Finding Friends

Today was a really good day at the daycare.  Lucas and Melayna have found friends!  This whole week more and more kids have started actually playing with Lucas and Melayna instead of just beside them.  We helped in the oldest kids class and Alicia sought out Melayna 4 different times today and asked if she wanted to play what she was playing.  Lucas was asked to wrestle and play soccer and keep away with 3 little boys, Maykel, Sabastian and Anthony.  He was so happy although I think I might have been happier.  It is always a parent's worry that your child will not make friends. Feeling like you belong makes any situation much easier.  It goes right along with yesterday's post about routines.  It is so scary putting yourself out there in a new situation whether it is a new job, a new city or a new club or team.  I think we all go into these new things and search for a place to fit in and once we do, that thing is much less scary.  I hope to teach my kids to be the person that reaches out to someone else who is new in a situation and helps them feel welcome.  That is how I made one of my best friends of all times when I met my friend Janine in junior high.  Stepping into a new situation takes courage and I know this experience is not easy for the kids because it is hard for Matt and I too, but we are definitely becoming stronger people because of it.  I feel like that is what God wants us to do daily in our lives.  He asks us to step out of our comfort zone for Him and reach out to people, share the word, and live as He would live.  So I take from this week to stay strong and step out of my comfort zone.

Routine

I have to say Matt, the kids and I have started to fall into a routine.  There is definitely comfort in a routine.  You start to know what to expect when and who you may run into.  It is funny how the bus is completely packed full of people in the morning, there are many, many Amaguaña buses, which is our bus and we run into a lot of the same people in the mornings.  I find it comforting.  It was fun to listen to Lucas today as he told me which stop was next and how many more until we needed to get off the bus.  He even noticed when we skipped one we usually go to.  Also, he and Melayna played on the swing set today and acted like they were on the bus.  Lucas yelled "Suba, Suba!" which is what they yell all the time telling people to climb up onto the bus.  He also said bus fare please in Spanish and yelled out all the stops he could remember and they were pretty much in order.  It was fun to see them acting out part of our daily life here.  It was also nice to walk past the little stores on our way home and have people say hello and ask how things are going.  Our favorite bakery probably sees us coming and knows the kids will be coming in the pick a treat.  Overall, today was a comforting day just taking in the sights and sounds that have become our new routine.  I know many people reading this are in extreme cold temperatures and have had cancelled school and work days and your routines are off.  I can only hope they get back on track soon because I know how it feels to not have that routine that we depend on for security.  Hang in there everyone.  I know it will get better for you soon.

Independence

Melayna is truly a two-year old.  She wants to do everything by herself right now, but if she can't get it right away she gets very frustrated.  Then if you try to help she gets even more mad.  I know it sounds funny to say, but I love it in some ways.  I love her determination!  I love that she is starting to do more for herself, and I love that she speaks her mind.  She is a girl who knows what she wants.  Now on the other side of that, she speaks her mind with yelling or screaming at you and she takes a lot longer to do things on her own than if I help her.  I am having to leave extra time for her to do things on her own.  Luckily, time is a little less of a concrete concept here.  I have been told to show up sometime between 8:00 and 8:30, and no one says anything about being on time.  The time I come and go is very flexible and it makes Melayna's struggles to do things on her own easier to deal with.  I think we get so caught up in being late or being in a hurry that two-year old struggles are a lot harder to handle than they have to be.  Now don't get me wrong crying for five minutes in the morning because she is not allowed to put on her own diaper can be trying no matter how much time you have, but some struggles are easier to handle with the lax timing schedule we have.

Lucas' big achievement lately has been completing math problems without guidance.  He is really picking up on things quicker than I thought he would.  He completed his math workbook he was given to finish out the school year and it was truly a breeze for him.  He is doing fantastic with his homeschooling stuff.  I can now give him all the things he needs to complete and he can sit at the table to get them all done.  I love to see his independence, but it makes him seem so grown-up.  He even told on the bus today that he tries to "act like a grown-up person sometimes just to get practice."  He cracks me up.  There is no doubt in my mind that after this trip, my two little ones are going to be so much bigger.  I am enjoying them as much as I can while I can.  I have to remember to let them be little.

