Feliz Navidad!

This is what Christmas pointsettias were really meant to look like! They're TREES here!


The owner of our house had a plastic tree and we had a good time decorating it.


Overlooking the beautiful lagoon at Masaya, with the Masaya volcano in the background.


Here's Devyn channeling Robert DeNiro's line, "I'm watching you!" (Don't worry, we haven't shown her any DeNiro movies.)


Here are the girls making friends on the beach at Montelimar.



Wild kids, running in the wild. This is sugar cane near The Tisey reservoir near our home.


Graduation for the kids. The school year runs from February to the end of November. They did traditional dances and songs. The school even honored me with a bouquet of tropical flowers for my volunteer work.






Merry Christmas all!!

I can’t believe it’s Christmas already. (Could whoever is spinning the wheel slow it down a little please?) Maybe Christmas has snuck up on me because Thanksgiving was just a blip. The girls and I celebrated with a piece of apple pie (a rare find here) and a discussion of what things about our time here we are thankful for. (Michael was on his way back from a trip to the States.) Maybe Christmas seems to have snuck up on me because the context we are in is so different from the States. For starters, it is still 75-80 degrees outside, and we continue to enjoy the many varieties of tropical fruits (e.g., watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple—ok sorry! That’s rubbing it in a little for all you folk weathering the cold, and eating leeks). The Christmas music is in Spanish (mostly). Because people are in preparation for their special meal we are seeing a lot more live animals in the streets and market. Just yesterday, Jordan and I watched as three men tried to herd a very stubborn and angry 300-pound pig into the back of a pickup truck, with no success. So this chancho just continued to hang out in the middle of the road, while the 3 guys tried to come up with plan B. Oh! how I wish I had had my camera with me. There are also lots of live chickens, with their legs tied, laying on their sides and waiting for purchase. The girls and I are bleeding hearts, so we feel a little sad knowing they are about to “give their all” for this year’s celebration. To cope, and to add a bit of gallows humor to our sympathy, we try to come up with phrases the chickens might be saying to each other while they “wait”. For example, “Oh girls, this can’t be good!”; “We have been waiting for that bus for hours!”; “AHHH! Soooo nice to finally get off my feet.”; “Helen, have you done something different with your crop?” Anyway, I know it’s silly, but for us city/suburb folk who are not accustomed to seeing our food alive and alert before we purchase it, a bit of comedy helps take the edge off.

Another difference about the Christmas season in comparison to the States is how much less consumerism we experience. A few stores have decorations up and are touting sales and bargains, but it’s not unavoidably IN YOUR FACE like it is in United States of America.

Firecrackers are another big difference. Setting off firecrackers in the streets way into the night is a big part of this culture. Noise pollution??? What’s noise pollution?! I am amazed, but we have learned to sleep through an incredible amount of noise. Earplugs also help. ;-)

Nevertheless, despite all these differences, many things are still the same. People are hustling and bustling in anticipation of the BIG DAY. People are shopping, baking, wrapping and looking forward to a big fiesta with their family and friends.

I am sure all of you have a little hustling and bustling to do of your own, so I am going to cut it short and just post a few of my favorite pictures of things that have occurred since my last blog. ENJOY!

And again, FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PROSPERO AÑO NUEVO!!

-Kelli

More Pictures!!

“Indian day” at school. Not entirely politically correct, but fun.











The tooth fairy found us. Jordan blogged about it (see the previous post below).



This waterfall is just outside Estelí near the hamlet of Estanzuela – a day’s hike away. The whole area is truly breathtakingly beautiful.







Hiking back toward Estelí from Estanzuela.

The tooth fairy, the language, and other musings . . .

Making friends in the neighborhood



This is one of the suburbs of Esteli. – about a 10 min walk from our house



Does the Tooth Fairy know we are in Nicaragua????
(by Jordan Barram)

I sure hope so...

Will she be Nicaraguan or will she have to travel all the way from the U.S.

Does Nicaragua have a Tooth Fairy?

