed it for sure! Then we biked into town, this was considerably easier, as we were on damp dirt roads that were fairly well compacted. We got to the cathedral, and even though the sign said it was open, it wasn’t. What good is a church that isn’t open! So we talked about Psalm 148, and I prayed for my family as they had been at mass that day for Uncle Norbert, and then we moved on.
The part of the ride home was exhilarating. It was the easy, breezy, part I’d imagined. We went a different way home, and part of it was down a little hill. I honestly got a little scared of how fast I was going, but was pleased b/c I thought I might stay that fast until I arrived home. I had a basket on the front end of my bike (with my bag and sweater in it), but we had experienced a lot of bumps during the ride and it had come loose. As soon as my bike had broken into break neck speed it started making a rubbing sound. At first I thought it was a flat tire. Then I quickly realized the basket had become unattached. Before I could do anything about it, everything was flung forward and I rode directly over it’s contents with both tires. Two artificial speed bumps, that I couldn't have missed if I would have wanted to. I stopped as quickly as I could; 30 feet forward of where everything had fallen out, and surveyed the damage. Nothing broken (cell phone, camera, books, etc.) but my bag was full of dirt. I was surprised that I hadn’t crashed because of it.
Overall we probably biked for 1.5 hours, maybe more.
Monday night, and my whole body is still sore, but I think I would do it again. I at least want to go down that hill and see how long I can keep the velocity. ☺
One of my girls, she came here on her own choice, well, her aunt and uncle have started the legal process to get her back. It might be as soon as July. We don’t know if they are good people, Children’s Services doesn’t see anything wrong with them, but she doesn’t want to go back. They seem ok. I’m not sure what is the best for her, but you can keep the situation in prayer. They were supposed to visit us on Sunday, but didn’t show up, and she was hurt. She is vacillating between being dramatic about not going back, or being resigned to allowing it to happen.
Anyways. I’ve spent enough time writing tonite. If you wanna see some cute pictures, like V trying to pick which glasses, or some from the quinceanera, or even, of our bike ride (where I show my dexterity by taking a photo WHILE peddling.-I wish I had video of that!), or of the type of spider that has been bothering us, or of my packages that mysteriously got mud on them before they were delivered, or of the girls sucking the chips out of their bags, just go here.
Recent Photos
Have a loco lunes. ☺
.
.
Monday, April 21, 2008
"High above the city...
...through the ceiling of the stars so cruel and pretty"
In my town…(cont'd)
You can hear peacocks at night. Calling. (Peacock in Spanish is “Royal Turkey” have I told you that before?) I live close to people who own a bunch of peacocks. Apparently, peacocks can fly. Anyways, we awoke one morning to find a kind of tragedy that happened.. I’ll spare you the details, and any photos, but suffice it to say one is dead now. One of the boys went and collected a bunch of the feathers out of the road and put them in a vase for his mom in our living room. It looks nice.
Oh, if you ever call, and leave a message, just assume I didn’t get it. Call again, or email me and let me know you called. Thanks!
Food
_____
I went in the kitchen late for dinner the other night, just to see that it had all already been eaten. I wasn’t too hungry anyways and so just went back to what I’d been doing. About ten minutes later, I found myself going back to the kitchen for some water or something, and here is one of the girls, V, making me eggs! It was really thoughtful, although unnecessary. :) It's so hard to say no to someone who has gone out of their way for you.
Some Mexican things I find myself eating.
Tamarindo. Tart, gooey, it is the fleshy part on the outside of the seeds, but inside the pod. I eat it straight up, but a lot of people buy suckers made out of it mixed with chile powder. GROSS!
Nopales-Looks like an ear of a cactus, we sometimes put it in salad, can’t tell you much more than that.
Jicama- looks a little like a potato. Tastes sweet? A little sweet, not very sweet. Maybe related to radishes, pears, apples? I chomp on it raw after it’s been diced. The kids eat it raw or put hot sauce on it, but they put hot sauce on everything.
Someone donated Spicy Thai Peanut sauce, like a restaurant size container (which is really the size of containers we need around here- We'll probably only get two or three uses out of it). SOOOOOO Good. I’ve had it twice in 2 days. (leftovers!) Some of the kids didn’t like it on their veggies and rice, but IT was amazing. God blesses us, knowing we can’t exactly go to a Thai restaurant around here. (It wasn't as spicy as I remember it in the states, but I think I'm getting used to eating spicy food.)
