Saturday: I do not understand why I have to wake the kids up on school days and they are so tired and cranky yet on the weekend when we tell them to sleep in, they wake up earlier than they'd get woken up for school!! The kids were so excited to play with the new wii that we stayed home for most of the morning. In the afternoon we went to the temple site and were very excited to see that they were moving dirt!! The kids and I got to sit in the van and watch "scoop" load the dumptrucks while Chris took care of some work.
After Chris was done we headed off to a birthday party that Morgan had been invited to. She was pretty shy but excited to go. Everybody was starving so we thought we'd go into the restaurant and get food for the family before the party started. It's a good thing we did because when Morgan and I read the invitation we thought that the end time was when it started!! Apparently it went from 3-6 instead of starting at 6!! Oops!! At least we made it. Cole sure had a fun time playing with the younger brother of the birthday girls who is in his class at school. Cole definitely did more playing than all three of the girls combined! I felt pretty segregated since I couldn't really talk with the other moms. Oh, well.
Church was pretty good today. I had a couple of conversations in spanish with people and for the most part I understood what was going on. I went with Laina to Sunbeams until a member of the bishopric called me out. Laina (and her friend Izabella that I was holding) weren't too happy when I left them. The bishopric member had Lily with him to be the translator as they extended a new calling to me. I has actually been thinking the past few days about when I'd get a calling and what it would be. Everything that I have done before would be very difficult to do with the language barrier. I knew that whatever it was though, I'd be able to do with the help of the Lord. Hopefully I'll be able to do my best with what I have been asked to do. They'll sustain me next Sunday and until then, I'll leave everybody wondering!!
By the time I got done meeting with the bishopric member, Laina had calmed down so that I could take Alysa to her class. Chris stayed with all the kids for primary exercises so I could go to Relief Society. During the announcements they announced that on May 1st there would be a dentist at the church to put caps on the kids teeth. Chris jokes that we should all get gold caps for our Christmas picture!! At the end of the lesson the person conducting said something and looked at me and paused. Sully was sitting next to me and leaned over and said that they wanted me to say the closing prayer. EEK!!! I asked if I could do it in English and they said yes. I said it but for some reason I was extremely nervous!! I figure that I listen to all of the lessons in Spanish so they could listen to one prayer in English and get a small glimpse at what I am going through!!
Lily told me a pretty funny story today. When the kids went back to school after the trip to the zoo, they had some recess time and Alysa was playing with her friend Anemelia (sp?). They were on a teeter totter like thing and apparently going pretty high. Alysa screamed and Anemelia got off and ran to "Teacher Lily" and exclaimed with delight that, "She can scream in Spanish!!"
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
4/24/09
TWO MONTH MARK!! YEAH, IT’S FRDAY!!
It was so wonderful this morning to wake up with the alarm clock, go in and open the kids curtains and have Alysa roll over and say, “I’m going to get ready”. I was so shocked that she wasn’t whining and saying how much she hates school and won’t go!! The morning seemed to go so much better for her. Laina still wasn’t too happy though! It’s easier to deal with one cranky kid than two!
The school drop off was a little better today. Morgan and Cole just left for their Spanish class and Alysa and Laina played with Chris for a little while on the playground. When it was time for school to start we told the kids goodbye and left. Yes, Alysa was chasing after me screaming but Lily was able to intercept. Laina was stuck on a big swing and couldn’t get off to chase us!! We might have to put her on that swing everyday!!
Once we got out of the school feeling like mean parents, we headed to the temple site. There were surveyors at work and a backhoe came while we were there. I am SOOOO excited to see the work start. I can’t wait to see the changes. While we were there, Chris opened his first Dr. Pepper since we moved two months ago!! He got it for his birthday. While he was in Guatemala City he also went to check out a warehouse store like Costco. He was debating on getting a membership until he found two twelve packs of Dr. Pepper. He ran back and bought a membership and then bought the Dr. Pepper. He was also able to find root beer so we can make root beer floats!!
All the Kinder classes had a field trip to the zoo today. The parents were allowed to come join the group so Chris dropped me off at the zoo (just down the street from the temple site). When the bus pulled up, Chris and I were laughing so hard to see the bus. It was SOOOOOO packed!! They had 35-40 kids plus at least 5 adults in a small van/bus. The pictures don’t do it justice!!
(All of these people plus more came from inside the bus and look how full it still is!!)
Alysa really seemed to enjoy herself at the zoo once she realized that I wasn’t going to leave her. She apparently had a pretty rough first hour of school and wouldn’t go to her Spanish class. They ended up having her join Morgan and Cole in their Spanish class. I am kind of wondering if it might be better for her to join them even though she won’t be able to do all of the work that they do.
The zoo was pretty pathetic but for free you can’t complain.
They did have two jaguars that I liked.
(A funny animal)
(Yes, Alysa can smile!!)
I think the most exciting part was the playground. The kids played for a pretty long time on all the slides, swings, etc.
(How do kids not get killed on this thing?? Look at the huge gaps!! There are obviously no safety inspectors here!!)
(This slide was sooo cool. It was made out of stones, logs, and cement!!)
(Alysa had fun taking my picture. I wonder how old this tree was to get this big!)
(I was really trying to get a picture of the Mayan people behind Alysa. There were even some guys in their traditional clothing but I didn't get their pictures!)
(My little tree hugger)
(This was one of Alysa's favorite things to do at the park)
During the entire time with Alysa I kept focusing on how Alysa will need to get back on the bus and that Daddy and I were so excited to pick her up from school. I told her how excited Daddy and I get when we get to see her especially when she is happy. She seemed to like that. I also let her know that NO MATTER WHAT, we would NEVER leave her. That we would be so sad if she wasn’t with us. It seemed to help a little because when it came time to go, she was able to get in the bus (or course sitting on Lily’s lap!) and leave without crying. She even smiled and waved. She did mention several times during the day that she was going to get killed on that bus! She sure got a good laugh out of me when she said it!
When it was time to pick up the kids, Chris and I decided to try out the carpool (drive thru pick up) lane. The line was so long that I worried that we’d be too late to pick up Morgan and Cole at the other building if we waited in line so I walked over to the other building and left Chris in the carpool lane. When Morgan, Cole, and I got back, the line hadn’t moved much so we tried to hide so Alysa and Laina wouldn’t see us until Chris was able to get to the front of the line. He hasn’t gotten to see the kids at the end of the school day except the first day and since that’s the best part of the day, I thought I’d let him enjoy the moment. One of the teachers spied us though and brought the girls out to me. At least I tried!! All the kids were in great spirits and I was given good reports for all of them. The only downside was that they have homework for the weekend!! UGH!!
I think that the rainy season has hit. It was so strange to have rain. It rained late last night and then for a couple hours after school today. The kids said that it smells like Alaska. I can’t wait to see what it is like here when everything growing. The fields are all starting to grow a little! I still am amazed at how beautiful this place is.
(Laina sure had fun in the puddles. I didn't have quite as much fun cleaning up all the wet clothes and mud!)
Today was a good Spanish day for me. Lily told me that I had to do Spanish today. I had to really concentrate but I was able to say quite a bit (for me - in my opinion!!). I am still struggling a lot with people talking back to me though! Yes, it will come eventually!!
We finished off the day with a root beer float party and playing the new wii that Dave brought down!! Of course Chris and I had to stay up after the kids went to bed to "practice" how to use the wii!!
It was so wonderful this morning to wake up with the alarm clock, go in and open the kids curtains and have Alysa roll over and say, “I’m going to get ready”. I was so shocked that she wasn’t whining and saying how much she hates school and won’t go!! The morning seemed to go so much better for her. Laina still wasn’t too happy though! It’s easier to deal with one cranky kid than two!
The school drop off was a little better today. Morgan and Cole just left for their Spanish class and Alysa and Laina played with Chris for a little while on the playground. When it was time for school to start we told the kids goodbye and left. Yes, Alysa was chasing after me screaming but Lily was able to intercept. Laina was stuck on a big swing and couldn’t get off to chase us!! We might have to put her on that swing everyday!!
Once we got out of the school feeling like mean parents, we headed to the temple site. There were surveyors at work and a backhoe came while we were there. I am SOOOO excited to see the work start. I can’t wait to see the changes. While we were there, Chris opened his first Dr. Pepper since we moved two months ago!! He got it for his birthday. While he was in Guatemala City he also went to check out a warehouse store like Costco. He was debating on getting a membership until he found two twelve packs of Dr. Pepper. He ran back and bought a membership and then bought the Dr. Pepper. He was also able to find root beer so we can make root beer floats!!
All the Kinder classes had a field trip to the zoo today. The parents were allowed to come join the group so Chris dropped me off at the zoo (just down the street from the temple site). When the bus pulled up, Chris and I were laughing so hard to see the bus. It was SOOOOOO packed!! They had 35-40 kids plus at least 5 adults in a small van/bus. The pictures don’t do it justice!!
(All of these people plus more came from inside the bus and look how full it still is!!)
Alysa really seemed to enjoy herself at the zoo once she realized that I wasn’t going to leave her. She apparently had a pretty rough first hour of school and wouldn’t go to her Spanish class. They ended up having her join Morgan and Cole in their Spanish class. I am kind of wondering if it might be better for her to join them even though she won’t be able to do all of the work that they do.
The zoo was pretty pathetic but for free you can’t complain.
They did have two jaguars that I liked.
(A funny animal)
(Yes, Alysa can smile!!)
I think the most exciting part was the playground. The kids played for a pretty long time on all the slides, swings, etc.