We built a castle to play princess and superhero in.

Perspective

There have been a lot of times on this trip that we have had to put things into perspective and then have to realize how lucky we are to live where we live.  I have a lot of little bits and pieces to write about tonight so hopefully it is not too confusing.  The first is about making a living.  I was talking to the physical therapists at the special needs school and found out that it is typical for a PT in Ecuador to make $4.00 per hour.  That is just mind blowing if you ask me!  Babysitters make more than that in the United States and don't have to support a family.  Their pay makes me realize how much I truly made as a PT in comparison.  The good thing is that food is a lot cheaper for the most part and many crops grow easily here all year.  Eduardo was telling us that Ecuador is one of the happiest places in the world because even in very poor areas, people have plenty that they can grow and eat right in their own yards.  Along the shores, when they have nothing else to eat they eat shrimp.  Not too bad if you ask me.  Unfortunately, another thing I have noticed is that clothes, shoes and toys are much more expensive.  I saw a toy Lucas received for Christmas in the store for $45 that I know was only $12 in the US!  When we think we are paying a lot for a toy in the future, I will remember the people trying to buy toys in Ecuador on a $4.00 per hour salary.

Another thing I have noticed here is that most people walk where they need to go.  People of literally all ages walk.  I have seen the very old and the very young walk long distances.  Strollers are not used often because the sidewalks are so uneven and so many people have to walk on them.  If you do own a car and have it out during certain times on certain days you can be penalized.  I think it is a great idea to help cut down on cars on the road.  When I told the people at the special needs school that I walk about 40 minutes in the morning, they said, "Oh, so you live close."  I would not say I live close, but to them that is not a long ways.  For me at least the walk is really pretty and enjoyable especially on the way home since I get to look at mountains.

Working with special needs children is always humbling.  They have to endure so much and yet are some of the sweetest most loving people you will ever meet.  It also always makes me so thankful for my two healthy kids.  These children here must also endure whatever disabilities they have with a lot fewer resources to make life easier.  There are no braces to be used for foot and ankle deformities unless someone donates them or you can make them from random pieces of plastic.  One little girl I work with has a clothes hamper on wheels that we use for a walker for her.  She also uses a wheelchair made by an organization out of a white plastic chair and bike tires.  None of the kids that come in a wheelchair have wheelchairs at home and they borrow used or makeshift ones while at the clinic.  We are lucky to be able to get wheelchairs so readily in the US and it makes me feel bad for all those times I complained that it took too long to get a child a chair or that it is unfair that a child has to wait at least five years to get a new wheelchair.  I should be thankful for all the wheelchairs I have been able to help children get no matter how long it took.

The last bit I want to talk about today is really just Lucas' perspective on food.  We were eating dinner tonight and he said something funny.  I said he was full on bologna.  He said, "Oh bologna sounds delicious!  Can have bologna?"  I guess we will be buying some bologna at the store this week!