Yesterday I got to eat Ceviche. also REALLY good. and I think that's something I could easily prepare myself since there isn't "cooking" involved. Lime juice really does make everything better.
A couple of weeks ago my father and I were on the phone. He was telling me that if I needed anything now, or in the future all I have to do is ask. He was going on and on about how available he is and how I shouldn't even hesitate to ask. He was providing concrete examples of ways he could help me out when I interupted, "Would you send me an easter basket? I'd really like some Cadbury eggs." He immediately said, "I wasn't thinking of chocolate honey, something that would be HELPFUL. Something you really need and can't get in Mexico. Plus it would melt by the time it got to you. What could I get you that's non-perishable?"
I said then that he should forget about it, and that I'd let him know if I thought of anything, but that was all I really wanted.
Much to my surprise 5 days later, there was the biggest box filled with candy I have seen in my life.
Also, he told me I had to SHARE it :/
He sent a bunch of Resse's Easter Bunny Cups, and unfortunately ONLY ONE of my girls likes peanut butter ;) But I've certainly offered the Resse to my girls.
They also thought it looked gross how the Cadbury eggs have fake yoke inside them. I didn't bother to explain that it isn't real yoke. I wonder if that's why they haven't bugged me to try them ;) Although a couple of the girls tasted them and did like them. One outrightly said, "I'm not eating that!"
One of the girls remarked the only kind of chocolate eggs you can buy here are the ones that have little toys on the inside. I seem to recall reading an FDA warning about choking and seeing a recall for them in the US, but I suppose that's a perk for living in Mexico. (getting to eat chocolate with fun toys inside.) I told her they didn't have them in the US, but I didn't explain why. I'll have to write about safety stuff sometime.
anyways.
It's my bed time. Sorry this is shoddy. I still have like 32490782304 things to write about. So don't worry, I'll write tomorrow!
edit: Monday at 5 pm. It's less shoddy now.
In my town…(cont'd)
You can hear peacocks at night. Calling. (Peacock in Spanish is “Royal Turkey” have I told you that before?) I live close to people who own a bunch of peacocks. Apparently, peacocks can fly. Anyways, we awoke one morning to find a kind of tragedy that happened.. I’ll spare you the details, and any photos, but suffice it to say one is dead now. One of the boys went and collected a bunch of the feathers out of the road and put them in a vase for his mom in our living room. It looks nice.
Oh, if you ever call, and leave a message, just assume I didn’t get it. Call again, or email me and let me know you called. Thanks!
Food
_____
I went in the kitchen late for dinner the other night, just to see that it had all already been eaten. I wasn’t too hungry anyways and so just went back to what I’d been doing. About ten minutes later, I found myself going back to the kitchen for some water or something, and here is one of the girls, V, making me eggs! It was really thoughtful, although unnecessary. :) It's so hard to say no to someone who has gone out of their way for you.
Some Mexican things I find myself eating.
Tamarindo. Tart, gooey, it is the fleshy part on the outside of the seeds, but inside the pod. I eat it straight up, but a lot of people buy suckers made out of it mixed with chile powder. GROSS!
Nopales-Looks like an ear of a cactus, we sometimes put it in salad, can’t tell you much more than that.
Jicama- looks a little like a potato. Tastes sweet? A little sweet, not very sweet. Maybe related to radishes, pears, apples? I chomp on it raw after it’s been diced. The kids eat it raw or put hot sauce on it, but they put hot sauce on everything.
Someone donated Spicy Thai Peanut sauce, like a restaurant size container (which is really the size of containers we need around here- We'll probably only get two or three uses out of it). SOOOOOO Good. I’ve had it twice in 2 days. (leftovers!) Some of the kids didn’t like it on their veggies and rice, but IT was amazing. God blesses us, knowing we can’t exactly go to a Thai restaurant around here. (It wasn't as spicy as I remember it in the states, but I think I'm getting used to eating spicy food.)
Yesterday I got to eat Ceviche. also REALLY good. and I think that's something I could easily prepare myself since there isn't "cooking" involved. Lime juice really does make everything better.
