Ugggg, internet problems!

I know I haven't posted in over a week. Yikes! I never go that long without updating the blog. Usually I update every 2 days or so. I'm sorry, it's the dang internet here...it shuts off and reconnects itself constantly. It is driving me crazy! Thankfully, after an hour of acting up, it has held the connection for about 10 minutes now. Thought I'd try to do what I can before it shuts off again.

I haven't been feeling well for the past week. Yuck. Not so fun symptoms are passing through our team like wildfire. Tonight I have a massive headache and feel like I could sleep for about 2 days straight. This, though, is a welcome relief to spending the night feeling like I was going to throw up ever 30 seconds!

Switching gears a bit...

I decided to change the curriculum that I was using at Casa Alba for 2 of the rooms. Tonight was the first night using Group Pub.'s 10 Commandments book. I need to still get used to the flow of how their activities go...and how that ties into how the kids come to understand the truths about God throughout everything. After a disaster last week at Casa Alba I spoke with the director about ways in which I can better work with the children and have them behave respectfully during group. I used her ideas tonight and felt that it worked well for about 1/2 the children but the other half didn't care less. Still though, it was a really successful introduction lesson to the 10 commandments. The kids learned that rules keep us safe. That God gave us "loving laws to keep us safe." We played games without rules - then with rules. We learned about how sheep have fences to keep them safe, and then made a craft with popsicle stick fences and cotten sheep. We reenacted the thunder (wooden spoons on metal pots), lightening (a bright flashlight), and trumpets (hands on the mouth and loud trumpet noises) for what happened when Moses ascended Mt. Sinai to receive God's "loving laws." And, of course, we built a chair fence around Mt. Sinai (a chair on top of a table with a blanket over top), for them to understand that the Israelites were not allowed to go near the mountain. I think this new curriculum draws the kids into the lesson in ways that I couldn't even think up, and in a way that their attention spans can handle. I am very thankful for this material!!

It is still a very warm fall. This is the 5th fall that I have been here for and by far the warmest. We have moved into needing winter coats and hats in the morning but by afternoon you only need a light jacket. I am LOVING it. Give me hot weather year round and I am set!

(Uh oh, internet just disconnected again...I am praying that this post still goes through!)

Caleb is really struggling with all of the changes going on in his life and around him right now.
It's always been his thing, change. Little changes, big changes - they affect him big time. I remember one day, maybe a month and a half ago, I needed to go down and move our car. I had parked it right next to our building and the men cleaning out the gutters didn't want my car to get covered in what they were throwing down. Caleb was just so upset because he didn't understand why we needed to move our car. Why were we leaving the house just for a few minutes during breakfast to do this? It really was traumatic for him. So starting kindergarten, our friend moving homes and some leaving Marghita for good...he really is having a hard time. Tomorrow though will be a Mommy and Caleb day. . . we had a M & C morning this past Monday and he had a FANTASTIC day. I am praying that God does the same with tomorrow...that Caleb would feel safe and peaceful.
Oh, and today's kindergarten update?
The teacher threatened to throw all of the "bad" children in a basement with rats.
Nice.

: )