So last night I lost a tooth. It had been wiggling for quite awhile. So when it came out mommy put it in a safe place and we are going to wait till tomorrow to put it under my pillow. But these are the questions I have been wondering about since the tooth came out.

I made an envelope out of paper and wrote a note for the tooth fairy. It said, “Dear tooth fairy, I know this is in Nicaragua but I don’t know what would be eseyest to bring, cordobas or amarican money so you can bring whatever you whant.”

In the morning, really early, I looked under my pillow and found my tooth was gone and in its place was 50 cordobas. It was wrapped in sparkly gold ribbon. I looked for a note from the Tooth Fairy, she had written on my envelope, “te encontré”. I asked Dad what it said and he told me she had written, “I found you” in Spanish. So I guess there is a Nicaraguan Tooth Fairy. Dad said, “she has a bigger budget than he thought.”

I don’t know what I want to spend my money on yet, so I think I will just keep saving it.

So that’s my story about loosing a tooth in Nicaragua. Now my sister Devyn really wants to loose one too.
Adios,
Mikayla (pronounced, Mee-Kai-ay-la) A.K.A. Jordan



Wow!!! How time flies!!! I cannot believe it is November already. The fact that it seems to have gone by so fast must be an indication that we have more or less adjusted to life here. Everything does not require quite so much effort. We know where to find the things we need (food, towels, pens, etc.), have made the switch in our minds to the currency, are more accustomed to seeing herds of cattle and/or horses in the road, are in the habit of putting our toilet paper in the garbage can, and we’re prepared when the lights go out and the water ceases to flow. We have developed a better capacity to sleep through all the noise, are used to walking everywhere, and are more adept at avoiding the huge potholes in the sidewalk. Even communicating is done with more ease. Indeed, life has taken on some semblance of “normality,” despite the fact that things are still very different from the States.

The girls continue to do well! Their language abilities have skyrocketed. (Oh, to have a young mind all over again!) They are both speaking Spanish in short sentences -- to us and with their Spanish-speaking friends. It has been fascinating to observe their language development over time. At first, they were in what is often referred to as “the silent period,” when all they did was listen and watch, stay attuned to the context, and try to figure out what people were saying to them. It took about 2 months and then they started regurgitating, little by little, what they had been hearing. With Devyn, it would only come out when she was in some form of imaginary play. She would be in her room with a couple toys pretending to have them communicate with each other in Spanish. Michael and I would just look at each other with wide eyes at the breadth of her vocabulary as we eavesdropped on her pretend conversation.

The girls have also made friends with the neighbor girl across the street. This enables them to practice speaking more, as it is much easier to do so one-on-one than in a big group at school. It also helps that Elayne (Elaine), the neighbor friend, is very patient and even corrects them and tells them how to say things more correctly. She has even corrected Michael’s pronunciation on occasion, much to his chagrin. ;-)

Watching and listening to the girls’ language process has also been encouraging to me in my own attempts at mastering the language (I use the term “mastery” here very loosely). We seem to stumble on many of the same areas, and we find the same aspects of trying to make ourselves understood frustrating. Struggling along side my kids in this area has allowed me to empathize, commiserate, and bond with them in ways I may not have been able to otherwise, had I already had a really good ability to converse before coming here. I am much more able to come alongside them in this learning process and it has really enhanced our relationship in unexpected ways. For example, Jordan (Mikayla) is much better at hearing and understanding what people are saying to her than I am. (She is listening to Spanish all day at school for at least 7 hours, and thus has had tons of practice.) I, on the other hand, am better at conversing. (I have had much more schooling in the grammar.) Thus, one of the things we enjoy is shopping for groceries together. When someone rattles off something at me a mile a minute, I can look at Jordan and say, “Did you catch that? What did she say?” Jordan feeds me the info, and I can return with the appropriate response. We make a good team, and it does wonders for her ego that her mother truly NEEDS her. However, the day is not long away when she’ll no longer need ME.