Visa Registration

Today we had to go the office of the foreign registrar or something like that to register our Visas.  It was an experience much like spending the day in the Social Security office or the BMV.  No one wants to go there, but if you need something from there you go and bear the long lines and long waits and endure the "First you need this copy and then we can see you." And the "oh we forgot to tell you that you need this document too."  It is always an adventure.  We needed to go there today and we asked Maria, the contact person for the volunteer organization to help us get there and help with translation.  Without hesitation she said yes and spent most of the day standing in line with us and waiting in the waiting area for our number to be called.  We could not have done it without her.  Our day started out taking a 40 minute bus ride to New Town in Quito and waiting on the corner to be picked up by Maria and her husband.  They drove us to the one address they were given and Maria went in and checked and they gave her another address to go to.  We drove over there and then walked around a little until we could find it because the first place did not have an exact address for us.  When we found it somehow we were put in a really short line and they looked at our information and told us we needed copies of everything not the originals.  So we left there and went next door to get copies made.  We went back with our copies and got back in the short line.  They checked our papers and gave us a number.  We waited for about 45 minutes in which time Melayna decide she had to pee and would not stop yelling that she had to pee.  Luckily not very many people spoke English so we did not look like horrible parents not taking her since our number was next and we were not wanting to miss it.  During our wait, Maria double checked twice about what we needed and was told we needed a copy of something else which we only had three of the four and that we had to have a large manilla envelope.  We went outside where they sell the envelopes on the street knowing people will need them and bought one.  Then we went to make the other copies needed and realized we had them in the pile of papers already.  When our number was finally called we went to the window and waited for the guy to type all the information in for what felt like 20 minutes then paid our $16 and left.  We went to the restaurant next door to use the bathroom and had to pay $.25 per person to use it.  When all that was done we walked back to the bus stop and headed home for lunch.  Needless to say we took it easy the rest of the day.  A huge thanks to Maria, because that would have been a nightmare without her help.

Time for a Date

Today after church, I decided to take Lucas on a date and Matt had a special day with Melyana.  Lucas and I took the bus to the mall and walked around for a little while we waited for the movie to get started.  We played in the arcade and Lucas got to race four cars games for free because a little girl did not want to finish.  He was so excited!  He also spent twenty minutes in a jet ski game acting like he was playing it.  It amazes me what little things can keep his attention for so long.  After we played for a little while, we went to the movie theater to watch Frozen in Spanish.  That was interesting!  The movie theater was completely full with many families including quite a few with babies, but there was no crying.  That amazed me.  The nicest part was the movie was only $5.30 for both Lucas and myself.  Even though it was in Spanish we were able to follow the movie since we had seen it before and it was just as good in Spanish.  Lucas and I then took our time walking back to the bus stop and then home from the bus.  It is nice to let Lucas go at his pace sometimes and just enjoy his multitude of questions.  He is still at that age where he wants to hold my hand which I love also.

Matt and Melayna stopped at a little paneria on the way home to get good rolls.  Then they cuddled up and watched Cars 2 at home in English.  Then they had lunch together and read a few books.  It is especially nice for Matt and Melayna to get some time together since Melayna is becoming very much of a mama's girl although lately she will say "where is daddy?  I love him! " It is adorable.

I love going out on little dates with the kids and I think they enjoy them too.  It was nice to see so many families at the mall today too just spending time together.  Many were talking and eating ice cream, many were at the movies and many were just walking around together.  Almost all families, even those with older children and some teenagers were holding hands or had linked arms.  I saw the same thing at the park this weekend also.  I just love the focus on the family I see down here and hope to take that sentiment home with us.  We are definately getting closer every day we are down here.  Yet again another blessing of this trip.

La Ronda

We had another pleasant Saturday.  We headed out to the park to play and Matt and I worked out.  I ran for the first time since we got here and it was like breathing heavy air.  I guess I was not as acclimated to the elevation as I thought.  I had to take it slow, but it felt good to run again.  Lucas got in some soccer watching and Melayna checked out the waterfalls and water fountains as she ran by them.  We took it easy the rest of the day and colored, played with Play-Do, played cards and read books until we were picked up by Eduardo and Alexandra.  They took us to the oldest street in Quito. It is called Ronda.  Eduardo's father once lived on the street a long time ago.  It is now a beautiful little street with restaurants and little stores lining it.  It was raining a little bit and still people were everywhere enjoying the different places.  The architecture was beautiful with the balconies and overpasses and even the old brick road.  We went into a little restaurant and had hot chocolate and empanadas that were delicious.  We also had a local treat that I cannot remember the name of that was like custard on a cone with sprinkles.  We went into a cute little store with many little trinkets too.  We also went into a little restaurant and tried a drink called Agua Loca which literally means crazy water and Canelazo which is like a spiced cinnamon rum drink.  Both drinks were served warm and were very tasty!  The little place had a upper balcony-like area that we drank in which felt like a tree-house.  It was very charming.  Eduardo also bought a candy that his father used to buy that was a sweet sugary covered peanut.  I would have to say we were once again treated to wonderful company and great food and drink.  I can hardly wait to show off this area to my dad and brother because they will love it.  We are so lucky to have such great friends and "tour guides" showing us around Quito.  God definitely had His hand in introducing me to Eduardo and Alexandra last year at the beach.  Lucas took a few pictures in one of the restaurants.  I wish we could have taken more pictures, but the rain made it hard.  We will just have to visit it again, which is highly likely in the near future.

