Good News: Mike had a GREAT first week and is thoroughly enjoying his experience, focusing on what he loves most....Science. He is also really excited to work with a very talented teacher, our friend, Tedi, assisting her in the 3rd and 4th grade as well. What a difference a year makes.
Not so Good News...but things are looking up: Both boys have been sick, snotty noses, cough, congestion, you name it...we've got it. Despite them not being 100%, we ventured off to school on Tuesday for the first day. School for them has changed quite drastically through the eyes of a 4 year old. The school has brought on another Kinder teacher who comes from the other private school in the zone, The Cloud Forest School, aka La Creativa. She will be a great edition to the team and will surely be a help as the Kinder program has gone back to only one morning program opposed to the afternoon and morning sessions they offered last year. What this means, is that the boys now can have 20 kids in the class...a big change from last year's 7 or so in the afternoon program. In order to accommodate the larger class size, they demolished a wall in an adjoining classroom, sort of a temporary build out, until the new Kinder space is ready (ETA...who knows...that's my other job to figure out). They've also constructed a covered porch and little nook where kids can hang their rain gear, boots, umbrellas, etc., so they aren't constantly sweeping and mopping the entryway of the classroom.
(First Day of School - I think Michael forgot to discard his dental floss prior to pic...sorry folks!)
Mid-week stroll to school - John engrossed in the cow-jam unfolding down the hill, holding up parents trying to get their kids to school before the 8 a.m. bell...good luck!
Tuesday, Michael, who probably should have stayed home, decided he wanted to try to make it to school. He made the decision not to stay and I didn't push it as he looked up at me with swollen eyes and somewhat of a snotty nose. Wednesday, both in school, no problem. Thursday, well, quite a different story...all things were a GO, dad was up ahead with John and nearly there, Michael pulls a "I don't feel well, I don't want to go" on me. After reasoning with him and starting to go soft, I saw my Guardian Angel appear through the woods, Veronica! I thought to myself....'just what the doctor ordered'. I must have had that look of "now, what do I do?...pick him up, kicking and screaming the rest of the way..."? "Of course" she remarked, and that I did. I am so past embarrassment and well, the Schaefer boys are 'well-known' at the school, so I plodded along through the parking lot best I could shielding my face from swinging fists. I spied Miss Melody out by the play-yard, she knew right away that I needed to hand over the 'goods' and walk away. In parting, I told her to 'take cover' and briskly walked away. Moira, a good friend and co-mother put her arm around me, offering comfort and a shoulder to whimper on. Being sick, with little reserves, it actually felt good to let go! (Yes Auntie Beth, even the Ice Princess can squeeze our a tear or two every decade or so)!. There were a hand-full of mothers in the parking lot waiting for me to impart their war stories of trying to get their kids off to school in hopes of lifting my spirits. I knew, before I even hit the trail and got through the parking lot that Michael probably had a smile on his face and had settled into his routine...I come to find out when I returned at noon, that was precisely the case.
When I returned home that morning, I had four hours of 'no-kid' time. Everyone gave me strict instructions to go home and rest in hopes of getting well...those of you that know me, 'ain't gonna happen', so I opened a paint can and proceeded to paint my bathroom and bedroom with the left over paint from the boy's room.
Fast Forward to Friday: No problem getting the kids to school, however Michael is walking with Mike up ahead until he can earn back the 'right' to walk with his mom and treat her nicely. I think he's learned his lesson....we'll see!
So what am I doing with my free time in the morning: Painting and a little work on the new building project. I am enjoying the peace and quiet and the ability to have a good chunk of time to be productive. I am missing my running and hope to make that part of my morning routine as soon as I get healthy enough to pound the pavement. Another run to Dr. Johnny in Cerro Plano is probably a prudent thing to do tomorrow - this crud is hanging around way too long, I'm sure the daily downpours are not helping. You can pretty much set your watch by the rain, around noon the sky opens up and down comes the water. Well needed, but you better have sturdy rain boots! (Sunday Update: got another round of Claritin D from the Doctor on Saturday, and another script for antibiotics in case I get worse, but hoping I wont' need it.)
