By now, you probably understand that Thursdays are a pretty big deal to me. They're the ONE day I have some "just me" time and I especially look forward to that time because when I walk into Mamacita's, Kelly knows exactly what I want, where I'll sit, and it's just pretty nice that way. Today I was also able to reach my hubby by phone, which is a miracle in and of itself, especially considering he was in the auditorium which generally has zero phone signal! However, Kelly, who is generally the bartender when I arrive, told me today that beginning this weekend they'll be closed until the first week in November! Bummer! Don't know what I'll do for that alone time now!!!
I had a good day at school, teaching the kindergarten/first graders more about letters, sounds, numbers, and how the calendar works, working with the third-and fourth-graders about the long-o vowel, giving instruction and demonstrating how to write an acrostic using your own name to the third- and fourth-graders (which they LOVED, by the way), and then having a pretty deep conversation in Sociology about an issue that was brought up in class. By the time 12:15 rolled around, I was tired, but it was all good.
Before I left I spoke with one of the moms who has been an absolute angel for me. You see, we're having hiccups in our moving arrangements (which should by now be no surprise to me, right?) so I'm having to find some other place. I was under the impression we'd be in this house through the end of October so I had arrangements to move into another place on November 1. I just found out last night we need to move out the weekend of October 22/23, which is over a week prior to what I had anticipated. Yuck...another thing to sort out.
However, God is really helping me to be strong and trust Him to help me through this, so although I don't like the headache, I'm staying confident that He will help me sort it out. And this parent has given me a couple of names and phone numbers to contact, so I'm hoping it will all work out...
Hannah is at volleyball practice, which has been a positive experience for her! I think it's good that she's able to make her own way this year in volleyball without having the "thing" of her dad being a former varsity volleyball coach. It's kind of letting her get to know the game without that added pressure, which I think is good for her!
I have to admit, it's hard not having any comments. Several friends and family members have said it's not been allowing comments, which I don't get, because I click "allow comments" (or whatever the correct phrase is. But hearing from just a few people has kept me motivated, so thank you for those comments!!!
Thank you, God, for helping me to remember that You've got everything in control and that all things will work out. I am clueless about this housing situation, but You're not, and I'm so grateful for that!!!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Day 53: Explosions on Culebra
Okay, all you history buffs! This day is meant for YOU!!!
This morning at school we headed to Flamenco Beach for our weekly sports day. Juan, a father of two students, is our talented instructor in the game of soccer, and I was paired with him for the event. After we had been there a little while, a man in a sort of uniform came over and informed us they would be detonating an explosive on one of the hills (small mountains) near us.
You see, during the fight against Communism, the U.S. decided Culebra was a rather strategic spot based upon its location in the Caribbean, especially in relation to Cuba. Quite a bit of naval training took place here and in the course of that training many explosives were planted around the island for various reasons. As a matter of fact, the island currently forbids any type of excavation around Flamenco Beach due to the risk of detonation!
Recently the U.S. took action to remove the explosive devices from the island in order to make it safer. A company has been locating and then safely detonating each one in order for the island to be totally bomb-free. What a concept, huh??
The kids thought it was a pretty amazing experience when we felt the ground shake from the explosion and heard the deafening sound it made. They also thought it was cool to see the black smoke rising from where the land mine was, and then watch as it actually took the shape of a heart. That was weird...wish I had my camera!
The rest of the day was sort of non-descript, I guess, in comparison with the 8:30 detonation!
Thank You, God, that someone who has the power has made the call to remove the dangerous bombs from this little island. Thank You that we were able to witness one of those removals today, quite by accident!
This morning at school we headed to Flamenco Beach for our weekly sports day. Juan, a father of two students, is our talented instructor in the game of soccer, and I was paired with him for the event. After we had been there a little while, a man in a sort of uniform came over and informed us they would be detonating an explosive on one of the hills (small mountains) near us.
You see, during the fight against Communism, the U.S. decided Culebra was a rather strategic spot based upon its location in the Caribbean, especially in relation to Cuba. Quite a bit of naval training took place here and in the course of that training many explosives were planted around the island for various reasons. As a matter of fact, the island currently forbids any type of excavation around Flamenco Beach due to the risk of detonation!
Recently the U.S. took action to remove the explosive devices from the island in order to make it safer. A company has been locating and then safely detonating each one in order for the island to be totally bomb-free. What a concept, huh??
The kids thought it was a pretty amazing experience when we felt the ground shake from the explosion and heard the deafening sound it made. They also thought it was cool to see the black smoke rising from where the land mine was, and then watch as it actually took the shape of a heart. That was weird...wish I had my camera!
The rest of the day was sort of non-descript, I guess, in comparison with the 8:30 detonation!
Thank You, God, that someone who has the power has made the call to remove the dangerous bombs from this little island. Thank You that we were able to witness one of those removals today, quite by accident!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Day 52: School and Volleyball!
It was a really nice day today, weather-wise. The thing about it is, though, is that every day is pretty much the same temperature. It's usually in the mid-80s. Typically this time of year it rains at some point during the day, although it seems to happen more at night than during the day. My classroom doesn't get much of a breeze, so it gets a bit toasty in there. In fact, although I rarely sweat in Michigan, here it's a completely different story!
Tuesday, because of the new schedule, the first-graders were with me for a longer period of time. It actually felt as though they had time to process new learning. That was nice. Then I had the third- and fourth-graders for a longer time than any other day of the week, so we were able to do some things that are atypical as well!
You may or may not remember, but the first-graders here still don't know their alphabet. So today we played an alphabet game. I pointed to a letter and if the student could say the name of the letter he or she was awarded a tally mark (they're pretty good at tally marks now!). My top student had twelve tally marks. This is first grade and this is more than a month into school. This would NOT be a typical first grade classroom in the states. However, they have brought with them what they have learned so obviously we have some catching up to do.
The third- and fourth-graders learned today about an acrostic. Most of them struggle with expressing themselves in English, and all struggle BIG TIME with spelling in English, so I thought this would be a fun, creative, and motivating way for them to practice all of those skills, while being able to bring out their own personalities. Bear in mind that when I taught first grade in the States, ALL of my students did an acrostic at about this time of year about Fall (or Autumn). My students today had no clue even what an acrostic was! That was a shocker!
However, we brainstormed through it, I "thought out loud" with my own name, and they were able to come up with some pretty good ideas! I was very proud of them. The goal is for each student to produce an acrostic of his or her own name and make it into a work of art! We should be able to add to them on Thursday and Friday. So hopefully we'll have them all done in a week or so! (Think my first-graders will have their alphabet all learned by then?????)
After school Hannah worked with our Spanish teacher, Lizette, who is spending extra time with our girl so she can become a little bit fluent in the native language here. I went to the post office and bank, and picked up some groceries. Upon my return Hannah was ready to head for home. We then had a light supper followed by Hannah's volleyball practice. It is so nice that she can be involved in volleyball here. It's not of the caliber in the States, but she's learning some of the skills and is socializing with the girls, so that's great! I read a book while she was gone to prepare for tomorrow.
This evening we played Sequence, which is a game Abbie loaned to us. Hannah has really taken to it. I just hope it's not the only game we play from now on!
If you feel so inclined, I would really appreciate some prayers for dealing with the loneliness I'm feeling again now that Hope is gone. It's probably my biggest challenge. During the daytime I hear other people communicating fluently and I can't understand 90% of what they are saying. Although some days are better than others, I can truly say it is a difficult situation!
Thank You, God, for another beautiful day on this island. Thank You for the relationships Hannah is building and for the things I am learning!
Tuesday, because of the new schedule, the first-graders were with me for a longer period of time. It actually felt as though they had time to process new learning. That was nice. Then I had the third- and fourth-graders for a longer time than any other day of the week, so we were able to do some things that are atypical as well!
You may or may not remember, but the first-graders here still don't know their alphabet. So today we played an alphabet game. I pointed to a letter and if the student could say the name of the letter he or she was awarded a tally mark (they're pretty good at tally marks now!). My top student had twelve tally marks. This is first grade and this is more than a month into school. This would NOT be a typical first grade classroom in the states. However, they have brought with them what they have learned so obviously we have some catching up to do.
The third- and fourth-graders learned today about an acrostic. Most of them struggle with expressing themselves in English, and all struggle BIG TIME with spelling in English, so I thought this would be a fun, creative, and motivating way for them to practice all of those skills, while being able to bring out their own personalities. Bear in mind that when I taught first grade in the States, ALL of my students did an acrostic at about this time of year about Fall (or Autumn). My students today had no clue even what an acrostic was! That was a shocker!