Family Fun Time

Snow Man

Don't want Play-Do in the nice shirt.

I guess he liked this picture.

Lucas liked this little boy's jacket.

The tree-house placed with crazy water.

Why Ecuador

One of my best friends from high school asked me to write about why we chose to come to Ecuador in particular and I thought that was a great idea.  So here goes.  Matt and I decided we wanted to do a mission trip early in our lives as I wrote in the first blog post.  When it came time to start the initial planning stages, I was pregnant with Melayna.  Matt was very busy with school at the time so while he worked on school work, I looked at possible places for us to volunteer.  I looked at Christian sites, Catholic sites and medical sites and Ecuador kept coming up as needing volunteers.  I knew I wanted to work with children so that narrowed my search.  We also knew we wanted to take Lucas and Melayna with us which further narrowed the search.  I was finding that many organizations would support an individual but not a family.  I kept running into dead end after dead end looking for places we could go.  I prayed about it every night.  One night while at a course for Physical Therapists I prayed particularly long about finding a place we could go as a family.  The next day at the course a girl stood up and talked about her pediatric clinic in Tena, Ecuador and how they desperately needed PT volunteers.  I thought we had our answer.  I conversed with the girl briefly at the course and then extensively through email for about six months.  As things unfolded, I came to find out the girl wanted Matt and I to possibly take over the clinic!  We were not equipped for that, but I wanted to go check it out.  Matt started talking to the teachers at the University of Kentucky and ended up talking to Lynn English who helps take groups of students to Ecuador three times a year.  She offered to let one of us go with the group and go check out the clinic.  I went with the group and after talking it over with Matt we decided that we would consider working at the clinic that UK serves and maybe taking a student for an internship, but not go to the clinic in Tena.  The trip was amazing, but I decided I did not want to take the kids to Santo Domingo and be so far from good healthcare.  It really felt like I was hitting another dead end.  While on the trip, I met a lady who worked for a bigger foundation in Ecuador called Timmy Global.  She said we could pursue working for them and live in Quito.  I looked into it when I got home and started the process of interviewing and sending resumes and having phone conferences with them.  We ended up finding out that they expected us to pay for everything on our own and that if we stayed in the volunteer house we would be on the fourth floor of a big house with a bunch of other volunteers sharing one kitchen.  We felt like that was just not a good fit for us and we would have had to have been separated the whole time with one person working while the other watched the kids.  It was not right either, so I continued to pray and one morning I found a volunteer site that offered to host families.  They work in many different areas of Ecuador in schools, homes for teenage mothers, day cares, farms and in the ocean.  The company is Ecovolunteer and they have been really good to us so far.  Matt is working at the clinic UK goes to still and we will be hosting a student so some of the plans stayed the same and this way we do not have to take the kids to Santo Domingo.  So when it comes down to it, it was answered prayers that led us to Ecuador.  It was a long process, but I feel we are in the right place.