When I am not concentrating on conjugating a verb or getting a pronoun in the correct location of a sentence, I muse about our experiences here. The following are just some examples of my musings on different topics.

POVERTY:

Hands down, the hardest aspect about living here is the everyday reality of extreme poverty. Everywhere we go, and in everything we do, we are constantly faced with the reality that MANY, MANY people are living “without” -- without shoes, without food, without adequate shelter, without safety. Healthcare, education, and sanitation are luxuries, not rights. It all leaves me feeling a great deal of cognitive dissonance about my faith, my country, the ways I spend money, my occupational choices, how I spend my time, how I raise my kids, etc. It’s like having someone hold up a mirror that reflects how things REALLY are, instead of the way I would LIKE them to be. The reasons behind the poverty are still even harder to face. U.S. governmental actions, choices, and policies perpetuate and inflict injustices on people who have little power to change their situation and demand better. I have to deal with the reality that my ability to live with so much excess directly affects those who have very little. It’s really much more comfortable for me to buy my cheap underwear and produce without thinking about THE PERSON who sewed the underwear or grew the veggies -- and who gets paid less for the entire day than I pay for a single latte in the States. (Things are cheaper here, but they are not THAT much cheaper. Let’s just say that $2.00 per day or less doesn’t even come close to a living wage. So many people are just barely scraping by, and their situations are exacerbated severely because there is so little work here.) It is much more difficult to face the “reality” and NOT acquiesce to the larger system than to ignore the injustices of my consumptive habits. In this case, the truth doesn’t set me free; on the contrary, it makes me more conflicted.

NOT being busy:

For us, being on “sabbatical” is truly an indulgent experience. The opportunity to “drop out” of one’s life (with all of its expectations, pressures, commitments, and activities) for a time period is really quite a luxury. We are very grateful. Our lives have been streamlined to just a few things. Michael has his reading and writing, the girls and I have our schooling, and I am volunteering, but beyond that we are free of commitments. There are no piano lessons, soccer practices, or dance classes to run off to. There are no extracurricular school or church functions. We don’t even have any social engagements. At first, this translated into some boredom, but it has enabled some deeper familial relationships.
Now, let me say that all of the aforementioned activities are good and enriching in their own right. Indeed, we enjoy extracurricular, church, and social activities. But in the absence of these things, we have come to realize that we were really not taking the time to talk, listen and get to know each other as individuals and as a family. For the past few years, I have been a “stay-at-home mom.” I spend tons of time with my kids (sometimes, depending on the situation, more than I would like). ;-) If you had asked me before we left on this sabbatical, whether I knew my children, I would have said, “Yes, of course.” But that was because I did not know there was so much more I could know. Instead of driving them off to one activity or another (something undoubtedly good and enriching for them), I was not creating enough space to get to KNOW them, to hear how their days were going, and to learn how they were feeling about their experiences. (Of course, I would ask them on the way to piano practice, “How was school?” But after having nagged them 100 times to get their shoes on, to remember to bring their books, and to get in the car already [!], they were hardly in the mood for talking.) Here, we have made some friends, but really we only have each other. And the result (once we got past the initial adjustment) has been a very enriching relational experience. I feel like I am getting to know WHO my kids are, not merely what they do. I am seeing characteristics and strengths I have never noticed before. I am realizing we have paid a price for having so many activity-oriented options to choose from. I am not sure the price is worth the overall cost in terms of not having the time, space, or emotional energy to be present to my kids. The best consequence of having time and space to KNOW my kids, is that I am really enjoying them. When I am not feeling overworked and underappreciated because I am running them around or lugging them with me to some activity we think we “SHOULD” go to, I really ENJOY hanging out with them. They really are fun, interesting individuals!

It’s not just the kids we are getting to know better. Michael and I, too, are realizing how much we have tended to turn outside our relationship for support, conversation, and connection. We too, are getting to know each other again, and we’re learning anew why we chose each other as partners in life in the first place.

