funny moments.

so disciplinary/life-impacting/dramatic/serious moments at school happen. it takes everything in my heart not to crack up laughing at the whole scene when observing from the outside in retrospect. today 6 of my sixth grade boys had a little squabble on the soccer field.....turns out that when electives teachers don't show up for their classes, it's the teacher's responsibility (mine!) to cover that class....so in pe....they play....that's all they do. i don't plan pe...i don't execute pe. anyways....that's another hilarioty (and that's not english, i know....just chill, 'k?)

okay....so they had an issue while playing....one said a very bad word....becasue he was angry that the other guys were teasing him....one comes to tell on him for saying the bad word (but he FORGOT to tell me that he had instigated the whole affair....so of course, i call the kid over; he's PISSED....i mean, really mad. told me that the other guys had been teasing him about a girl.... but that he wasn't doing anything...he does'nt like the girl...blah blah blah. so we talk about the error of his ways...not to react with words like that, even when angry....la te da.....but the explanation from him is of course half in english, half in spanish...primarily because he's furious....not necessarily becasue he can't speak english....

so i call the other culprits over.....sit them down in a line....and ask them what happened...of course NO ONE knows or has the SLIGHEST clue why they are being taken AWAY from their soccer game and lined up for questioning....here's the story of my life on a daily basis: they're all sitting there looking innocent....then half start yelling in spanish and the other half start yelling in english...all at the same time...explaining why this one did that who did the other thing FIRST...and maestra, yo no hice nada....ni se que paso...nada mas se que estaba riendo...pero nada mas...no es mi culpa....emmanuel hizo este, este, y este....and on and on and on and on it goes....all talking at once...no one taking the blame...just explaining why it wasn't THEIR fault.....so finally, after listening for too long, i said, "so no one did ANYTHING....juan's just mad...and that's it?" then everyone starts saying WHAT everyone else DID do....but no one actually did ANYTHING themselves...then they all start arguing and the ones who were previously speaking english are now going back at it in spanish...

and i'm just watching...listening....then we switch back again with some starting in on english....and finally i cut them off....and we go through an explanation in english...then i realize that two of them are in outer space becasue they're understanding every seventh word that i say...so i switch and give the same lecture in spanish....and we go from there.

it's really hilarious. really. and this is every day of my life. discipline is a chore....for more reasons than one.... least i have a sense of humor, eh??!!!??

little clicks in my brain.

i just wrote this in an email to my friend in chicago.


it's much more stressful than i anticipated, although
i think i wasn't given the ENTIRE story when i was
hired. for instance, being a new school means adopting
a new curriculum...being a new school means DEVELOPING
an english department...spanish, too,,,,,but everyone
can do that...they all speak that language and have
the traditional mexican educational backgrounds.
nobody seems to know anything about bilingualism or
how to make it happen...it's a foreign thing
here...that's trying to make it's way up in
popularity.

one of my hugest frustrations in these first weeks was
(and is) the fact that, in theory, we, the english
department, are very desired and heralded....we have
something that they want....that we can
give....however, in practice, we're sort of a magic
act side show that's pretty, but really not ALL that
important...we sort of add to the pizazz of the whole
package....actually, we might be the attracting
offer.....but we're really not all that big of a deal
in the end.

i support my thoughts with various attitudes from
fellow staff....i communicated with my "co-teacher" of
fifth grade spanish for the FIRST time two days
ago....i had NO IDEA what went on in his
classroom...nor he in mine....he made some comments at
our faculty meeting (which was the FIRST joint meeting
of the entire school year....we'd been having separate
meetings(- department by department- with NO
communication between the two as to the
goings-on)...for example, the spanish department has
"encountered for the first time" this certain five
teaching techniques...for starters, the book was
written in 1997....and it's stuff like "don't lecture.
let kids figure things out on their own so that they
can develop a higher learning capacity and
understading of the subject matter." "let kids work
independently rather than dictating and providing
lecture/question format." "use the what i know. what
i'd like to know. what i learned. technique for
comprehension check and predictions." and his response
was that there were only two or three staff members in
the whole school that understand this process which is
why it's hard for the teachers to adopt and
develop and WHAT? make more than one subject matter
blend with another one....you mean you really want me
to correspond math with science?...blah blah blah.