Potty Training

I am baffled by my little girl and her potty training.  Nearly eight months ago Melayna sat on the little training potty and peed for the first time.  She was so thrilled, she continued to go in the pot nearly every time for two months.  Then all of the sudden she decided she no longer liked the potty and started going in her pants all the time.  We took a break from training and did not force the issue for a few weeks thinking our move to Alabama threw her off.  Then she started going sporadically in the pot as long as we were at home, but she would never tell us in public. Now we are stuck there and I do not know how to get past it.  Today was the first day in a long time she told me all day she had to go before she went in her pants until I was talking about how well she did with Matt and while I was talking she pooped in her pants.  I am not sure what is going on, but I hope she figures it out soon. Potty training is a marathon with our little lady I guess.  I am sure being in a new place is not helping matters either.  I think the whole concept of getting comfortable with a more important or pressing situation before dealing with something else really applies to all of us at all different ages.  It is like moving into a new house.  You often put working out, watching your favorite show, or finishing reading a book on a back burner while you set up tv, internet, electric and gas services.  There are many times in our life where we do this putting something off while we adjust to something new.  I realized earlier this week that I had done that with reading a Bible story to the kids every night.  We had forgotten to do something we did nonstop for almost a year.  As we settle in here more and more of this things keep popping up and I am vowing today to start them up again and get back to normal life.  So I guess I need to cut Melayna a little break and help her "remember" how to use the potty again.  Wish us luck and try to remember the everyday things that make life run smoothly when you are faced with a big change because they can make the change easier to adjust to.

I Love Technology

Well today my new nephew Holden Russell Weckesser was born and I was able to see him less than an hour after he was born through Face Time!  If it were not for the technology we have, it would have been at least a week before I would even see a picture of him through the mail.  He is beautiful and my sister looked great.  We also got to sing happy birthday to my other nephew who now shares a birthday with his brother.  Since we have been here in Ecuador, we have used email, Apple texts and/or Face Time every night.  We would be really missing family and friends if it were not for all these things.  We have gotten to sing to four people for their birthdays and just check in with people periodically.  I cannot even imagine doing this and not having such great contacts with people back at home.  I know many people are not as fortunate as we are and I thank God for allowing us to have this experience, but also keep our contacts at home.  Today we also had a thunderstorm and lost electricity and the first thing I thought of was my medication, then that I would not have access to the internet, then that we would not have hot water.  Luckily it came back on within 10 minutes.  God is really watching out for us.

I also wanted to post today about how excited I am to have my dad, my brother and his friend coming to visit in March.  In the grand scheme of things, Holden's birth fits right in with what I was going to write about originally.  I had planned to write about what an awesome family I have and how unwaveringly supportive they have been my whole life, but especially during this trip.  I get encouraging notes from someone everyday on Facebook or through this blog or my email.  They make my day.  My family supports each other through everything and does not miss a chance to be there for all the big moments and the small ones.  Today as Corrie was in labor, I received emails and texts every step of the way.  I felt like I was there.  Also when I was able to Face Time with Corrie, my family was all there and I saw the Weckesser side of the family there already too.  What a blessing that my sisters and I have married into such wonderful families that help extend the family we came from so seamlessly (My little brother hopefully will when he asks his wonderful girlfriend to marry him).  So I am ending today with a great big thank you to my immediate family and my extended family that goes out into amazing friends of mine and my parents and today especially for an old friend of my dad's that brought us Holden with such steady hands.  Thank you Dr. Banias.

Speech

Today I want to write about children and adults who are unable to speak.  At this point in my life, the closest I have been to being unable to communicate is now.  I do not speak Spanish fluently and therefore I struggle to communicate even basic sentences.  Now I am getting better every day, but I am still not proficient.  It is so extremely frustrating to have something to say and not be able to communicate that.  It is even worse when I try really hard to get a point across and feel like I am saying the right thing and still the other person looks lost.  I am guessing that is how people feel who are unable to communicate.  I know many of the children I have worked with would like to have said things to me, but they just couldn't.  They may have even cursed at me for making them do something that was hard.  The parents of these children wish desperately that their child could tell them what hurts, what they want or just say I love you.  I know exactly why 1-3 year olds get so frustrated sometimes.  They know what they want or what is bothering them and they can't get you to understand that.  I have a little guy I work with right now that can only say yes by closing his eyes tight and that is the only thing he can do to communicate.  You are still left guessing and asking yes and no questions to find out what he wants.  I am sure he is really frustrated many times.  It would be the same with adults after a stroke or with Lou Gerhrig's disease, who lose the ability to form the words but still have the ability to think clearly.  I hope I never have to deal with a true inability to communicate, and I hope that I can be more patient with those that cannot tell me what is going on with them.  So if you have someone in your life who is trying to tell you something, slow down and be more patient and you just might make a connection that can open up a new world for that person.

