Ballet, Visitors, Shopping, Kidney Stones... oh my!
What an interesting and busy weekend!
On Friday, we took the younger kids down to the Malecon ("seafront") for a festival put on by the cultural center for Americans who either visit or live here during the winter (the flier sent home from school called them "snow birds"). The festival was entirely in English, had free food and beer and door prizes, and featured several different types of music and dance. They kept trying to get Randy and me to sign up for things, and we were grateful to not be tourists.
Four of our girls danced in the ballet and one of our boys played guitar. All of our dorm moms came to support the kids and cheer them on. We celebrated their accomplishments with cotton candy.
In the evening, Randy and I went to the condo of some friends who are in town visiting. It was a nice little getaway and we were grateful to have a dinner without tortillas. I think it will be very important for us in the future to have this time with friends from our "former" lives, to just remove ourselves from work and laugh and have fun with adults who we don't work with or for.
On Saturday we experienced for the first time what it's like to have a large group of U.S. visitors come spend the day with the kids. We've been the visiting group, but we haven't experienced it from a staff perspective. On one hand, it feels like a break. There are other adults for the kids to climb on and fight for the attention of. But on the other, it is exhausting work. I was frequently translating, both in Spanish and in English. I was taking pictures for our newsletter, but also had to ask our visitors to not take pictures for the protection of our children. I was smiling and laughing because the kids were having so much fun, but also on alert to make sure they were safe. The kids adore visitors, but I can see that it is a lot of work for the staff!
In the midst of all this, Randy passed a kidney stone. He was laid up all day Saturday, but like a boss didn't even go to the doctor or the hospital. But it did mean I had to drive around town ALONE for the first time. And of course half the streets were blocked off for Revolution Day parades so I had to find my way to the grocery store and church via back roads. But I did it! And it wasn't scary at all. The only scary part was standing between two federales who had giant guns slung over their shoulders while in line at the grocery store. But they were polite to me and tipped the old guy who bags groceries, so I gave them the thumbs up for the day.
By Sunday afternoon Randy was feeling better so we headed out with our U.S. friends and took the older kids shopping. When we visited in August I felt like I really connected with the younger kids, but wasn't sure exactly how to connect with the older girls. Now I know. Shopping!
The two boys who went with us had their outfits picked out within the first 5 minutes, but we spent HOURS with the girls. Part of the problem was that we have two teenagers who were trying to find outfits in the kids section. While the sizes still fit, the styles do not. So I grabbed the girls and took them to the women's section where they treated me like I was a hero.
All of our Spanish speakers took the kids to a nearby restaurant while I was left to translate for our American friends and the cashier. Somehow I managed to understand that we had "store bucks" that we could come back and spend in December. My brain was on overload, but I'm learning more words and phrases every day!
Dinner was delicious... salad, spaghetti, and pizza! By the time we finished, around 6:30 p.m., our two youngest girls were ready for bed. Gary and Karen took them home and left us in charge of the 7 older kids. We let them play on the beach, eat churros and ice cream, and cranked up the music when we drove them home.
At one point during the drive I asked Randy if we should do a "hand check." After all, we have 7 teens and preteens who aren't related to one another crammed into a dark car. Brayan tapped me on the shoulder and showed me his hands. I forget that they are taking English in school! I laughed and gave him the thumbs up. We are in for quite the adventure!
On Friday, we took the younger kids down to the Malecon ("seafront") for a festival put on by the cultural center for Americans who either visit or live here during the winter (the flier sent home from school called them "snow birds"). The festival was entirely in English, had free food and beer and door prizes, and featured several different types of music and dance. They kept trying to get Randy and me to sign up for things, and we were grateful to not be tourists.
Four of our girls danced in the ballet and one of our boys played guitar. All of our dorm moms came to support the kids and cheer them on. We celebrated their accomplishments with cotton candy.
In the evening, Randy and I went to the condo of some friends who are in town visiting. It was a nice little getaway and we were grateful to have a dinner without tortillas. I think it will be very important for us in the future to have this time with friends from our "former" lives, to just remove ourselves from work and laugh and have fun with adults who we don't work with or for.
On Saturday we experienced for the first time what it's like to have a large group of U.S. visitors come spend the day with the kids. We've been the visiting group, but we haven't experienced it from a staff perspective. On one hand, it feels like a break. There are other adults for the kids to climb on and fight for the attention of. But on the other, it is exhausting work. I was frequently translating, both in Spanish and in English. I was taking pictures for our newsletter, but also had to ask our visitors to not take pictures for the protection of our children. I was smiling and laughing because the kids were having so much fun, but also on alert to make sure they were safe. The kids adore visitors, but I can see that it is a lot of work for the staff!
In the midst of all this, Randy passed a kidney stone. He was laid up all day Saturday, but like a boss didn't even go to the doctor or the hospital. But it did mean I had to drive around town ALONE for the first time. And of course half the streets were blocked off for Revolution Day parades so I had to find my way to the grocery store and church via back roads. But I did it! And it wasn't scary at all. The only scary part was standing between two federales who had giant guns slung over their shoulders while in line at the grocery store. But they were polite to me and tipped the old guy who bags groceries, so I gave them the thumbs up for the day.
By Sunday afternoon Randy was feeling better so we headed out with our U.S. friends and took the older kids shopping. When we visited in August I felt like I really connected with the younger kids, but wasn't sure exactly how to connect with the older girls. Now I know. Shopping!
The two boys who went with us had their outfits picked out within the first 5 minutes, but we spent HOURS with the girls. Part of the problem was that we have two teenagers who were trying to find outfits in the kids section. While the sizes still fit, the styles do not. So I grabbed the girls and took them to the women's section where they treated me like I was a hero.
All of our Spanish speakers took the kids to a nearby restaurant while I was left to translate for our American friends and the cashier. Somehow I managed to understand that we had "store bucks" that we could come back and spend in December. My brain was on overload, but I'm learning more words and phrases every day!
Dinner was delicious... salad, spaghetti, and pizza! By the time we finished, around 6:30 p.m., our two youngest girls were ready for bed. Gary and Karen took them home and left us in charge of the 7 older kids. We let them play on the beach, eat churros and ice cream, and cranked up the music when we drove them home.
At one point during the drive I asked Randy if we should do a "hand check." After all, we have 7 teens and preteens who aren't related to one another crammed into a dark car. Brayan tapped me on the shoulder and showed me his hands. I forget that they are taking English in school! I laughed and gave him the thumbs up. We are in for quite the adventure!
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