(How do kids not get killed on this thing?? Look at the huge gaps!! There are obviously no safety inspectors here!!)
(This slide was sooo cool. It was made out of stones, logs, and cement!!)
(Alysa had fun taking my picture. I wonder how old this tree was to get this big!)
(I was really trying to get a picture of the Mayan people behind Alysa. There were even some guys in their traditional clothing but I didn't get their pictures!)
(My little tree hugger)
(This was one of Alysa's favorite things to do at the park)
During the entire time with Alysa I kept focusing on how Alysa will need to get back on the bus and that Daddy and I were so excited to pick her up from school. I told her how excited Daddy and I get when we get to see her especially when she is happy. She seemed to like that. I also let her know that NO MATTER WHAT, we would NEVER leave her. That we would be so sad if she wasn’t with us. It seemed to help a little because when it came time to go, she was able to get in the bus (or course sitting on Lily’s lap!) and leave without crying. She even smiled and waved. She did mention several times during the day that she was going to get killed on that bus! She sure got a good laugh out of me when she said it!
When it was time to pick up the kids, Chris and I decided to try out the carpool (drive thru pick up) lane. The line was so long that I worried that we’d be too late to pick up Morgan and Cole at the other building if we waited in line so I walked over to the other building and left Chris in the carpool lane. When Morgan, Cole, and I got back, the line hadn’t moved much so we tried to hide so Alysa and Laina wouldn’t see us until Chris was able to get to the front of the line. He hasn’t gotten to see the kids at the end of the school day except the first day and since that’s the best part of the day, I thought I’d let him enjoy the moment. One of the teachers spied us though and brought the girls out to me. At least I tried!! All the kids were in great spirits and I was given good reports for all of them. The only downside was that they have homework for the weekend!! UGH!!
I think that the rainy season has hit. It was so strange to have rain. It rained late last night and then for a couple hours after school today. The kids said that it smells like Alaska. I can’t wait to see what it is like here when everything growing. The fields are all starting to grow a little! I still am amazed at how beautiful this place is.
(Laina sure had fun in the puddles. I didn't have quite as much fun cleaning up all the wet clothes and mud!)
Today was a good Spanish day for me. Lily told me that I had to do Spanish today. I had to really concentrate but I was able to say quite a bit (for me - in my opinion!!). I am still struggling a lot with people talking back to me though! Yes, it will come eventually!!
We finished off the day with a root beer float party and playing the new wii that Dave brought down!! Of course Chris and I had to stay up after the kids went to bed to "practice" how to use the wii!!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
4/23/09
There's no guiltier feeling than having your 3 year old wake you up in the morning saying, "I don't want to go to school" then crawling into bed and going back to sleep. Then waking up your 5 year old who says she is too sleepy and didn't want to get up, and didn't want to go to school, and didn't want to wear a uniform. Ahhh, I love my life!!
We were able to have Suzanne Chaney come and pick us all up for school. It was pretty nice to be able to use the school drive-thru drop off....too bad I had to get out also!!
Morgan and Cole once again left for their Spanish class with no problems at all. Alysa and Laina were at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. They were both holding my leg screaming that they didn't want to go to class, that they HATED school, and they wanted to go home. Alysa can get quite the attitude when she doesn't want to do something. I couldn't get Laina to go to her class and her English teacher wasn't there who usually takes her from me and gets her calmed down. I couldn't be in both classes at the same time and couldn't get either to stay in their class long enough to get the other kid to their class. They were both crying and making me feel absolutely horrible. I finally took Laina to her class and just left her screaming then took Alysa to her P.E. class. She flat out refused to follow the directions and was giving such attitude that I just took her back to her classroom and had a breakdown. The whole time I could hear Laina still screaming that she wanted her mommy. I was at my wits end and didn't know how to handle the situation so I left Alysa and found Lily and asked for her advice. I feel absolutely horrible leaving my kids screaming (probably more for the teachers sake than the kids!!) and I'm not too sure what the culture is like here in those situations. She told me to leave and go to the other building and that she would take care of Alysa and Laina. While I was waiting for somebody to take me to the other building I could see that Lily had Alysa at the p.e. class. I don't know what I would do without Lily. She has absolutely, 100% been God's angel sent to help me through these tough times!! (Did I mention that some situation in their lives made them move to Xela a couple months before us???)
Going to the other building made a HUGE difference for me. I was able to observe the 5th grade English class and really liked the students. When that class was done, I met up with Morgan and went to recess where Cole was in line to go into his English class. They were both in good spirits so at least 1/2 the kids were happy!! At recess I was able to talk to some of the 5th graders and practice their names. They asked Morgan to play with them and asked her what she liked to do at recess. We came up with chinese jump rope. We didn't have an elastic rope or rubberbands but the p.e. teachers was there with a regular rope. We tied it up and taught all the kids how to play. I couldn't believe how quickly the crowd grew!! We even had the p.e. teachers trying it!!
When recess was over, Cole had p.e. so I went with his class. Cole still seemed very nervous to be at p.e. but was very relieved that the teacher didn't single him out at all. (Coles teacher asked the p.e. teacher to let him "blend" in) I was able to observe the 3rd grade class for a while until I got a phone call from Chris and had to excuse myself. Chris was still in Guatemala City and not having much luck finding a vehicle for us.
I sat and watched Morgans class in p.e. for a few minutes before the principal of the school came over and asked if I could teach the 4th grade English class for an hour while the teacher left for a doctors appointment.....right then!! I thought it was so strange that they would ask just anybody (yes, I feel like a just anybody!!) to teach the class with only a minutes notice!! I didn't have anything else better to do so I agreed. Wow, that class is noisy. The teachers definitely aren't as strict here as in the U.S. We got through the hour without any major problems. I kind of wonder if I would be able to teach the class for a month though. I think my biggest concern is the fact that I never could stand English classes growing up and I don't really remember anything about verbs, prepositions, etc. I would definitely need a quick refresher course!!
The end of the day was wonderful. It felt sooooo good to pick up the kids and have all four smiling. I think Laina and Alysa really do love me since they came running up and gave me a huge hug. They were in great spirits which of course boosted my spirits.
Lily brought us home from school and Cole was pretty excited to have them stay for a little while so he could play with Sebastian. When they left it was crazy homework time. Morgan got most of her homework done all by herself which was a great help. Cole once again had a ton of homework that he got extremely frustrated with and ended up having to finish after everybody else was asleep!!
Chris made it home about 8:30 and we we're all very relieved that the last two days are over!! Only one more day of school and then the weekend!! Oh, I can't wait for Saturday!!
We were able to have Suzanne Chaney come and pick us all up for school. It was pretty nice to be able to use the school drive-thru drop off....too bad I had to get out also!!
Morgan and Cole once again left for their Spanish class with no problems at all. Alysa and Laina were at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. They were both holding my leg screaming that they didn't want to go to class, that they HATED school, and they wanted to go home. Alysa can get quite the attitude when she doesn't want to do something. I couldn't get Laina to go to her class and her English teacher wasn't there who usually takes her from me and gets her calmed down. I couldn't be in both classes at the same time and couldn't get either to stay in their class long enough to get the other kid to their class. They were both crying and making me feel absolutely horrible. I finally took Laina to her class and just left her screaming then took Alysa to her P.E. class. She flat out refused to follow the directions and was giving such attitude that I just took her back to her classroom and had a breakdown. The whole time I could hear Laina still screaming that she wanted her mommy. I was at my wits end and didn't know how to handle the situation so I left Alysa and found Lily and asked for her advice. I feel absolutely horrible leaving my kids screaming (probably more for the teachers sake than the kids!!) and I'm not too sure what the culture is like here in those situations. She told me to leave and go to the other building and that she would take care of Alysa and Laina. While I was waiting for somebody to take me to the other building I could see that Lily had Alysa at the p.e. class. I don't know what I would do without Lily. She has absolutely, 100% been God's angel sent to help me through these tough times!! (Did I mention that some situation in their lives made them move to Xela a couple months before us???)
Going to the other building made a HUGE difference for me. I was able to observe the 5th grade English class and really liked the students. When that class was done, I met up with Morgan and went to recess where Cole was in line to go into his English class. They were both in good spirits so at least 1/2 the kids were happy!! At recess I was able to talk to some of the 5th graders and practice their names. They asked Morgan to play with them and asked her what she liked to do at recess. We came up with chinese jump rope. We didn't have an elastic rope or rubberbands but the p.e. teachers was there with a regular rope. We tied it up and taught all the kids how to play. I couldn't believe how quickly the crowd grew!! We even had the p.e. teachers trying it!!
When recess was over, Cole had p.e. so I went with his class. Cole still seemed very nervous to be at p.e. but was very relieved that the teacher didn't single him out at all. (Coles teacher asked the p.e. teacher to let him "blend" in) I was able to observe the 3rd grade class for a while until I got a phone call from Chris and had to excuse myself. Chris was still in Guatemala City and not having much luck finding a vehicle for us.
I sat and watched Morgans class in p.e. for a few minutes before the principal of the school came over and asked if I could teach the 4th grade English class for an hour while the teacher left for a doctors appointment.....right then!! I thought it was so strange that they would ask just anybody (yes, I feel like a just anybody!!) to teach the class with only a minutes notice!! I didn't have anything else better to do so I agreed. Wow, that class is noisy. The teachers definitely aren't as strict here as in the U.S. We got through the hour without any major problems. I kind of wonder if I would be able to teach the class for a month though. I think my biggest concern is the fact that I never could stand English classes growing up and I don't really remember anything about verbs, prepositions, etc. I would definitely need a quick refresher course!!