and i literally sat there infuriated....i wanted to
shout across the room: well, if english was even
remotely important to you...if you even dared to look
into what i was doing in my classroom...you would see
that those techniques are the very techniques that we
HAVE to learn and implement in order to get a
degree/certificate from college in the States and
Canada...this is OLD news....

that and things like the fact that our very principal
ISN'T bilingual...and my best analogy for that is that
half of our "body" (school. faculty, group of parents,
students, community) doesn't function..and it's not
important enough to her to fix (or at least that's how
i see it). we have students/parents that DON'T speak
Spanish...and we claim to be a purely and perfectly
bilingual school....we're not. we've got a principal
that can't communicate with a large (or at least
present) percentage of our make-up....this is not only
debilitating, but a slap in the face of bilingualism
in my opinion. it's not okay to have the very face of
our structure of authority.....not be able to practice
what we seemingly preach.

that led to huge bitterness for me in that i had a
student from the states that was a HUGE issue...turns
out 4 of his 5 cousins have autism...he's got
assberger's syndrome, but no one knew about that
somehow...anyways...just moved here, was freaking out
(literally)....we had some huge and serious issues
with him...and he all of a sudden became MY PERSONAL
CASE LOAD...his problems demand that....he needs a
PERSONAL teacher/mentor/coach/whatever....but the main
issue that we faced was that NOT ONE SINGLE OTHER ONE
of his teachers, nor the principal could talk to
him...couldn't communicate.

every time there was something that happened...and
there were many times, i had to leave my classroom,
drop whatever i was doing, to go to him and fix the
issue. every time. i literally lost FOUR days with my
sixth graders in ONE week for having to go be with
him...to deal with an issue that happened in his
PHYSICAL EDUCATION class. the principal couldn't. his
own teacher couldn't. the psychologist couldn't. so i
was all of those things to him and for him for those
first four weeks. and not only that, but the aftermath
was my responsibility as well. i had to contact his
mother (track her down) to let her know he was
suspended...and then be a part of the meeting to
translate for the psychologist, as well as offer the
options of re-entrance to the mom. just because the
others can't do it.

sometimes there's translation work. other times
there's....oh, the music teacher won't be here today.
the pe teacher can't make it. so you're gonna have to
come up with something...and by the way, that means
you DON'T get a break. oh, AND we expect you to be
here at 720 in the morning to greet the kids...then
stay out at recess/lunch....and then some weeks, when
you have the exit, you'll stay til after 3 for that.
you ahve the largest class in the entire school, with
the most variation in level and ability....but you can
handle planning for 50 students....just make it
interesting and be sure they're learning from this
curriculum used in same grade-level classrooms in the
states....thanks. come again....tomorrow, please.

yeah...so anyways...it was just really a WHOLE
lot...ALL at once...while i'm still really trying to
adapt/adjust. and it was like the newness and
honeymoon phase sort of drifted away right as all of
thise fell on my shoulders. i had been here for a
month before moving to ajijic. i had the days of
"could somebody please just freaking speak to me in my
own language....or AT LEAST understand me when i use
it...???" and the days of "i just effing want to use
my own currency....for god's sake, i DON'T want to go
somewhere and have to change it.....i just wanna use
what i've got...why do i freaking have to learn to
count all of these rediculous denominations?" and just
the days when i was fed up with waiting because people
are ALWAYS late....and the days where i just really
wanted someone to NOT look at me like i was an alien
because i have BLONDE hair and LIGHT skin....or
whistle or gawk or stare or say something like
"mamacita...." gag me with a freaking spoon.

there were those days. for sure.

