Seis Puerqueños

Guess who said which:

(One of us getting a piece of pepperoni from the fridge to snack on)
“I brush my teeth before bed, and you eat pepperoni”
“We just grew up differently”

Anyway I think I had something important to post, but I forgot now. We are going to Guayaquil to the temple with the stake tonight. I have to give a talk on Sunday. We just ate the most delicious taco salad. Mine had very little lettuce, mostly just meat chips and salsa. I think everything I do is an attempt to just eat as much chips and salsa as I can.

We found a bookstore that carries used books in English. They cost twice what they should, but we figured if she was smart enough to open a book store in Ecuador with English books, we would support her in that. Especially after she overheard us talking about how Faulkner was unreadable and wanted to discuss it with us. She disagreed, but we still liked her anyway.

So, I have been really neglectful of writing in a journal since, well since forever. I managed to do it every day (minus 5 days or so) when I lived in Ecuador before, and I am SO glad that I did. But, since right now I am not a current keeper of a journal, I feel the need to record some of yesterday:

We went to the OSSO house to study spanish with Lindsey the sites coordinator. When we first came into the house Alicia and Jorge were going downstairs to their side of the house. I said hola to them and Alicia gets all excited, runs over to me, grabs my hand and tells me I have to come with her. She’s 4 so you can’t really argue. I kind of look at her mom to make sure she’s not opposed to me invading their space, and she seems cool with it. Alicia and Jorge then take me downstairs and first Alicia shows me her room. No wait, she doesn’t just show me her room, she drags me over and screams “LOOK! This is my room! And Jorge too!” I tell her what a great room she has, and then she says “And her!!! Her name is Abuelita!” Then it’s back to her bedroom and “Look! New clothes!” She opens one drawer and says “Jorge’s new clothes!!!” Then the next drawer “My new clothes!!!” We go back into the main room and she opens the door to her parents room and says “Another room!” I ask whose and she says “My Mami and Papi!” At this point mom is a little embarassed because she says her room is messy, I tell her not to worry because she’s never seen what mine looks like. Then I ask both of them if they like the food at their new house, if it’s better than soup all the time. A resounding “SI!!!” from both Alicia and Jorge, and then a tour of the table where I get to see the amazing plates and that everyone has their own seat. Jorge then says “and look! My knife!” and his mom tells me that he spent all of yesterday morning practicing cutting with it. Imagine, the joy of a butterknife. Then the 16-year-old daughter comes down and I ask them who that was. “Her name is Katie!” (everything is beyond exciting, really it needs more exclamation points) I ask if it is their sister and they again shout “SI!” I ask if they have anymore brothers and sisters and they say yes, but when I ask where they are they stop and think for a while. After a hint from mom they tell me in the United States. I ask if they are excited to meet them and of course you can guess the answer. Then they were about ready to eat dinner, so I left them, but thanked them for showing me their new house. And my heart is ready to explode. To see my little Jorge who I have loved for so long, and little Alicia all smart and grown up so so so happy just makes me overjoyed. It really is the answer to so many of my prayers from long ago.

Gonzalo and his sister seem to be pretty happy with their family too, but he won’t really talk to me. That’s kind of strange, but I have come to determine it is beause we are from his old life, the one at the orphanage, the one with Sor Teresa, what the heck are we doing at his house or his church? I think there is an element of, are they taking me back, or what is going on factored in as well. But I adore him, I have been reading my old journal from Ecuador 2004 because I’m typing it up, and all I seemed to think about was getting him to come home with me. And now my little Gonzalo has a family who will love and take care of him, there is nothing more I could have wanted for him.

So that’s all. Today Sor Teresa came over so I could teach her how to use her email, but she didn’t have a password and we couldn’t manage to break in. So much for my former email hacking skills. Can’t even get into an account with the rightful owner next to me. She brought Marcelo with her, who is 4 and has some sort of mental retardation, and he had a good time playing with all the balls at our house. Until he went running and tripped on one and got a concussion. It really wasn’t any fun after that.

Our landlord brought us a TV today. That’s funny because we never asked for one, just the washer and dryer they have promised us every week for the last 3 or 4 weeks. “This week” they always tell us. Last week it was “next Monday or Tuesday when the owner comes”. It’s Tuesday afternoon, I see no such washer nor dryer and my clothes are tired of traveling all the way to the laundry place. But they do such a nice job of folding there, I will miss that.

My toddler class is getting good. The kids are starting to get into the routine of it and pay attention and enjoy the activities. I’m happy about that. They seem to be too. OK that’s a long enough journal entry for now.

Wait I just wanted to say one more thing. Yesterday Aaron says: “Do you think we could get Juanita and Alex and Ines?” “Of course” “I mean I’m just talking hypothetically, but do you think we could handle them all?” I adore my husband for even thinking like that, even in the hypothetical. That’s all.

(P)Amy just told me it was her birthday, and since I don’t have any photos of her here, this is what you find if you google her name:

I kid you not, this dog’s name is Pamy. Check it out. Maybe you should get her one for her birthday.

Also PAMY is the code for the Mekoryuk, Alaska Airport.

Finally and most importantly, apparently Pamy has opened her own line of clothing in Switzerland. And if I’m not mistaken that’s probably her modeling it.

Anyway, (P)Amy, I think you are great, feliz birthday, I hope you find all the freedom you are looking for.