The end of the day was wonderful. It felt sooooo good to pick up the kids and have all four smiling. I think Laina and Alysa really do love me since they came running up and gave me a huge hug. They were in great spirits which of course boosted my spirits.
Lily brought us home from school and Cole was pretty excited to have them stay for a little while so he could play with Sebastian. When they left it was crazy homework time. Morgan got most of her homework done all by herself which was a great help. Cole once again had a ton of homework that he got extremely frustrated with and ended up having to finish after everybody else was asleep!!
Chris made it home about 8:30 and we we're all very relieved that the last two days are over!! Only one more day of school and then the weekend!! Oh, I can't wait for Saturday!!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
4/22/09
Today was a little bit better. The kids had a tougher time getting up in the morning though. They have to get up at 6:30 to leave by 7:30 for school. It has been a huge rush every morning to get out the door on time! Since Chris had to take the van to Guatemala, I packed my bag and had Chris drop me off at the school with the kids.
It was take your mascota (pet) to school day for Laina's class. When we got to school there were several dogs tied up to the playground equipment. I thought maybe the parents brought them and would take them home but they stayed the entire day and went home with the kids after school. Laina went to class really well since there was a bird and a duck in her classroom. Since we don't have any pets, Laina took a stuffed animal! Morgan and Cole went to their class really well also. I got to go to Kindergarten again with Alysa. The Spanish teacher told the English teacher who told me that I was her best student!! Although Alysa is REALLY struggling with being here and with going to school, I was very proud of her today when she went to the front of the class to try to do one of the assignments on the board. Yes, I had to walk up with her, and yes, she chickened out and wouldn't talk but hey, she walked to the front of the classroom without me physically pulling her!! Baby steps!!
I spent the entire first half of the day with Alysa and then planned to go to the other building to observe the other English teachers. Unfortunately as I was trying to say good bye to Alysa and send her to her English class, Laina grabbed me. She had just come out for recess and saw me. She wouldn't let go of me and kept saying that I couldn't leave because I would loose her. I promised her that I wouldn't loose her and then left her screaming with her teachers. I later found out that the principal helped with her also and pretended to call me so that she would calm down. It worked and she was fine the rest of the day.
I wandered over to the other building where I couldn't read the sign on the buzzer to tell if it said to push the buzzer or to not touch the buzzer. I tried it anyway and nobody would answer. I was just starting to head back to the main building when I saw a lady coming from the main building so she let me in. I talked to Cole's teacher and to the English teacher for the 4th and 5th grade who is about to have a baby. (in a month or two??) They were both very nice and let me sit and "observe" their classes. The idea of teaching an English class is a little bit intimidating. English was NEVER my strong point. (As I'm sure most of you have noticed from reading this blog!!) The older kids seemed to understand a lot of English but the younger kids would still ask the teacher how to say something in English. If I were in the class I wouldn't know what the Spanish word meant to teach them the English word!! I'll probably observe the classes a little more and see how things play out.
At the end of school it was so nice to walk with Morgan and Cole to the main building to get Alysa and Laina. It was like a family reunion and such a relief that none of them were crying. (at least for that moment!! Alysa proudly told me that she had only cried once today!!) We waited for a few minutes for Lily to finish up her work and then she took us home. On the way home we had to make a little stop at the bishops storehouse. I had no idea there was one here. I'd only driven past it a bazillion times!! I got to go in and get a mini tour from another lady that I know from church. She speaks absolutely no English and is here on a mission with her husband from another Latin American country. (She is my Latin version of Betty Green for those of you who know her!!) Her husband was very excited to show me that the computer screen saver was the artist rendition of the Quetzaltenango temple! I was a little let down that they didn't have wheat there. I asked Lily about doing food storage here and if they have a cannery. She said that they are doing something in May with storing stuff in bags. I look forward to figuring that one out!! She also said she'd ask around the ward for me to find out where to get wheat. (Xela is where all the wheat for the country is grown!!)
Once home, we did massive homework again. Cole is really frustrated because he is used to being the "perfect" student that never misses anything. His Spanish teacher is VERY PICKY on his calligraphy (penmanship) and it is really getting to him. I finally had to have him do one row, take a break and ride his bike, do another row, take a break. It seemed to work out a little better and he did get it all done eventually!!
The day finished off with our "dad is gone" dinner (the kids favorite pasta/tomato soup stuff that Chris thinks is disgusting so we have it whenever he isn't home), baths, and bed. I was able to take about an hour to have a conference call with my entire family on Skype. It is great to hear peoples voices even though I am not there.
On Friday, Alysa has a field trip to the zoo. (The locals joke that you get to go see the squirrel - apparently it isn't the best of zoos!!) Anyway, they are having the parents caravan over to the zoo and they have asked that we decorate our cars like wild animals. Any suggestions? We have a silver minivan. My idea was to try to figure out how to make some ears on top, put pink circles on the front grill for nostril, put a tail on the back and call it a hippo!
It was take your mascota (pet) to school day for Laina's class. When we got to school there were several dogs tied up to the playground equipment. I thought maybe the parents brought them and would take them home but they stayed the entire day and went home with the kids after school. Laina went to class really well since there was a bird and a duck in her classroom. Since we don't have any pets, Laina took a stuffed animal! Morgan and Cole went to their class really well also. I got to go to Kindergarten again with Alysa. The Spanish teacher told the English teacher who told me that I was her best student!! Although Alysa is REALLY struggling with being here and with going to school, I was very proud of her today when she went to the front of the class to try to do one of the assignments on the board. Yes, I had to walk up with her, and yes, she chickened out and wouldn't talk but hey, she walked to the front of the classroom without me physically pulling her!! Baby steps!!
I spent the entire first half of the day with Alysa and then planned to go to the other building to observe the other English teachers. Unfortunately as I was trying to say good bye to Alysa and send her to her English class, Laina grabbed me. She had just come out for recess and saw me. She wouldn't let go of me and kept saying that I couldn't leave because I would loose her. I promised her that I wouldn't loose her and then left her screaming with her teachers. I later found out that the principal helped with her also and pretended to call me so that she would calm down. It worked and she was fine the rest of the day.
I wandered over to the other building where I couldn't read the sign on the buzzer to tell if it said to push the buzzer or to not touch the buzzer. I tried it anyway and nobody would answer. I was just starting to head back to the main building when I saw a lady coming from the main building so she let me in. I talked to Cole's teacher and to the English teacher for the 4th and 5th grade who is about to have a baby. (in a month or two??) They were both very nice and let me sit and "observe" their classes. The idea of teaching an English class is a little bit intimidating. English was NEVER my strong point. (As I'm sure most of you have noticed from reading this blog!!) The older kids seemed to understand a lot of English but the younger kids would still ask the teacher how to say something in English. If I were in the class I wouldn't know what the Spanish word meant to teach them the English word!! I'll probably observe the classes a little more and see how things play out.
At the end of school it was so nice to walk with Morgan and Cole to the main building to get Alysa and Laina. It was like a family reunion and such a relief that none of them were crying. (at least for that moment!! Alysa proudly told me that she had only cried once today!!) We waited for a few minutes for Lily to finish up her work and then she took us home. On the way home we had to make a little stop at the bishops storehouse. I had no idea there was one here. I'd only driven past it a bazillion times!! I got to go in and get a mini tour from another lady that I know from church. She speaks absolutely no English and is here on a mission with her husband from another Latin American country. (She is my Latin version of Betty Green for those of you who know her!!) Her husband was very excited to show me that the computer screen saver was the artist rendition of the Quetzaltenango temple! I was a little let down that they didn't have wheat there. I asked Lily about doing food storage here and if they have a cannery. She said that they are doing something in May with storing stuff in bags. I look forward to figuring that one out!! She also said she'd ask around the ward for me to find out where to get wheat. (Xela is where all the wheat for the country is grown!!)
Once home, we did massive homework again. Cole is really frustrated because he is used to being the "perfect" student that never misses anything. His Spanish teacher is VERY PICKY on his calligraphy (penmanship) and it is really getting to him. I finally had to have him do one row, take a break and ride his bike, do another row, take a break. It seemed to work out a little better and he did get it all done eventually!!
The day finished off with our "dad is gone" dinner (the kids favorite pasta/tomato soup stuff that Chris thinks is disgusting so we have it whenever he isn't home), baths, and bed. I was able to take about an hour to have a conference call with my entire family on Skype. It is great to hear peoples voices even though I am not there.
