Even though I have helped with several of the previous blogs, I thought it was time for me to try one of these on my own.   We've had some time to settle in to our respective apartments and it is starting to feel like a permanent home, not just a working vacation.  We don't have internet access yet but it is supposedly coming this week.  They told us some time between Monday and Friday they would be there.   Even without the internet or cable to entertain us we've managed to keep busy.  Last Wednesday we had dinner at the home of our "buddy" family from the school.  All the new teachers were set up with a family from the school so that we would have someone to help us out during the big transition.  The family has three children- 5th grade, Kindergarten, and 2 years old.  The mother and oldest daughter picked us up and drove us to their house.  It is a beautifully decorated three level house and we learned that their kindergarten son wants to grow up to be a shark.  When we were introduced to this future shark the 5 year old boy stood up to shake Ryan's hand and then stood in front of me looking.  I wasn't quite sure why at first but then realized he was waiting for me to bend down to his level so that he could give me the customary greeting of a kiss on the cheek.  SOOO CUTE!  Both kids did the same thing after dinner when it was time for them to go to bed.  We were included in the round of goodnight kisses.   The mother works part time as a caterer and she cooked us what Ryan has proclaimed "our best meal in Guatemala."  It was absolutely delicious!!!  Besides a dinner, she also drove us around on Thursday afternoon to Office Depot and the teacher store so that we could pick up a few last minutes things.  They are a wonderful family and hopefully we'll be able to continue seeing them frequently.   

Our first day is Tuesday.  I don't have a class list quite yet, they were still working on admissions on Friday so tomorrow I should get it.  Luckily everything is pretty much ready in my classroom and my list of things to do is limited to only the stuff I couldn't do without the kids names- like name tags for their desks, welcome bulletin board, graded paper files, etc etc.  We have a couple meetings tomorrow as well but I think I'm just ready to get back into it.  It should be an interesting year.  This school is CRAZY.  They have every special and because it's a bilingual school and they get 90 minutes of instruction in Spanish each day.  That plus all the specials I have mad planning time.  Teachers, don't get too jealous most of it is taken up by different meetings with my english grade level team, the spanish grade level team, administrators, parents etc. etc.  There is alot of bureacracy to get things done around here- you need a a request form to do ANYTHING, hence why we needed to run to Office Depot this week.    The school has every resource imaginable but it takes a bill from Congress to get anything done.   For example, if you want to get letters cut out for you using the ellison machine.  You have to put in a request for the paper.  When that is approved you have to go to the "Supplies" room and get the request filled.  Then you have to put in a request for what letters you want, with the paper you are going to use so that that can be approved.  Come on- I think I'd rather just cut out my own letters freehand!!!  We are also forbidden to touch the copy machine.  We put in our copy requests (at least 24 hours in advance) and then they are filled by a special copy lady.  It doesn't matter if I'm copyin something for the entire 3rd grade or making one copy for myself- it's off limits!  Nevertheless it should be a good year- we'll just try not to get used to this treatment because I'm not sure we can find a school anywhere else that has these same policies.  Oh there is one more amusing part.  Like I said, the students get 90 minutes of spanish instruction a day.  Well that means they have a spanish teacher who is also in my classroom (two teacher desks) and we have to kind of agree or make plans as far as procedures and classroom management together.  The spanish teacher I am working with is really nice and very agreeable.  However, her English is only slightly better than my Spanish- and we all know that isn't saying much.  Our conversations are always interesting and require alot of hand gestures and "acting."  For those of you who have often made fun of my need to talk with my hands should now know that it is actually an important part of my global language skills here in Guatemala. 

Keep us in your prayers and we'll let you know how it all starts out.