Day Eleven: A Lesson in Sports

Tuesday mornings at Abbie's school begin with physical education.


Yesterday before the kids left for the day she instructed them to wear their swim suits under their clothes and to bring a towel. This morning we all arrived ready as instructed. We were heading to Flamenco Beach to play soccer! Since we have no bus, Abbie decided who was going to ride with whom. Hannah and three other girls were in my car and the rest of the kids were shared among the several adult drivers.  We took the public road toward Flamenco Beach, but before we arrived at the entrance I am familiar with, we took a right onto a dirt road that was rather generous with its potholes. The road's potholes were often still full of water, too, which made for an interesting obstacle course. 


At the end of the road, we dismounted the ride and made our way to a very quiet spot one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. A couple of the boys ran ahead and dug their heels in the sand and drew two end lines and a center line. We readied ourselves for a game of soccer on the beach!

The little guys and girls were assisted by the older students and they played a spirited match. It was fun watching Hannah light up as she played her favorite game with her new classmates. She scored a couple of goals, which gave her the opportunity to hear praise from these important people, too! The sand flew and it was hot, but even the initially reluctant kids joined in the game while Abbie, Lisa, and I refereed and coached. I'm sorry, but I forgot to take my camera so I don't have any pictures to show you of our game, but this it the beach where it all happened!


When the time came for the game to be done we all stripped to our swim suits and headed into the crystal clear sea. Although this beach is over a mile long, there was only one couple on it besides our kids. That in itself was pretty wonderful. Abbie assessed the swimming abilities of our new students (she's a swim instructor as well) and we split up so we could watch all of the kids as they enjoyed the water and each other. 


By 9:30 or so we were back at the school, ready for the rest of the day's classes. Our schedule is different every day, so it will take a while to get used to it. The new students, though, including our little first graders, already had more confidence than they had yesterday and the time on the beach strengthened our connections even further. Although we were all salty and sandy, it was completely worth it!


On Tuesdays I am finished an hour ahead of the rest of the school, so I had some extra time to prepare for tomorrow. That made it possible for Hannah and I to leave very shortly after she was dismissed. We went to drop off a couple of letters at the post office and pick up a few things at the store. Then we headed home so we could shower! 


Tonight has been relaxing, with a few hands of Rummy (Hannah's favorite card game) and she's now watching The Lucy Show before she heads off for bed.


Thank you, God, for today. We are finding life challenging and different here but You are giving us such an amazing experience. Thank you for soccer on the beach!