A couple of weeks ago my father and I were on the phone. He was telling me that if I needed anything now, or in the future all I have to do is ask. He was going on and on about how available he is and how I shouldn't even hesitate to ask. He was providing concrete examples of ways he could help me out when I interupted, "Would you send me an easter basket? I'd really like some Cadbury eggs." He immediately said, "I wasn't thinking of chocolate honey, something that would be HELPFUL. Something you really need and can't get in Mexico. Plus it would melt by the time it got to you. What could I get you that's non-perishable?"
I said then that he should forget about it, and that I'd let him know if I thought of anything, but that was all I really wanted.
Much to my surprise 5 days later, there was the biggest box filled with candy I have seen in my life.
Also, he told me I had to SHARE it :/
He sent a bunch of Resse's Easter Bunny Cups, and unfortunately ONLY ONE of my girls likes peanut butter ;) But I've certainly offered the Resse to my girls.
They also thought it looked gross how the Cadbury eggs have fake yoke inside them. I didn't bother to explain that it isn't real yoke. I wonder if that's why they haven't bugged me to try them ;) Although a couple of the girls tasted them and did like them. One outrightly said, "I'm not eating that!"
One of the girls remarked the only kind of chocolate eggs you can buy here are the ones that have little toys on the inside. I seem to recall reading an FDA warning about choking and seeing a recall for them in the US, but I suppose that's a perk for living in Mexico. (getting to eat chocolate with fun toys inside.) I told her they didn't have them in the US, but I didn't explain why. I'll have to write about safety stuff sometime.
anyways.
It's my bed time. Sorry this is shoddy. I still have like 32490782304 things to write about. So don't worry, I'll write tomorrow!
edit: Monday at 5 pm. It's less shoddy now.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Such a balancing act...
so it's my day off.
my days on are fairly busy, or at least, I think so.
and I could be...
a. calling friends/relatives back home.
b. emailing friends/relatives back home.
or
c. building relationships with the people in whose community I live.
This has been a tough problem for me, honestly.
I want so much to be involved in all your lives, and I want to stay updated on things, and I want to write really good reply emails to the people I care about... (Aunt Fran! I swear I haven't forgotten, even though it's been a month!!!)
But I also don't want to live like a recluse here, all cozy with my computer.
I desire balance in this area of my life, and I'm not sure how to get it.
anyways.
It's so much easier sometimes to just write about the things that are important to me, that I want to remember, and that I want that you all know.
so here we go again.
My Uncle Nobert died. I had to send electronic condolences. That was super awkward for me, but I did it. He would have been 80 next month, and had been fighting cancer. Really, it was the radiation or chemo that did him in. It makes me appreciate having my brother around still, knowing my mom has lost one of hers. I'm glad he's not in pain anymore, and I hope our family can find peace in this.
I'm much better at comforting after a bad dream than pulling a splinter out. I'm partially guilty b/c I heard the boys telling her about this scary man that attacks kids in the middle of the night, and I didn't stop them to tell her it was a lie. and I went a step further and I contributed and said that he has long fingernails b/c he doesn't have a mother to remind him to cut them. oops!
My deaf girl, C, was really funny. V had the bad dream, and C was helping me console her. C doesn't speak English, and I was consoling V in English, and C just kept nodding her head, agreeing with everything I was saying. (even if she understood English, I was talking too fast for her to comprehend it.)
I have like 45908340 more things to write about, but I need to head out. I'm going on a bike ride today! We're gonna bike towards the beach, and then back into town, and gonna visit the Catholic church in town. Maybe I'll do a little prayer service of my own, as that would have been where I was had I been in Ohio.
I also have some cute pics to put up. (of my kids)
Yes, Amber, I did get your box, and it was amazing.
and Kelley (not that you read this, maybe sometimes) I got your box too and it was also amazing.
(and I won Settlers of Catan last night, and it was amazing :) but I drank coffee at 9 at night, and then couldn't fall asleep until midnight, stupid mistake.)
my days on are fairly busy, or at least, I think so.
and I could be...
a. calling friends/relatives back home.
b. emailing friends/relatives back home.
or
c. building relationships with the people in whose community I live.
This has been a tough problem for me, honestly.
I want so much to be involved in all your lives, and I want to stay updated on things, and I want to write really good reply emails to the people I care about... (Aunt Fran! I swear I haven't forgotten, even though it's been a month!!!)