That’s just a smidgen of the things going on in our lives here. It is fun to share these experiences with you, and I miss being able to converse freely about our lives (without having to think about how to conjugate my tenses). Thank you to all who have responded with notes of encouragement and support. They are appreciated more than you know. Hasta tiempo proximo! (Until next time!)

Vaya pues,

-Kelli

"Being Where Our Butts Are" . . . and Breathing!

Rain in Estelí




Trip to Miraflor Nature Reserve



Angela, our housekeeper and friend



Thirst quencher in Condega



Excursion to Duquale



Buenas! I have been wanting to write another blog post for some time now. In fact, I did write one a short time ago, but decided not to send it because it was a little bit of a downer. The gist of it was that we are in the thick of the “constantly tired” phase, with everything requiring a great deal of effort. With exhaustion comes a challenging array of emotions and behaviors. It ain’t real pretty. We totally anticipated this stage of transition; however, somehow knowing it would come and actually being IN it, doesn’t take the difficulty out of the BEING IN IT. Thus, we press on, knowing that this is an important and unavoidable part of the process, and that in due time we will transition into a new (and, hopefully, easier) phase. However, that day is not today.

We continue to persist and each day things get a little easier. Another reason I haven’t written is because there are very few opportunities where the kids are asleep, I don’t have Spanish homework, and have enough brain cells left to compose a semi-articulate letter. As for today, well, I am procrastinating the homework, and we will see how it goes.

We have been living in Estelí now a little over a month. We are all doing well, still feeling very happy and privileged to be here. We have gathered all the necessary things for living: composting worms, plastic containers and duct tape. What more do ya need? Life for us is becoming routine, but is far from feeling normal. The following will outline some of the basics to give you an idea of how life is taking shape for us here in Nicaragua.

Daily life:

Angela:
I mentioned in a previous post we have a housekeeper. We hadn’t planned on hiring a housekeeper, but through a series of events (something I may write about sometime later) we decided it was the right choice. Her name is Angela and she is an enormous wealth of information as we try to assimilate into this culture. I don’t know how we would be making our way without her. Not only does she keep our house clean and cook a little for us, she is our cultural consultant, nanny, and my personal language cheerleader and friend. I try not to get too ahead of myself, but I already find myself dreading having to say good-bye to her at the end of the year. Michael and I wonder, on occasion, what she may say to her family and friends about us.

Worms:
Yes, we have worms and I don’t mean the parasitic type (thank goodness). We have red wiggler composting worms and they are very happy and multiplying rapidly. I have mentioned before that the food here is very fresh and very local and mostly (as far as I can tell) organic, and we are loving this aspect of being here. However, it was totally throwing me off balance to be tossing all the scraps of this amazing food into the garbage. Thus, I asked around, was informed of a NGO agricultural project that sells composting worms, took a trip out to the farm, rigged up a container to house them in, and voila! We are composting again and my equilibrium has been restored. :-) In the process, I shared with my teacher and some others about what I was up to, and they are interested in learning more about it, so maybe they can compost in their homes too. Who knows, maybe I can start a trend, and this may evolve into something. I’ll keep you posted.

School:
I have mentioned the girls are in school all day and that it is all in Spanish. Thus, they are indeed picking up the language. To my amazement, they understand most of what is being said to them. However, they are yet to be able speak it themselves beyond individual vocabulary words. Jordan (Mikayla) will come home with stories: “he said this, and then she said that” and “then she was mad about this . . .” I am thinking, “how do you know what they are saying?” Somehow she knows . . .

I, too, am at the girls’ school. I volunteer teaching English 3 times a week. The girls like having me there and it is great language practice for me. Although the content of my lessons consists mostly of simple English vocabulary taught through silly songs and games, (“hokey pokey”; “head and shoulders, knees and toes”; “Simon says,” and the like) I have to explain the game or song in Spanish so they know what I am asking of them. Its great practice for me and a little less intimidating than when I am trying to talk to adults.

