Week One At Casa Zimmer

I just bribed an 18- month-old into PJs with ice cream AND a sucker. Stella and I played in the neighborhood pocket park, skipping nap time altogether, with her buddy Kayla and nanny Myra, all afternoon. I have no idea what we talked about (in Spanish) but it was evidently hilarious.

Van flew home early this morning. Stella is still looking for him, he was a huge hit with her. We spent the week getting to know newborn Juniper and marveling at the truth in that old adage, DNA works in mysterious ways. Delightfully unique sisters they are. And we have been out to eat in places I can't do justice to in 25 words or less, including amazing vistas, incredible food, parrots, peacocks, and culture from three continents.

We had a layover in the Dallas airport on the way down and I was, as far as I could tell, the.only one there wearing gloves. Coming on the heels of the Ebola scare there (Did you know it could survive in dried sweat?) I thought I might as well use up a few of  the 500- glove-box supply in our hall closet, left over from stem cell transplant recovery. Van didn 't follow suit, but he also.does not chew his fingers. No one ( not even Van) laughed openly and a flight attendant went out of her way to tell me it was a smart idea.

The American Airlines baggage check person rolled her eyes at our luggage, though. Among other things, I was packing nursery equipment for Casa Zimmer in a 47-pound duct-tape-reinforced junker one way; the wish-list gift of an  8-pound adapted bocce ball set for a new special needs classroom;  and a projector purchased by Manos de Christine that would never have made it to El Hato School via what could loosely be called the Guatemalan postal system.

I regret bringing this iPad mini instead of my laptop, it is cumbersome to correct typos and not as capable of managing and sharing decent photos. That may have to wait until I get home.

I am ensconced at Villa Catarina de Bobadilla (Brian and Denise's third home since they've been here) for another week and then spend my third week with Iowa friend Sue Gnagy, two tourista days in Antigua and four days up in the clouds at Earth Lodge, volunteering mornings at nearby El Hato school as substitutes for the English teacher for ages 4-6 and 7 - 10 summer day camp classrooms. We've already had a great deal of fun planning books, songs, games and craft activities.

I messaged with a Lions Club district governor from this area, hoping to meet with a club, and mastered enough of Keynote to produce an admittedly lame slide show about our club/community to share (using my iPad and borrowing the serendipitous projector) but I am not sure if the meet-up will actually take place and my narration in Spanish needs work. Maybe I will post the photo of my club holding up hola/hello signs for you, when I can get to my iPad photos through Blogger... It loves only Picassa at present, which I Am not on.