But I also don't want to live like a recluse here, all cozy with my computer.
I desire balance in this area of my life, and I'm not sure how to get it.
anyways.
It's so much easier sometimes to just write about the things that are important to me, that I want to remember, and that I want that you all know.
so here we go again.
My Uncle Nobert died. I had to send electronic condolences. That was super awkward for me, but I did it. He would have been 80 next month, and had been fighting cancer. Really, it was the radiation or chemo that did him in. It makes me appreciate having my brother around still, knowing my mom has lost one of hers. I'm glad he's not in pain anymore, and I hope our family can find peace in this.
I'm much better at comforting after a bad dream than pulling a splinter out. I'm partially guilty b/c I heard the boys telling her about this scary man that attacks kids in the middle of the night, and I didn't stop them to tell her it was a lie. and I went a step further and I contributed and said that he has long fingernails b/c he doesn't have a mother to remind him to cut them. oops!
My deaf girl, C, was really funny. V had the bad dream, and C was helping me console her. C doesn't speak English, and I was consoling V in English, and C just kept nodding her head, agreeing with everything I was saying. (even if she understood English, I was talking too fast for her to comprehend it.)
I have like 45908340 more things to write about, but I need to head out. I'm going on a bike ride today! We're gonna bike towards the beach, and then back into town, and gonna visit the Catholic church in town. Maybe I'll do a little prayer service of my own, as that would have been where I was had I been in Ohio.
I also have some cute pics to put up. (of my kids)
Yes, Amber, I did get your box, and it was amazing.
and Kelley (not that you read this, maybe sometimes) I got your box too and it was also amazing.
(and I won Settlers of Catan last night, and it was amazing :) but I drank coffee at 9 at night, and then couldn't fall asleep until midnight, stupid mistake.)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
In My Town...
...you can't go very fast because the roads aren't paved, and there are tons of pot holes! (that's why I LOVED driving to Ensenada. so many paved roads!!! and it's a treat to drive fast!)
...only the highway that goes all the way down the peninsula, and the road to the hospital are paved.
...dust cakes our back windshield so much I can't see out the back of it even though the car was washed a few days ago.
...the beach is a better road than the roads.
...atv's pass other "real" vehicles recklessly.
In my neighborhood...
...I've only had to stop at an intersection twice in 4 months.
...you usually wave when you pass another car. You probably know them.
...the best road has a man made speed bump on it, in case you do go too fast.
Other news,
I've now driven a diesel. not that that is important. but boy was starting it tricky!
Ensenada however, is much larger than where I live. MUCH.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We got lost for about 45 minutes in Ensenada on Monday, and even though we'd just been to an EYE DOCTOR appt to get V-- some glasses, I kept asking her- "What's that street sign say? Can you read it so I can keep my eyes on the road?" and she'd say "but I don't have glasses!" We did that 3 or 4 times.
What ended up helping us more than anything was a man at a gas station who allowed us to follow him, and then he wildly waved his arm out the window when we passed the street we wanted to be at.
Part of the directions I had been given were "two blocks after the McDonalds...." yeah, turns out Ensenada has two McDonalds on the main road, "Reforma."
My girls and I did stop at the McDonalds to eat, their request, and they were so tongue tied! Usually when we eat out, we eat at Taco stands. Some are proper buildings. Some are nothing more than bits of plywood nailed together. None have any flashy signs, shiny floors, or photos of the products they offer. Also there are two, or three choices. with 5 different toppings. It took us forever to order at McDonalds, and even then, the employee just asked them if they wanted this or that, and the girls said yes or no. I didn't eat there. I ate at a taco stand. :)
In McDonalds, C-- went to the bathroom. She came out panicked. I wasn't sure that I wanted to go in and see what the problem was, but it turned out she couldn't figure out how to turn the faucet on. haha.
(The other thing that shocked me about McDonalds, was the amount of plastic inside the restaurant. Everything seemed full of polyurethane or whatever that is. It just seemed so fake! Our taco stands, or other establishments, are more gritty, real, with rusty metal, concrete floors, wood walls, metal stools to sit on.)
((One of my girls is currently complaining that Dad isn't listening to her, but she keeps asking him a question WHILE HE IS ON THE PHONE. of course he's not going to listen to you, you're being rude.))
