Wow, this week has flown!

Hello all! 

This week has flown! Let me tell ya, I feel like I just made a post. Well the week consisted of getting all my kids ready for heir lifepac tests. It's basically the end of a module test. Making sure they all know how to borrow from the ones place, where commas and periods go, and what chemical and physical changes are. Then after all the tests were done on Friday we played pictionary........ Absolute craziness! They hadn't played before and loved it! As much as myself and my helper tried to keep their voices down, once they figured it out, they would scream the word at the top of their lungs. 

I think my class has adjusted to me and what I'm all about. My rules and different fun goofy things I like to do. It's been a fun week! 

Oh I know I said last time that I was craving Mexican food. Well the very next day, we had cheese burritos :) as Mexican as it gets here, but they were good. I believe those of you on teams have had them. And Tatay, being so sweet, went out and got me tortilla chips. They have been a delicious afternoon snack. 

Let me talk about the food for a second. If you know me or my family, you will know that we are foodies. We love to eat. Well, one of the manangs in the kitchen is a foodie too. It has been wonderful. She is always giving me new things to try or 2nd servings of things she knows I like. I've had yellow watermelon, buko or young coconut which is worlds different from our coconut. Buko juice which is delicious! Warm sweet potatoes, cassava candy, pamellos, extra lumpia and grilled cheese because I love it. I am going to come back well padded for our not very harsh winter :)

Back to the kids, I wasn't really sure where I stood with my kids. Am i just another teacher, or American or Do they actually like me. I only taught for the morning on Thursday since one of the manangs took me to the store to get, can you guess? Food. They wanted me to know what kid of snacky food was available so of i couldn't go to the store icould at least give them a list. Anyway, when I got back, one of my girls, ran up to me with a big smile and hug. She asked me if I was teaching all day on Friday because she missed me alot. I cannot explain how very happy she made me. And one of my boys, who used to think he was too cool to acknowledge me outside of class, gives me a huge smile whenever he sees me around the house.

In the beginning I ate with the special kids at meals, solely because that is where there was room. But now it's my designated spot. This is how meals go, if it's lunch or dinner I help serve the food. Then if the special kids need water cups, i'll fill enough water for them. I haven't figured out exactly how many of each size and where so I ask lots of questions of who has what size cup. Side note, I'm still not used to their responses to yes and no questions. If it's yes, they will raise their eyebrows and purse their lips. Sometimes, I get frustrated that no one is answering me then remember they speak with their face.  I really should remember these  things and how many water cups.  If there is water, I will either hold one of the little girls till someone is available to feed her. For whatever reason, she loves me, but won't let me feed her. Go figure. If she doesn't need to be held then I feed one of the boys. It's a great little routine that I look forward to every meal. Then I help with the dishes after dinner and on Saturday's. 

The exciting thing that happened this week was on Friday. I got my body out of bed at 4a to go to the wet market with tatay and 2 manangs. It was quite the experience. First off tatay is like my dad. If we leave at 9.10 to go to church, he's in the car at 9.05. I was so paranoid that I would oversleep that I basically didn't sleep. made for a long Friday. But anyways. The wet market is like a very rough farmers market, nothing like in la or temecula where they make their stands or food cute. It's down and dirty. And rain adds a whole other meaning to wet market. The way it works is they have till 7 to sell all their items when they reopen the street. I followed the manangs who get all the veggies, fruit, snacks and rice. They know exactly who they like and will walk through bunches of ppl to find their person. It's amazing, they will hand over their list and money and due to the bulk of our order they package it up and deliver it to the pog or jeep. Then Tatay goes and does all the meat and things for the house. And is at the car to load it all. I loved it! I may have been half asleep and only intook half of what I saw, but it was great. I only have a few pictures but I'll get more next time I go. Instead of getting snacks, i would rather get sweet potatoes, avocados and apples for my snacks. Since the manangs spoke in ilongo, I didn't know what she was ordering. When we got back to the house, she told me she got me the fruit I said I really wanted to try and all the kids said I was crazy. Dorian!!! If you have ever watched Andrew Zimmerman on the travel travel, you know that he will eat anything edible except Dorian because of the smell. It actually didn't smell that bad. Maybe I'm immune. The poor kids were all covering their noses and acting sick. Well, I loved it. If you are scared of it, don't be. It's sweet and garlicy if thats possible. mom you should try it. 

Well I think that's it for this week. Life here is becoming my new normal and I have a routine that is seeming to work. I have almost all the kids names down. I'm starting to pick up a few ilango words like baba- mouth and kamot- hand. An thank you but I have no idea how to spell it. 

Till next time, love you all Kelsey

Ephesians 3:14-19

Ps, I taught Sunday school today. Teaching Joshua 1 to a bunch of 5-9 year olds is very hard. Plus not speaking the language, one of the manangs had to interpret for me. But it was awesome to hear her teach about the Lord in a language so unlike my own. 

Kelsey