Gaudy has been helping me with the kids in the afternoon until I feel stronger. She continues to be a delight and we plan on going down to San Luis on Sunday to share lunch with them and to celebrate her son's 6th birthday. (Sunday night Update: Had a fabulous time at the birthday party. Love San Luis, so tranquil and peaceful, off the beaten path of the more touristy Santa Elena and Monteverde. Raul gave Mike and I a great tour of their farm which has many beautiful vistas and affords a spectacular view of the Gulf of Nicoya on a clear day. The kids enjoyed the cake and being 'loved on'. Liliana, who works at the Pulperia at the end of our street shared a cab with us...Gaudy works at the store Saturdays to provide Liliana a day of rest; we enjoyed her company as well.
So, speaking of painting...About two weeks ago, I came to the point in the book I am reading about Spirited Kids where some kids (my John) can't sleep, not that they won't sleep, they just can't. So I decided to try and make the boys room a little bit more 'kid-comfortable'. The book recommended making a little nest, or cozy spot for their bed...equate it to the 'chickadee in its nest' theory. That was all I needed to get my creative juices flowing. Off to Santa Elena to purchase paint and a new mattress to replace the foam pad John has been sleeping on for the past year. Surely, a new coat of paint, new mattress and make-shift canopy (complements of a clothes line, four clothes pins and an old curtain) would do the trick. The boys helped me with the painting, I spent a good hour cleaning the blue and yellow paint off the concrete floor, but they had a blast and that's all the counts. I am still waiting for the night where John doesn't snuggle in between me and Mike...wouldn't be so bad if he didn't spend 3 hours tossing and turning and throwing the covers off us...what's that saying about Patience...? Not wanting the leftover paint to go to waste, I slathered on the blue paint in our master bedroom/bath and used the leftover yellow in the kitchen. A new 'contact paper' backsplash purchased at the Ferreteria and I barely recognize the joint. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll take one of the boys into town after school to buy another color for the living room/dining room. What a change, cleaner, more colorful and masks the moldy smell. Mike ripped up the contact paper in the bathroom closet and I can't even begin to explain the stench and the sheer blackness of the closet shelf once the paper was ripped off. Just say...it took a lot of bleach and muscle to clean it...
Ant Traps - THANK YOU Elizabeth for the Borax and ant traps from the States. Mike and I amused ourselves last night about 9 pm finding just the perfect spot for the trap - once strategically placed, we sat in amazement as the critters climbed in and then transported the poison (looks like your regular household Borax, sweetened somehow to entice the ants) back to their colony. I reached for a flashlight and continued to watch as the trail of ants grew thicker on my newly painted kitchen wall.
Memorial Service - Mike and I had the honor of attending a memorial service for a member of the community who had settled here with her family about 7 years ago. The service was in the Meeting Room at the School and as you can imagine, well attended. The youngest daughter sat in the middle of the room on the floor at a small table and invited some of her friends to join her, lighting candles as the rain poured down outside. The family surrounded her on all sides - family, friends and community members shared their memories of this remarkable woman. Her middle daughter sang a Lullabye she wrote to close out the service. Her final wish was carried out with having her ashes brought back home, here to the Green Mountain.
Lots of emotions this past week, smiles, belly laughs, tears, anxiety, frustration and relief...I guess this is just life - ebbing and flowing like so many other things.
P.S. - I am getting a little more quick on reaching for the camera when a cool insect photo opp presents itself...yellow caterpillar (and I even remembered to have a human part in the pic to show scale:) and I found a poor scorpion at the bottom of my washer last week as I transfered the clothes from the washer to the spinner...NICE! Can't take credit for the agooti (sp) sharing our compost pile with a stray cat...the cat looks pretty fierce to me!
Peace..
Signed: S
Thanks for the taste of "home." The boys bedrooms are awesome. Love and miss you all. Maria
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