Sugar High

I took this video a while back and thought it was too good not to share.  A parent had "donated" a 5 pound box of Reece's Pieces to the Children's Day Celebration.  Needless to say there were pounds of leftovers after the day.  What you are about to see is what unfolded as we waited for our paychecks one afternoon.  This is what happens when you get 10 teachers sugared up and bored...    

What a wonderful group of people I work with.  I am amazed at how high their spirits are...even on the worst days (no electricity, no water, getting robbed).  They always find a way to get over it and have a good laugh.  I love y'all!

A Note From the Teacher...

Dear Parents,

Here are a few friendly reminders that will make our year go smoother...

1.  Please do not pack soda in your child's thermos.  It will shoot 5 feet out of the straw and soak our classroom in an orange, sticky mess.

2.  Sending your first grader to drop off your crying 3 year old in preschool will only cause the once perfectly fine big sister to cry every morning as well.

3. It is developmentally- appropriate for a child to mix up their d's, b's, q's and p's in first grade.  We are practicing  this.  Your child will not be doing this at 20.  There is no need to call a 2 hour parent meeting to discuss this.

4.  I am always glad to answer questions.  However,  please limit yourself to 3 phone calls a day.  There is no need to call during lunch to see if your child is finishing his food.  Please don't call during class to see how your child is behaving.   These are things that we can discuss after school.  Please stop blowing up my phone :)

Love,  Miss Julie

Funny Business

Wednesday afternoon we were officially on vacation!  Before a little rest and relaxation, I needed to take care of some business.  I've had a small cyst on my side for a year, and it has been increasing in size.  I met with the doctor, and he said that he would be able to remove it at the clinic here in Gracias.  30 minutes and 4 stitches later, I'm cyst-free and doing great.  I headed to Copan with some of the teachers for a couple of nights. 

The hotel I normally stay in was booked, so we stayed at a hostel, the Iguana Azul.  We behaved and followed all of the rules...

Copan is always a different world. The streets are paved.  The food is delicious. And since there are so many tourists, most things are translated into English  (although things are often lost in translation)...

Since this was my 4th visit to Copan in 6 months, I opted to forgo the tourist attractions and enjoy a couple of days reading, dining out and relaxing.  The night life was great.  We even got to see the "sexys" girls perform...

 

All good things must come to an end.  I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with these lovely ladies (and Cristian).  I feel refreshed and ready for first grade!



Tu Bandera

Tu bandera, tu bandera es un lampo de cielo ::

Your flag is a splendor of sky (Honduran National Anthem)

Today we celebrated Independence Day in Honduras.  Each year the school puts on a parade and we march through town in patriotic celebration.  The parade represented each of the 5 Central American countries that won their independence from Spain.  You can read more about the history here.

 

We marched through the streets to the park.  I think these guys got the best seats in town... 

We had an orchid (the national flower) and a white tailed deer (the national animal)...

The kinder "estrellitas"...

 

And of course a parade in Honduras would not be complete without niñas hermosas....

The band rocked their new uniforms...

And they really had my students rocking to the rhythm.  Here are my finalists for "Best Marcher."  Leave a comment and let me know your vote... 

 Contestant #1:

 

Contestant #2:

After all of the parading, we are now officially on vacation! Some of the teachers and I are headed to Copan Ruinas for a much needed long weekend. 

Feliz Dia del Independencia, Honduras!

Mi Casita

 I realize that I moved in June, but I just got around to uploading the pictures of my little house in the mountains.  Here's a tour of my simple abode...

Living Room:  Still a work in progress.  We need to find something to cover the big empty wall. 

Kitchen: Small but functional and I'm loving cooking on a gas stove again.

Bathroom: My least favorite thing about the house, but we've got hot water and its small size makes for easy cleaning!

Bedroom:  Just looking for some frames for my wall decor.  The heart pillow was given to me by a student, but I've come to enjoy it.  It works out nicely as a neck pillow.

And that concludes the tour.  My style has gone from Pottery Barn to local pottery.  This house definitely wouln't make the pages of Southern Living, but I like its simpliclity. 

Recipe for Chaos

Today was a great day to be a niño. 

It was an exhausting day to be a maestra. 

We celebrated Dia del Niño (or Children's Day) at school today.  For those of you who aren't familiar, here's the recipe for complete chaos.

Step 1:  Start with 21 happy children.

Step 2:  Add 3 piñatas (please take special note of the child to piñata ratio)...

  Step 3:  Mix in some cake and Coca Cola.

Step 4:  Combine with new toys.

Step 5: Sprinkle in an art project.

Step 6:  Let simmer all day.  Cool down with a spontaneous mural project.

First Grade is Fun!