Being at the girls’ school affords me the opportunity to see what goes on there. This is a good thing, in general; however, it also gives me cause for regular panic attacks. To say that they are more lax about safety issues would be an understatement. In fact, I am quite sure if OSHA from the States paid a visit, they would shut the place down. There is no amount of Yoga breathing that can help me take it all in without wanting to scream. Instead, I focus on breathing and save my ranting for when we are home. Let me give you a few examples of what I mean. There is a rusted chunk of metal hanging off the wall near the sand box (that is more dirt than sand). Part of the swing set is broken, and it sits on a potholed concrete slab. There is a rain catch gutter right next to the walkway (just begging for someone to step in and turn their ankle or, worse, break a leg). We occasionally find pieces of broken glass lying around on the ground where the kids play. They let them climb the trees during “patio” (recess). The “patio” area floods when it rains and remains flooded with large puddles for a few days (a potential mosquito breeding ground). The students help themselves to the same (unfiltered) bottle of water. The other day, the kids were playing with a dead bird! AY!! They took a field trip to a candle-making factory in the back of a pickup truck! (And NO, they did not have me sign a permission slip beforehand. I didn’t even know about it until after they had returned.) I think you are getting the idea. I just have to breathe deeply and let it go. I constantly remind the girls to watch where their feet are. They take their own water (but the other kids help themselves to it). I tell them to wash their hands before they eat (if they actually do it, I would be amazed), and I tell Jordan not to climb TOO high in the trees. Again, I just try to brrrreeeaaatttthhhheee! I do some intercessory praying too. :-)!!!


When I am not at the girls school I am attending my own courses in Spanish at a nearby language school. I receive about 10 hours a week of one-on-one conversation and grammar. I study at home as well. I really enjoy it, but it is hard work.

I am also trading English lessons for Spanish lessons with one of the teachers I met in language school. Knowing how to speak English is a sought-after commodity here and, at this point, it is the only thing I have to offer until I get better at speaking Spanish. Thus, despite the fact that I am the last person who should be teaching anybody English—here I am.

Weather:
We are in the rainy season here, but that does not mean we are cold. In fact, just the opposite. It is very tropical and humid. Every afternoon, there is a torrential downpour, and you just hope you are not walking home from the market when it hits. The mountains are greener than green. The vast amount of unfettered rainforest is an inspiration for our environmental conservation efforts and causes. It would be sad to see all this land become stripped bare so that Americans could have more cheap produce or meat. Unfortunately, this seems to be the direction we are headed.

Travel and Fun:
Despite all the ways being here is challenging, we are having the time of our lives. We would not trade this experience for anything. The best way to let you know how great it is being here is to list some of our favorite things.
* Weekend day trips to Condega, Ducuale, (both nearby towns), and Miraflor (a nature reserve area)
* Popcicles (pronounced, pope-see-cles) They are made with milk, fresh coconut, and sugar YUM!! and cost only $.10
* Cheap, delicious, cold beer
* Food venders come to the house. We do a lot of our shopping just outside our front door.
* Salvadoran fast food. The neighbors are from El Salvador and set up a pupusa kitchen in front of their house.
* Playing cards as a family. Seeing Devyn behind a hand of cards is the cutest.
* Dancing in our living room to our favorite artists (in English) till we are dripping wet. A terrific release and exercise workout.
* All the global soccer in the world is on TV and the best pro team in Nicaragua is here in town.
* Pan dulce (sweet bread), again, delivered to our front door
* We don’t have to clean our own house. (Oh, what a rude awakening returning will be!) ;-)
* Tons of family time (sometimes too much, but mostly it’s a good thing)
* Making new friends
* Constructing a whole sentence in Spanish and being understood (This one is mine, in particular. My language victories are small. I have to celebrate the small steps)
* Michael is getting to do the reading and studying he has always wanted, and is having a ball.
* We are out of our normal “rat race”. There is no flying around to soccer practice, dance class, school events, church activities, business meetings, committee meetings, and the like.

