Friday
The day did not start so good and was a roller coaster all day. Tate has stomach troubles and I found myself in one of those situations that only a parent can deal with and not completely lose it. I got some medicine at the farmacia and now things seem to be getting better, but I don’t know yet. I was planning on the kids and I going to the beach tomorrow but I don’t know if I can risk an hour long bus ride.
On a good notes, it is finally Friday, we all had a good week of school ,the weather seems to be getting warmer, I figured out how to get the shower past lukewarm, and I was able to get rid of the bags of clothes for the poor at the local hospital. My philosophy of traveling is that there are always bad things and good things that happen every day. The days that are the worst are the ones that end up having some truly great moments in there somewhere.
I promised to tell you about the woman who hates me. I did make her smile today so perhaps I am wining her over, but I think the underlying disgust is still there. Here goes: The person we are staying with is a single mom with three kids, ages 10, 15 and 17. She teaches school in the mornings so leaves at 6 am and returns around 2 in the afternoon. She has a housekeeper who comes in from 7 to 3 to make breakfast and lunch, clean, and do laundry. She is an older woman, probably in her 60’s, and does not speak any English. The first day was fine, but the next day she was late and I had to ask the 17 year old, Gaby, what to do about breakfast. Gaby started cooking it for us and then the lady arrived and finished. I don’t know if she got in trouble for that or not, but the next morning she was obviously cold toward me. Then, she served breakfast and it was mush with milk and I had to tell her I couldn’t eat that. That seemed to seal my fate. Then, as if I needed more trouble, I took a glass in the bathroom with water in it to brush our teeth. She didn’t like that and told me to use a cup she had put in there. The cup was dirty and had a bug in the bottom of it, so I told her I needed the glass and she insisted I use the cup so I just ignored her and took my glass in anyway. That afternoon it was very obvious that the floor of our rooms had not been swept that day. Since then I have been super polite so I’m hoping she will not spit in my food anymore than she already does. I even made her smile today when I was asking about some missing socks. Come to think of it, I don’t think I said anything funny so perhaps she was just happy that I had lost something. I seem to have more work to do to get her back on my side.
There is a dog at the house we are staying at. A one-year-old black lab. She is exuberant, as puppies are, and it has been a source of stress. Tate does not like dogs and freaks out whenever the dog jumps up near him. Of course, the dog then seeks him out which just makes Tate louder and then the dog responds and it is a vicious cycle. Cora loves the dog, of course, and plays with it and then Tate yells at Cora to wash her hands before touching anything in their room and then she yells at him. Also, because the dog jumps whenever someone arrives or sits down the people of the house say “No Dasha!” all day long. I will not be sad to be leaving Dasha in a week.
One of the friends I have made at the school is probably in her 50’s, is in Central American for the first time and does not speak any Spanish. She is staying at a hotel and spends her afternoons reading or sitting in the courtyard of her hotel enjoying a glass of beer. I envy her the privacy and freedom she has right now, but I know that our experiences would not be as interesting if we were not staying with a family. It is hard to remember that now as I share a bathroom with 8 people, but I know that when I look back at it all, I will laugh at the situations I put us all in.
Tomorrow Steve arrives and we are all very excited. I look forward to having him here to share the parenting duties and the experiences. I am not, however, looking forward to sharing this double bed when we are used to sleeping in a king. At least I won’t be cold at night anymore.
Hasta Luego
The day did not start so good and was a roller coaster all day. Tate has stomach troubles and I found myself in one of those situations that only a parent can deal with and not completely lose it. I got some medicine at the farmacia and now things seem to be getting better, but I don’t know yet. I was planning on the kids and I going to the beach tomorrow but I don’t know if I can risk an hour long bus ride.
On a good notes, it is finally Friday, we all had a good week of school ,the weather seems to be getting warmer, I figured out how to get the shower past lukewarm, and I was able to get rid of the bags of clothes for the poor at the local hospital. My philosophy of traveling is that there are always bad things and good things that happen every day. The days that are the worst are the ones that end up having some truly great moments in there somewhere.
I promised to tell you about the woman who hates me. I did make her smile today so perhaps I am wining her over, but I think the underlying disgust is still there. Here goes: The person we are staying with is a single mom with three kids, ages 10, 15 and 17. She teaches school in the mornings so leaves at 6 am and returns around 2 in the afternoon. She has a housekeeper who comes in from 7 to 3 to make breakfast and lunch, clean, and do laundry. She is an older woman, probably in her 60’s, and does not speak any English. The first day was fine, but the next day she was late and I had to ask the 17 year old, Gaby, what to do about breakfast. Gaby started cooking it for us and then the lady arrived and finished. I don’t know if she got in trouble for that or not, but the next morning she was obviously cold toward me. Then, she served breakfast and it was mush with milk and I had to tell her I couldn’t eat that. That seemed to seal my fate. Then, as if I needed more trouble, I took a glass in the bathroom with water in it to brush our teeth. She didn’t like that and told me to use a cup she had put in there. The cup was dirty and had a bug in the bottom of it, so I told her I needed the glass and she insisted I use the cup so I just ignored her and took my glass in anyway. That afternoon it was very obvious that the floor of our rooms had not been swept that day. Since then I have been super polite so I’m hoping she will not spit in my food anymore than she already does. I even made her smile today when I was asking about some missing socks. Come to think of it, I don’t think I said anything funny so perhaps she was just happy that I had lost something. I seem to have more work to do to get her back on my side.
There is a dog at the house we are staying at. A one-year-old black lab. She is exuberant, as puppies are, and it has been a source of stress. Tate does not like dogs and freaks out whenever the dog jumps up near him. Of course, the dog then seeks him out which just makes Tate louder and then the dog responds and it is a vicious cycle. Cora loves the dog, of course, and plays with it and then Tate yells at Cora to wash her hands before touching anything in their room and then she yells at him. Also, because the dog jumps whenever someone arrives or sits down the people of the house say “No Dasha!” all day long. I will not be sad to be leaving Dasha in a week.
One of the friends I have made at the school is probably in her 50’s, is in Central American for the first time and does not speak any Spanish. She is staying at a hotel and spends her afternoons reading or sitting in the courtyard of her hotel enjoying a glass of beer. I envy her the privacy and freedom she has right now, but I know that our experiences would not be as interesting if we were not staying with a family. It is hard to remember that now as I share a bathroom with 8 people, but I know that when I look back at it all, I will laugh at the situations I put us all in.
Tomorrow Steve arrives and we are all very excited. I look forward to having him here to share the parenting duties and the experiences. I am not, however, looking forward to sharing this double bed when we are used to sleeping in a king. At least I won’t be cold at night anymore.
Hasta Luego
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