Journal Entry from Fall 2010 #3!!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

This new day started out pretty much as usual with breakfast and some amazing reports from the massages the night before. Steve read his journal of Wednesday and Carl had announcements for the group.

We eventually arrived at our work destinations for the morning. At center #1, Joanne was honored with a farewell time by all of center #1 with dance and a card.

Lunch was enjoyed with fried chicken. On our walk back to work we stopped by Ceclia’s marzipan shop for some quick last minute shopping.

Carol reports doing “Five Little Monkeys” with finger puppets. By today, the children were able to do it with her. Also, she acted out the “Billy Goat Gruff” story. The children played outside for half an hour this morning on the terrace and admired the mural done by Bonnie and Jane.

When we returned from lunch the four tias were dancing (practicing for the program tomorrow). I went to the baby room but no one was there. I found the babies all in their high chairs watching the dancing.

Cora’s babies joined two older groups in the morning with dancing. In the afternoon they enjoyed watching some dogs with a dog house from the second floor.

Jane says the mural at center #2 and the baby changing table need to be finished.

Steve reports some touch up work was done on the table stands and the painted gates for the propane tanks were installed. It was a good day!

The changing table is an ongoing project for Steve, Jane, Bill and Sylvia. Bill’s highlight was working with his beautiful wife!

Carl was busy today with other business. We hurried home to get ready to go out for our farewell dinner at Café Mosaic. It was a beautiful evening looking out over the city with lights and good food.

Thought for the day: “All the fold in the world has no significance. That which is lasting are the thoughtful actions which we do for our fellow man.” – Adolpho Prieto

Submitted by Kathleen Olson

Journal Entry from Fall 2010 #2!!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

We started the day with the usual breakfast of eggs, fresh tropical fruit, freshly baked rolls with butter and jam, and lots of café con leche. The morning meeting consisted of discussion of the possible free time tours and the daily report from Steve Peterson.

The team boarded the bus at 8:30am sharp to leave for Calderon. The discussion about being prompt at the Sunday training session must have worked because this team is on time!

After picking up a ladder needed to finish the mural at center #2, Bonnie and I got straight to work. Bonnie is teaching me a thing or two about fine art skills and I am reminding Bonnie about our audience that really doesn’t care about perfection – we make a great team.

Bonnie and I felt happy to be outside painting and throughout the day we watched Kathleen scrub a rug with a broom and Janice and Joanne wash sheets with bar soap and cold water on a cement wash board.

We also watched through the window as Kathleen picked up crying baby after crying baby. Carol continued her time at the center teaching the children songs and handing out lots of hugs.

Over at center #2, table construction, or should I say reconstruction, continued. After completing several table tops, the two Steves and Bill found them to be unstable and had to make adjustments so they would be safe for the children.

Cora and Stacey were once again inside with the children, wiping noses, washing hands, and lining up for pee pee and po po trips.

Tonight, several of us are off to tour La Ronda in Old Town Quito.

Thought for the day:

“If we have the opportunity to be generous with our hearts, ourselves, we have no idea of the depth and breadth of love’s reach.” – Margaret Cho

Journal Entry from Fall 2010!!

Day 2 – 10.11.10

Today was the first official day of the work project. We began as an eager bunch enjoying another lovely breakfast from Sol de Quito. Steve began even earlier with a run around Parque Carolina, clearly this was before he realized how much energy would be necessary to make it through the day!

After our morning meeting we made our way to Calderon where we were able to tour Centers 1 & 2. The tours were a small glimpse into what was to come, some children lively and excited, others crying and already tired or hungry. Finally after Lilia’s tours we were assigned to our first work projects.

In Center 2 – Bill and Cora went with the babies. Steve P. went with the 3 & 4 year olds and I went with the 4 & 5 year olds. Fox ended up with KP duty! At Center 1 Jane and Bonnie began work on murals while Jan, Carol, Kathleen and Joanne went to work with children.

Some observations:

* The children are incredibly well behaved with the tias, less so with us.

* The tias are incredibly busy with teeth brushing, hair combing, face washing, bathroom monitoring, tear and nose wiping, feeding…all the while doing art projects, teaching songs and reading stories, yikes!

* Cocina duty looks tough and may have to be avoided.

* Fox looked incredibly busy peeling and chopping yucca and washing an endless array of dishes. Thankfully he finished the day with all of his fingers.

* Cora was able to handle 11 babies at one time with no tia and there was NO BITING!

* Steve found he had many previously unknown talents…from scaring the boys to sleep to magically repairing batman’s cape – all while supervising 13 children on his own!

* Bill, on the other hand, found a new appreciation for Jane. He is also rapidly improving his Spanish including learning all the necessary bathroom terms. However, it is not quite up to par as he lost his first contest with Sylvia!

* I learned it is true what Lily said…the children are like any other children; they want attention and hugs, lots and lots of hugs. If we do nothing else here perhaps we will be able to offer love to the children and a rest for the tias.

Happy hour and stories of the day were enjoyed before and during dinner and after dinner…I am exhausted, time for bed! Tomorrow hopefully we will hear from Center 1!

Thought of the day: “I expect to pass through this life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again” William Penn

Submitted by Stacey Peterson