Simple Pleasures

Today I took notice of some simple pleasures.  The first was swimming.  At the special needs school today four boys were chosen to go "swimming".  I say that loosely because they were in a hot tub filled with cold water and they just sat down and went under and played for 45 minutes.  Eventually the water got semi-warm because of bodies in it, but they enjoyed in nonetheless.  They were so sweet all showing me their tricks they could do and going under to get their faces wet.  It was heartwarming to see such excitement for such a simple pleasure.  Then a little girl at the special needs school has been trying to give me her lunch every time I am there and I never say yes because I do not know what it is.  Today she offered a cookie from the package so I said yes and she lit up like a light!  It was adorable.  The simple pleasures continued after dinner when the little girl next door who is our host family's niece came over with her grandmother and asked Melayna to play in her room.  Melayna was in heaven playing with a bunch of new toys.  I hope those two can become good friends.  I think it would be wonderful.

On a side note that has nothing to do with simple pleasures except that we can be glad it was not us, we now have a roommate for the night.  Apparently two volunteers from Belgium were in the Galápagos Islands and the boy was skateboarding down a hill and broke his leg.  They have to go to the hospital in Quito tomorrow so they are staying with us tonight and maybe all week if his leg checks out to not be too bad.  They are very nice.  Let's hope he is ok and they can enjoy their stay.  The lesson today should be don't skateboard down a huge hill especially in a foreign country!

Churches

Today we tried out a new church.  It was much easier to walk to and a very friendly church.  The best part is that we did not have to walk up a mountain like last week.  The service was very nice and we had a guide to follow, which made understanding what was being said much easier.  After we went to Mass, we decided to go explore Old Town in Quito.  There was a lot to see and we only got to some of it, but it was really interesting.  There are stores everywhere with a variety of things.  One store was so packed full of shoes you could hardly even enter the store.  It kind of reminded me of a mixture of New Orleans and New York.  People were everywhere buying and selling things.  It was a gorgeous day and pretty much every corner had music either from a band or from a radio.  We saw the place where they are building a subway that is set to open in 2015 which will be nice.  There were bike riders everywhere and places for them to ride on the streets.  You could rent bikes at different places too which we may try one day.  We walked around to four different churches in the area and saw some really pretty buildings.  The thing we noticed the most in the churches was their devotion to religious icons.  Every church had people outside selling flowers, candles, rosaries and prayer cards to be place in front of the many icons inside the church.  Some of the churches did not allow pictures on the inside and the outsides could be mistaken for just another building so there are not as many pictures as I had hoped.  The most beautiful church was the Basilica.  It was mostly carved stone and it was huge.  It had really cool carvings on the outside too.  Lucas and Melayna would say that their favorite part was eating ice cream on the street, and the ice cream is only 50 cents so it was too cheap to pass up.  We had another fun day.

The Basilica

A pretty street

Santo Domigo Church

The Basilica

The Basilica

Turtles on the church.  Corrie I took this one for you.

