Growth Chart

 It's been so long since I wrote one of these! The kids kinda dressed up on Friday for crazy sock day (for a special week at school when they get to wear crazy hair dos and crazy socks and such) and they looked cute enough to me that I asked them to stand by the growth chart, and I marked their height. I should say that they are actually a bit taller than this, since it is not hung up correctly (it's a bit high) but really this whole thing is just to mark their development and all that, so I think it doesn't matter, which is why I've not moved it (and to keep the variations at a minimum). For the record, I also marked them back in June or July, but didn't ever take their picture! I don't know why! Anyway... here we go... My little ones who are not at all so little any more.

Mr E is 7, about to be 8 in December! He still loves all things DINOSAURS and is very very silly. He loves to read and write, and in fact bought himself a diary with a lock that he likes to write in about his day (and sometimes he even reads it to me or his dad). He recently tested into the Gifted and Talented program at his school, and will also be an Elf at his school's Christmas play, so we're very excited for school these days. He likes playing games on his tablet, which I haven't yet put a stop to, despite all my objections, because now that school is in full swing, he barely has time for it anyways. He also likes to watch hamster maze videos on YouTube. He has a top hat bought specifically at his request so that he could be "British" he says, but really a very good version of a dandy in my opinion. He wears his  3 piece suit with it, and his shoes, and his umbrella, and of course, he walks with flair. He even has a cape. He also enjoys origami, magic tricks, and jokes- especially the super silly kind, which he calls "dad jokes" because the first time he ever heard of jokes was through his dad. He looks so much like his dad! I love love that. I also love that his every day clothes are all dinosaur because everything matches and he can just dress himself without my worrying about it - for the most part. He does ask me to accompany him while he showers or to help him dress (even though he totally doesn't need the help!) and has started a tradition of playing a game of would you rather or a game of I spy while they shower and one of the parents is sitting around just being their company while they get ready. He also takes lunch to school every day, so I still do that for him, too. I just finished my last private tutoring class with one of my students, so I was able to eat lunch with him at school the other day, and it was so nice! Miss E is too big for me -she was too big and too popular to want my visits even when she was in second grade- and I know he is also one of the cool guys in his class, so I am so glad to still be wanted. I am a bit nervous about their growing up, aren't I? I'm starting to notice a pattern here, in my own writing... But anyway, it is something he and I have, and I take him a personal pizza, and we sit and talk and just have a one on one time, and it is so great. I love that schools allow this in the States, it is completely unheard of in Mexico (at least to my knowledge). I love love their school.

 

Miss E is 10! She just had her birthday in October. She loves space and is planning to do Space Camp in the summer. She is the reason for our occasional night trips to the outskirts of town to watch the sky with the telescope. Behold, her Target solar system shirt that he wears at least once a week. And those leggings? They are mine. It's official: we are now sharing clothes. She still asks me to braid her hair every once in a while, but is other than that pretty independent when getting ready. One kid down, but I still have the baby. Heheheh! And they both still come to our bed in the middle of the night. Despite all my very vocal protests, again I say, I know I will miss that when it's over, so I am writing it here for posterity. Miss E is still very much into Girl Scouts, which I very much enjoy because it is something we can do together, and has also started Volleyball practices twice a week, which is going to make both GS and church youth a bit tricky but we will manage. She also loves to ride her bike and read books and write in her diary, which she bought during our trip to Claire's so she could get her ears pierced for the second time (yes, our vacationing and swim class complicated things the first time around). She also got her second invitation to the Gifted and Talented program. Her first was back in second grade, but I think we didn't fill out the paperwork back then because I didn't want her to stress out about keeping up or making school about performance- so we didn't go for it back then. She was invited again this year when we put the kidoes back in school after a year of Covid-induced school freedom, and since they were both very vocal about wanting to do it, we went for it this time. So far it seems to be stress free and enjoyable to her and the little brother, so maybe it's not so bad. Q says it will look good on their record. Here she is in her long sweater that I got for her when she said she liked my own long sweaters (so cozy!) She is so much her own person now. She has her own style and opinions and is not afraid to state them freely and happily. I love that about her.

