Play Time

So we actually had rice and beans for breakfast today.  And rice for snack at school at 9:30! And rice pudding cooking lessons this afternoon!  Ohh rice.  I guess it's a good thing that I like it.

After our first serving of rice for the day, we got to go to our placements.  The kids are adorable...so adorable that adorable doesn't even really describe them.  The elementary school where I'm working is a new placement, so they are just getting adjusted to having volunteers.  Another volunteer, Lou, and his 2nd grade daughter are also working there, but not in the kindergarten classroom with me.  For about the first hour I was there though I didn't even feel like I was in a kindergarten classroom.  The amount of disorder in that classroom, and the whole school for that matter, is shocking compared to American classrooms.  It was sort of like a free-for-all with the kids just running in and out of the buildings.  The kindergarteners, who, I must say, have a TON of energy, were doing everything from playing in the sand to painting to dressing up to crying to climbing on walls outside while the teacher explained to me how I was going to help her get the kids and the class in order.  

I tried my hardest to learn all of their names...it's definitely going to take some time though!  There are 15 in my class, and by the end of the day I was beginning to be able to put names with faces with personalities.  I know, for example, that Cecil is the crier.  I think she cried 4 times today.  But she was also the one who most wanted to hold my hand and get my attention...she even gave me a present!  The teacher said she isn't very nice to the other kids though, so I'm wondering if she has some sort of lack of attention at home or something.   I also learned April, Zhomara, Maria Jose, Juan Carlos, Antony, Naomi, Royner, aaand that's all I can remember for now.  I forgot the teacher's name too! Eeek.  All morning I kept hoping I would see it written somewhere but that plan failed.  Hopefully I'll learn it tomorrow..

We basically had play time all morning.  It went like this: playtime in the classroom, clean up time, play time outside, food time (rice), play time outside (but in a slightly different area), tooth-brushing time, story time, time to go home.  

I wanted so badly to be able to understand the little kids talking to me, but they talk in these rapid little mumbles.  They would look up at me with these big eyes and go, "blah blah esta blah blah aqui" or something like that, and all I could say was "Que? Los siento! No entiendo! Necesito aprender mas espanol!" I think I'll catch on eventually though.  I could at least understand the teacher.  PS I'm obsessed with her...she's like the mom of the whole school because she has taught all the kids and they always come by to see her. 

Tonight we had salsa lessons.  While we salsa-ed on the porch for two hours, this creepy man watched  through our gate and then salsa-ed along with us from the sidewalk.  Good thing we have a night guard at the house because that man didn't look like he was ever planning on leaving.

I really have a lot more to say, but I'm falling asleep as I blog.  And I think I'd rather be sleeping right now than blogging...sorry, blog :/

I'll write more details later.  Goodnight for now!