We have tons of thoughts, reflections, and opinions about socio-political, religious, and economic issues relevant to the reality in which Nicaragua finds itself, but given that this is a “family-oriented” publication, we’ll leave that to your imagination. (I’d be happy to email you directly if you’d like to talk politics!) :-)

Well, this is already more than anyone wants to read in one sitting. I will sign off with a short list of some of the things we have learned in our short month and a half.

THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED:

* When the woman at the market gives you a slight smile and slow head nod if you ask her whether those beautiful peppers in her basket are hot, take her word for it.
* Fill up a bucket of water when you have water, so you can flush the toilet when you don’t.
* If you are not really sure what someone has said to you, don’t say “si” (yes)—or you may be sorry.
* DON’T ever let Devyn drink a whole pint-sized glass of pineapple juice in one sitting EVER again.
* When leaving the shower, make sure your feet are dry before you walk across the slippery tile floor. AND, while taking a shower, do not touch the showerhead that is electrically wired (to flash heat the water). (Water does not conduct electricity, but metal, indeed, DOES!) ;-)
* When standing on the sidewalk, watch for ants. The ants here bite. It must be quite a hilarious sight for the locals to watch 4 tow-headed gringos jumping up an down, yelling and screaming their heads off while slapping at their legs.
* The mosquitoes here prefer white meat.


Until next time, vaya pues!
-Kelli

Estamos aqui -- We are here and settling in

beautiful food and one of the national daily papers

funky new foods – when you open these furry things up they have something like a great big grape inside. Haven't figured out the name yet.





The pictures above (top to bottom): tired kids traveling; Sandino's silhouette in Managua; mural in a Managua church heavily influenced by liberation theology to the extent that it is not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church; resting in the pool at Jeff Shriver's house in Managua; Devyn taking her bath.

Buenas! (the greeting given here anytime one enters a new setting)

We have just completed our first whole week here in Esteli. It feels much longer than that. We are exhausted, but happy.


Hmmmm..... I struggle for where to begin. Ah! I have never been short on words to share about my kids, thus I'll start there.

In a word, AMAZING! They have taken everything in stride. The different food, the different forms of travel, the huge amount of walking, people touching their heads and faces all the time, putting their toilet paper in the garbage can instead of the toilet, cool showers/tub baths. They have had their moments of crankiness, but nothing out of the ordinary. So far the biggest drama revolves around the itchy mosquito bites, and having to nag them about watching where they are going while walking the streets. This is important for them to learn because if they don't watch where they are going they could disappear into a "gringo hole" (one of the many pot holes in the sidewalk that only a gringo would not be socialized to watch out for, and thus in which they could seriously hurt themselves).

Jordan and Devyn are now going by Mikayla and Mariah, their middle names. We were informed by some Nicaraguan friends that the names Jordan and Devyn would not only be hard to say for Nicaraguans but also confusing. Once they heard how their middle names sound when the locals said them, they loved them, and made the switch very naturally. Michael and I are having a bit more trouble remembering.

The greater part of this week was spent getting Mikayla (age 8) and Mariah (age 5) acclimated to their new school. It is one of the schools I looked at while here in June and is highly regarded here in Estelí. The principal is from Spain and structures her curriculum according to something like a Montessori style education system. We decided this would be good for both the girls as the teachers will work with each of them according to their education level, not their age. They had room for both girls, and they will attend at the same time (but in different classrooms). Their school day will be from 8am-4pm. They will eat a snack and a vegetarian lunch in school. Devyn's class takes a nap after lunch. It's a long day, but there is lots of play and recreational time. Spanish is the only language spoken. They start Monday by themselves for the whole day. AY!! :-o

It took Jordan (Mikayla) 2.5 days of introduction at the school before she informed us she was fine and wanted us to leave her for the day. Her bravery and chutzpah are inspiring. She is having a ball. I am utterly amazed by how fast she jumped in and how fast she has begun to make friends. She doesn't understand what they are saying to her and yet somehow she knows.