A couple weeks ago a little girl at the baby/toddler orphanage who is 4 told me and Lorena that a little boy had gone with his parents. And then she proceeded to tell us “but not me, I don’t have parents.” Pretty much I thought I would die and quickly changed the subject. I just wanted to report that today she found out that indeed she has parents, and she couldn’t be happier. On Friday two sets of American parents found out that their adoptions were going to go through, and that they could come see their kids on Monday. One set is taking a pair of siblings, a little boy who is about 7 who lives at the boys house, and his 2 year old sister from the baby orphanage. The other family is taking the beautiful 4 year old and another little boy who is almost 6 from the baby/toddler orphanage who will now be her brother. As far as I know only one family made it and the others will be here tomorrow. But I cannot even begin to explain the joy I felt, the happiness that these kids, all of whom (except the 2 year old) I have known since I was here in 2004, are going to good loving homes. And do you know why? Because of Rex. These two families that are welcoming new kids into their families are because they had a daughter or they themselves came to OSSO. I tell you, every day I am reminded a little more that one person really can change the world.

I sat with the 4 year old for a while, her telling me all the things she was going to say to her parents, things like I love you and such, and her new older brother telling me how he was going to say: “Papi, blanket” to them (Why are you going to say that? Because I like it! Ok…) And after a while another 4 year old boy came home from school. He found out about his friends and their new parents, and proceeded to ask the worker: “how come them? Why not me? I’m old, I’m 4, why not me?” And then I thought I would die. The worker was right on the ball and told him “your parents are coming too!” And then I remembered that he indeed had a family in the US asking for him (you are allowed to pick when they are 4&up) but that there was some trace of family here like great aunts or something and they were still working on clearing the papers or something like that. So I was happy again, but sad he still has some time to wait. And then I went back out and played with the other kids. And I had beautiful Luisa sitting on my lap, and I had Ines looking at me through the gate yelling my name. And I thought why? Why not these kids? Or rather, why these kids? Not that any kids deserve no parents, but these are my kids, and it kills me to think about them without parents. And then I started to think of ways to get rich so I could adopt at least some of them. So if any of you have many many thousands of dollars just lying around, I can help you out with what to do with it. Aaron and I came home and were talking about this and he reminded me that at least the kids have the volunteers, the nuns, and the workers. He’s right, it could be so much worse. But it still hurts my heart.

In other less dramatic news, I did my first two toddler classes today. They went pretty well, considering it was the first day and the three doors in the room we were using stayed shut most of the time. (That’s a favorite game, open the front door, open the door to the other room, open the door to the bathroom, turn on the sink and get soaked) I think in time we will get our routine more established and create a little more order. But it was well received and so I was happy.

Also I was sick this weekend but seem to be better now. I’m glad, as I have no desire for any sort of Ecuadorian plauge again. That’s all.

I can officially post on our blog now. It’s turkey day morning. The big futball game was yesterday afternoon though. Ecuador beat Peru 5-1. Walking around town, and in stores, people were hypnotized by the radio. I think the season started only a week or two ago. I wish I’d brought my national team shirt. It’s mui chevere! Kelsey got it for me for Christmas last year and I wore it to Teleferiqo and it was much admired. Only I’m probably still too fat to wear it.

We got a turkey breast that’s as big as a whole chicken at the Supermaxi, and we finally found a pumpkin in the fruit market. Well, it’s more like a squash but it looks like a green pumpkin with spots. It had been sitting there a while (since Monday at least) with a quarter sliced out it. We bought about half of what’s left, trimmed it, and cut, microwaved and mashed it. It doesn’t quite taste pumpkiny, but it’s the best squash we’ve ever easten. Kelsey made three (hopefully) respectible pumpkin-y pies, and gave two to OSSO, one with a finger hole in it. No word on if she pulled out a plum.

Now she’s making chocolate pudding for our other pie (made with coco crackers instead of grahams), and Roseros will come over tonight. I hope I can stave my appetite long enough. I’ve got yeast bubbling over for microwave rolls (which turn out pretty good, since our microwave has a combo grill — a little filament on the roof.) We’ll see how the Turkey comes out in there. She’s already made good lemon garlic chicken breasts. And we’ve got a can of cranberry sauce, just because we can. Stuffing will have to be stove top (homemade though — the breads been drying overnight, and I dreamed of cockroaches getting to it. We don’t have cockroaches though, and have only seen 1 yellow beetle in the house, which may be what they call cockroaches here.) Gravy will be the only challenge.

Ok so there weren’t any. Apparently our little 6.8 (it got upgraded) earthquake didn’t even make any national news except in Cuba and India. After a bit when my heart stopped racing and we tried to go to sleep, some of the more obnoxious members of the community thought it was a good idea to drive around the center of town (right outside our window) and blast music for a long time. Nothing like a good heartbeat bass to put you to sleep. Or make you worry about another earthquake. Upon more reading of the news our little earthquake is nothing compared with what is going on in other parts of the world, so we are very grateful. Plus it made Aaron post, so that’s exciting too.

Things here are good. I start teaching my self-esteem class to the teenage girls today. Yesterday we helped OSSO move to their new orphanage. It wasn’t too hard (well, maybe for Aaron, he was helping with the fridge and things like that) and the kids LOVE their new place. Lots of room to run around, new things to explore, etc. So that was very fun and exciting, we were lucky to be here to see that.

Last night the young men had a stake talent show thing, and we are happy to report that ours was surely the most funny. Plus the guys had a good time and their parents were proud and happy. (I was worried they might beat us for the fart scene) Last night before that they were here practicing and we fed them dinner, rice and some stir-fry steak dish, and they were like “hmmm this is different. But good…” Really we’re pretty sure they didn’t like it, but they have really good manners.

That’s about it. We’ve been here for over a month now, so it’s time for you to come visit us.