Ysabela nearly scared me to death yesterday. We were sitting across the desk from each other when she checked her phone, took a breath and screamed! I jumped like I’d been shot from a cannon. I thought she had seen a spider or something! It turned out that the text was to update her about Warped Tour. One of her (many) favorite bands—Pierce the Veil—had signed on to appear! She already has her ticket for Denver, so she is READY!
She’s a fan girl for sure!
If you were here right now, I would tell you: I love you. You were—and always will be—the love of my life. You were worth the wait. All that came before you was practice for our time together. I will always love you, and no other can fill your shoes. I’m so glad I told you all of this while you were still with me. You knew. Here’s our song, honey. Happy anniversary.
Jersey got a hair cut!
Lil Devil does NOT like playing Lion King!
Poppy McSassy Pants wanted to play.
I usually keep personal business out of my blog, but today is different. Today marks a month since my soul mate/life partner was murdered far away from me and Ysabela. The ugliness of what happened has haunted me, and I spent the day thinking about what (and who) I have lost. I know Ysabela lost someone dear to her, too.
At the end of every conversation with her daddy, I always promised him that I would take care of our girl no matter what. When she asked if we could go to the mall and a movie today after I finished work, I consulted my check book, inwardly groaned and said, “Sure! Let’s go!”
A promise is a promise, and my girl needed a day of fun whether I wanted to leave the house or not. It was nice to see Bela have a good shopping day (more about that later) and hear her belly laugh about the movie. I realized that no matter how tough things are, kids still need to have fun. It’s my job to make it happen.
Thanks to a few tall students, I now have my new posters on the walls in my class room. I wanted them up because I took the time to cover every inch of the exhibition hall (at least twice!) in San Antonio at the ACTFL conference in November looking for free stuff for my room. Then I packed them carefully in my suitcase and carted them all home.
The Petra poster is my favorite, so it is near my desk.
I had this one put near the door. One student is going to Japan this summer, and I knew she would love it.
Maybe one day I’ll visit Peru!
My daughter, Ysabela, has decided she wants to do some cosplay. After she explained it all to me, I thought it might be fun for her. I wondered if we’d find any cosplay fun within driving distance, so she started looking. We discovered that there’s a cosplay event (O Comic Con) in Council Bluffs (Iowa) at the end of May, so we are planning to go. Once she won that battle, she insisted that I dress up as well.
I don’t think I can find an appealing outfit that is flattering for my body type. It’s that simple! I mean, I’m in shape (if you count round as a shape!), but I do not want to wear anything that is very “form fitting.” I like my clothes to cover, not outline. I liked the Avatar face makeup, but the clothes are not my style. After that, things went down hill. I have given up on finding an outfit that I can—and will—wear.
As far as I’m concerned, we will have enough to do with ordering fabric, making Bela’s pants (with help from someone who knows how to do it!), finding the perfect purple shirt, buying her must-have boots and ordering the top hat. I think cosplay=money. 🙂 It should be a fun experience anyway, though. We’re both looking forward to going. Everyone will have the opportunity to walk the red carpet and have photos taken. It’ll be nice to get out of town for a few days and relax.
Happier times….
Loving life….
Bela was grooming our Maine Coon, Jersey, a very laid back feline (usually). At first Jersey was enjoying herself, but Bela hit a snag; then things got real. Jersey was offended by the tug of the brush, so she started “talking.” She was not nice, but she was quite funny. You’ve never been told off until a Maine Coon chews you out.
Bela was laughing at sassy Jersey.
Jersey is a big girl.
Our Brasilian (Brazilian) exchange student, Joao, is an awesome kid. I finally got to meet his family, and Joao’s sweetness made sense. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and his parents are super people! I met them at school earlier today, and Nuria, Joao’s mom, gave me and Ysabela gifts. (There was lots of hugging at school.) Marcelo, Joao’s dad, is a warm, loving person, so he’s perfect for Nuria. 🙂 I wanted Bela to meet the family as soon as possible, so we tracked them down after school.
They welcomed us warmly with lots of hugs, and we spoke a smattering of English peppered with Portuguese and Spanish. Amazingly, there was no communication barrier. (I had to have a few pictures, and I did warn them they would appear in my blog.)
I would encourage you all to investigate the possibilities of intercultural exchange. I have seen first-hand how it changes lives.
Bela shared some of her Brasilian candy with me! YUM!
Beautiful people, international friends!
If Joao’s family is any indication, Brasilians are great people.
An English translation of Yoani Sánchez's blog Generación Y, from Havana, Cuba
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