Spring Time

Well I cannot believe it is already March. 2010 is going by so fast, I remember being a child and I thought time was so slow. I never listened to adults who were always talking about the time, and how kids grow up so fast. Well I believe them now, the time here is going by so fast. I remember the first day I arrived here and in September I never thought I would make it to March. But the weather is warming up a lot, which is so nice we can go outside in jeans and a light sweater. And today there are three trees in Casa Hogar with flowers, so Spring is on its way. Now I can only wait for the time when t-shirts and shorts will be perfect. The change in the weather really makes a difference in our kids as well. They are in better spirits when they can run around outside without a huge jacket. The boys are doing great one of our oldest moved up to Medianos and is doing well, and we now have a new boy Gustavo who is gorgeous. He is the cutest little thing with light brown eyes and a chipped front tooth. But he is so handsome it does not matter. He is a little joy to have in Chicos B. Our kids are getting bigger by the day. And day by day their conduct is getting better which is always a plus. It is crazy how these boys are, one day they are on their best behavior and the next we never know what to expect. But they are just so damn cute, and they do things which they are not supposed to and I find myself laughing, (of course they don´t see me smiling at them) but it is just so cute. Alejandro has cleaned out his mouth, Josué is working in school and estudios, Thank God! And the fighting has gone down immensely. We have a great system that works really well, and the boys are reaping the benefits. Chicos B is truly my home. The boys are so special to me I cannot believe I only have 4 more months with them. But watching them grow this past year has really be amazing, I feel like a proud mother of 11.

Ash Wednesday

So today is Ash Wednesday as you all know. And we went to mass as we do everyday. Well once the Ashes were blessed the Priest sat down. I was confused but then everyone got in line and put the ashes on themselves. At first I was a little taken back, but then I got in line and place the ashes on my forehead, and it was such a nice feeling. I mean this is a day for me to repent and remember the whole reason we have Easter. It was a totally different experience for anything else I have ever experienced. So then we had a little prayer service for the kids in school. And I had to help pass out the ashes and again I got this wonderful feeling inside. And Hno. Carlos explained to the kids about today and why we receive ashes, and I have grown up Catholic so I know why, but to hear it explained in the way he did was really interesting. He was explaining it to the fifth and sixth grade so he was on their level, but it was so simply put it made me realize Jesus did all these things for me, so that I could have life. And without him I would not be here today. So I can give up chocolate and cigarettes for forty days. Because he made the ultimate sacrifice for me. Oh and I was wondering why the ashes here are grey and of course I asked and I am not sure if we do this in the states. But here they use palms and they also use all the old missals or old Bibles. Because their concept is you cannot throw out the Word of God. And it is these simple things that I heard today which really made a huge difference in my preparation for Easter. But I think that is the beauty of my job here sometimes we are too busy to hear the little things that God is trying to tell us.

Bad Movies and Broke Down Suburbans :(

So this past weekend the family of one of the other volunteers came to visit. And it was nice to have other people here and new faces. Plus they brought home cooked food which is always a plus. We rarely have food in the fridge here except for the cheese and tortillas. Cereal has become my best friend lately. But only with soy milk, because the milk here is never refrigerated and it grosses me out. But this past weekend I got to do some relaxing and I watched a movie, The Lovely Bones, highly DON´T recommend it the book is fascinating but the movie is horrible.

As for my kids they had progressively gotten better as the past week went by. And it made for a nice Friday. Hopefully this week will not be as stressful. One of our volunteers sadly needs back surgery, so I do not think she will be returning for the remainder of the year. And I just pray she has a quick and safe recovery. With one person not here the whole dynamics of the group changes. But now we all have a seat in our Eurovan which is a blessing :) Speaking of our trusty Eurovan it is our only means of transportation right now. Our Suburban broke down on Saturday in Torreon. So now we have to rely on the Eurovan which is not saying too much. Hopefully it will not break down as well. It barely starts in the morning. We have to think of a project here in Casa Hogar, for example in the past they asked for a Library for the kids, a roof over the cement field so the kids can play in the rain, and we asked for a new car. But immediately got shut down. Maybe someone will donate us something this year, but more than likely no. Well I am off the nap I am battling a sore throat and I do not want a cold.

Another week in Casa Hogar

So this week has been very draining. On top of my normal work, I had to make a Powerpoint about San Miguel Febres, because we celebrated his death of 100 years. Well making a Powerpoint in Spanish about a Saint I had never heard of was rather interesting. I know now all about San Miguel. Well it was really stressful, and it had to be perfect, and the boys were I don´t want to say horrible, but they were close. It is like they go home for less than 48 hours and come back with no rules, and terrible attitudes. So it is like we have to reteach them all we have taught them like rules and not to be rude. So this past Monday and Tuesday was really hard on Elizabeth because I was working on the presentation, and she was alone. And when one of us are alone the boys know how to make it just that much harder on us. They are very smart :) but on the bright side Alejandro drew me a bunch of flowers and Arath drew me a picture of the Virgin Mary. So that was cool. And tomorrow is Friday and there are only two volunteers this weekend so I have Casa Hogar to pretty much myself which I love. And this weekend I have nothing at all to do which is always a plus. And on Sunday hopefully the will come back in a better mood than this past week.