However, we brainstormed through it, I "thought out loud" with my own name, and they were able to come up with some pretty good ideas! I was very proud of them. The goal is for each student to produce an acrostic of his or her own name and make it into a work of art! We should be able to add to them on Thursday and Friday. So hopefully we'll have them all done in a week or so! (Think my first-graders will have their alphabet all learned by then?????)
After school Hannah worked with our Spanish teacher, Lizette, who is spending extra time with our girl so she can become a little bit fluent in the native language here. I went to the post office and bank, and picked up some groceries. Upon my return Hannah was ready to head for home. We then had a light supper followed by Hannah's volleyball practice. It is so nice that she can be involved in volleyball here. It's not of the caliber in the States, but she's learning some of the skills and is socializing with the girls, so that's great! I read a book while she was gone to prepare for tomorrow.
This evening we played Sequence, which is a game Abbie loaned to us. Hannah has really taken to it. I just hope it's not the only game we play from now on!
If you feel so inclined, I would really appreciate some prayers for dealing with the loneliness I'm feeling again now that Hope is gone. It's probably my biggest challenge. During the daytime I hear other people communicating fluently and I can't understand 90% of what they are saying. Although some days are better than others, I can truly say it is a difficult situation!
Thank You, God, for another beautiful day on this island. Thank You for the relationships Hannah is building and for the things I am learning!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Day 51: On Our Own...
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| Body Surfing Girl!!! We went to Zoni Beach (Hope's favorite beach, too!) on Saturday. |
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| Protecting the Beer! We thought this was pretty hilarious, watching these guys make sure their beer didn't get salt water in! |
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| Sunset from Melones Beach (Another Hope Photo!) |
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| Checking the Sea Glass and Shells We Found At Melones... Love My Hannah!!! |
Sadly, this morning we had to take her to the airport before school started. It truly was difficult. If I didn't have to immediately shift gears and think about school, I think I would have gone home and gotten drunk immediately.
However, she is an amazing photographer and shared some of her pictures with me, so I'm going to share them with you! You're fortunate!
Day 48: Rainforest Research
Friday mornings are a little different at Abbie's School, as you've heard before, but today was really special because Hope came into the classroom and worked with my little guys while I worked with the older kids. She loved it because she loves first grade, I loved it because the older kids got more direct instruction, and the kids loved it because Hope is pretty cool!
Today's school pictures were taken by Hope. She's an amazing photographer and has her own photo blog! http://www.photoblog.com/hopepics
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| I Earned a Sticker Because I Know More Than Six Sight Words!! |
We have our "regular classes" until the 10:15 break. Following the break we work in our teams for about an hour on the rainforest project. Each team is focused on a specific topic of the rainforest; my team's job is to learn and demonstrate the people and products of the rainforest.
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| Abbie Giving Instructions |
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| Sofia Sharing Her Idea |
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| Little Sophia Writing Down Some of Her Ideas |
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| Grace Beginning to Sketch Out the World Map |
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| Friendly Guest at Mamacita's |
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| Dinner at Mamacita's |
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| Posing... |
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| A Mango Smoothie!! :) |
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| What a great place! |
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| No Stress Here!!! |
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| Dessert...YUM! |
We enjoyed an evening together at Mamacita's and Hope even treated Hannah to dessert: a banana, peanut butter, chocolate pie! YUM!
Thank you, God, for a wonderful relaxing evening. Actually, the whole day was better because Hope was here with us! Thank You!!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Day 47: It's All About Relationship...
I can honestly say that today has been the best day so far.
School went pretty smoothly and I was actually well-prepared with the student notebooks that go home on a daily basis. They are hand-written (by the teacher...me) homework assignments that are required work every day except Friday. That means not only lesson-planning, printing, and/or copying, but writing (by HAND, remember) the assignment for each and every student I have for English and math. In any case, it was all done and learning happened today, so I was a happy camper with that!
Since today is Thursday and I have the afternoon off, I went to pick up Hope for a visit to Mamacita's. She had worked all morning on come little picture cards for the kids to learn about sounds in words and do word sorts. She had gotten more done this morning than I've been able to get done since I've been here!!! Yay!!! It was fun taking her to my Thursday hang-out spot, and she got to taste a "Bushwacker", which is one of their specialties. She also got to meet one of the resident iguanas. Thrilling...
After school was done we returned to work in my classroom. Since my room is so dinky, I've been frustrated with where to put things....all the way from posters to storage. She had some great ideas and helped me take it to the next level. When Abbie popped her head in she was "wowwed" by it!
This evening Hannah was able to begin practicing volleyball at the gym with lots of the local girls. There's a coach who works with them on the basic skills and several girls from Abbie's School participate. While she was there Hope and I went back to the house for a cup of coffee. We sat out on the deck.
My dear friend, Rhonda, sent me a really cool digital frame a couple of days ago. She had gathered pictures from some other dear friends from a trip we took together just before we left Michigan and loaded them all onto the frame. While Hope and I were having our coffee, she figured out (by reading the directions, of course!) how easy it is for me to load even more pictures on there!
Then we went to pick up Hannah from the gym; she was dripping with sweat but totally happy!
Thank You, God, for a great day; that Hope is here, that I can enjoy pictures of friends and family, and that Hannah had a great time with other girls!
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| YAY!!!! Hope has arrived!!!! :) |
School went pretty smoothly and I was actually well-prepared with the student notebooks that go home on a daily basis. They are hand-written (by the teacher...me) homework assignments that are required work every day except Friday. That means not only lesson-planning, printing, and/or copying, but writing (by HAND, remember) the assignment for each and every student I have for English and math. In any case, it was all done and learning happened today, so I was a happy camper with that!
Since today is Thursday and I have the afternoon off, I went to pick up Hope for a visit to Mamacita's. She had worked all morning on come little picture cards for the kids to learn about sounds in words and do word sorts. She had gotten more done this morning than I've been able to get done since I've been here!!! Yay!!! It was fun taking her to my Thursday hang-out spot, and she got to taste a "Bushwacker", which is one of their specialties. She also got to meet one of the resident iguanas. Thrilling...
After school was done we returned to work in my classroom. Since my room is so dinky, I've been frustrated with where to put things....all the way from posters to storage. She had some great ideas and helped me take it to the next level. When Abbie popped her head in she was "wowwed" by it!
This evening Hannah was able to begin practicing volleyball at the gym with lots of the local girls. There's a coach who works with them on the basic skills and several girls from Abbie's School participate. While she was there Hope and I went back to the house for a cup of coffee. We sat out on the deck.
My dear friend, Rhonda, sent me a really cool digital frame a couple of days ago. She had gathered pictures from some other dear friends from a trip we took together just before we left Michigan and loaded them all onto the frame. While Hope and I were having our coffee, she figured out (by reading the directions, of course!) how easy it is for me to load even more pictures on there!
Then we went to pick up Hannah from the gym; she was dripping with sweat but totally happy!
Thank You, God, for a great day; that Hope is here, that I can enjoy pictures of friends and family, and that Hannah had a great time with other girls!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Day 46: Hope Has Arrived!!!
The past two night I have not been able to sleep very well. The problem has not been a problem, though; my dear, dear friend, Hope, arrived today shortly after school!
She made the trip here to give moral support (and to check out this beautiful island, too!) and relieve some of the loneliness. There's no way I could ever express how much it means to me.
The flight landed less than an hour after school, so the timing was perfect, too! We picked her up, brought her up to the house so she could see it, and then went to a new local eatery called Zaco's Tacos. We enjoyed their hibiscus ginger tea, along with amazingly delicious chips, salsa, and burritos! The place is very cute, too, so the whole thing was fun experience.
Afterward, we headed to Flamenco Beach to show that to Hope and to take a quick dip in the cool water after a hot day. As we were driving along the main road, I heard my name being shouted. Sure enough, it was one of my new pals here in Culebra. So we made a quick u-turn so Hope could meet her and her three adorable kiddos. Flamenco was mostly empty, but due to the recent storms there is a lot of seaweed on the beach and the tide is very high. The waters were quite a bit rougher than what's typical, but I think that's because we're getting another storm this weekend.
We then headed for home and got cleaned up and ready for bed. Hannah was pooped and out by 8:00; Hope and I lasted until almost 9! Aren't we party animals??
Thank you, God, for my dear friend and her visit! It truly feels like a lifeline!
She made the trip here to give moral support (and to check out this beautiful island, too!) and relieve some of the loneliness. There's no way I could ever express how much it means to me.
The flight landed less than an hour after school, so the timing was perfect, too! We picked her up, brought her up to the house so she could see it, and then went to a new local eatery called Zaco's Tacos. We enjoyed their hibiscus ginger tea, along with amazingly delicious chips, salsa, and burritos! The place is very cute, too, so the whole thing was fun experience.