We had 4 appts in Ensenada on Monday. We only waited in a waiting room for one of them, and I noticed that every person that came into the office, greeted everyone by making sweeping eye contact and saying "Good Evening." How different than American culture.
Last week, I went to finally get my ankle x-rayed. It only cost $30, I waited like 2 minutes to go in, and I got my results maybe 5 minutes after the exam. (I don't have a broken ankle, but there might have been a little crack in it that has healed.) I love how you don't need an appt.
which leads me to the next thing...
One of our appts I'd made in Ensenada, I hadn't really made.
I'd accidentally called the office of the doctor who'd given us the referral and made another appt with him.
When we got to the office, the ladies were confused.
You called us?
I checked my cell phone, and realized I'd called the wrong doctor's office.
Nonetheless, the doctor still saw us, even though it looked like he wanted to head home.
I have a couple more things to share, tomorrow?
...only the highway that goes all the way down the peninsula, and the road to the hospital are paved.
...dust cakes our back windshield so much I can't see out the back of it even though the car was washed a few days ago.
...the beach is a better road than the roads.
...atv's pass other "real" vehicles recklessly.
In my neighborhood...
...I've only had to stop at an intersection twice in 4 months.
...you usually wave when you pass another car. You probably know them.
...the best road has a man made speed bump on it, in case you do go too fast.
Other news,
I've now driven a diesel. not that that is important. but boy was starting it tricky!
Ensenada however, is much larger than where I live. MUCH.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We got lost for about 45 minutes in Ensenada on Monday, and even though we'd just been to an EYE DOCTOR appt to get V-- some glasses, I kept asking her- "What's that street sign say? Can you read it so I can keep my eyes on the road?" and she'd say "but I don't have glasses!" We did that 3 or 4 times.
What ended up helping us more than anything was a man at a gas station who allowed us to follow him, and then he wildly waved his arm out the window when we passed the street we wanted to be at.
Part of the directions I had been given were "two blocks after the McDonalds...." yeah, turns out Ensenada has two McDonalds on the main road, "Reforma."
My girls and I did stop at the McDonalds to eat, their request, and they were so tongue tied! Usually when we eat out, we eat at Taco stands. Some are proper buildings. Some are nothing more than bits of plywood nailed together. None have any flashy signs, shiny floors, or photos of the products they offer. Also there are two, or three choices. with 5 different toppings. It took us forever to order at McDonalds, and even then, the employee just asked them if they wanted this or that, and the girls said yes or no. I didn't eat there. I ate at a taco stand. :)
In McDonalds, C-- went to the bathroom. She came out panicked. I wasn't sure that I wanted to go in and see what the problem was, but it turned out she couldn't figure out how to turn the faucet on. haha.
(The other thing that shocked me about McDonalds, was the amount of plastic inside the restaurant. Everything seemed full of polyurethane or whatever that is. It just seemed so fake! Our taco stands, or other establishments, are more gritty, real, with rusty metal, concrete floors, wood walls, metal stools to sit on.)
((One of my girls is currently complaining that Dad isn't listening to her, but she keeps asking him a question WHILE HE IS ON THE PHONE. of course he's not going to listen to you, you're being rude.))
We had 4 appts in Ensenada on Monday. We only waited in a waiting room for one of them, and I noticed that every person that came into the office, greeted everyone by making sweeping eye contact and saying "Good Evening." How different than American culture.
Last week, I went to finally get my ankle x-rayed. It only cost $30, I waited like 2 minutes to go in, and I got my results maybe 5 minutes after the exam. (I don't have a broken ankle, but there might have been a little crack in it that has healed.) I love how you don't need an appt.
which leads me to the next thing...
One of our appts I'd made in Ensenada, I hadn't really made.
I'd accidentally called the office of the doctor who'd given us the referral and made another appt with him.
When we got to the office, the ladies were confused.
You called us?
I checked my cell phone, and realized I'd called the wrong doctor's office.
Nonetheless, the doctor still saw us, even though it looked like he wanted to head home.
I have a couple more things to share, tomorrow?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
"I'm going outside to take it all in..."
soo much has happened in the last few weeks, and I’ve been too busy to blog.