but i'm growing. i'm learning. i'm changing my
attitude about a lot of things. and i think the
adaptation is a willfull adoption now....i'm no longer
resistant...and REALLY, HONESTLY becoming OKAY with
the differences rather than trying to criticize or
make them my mission to change. the truth IS that i AM
the foreigner here. i don't walk in and get things MY
way...becasue that's not the way things happen. things
are what they are. i've gotta be okay with them...hate
them....like them...whatever....but it IS this
way...and i've gotta embrace that.

the educational system is so different here....the
focus...the emphasis....it's all something to contend
with in the mind of a traditional American...but this
is why i'm here...to grow, to see new things, to
change, to develop as a human being and teacher....and
it's happening....every single day.

there are so many good things, as well. so many. and
i'm recapturing the ability to see those over the
frustrating ones. it's good for me. so good for
me....adjusting to an entirely different world.

Bless the Lord, O My Soul...

So today was highlighted for one reason and for one reason only. I went to the store to get diet pepsi....and low and behold...i enountered: Miracle Whip Light. If only you knew the surging joy in my heart...it was like being re-born with freshness and delight...all of a sudden...the tiredness, stress, anything negative was gon the instant my eyes beheld the glory of the light blue top and familiar wrapping. It was truly like a ray of light. Really. You don't know. Do'nt pretend that you can relate....;)

Other than that, I'm battling with school still, but we're getting there. Turns out one of my favorite little rascals behaved really badly yesterday...so this morning (it's my week to greet students at the entrance....720 in the monin', ladies and gents!) as i was reaching in to help him with his backpack, he greets me with a beautifully-wrapped chocolate chip muffin...and his mother pokes him and says, "Que le ibas a decir?" (what were you going to tell her?)....and he says, "I'm sorry, Miss K. I promise to do better." It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. She got out of the car, apologized....hehe. Really funny. The muffin was stinking amazing, though...so he can act up any day he wants! :)

Other than that....I went to some new friends' house after school today. There's a girl from work (at the restaurant) who told me about these gringo friends she has...and they invited me to come swimming in their impressive neighborhood. So we did that this afternoon, ate a delicious (home-cooked!) dinner, and started a movie...until some friends from Nevada came over...it's a younger Mexican girl (my age) and her dad...he's traveling to the States tomorrow morning...she's just visiting from the States, but has lived half of her life here and half there...so we hung out and talked....it was fun...sometimes in English...other times in Spanish. THIS is the part about Mexico that I love...

That and the news that the Mariachis are on their way again! :) Woo HOO. This week begins the 9 day fiestas del pueblo in Chapala...so I'll be attending at least some of those nights! They ahve all kinds of fun traditional activities that are unique to each little town...so it'll be fun to see what Chapala is all about....:)

Anyways...I think the time to rest my head has come...have a great week. Email update on the way soon. :)

caddy's don't jack.

so it's been a really tough couple of weeks at school. it's weird adjusting to an entirely new system of administration, viewpoints, disciplinary procedures, etc. i'm learning, though...i'm learning. i was frustrated a lot this past week....sad at times, ready to go back home other times, defeated at times, completely head over hills in love with my job other days....yeah. it's a weird day by day, blow by blow sort of scenario.

anyways....but today, to end the week, we had a big meeting of the entire faculty. that was nice because it's the first time that that's happened since school began over a month ago. sort of nice to look at eachother an communicate as a whole....(yes, you do sense sarcasm). anyways....so i say that to say that we got out of school late for having to be held up. i was really ready to go home, wasn't feeling the best ever (all of my munchkins are sick....one even vomited today and had to call his mom to come get him), tired from not sleeping well last night...and just in the mood to rest before going to my other job at the restaurant (which normally keeps me until 2 or 3 am). anyways...so i leave and notice that the cadillac i'm borrowing is making more noises than it usually does and that the gas tank is blinking EMPTY (yesterday, it showed 4 bars...and then randomly last night it's on empty). so i ease it through town....UNTIL i get to the light that is utterly and completely packed. it was in that moment that the caddy decided it was done for the day. it completely shut off, including the use of the brakes, steering column, everything. i was panicked. there are places to park all alongside the careterra (highway), however, this is RUSH hour traffic time...and people are everywhere....so there are NO spaces. i rolled off as much as i could...and the car just died. that was it. there was no moving it or doing anything. and there was no space even if i'd wanted to attempt to push it in neutral. so i told the little man that was in the store where i'd ended up...halfway in the highway, half off.