Devyn (Mariah) has been slower to warm up to the school. This is typical of her; she typically wants to sit back and watch for a while before jumping in, but once she does, she is very enthusiastic. To say she is freaked out would be a bit of an understatement. After the 4th day Michael and I realized she was using us as a crutch and we made her go it alone, with one of us just next door in another room. She did much better, but was still too worked up to eat anything. We took her home at lunch time. She was exhausted. Monday is the big day. I am confident she will be fine, but my stomach churns just thinking about it. Her first day of kindergarten has turned out to be a bit more monumental then it would have been in the States.

Other adjustments:

*The noise: the Pentecostal church on the corner; the venders yelling what they have for sale beginning at 6:00am; peoples' radios; the motorcycles; car horns; stray dogs barking through the night; the neighbor kid screaming when his mom leaves the house; the list goes on. Earplugs are a godsend, but they only muffle the cacophony of noises that are a part of everyday life here.

*The food: fresh, delicious, interesting, extremely local, unprocessed.

*Our housekeeper, Angela: Yeah, we're fairly stunned to have a housekeeper; I will write more about this topic later. She has been a catalyst for an enormous amount of learning for us. For now, I will just say we are happy she is going to be an integral part of our lives this year.

Pues (well), this is a start. There will be many more blogs to come. We appreciate your interest in taking this journey with us. Thank you for all the support.
Nos vemos! (we'll see you)
-Kelli

Reflections on packing

We have found a renter for the year (YEA!!), and are now in the throes of packing up the house. Fortunately, our renter wants the house to remain furnished. Thus, we only have to pack up personal items and the contents inside the closets, on the shelves, etc. Amazingly, this is still a lot of stuff. We are also having to evaluate our belongings according to the following criterion: "Should I pack this because I would be bummed if something happened to it while I was gone?"

Interestingly, this has heightened my awareness regarding which material things I value and why. Most of the stuff I opted to put away has very little monetary worth, but has value to me/us for sentimental and relational reasons. Things like photo albums, sculptures and pictures the kids have made, my favorite coffee mug, etc. I am surprised by how many things I am leaving unpacked because they don't meet the aforementioned criterion.

How did I acquire so many things I don't really care about? Well, ok, there is a lot to be said for things with a function. Our pots and pans are not near and dear to my heart, but I sure do enjoy their functionality. I realize this is basic economics 101, but this packing process has made me tangibly aware of how "irreplaceability" is key to the value I put on my belongings.

Cleaning out has also taught me a few things about myself. For example, I apparently have a fetish for organic body lotion, but don't have a thing for using it.
Anyone have dry skin? :-)

What is most striking about this packing process is just how MUCH stuff we own, which, if given some thought, adds more clutter than convenience to our lives. I have already made 3 trips to Goodwill -- and have one more pile waiting to go. MY RESOLUTION: starting now (!), stop unconsciously accumulating STUFF!!!
Remind me I said this! ;-)

We leave for Nicaragua on August 14th. Both girls say they are excited, but sad to leave their friends for such a long time. Jordan (age 8) specifically states she is looking forward to learning a new language. Devyn (age 5) is still very much in the NOW: "Can I play with Lola tomorrow?" "How many days untill we see Mema?" Nicaragua for her is still a long way off. I, too, am thinking about the good friends I leave behind, but am comforted that the "cyber world" will keep us connected.

If you pray -- pray for safe travels and sleeping children (it's a red eye flight).
If praying is not your thing -- cross your fingers for us ;-). THANKS!!!
Chow,
-Kelli

Yo he regresado! (I have returned)

My venture forth to Esteli, Nicaragua, was very successful. Esteli is everything the guidebooks say it is and more. It is a beautiful place with many beautiful people, with whom I am looking forward to cultivating relationships.

Thus, we have decided to live in Esteli for the upcoming year. I have learned a lot of Spanish, but have learned more just how MUCH MORE I need to learn in order to really get a handle on it.