Afterward, we headed to Flamenco Beach to show that to Hope and to take a quick dip in the cool water after a hot day. As we were driving along the main road, I heard my name being shouted. Sure enough, it was one of my new pals here in Culebra. So we made a quick u-turn so Hope could meet her and her three adorable kiddos. Flamenco was mostly empty, but due to the recent storms there is a lot of seaweed on the beach and the tide is very high. The waters were quite a bit rougher than what's typical, but I think that's because we're getting another storm this weekend.
We then headed for home and got cleaned up and ready for bed. Hannah was pooped and out by 8:00; Hope and I lasted until almost 9! Aren't we party animals??
Thank you, God, for my dear friend and her visit! It truly feels like a lifeline!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Day 45: Tuesday and It's a New Day!!
This was an early morning, as Hannah decided to accept an invitation Abbie had given her to swim laps at a pool here on the island. So we were up shortly after 5 a.m. Not my favorite time to get up, but it helped me to get a little bit ahead on my lesson planning!
Last week we had a schedule change at Abbie's School. We switched our Tuesday sports to have them on Wednesday instead. There were some really great reasons for it, so it's all good. But it makes for a very English language arts intensive day on Tuesday. It also mean on Wednesday the little guys don't have ELA at all, so there's a bit of a trade-off.
However, since the third- and fourth-graders typically are gone on a biology hands-on learning experience on Tuesdays, I get to have just the first-graders for a really good amount of time! It's actually reminiscent of how much time I can spend on ELA back in Michigan! Yay! So today, we were able to dig in and work well (without interruption) on looking for words in a book they love. It was a good day with them! They really seemed to "get it."
This afternoon I was able to have my Sociology girls, and they're always a pleasure! So Tuesday is now a day in which my subjects are wide in range, but all enjoyable!
After school I went to the post office for our daily check-in and Hannah was THRILLED to receive two boxes: one from her uncle in Georgia, and the other from one of her uncles in Indiana! They had games, too, which is awesome! And one uncle had told her he sent something "shiny" and that one was for her and one for me, so we were happy that the shiny things were two Hershey's kisses! :) She told me on the way home that she feels very loved that they would take the time to get her those things, but also to go to the trouble and expense of mailing them to her. I was happy and proud that she realized the significance of her gifts.
Tonight Hannah's doing her homework, which is quite a big deal at Abbie's School. I am preparing for my dear friend, H, to arrive tomorrow. Can you say "EXCITED"? Let's just say there might not be a long post tomorrow night...or maybe none at all!
Thank You, God, that today was a good day. Thank You that Hannah found success in swimming, in her relationships at school, and even in her homework. You are doing amazing things!
Last week we had a schedule change at Abbie's School. We switched our Tuesday sports to have them on Wednesday instead. There were some really great reasons for it, so it's all good. But it makes for a very English language arts intensive day on Tuesday. It also mean on Wednesday the little guys don't have ELA at all, so there's a bit of a trade-off.
However, since the third- and fourth-graders typically are gone on a biology hands-on learning experience on Tuesdays, I get to have just the first-graders for a really good amount of time! It's actually reminiscent of how much time I can spend on ELA back in Michigan! Yay! So today, we were able to dig in and work well (without interruption) on looking for words in a book they love. It was a good day with them! They really seemed to "get it."
This afternoon I was able to have my Sociology girls, and they're always a pleasure! So Tuesday is now a day in which my subjects are wide in range, but all enjoyable!
After school I went to the post office for our daily check-in and Hannah was THRILLED to receive two boxes: one from her uncle in Georgia, and the other from one of her uncles in Indiana! They had games, too, which is awesome! And one uncle had told her he sent something "shiny" and that one was for her and one for me, so we were happy that the shiny things were two Hershey's kisses! :) She told me on the way home that she feels very loved that they would take the time to get her those things, but also to go to the trouble and expense of mailing them to her. I was happy and proud that she realized the significance of her gifts.
Tonight Hannah's doing her homework, which is quite a big deal at Abbie's School. I am preparing for my dear friend, H, to arrive tomorrow. Can you say "EXCITED"? Let's just say there might not be a long post tomorrow night...or maybe none at all!
Thank You, God, that today was a good day. Thank You that Hannah found success in swimming, in her relationships at school, and even in her homework. You are doing amazing things!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Day 44: Sorry About Last Night
First off, I've heard from a few people that they didn't get Sunday's blog post. Let me explain. I didn't post anything. Instead, I fell asleep at 8:30. I'm sorry, but I literally had to wake myself up shortly after 8 p.m. and make myself go to bed. Sad.
Last night we had an amazingly loud and strong thunderstorm. I wear earplugs every night so the roosters won't wake me at 4 or 4:30 each morning, but the house shook. And I mean SHOOK!!! Plus that, I could clearly hear the thunder through the earplugs. We had a cooler out on the deck and this morning it was completely filled with the water that came with the storm, so it was a doozy! And about fifteen minutes ago, the thunder and rain began again, so I'm thinking we're in for another noisy night...
Today (Monday) is one of my music class days, so it was great! The day starts with the little guys doing English language, and they're at the point where they're picking it up well and becoming somewhat independent. They are comfortable with the routine, so today's class with first, third, and fourth graders combined ran more smoothly than any so far. Yay!!! The youngest group is on cloud nine with their music and they're raring to go when it's time to sing. The oldest group loves the meaning behind the songs they have and attach quickly to meaningful songs (like "Seasons of Love" from Rent). The middle group...middle-schoolers...are the ones that sometimes I want to throttle....but only the boys. So music was good; in fact, it was all good!
I still have a balancing challenge in English language arts with what my kids can do at grade level according to Michigan, and what they can do according to the reality of them having English as their second language. All of my students have at least one parent who is primarily Spanish speaking and a few of them have parents who speak very little English. One thing is for sure: they're picking up English much more quickly than I'm picking up Spanish!
After school I did tutoring. Normally I tutor on Wednesday, but Abbie offered to switch with me this week because a very dear friend is coming to visit on Wednesday!! I'm beyond excited!!!! So if there's no post on Wednesday, you'll understand, right???
On another note, Abbie's School is having a fund-raiser lunch on Saturday, and each of the students is required to sell five tickets at eight bucks a piece. This has been on Hannah's mind big time! She had sold two tickets but still had three left. So today after tutoring we went to the post office (of course!) and stopped at several places so she could be a salesperson for Abbie's School. After about the fourth place we stopped (she had been turned down every time), she came out with a big smile on her face: she had sold two tickets and was as pleased as punch about it! I so admire her tenacity.
Now on to the post office saga: when she went into the post office this past Saturday, she was quite disgusted because there was a yellow card in our box. The yellow card means there's a box for us. However, there isn't anyone behind the desk on Saturday, so you can't actually get it! She was chomping at the bit today to get there, so that was actually our first stop after tutoring. Unfortunately for her, both boxes were for me. Stan has been an angel about sending me things I need for my classroom and one of the boxes was from him. However, the other box was from R, who knows me well and loves me so much!!! She sent me a digital frame with pictures already loaded onto it. Some of the pictures were contributed by some of our other great friends from a trip we took just before Hannah and I shipped out. As Hannah and I watched the slide show, Hannah would just give me a little pat on the arm when I teared up over seeing my wonderful friends I miss so very much. She pulled up two chairs and we watched the entire slide show as though it was the best movie of all time.
Thank you, R. I cannot tell you how very special that is for me!!! When H gets here I'll have her help me figure it out so I can get some other pics on there, too!
So tonight I just need to write in my students' homework notebooks for tomorrow and get ready for school. Then I'm going to crash and hopefully the earplugs will help me sleep soundly.
Thank you, God, for the wonderful packages today. I am so very blessed with the family and friend You have given me!!
Last night we had an amazingly loud and strong thunderstorm. I wear earplugs every night so the roosters won't wake me at 4 or 4:30 each morning, but the house shook. And I mean SHOOK!!! Plus that, I could clearly hear the thunder through the earplugs. We had a cooler out on the deck and this morning it was completely filled with the water that came with the storm, so it was a doozy! And about fifteen minutes ago, the thunder and rain began again, so I'm thinking we're in for another noisy night...
Today (Monday) is one of my music class days, so it was great! The day starts with the little guys doing English language, and they're at the point where they're picking it up well and becoming somewhat independent. They are comfortable with the routine, so today's class with first, third, and fourth graders combined ran more smoothly than any so far. Yay!!! The youngest group is on cloud nine with their music and they're raring to go when it's time to sing. The oldest group loves the meaning behind the songs they have and attach quickly to meaningful songs (like "Seasons of Love" from Rent). The middle group...middle-schoolers...are the ones that sometimes I want to throttle....but only the boys. So music was good; in fact, it was all good!
I still have a balancing challenge in English language arts with what my kids can do at grade level according to Michigan, and what they can do according to the reality of them having English as their second language. All of my students have at least one parent who is primarily Spanish speaking and a few of them have parents who speak very little English. One thing is for sure: they're picking up English much more quickly than I'm picking up Spanish!