On Friday, Alysa has a field trip to the zoo. (The locals joke that you get to go see the squirrel - apparently it isn't the best of zoos!!) Anyway, they are having the parents caravan over to the zoo and they have asked that we decorate our cars like wild animals. Any suggestions? We have a silver minivan. My idea was to try to figure out how to make some ears on top, put pink circles on the front grill for nostril, put a tail on the back and call it a hippo!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
4/21/09
4/21/09 I think the 2nd day of school was harder than the first! Alysa announced that she didn’t want to go back which made Laina decide that she didn’t want to go either. I ended up having to drop Chris and Dave off for their meetings so that I could have the car to stay with the kids at school for a little bit. Laina’s teachers came and took her from me. Even though she was crying, she went and everybody told me that she was fine from that point on. Morgan and Cole went off to their class together and Alysa grabbed my leg and wouldn’t let go. I felt so torn between helping her and wanting to make sure that Laina was o.k... Fortunately Laina’s teachers helped me with that problem!! So, it was off to Kindergarten Spanish again for me. Alysa wouldn’t do anything unless I was right with her. She had so much fun when she did the stuff though!! Today was P.E. (deportes?) which really threw all the kids for a loop. The teacher, Teacher Allan, is quite loud and can come across as being very mean if you don’t’ know what he is saying!! Alysa didn’t want to go….of course! I ended up doing p.e. with her and had a blast. The teacher was doing some crazy dance/chants that Alysa got the giggles doing. (so did I!!) I think he realized that she was having fun so he kept doing more. By the end of p.e. she was all smiles!...as long as I was within arms distance! After a little more time in class, I left and headed to the playground again. I wasn’t there for long before all of the kids had me circled again asking questions and trying to practice their English. It didn’t last much before I was told that Alysa needed me again. UGH!! Back to kindergarten for me! I stayed with Alysa until after recess and then told her she had to go to her English class by herself. She was kicking and screaming but her teacher never came to get me! I did however get a call from Cole’s teacher (an American lady! Cole thinks he is so special!!) saying that Cole had gone to p.e. and got pretty upset because the teacher didn’t speak any English and he didn’t understand what he was supposed to do. She put him on the phone with me and I tried as hard as I could to be strong but my heart broke hearing my sad little boy who has worked so hard to be strong and to try new things!! I finally talked him into staying in his English class.
At 12:00 all the preschoolers finish but Laina was supposed to stay with a few of the other kids until 1:00 when Alysa got done. I was sitting in the car (Alysa’s teacher had sent me with a little video of Elder Wirthlin;s talk ‘Come What May, and Love It’.) in case Alysa had another breakdown and could see Laina at the front of the line with her backpack and coat on ready to go. I wasn’t sure if the teachers didn’t know that she was staying or not so I waited for a while. I finally opened the door and heard her bawling!! When I got there she was freaking out that I wasn’t there. I ended up just taking her out to the car with me for another hour until Alysa was done.
At 1:00 Laina and I ran back in to get Alysa. She was a little late getting something done but when she finally came out she looked pretty teary eyed. She told me that she had cried 5 times. As we were walking to the car, Morgan and Cole came along with the principal from the other building. (The 3,4, & 5 grades are in a different building just down the street) They were supposed to stay until 3:00 but the principal said that they were having a pretty rough day and they didn’t want to stay. She also told me that the 5th grade class has English in the morning and Spanish in the afternoon. If Morgan wants to continue doing the private Spanish class with Cole that she will need to go into the 4th grade English class in the afternoon. At this point I am not overly concerned about which class she is in! I guess on the up side, I didn’t have to drive back to the school at 3:00 to pick them up!!
We spent the afternoon trying to juggle homework for 4 kids. It is pretty tough going from two kids doing homework that they could do by themselves to trying to walk 4 kids through homework that I don’t even understand!! We finally got to the point where I told the kids to put the homework away, change out of their uniforms and go outside and play! It wasn’t too fun frantically trying to finish the homework before bed but they (o.k., I) needed a break!
Once Chris and Dave got back the kids were bouncing off the wall. They act like Dave is their favorite uncle coming to visit or something . I think they’re just excited to have somebody here that teases them and speaks English. They wouldn’t leave him alone for two seconds when we went to dinner (yummy pizza again!!) and out for ice cream. (We love going to Sarita for their cheap ice cream cones!!)
I think right now that I just need some reassurance that I am not the worlds worst parent for putting my kids through these trials. I seem to be questioning it quite frequently. I don’t regret our decision to move down here and I know it is the right thing for us to do but it is killing me to see my kids so sad and scared at school. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day!! I will be spending the next two days at school with the kids since Chris is going to be gone with the car to Guatemala City. Chris will drop us off in the morning and then we’ll get a ride home with Lily,. The Chaneys said they’d take us to school on Thursday and then catch a ride home again with Lily.
Oh, almost forgot… Lily told me that the 5th grade English teacher is 7 months pregnant and that they are probably going to need somebody to teach the class for a month or so after she has her baby. The principal talked to me briefly about it today and wanted to know if I might be interested. Since I am going to be stuck at the school all day tomorrow and Thursday, she said I could go observe the class and see if I would be comfortable teaching.
Well, I am exhausted beyond exhaustion so I am going to get this posted and go to bed.
At 12:00 all the preschoolers finish but Laina was supposed to stay with a few of the other kids until 1:00 when Alysa got done. I was sitting in the car (Alysa’s teacher had sent me with a little video of Elder Wirthlin;s talk ‘Come What May, and Love It’.) in case Alysa had another breakdown and could see Laina at the front of the line with her backpack and coat on ready to go. I wasn’t sure if the teachers didn’t know that she was staying or not so I waited for a while. I finally opened the door and heard her bawling!! When I got there she was freaking out that I wasn’t there. I ended up just taking her out to the car with me for another hour until Alysa was done.
At 1:00 Laina and I ran back in to get Alysa. She was a little late getting something done but when she finally came out she looked pretty teary eyed. She told me that she had cried 5 times. As we were walking to the car, Morgan and Cole came along with the principal from the other building. (The 3,4, & 5 grades are in a different building just down the street) They were supposed to stay until 3:00 but the principal said that they were having a pretty rough day and they didn’t want to stay. She also told me that the 5th grade class has English in the morning and Spanish in the afternoon. If Morgan wants to continue doing the private Spanish class with Cole that she will need to go into the 4th grade English class in the afternoon. At this point I am not overly concerned about which class she is in! I guess on the up side, I didn’t have to drive back to the school at 3:00 to pick them up!!
We spent the afternoon trying to juggle homework for 4 kids. It is pretty tough going from two kids doing homework that they could do by themselves to trying to walk 4 kids through homework that I don’t even understand!! We finally got to the point where I told the kids to put the homework away, change out of their uniforms and go outside and play! It wasn’t too fun frantically trying to finish the homework before bed but they (o.k., I) needed a break!
Once Chris and Dave got back the kids were bouncing off the wall. They act like Dave is their favorite uncle coming to visit or something . I think they’re just excited to have somebody here that teases them and speaks English. They wouldn’t leave him alone for two seconds when we went to dinner (yummy pizza again!!) and out for ice cream. (We love going to Sarita for their cheap ice cream cones!!)
I think right now that I just need some reassurance that I am not the worlds worst parent for putting my kids through these trials. I seem to be questioning it quite frequently. I don’t regret our decision to move down here and I know it is the right thing for us to do but it is killing me to see my kids so sad and scared at school. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day!! I will be spending the next two days at school with the kids since Chris is going to be gone with the car to Guatemala City. Chris will drop us off in the morning and then we’ll get a ride home with Lily,. The Chaneys said they’d take us to school on Thursday and then catch a ride home again with Lily.
Oh, almost forgot… Lily told me that the 5th grade English teacher is 7 months pregnant and that they are probably going to need somebody to teach the class for a month or so after she has her baby. The principal talked to me briefly about it today and wanted to know if I might be interested. Since I am going to be stuck at the school all day tomorrow and Thursday, she said I could go observe the class and see if I would be comfortable teaching.
Well, I am exhausted beyond exhaustion so I am going to get this posted and go to bed.
4/20/09
4/20/09 What a LONG day!! We had to wake everybody up to get ready for school. Fortunately everybody was in good spirits and excited to go to school. The kids looked so nice in their uniforms. It was pretty strange to send ALL my kids to school. When we got there, I went with Laina to her class while Chris took the other three to turn in the paperwork. Laina was a little reserved but after a while she was able to stay by herself. She had the English half of the day first which I think helped her. Once she was settled, I found out that Morgan and Cole had already left for their own special Spanish class. Their teacher, Nancy, doesn’t speak any English so the kids will definitely get to work on their Spanish a lot. We were a little concerned about that but I have found that when people speak English to me it becomes sort of a crutch and I don’t work on my Spanish. I finally found Chris sitting with Alysa in her class. She wasn’t very happy at all!! She was put in the Spanish class first with a regular class and not with the teacher that she knows. She completely shut everybody out and wouldn’t do ANYTHING that she was asked to do. All she did was complain about the class and how she didn’t want to be in school. It was pretty tough to watch her go through that. Watching my kids struggle and go through hard times really helps me understand how the Savior feels when I am struggling. Yes, he could take me out of the hard situation but how would I learn and grow?? Same with Alysa. As much as I want to take her pain away, I can’t if she is to learn and grow.
After much frustration, Chris left Alysa with a pinky promise that he would come back with me. After that I sat with Alysa while Chris went to work for a little bit. I know the class must be intimidating for Alysa because I didn’t even understand a fraction of what the teacher was saying!! The other kids are really excited to have her in the class and they all gave her a kiss when class started. (She’s doesn’t like people in her space so that probably didn’t help her get off to a good start!!) While I was there she got to work on writing the letter ‘d’. She even got to finger paint it!! Once she was calm enough, I left her for a while and wondered out to the playground. It consists of a bunch of dirt with an old Wendy’s sign used as the sun shade. All walls are cinderblock and the equipment has seen better days. The kids love it just the same! Laina.’s class was doing an obstacle course and she was keeping up with everybody else. The teacher threw buckets of plastic fruit and balls out and the kids had to pick them up and sort them. Laina had a blast doing that. She kept taking the stuff to her teacher (now the Spanish teacher) and say stuff to her. The teacher would point and say something and she’d run off and do it. Chris was later informed by the Spanish teacher that Laina didn’t stop talking the entire time and that the teacher didn’t understand a single word of what she was saying but that it didn’t seem to bother Laina!