his concern was not blocking his stores entrance....it was the flow of traffic. i know, i told him...it's just that i literally can't do ANYTHING with it. i'm gonna walk for gas.

i did. i must have been a hilarious sight...i usually am when things like this happen to me. i made it to the pemex....the guy there told me that i had to go to the liquor store to buy a gallon jug, dump the water out, and return so he could fill it up with 40 pesos of premium gas to carry back to the car. great. as i was about to enter the liquor store, he whistled really loudly across the parking lot (i'm convinced that to be a mexican, it is a pre requisite to be able to whistle REALLY loudly and in about 5 different forms...for signaling purposes...you convey this sort of message with the tone, length, and volume of the whistle....i'll fail that part of my dual citizenship if i have to take it...)...i turned to see him waving me back over to the pemex. he told me to hold on, he had something i could carry the gas in. sure enough. it was a gigantic clorox bottle. i was delighted. he lent me that and the funnel to siphen in the gas.

i headed back towards downtown on the side of the road. i was quite the sight, as usual, because of my fair skin and blonde hair. it's always cause for ruckus...

anyways...finally get back and to my horror, arrive to find a LINE of traffic backed up so far....being led by the police truck...with the movement of traffic both ways, only one lane could pass at a time. the cars trying to go behind mine had to wait until there were no cars in the oncoming lane....i was mortified....and there was no hiding what was happening or to whom the fault belonged....the guerra....the gringa....me. the men who were in the stores lining where i had been pushed aside came out to help me put in the gas. they put it in. i jumped in. the car started. and i headed back to the gas station to put some more gas in and return the borrowed items. thank goodness they were so understanding....and supportive.

what a day. i learned: caddy's don't jack. when it even starts playing like it's getting low on gas...you better rush to the station....cause you'll be blocking the height of rush hour traffic in mexico if not. yikes!

Hmmmm...

I just drank a margarita and know that tomorrow will be better. Yeah...surely. Yeah. I think so.

flood.

so today maybe wasn't the best day i've ever had. i woke up to the POURING down of the rain....it usually doesn't rain during the morning...it rains at nighttime. so this was a strange occurence. anyways, showered...and just as i stepped out of the shower, the power blinked off. it came back on shortly after...and blinked off again a little later.

then...i averted the literal river that had taken over my front yard by going around on the patio. that was good until i got to the steps that were literally so innundated with water that i had to just forge the river to get to the next solid spot. i did, hopped in the car....and yeah. nothing. it told me that it couldn't start because the security program had been tampered with or something to that effect...so the car would not restart. i called a friend, who came for me with his brother. that was after trying to get through to cabs for literally like 20 minutes. all this in the midst of the pounding rain. i'm not joking. it was raining so incredibly hard. so we transfer all of my kids' books into the car of the brother...and head off for school. i'm literally more than soaked...and freezing cold. the books are all wet....and we're off.

we stopped for coffee at a local bakery. that was nice...and definitely the reedeming moment of the morning. the coffee was really savory. so driving to school was like pretending to be on a submarine. the water was gushing from all sides...and the cascades that our area is famous for had steep competition with all of the water falling off of the mountain sides onto the cars/roads. pieces of the mountain were literally caving in, covering the road. i found out later that all entrances to the city were blocked off...and that from chapala to ajijic (a ten minute trip when conditions are normal) was an over an hour commute because of the water and debris.