Presente

I have never doubted that I need to be here, and this has been a rather easy year for me thus far. Mexico is a totally different world that I am used to, but I have embraced many of their traditions, customs, and practices. But I have had to grow accustomed to them. For instance when I walk into a room of people, I must always introduce myself to EVERYONE and the same for when I leave. Or the use of injections here is crazy. When a person has a cold they get an injection of some type, and I have no idea what it is, but I cannot imagine giving myself a shot for the cold. or anytime at that matter. And they have this tradition that is slowly growing on me about Baby Jesus. Our Christmas in my house is over usually the day after Christmas, well this year we went a few day after, when our Christmas Tree fell over, was when our Christmas in the Kelly Family was officially over. But here Christmas I feel like just ended last week. But all in all this has really been a great experience. And I have made a few changes with my work and I love it. For one my Religion Class is amazing with the littlest boys, that just make me smile. The other day we were playing Bingo, and when each kid won they shouted "buenas," well there is a little boy, Jodi who is a little chubby and has no teeth, and there is always a story to be told about him. Well he did not realize he had three in a row. So I told him, and he yelled out, "Presente" well the whole class just laughed, and he was just laughing along with them. It just made my day to have a class of boys all laughing in unison over a word. And it really made me appreciate my kids and this experience. Sometimes it is the little things in life that can really have a great effect on a person.

What to do next?

As I was sitting in Church, I keep feeling pull for me to figure out my next move in life. I do not know where or what, but I am feeling the same calling I was feeling this time last year. So I have been searching for another place to go and help and do God´s work. Right now I have a really good feeling about where I want to go and do. And the program just sounds perfect for me. The only problem is this little thing I have called, "Student Loans." Oh how reality really knows how to creep in at the perfect time. I can defer them, but it is inevitable that I will have to eventually get a job that pays money. But I do not want money to be the factor as to why I cannot go and do God´s work. This is my time to serve, and I am willing to serve more and more. This life of helping others is not over in August, when I leave Casa Hogar I find this as just the beginning to a long life of servitude.

One Crazy Monday

So I am surprised that I have found the time to write. But we are celebrating Hno. Genaro´s entrance into the brotherhood today, so I have an hour to collect my thoughts from yesterday, which by the way was crazy. I will give you a quick rundown, Elizabeth was sick, so I was all alone. The morning was pretty normal, oh no it was not, so the kids are in line to go to eat in the comedor, and I always serve the milk, so I went in the kitchen and the lights were turned off. So There was no food prepared, the lady who cooks in the morning was sick. So Chio and I frantically start pouring bowls of cereal, and milk, while Cesy is heating up the beans to put on some bread. Then we go back to the dorms, and Josué is hitting another child who does not fight back, so I took all his stuff and put him in the other dorm with our big kids of Chicos B, because he cannot fight with them, they will instantly punch him back. So then I walk him to school, go to Church, go to morning prayer, we had our meeting yesterday since Hno. Julian was out of town on Sunday. Then I take Goretti to physical therapy for an hour and a half, then I come back to Casa Hogar to talk to the psychologist because of all the problems we are having with Josué, and he received another report in school, and if he gets one more he is suspended. So then I had to make our conduct chart, because I could not find it on the computer. Then I found time to eat a bowl of cereal. Then I went to read, and I passed out for an hour. I woke up just in time to open the dorms, and wait for my kids. I checked that they all wrote their homework, then we went to eat. When we came back, Goyo cleaned the dorms so I did not have to fight about the boys doing their chores. So the kids went to estudios, I went to the paper room for supplies. Then after the paper room, I had to go to the ropería, because some of our kids needed clothes, shoes, and socks. Well the ladies in the ropería for some reason do not like giving out clothes, and it is always a hassle. So I had to go searching for old uniforms of kids that left which were in my dorm, in my room, and in the laundry room. And they were not going to give Martín who lives with his brother, who is on drugs, and has no money. The poor child needs clothes, and does not have jeans for Friday to wear to school. So I argued with the women begging to give him a pair of jeans and told them his situation, and they give him a pair finally. So then Alejandro´s shoes were too big from the week before, so I went to exchange them. Well Angie, one of the other volunteers would not let him out of her estudios class, because he had to study. Poor Alejandro was in estudios for two hours, come on what 9 year old has that attention span. So the women in the clothes room are yelling at me to bring Alejandro, Martín is explaining to them he is not allowed to leave the classroom. And I am just ready to get the heck out of there. So then we had a brother pass away in another area of town, so 5 boys from each dorm had to go in their uniforms. Well their uniforms were in the laundry room. Some were being ironed, some were in the dryer-wet, and some were ready. So I run to the dorm, have the boys change wash their hands, but on lotion, gel their hair, brush their teeth, polish their shoes, and run to the bus, just in time to go. So then I find 30 minutes to eat another bowl of cereal, and take a shower in Majo´s room, because I was again without water. So then I go straight from my shower to the laundry room, to the dorm all the kids were great and cleaned their space really well, then I went to the comedor, served milk again and Camilo served cake someone had donated, but did not look too appetizing. So then I go to help in the game room, when the kids from the mass arrived, and needed to change. So I went back to the dorm waited for them to shower, clean their space, and then we went back to the comedor to eat. Then I got all the kids in line for mass, but I was missing two, Josué no surprise and Andrés. Well I went to look for them with Cesy, and they were in the soccer field by the pile of branches Hno. Genaro was burning they did not even realize the bell had rung, and I was with the other kids feeding them. So after Cesy yell´s at them, thank God she did the talking, I was too tired to think at this point. We go to prayer, then we go to the dorms, all the kids get in bed quickly. And finally I had a minute to breath. But it was all in another days work here at Casa Hogar.