The fountain in front of the Basilica

Pretty Fountain Square

Our new church

Soccer

Here in Ecuador soccer or I should say futbol is a way of life.  People of all ages and skill levels play soccer everywhere.  I even noticed this fact when I was here in Ecuador in May of last year.  Everywhere you look there is a soccer goal or a soccer field.  Even in the poorest of communities they have found ways to make soccer goals out of sticks or old pipes.  There are soccer goals on the beaches too and they are always being used.  We went to the park by our house again today and everyone had soccer balls and families were playing all over the grassy areas.  There was a constant stream of games being played back to back on the field next to the park with players of all ages and skill levels.  Lucas and Matt played for a long time taking turns being goalie.  I think we may have a goalie in the making!  He loves to dive for the ball and is actually getting pretty good.  He is kicking a lot harder now and he still thoroughly enjoys the game.  As soon as he finished playing soccer with Matt he went over to the fence to watch the game being played.  I had to pry him away from the game when he had to leave for dinner.  Also as soon as we get back to the host family's house, he asks us to put on a soccer game.  He LOVES every minute and seeks out a game or even just replays of goals constantly.  He even picked the restaurant for lunch in the mall today based on if they were playing a game or not.  He cracks me up.  I think Ecuador's love for soccer has gotten into his blood.  Melayna on the other hand, has taken to running.  She loves to run around the track, around the lake, around me or Matt, do races or just run to one place and run back.  She is quite fast too for such a little thing.  Almost the entire time she runs, she giggles.  Her run is like a prance too which makes it even cuter.  When she does join in the soccer playing, she can actually kick quite well and she always yells, "GOAL!" if she kicks it.  It is a joy to watch them play with such enjoyment of their activities.  The thing I take from today is to love what you do and do what you love, and don't give up on anything that makes you happy even if others tell you that you are not good at it.

Lucas took this one

He also took this one

The view from the park is like this on all sides

Me and my girl

Another view from the park

She stopped running just long enough for a photo

A cool waterfall at the park

Soccer with a mountain to look at in the distance

My little soccer fan

Mothers

Today's post is obviously about mothers.  I have been doing a lot of people watching lately on the bus, in the stores and on the streets.  Here many mothers literally carry the weight of the family on their backs.  I have seen many mothers walking the streets, working in stores, cooking, cleaning and working in the fields with their baby or toddler tied to their backs with a sheet.  I have seen mothers and even older ladies with huge sacks of rice or corn on their backs or crates full of fruit and vegetables walking back from the store.  Our host mother does most of the cooking, cleaning and shopping for the family.  Not to say the men don't work hard, because believe me they are literally work horses, evidenced in the fields, buses, stores and especially with the men building a patio cover at our host family's house, but tonight's post is about mothers.  The women of Ecuador are amazing.  They seem to work hard all day and never tire and smile most of the time.  They don't seem to get angry with their children, and they tend to their needs in an instant.  On the bus I have seen so many nurturing women and they often give up their seat so the kids and I and other mothers can have a seat.  They help the kids and I get onto the bus often too.  I cannot say enough good things about these women.  The biggest things I have seen though is the amount of time these women spend with their children and enjoy it.  Walking slowly and talking, playing and soothing and just being with their kids.  This is the first time in my life that I have been able to spend this extended amount of time with my kids and I am taking notes from the Ecuadorian women and trying to slow down and savor these precious times.  My mother was able to stay home with us when we were kids and I remember loving to go to Shoup park or to John Bryan park or to Idle Hour and just spending the day playing with my mom.  I also remember my mom saying she did not like when school started again because that meant our summer fun time was gone.  I didn't realize how lucky I was until I didn't have that time with my own children for a while and then was able to stay home with my kids in Alabama and now in Ecuador.  I am blessed to have such amazing role models here and at home in Ohio.  Thank you mom for worrying about us, but we are in great hands.  My lesson from the day is to slow down and enjoy my family every day, which is not hard to do if you have ever walked anywhere with Lucas.  He knows how to move slow and take it all in, asking a thousand questions and really soaking up what you say.  That is one of his precious gifts.

On a side note, I wanted to tell this sweet story about Melayna today.  The host father walked by Melayna tonight and rubbed her head on his way out, and as he walked away Melayna said, "I think he likes me!"  Got to love her.

The Little Markets

One of the things I have come to love about Ecuador is all the little markets and bakeries.  The kids and I will be walking somewhere and this delicious smell will fill the air as we walk past a little one-room bakery with bread and pastries that are so delicious.  My kids could live on bread if I let them and with the way it smells, I am tempted to buy it every time.  There are also fresh fruit markets everywhere we go.  While walking home today we stopped in and bought the sweetest pineapple I have ever eaten for $1.25.  What more could you ask for, fruit and bread as fresh as could be on the walk home?  The market we went to today had so many fruits and veggies I have never seen before I have to do some research before I buy them, but I think we will be stopping there often.  We also passed a shoe repair shop and Lucas asked if he could take his slipper there to get the hole fixed.  I thought it was so sweet.  The kids and I had another good day at the daycare.