And here is a close up -or four- of the chart as it is now... crazy how much they both grew in just a few months. This is also the first time that Mr E is taller than Miss E at a certain age (though again, the chart is off from being moved from house to house, so it might have happened earlier and it didn't show before because the chart is higher than it should be)

 

On to the double digits

 Miss E is 10! I cannot believe it. We had a small playdate for a few of her friends here at home and did crafts, played outside in the dark (with glow sticks and everything) and honestly really just had a blast. She wanted to make a cake from her Harry Potter cook book, so we did that a couple days ahead of the weekend. On the day of her birthday, my parents, her grandparents, and her aunts and uncles called her, and she got to say hi to everyone. Then on the weekend she had her friends over. 

It was a bit crazy getting ready, and we almost had to postpone because she was a bit sick the weekend before, but all was well in the end, and we are very grateful for that!

Happy Birthday, Miss E!

Pictures and video to come ;)

Veinte años... mas uno.

 

El fin de semana pasado pudimos estar en la celebración del 20 aniversario del ministerio en Anapra. La iglesia FUMC en Manhattan, KS organizó un fin de semana de mucha bendición para mis papás y para todos los que hemos amado a Anapra por todos éstos años. No puedo creerlo, pero todo comenzó mas de veinte años atrás! En ese entonces, un grupo que como milagro divino se quedó sin qué hacer y fue conectado al ministerio de mis papás por medio de CHIA (Christians In Action) nos cambió la vida. 

Los que de ese grupo aún están cerca y pudieron asistir estuvieron ahí para celebrar con nosotros este hermoso fin de semana. Mis papás, mi hermana A y yo fuimos parte del servicio ese domingo, y luego en la noche hubo una cena especial. Fotos de aquel entonces, una playera que alguien aún tenía fue enmarcada para conmemorar el aniversario y para reemplazar la tradición de firmar en una pared, tradición que ese grupo hizo posible pero que ellos mismos nunca pudieron hacer porque ellos fueron los que construyeron literal y figurativamente la fundación de la escuela. 

Todos lloramos lágrimas de felicidad y gratitud. De mi parte, sobre todo, gratitud a Dios, por su misericordia y amor para con nosotros. Recordé haber rondado las calles de Anapra con una falta de esperanza que como una nube pesada se me encimaba, y recordé haber caminado las calles de arena con lágrimas de ansiedad y desesperación. Al rondar y caminar, le pedí a Dios entre lágrimas de las que queman de enojo y tristeza, que tuviera misericordia de nosotros. Que nos dejara hacer algo por nuestro pueblo, que no se olvidara totalmente de nosotros. Le pregunté a Dios el porqué de tanta injusticia. Fueron tiempos difíciles pero fundamentales para la historia de mi familia. 

Y yo creo que alguien me contestó. Dios en su misericordia escuchó. Ha sido un lento, muy lento camino, pero hoy vemos la luz. Cuando voy a Anapra, ahora la veo con ojos de esperanza, con la memoria de lo que fue y el conocimiento de lo que es y de lo que puede ser. Lo que puede ser! si no nos cansamos de hacer algo, de mandar algo, de estar presentes como podamos, de seguir sufriendo con los que sufren como dijimos que haríamos. Anapra es parte de mi historia, parte de quien soy, y gran parte de la razón por la que soy quien soy. Ese domingo lloré de felicidad porque sé que alguien escuchó esa oración. 

^"De cierto, de cierto os digo, que vosotros lloraréis y lamentaréis, y el mundo se alegrará; pero aunque vosotros estéis tristes, vuestra tristeza se convertirá en gozo [...] Hasta ahora nada habéis pedido en mi nombre; pedid, y recibiréis, para que vuestro gozo sea cumplido"

***

Por fin, aún con Covid que sigue y sigue... un año después se pudo celebrar, y nos dió mucho gusto ver a tantas caras conocidas, tantas familias, y hasta gente de otros lugares que vinieron a celebrar. Antes de la celebración con la iglesia y aquí y allá, como pudimos, we were also able to visit with dear friends. It was all so wonderful. Aquí estan mis fotos.... en orden opuesto, porque aún no he buscado como cambiar esto....

People from that first mission group from 20 years ago standing up during one of the services.

My parents received a watercolor paiting of the church´s building right next to the school´s building.

The church also has a tryptich in the main foyer, which includes the school!! I love that in the painting, there are kids in the yard, so we can see them, wearing tradtional clothes, studying, being happy.

The school is right behind Jesus, and right next to the church building. Sin fronteras.

That was our trip! Una bendición.