so we arrived at school....and to my surprise, almost no one was there. i was slightly annoyed that i had gone to all of this trouble to get there, even calling in to tell the secretary about the car issue....i had half my fifth grade group. they brought food. so that was a bonus...we ate taquitos, tamales, frijoles, and fanta orange soda instead of doing spelling. but, as well, very few maestros were there. me and a couple others. people couldn't pass to get to school..and on top of it, there were literal floods that really did a lot of damage to a neighboring city. several rescue workers, food donations, blankets, and clothes were sent to the pueblo this morning and afternoon.

the day drug on, as you can imagine...and with twenty restless nine year olds...it was a chore to keep them sane. we read, played games, and waited it out. the rain continued pouring until late in the morning. about halfway through the morning, i was giving instructions for something....and devin, one of my gringo students, turned around sharply in his chair to ask me a question. when he did, he spun his arms in the air....and completely showered me in the remaining coffee that i had been holding. he freaked. he kept apologizing. i just told him, "que bueno que me puse el color negro esta manana..." good that i put on black this morning, huh? he laughed nervously...and apologized again. it was no big deal. i was just soaked for the second time of the morning...with brown liquid this time. at least it was hot and not cold like the other liquid had been. :)

so we continued on. my sixth graders were really engaged in a book that i started reading them...so i now know how to pass time if need be. they were really entertained by my elaborate movements and sound effects. que bueno.

anyways...so then i left...sort of without permission. my kids had their last class with another teacher...andi snuck out...mostly because i didn't have car...and needed to get a ride. i did so with my friend carla, who's the english teacher for secundaria. she took me to the plaza to the restaurant. hopefully pablo can come look at the car later or tomorrow.

i took a taxi home...and am sitting here...really exhausted. i think i'm going to close my eyes. that would be nice. it was quite a day. i learned from my experience: how to maneuver with the ajijic taxi service, that teachers sometimes are required to be bigger than the circumstances that present themselves, how to not pass through the middle of my yard in the midst of a rain storm for fear of sinking through to the lake, that fifth graders can't be cooped up or easily entertained for more than about 10 minutes, that cadillac's have extremely elaborate security systems that don't really make much sense, that this community pours itself out for the sake of others without conditions...when the need arises and even when it does not...they are such a graceful and kind group of people....

it was a good day. a tough day. but a day full of learning more and more and more. that's what i'm here for. i'm trying to soak it all in....especially with the torrential downpours that grace us each and every day. i'm soaking in lots. :)

Pride.

Watching my nine year olds run around our room this morning put only one word in my head: pride. I was sipping on my coffee...watching these little souls. It was precious. We were decorating the room in response to this week's celebrations for Dia de Independecia. You can only imagine how much green, red, and white littered our walls, floors, and desks. But how fun to see even the most shy of the crowd stand up, hammer nails in the wall (our walls are concrete...it's the only way to make anything stay up for more than 10 seconds), and sing songs from Mexico.

I loved watching/participating with them. Mostly, though, I loved listening to their joy and their excitement about being from Mexico...they understand what it means to be from a free country. They rejoice in that. They admire their President. They see their families as heroes....it's precious to see. I'm learning so much about the culture and the people...the traditions are beautiful. Really beautiful. This is such a rich culture....with so much to be proud of. I am astonished at various moments...just delighting in being a part of it all.

It's like every moment is decorated distinctly with a beauty that I can't describe. Even in the most difficult and grueling periods of time, things somehow are just tainted with this deep beauty. It's like when you know what something is, but can't find the word for it...or when you see something for the first time and try your best to remember every last detail so that you can convey the splendor of the moment....it's like that. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is....t's like a color that you've never seen, but can dream in...like a taste that stings your mouth's pleasure spots, but can't name....like a distant land that you somehow are familiar with, but know nothing about. It's truly extraordinary. This beauty that I speak of. And what's more? I am afforded the opportunity to wake up everyday with this being my life. It's not a dream anymore. It's not a far out there fairytale. It's what I'm doing. And in their faces, their words, their hearts....I get this spark of life.

This taste of beauty.

It really renders me speechless sometimes.

