Busy, Busy, Busy

Okay, so I'm really grateful! Grateful for my present situation and really grateful for my former one. Joshua and I chatted today about whether this life here is easier or more complicated. Every time we drive from the city to our home we see that we have so much to be grateful for here and especially in the US. So many people live in extreme poverty. We live in much different circumstances than at home. Much humbler and in some ways simpler. Less stuff to take care of, less mess to clean, more time to spend with my family. But I miss my kitchen even though I wasn't a great cook. I miss my veggies and clean water. I miss green smoothies! I miss my washer and dryer. I miss having an air conditioner and carpet. I miss my soft bed and lamp to read at night. Here I am grateful for good neighbors (and at home too). The kids love where we live and have made friends fast even with the language barrier. I love the adorable old man who cuts our grass with a machete. The kids were excited to watch him cut our grass with a "sword". I love Irma, our housekeeper and laundress. As I mentioned before, I don't have a washing machine and tried washing some of our clothes by hand. It is exhausting and my whole body is sore from that feat. So Irma is probably my greatest hero this week. It doesn't hurt that she is young, beautiful, smart, and trustworthy. When I came home on Wednesday from school the whole house smelled fabulous. A burden has been lifted. I don't know how women work and take care of a family. They are my heros too. Teaching has been filled with excitement and challenges. I have tried to be creative, inspiring, and fun as I teach them English. The challenge has been all the blank faces staring back at me so I have a lot to learn and need to make some adjustments. The first graders I teach are so out of control that the teacher I work with and I have had to slip into Spanish to have them set some rules and choose consequences. (Any ideas you have are welcomed.) I am trying to apply what I have learned from "Love and Logic". We asked the kids what they thought needed improving. They were hilarious today. They thought it would be a good idea to expell kids that talked in class or who tattled. We had to talk about the crime fitting the punishment but they made us laugh. Some thought of belts and all sorts of corporal punishment for misbehavior. It was great to see them thinking about their behavior and owning it. Joshua has been pleasantly surprised that he enjoys school. Elijah everyday tells me what his favorite part of school has been. It is either eating or playing ball. Heidi is speaking the language faster than the others so far.