i love mangos

i am on a HUGE mango kick right now. i could have a mango for breakfast, have a mango popsicle later, and then some mango juice in one day and still want more. I really don't know how I missed out on this wonderful fruit my whole life. I mean I ate a couple the summer I lived in LA and I must thank Suzane for introducing me to them, but for some reason it sort-of faded. I'm not sure if I couldn't find them or if I did and they were too expensive...not sure. You should look in your local store and let me know if you see any...and if the price if just ridiculous...which I actually might be willing to splurge on every once in awhile now. They're just so wonderful.

But as with everything they are in season right now and I'm dreading when they go out of season and I won't have mangos anymore.

We have all kinds of seasons at work. It seems like as soon as one holiday ends we have another one we need to prepare for.

The first day of spring the kids dressed up and we had a party. It was SO cute!

Dante, Arleth, & Israel

As soon as that ended we started preparing for Kids' Day (30th of April). Things got pretty hectic with preparations for Kids' Day. I found myself doing a lot of work at home, which I didn't mind too much...I just love my kids. Lucy and I sewed bags as well as made little hippos for the bags (made out of felt). We also made little rabbits to put on pencils (to go in the bags). And of course they each got a huge bag of candy.

I got them all a little present. I made smiley faces with hands holding their names and bought play-dough for the kids. I also added some snack foods in their little bag.

I also bought beads because I thought it would be a fun activity for them to make themselves bracelets during the week to get excited (as if they need to do something special to get excited, but i thought it would be fun). We did it Wednesday and it was crazy, but not only do I think they enjoyed it, but I think it was good for their motor skills as well =)

Xian, Josef, & Emiliano

I got Lucy a present too because I said she's a kid at heart. Including a little box of Trix...Trix are for kids....=) get it?

It was an insane day, but so much fun. They made two pools in the patio for the kids to play in and they all brought their swimsuits, etc. We headed out to the "pools" and instantly I realized the water was very cold, judging by some of their shaking bodies. Then almost as soon as we got out I became the "warm body." So the kids would come over shaking, explaining how cold it was and i held their freezing hands and wrapped their wet bodies in my dry clothes...well...they were dry at the beginning. But I hate cold water too so i understood. I think every one of them who came over freezing from the cold water went back in for more though =) Then Gael had a turn with my camera so I ended up with a LOT of pictures and I'm going to say they are artistic... ;) A clown came to visit, we had fruit (which I LOVED) and pizza. It was a great day, although very exhausting.

HAPPY KIDS DAY!

The pools they made in the patio

Gael before he took over picture dutyDry dutyI think this is artistic...no? It's Arleth's uncle, Alan.

Ummm fruit!Jacky, Emiliano, & Axl

And Mother's Day. The cards were my project. We put the typical poem for hand stuff on the front: ....in spanish of course

I miss you

When we're not together.

I'm growing up so fast

See how big I've gotten

since you saw me last?

As I grow, I'll change a lot,

The years will fly right by.

You'll wonder how I grew so quick

when and where and why?

So save this card in a safe place,

And take it out each year.

The memories will come back of me,

When I was small and dear.

Then the kids who were there the day we made flowers have their picture with their flower on the front as well. On the inside left I did handprints with paint (and glitter) and on the right they wrote "Mamita, Te quiero mucho ♡" and their name Mom, I Love You

They worked on a dance for their performance for their Moms as well as learning a song.

This is the costume for the performance...just missing the cane. Emiliano's sporting the outfit and Gael jumped in too.

And they made vases by paper macaeing (i have no idea how to spell that word) with Lucy

They also seem to be in nosebleed season. Almost one everyday.

Baseball season started at home and you better bet I am checking up on the Cardinals like a good fan. I'm quite happy with how they're doing so far.

I know rainy season is right around the corner and I'm not super excited for that to start. During rainy season it basically rains everyday. I'm loving the warmer weather we're having right now though.

I've been lucky enough to only need to take 3 cold showers since I've been here (we run out of gas and don't get it before I need to shower or have problems installing it or have it installed and for some reason the actual gas machine doesn't work). Anywho with the warmer weather (for my most recent cold shower) the water was much warmer (it's stored on our roof) and I appreciate that. =)

We don't have a summer vacation from work like most schools do, but Father says there are lots more activities happening around in the summer so even with the rain, that will be exciting.

I went on another one of my day activities, which I always find the places I go interesting, but honestly I find the people I always seem to meet more interesting. This time I met a man coincidently from Chicago, but he had his bag stolen on the bus the day before I met him, which contained all his money, passport, etc. He found out he just needed a temporary passport, which they could give him at the embassy, but he got there too late Friday and Saturday was workers' day so they weren't open and I told him unfortunately they probably won't be open Monday either. So he was just hanging out and getting ready to head to the airport to sleep. I wasn't sure what I could do for him and while he was talking I kept wondering to myself, but every time I tried to add something to the conversation he cut me off so I decided I was there to listen to him and allow him to vent in his first language. So that's what I did. I listened and was supportive.

Then I was sitting in a park and a woman asked me to watch her child, which I found odd (something that probably wouldn't happen in the states). She had all kinds of gifts for Kids' Day and wanted to go buy something specific at a store so she left her little girl with me. I felt a little awkward about it, but the little girl looked pretty petrified. So I offered her some peanuts that I had and then just sat with her. Her mother seemed very grateful, but the little girl was definitely happy to see her mother. I would be too if I was 8.

Along with changes I will not be continuing with the program I am currently in for another year, as originally planned. I feel the program is changing a lot and they told me they don't want me to return. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. At the end of the day, everything happens for a reason.

There are so many changes to experience in life.