7:30-8:15: I reluctantly wake up moan a hello to my roomate Caro and mozey down to bfast. Trying to figure out how to desire communicating... However, breakfast tends to be my favorite part of my day. Because we sit together all 4 of us girls and talk. None of us rush off and we just chat about anything and everything. Until it gets around 8:45 and I realize I have 10 minutes to be ready and get out the door.
9ish: Lisa and I arrive at the Guarderia. (Our walk together is usually so enjoyable that I decide it's gonna be a good day and I do want to talk today).
9-12: Every morning with the kids is different. Some days we take the first half an hour to set up the tables in the room, collect notebooks from backpacks and check if homework is finished. The kids have books but we don't always use them, so I usually spend a good portion of the morning tracing pictures that Arianna draws 12 times for all of the kids to do. Usually they will be pictures teaching them about in front vs. behind, or vowels, numbers etc. Sometimes these will be complicated pictures and I get really sick of them by the end but most days I am just happy to be able to contribute something to teaching the kids. I also assist with the lessons and go around to different students and help them to finish their work. This is usually intermixed with a lot of shoe tieing, telling kids they can go to the bathroom and answering questions such as what is your dad/mom/sister's name? Sometimes if the kids are getting to crazy while we are preparing the lesson, we will sing songs together. Such as "Pinpon," "Witzy Witzy Araña" (itsy bitsy spider-in english and spanish), or "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes."
between 10:30 and 11:30 the kids go half at a time to computacion (computer) their favorite part of the day. If all of the kids go, I love sitting and talkign Arianna about our lives and adjusting to mexico's differences. And then a little after the English teacher comes in and I assist her in teaching the kids english. It is VERY cute to hear the kids pronounce words such as teacher "teeechaire."
Then MY favorite part of the day comes at 12:30: Recess. This is usually when Ariana, Lisa and I get to chat and share stories for the day. We also spend a lot of this time punishing kids for hitting each other and making them say sorry to one another.
1:20 is lunch time, after all the kids line up and wash their hands. Lisa and I help serve bowls of vegetable-chicken soup, rice, or eggs and green beans to all the kids. They also recieve a taco with beans in it. But first we pray together. I have yet to learn this prayer, something regarding the land, water and people. Then Lisa, the teachers and I eat while also telling the kids to not play with their food, sit up, eat faster, and behave while eating. One of the older-women cooks recognized that Lisa was a vegetarian, and has started setting aside the soup and such before adding the meat for her. She also decides to give me extra meat for some reason. Maybe to even out the balance of meat? Then the kids drink juice and head to nap time.
2:30ish... After lunch we leave for the day and head home. Sometimes Lisa and I will sit and share funny or irritating stories about the day for a little while. But usually she goes up to the roof and exercises and I go to my bed and sleep. Sometimes my naps can be 3 hours long. Its ridiculous. I am usually so exhausted though that I don't care what time I wake up or how long I sleep.
Somewhere between 4:30 and 6: I wake up from my nap and go read or chat with the roomates about their days. Sometimes there are English classes in the house that I help with but sometimes I just journal or read alone.
Sometimes at 7: We go to Zumba to get some exercise...
or else around 8: we go to the Parish. I usually check my email, skype people and sit in the kitchen and talk with the people that hang in the parish. In the first couple weeks, the parish became one of my favorite places. (I know, I don't think ive EVER sought out hanging out in a Church). But it is different here. Everyone just wants to talk and eat together and just be. No one has anywhere to run off to and they genuinely care for one another. The past couple weeks have been a mix of hanging out in the kitchen and hanging outside with the "jovens" (young people). We have luckily made some friends that are helping us with our spanish, our salsa dancing and to have a semi-normal life here.
Between 9 and 11 we head home eat/talk or read and then head to bed getting ready for a new day.
As you notice, there are a lot of "sometimes" in my day because time here is loose. When you arrive somewhere it isn't a scheduled appointment. Time is not money here, and I love it. Some days fly by and some days I feel like I spend 6 hours tracing pictures for the kids to practice their motor skills on. But I enjoy it here. Each day is different and it is starting to feel more and more like home.
Pictures are being requested so Im hoping to put some up in the next few days. Sorry, I know Ive been saying this for a while. Keep me updated on your life. All my love.
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