We were sitting in my sixth grade class today...and I really couldn't tell you what was happening at the moment, but I exploded into laughter....Emmanuel...what was he saying? Ah. I don't remember. And I wish I did...becasue it was precious. He was telling me a story....and it ended with us all just enjoying talking. Just enjoying being together. The principal thanked me today por "el regalo que Dios te dio a conocer a todos los alumnos....por tu carino para ellos....y para tu capacidad a saber lo que necesitan especificamente." (the gift that God gave you to truly know all of your students...the care and concern that you give them...the ability that you have to know exactly what they need). In turn, I wanted to say to her....it is the students that teach me. It is my distinct honor and pleasure to be a part of investing in young people....to be a part of watching them grow....of imparting little bits of truth and wisdom....they're amazing little people. I love them. Really, I do. They're growing on me. :) I never thought the day would come when I would ENJOY this age...this group....the challenges, the struggles....but they enchant me.

It's good. This kind of pride....it's a healthy kind of pride. I can stand beside the mom's and dad's...and in some way, shape, or form, begin to grasp what happens inside of their hearts when they see their gifts excel and grow. It's a cool feeling.

Album...

To see all of the pictures that I took of the album I shared below, go to:

http://txstate.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2142640&l=4896e&id=29622068

You'll be able to view those and more.

Living the Good Life..

So today was a great day. Paid to get internet....therefore, I am sitting in the comfort of my home, making lesson plans, and surfing the net. I guess I didn't realize how much I took having unlimited internet access in the States.....it's not so here. But now I have it...and I'll be back in business with communication. :) Thanks for being patient.

Other than that...this week at school went much better. We're getting used to each other and to the classroom situations. I spent one hour today re-configuring the seating chart in the room. Until you're a teacher, you can never appreciate the work your grade school teachers did to arrange the room in a manner conducive to learning...and appreciate the headaches he or she went through to make sure that every parent is happy with the seating arrangement of their child...and to pair people with other people...and to get to know the personalities and tendencies of each child beyond just the surface. It's tough. So, thanks, Mrs. Koy, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Beckworth, Mrs. Stelter, Mrs. Otto, Miss Naylor, Mrs. Humphreys, and any other teacher that suffered through that on my behalf.

I spent the evening at the restaurant yesterday....it was so fun. I never thought I'd get to play "manager"...throughout all of my time at Cracker Barrel, I never thought the day would come that I would get to be the person in charge rather than the server. It's cool working there...and hanging out, though. It's my job to just kind of make sure that people are happy. I like that. I also help out with the bar a little...and I do the cash register whenever I'm standing around. Mostly it's just fun to go help the servers/cooks/and bartender. I really missed the restaurant world. Don't tell anyone, though, please. :)

It's the week of Independence Celebration here in Mexico. That means that there are ALL KINDS of fiestas happening. This is the month of Mariachi (trust me, I'm in heaven!)....so there are lots of Mariachi-type celebrations happening in all of the plazas around the area. Guadalajara apparently has some of the best in the world...I need to go one weekend this month! :) Here, though, there is no absence of Mariachi entertainment. Saw the ballet Folklorico. It's absolutely beautiful. The women dress in these amazing colorful skirts...and the men in their finest suit-type clothing. They dance as a group and as individuals. It's fantastic! So I was able to see that last night...

Also went to visit a little of the area with my friend, Ricardo. So I have included some pics of the lake. He took me to the most amazing "hideaway" view of the entire lake. It was truly breathtaking. The pictures can't capture the afternoon.

So I'll get those up....and get back to lesson planning. Hope that things are going well in your corner of the world.

This is my life.

There´s a mountain. And then there´s this sky...the most amazing color of blue that your mind can capture. It´s rich...like it´s never going to end...and it´s clear, like it could break if I threw something at it....it´s brilliant...like something perfect froze in time....

And then there´s this water. It´s crystal-esque....something like a sheet of glass with minor infractions called boats or trees raising above the line that I can see. It´s magnificient. And the sound. Listen with your ears...the sound. It hits the black rocks that flank the banks. It pounds with a resounding crash...and rolls away, back into the mixture of blue and green. It begs to be touched...it impedes me to run into its arms....and stay there....be soaked and know the freedom of being completely washed over.