I was able to arrange a home to rent. It comes completely furnished, all the way down to the beds, chairs, sheets, silverware, clothesline, etc. I could not have imagined it coming together better.

I was able to visit and gather information about schools for the girls. At this point, all we need do is weigh the pros and cons of each and decide which one would best suit Jordan and Devyn. I anticipate that school will be the hardest and best aspect of this year for our girls. It'll be sink or swim, and I fully anticipate they will swim; however, it won't be without some angst. ( If you pray,.... pray that my abilities as a parent can adequately meet the demands this transition will require of me/us.) I am excited and scared for them all at the same time. They have now heard me talk about what it is like in Nicaragua and have seen pictures. They can see my excitement, but they really have no frame of reference in order to really grasp the adventure they are about to embark on. It's probably best that way.

If fact, since this is not just "my blog," why don't we ask them what they are thinking and feeling about their near future?
Question 1.) What are you most looking forward to about moving to Nicaragua? Question 2.) What are you most worried about?

Devyn: 1.) "That we get to learn Spanish". "That we will make new friends". 2.) "That I won't know anyone there".

Jordan: 1.) "Making new friends that speak Spanish and understanding them". 2.) "I am worried that I won't be able to speak Spanish".

So there you have it, straight from the mouths of babes. Funny, I have the same answers to those questions.

The mail man must think we are building a library. Michael is preparing for his year of study; thus, we receive at least 2-3 books in the mail each day. Michael is absolutely giddy. I too have placed a few book orders for Spanish study materials myself. From the looks of things we will have one suitcase for clothes and toiletries and the rest will be books. Yikes!! Hope customs will be ok with that. If they can read the titles, they will think we are planning to start our own little social and economic revolution.

I am glad to be reunited again with the family. But culture shock is hardest upon return. Choice seems to be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it grants power, on the other (in excess), it takes one's power away. Everything feels big and overwhelming to me. The houses, the people, the stores, the choices... It puts my head into a tailspin of cognitive dissonance. The amount of creature comforts I have in this country is indulgent, and yet such opulence does not come without a price. I have not yet figured out what "it" is yet, but the less affluent countries I have had the opportunity to visit seem to have preserved something -- something good, and valuable, in their poverty -- that we in this culture seemed to have lost.

Anyway, there are many thoughts (albeit undeveloped at this point) rolling around in my head as I push myself to get into my other roles of Mom, wife, counselor, student, friend, and CEO of domestic affairs.

Fortunately, I am not alone. I get to share my thoughts and experiences with my best friend and personal cheerleader (Michael). This dream of ours to live together in a Spanish-speaking country has been stewing for over 17 years. We are levitating with excitement. We have many of you to thank for helping us get to this point. For that, we again want to say, THANKS!!! GRACIAS!!!!!

Bye for now. Que le vaya bien!!
-Kelli

Nica Round 1

In less than 10 days I leave for round 1 of our Nicaraguan adventures. I go to study the language and to "scout" out places to live. On paper, our 1st choice is Estelì, thus the reason I have registered for language school there. Once in Estelì, with the help of the language school staff, and my host family, I will explore the area and see if it really is the place the tour books write about. Also while I am there, I will explore our 2nd and 3rd choice, Leon and Matagalpa respectively to see if they are STILL our 2nd and 3rd choices.

I hope to visit some primary schools so I can report back to the girls about what they are like, take pictures, generally learn about the education offered.

My main agenda during this initial trip is to learn the language.... well.... to start learning it. Pretty much from the minute I touch ground, no mas ingles. AY!!!!

On the home front... we are still looking for a renter. As much as I cross something off the "to do list" several more things get added. I have never before had to plan so many things so far in advance... it is overwhelming. One of the items on the list was to adopt out the chickens. "check!" They now have a new home. The empty coop makes me sad, but they have joined a family that has other chickens and I am told are adjusting well to their new surroundings.

Well... Me voy! ( I am off) big thanks to all of you whose support has made this all possible.
Nos vemos a el fin de Junio ( We'll see you at the end of June)
-Kelli