After school I did tutoring. Normally I tutor on Wednesday, but Abbie offered to switch with me this week because a very dear friend is coming to visit on Wednesday!! I'm beyond excited!!!! So if there's no post on Wednesday, you'll understand, right???
On another note, Abbie's School is having a fund-raiser lunch on Saturday, and each of the students is required to sell five tickets at eight bucks a piece. This has been on Hannah's mind big time! She had sold two tickets but still had three left. So today after tutoring we went to the post office (of course!) and stopped at several places so she could be a salesperson for Abbie's School. After about the fourth place we stopped (she had been turned down every time), she came out with a big smile on her face: she had sold two tickets and was as pleased as punch about it! I so admire her tenacity.
Now on to the post office saga: when she went into the post office this past Saturday, she was quite disgusted because there was a yellow card in our box. The yellow card means there's a box for us. However, there isn't anyone behind the desk on Saturday, so you can't actually get it! She was chomping at the bit today to get there, so that was actually our first stop after tutoring. Unfortunately for her, both boxes were for me. Stan has been an angel about sending me things I need for my classroom and one of the boxes was from him. However, the other box was from R, who knows me well and loves me so much!!! She sent me a digital frame with pictures already loaded onto it. Some of the pictures were contributed by some of our other great friends from a trip we took just before Hannah and I shipped out. As Hannah and I watched the slide show, Hannah would just give me a little pat on the arm when I teared up over seeing my wonderful friends I miss so very much. She pulled up two chairs and we watched the entire slide show as though it was the best movie of all time.
Thank you, R. I cannot tell you how very special that is for me!!! When H gets here I'll have her help me figure it out so I can get some other pics on there, too!
So tonight I just need to write in my students' homework notebooks for tomorrow and get ready for school. Then I'm going to crash and hopefully the earplugs will help me sleep soundly.
Thank you, God, for the wonderful packages today. I am so very blessed with the family and friend You have given me!!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Day 42: Snorkeling at Luis Pena...and a Party!
Just in case you missed yesterday's blog or thought I was telling fairy tales about the protest at the ferry dock, here's a link from ABC News about our island upheaval!!!
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory/ferry-service-puerto-rico-island-paralyzed-14537572
This morning we slept in a bit, but I got a call from Abbie letting me know that her husband, Billy, had put the boat in the water and she asked if we'd like to go out with them. She said to be sure and bring snorkeling gear...in case!! So Hannah and I grabbed our suits from yesterday's school swim and threw on our clothes over top. We grabbed breakfast, grabbed water bottles and some crackers and headed out! We were NOT disappointed!
Billy has a great boat and he took us from Ensenada Honda through the beautiful mangroves along the water's edge, around the southern tip of the island. As we traveled we could see Vieques about 12 miles south of us and the main island of Puerto Rico about 15 miles west. We also saw several other boats, including this picturesque boat with a pelican standing guard. I'm glad we were on Billy's boat and not on that one!!
At one point, our captain really turned on the speed and we laughed as Hannah and Abbie bounced up and down in the bow, crashing and the flying as we rode the waves. Eventually he slowed back down and headed across to Luis Pena island, a beautiful, uninhabited island about a mile from Culebra.
As we approached the island, our captain took us around the rocky point and in to a small bay where there is a beautiful sandy beach. We spied some mooring bouys and hitched our boat to one of them. As we were gathering our equipment, Billy announced a sea turtle that surface just yards from the boat. I missed the siting, but it was certainly a motivator to get me going! After putting on our fins and grabbing our masks and snorkels, the three girls took to the water, where we spent over an hour snorkeling in the crystal clear turquoise waters, undisturbed by any other humans!
During our swim, we were fortunate enough to see so many wonderful sights. Billy had brought us to an ideal place and we saw all kinds of beautiful fish, including some very large parrot fish, a tiny trumpet fish, a trunkfish, an amazing jellyfish that we were able to just sit and observe for a couple of minutes and a couple of beautiful sea stars. That doesn't even name the half of it, though, as with each moment we were treated with some new morsel of beauty and wonder. We were even able to see green sea turtles feeding on the sea grass. It is truly wondrous to be in the element of the underwater creatures and to be hit in the face with a reminder of God's creativity.
The beauty was such that our time passed unnoticed and we didn't even realize how much effort we were exerting! By the time we got home, Hannah announced she was ready for a nap!!!
We both took a short nap, had some dinner, and then prepared to go out to neighbors of Abbie and Billy's for card night. This is a group of mostly couples from the States who get together on some Saturday evenings for a game of cards called Hand and Foot. I'd never heard of before being invited to one of the "parties" but the game is lots of fun and they set it up so it's always that guys against the girls. Such a rivalry...and so much fun. The home we were in this evening was palatial, so Hannah was able to spread out in her own spot and watch dvds on their television nearby, happily snuggled up with their sweet old dog.
We came home late for a second night in a row, so hopefully she'll sleep late tomorrow and I'll go into school and work for a bit before we watch the video stream from Westwinds at 11:00!
Thank You, God, for the absolutely breathtaking experience we had. Thank You for putting people in our path who offer us these unique and wonderful opportunities!
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory/ferry-service-puerto-rico-island-paralyzed-14537572
This morning we slept in a bit, but I got a call from Abbie letting me know that her husband, Billy, had put the boat in the water and she asked if we'd like to go out with them. She said to be sure and bring snorkeling gear...in case!! So Hannah and I grabbed our suits from yesterday's school swim and threw on our clothes over top. We grabbed breakfast, grabbed water bottles and some crackers and headed out! We were NOT disappointed!
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| Note the Pelican "Guarding" the Boat... (Not that anyone would want this boat!) |
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| Hannah and Abbie....Ready for the Waves??? |
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| Our Snorkel Spot at Luis Pena...Sweet!!! |
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| Captain Billy |
As we approached the island, our captain took us around the rocky point and in to a small bay where there is a beautiful sandy beach. We spied some mooring bouys and hitched our boat to one of them. As we were gathering our equipment, Billy announced a sea turtle that surface just yards from the boat. I missed the siting, but it was certainly a motivator to get me going! After putting on our fins and grabbing our masks and snorkels, the three girls took to the water, where we spent over an hour snorkeling in the crystal clear turquoise waters, undisturbed by any other humans!
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| Trunkfish...Very Cool!!! |
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| Two Excited Girls!! |
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| Hannah and Abbie |
The beauty was such that our time passed unnoticed and we didn't even realize how much effort we were exerting! By the time we got home, Hannah announced she was ready for a nap!!!
We both took a short nap, had some dinner, and then prepared to go out to neighbors of Abbie and Billy's for card night. This is a group of mostly couples from the States who get together on some Saturday evenings for a game of cards called Hand and Foot. I'd never heard of before being invited to one of the "parties" but the game is lots of fun and they set it up so it's always that guys against the girls. Such a rivalry...and so much fun. The home we were in this evening was palatial, so Hannah was able to spread out in her own spot and watch dvds on their television nearby, happily snuggled up with their sweet old dog.
We came home late for a second night in a row, so hopefully she'll sleep late tomorrow and I'll go into school and work for a bit before we watch the video stream from Westwinds at 11:00!
Thank You, God, for the absolutely breathtaking experience we had. Thank You for putting people in our path who offer us these unique and wonderful opportunities!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Day 41: Will We EVER Get to Fajardo???
Culebra has population of about 2,000 people...or maybe 2,500, depending on the season and who you ask. The primary source of income on the island, naturally, is tourism. Obviously, hurricane season has hampered the industry for the past several weeks. However, the weather has been pretty nice the last several days, with very still waters and wonderful swimming/snorkeling conditions.
The problem? The ferry system. Today the big news is that there was an all-out protest over the lack of ferry boats. Obviously, not everyone can afford a $60 flight from the main island, but $2.25 for a ferry ride makes coming here (or going to the main island) very affordable. Unfortunately, due to poor planning, most of the boats are out of commission due to failed inspections. As a result, they are using the old ferry that takes about twice as long to make the trip and instead of going straight from Culebra to Fajardo, you have to travel to Vieques, another island south of us, first, which extends the length of the trip by hours. Hannah begged me today, "Mom, PLEASE tell me we don't have to go to Fajardo tomorrow!" Although I'd love to catch the 5:30 am ferry, I reluctantly agreed to stay put for another week.
Well, apparently the Culebrense are fed up with the lack of ferry service, so tonight there was an all-out protest at the ferry dock, in which people held up the departure, there were boats that got in the way so the ferry couldn't leave, the police were there, and all that! It was on the news from the main island and everything so it was really a big deal!