After Laina left, Morgan and Cole came out and told me that they had a great time at their Spanish class. They said that they had a few embarrassing moments but they liked it. Apparently the teacher asked them to do something and they thought they were supposed to repeat what she said. (: I definitely don’t think that they will be challenged academically but if they learn Spanish and make friends, I’ll be happy. The rest I can work on at home!! While Morgan and Cole had their break/snacktime/recess from Spanish, all of the other kids from the younger classes huddled around us to ask a TON of questions. We were able to communicate pretty well between our Spanish and their English. It was pretty cool when the kids would ask us how to say stuff in English. It seems like I’ve been so busy asking everybody else how to say everything in Spanish!
Once Morgan and Cole returned to their class then Alysa came out with her class for her recess. I don’t know how they keep the schedules straight. Alysa had another girl with her that kept holding her hand and trying to get her to play with her. It was pretty nice to see Alysa smiling and enjoying herself. She was still very clingy but at least smiling!! I was very happy that after recess Alysa went with Teacher Lily for the English part of the day. I was able to leave the school so Chris and I could go get some lunch before we had to be back at 12:00 to pick up Laina!!
Unfortunately our pizza wasn’t ready in time so we had to run back to the school to get Laina, then back to get the pizza, then back to get Alysa, Morgan, and Cole at 1:00. (We tried a new pizza place that I think we’ll definitely have to go visit again!!) Morgan and Cole were bouncing off the walls when they got out of school. Morgan’s teacher told the class that they all have to talk to Morgan in English to earn their points! Cole said he made all sorts of friends. What a relief!! Alysa had been crying when we picked her up though. She said she had cried a lot because she was sad. Once she got into the car though, it was the complete opposite. She couldn’t stop talking about how much fun she had and how excited she was.
When we got home it was mass chaos trying to listen to each kid tell about their day, figure out their homework in Spanish, and get stuff done for the next day. We finally got everything done and we were off to the grocery store to get more school supplies, lunch stuff, and groceries. After that, we ran to an Italian restuaurant for dinner for Chris’ birthday. It was pretty fun. The kids all got ice cream or cake with their meals which turned out to be a good thing because when I went to get Chris’ cake, they were all out!!
It was almost 8:00 when we got home so we bribed the kids to take showers, brush teeth, get clothes ready and everything else for bed by the time my alarm went off otherwise we wouldn’t get to open Chris’ birthday presents!!
A few weeks ago, Chris’ boss, Dave, had brought down some Tostitos chips, Dr. Pepper, etc for us to give him for his birthday. I think he was happy!
On top of it being the kids first day of school and Chris’ birthday, we were also expecting Dave to arrive at any time. He ended up getting to our house right after the kids fell asleep. He’ll be staying with us until Wednesday so that they can get some meetings done and get the construction started on the temple.
Friday, April 17, 2009
4/17/09-4/19/09
4/17/09 Friday: The search began for the kids school supplies. I can not believe how much stuff these kids need and how specific everything is. I am really frustrated because I don’t know what the materials are on the list and Chris doesn’t either. Oh, and all of their textbooks have to be covered with a special type of paper (and specific color depending on the grade) and then covered with plastic. I haven’t quite figured out how that is supposed to be done!! We went to two different book stores today and got some of the stuff. Unfortunately for us, we are starting 3 months late and so all of the textbooks have already been sent back that weren’t bought. The textbooks that they did have were so far behind what the kids need that I refused to buy them…..a picture dictionary in English. I think my kids need a picture dictionary in Spanish a little more than in English!!
When we got home there was no water. It was out yesterday also! Come to find out that there is a short somewhere for the street lamps in the community. In order to fix that, they have to turn off the power. It just happens that it is the same power supply that runs the pump for the water!!
4/18/09 Saturday: We were introduced to a bank here that will cash our American checks and not charge us a fee to do so. We were paying a 3% fee everytime we used our credit card. The fees to pull money out of the ATM were outrageous also. Now that we can cash checks without getting extra fees, we have been using cash for everything. It is really different to monitor where everything is going!! I also have to remember to put money in my wallet before I go to the store! I never realized what a luxury our ATM and credit cards were!
4/19/09 Sunday: I am soooo proud of my kids. At church today, Laina went to her Sunbeam class all by herself (well, with her friend Izabella). She wasn’t shy one bit. Her teacher looked about as shocked as I did when she just walked right in and sat down!! Alysa was still pretty shy so I went to class with her. (Not much point in me going to Sunday school so I let Chris go). I think I did a pretty decent job of translating for her! I even learned a couple new words! Cole has been going to the wrong class since we got here so today he decided to go to what he thought was his real class. He was pretty disappointed that his friend Sebastian wasn’t in there but he went anyway and didn’t even have somebody go to translate. After church we asked if he’d rather stay in the older class and he said that it would probably be better if he stayed in the class that he went to today so that he could meet new people. What happened to my shy little boy??? He is doing so great here!! Morgan also went to her class without an interpreter. Luckily for her she’s been to that class and knows the other kids and some of them can speak English.
I went to my Sociedad de Soccorro class (Relief Society). I am starting to recognize people and remember where I recognize them from!! (: There is a lady that I think is supposed to be my Visiting Teaching companion whose name is Norma and she speaks very limited English. Anyway, she taught the lesson today and I think she sensed that I am feeling pretty worthless and unneeded so she asked me if I would write the lesson title on the board for her. Yes, it was a pretty basic thing but hey, somebody wanted my help. (Oh, and Alysa's primary teacher asked me to sharpen some pencils!!)
When we got home after church, it was pretty trying again for me. The power was out to the house so no microwave cooking for me! Luckily the stove is gas so I was able to cook the nachos in there!! The frustration continued when I was trying to put the kids backpacks together and getting pretty frustrated again with the school supplies. I finally just threw everything in their bags and told them we’d just have to go to school and tell them that I don’t have a clue what I am doing! I think part of the frustration is realizing that I am going to be dropping all of my kids off at a new place with new people, in a new language tomorrow. I feel like I am abandoning them!! Alysa pulls on my heart strings the most since she is having such a hard time adjusting! I really hope that she is able to make some friends and feel comfortable! (The other kids to!!) This is also the first time that Alysa or Laina have gone to school!! (other than preschool when I was their teacher at our house!) Oh, what a horrible parent I feel like right now!! I don't know if the headaches are causing the frustrations or if the frustrations are causing the headaches. its the old problem of which came first, the egg or the chicken!
Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to write that everything went well and that all of my worries were for nothing!! And that Chris had a fabulous birthday and that everything went well for him at work!
Wish us luck!
Water out 4/16/ and 4/17.
When we got home there was no water. It was out yesterday also! Come to find out that there is a short somewhere for the street lamps in the community. In order to fix that, they have to turn off the power. It just happens that it is the same power supply that runs the pump for the water!!
4/18/09 Saturday: We were introduced to a bank here that will cash our American checks and not charge us a fee to do so. We were paying a 3% fee everytime we used our credit card. The fees to pull money out of the ATM were outrageous also. Now that we can cash checks without getting extra fees, we have been using cash for everything. It is really different to monitor where everything is going!! I also have to remember to put money in my wallet before I go to the store! I never realized what a luxury our ATM and credit cards were!
4/19/09 Sunday: I am soooo proud of my kids. At church today, Laina went to her Sunbeam class all by herself (well, with her friend Izabella). She wasn’t shy one bit. Her teacher looked about as shocked as I did when she just walked right in and sat down!! Alysa was still pretty shy so I went to class with her. (Not much point in me going to Sunday school so I let Chris go). I think I did a pretty decent job of translating for her! I even learned a couple new words! Cole has been going to the wrong class since we got here so today he decided to go to what he thought was his real class. He was pretty disappointed that his friend Sebastian wasn’t in there but he went anyway and didn’t even have somebody go to translate. After church we asked if he’d rather stay in the older class and he said that it would probably be better if he stayed in the class that he went to today so that he could meet new people. What happened to my shy little boy??? He is doing so great here!! Morgan also went to her class without an interpreter. Luckily for her she’s been to that class and knows the other kids and some of them can speak English.
I went to my Sociedad de Soccorro class (Relief Society). I am starting to recognize people and remember where I recognize them from!! (: There is a lady that I think is supposed to be my Visiting Teaching companion whose name is Norma and she speaks very limited English. Anyway, she taught the lesson today and I think she sensed that I am feeling pretty worthless and unneeded so she asked me if I would write the lesson title on the board for her. Yes, it was a pretty basic thing but hey, somebody wanted my help. (Oh, and Alysa's primary teacher asked me to sharpen some pencils!!)
When we got home after church, it was pretty trying again for me. The power was out to the house so no microwave cooking for me! Luckily the stove is gas so I was able to cook the nachos in there!! The frustration continued when I was trying to put the kids backpacks together and getting pretty frustrated again with the school supplies. I finally just threw everything in their bags and told them we’d just have to go to school and tell them that I don’t have a clue what I am doing! I think part of the frustration is realizing that I am going to be dropping all of my kids off at a new place with new people, in a new language tomorrow. I feel like I am abandoning them!! Alysa pulls on my heart strings the most since she is having such a hard time adjusting! I really hope that she is able to make some friends and feel comfortable! (The other kids to!!) This is also the first time that Alysa or Laina have gone to school!! (other than preschool when I was their teacher at our house!) Oh, what a horrible parent I feel like right now!! I don't know if the headaches are causing the frustrations or if the frustrations are causing the headaches. its the old problem of which came first, the egg or the chicken!
Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to write that everything went well and that all of my worries were for nothing!! And that Chris had a fabulous birthday and that everything went well for him at work!
Wish us luck!
Water out 4/16/ and 4/17.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
4/13/09-4/16/09
4/13/09:We got to participate in our first birthday party here. Lily's birthday was today and her husband invited us over for a surprise cake. The kids (and I) were excited to learn to sing Happy Birthday in Spanish. Aunt Meghans birthday is on the 15th and we want to be able to sing to her also!!
We had cake and chocolate. They take a bar of chocolate and melt it in the water to make hot chocolate. It was definitely different than the usual powdered stuff but it was good.
4/14/09: A pretty uneventful day today. Morgan has been spending a lot of time playing on the keyboard. We did get set up on Skype so that we can do phone calls/videos over the internet. I was able to talk to my little sister, Meghan, and that really helped my spirits.
4/15/09: Not feeling too great. Bad headaches!! The kids and I had "school" today. Morgan and Cole did a writing assignment about when they moved to Guatemala. I told them they could use Spanish words if they knew them. Cole wrote about the pollo buses (loco buses). Meaning, the chicken buses (crazy buses).
This is what happens when a three year old plays alone quietly for too long!!
4/16/09: Today was another reminder that I am only human. The day didn’t start off too well since I was up sick all night. My head has been killing me for a couple of days but during the night, it felt like a person with a large hand was squeezing my entire head as hard as they could. I’ve never had migraines but that was what I imagine it would be like. On top of that, I have a sore throat, cough, and congestion. (Not to mention the 7 weeks of upset stomach that wont go away!) By the time the morning came around I was ready to get out of bed just so I’d stop tossing and turning!
We took all of the kids to the Beehive school today to sign them up. We spent about two hours there trying to get their uniforms picked out, get books, fill out papers, and pay lots of money!! We also found out that Morgan and Cole start school at 7:10 but Alysa and Laina don’t go until 8:00. Then Laina is done at 12:00 and Alysa , Morgan, and Cole are done at 1:00. Except on Tuesday and Thursday Morgan and Cole stay until 3:00. Could it possibly be any more confusing? I am definitely going to need to get some sort of carpool system going!!
I am very concerned about how Alysa is going to do. She has really struggled since we came here and doesn’t want to have anything to do with anybody! She is very animate that she does not want to go to school. She keeps saying that she wants to be homeschooled. I am dreading her first day on Monday, even though she already knows her teacher! It will also be the kick off day for the construction on the temple, and it’s Chris’ birthday! What a busy day that is going to be!
After getting no sleep and trying to figure out all of the information at the school, I was a little overwhelmed! I have been trying to be strong but today just wasn’t my day. All I could think about was just curling up in bed and wallowing in self pity. I was reminded of the dramatics of Anne of Green Gables being in ‘the depths of despair’. I forced myself not to do that and to go to a Visiting Teaching conference at the church and a bridal shower. As miserable as I felt, it was probably a good choice. Not just for me but for Cole as well. He went with me so that he could play with the other kids. I think it was good for him to get out of the house and to play with other boys! He gets along with the Orellana boys really well. Now we just need to find friends for Morgan and Alysa. (Laina plays with the Orellana girl!) The conference was supposed to start at 3:00. I got there at 3:20. (We were a little behind schedule with the trip to the school etc). They didn’t start until 3:45!! Here I was freaking out that I was going to walk in late in the middle of everything! One of my friends, Sulli, sat by me and helped interpret a little for me. She said that I was doing very well with my Spanish. I like Sulli because she always encourages me and makes me feel good! I need all the extra encouragement I can get!! She will ask me something in Spanish and wait long enough for my brain to work and to reply. She is also the cook for the Beehive School and she told me that she would teach me how to cook authentic Guatemalan food. I will take her up on that once my stomach calms down and I can go a day or two without feeling sick!
The bridal shower didn’t get started until 5:45 and I was feeling pretty miserable by then so Cole and I left. We did make a pit stop at a bread store on the way home to get some rolls for dinner. Cole took advantage of my moment of weakness and talked me into buying donuts….and a loaf of bread shaped like a big huge turtle. It’ll be interesting to try for breakfast tomorrow!
We had cake and chocolate. They take a bar of chocolate and melt it in the water to make hot chocolate. It was definitely different than the usual powdered stuff but it was good.
4/14/09: A pretty uneventful day today. Morgan has been spending a lot of time playing on the keyboard. We did get set up on Skype so that we can do phone calls/videos over the internet. I was able to talk to my little sister, Meghan, and that really helped my spirits.
4/15/09: Not feeling too great. Bad headaches!! The kids and I had "school" today. Morgan and Cole did a writing assignment about when they moved to Guatemala. I told them they could use Spanish words if they knew them. Cole wrote about the pollo buses (loco buses). Meaning, the chicken buses (crazy buses).
This is what happens when a three year old plays alone quietly for too long!!
4/16/09: Today was another reminder that I am only human. The day didn’t start off too well since I was up sick all night. My head has been killing me for a couple of days but during the night, it felt like a person with a large hand was squeezing my entire head as hard as they could. I’ve never had migraines but that was what I imagine it would be like. On top of that, I have a sore throat, cough, and congestion. (Not to mention the 7 weeks of upset stomach that wont go away!) By the time the morning came around I was ready to get out of bed just so I’d stop tossing and turning!
We took all of the kids to the Beehive school today to sign them up. We spent about two hours there trying to get their uniforms picked out, get books, fill out papers, and pay lots of money!! We also found out that Morgan and Cole start school at 7:10 but Alysa and Laina don’t go until 8:00. Then Laina is done at 12:00 and Alysa , Morgan, and Cole are done at 1:00. Except on Tuesday and Thursday Morgan and Cole stay until 3:00. Could it possibly be any more confusing? I am definitely going to need to get some sort of carpool system going!!
I am very concerned about how Alysa is going to do. She has really struggled since we came here and doesn’t want to have anything to do with anybody! She is very animate that she does not want to go to school. She keeps saying that she wants to be homeschooled. I am dreading her first day on Monday, even though she already knows her teacher! It will also be the kick off day for the construction on the temple, and it’s Chris’ birthday! What a busy day that is going to be!
After getting no sleep and trying to figure out all of the information at the school, I was a little overwhelmed! I have been trying to be strong but today just wasn’t my day. All I could think about was just curling up in bed and wallowing in self pity. I was reminded of the dramatics of Anne of Green Gables being in ‘the depths of despair’. I forced myself not to do that and to go to a Visiting Teaching conference at the church and a bridal shower. As miserable as I felt, it was probably a good choice. Not just for me but for Cole as well. He went with me so that he could play with the other kids. I think it was good for him to get out of the house and to play with other boys! He gets along with the Orellana boys really well. Now we just need to find friends for Morgan and Alysa. (Laina plays with the Orellana girl!) The conference was supposed to start at 3:00. I got there at 3:20. (We were a little behind schedule with the trip to the school etc). They didn’t start until 3:45!! Here I was freaking out that I was going to walk in late in the middle of everything! One of my friends, Sulli, sat by me and helped interpret a little for me. She said that I was doing very well with my Spanish. I like Sulli because she always encourages me and makes me feel good! I need all the extra encouragement I can get!! She will ask me something in Spanish and wait long enough for my brain to work and to reply. She is also the cook for the Beehive School and she told me that she would teach me how to cook authentic Guatemalan food. I will take her up on that once my stomach calms down and I can go a day or two without feeling sick!
The bridal shower didn’t get started until 5:45 and I was feeling pretty miserable by then so Cole and I left. We did make a pit stop at a bread store on the way home to get some rolls for dinner. Cole took advantage of my moment of weakness and talked me into buying donuts….and a loaf of bread shaped like a big huge turtle. It’ll be interesting to try for breakfast tomorrow!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
4/12/09 Easter Sunday
Wow, I don't know how the Easter Bunny did it but he must have somehow know that some American kids were living down here. He actually showed up to hide eggs and left some little bags of stuff. The kids were pretty excited to see that he had come. We hadn't colored our real eggs so that was the kids afternoon project after church.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
4/11/09
We decided to be spontaneous today and go on a little road trip. With everything being shut down for the holiday, we thought we'd take the kids to Lake Atitlan. I think it's the deepest lake in the world. We invited the Chaneys to go along and we headed off. It's about 1 1/2 hours away. We stopped at a little area that overlooks the lake and where all sorts of trinkets are sold. I had to go to the bathroom sooooooo bad that I PAID to go into the nastiest bathroom ever!! Not only did I have to use it but then I had to try to help Alysa use it while she was freaking out since it was so gross!! It consisted of a stone circle for the toilet, a door that didn't close all the way, and guarded by a wild dog! My only thought was, "You've got to be kidding me!"
We ended up heading down the long windy road when all the traffic stopped. Apparently everybody else in Guatemala was going to the lake also! We decided to bag it and headed back to another little town to check out their market. Alysa bought a little hair thing with her money and was so proud of herself. I tried some corn on the cob but was very disappointed. (It didn't help that the lady tried to rip me off and then was rude!!) The picture is of the artwork on one of the buildings. The next picture is our record for today. There were AT LEAST 15 people in the back of the little truck!
