FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL

Hi. If you want to see some pictures of the girls go to www.padremickey.blogspot.com and check out Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito blogging.

A fun thing that is happening is that one of the girls starting school late (she is 10 and in 1st grade) is already showing signs of being a teacher. She is showing one of our kinder kids what she is learning. A E I O U and counting and writing numbers to 10. Spanish is very phonetic - each vowel has only one sound! Most kids learn to read, some very quickly with this method. After they have learned the 5 vowels they will start with the consonant M. ( I CANT PUT TILDES ON WORDS HERE SO BEAR WITH ME) and with that one consonant they can read Mama me ama. Mother loves me. And Amo a mi mama. I love my mother.

We have three in 9th grade and they are taking Algebra. I am rereading and studying Algebra for Dummies and am understanding it much better after my last two months tutoring one of our girls to pass her 8th grade math (which she failed last year). She did pass and I know a lot more math! Still, Algebra is not my forte.

One friend has expressed worry about my crossing the narow foot bridge, I talked about below - but I feel very confident with my cane. It is mauch harder descending muddy, slippery, and steep slopes in the rainy season - I use two canes for that!

Since August we have been working to get therapy for one of our girls - and it looks like she will start on Monday. I will be transporting her. Other good news is that at the grief counseling center the therapist will have 8 small group sessions for our three 8 and 9 year olds who have lost one parent in recent years. Getting this set up and keeping it going is one of my special ministries.

I found out last Saturday that one of our girls who is now living at home has not started 9th grade as she should have because of lack of resources. Yesterday I was able to wave to her and talk to her older sister and if all goes well she will come to the home tomorrw morning, we will get her matriculated and set up with school supplies and back on track only 2 weeks late.

Tia Sue