I have become friends with a family in which the husband/dad is going to be running for mayor in the next election, and currently he is a director of Vieques and Culebra development (or something like that...). He has all the inside scoop, and told me tonight that they've made arrangements with the Coast Guard to get the boats on a better inspection schedule so this won't happen again, and that they're hoping they might even be up and running tomorrow. Stay tuned!!
Hannah and I splurged today after school (our Friday school trip to the beach was today!) and went to a restaurant that Stan and I enjoyed when we came together: El Batey. They make wonderful burgers and fries that are SO completely bad for you, but they're SO good! Plus that, even with a Coronna, our meal (including tip) was still only eighteen bucks!
Later on we hung out with Miriam and Joslyn and their kids. One thing that kind of fun is often they forget and speak in Spanish, but I'm beginning to understand them! Hannah enjoys being with their kids, even though they are all quite a bit younger than she is. When their husbands got home, we chatted about the parasite problem(one of them is the doctor at the clinic) and the ferry troubles (the other husband is the one running for mayor) and all the sports teams from Michigan, of course! It was a nice way to end our school week.
Hannah was grouchy on the way home, so hopefully she's going to sleep well tonight! I've lit the mosquito coils and am ready to head for bed!
Thank You, God, for keeping us safe for another week. Thank You for better weather and being able to spend time with new friends. Thank You, too, for a great cheap night out!!
The problem? The ferry system. Today the big news is that there was an all-out protest over the lack of ferry boats. Obviously, not everyone can afford a $60 flight from the main island, but $2.25 for a ferry ride makes coming here (or going to the main island) very affordable. Unfortunately, due to poor planning, most of the boats are out of commission due to failed inspections. As a result, they are using the old ferry that takes about twice as long to make the trip and instead of going straight from Culebra to Fajardo, you have to travel to Vieques, another island south of us, first, which extends the length of the trip by hours. Hannah begged me today, "Mom, PLEASE tell me we don't have to go to Fajardo tomorrow!" Although I'd love to catch the 5:30 am ferry, I reluctantly agreed to stay put for another week.
Well, apparently the Culebrense are fed up with the lack of ferry service, so tonight there was an all-out protest at the ferry dock, in which people held up the departure, there were boats that got in the way so the ferry couldn't leave, the police were there, and all that! It was on the news from the main island and everything so it was really a big deal!
I have become friends with a family in which the husband/dad is going to be running for mayor in the next election, and currently he is a director of Vieques and Culebra development (or something like that...). He has all the inside scoop, and told me tonight that they've made arrangements with the Coast Guard to get the boats on a better inspection schedule so this won't happen again, and that they're hoping they might even be up and running tomorrow. Stay tuned!!
Hannah and I splurged today after school (our Friday school trip to the beach was today!) and went to a restaurant that Stan and I enjoyed when we came together: El Batey. They make wonderful burgers and fries that are SO completely bad for you, but they're SO good! Plus that, even with a Coronna, our meal (including tip) was still only eighteen bucks!
Later on we hung out with Miriam and Joslyn and their kids. One thing that kind of fun is often they forget and speak in Spanish, but I'm beginning to understand them! Hannah enjoys being with their kids, even though they are all quite a bit younger than she is. When their husbands got home, we chatted about the parasite problem(one of them is the doctor at the clinic) and the ferry troubles (the other husband is the one running for mayor) and all the sports teams from Michigan, of course! It was a nice way to end our school week.
Hannah was grouchy on the way home, so hopefully she's going to sleep well tonight! I've lit the mosquito coils and am ready to head for bed!
Thank You, God, for keeping us safe for another week. Thank You for better weather and being able to spend time with new friends. Thank You, too, for a great cheap night out!!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Day 40: Parasites
Today started off pretty much like any other day: getting our breakfast, lunches packed, and all that jazz. We got to school and I finished up with getting the lessons together. School began a little after 8:00, as usual.
About an hour and a half into the school day, one of the parents came in and said he needed to take his child "for a little bit." Off he went. We carried on with our class. The other students were practicing making their letters, working on the sounds that go with the letters, and then played the "Penny-Nickel Exchange" game (which they totally LOVE) during math after our usual math routine of calendar, making tally marks, counting by 2s and 5s, and so forth.
Lunch time rolled around and the student came back in different clothing, but only to retrieve the backpack and homework for the day! Come to find out, we have a "third world parasite" on the island. In fact, the main island has been invaded by it as well! Tomorrow it is mandatory that EVERY student be tested for this parasite. Not just on Culebra, but on the entire main island of Puerto Rico!! Apparently, it's not a pretty parasite to have. Another of our students had it earlier this week and missed three days of school. With an IV. I have to be honest: I have no clue what a third world parasite is, but even the sound of it is scary! There were words thrown out about where it got here or how it gets passed about, which I tried to block, like "feces" and "fecal matter." All I can say is, "YUCK!!!"
We have been told that we need to sanitize everything, that no one should go barefoot, share drinks or snacks and that hands need to be washed especially well and frequently. I was kicking myself for not packing my surgical gloves...
So tonight we're just laying low, trying to stay away from anyone who might infect us. I'm so thankful that so far we have been free from sickness...except home-sickness, that is!!
Thank You, God, for keeping us healthy! And thank You that this is something that has been caught in the early stages!
About an hour and a half into the school day, one of the parents came in and said he needed to take his child "for a little bit." Off he went. We carried on with our class. The other students were practicing making their letters, working on the sounds that go with the letters, and then played the "Penny-Nickel Exchange" game (which they totally LOVE) during math after our usual math routine of calendar, making tally marks, counting by 2s and 5s, and so forth.
Lunch time rolled around and the student came back in different clothing, but only to retrieve the backpack and homework for the day! Come to find out, we have a "third world parasite" on the island. In fact, the main island has been invaded by it as well! Tomorrow it is mandatory that EVERY student be tested for this parasite. Not just on Culebra, but on the entire main island of Puerto Rico!! Apparently, it's not a pretty parasite to have. Another of our students had it earlier this week and missed three days of school. With an IV. I have to be honest: I have no clue what a third world parasite is, but even the sound of it is scary! There were words thrown out about where it got here or how it gets passed about, which I tried to block, like "feces" and "fecal matter." All I can say is, "YUCK!!!"
We have been told that we need to sanitize everything, that no one should go barefoot, share drinks or snacks and that hands need to be washed especially well and frequently. I was kicking myself for not packing my surgical gloves...
So tonight we're just laying low, trying to stay away from anyone who might infect us. I'm so thankful that so far we have been free from sickness...except home-sickness, that is!!
Thank You, God, for keeping us healthy! And thank You that this is something that has been caught in the early stages!
Day 39: Long Day...
A friend on facebook posted that today felt like Friday but it's only Wednesday. I can SO relate!
We switched our sport day to Wednesday and this morning while Abbie and Lisa took the little guys to swimming lessons at a pool on the island, I went with the rest of the kids to do soccer on the beach. Actually, I guess one of the dads is from Costa Rica and played there. He did a great job of teaching the kids some basic skills in passing and the kids really enjoyed it!
The older kids are really getting the hang of singing in parts and they were very excited about that, too. I think they actually (some of them, anyway) enjoy singing now!
I'm keeping this short today because, well, it's been a rough day and a rough week, so I'm pretty tired.
Thank You, God, for Your unconditional love and acceptance.
We switched our sport day to Wednesday and this morning while Abbie and Lisa took the little guys to swimming lessons at a pool on the island, I went with the rest of the kids to do soccer on the beach. Actually, I guess one of the dads is from Costa Rica and played there. He did a great job of teaching the kids some basic skills in passing and the kids really enjoyed it!
The older kids are really getting the hang of singing in parts and they were very excited about that, too. I think they actually (some of them, anyway) enjoy singing now!
I'm keeping this short today because, well, it's been a rough day and a rough week, so I'm pretty tired.
Thank You, God, for Your unconditional love and acceptance.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Day 38: Rainy Maria
For any of you who enjoy keeping track of weather, Maria is proving to be very interesting! She has moved on toward Bermuda but she is moving so slowly we are still getting more than our fair share of rain!
This morning Hannah needed to go in for some blood work...another one of those situations that was supposed to be "quick"...I took her in shortly after 7 a.m. because she couldn't eat anything until after the blood was drawn. When we checked her in, the receptionist said to have a seat. Hannah would have to wait for the dozen or so people who were already there ahead of us. In my head I was thinking that meant she would be done around dinner time, of course. However, she told me she was happy to wait there and give me a call when she was done, so I went to school and when she called, my students went into Abbie's room for the ten minutes or so that I was gone! Ah, life on the island!
Tonight, Hannah told me that she needs to have this same test done on Friday. Don't know why. It will be fun to see how long that will take!