The Quinceanera went fabulously. It was interesting doing the party at her school since she goes to a special school. There were blind kids, deaf kids, down syndrome kids, all kinds of special needs children. I got to boogie down, which is always enjoyable, but sometimes it looked like the children were having more fun than us! I had never been involved in a school party from a “parent” point of view, just from a teacher point of view, so that was new and interesting. Our other kids were great, they helped serve the food, set up the decorations, and helped out the kids that had trouble feeding themselves.
One of my girls, M, took it upon herself to walk around with a student her own age and quizzed him on all his colors and names of objects. She was very proud to feel like a teacher. I think it was a new experience for her.
I had the responsibility of helping my girls fill the piñata with candy for their “sister.” Apparently it’s a bad idea to make a slit and then tape it back up. It’s better to make a small round hole. It was my first time though, and fittingly, the first time the birthday girl struck the piñata, it broke open! Gah. So the teachers just dumped the candy out over top the kids heads. But maybe it’s safer that way????
In the last week, I’ve seen three piñatas broken. Definitely more than in my life time. My favorite was two men up on the rooftop moving the rope around so it was like the piñata was dive bombing the person trying to hit it.
More later. I didn’t get home last night till almost 12 from a road trip to Ensenada for some doctors appts for two of my kids, and the special groceries I bought at Wal-mart are littering my floor.
I haven’t been around the house in like 3 days (or at least, that’s how it feels.)
(oh, we went to the beach Sunday, it was like 88 degrees. ☺ One of the small perks of living here.)
Not everything is beachy here though. We had the offer to take in 2 new girls, but they ended up going to another family in our organization. Before I realized that, I told my girls they were going to live with us, and my girls were not happy about that. We had a little family meeting about their attitudes and discussed that other children need good homes too, and that we have 2 beds to offer. I understand the fear that might come from adding two strangers to your family, but my girls need to have compassion as well. You can pray that they would feel secure here, and able to be compassionate to who ever comes.
Johanne, the head house mom on our property, hurt her knee pretty bad on Sunday, so we've all had extra to do. I never realized how much time it takes out of your day just driving kids to school and back!
there's so much to take in right now... :)
The Quinceanera went fabulously. It was interesting doing the party at her school since she goes to a special school. There were blind kids, deaf kids, down syndrome kids, all kinds of special needs children. I got to boogie down, which is always enjoyable, but sometimes it looked like the children were having more fun than us! I had never been involved in a school party from a “parent” point of view, just from a teacher point of view, so that was new and interesting. Our other kids were great, they helped serve the food, set up the decorations, and helped out the kids that had trouble feeding themselves.
One of my girls, M, took it upon herself to walk around with a student her own age and quizzed him on all his colors and names of objects. She was very proud to feel like a teacher. I think it was a new experience for her.
I had the responsibility of helping my girls fill the piñata with candy for their “sister.” Apparently it’s a bad idea to make a slit and then tape it back up. It’s better to make a small round hole. It was my first time though, and fittingly, the first time the birthday girl struck the piñata, it broke open! Gah. So the teachers just dumped the candy out over top the kids heads. But maybe it’s safer that way????
In the last week, I’ve seen three piñatas broken. Definitely more than in my life time. My favorite was two men up on the rooftop moving the rope around so it was like the piñata was dive bombing the person trying to hit it.
More later. I didn’t get home last night till almost 12 from a road trip to Ensenada for some doctors appts for two of my kids, and the special groceries I bought at Wal-mart are littering my floor.
I haven’t been around the house in like 3 days (or at least, that’s how it feels.)
(oh, we went to the beach Sunday, it was like 88 degrees. ☺ One of the small perks of living here.)
Not everything is beachy here though. We had the offer to take in 2 new girls, but they ended up going to another family in our organization. Before I realized that, I told my girls they were going to live with us, and my girls were not happy about that. We had a little family meeting about their attitudes and discussed that other children need good homes too, and that we have 2 beds to offer. I understand the fear that might come from adding two strangers to your family, but my girls need to have compassion as well. You can pray that they would feel secure here, and able to be compassionate to who ever comes.
Johanne, the head house mom on our property, hurt her knee pretty bad on Sunday, so we've all had extra to do. I never realized how much time it takes out of your day just driving kids to school and back!
there's so much to take in right now... :)
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