Morning Routine

I have a morning routine. I get up and start my day spending time with God through prayer and Bible study. I then walk for 45 minutes, have a cup of coffee and attend morning devo with the children. I like my routine and do not vary from it very often. The last two days has been far from routine.

I have spent my time with God, not walked, and not gone to morning devo. I have been helping with the morning routine at Casa de Esperanza getting kids ready for school. When I had to get three kids ready for school, things got pretty chaotic at times. Can you imagine getting twelve kids ready for school?

Yesterday Dilcia was up there by herself when I walked in. She was trying to get everyone ready for school and feed them and get snacks ready. She actually was trying to get kids ready, mostly the girls. She had oatmeal cooked and watermelon sliced for breakfast and oranges peeled for snack. I got the bowls and glasses and starting serving oatmeal and pouring juice. When all kids were dressed and eating, Dilcia and I bagged the oranges. I began to put the bagged oranges in the backpacks. I had a simple little system, until one of the kids began to help me. Then one backpack had two oranges and one had none. So we opened the backpacks until we found the one with two oranges. A slight delay, but nothing compared to the things to come.

I loaded the eight older kids into the trooper and drove them to school. I came back and walked the four kindergarteners to school. I came in and sat down, noticing that Dilcia was on the phone, but not thinking it might in anyway concern me. Maryuri was in floor playing and wanted me to play with her. I plopped into the floor, knowing once I got down there, it might take a tow truck to get me back up (aging knees). Dilcia got off the phone and began telling me Rudy was in trouble and I was going to have to go get him. I think she was a bit worried about me talking to the teacher with my not so great spanish. I thought Dilcia was saying Rudy had stolen some pencils and some money.

I drove to the school and found the teacher waiting outside for me. Usually not a good sign. I got out of the car and explained I was from Casa de Esperanza and that I did not speak much spanish. I understood nearly everything the teacher said. I was really pleased about that. It is against the rules to have money at school and each student is to only have one pencil at school. Rudy had money, which he had stolen from Casa de Esperanza and he had several pencils, some pick-up-sticks, and a few other items. In itself, that probably was not a major enough offense to be sent home even though it has happened several times with a warning each time. This is where I did not completely understand the teacher. I know Rudy said bad words. I don't know if he just said bad words or if he called the teacher bad words. Anyway, I definitely got the drift that she was upset. That is not all. He began to throw rocks at the teacher and the other students.

While I understood most of what she said, I did not do quite so well speaking spanish to her. I did ask if he was being sent home for that day only or forever and learned that it was for yesterday and today. I found out he can't come back until Karen or Dorian bring him back. This isn't exactly what I was wanting to be doing, but someone had to do it.

I spent the rest of the morning playing with the three younger kids. Dilcia sent Rudy to bed for the rest of the day. He got up and managed to sneak out and leave the property. Of course, he came back when he got hungry. Since he didn't get to go to school today, he got to spend the whole morning studying.

This morning I walked up to Casa at 6:25. Nadia was only duty this morning until around 7:00. At 6:25, she had the kids in devo and they were happily singing. She had breakfast on their plates, and snacks made and in all the backpacks. I thought this was going to be a piece of cake and went back to the house to have my coffee. When I returned at 7:00, Nadia was gone and Jen's mother was there. I am not sure either one of us knew exactly what to do. I noticed some boys coming out to eat, dressed for school, but not a single girl. Sometimes we need to light a fire under these girls to get them moving.

It was gym day for the big kids. I only knew that because I saw the boys and then Pamela in gym clothes. And then I saw Cindy in gym pants several sizes too big. I went to her room and we looked and looked for gym pants to fit her, or gym pants that would come closer to fitting her than the ones she had on. The kids are great about helping me with my spanish. Almost everything I said, Cindy corrected the way I said it. We were both laughing. Marc went to the clothesline to look fo gym pants. Cindy and I began to look for some in the boys room. The first pair we found were wet and not from water. We finally found some that would do.

By the time everyone was dressed for school, had eaten breakfast, brushed their teeth and combed their hair, that girls' room looked like a small tornado had hit. There were several pairs of clean jeans, dirty pjs, shoes, etc. I don't think they are suppose to leave for school with the room looking like that.

Marc drove the big kids and I walked the younger ones. When Dilcia, Reina, and Sandra walked in, I was covered with sweat. They all commented on it. I helped Dilcia hang those clothes on hangers. I walked back to the house and just collapsed in the chair.

After a few minutes rest, I was walking back up to Casa and Marc was leaving to go back to the school to get Pamela. She was sick.

I may not be back in my regular routine tomorrow either. But I am so enjoying spending morning time with these kids.

Terri