Tuesday at Abbie's School has been sport day so far this year. Typically, the goal is to go play soccer or some other game on the beach. However, we've had a scheduling snafu so we've moved it to Wednesday. Because of this switch, I have the first through fourth graders for language arts for the entire morning on Tuesdays, but I won't have them at all on Wednesday. As a result, today I wasn't very prepared for it. Next week, though, I'll know better how to plan! (Another lesson learned, right??) I will say, though, that my first graders had lots of great practice on sight words, and the third and fourth graders were given plenty of instruction and practice on the long-i vowel!!
At school, the older kids are really starting to appreciate singing in parts and are beginning to hear themselves and the tone quality they're producing. That's fun because they're taking ownership of the whole process! And some of my little guys in first grade are beginning to recognize some sight words and learning the sounds of some of the letters, which make them very excited, too. Some of them are able to actually read books in English, which makes both them and their parents pretty stoked! I have to say thanks to my friend and colleague, S, who gave me some good ideas for my youngest ones!
After school my piano student came and following that, I gave my first voice lesson on the island! That was fun, and she seems pretty excited about her singing! I helped out for a little bit with tutoring, but then Hannah and I headed to the post office.
Upon leaving the post office, Hannah reminded me that we needed to search for milk! I waited in the car for her to run in to get it and much to my surprise a guy stopped at my driver's side window to have a chat. He had a full beard and was sporting a well-worn straw hat. He asked me how my day was going and then told me he's been on the island for about twenty years and is currently working on a children's book, which he would like to have published. When I sounded surprised he proceeded to tell me the entire story! He must have it memorized because it sounded as though he was reading it to me! Even more weird: the main character and the antagonist have the same names as two of my brothers! The story was well written and well told, but it was one of those times when the culture of being on an island was magnified. How many times would a lone stranger you had seen a couple of times around town just casually walk up to you as you waited in your car and begin a conversation?
So today was once again filled with all kinds of "island" adventures...ones that we'd never experience in our home town back in Michigan.
Thank You, God, for allowing me to have these experiences today with people I would not have known had I not come here. What a wonderful opportunity You have given us!
This morning Hannah needed to go in for some blood work...another one of those situations that was supposed to be "quick"...I took her in shortly after 7 a.m. because she couldn't eat anything until after the blood was drawn. When we checked her in, the receptionist said to have a seat. Hannah would have to wait for the dozen or so people who were already there ahead of us. In my head I was thinking that meant she would be done around dinner time, of course. However, she told me she was happy to wait there and give me a call when she was done, so I went to school and when she called, my students went into Abbie's room for the ten minutes or so that I was gone! Ah, life on the island!
Tonight, Hannah told me that she needs to have this same test done on Friday. Don't know why. It will be fun to see how long that will take!
Tuesday at Abbie's School has been sport day so far this year. Typically, the goal is to go play soccer or some other game on the beach. However, we've had a scheduling snafu so we've moved it to Wednesday. Because of this switch, I have the first through fourth graders for language arts for the entire morning on Tuesdays, but I won't have them at all on Wednesday. As a result, today I wasn't very prepared for it. Next week, though, I'll know better how to plan! (Another lesson learned, right??) I will say, though, that my first graders had lots of great practice on sight words, and the third and fourth graders were given plenty of instruction and practice on the long-i vowel!!
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| A Happy New Reader!!! |
After school my piano student came and following that, I gave my first voice lesson on the island! That was fun, and she seems pretty excited about her singing! I helped out for a little bit with tutoring, but then Hannah and I headed to the post office.
Upon leaving the post office, Hannah reminded me that we needed to search for milk! I waited in the car for her to run in to get it and much to my surprise a guy stopped at my driver's side window to have a chat. He had a full beard and was sporting a well-worn straw hat. He asked me how my day was going and then told me he's been on the island for about twenty years and is currently working on a children's book, which he would like to have published. When I sounded surprised he proceeded to tell me the entire story! He must have it memorized because it sounded as though he was reading it to me! Even more weird: the main character and the antagonist have the same names as two of my brothers! The story was well written and well told, but it was one of those times when the culture of being on an island was magnified. How many times would a lone stranger you had seen a couple of times around town just casually walk up to you as you waited in your car and begin a conversation?
So today was once again filled with all kinds of "island" adventures...ones that we'd never experience in our home town back in Michigan.
Thank You, God, for allowing me to have these experiences today with people I would not have known had I not come here. What a wonderful opportunity You have given us!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Day 37: Got the Groove Back!
Last week, if you remember, was fraught with challenges, some of which I took in stride and some that I didn't handle so well. I have to say I am working very hard on learning to take things more calmly when they don't go as planned or as I think they should, but alas, it's a rather steep learning curve for me in that area.
Today, though, we had all but one of the students back in school (one's out with the stomach flu...yuck!) and we have a full week, which is always helpful educationally. One of the other teachers was very concerned because there was an unusually high amount of disrespect going on during her classes. Abbie, therefore, called a meeting with the entire student body to address the situation. Immediately following the meeting, I had a group of kids in my class for music. Two of the boys were acting very disrespectfully so I called them on it. I had to chuckle, though, because if they had pulled that on Friday, I may have lost it; today, though, I gave them the lecture they "needed" and we went on. Here's a challenge for you: guess what age group it was!!! :)
After school we went to the post office and you'll never guess what came in! The medication Stan mailed for Hannah TWO WEEKS AGO!!! (I still haven't heard back about the meds I was supposed to get last Friday from the clinic...) When I called Stan to let him know, I think he was jumping up and down with excitement and relief!! At least they're not being sold on the street somewhere!
We then went in search of milk for Hannah along with a dozen eggs. Hannah wanted to be the "runner" and go in to purchase them. At the first store, she came back with just eggs, announcing that they only had half-gallons and we needed to go somewhere else for a gallon. (She's been drinking a gallon a week!) So off we went to a second store, where they had none. The third and fourth stores yielded the same: nothing. Hannah then suggested we go back and get the half-gallon at the first store, but by the time we arrived, they were all sold out, too. I think the storm has prevented so many people from getting over to the main island, it's put a bit of strain on the four grocery stores on our little island! So until we get milk, I guess we'll be having cereal alternatives for breakfast!
Tonight we're listening to the rain as we do our school work. It's feeling a bit chilly, too, (probably 75 degrees), but not nearly as cold as I'd be back home! It's not as windy as it has been for the past several days, although I still haven't gotten used to the sound it makes as it rises and falls; one moment soft as a whisper and the next like a roar.
God, thank You today for giving me a more positive and peaceful outlook today - even before the mail arrived! Thank You for hearing and answering prayers I know are being said on our behalf.
Today, though, we had all but one of the students back in school (one's out with the stomach flu...yuck!) and we have a full week, which is always helpful educationally. One of the other teachers was very concerned because there was an unusually high amount of disrespect going on during her classes. Abbie, therefore, called a meeting with the entire student body to address the situation. Immediately following the meeting, I had a group of kids in my class for music. Two of the boys were acting very disrespectfully so I called them on it. I had to chuckle, though, because if they had pulled that on Friday, I may have lost it; today, though, I gave them the lecture they "needed" and we went on. Here's a challenge for you: guess what age group it was!!! :)
After school we went to the post office and you'll never guess what came in! The medication Stan mailed for Hannah TWO WEEKS AGO!!! (I still haven't heard back about the meds I was supposed to get last Friday from the clinic...) When I called Stan to let him know, I think he was jumping up and down with excitement and relief!! At least they're not being sold on the street somewhere!
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| Out of Milk! What a Tragedy!!! |
Tonight we're listening to the rain as we do our school work. It's feeling a bit chilly, too, (probably 75 degrees), but not nearly as cold as I'd be back home! It's not as windy as it has been for the past several days, although I still haven't gotten used to the sound it makes as it rises and falls; one moment soft as a whisper and the next like a roar.
God, thank You today for giving me a more positive and peaceful outlook today - even before the mail arrived! Thank You for hearing and answering prayers I know are being said on our behalf.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Day 36: Rain but no Hurricane!
Hip-Hip-Hooray! We had a restful night last night while Maria took to the north and east of us a bit! We have rain and some wind, but since the island needs rain and the wind keeps the mosquitos at bay a bit, it's all good!
Just a little bit ago, Hannah said to me, "Mom, today has gone by really fast!" and as we talked about what we'd done, we both realized why!
This morning we were "at" Westwinds for the 9:00 service until the live streaming was fizzled out. Fortunately, they got things squared away so we came back to see what we missed at the 11:00. It was great! It's the first Sunday we've been able to see it from Culebra, since two weeks we had no internet and then Westwinds' internet service was out the other week.
After the 11:00 Cue we had lunch and then joined Stan, Jessie, and the grandparents for a birthday celebration for both grandmas. It took place at our house on Carter Road so we joined them via Skype! That was really nice! We hung out with them for more than an hour and got all caught up on the news.
