It has been incredibly warm here the last week. January and February were cold, and I ended up wearing my sweatshirts or track jackets all day. The classrooms are built with concrete, built to keep the heat out, and they do just that. So during January and February we were all bundled up. Even outside in the middle of the day was cause for a light jacket. It´s starting to warm up, however. It does get really breezy (we are about a mile from the beach).

The kids were back all week. Avy, the teacher to the preschool class is gone to Mexicali. I couldn´t get a definite answer all week, until Friday I asked Geno and Brigida if she is coming back, and they said they don´t know. However, I guess Brigida and Geno´s niece (who is 19) is coming in the meantime.

Wednesday through Friday left me really tired. The kids are a handful. Even just eating a meal with the preschoolers as the authority figure is hard work. Trying to get them to all act normal while eating is a chore. Trying to get JoseManuel to not shove a cookie in his face didn´t work.

The kids have begun to correct my grammar and pronounciation, which I find funny. They had jello at lunch one day and I asked what it´s name was in Spanish. Yoseline and Irene told me, but they had to repeat it. I finally realized itw as "gelatina", and repeated it. Yoseline was NOT satisfied with my pronounciation, though and got close to me and kept saying "gel-a-TIN-a" a few times over. I kept repeating until proclaimed it was good enough.

The kids express a lot of frustration over my inabilities to understand them. A lot of people do this when someone who doesn´t understand their language is trying to communicate with the,: they just talk louder. The kids are so funny when they try to yell in my face what I really do not understand. I have to laugh and tell them I can I hear them, but I really do not what a particular word means.

The kids start to get really lovey and clingy with me. LuzAdriana and Evelin are among those in the Kinder class that do it. I tried to teach Luz a handclapping game the other day and now she´s obsessed with it. Irene is really the only preschooler of the bunch that wants to hang around me. And my little Mitzi in the toddler class loves me. I snuck into the toddler class the other day because I missed them (I had been with the older kids three days straight), and tickled and snuggled with her. I finally told her "ok, me voy" (I go), and she kept saying no.

I started to run out of books so I went searching in Welcome Home´s library. For being a Mexican charity they sure do have a TON of English books. Why people donate these, I have no idea. I picked up "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean George, and "Harriet the Spy" by Louise Fitzhugh, two kids´ books for just about the age I want to teach. They have some John Grisham books there, too, so I picked up "The Rainmaker".

Last night the youth service at church had food afterward, we all brought things to make enseladas. We all just stood around and ate, and I had fun hanging out and joking around with people. And chasing Benita around the church. They started to play instruments, so I picked up the bass... I haven´t played it for so long, and I miss it. I also miss the upright and I know I will be completely sore when I try it again.

Yesterday when I was in the library I played the piano and fiddled around on this miniature organ they have. I absolutely love it, it´s so much fun to play. I don´t know WHO uses it, but I´m so taken with it that I want to bring it home. I don´t have anywhere for it, so I can´t.. but man, I´d love to have something like that. It´s got all sorts of fun extras on it.

I can´t think of much else to say. I hope all is well wherever you are.