Since it was lunch time we decided to find a restaurant for lunch that Duane Chaney had been to before. (He served a mission here 40 years ago!!) We couldn't find the restaurant so we stopped at a different one that had three guys playing a marimba outside. I thought it was so cool but everybody else got a little irritated after a while since we ended up eating outside and it was really loud! At one point one of the gentlemen took a break and a little boy got to play. I tried to get Cole to go try it out but he didn't want to!
We finished off the day with a pizza party and watched The Incredibles. The kids are now in bed and hoping that the Easter Bunny comes to visit them tonight. We keep telling them that the Easter Bunny doesn't come to Guatemala but Morgan counters that the Tooth Fairy has been coming. Did I mention that she has lost 3 teeth in the 1 1/2 months that we have been here???
We ended up heading down the long windy road when all the traffic stopped. Apparently everybody else in Guatemala was going to the lake also! We decided to bag it and headed back to another little town to check out their market. Alysa bought a little hair thing with her money and was so proud of herself. I tried some corn on the cob but was very disappointed. (It didn't help that the lady tried to rip me off and then was rude!!) The picture is of the artwork on one of the buildings. The next picture is our record for today. There were AT LEAST 15 people in the back of the little truck!
Since it was lunch time we decided to find a restaurant for lunch that Duane Chaney had been to before. (He served a mission here 40 years ago!!) We couldn't find the restaurant so we stopped at a different one that had three guys playing a marimba outside. I thought it was so cool but everybody else got a little irritated after a while since we ended up eating outside and it was really loud! At one point one of the gentlemen took a break and a little boy got to play. I tried to get Cole to go try it out but he didn't want to!
We finished off the day with a pizza party and watched The Incredibles. The kids are now in bed and hoping that the Easter Bunny comes to visit them tonight. We keep telling them that the Easter Bunny doesn't come to Guatemala but Morgan counters that the Tooth Fairy has been coming. Did I mention that she has lost 3 teeth in the 1 1/2 months that we have been here???
Thursday, April 9, 2009
4/9/09-4/10/09
4/9/09 Thursday: Today we went to one of the markets to look around. It is so much fun to see all of the people and all of the stuff that they are selling. I especially like the fresh produce. I don't even know what half of the stuff is!! I was trying my best to talk and find out how much stuff cost. I did pretty well until they did prices like 3/Q10 or something with centavos (cents). We ended up with cherries, cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, peaches, cantaloupe, cilantro, etc for about $3.
After we were done at the market we headed over to the mall so Cole could get some shoes and so I could look for some ham for Easter. Chris took Cole while I took the girls to the grocery store. We failed to specify a meeting time and location. After we finished at the grocery store (with no luck on the ham), we went out to meet Chris and Cole. We wandered the mall for what seemed like forever. People even quit staring at us since they had seen us go back and forth so many times!! I really started to feel isolated/scared/lonely/etc. I didn't have a phone to try to call Chris and I didn't have a way to communicate with anybody else. It was not a very good feeling at all!! It really made me realize how incredibly dependent on Chris I am here. On the bright side though, I think the Lord is using missionaries as my personal angels. It seems like everytime I have been without Chris and in a strange place, I have seen a set of missionaries. The same thing happened today. I was about ready to start crying when I noticed two elders in the grocery store shopping. I knew that if things got bad enough I could go in there and they would be able to help me. It might sound pretty cheesy but it has been a great comfort for me!!
We finally found Chris and Cole (or they found us) but I was pretty upset and frustrated. Yes, I am human, and I do have struggles!!
4/10/09 Friday: Today was a little bit better but I was still pretty upset about who knows what!! I really want to learn Spanish but I get so frustrated with myself. I know how to say a lot of stuff, and I can read it but the second that somebody says it to me, I get so flustered that I don't understand anything!! I guess what doesn't kill me will make me stronger!! (At least that's what I keep telling myself) I finally told Chris that I am going to go talk to our security guard and just have him say numbers over and over to me until I can figure out what they are!!
There was a huge parade downtown today. They have "carpets' or chalk drawings on the streets and floats. We ended up seeing part of it while we were out exploring. The crowds were so big that we didn't really want to stop. Instead we wandered towards our house and found a cool park that the kids loved playing at. It was pretty funny when a police truck with about 4 cops drove by and were rubbernecking at us. They slowed down and did a complete circle around the park. The last time past us they honked and waved.
Other thoughts:
Laina is a thumb sucker and her nail is split. I cut her nails and apparently I cut her thumbnail too short. She was up crying for two nights because she couldn't suck her thumb. She had such a rough time!! We told her to suck her fingers and she told us that they didn't taste very good...only her thumb was yummy. One night while Chris and I were watching a t.v. show I told her to go to bed and she said that she would go to bed when I went to bed. I can't believe my three year old is trying to tell me what to do!!
The men here pee anywhere and everywhere. And the women nurse anywhere and everywhere. I've gotten used to not looking at anybody on the side of the road or the construction workers outside because there is a pretty good chance that they are peeing!! The other day there was a guy on a motorcycle with a lady on the back nursing a baby going down the street. (Ouch, if he hit a bump!!) Anyway, Cole has picked up on the peeing thing and thinks it's great to run to the lot on the side of the house and pee if somebody else is in the downstairs bathroom!! I think he waits for the bathroom to be occupied so that he has an excuse to pee "Mayan style" as he calls it! (There's lots of different things that have been named "Mayan style".)
My parents sold their house of 30+ years. It is the only house that I have ever known and it is pretty sad to think that I will never get to go back there again! (That hasn't helped with my being upset the past couple days!!) Chris thinks I'm a weirdo since his family moves every couple of years. Our house has so many memories that it is hard to see it go.
Monday, April 6, 2009
4/6/09-4/8/09
Living in a foreign country for a holiday is definitely different. The emphasis for Easter is SOOOO different than in the U.S. Yes, there are things that I miss but there is so much more that I am glad not to deal with!! I have complained for so many years now on how commercialized all the holidays are. That is not the case here. I have seen ONE EASTER ITEM since we've been here!! The Easter bunny doesn't exist here and they don't have egg hunts. Luckily I did pack a few things for the kids so they don't go through complete shock!
On the flip side, they celebrate Holy Week (Semana Santa). All the schools shut down for the week. Most people have the whole week or at least part of the week off from work. From what I hear most of the shops will all be shut down Thursday through Easter. Everybody leaves to be with family or to go to the beach. We probably won't do either or those!! We'll have to see what the town is like! Our development is definitely desolate today with all of the construction workers gone!
Other things that I've noticed that I don't think I've written about are:
Here in Xela, a lot of the stores shut down every day for lunch/siesta.
A lot of the construction workers can't afford/don't have time to go home every night so they sleep in little shacks next to the houses that they are building. A lot of times they'll build a fire early in the morning.
The birds are our morning wake up system. If we're lucky they sing to us. If we're not so lucky they peck on the windows or crow until we get up and scare them away!! At least they're not pigeons!!
The only thing that seems to multiply as fast as the dust bunnies are the flies. They drive me bonkers!! It gets to the point that we have to vacuum up all the dead ones in the morning because there are so many.
It is starting to warm up finally. It's still pretty chilly in the morning but the kids have worn shorts during the day. It is also planting season. There have been workers in the fields behind us. The kids planted some seeds but we haven't seen anything yet. I might even try to plant something! The rainy season should be starting in a few weeks.
4/7/09:We switched the kids rooms around so that Cole and Laina are sharing and Alysa and Morgan are sharing. It is interesting to see the dynamics between the kids. Cole and Laina are great together. Alysa and Morgan fight like cats and dogs trying to go to sleep! They want to move back in with their old partners!! I told them they had to try it for at least 3 days before I'll consider switching them back.
The lack of safety was reenforced in us tonight. While driving home (on the curvy, unlit street), we were stopped by traffic. A policeman had his motorcycle blocking the road and was shining a flash light. (no lights or sirens!!). There were cars stopped everywhere and people all over. We were redirected to the other lane and as we drove by, we saw a body covered with a sheet. Apparently somebody got hit by a car. Just a little reminder that cars can't/won't stop for people!!
4/8: We got a keyboard last night and the kids have really enjoyed playing with it today. It has been nice for me to be able to sit down and play. It is definitely a stress reliever for me. (Except for when I can't play it right and I get frustrated!! (: ) Another great "out" for me is to exercise. We went and looked at a gym here that we might join. It has weights, cardio, and classes. They have spinning, aerobics, salsa, dance, etc. This could be fun. They advertise that they have pilates but its not on their schedule. Chris said that I should teach there but I don't know how well that would work with the language barrier!! Maybe in a few months. (:
On the flip side, they celebrate Holy Week (Semana Santa). All the schools shut down for the week. Most people have the whole week or at least part of the week off from work. From what I hear most of the shops will all be shut down Thursday through Easter. Everybody leaves to be with family or to go to the beach. We probably won't do either or those!! We'll have to see what the town is like! Our development is definitely desolate today with all of the construction workers gone!
Other things that I've noticed that I don't think I've written about are:
Here in Xela, a lot of the stores shut down every day for lunch/siesta.
A lot of the construction workers can't afford/don't have time to go home every night so they sleep in little shacks next to the houses that they are building. A lot of times they'll build a fire early in the morning.
The birds are our morning wake up system. If we're lucky they sing to us. If we're not so lucky they peck on the windows or crow until we get up and scare them away!! At least they're not pigeons!!
The only thing that seems to multiply as fast as the dust bunnies are the flies. They drive me bonkers!! It gets to the point that we have to vacuum up all the dead ones in the morning because there are so many.