When our visit was done we headed to Zoni Beach to see if anyone else had ventured out. No one had, so the two of us had a nice long walk all the way down to the end of the beach. The ocean was pretty rough due to the storm, and the waves crashed loudly on top of each other. It was definitely not a day for swimming! On the way back, Hannah started counting the crabs we saw playing in the rough surf and scrambling around, with their eyes popping up and down. We're easily amused, I guess. Before we got back to the car we met up with one of the permanent residents who frequents the beach on a daily basis. We chatted with him for a few minutes and Hannah played with his dog, Honey. Then we headed for home before the bugs carried us off.
After rinsing the sand from our feet with the hose back at home, Hannah practiced her flute for a bit. We decided that since school has started in Michigan, we need to get her in the habit of practicing daily so she's up to snuff when she rejoins the Western Middle School band!! Although it took a bit of arm-twisting to get her started, everything ended well, and she's glad to be back in the swing of it, I think. So, Mrs. M. and Mr. B., if you're reading this, rest assured she's practicing!
Hannah is now fixing our Sunday evening taco meal, which she takes great pride in making and presenting. I think by the end of this adventure she's going to be quite a good little cook!
Tonight I think will be another early evening, after we've played a game or two. I still have some things to check off my list for school tomorrow, too.
I am so thankful for a day that could have been a downer because of the rain, but ended up being filled with good nuggets! Love of family that was brought close because of technology and quality time with my daughter that probably wouldn't have happened had we not been here made for a very positive day indeed!
Thank you, God, for surprise blessings!
Just a little bit ago, Hannah said to me, "Mom, today has gone by really fast!" and as we talked about what we'd done, we both realized why!
This morning we were "at" Westwinds for the 9:00 service until the live streaming was fizzled out. Fortunately, they got things squared away so we came back to see what we missed at the 11:00. It was great! It's the first Sunday we've been able to see it from Culebra, since two weeks we had no internet and then Westwinds' internet service was out the other week.
After the 11:00 Cue we had lunch and then joined Stan, Jessie, and the grandparents for a birthday celebration for both grandmas. It took place at our house on Carter Road so we joined them via Skype! That was really nice! We hung out with them for more than an hour and got all caught up on the news.
When our visit was done we headed to Zoni Beach to see if anyone else had ventured out. No one had, so the two of us had a nice long walk all the way down to the end of the beach. The ocean was pretty rough due to the storm, and the waves crashed loudly on top of each other. It was definitely not a day for swimming! On the way back, Hannah started counting the crabs we saw playing in the rough surf and scrambling around, with their eyes popping up and down. We're easily amused, I guess. Before we got back to the car we met up with one of the permanent residents who frequents the beach on a daily basis. We chatted with him for a few minutes and Hannah played with his dog, Honey. Then we headed for home before the bugs carried us off.
After rinsing the sand from our feet with the hose back at home, Hannah practiced her flute for a bit. We decided that since school has started in Michigan, we need to get her in the habit of practicing daily so she's up to snuff when she rejoins the Western Middle School band!! Although it took a bit of arm-twisting to get her started, everything ended well, and she's glad to be back in the swing of it, I think. So, Mrs. M. and Mr. B., if you're reading this, rest assured she's practicing!
Hannah is now fixing our Sunday evening taco meal, which she takes great pride in making and presenting. I think by the end of this adventure she's going to be quite a good little cook!
Tonight I think will be another early evening, after we've played a game or two. I still have some things to check off my list for school tomorrow, too.
I am so thankful for a day that could have been a downer because of the rain, but ended up being filled with good nuggets! Love of family that was brought close because of technology and quality time with my daughter that probably wouldn't have happened had we not been here made for a very positive day indeed!
Thank you, God, for surprise blessings!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Day 35: Maria Decides Not to Visit
First, I have to say that it is SO nice to have internet back again! And thanks to Hope and Stan for keeping me posted on weather updates while our internet was down!
Last night we discovered that the cat, Punkin, was bitten on his left front leg by another animal and was bleeding and sore from his encounter. We wrapped his leg to try and protect it, but he didn't like that, so we took the wrap off and he just laid on Hannah for some TLC. I contacted a woman here on the island who looks after animals and then met up with her this morning so she could give us some antibiotic for him. Funny how easy that was compared to trying to get Hannah's meds! She didn't even charge us!
Then we went to school to see if we could get online (couldn't) and so I could get some work done there. I mopped my classroom floor and did some grading and lesson planning, as well as talking with Abbie about school stuff. Her husband, Billy, also stopped by and it was nice to catch up with him a bit.
When our hunger pangs took over we came back home and fixed our salmon cakes lunch, which has surprisingly become Hannah's favorite meal! Since we had just snacked last night, a hearty lunch was just what we needed. I followed it up by trying to take a nap (it was a windy, noisy night), but the mosquitos were hungry and plentiful, so sleep wasn't very sound today.
During my nap, Hannah decided to explore around the yard and although she enjoyed it, she fell out of a tree and scraped up her arm a bit. Last week, she climbed the mango tree, which is huge, to retrieve mangos for us! She's such an adventurer...
After the unsuccessful nap we decided to sit out on the back deck and play Bananagrams. As we were putting the tiles out on the table, a couple fell onto the deck and one actually went through the slats to the ground below. I was silently debating about whether this was a big enough deal to try and retrieve it, since going under a deck in the tropics where lizards and tarantulas like to hang out doesn't exactly fit my idea of a good time. Before I knew it, though, Hannah was hollering at me to stick something through the slats on the deck over the tile so she could see where she needed to get to! She had already discovered how to get under the deck and had quickly made her way there. Our supergirl saved the lost "p" tile and came out unscathed. She later told my hubby that the thought crossed her mind about tarantulas, but she didn't let it stop her!
Tonight we stayed home and listened to the wind and rain come and go. It's so very different than the rain back home, coming in waves that sometimes sound as though they're going to blow you out to sea. The storms here don't just walk through, nor do they plow through; they swirl. The wind can be blowing in one direction and then suddenly shift and come around on the opposite side of you. It can be gentle one moment and intense the next. It's expected that we'll have rain for the next ten days, but as long as it's not a hurricane, we can handle it, right?
So Punkin is settled in, Hannah's settled in, and I'm about ready for bed, too. Thank You, God, for Your protection over us and the island.
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| Hannah and her buddy, Punkin |
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| Contented Cat...for the moment! |
Then we went to school to see if we could get online (couldn't) and so I could get some work done there. I mopped my classroom floor and did some grading and lesson planning, as well as talking with Abbie about school stuff. Her husband, Billy, also stopped by and it was nice to catch up with him a bit.
When our hunger pangs took over we came back home and fixed our salmon cakes lunch, which has surprisingly become Hannah's favorite meal! Since we had just snacked last night, a hearty lunch was just what we needed. I followed it up by trying to take a nap (it was a windy, noisy night), but the mosquitos were hungry and plentiful, so sleep wasn't very sound today.
During my nap, Hannah decided to explore around the yard and although she enjoyed it, she fell out of a tree and scraped up her arm a bit. Last week, she climbed the mango tree, which is huge, to retrieve mangos for us! She's such an adventurer...
After the unsuccessful nap we decided to sit out on the back deck and play Bananagrams. As we were putting the tiles out on the table, a couple fell onto the deck and one actually went through the slats to the ground below. I was silently debating about whether this was a big enough deal to try and retrieve it, since going under a deck in the tropics where lizards and tarantulas like to hang out doesn't exactly fit my idea of a good time. Before I knew it, though, Hannah was hollering at me to stick something through the slats on the deck over the tile so she could see where she needed to get to! She had already discovered how to get under the deck and had quickly made her way there. Our supergirl saved the lost "p" tile and came out unscathed. She later told my hubby that the thought crossed her mind about tarantulas, but she didn't let it stop her!
Tonight we stayed home and listened to the wind and rain come and go. It's so very different than the rain back home, coming in waves that sometimes sound as though they're going to blow you out to sea. The storms here don't just walk through, nor do they plow through; they swirl. The wind can be blowing in one direction and then suddenly shift and come around on the opposite side of you. It can be gentle one moment and intense the next. It's expected that we'll have rain for the next ten days, but as long as it's not a hurricane, we can handle it, right?
So Punkin is settled in, Hannah's settled in, and I'm about ready for bed, too. Thank You, God, for Your protection over us and the island.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Day 34: Another Lesson Learned
Friday, September 9, 2011
We had a pretty good day at school today, although it was a
bit different because Lisa, another teacher who is there every day, was gone
for the day to do some business on the main island. That meant that Abbie and I
covered all the kids and things were really well, especially because we had
several kids out because of various reasons. Plus that, of course, Friday is
research day and beach day, so that makes the day go more quickly anyway.
