Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Mid-Day At Casa

Getting this many kids up and ready for school, makes most morning hectic.  But mornings are not always the most hectic time of the day.  Sometimes, mid-day is the most hectic time of the day.  Today is definitely one of those days.

I was to get the kids from school today.  I knew I needed to leave early and put gas in the van.  Nicole left to get Haley and Karla from school.  The Frito-Lay truck came.  I had not planned on him coming today, or even this week.  I needed a few things. 

Emma Kate had had a shot this morning and was feeling less than great.  Nicole left her with me.  She was asleep when Nicole left, but woke almost immediately.  It is a grammy's job to comfort a crying baby, no matter what else may be going on.  Dilcia took the baby so I could go do the Frito-Lay order. 

Nicole gets back with Haley and Karla and there are cars and trucks everywhere inside the gate.  Nicole needs to leave for the school to get Maryuri for Teleton.  Not knowing I had to leave to buy gas, Nicole parked behind the van.  She was thinking we would be leaving at the same time. 

I quickly finished with Frito-Lay and ran to the house to get money for gas and to leave with Dilcia in case the fruits and vegetables came while I was at school.  Nicole said, "please get my diaper bag while you are there."  I counted out money so that Dilcia could have the exact amount for any amount up to 1400 lempira.  I gave the money to Dilcia and asked Nicole to move the car so I could leave.  She asked where the diaper bag was.  Oops.  I forgot that.  She went running to my house. 

As I left the gas station, Nicole called and said she was just getting her girls in the car.  She asked that Maryuri get in the van and wait until she got to the school.  That was one of the simplest things asked of me today.

The kids started getting in the van, which is its own kind of chaos.  Everyone has to tell me right now that they need money or they have a school supply list or there is a party at school tomorrow or somebody didn't behave in class.  I have trouble listening to a bunch people talk at one time in English.  And, in Spanish, it is almost impossible.

Everyone is trying to tell their news and Guadalupe's teacher comes to the  van and starts telling me how hard she worked today.  Well, of course, I wanted to hear that.  I am turned around looking out the sliding door, trying to talk her and someone starts tapping me on the shoulder from outside the van.  The kids are never suppose to be on the street side of the van.  I turned around and there was a little girl I did not know.  She says,"hola."  I more or less ignored her and tried to talk to the teacher.  The little girl would not leave me alone and just kept on tapping my shoulder and would not stop when I asked her.

Kids are getting in the van and Nicole drives up behind me and Maryuri gets out.  Nicole and the girls are gone.  One less thing to deal with.

When everyone is in the van and seated, I just breathed a huge sigh of relief.

As I start up the little street toward the back gate, there sits the fruit truck in the middle of the road.  He is selling to the neighbors before going to Casa.  That is ok.  I just can't get around him.  So, we wait. 

When the kids get home, they have to go to the pila and wash their socks.  Everyone heads to the pila.  One employee is out there overseeing that.  Dilcia is serving the lunch plates, but she has to leave to place the fruit and vegetable order.  The kids are coming to eat one at a time as they get their socks washed.  I am trying to oversee the eating area.  That is fairly ease since there are not many kids in there.

My phone rings.  It is Matt.  I sent a check with him.  He was to go to the bank and cash the check so that I can do payroll on Friday.  I made the check for 2/13/2012 not 2/13/2013.  There is no way Matt is going to get that check cashed.  He also could not get any errands done without the money.  Oh well.  It is what it is.

Dilcia came in to talk about beans.  As I was listening and talking, I poured orange juice all over the floor and my foot, making one more thing to be done.  Of course, I cleaned up my own mess.

The fruit order was finally complete and the bill was totaled.  Of course, the amount was more than the money I had brought up with me.  I ran to get more. 

After the fruit man left and the kids had all eaten, things began to settle down and get quieter.  Kids were doing chores.  Some were down for a nap.  And, some were even getting books out of their bags.  Some were still talking about school supplies, and parties and money.  But, I was in a place where we could start dealing with it all. 

Around 2:15, I told Dilcia I was going to the house and I would be back at 3:00.

The other day, Marc brought home a vanilla coke for me.  That is not something we find very often.  I had it in the refrigerator waiting for just the right moment.  After the madness of deliveries, end of school, washing socks and lunch, it seemed like the perfect moment for that vanilla coke.  And, it was oh, so good.

Terri




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