It is starting to warm up finally. It's still pretty chilly in the morning but the kids have worn shorts during the day. It is also planting season. There have been workers in the fields behind us. The kids planted some seeds but we haven't seen anything yet. I might even try to plant something! The rainy season should be starting in a few weeks.
4/7/09:We switched the kids rooms around so that Cole and Laina are sharing and Alysa and Morgan are sharing. It is interesting to see the dynamics between the kids. Cole and Laina are great together. Alysa and Morgan fight like cats and dogs trying to go to sleep! They want to move back in with their old partners!! I told them they had to try it for at least 3 days before I'll consider switching them back.
The lack of safety was reenforced in us tonight. While driving home (on the curvy, unlit street), we were stopped by traffic. A policeman had his motorcycle blocking the road and was shining a flash light. (no lights or sirens!!). There were cars stopped everywhere and people all over. We were redirected to the other lane and as we drove by, we saw a body covered with a sheet. Apparently somebody got hit by a car. Just a little reminder that cars can't/won't stop for people!!
4/8: We got a keyboard last night and the kids have really enjoyed playing with it today. It has been nice for me to be able to sit down and play. It is definitely a stress reliever for me. (Except for when I can't play it right and I get frustrated!! (: ) Another great "out" for me is to exercise. We went and looked at a gym here that we might join. It has weights, cardio, and classes. They have spinning, aerobics, salsa, dance, etc. This could be fun. They advertise that they have pilates but its not on their schedule. Chris said that I should teach there but I don't know how well that would work with the language barrier!! Maybe in a few months. (:
Thursday, April 2, 2009
4/2/09-4/5/09
Thursday, 4/2: Today was definitely better than yesterday. We still had quite a bit of boring time in the hotel but we did venture out to a new mall. It was the Oakland Mall and was pretty much like any mall in the U.S. The kids were excited that I actually let them go on the carousel. The highlight of the trip (other than getting to/from the mall without incident!! What an adrenal rush!!) was lunch. The restaurant that we went to had a big aquarium inside. The kids had a lot of fun watching all of the fish. I had a great time sitting down watching the kids being entertained!!
Another great highlight for the day was getting the bag of "stuff" from Dave (Chris' boss). He did some shopping for us and brought down a bunch of stuff from Utah. Bread making stuff, raisins, chips, licorice, gummy worms, etc. It was like Christmas!!
Friday, 4/3: Today was another adventurous day. I drove pretty far to get to another mall. I was trying to get to some other stores but didn't make it and decided to stop at the mall instead. Most of you probably know that I can't stand going to malls and do everything in my power not to. With that said, we must have been desperate for something to do for me to go to two malls in two days with four kids!! I did get way out of control and let the kids each get two books at a store that had some English books. I spent WAY more money on them than I ever would have but the kids were happy so I guess that's all that matters. I've definitely got to find a way to get them cheaper books!!
After the mall, I tried to get to Chuck E. Cheeses but once again couldn't quite get to the right place! We ended up back tracking several times before we gave up and went to Pollo Campero. The kids were pleased with the selection since it had a play place and they got helado (ice cream). When we tried to get back to the hotel, I ended up in construction with detours going everywhere. I do have to say that I am extremely proud of myself for finding my away around and not getting killed. After this week, I should be able to do anything!!
Saturday, 4/4: Another beautiful, crazy drive back to Xela. It was such a relief to leave the big city. We did stop at a little shop along the way and bought our first trinket; a tiny painted clay pot. It ended up costing $1.25! We got back into town just in time to pick up our last pieces of furniture from the street vendor. The pictures show a couple of the pieces. The coat tree is the most amusing to me. We had them make it especially for us and I don't think they fully understood how it was supposed to work. Notice in the picture that rather than having hooks to hang the coats on, it has hangers!! Also, it is definitely made for short people! It'll work out great especially for the little girls!
Sunday, 4/5: Cole has a new pet. "Archie" is our new spider that we found when we got home. He is currently living (well, sort of) in a Glad container. I think this pet will probably last about as long as Stevie did !!
We were able to watch General Conference over the internet today in English! It was very nice to understand what was being said and for the comforting messages! I always feel inspired to do better after watching conference. My mind is going crazy trying to think of projects that I can do to help others. My latest brainstorm is to teach piano here. There is an article in the April Ensign magazine (pg 76) that talks about the churches Basic Music Course and how they send keyboards with the course to many areas around the world where learning music isn't readily available. I am trying to find out more information.
This evening, the Orellanas came over to introduce us to her parents and to share some mangoes with us. Alysa and Laina really liked them. Morgan and Cole weren't too sure though! Lily Orellana teaches at the school that we are hoping to send the kids to and she told us that the school is trying to arrange for a special teacher to teach the kids Spanish for half of the day. I hope everything works out with that!! Everybody seems to get a kick out of Laina's spanish right now. She adds an 'a' or an 'o' to words and says that it's Spanish!! Cat = cato, dog= dogo etc. The funny thing is that some of them are right!!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
3/30/09-4/1/09
Monday: I wasn't brave enough to drive today. Instead, the kids and I hung out in the hotel and walked around outside a little. We found a McDonalds and had some lunch. The kids have less faith in my Spanish than I have in myself. I think they were pretty surprised that we got all the food that we thought we had ordered!
In the afternoon, the kids entertained themselves in the hotel gym. I later realized that there was a sign (in English) that said nobody under 18 allowed!! Oops! Overall an extremely boring day but we survived.
Tuesday: Today I was much more adventurous. After a nice prayer, we ventured out in the rental car to find the zoo. Driving was scary enough but I didn't have a clue where I was going and Morgans navigating didn't help much. She just kept saying, "Mom, I think we better just go back to the hotel". Miraculously we found the zoo....I have no idea how we did it!! When we were going in to pay, there were a bunch of missionaries. It turned out that it was their preparation day and their whole zone was having an outing. There were over 30 in all. It was nice to know that there were translators all throughout the zoo if I needed help. I managed on my own though!
The zoo was very nice. It was pretty warm and Laina's legs weren't working (she says that whenever she is tired and then throws herself on the ground. I love the terrible 3's!!) so I had to carry her a lot. The kids really seemed to enjoy themselves. I personally was more impressed with all the cool trees and Mayan decorations than the animals! All the kids had to find Marty (Zebra), Melman (Giraffe), Gloria/Moto Moto (Hippos) and Alex (Lion). They even found little Alekade (baby lion). All of them are from Madagascar which is one of their all time favorite movies.
We stalled as long as we could at the zoo so that we wouldn't have to sit in the hotel as long. After lunch, we went back through once more and then headed for the hotel. I drove straight to the hotel except couldn't get into the parking garage because it was on a one way (una via) road and I was going the wrong way. We made a few circles around before we got on the right block going the right direction!!
Wednesday: What a day. It all began yesterday when we realized that our room was on a smoking floor. We tried to change but there were no more rooms with adjoining doors so we opted to hold out and hope that no smokers came in next to us. No such luck. When we went to bed, the smell began. At 11:45 I woke up nauseous from the smell. I do not do well with cigarette smoke! (I'm sure my mom can tell many stories of me making big embarassing scenes about people smoking around me when I was little. Morgan has taken over that job now!) I ended up taking my blankets and sleeping on the floor in the kids room since it was a little further away. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much and didn't feel good. Adding four kids all day in a hotel to the mix was just asking for disaster! I was the biggest grouch to say the least!! I was about ready to strangle all of them by 9::00 this morning!! Even though there were still no adjoining rooms, we opted to take two side by side rooms that were non-smoking. Hopefully I'll sleep better tonight and be a little bit better of a mom tomorrow!
We did however venture out for lunch and found a TGIFridays. (There were 4 missionaries eating. They are everywhere!) I'm sure everybody is wondering why we always eat at the same old boring American restaurants instead of trying new stuff. There are two reasons. Reason #1: The kids will eat it without any problems. Reason #2: It is something familiar that I am able to order. I get so frustrated going into restaurants and not understanding the menus and having to figure out what I want to eat. I have a hard enough time deciding on what to order even when I know what the food is!!
The restaurant was in a little mall area that had a few pretty cool stores. One was a house and restaurant supply store. I had gone into another one the last time I came to Guatemala City. They said they were out of oven thermometers but should have them the next time I came back. I am still trying to cook with an oven that goes from 1-5! Anyway, no luck. Another store was a book store that had kids books...some in English. Morgan and Cole have really missed reading. Cole would read nonstop. He hasn't read a book since we got here! I am hoping to find a library or something that we can get some books for him at!
After we got back to the hotel, I let the kids go to the pool to put their feet in. I should have known better. By the time we left all four of them were soaking wet from head to toe in their jeans and clothes! At least it gave me an excuse to put them in the tub and kill some time!
I have decided that I really like Xela more than Guatemala City. The pace of life here is just too busy for me. I can't even get across a street here with all the kids! I'm sure that I just haven't experienced enough of Guatemala City but I am excited to go back to Xela. I am very grateful that that is where we are building the temple. Chris feels the same and has often commented that if the project was in Guatemala City, he would have had to turn it down. I am quickly growing to love the people in Xela. I love all the women that wear their traditional Mayan clothing. I love the CRAZY (loco) chicken buses. I love the markets. I love the scenery. I love how friendly and welcoming everybody has been to us. I really think that it is going to be tough to leave when the job is done!!
For more pictures of our trip to the zoo, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/morganrae02/33109LaAuroraZooGuatemalaCityGuatemala?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnQp9r66eGDtAE&feat=directlink
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