After dropping off the carload of girls who had ridden with
us to Tamarindo Beach, we went back to school to help get the school secured
for the storm and then went into town to check mail and go back to the clinic.
The doctor had said Hannah’s meds could arrive today so we should check for
them after school. We got up there and found the person we needed to talk with.
She handed me a small piece of paper with some note written on it; some in
Spanish and some in English, and said I needed to call the Walgreens in Fajardo
to give them my payment information. “No problem,” I thought, and dialed the
phone. It wasn’t a surprise to be placed on hold immediately, and then to wait
for a considerable amount of time before someone answered my call. It also
wasn’t a surprise that I had to go outside the clinic in order to keep a good
signal. What was a surprise is that the person on the other end of the line
told me they had only received a fax for the prescription and she told me we
would have to come to Fajardo (that’s on the main island, remember…), bring the
original prescription, pay for it, and pick it up there. This is what she
concluded after she asked me about six times who the doctor was and what the
address was of the clinic, and what the prescription was for, which I had
answered each time she asked. She also asked me several time if the
prescription was for me or for Jessie, and each time I advised her it was for
Hannah.
Finally, I just gave up, when the realization hit me it
would probably be quicker and more likely for us to actually get the meds if I
just called Hannah’s doctor back home, ask him to write another prescription,
have my husband pick it up and overnight it or second day air it via USPS. The
woman at the other end of the line eventually realized I was completely
frustrated and at a loss (I burst into tears), and at about that time Hannah
came out and said that the woman in the clinic wanted to talk to me again. We
ended our phone conversation with no solution. Then I was told by the woman at
the clinic that some other doctor in Fajardo was going to write a prescription
and have it sent to Walgreens and a woman was going to pick it up and get it on
a plane to Culebra, but that would take some time. “Oh really?” I thought,
sarcastically. “Do ya think???” She told me she would call me when it was ready
and I would have to call Walgreens again and give them my payment information
at that time. She talked to me as though she was thoroughly disgusted and I
pretty much decided then and there we were going to have to do something
different in the future when it comes to Hannah’s health. The cultural values
in this case are a chasm too great to cross. I’ll be really surprised if I
actually get a phone call from the clinic and probably have a heart attack if
the prescription ever actually shows up here. It exponentially increases my
appreciation for health care in the States.
We left the clinic an hour or so after arriving (with
nothing, of course) and went to purchase some things to ready ourselves for
this weekend’s tropical storm. Determined to be more prepared than last time,
we stopped at Superette Mayra (pronounced MY-ruh) and picked up some lanterns,
a flashlight, more mosquito repellant, and some snacks.
This evening was spent with me in a pretty sour mood (I
apologized to Hannah for being such a grouch). We searched for and pulled out
boards to secure the hurricane shutters. We’ll actually put them up tomorrow
morning, but at least they’re ready. We also rolled up the rug that got soaked
in the last storm and put away things we thought might need to be taken out of
the wind. Being wiped out physically and emotionally, we ate snack food and,
for the first time since our arrival, watched television.
Today I’m thankful that every day isn’t like this. I’m
thankful that my daughter was very understanding with me and readily accepted
my apology. Thank you, God, for forgiveness.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Day 33: When Disorganization is a Good Thing
Last night I didn't sleep well, mostly because I was concerned about Maria. It was rumored that she was becoming a hurricane. This morning when I checked on line, she was, in fact a category 1 and that made me very....uncomfortable.
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| Yay!!!! Maria is now just a tropical storm, not a hurricane!! |
For your geography lesson of the day, Puerto Rico is the largest island on this map (up toward the top left). Just to the right of PR is a small narrow island, which is Vieques (also part of PR). Just north of Vieques is a little pin-dot island. That's Culebra!!! As you can see, Maria is southeast of us and her course is predicted to come either right over us or east of us. We'll see! But at least she's not organized, right???
Despite hints of inclimate weather, at school this afternoon the kids worked very hard on their rainforest projects. They are all focused on a particular area: water, land, or people. I'm leading the group that's learning mostly about the people, but I don't teach on Thursday afternoons so my group was on their own, but doing an outstanding job! The kids are all working together to make a mock rainforest and today they began working on building things like huts, a river, flowers, butterflies, and other things the rainforest offers. During that time, I gave a piano lesson (another highlight!!), went off to check the mail (none) and have that "me time" at Mamacita's.
After school, I had to take Hannah to see the doctor at the clinic. Here's how it goes on the island: 2:40 we left school and arrived at the clinic about five minutes later. We waited about five minutes for someone to come to the front desk and get her signed in. We also paid the bill, which is twenty dollars (that's our co-pay in the States). We then sat in the waiting room with a young mom and her two children, one who was in a stroller and another who was pushing the stroller all around the waiting area, running most of the time and yelling. We waited. And waited. And waited. There were a couple of other people who wandered around the office and some who wandered in and out of the building. We continued to wait. The mom went somewhere down the hall and eventually disappeared.
At about 4:00 most everyone who worked there left. We were waiting. Finally, we were called in to have the nurse take Hannah's vitals and ask why we were there. That took about five minutes. The nurse told us we could go back out and wait for the doctor. Although we didn't see any other patients around, we were still waiting. The air conditioning was causing us both to be very cold (even though Hannah is never cold) so we took turns going outside to warm up.
Finally, we were called in to see the doctor, who is great, by the way. He's very thorough and thoughtful, so we feel totally confident with him. However, Stan sent a prescription refill to us via USPS for Hannah more than ten days ago and it still hasn't arrived, so she's been out of it since this past weekend, which isn't good. They don't have this drug on the island, so to get it we'd have to have it flown over from the main island. However, only the major drug stores carry it so it's quite a big deal to get it. Plus that, since we just had it filled in the States it causes more hurdles to get it covered by insurance. It was almost comical because the doctor was talking to the pharmacist who was talking with the pharmacy on the main island while I was talking to the insurance company about whether they would even cover it. Man, what an ordeal!!! You'd think I was asking to walk on the moon or something!!!
When we walked out of the clinic, Hannah said something to the effect of, "Man, THAT sure took a long time for nothing!" It was after 5...
So today I'm thankful for the doctors who make appointments and the availability of prescriptions we have in the States!!! And for Maria's disorganization!! Thank you, God!
Despite hints of inclimate weather, at school this afternoon the kids worked very hard on their rainforest projects. They are all focused on a particular area: water, land, or people. I'm leading the group that's learning mostly about the people, but I don't teach on Thursday afternoons so my group was on their own, but doing an outstanding job! The kids are all working together to make a mock rainforest and today they began working on building things like huts, a river, flowers, butterflies, and other things the rainforest offers. During that time, I gave a piano lesson (another highlight!!), went off to check the mail (none) and have that "me time" at Mamacita's.
After school, I had to take Hannah to see the doctor at the clinic. Here's how it goes on the island: 2:40 we left school and arrived at the clinic about five minutes later. We waited about five minutes for someone to come to the front desk and get her signed in. We also paid the bill, which is twenty dollars (that's our co-pay in the States). We then sat in the waiting room with a young mom and her two children, one who was in a stroller and another who was pushing the stroller all around the waiting area, running most of the time and yelling. We waited. And waited. And waited. There were a couple of other people who wandered around the office and some who wandered in and out of the building. We continued to wait. The mom went somewhere down the hall and eventually disappeared.
At about 4:00 most everyone who worked there left. We were waiting. Finally, we were called in to have the nurse take Hannah's vitals and ask why we were there. That took about five minutes. The nurse told us we could go back out and wait for the doctor. Although we didn't see any other patients around, we were still waiting. The air conditioning was causing us both to be very cold (even though Hannah is never cold) so we took turns going outside to warm up.
Finally, we were called in to see the doctor, who is great, by the way. He's very thorough and thoughtful, so we feel totally confident with him. However, Stan sent a prescription refill to us via USPS for Hannah more than ten days ago and it still hasn't arrived, so she's been out of it since this past weekend, which isn't good. They don't have this drug on the island, so to get it we'd have to have it flown over from the main island. However, only the major drug stores carry it so it's quite a big deal to get it. Plus that, since we just had it filled in the States it causes more hurdles to get it covered by insurance. It was almost comical because the doctor was talking to the pharmacist who was talking with the pharmacy on the main island while I was talking to the insurance company about whether they would even cover it. Man, what an ordeal!!! You'd think I was asking to walk on the moon or something!!!
When we walked out of the clinic, Hannah said something to the effect of, "Man, THAT sure took a long time for nothing!" It was after 5...
So today I'm thankful for the doctors who make appointments and the availability of prescriptions we have in the States!!! And for Maria's disorganization!! Thank you, God!
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