It´s like that on rainy days for me, too. I love to listen to the sound of the pattering drops...to hear the freedom that falls with every tiny splatter of water. It´s something like spontanaeity (spelling?)....with this perfect rhythm.

And then there are the smiles of the little people. These huge souls packed into tiny corpses....their smiles light up my life. Today, Christian was miming something so I could tell him what it meant...and I couldn´t help but cracking up in the middle because of the joy that exudes from that kid. And then there´s Memo....I wish I could scoop up a piece of his charisma and put it inside of my heart. He´s got so much life that teems from him...in English class and in Spanish. There´s Karen. She´s so quiet and so timid...but I can tell that she´s got something inside of her that will be released...and it will be spectacular. There´s Victor. He´s the kid that most teachers hate because he´s forever dawdling. He´s forever glancing at the ceiling, throwing (or losing...) his pencil, shrugging his shoulders when asked for homework, asking "Que quieres, Maestra?" when the entire rest of the class has carried out the orders they were given...the one that has the look of guilt always on his face...but it´s mostly just because he doesn´t have a clue what´s going on...and yes, in fact, he probably DID commit the crime. There´s Victor. But when that kid comes to school in the morning and hugs me...and says "Gut marnink, Miss KA"....it´s worth living for.

And there´s Alex Manuel. Precious. Absoltely precious. The heart of a warrior, that kid...and servant all packed into one little boy frame. He´s kind. And caring. And he tries so hard. He comes up with some hilarious concoctions of the English language, but he´s a delight. There´s Roberto. He´s a lot like Victor, except his major problem is that he just really doesn´t understand a word that is coming out of my mouth....but he looks up, smiles...and says¨"Es que...no entendi..." And then I hug him...and say, "OK, Mijo....tu vas a...." And he shrugs his shoulders, wrinkles his nose....and sometimes doesn´t do a single thing that he´s supposed to...but I can see the wheels turning (in Spanish)...and days like today...where I didn´t have to spend any individual time with him for him to get what he was supposed to do...and then having him elaborate intensely on his weather forecast...wow! Those moments thrill my soul all the way down to my toenails.

Yeah...and Janet (that´s pronounce YAnet)...she´s the tiniest thing I´ve ever seen. I could put twelve of her in my purse...but oh my gosh. SHe´s so cute. She greets me, explains to me that she didn´t understand...and then sits in her cute little desk and tunes out most of what´s going on. But she´s so cute that it really doesn´t matter. And then Adolfo with his mountain of curls....he´s the heart-breaker to be of the group. He writes the most amazing stories of his own creation. I dazzle at the words...and the drawings...and he has three clocks on his desk everyday. So he and Tory are the time keepers...and they let me know when we were late for something 10 minutes ago! :) Martin and Juan Jose are brothers...each in my different classes. And then don´t get much of English...but they have colored eyes that sparkle...and they get in trouble ALL THE TIME for talking across the room...but they try. And they write sentences that make little sense...but they try...and they talk...and they try. And they capture my heart every day.

Carlos is precious. Just his smile (because he doesn´t say much) lights up his half of the room. He doesn´t get much English...but what he does get, he USES...on paper. I´ve heard him speak like 4 words since I{ve known him....but he just looks at me and smiles....and life is good. There´s Sara and Karla...they´re twins. I have another set in my other class as well. They want to be cheerleaders...and for some reason, I must look like the cheerleader type...so they solicit my assistance EVERY day during recess. I´m really bad at cheerleading...but it´s fun to watch them be little girls. I never wanted little girl stuff growing up....so it´s fun to see that side of girliness. Precious. All of them..I could go on and on. I have 50....and could talk in great length about every single one. They enchant me. They delight me. They spill over with the same life that the rain gives....that the water reflects...that the sky captures.

This is my life. It´s Mexico. Wow. I am in awe.