Matt said he saw a few patients today and things went well.  He saw one patient with muscle wasting to the extreme.  He only has muscles in his hands and feet and his face.  Some of the PTs that came on the brigade to Ecuador in May last year saw him too.  Even though he has no muscles in his trunk, he was still able to get into standing and walk some.  It appears he has lost those abilities now and only crawls in a crab position now.  This man, I think teaches us two big things.  The first is not to take our functional abilities for granted and second is to not let out limitations keep us from doing anything.  We are learning so much here about life.  I just hope we will be able to have an impact back on the community after all it is teaching us.

Another Beautiful Day

Today was probably the warmest day so far here and it did not rain at all.  I think it was close to 80degrees.  The kids and I were at the daycare again today.  It is always so nice to go to a place and have people be glad you are back.  All the workers and the kids were happy to see us and some kids even came up to hug us.  I think they are starting to warm up to us.  Today we saw a lot more structured work being done in the classroom we were in.  Melayna and Lucas were able to finger paint with the other kids and I think they really enjoyed it.  Lucas took the camera and took a bunch of pictures today too.  He really loves taking pictures.  The daycare kids were amazed by the fact that they could see the pictures right after Lucas took them and kept crowding around him to see them.  He liked all the attention.

Matt had another try with the taxi and it did not come this morning because the driver did not know where the address was and tried to call the director of our program and she did not have service.  She set up another taxi for him and it was over an hour later than it said it would be, but he got there safely.  He saw 4 clients today and he said 3 of them were kids.  He said he wished I had been there to help, but talking to him, I think he did great with them.  He has been really lucky at the clinic in Santo Domingo because everyone has been so helpful especially with translation.  His other host family is very nice also and the mother of the family wants to practice her English with Matt and then he can practice his Spanish.  He is excited to get started.  They invited him down for tea tonight too which helps expose him to Spanish more.  So all in all, another great day.

One side of the view

The other side of the view

The classrooms

Cafeteria

Lucas wanted a picture of the cool cow

Finger painting

Our host house courtyard

Part of the walk to work

Family fun

Today seemed like a regular day in the Day family.  I think that is a good thing.  Matt took the kids to the park all morning, and I went to the school for kids with special needs and was able to work with a really sweet little boy with cerebral palsy.  It felt like being back in Lexington working with one of my sweet clients.  I really love being a pediatric Physical Therapist.  I was also able to talk about how we treat clients in the US as compared to the way they do it here in Ecuador.  It is really similar except for the lack of paperwork and written goals and the amount of time they are allowed with each client.  There is really no schedule and no pressure to get paid.  It makes your treatment so much more personal and relaxed.  I wish it could be a little more like that in the US.  I worked on my Spanish a lot today with the staff and even got some compliments on the amount of Spanish I have picked up.  I am getting more confident every day but have a far ways to go.

After work, I came home for lunch and got to listen to Lucas doing school work.  He is really catching on and doing well.  Both he and Melayna try to use Spanish a lot even in their play now.  We had dinner with the host family and talked with them for a little while and then we came back to our apartment and drew pictures together.  Melayna drew the beach and Lucas drew himself in the sun with hearts everywhere.  I think they are settling in too.  Tonight Matt was reading to the kids and then told them he would see them Friday.  Melayna then said, "you go to mingo?"  I think she was asking if he was going to Santo Domingo, but it made me think about my Pappap Vuck calling me a hamburg from Mingo Junction.  I sure do miss him, my Grandma Vuck and my Pappap Dorsch.  I was blessed with such am amazing family.  So I guess the lesson I take from today is enjoy your loved ones and take time to be with them because they are only ours for a short time.  I love all my friends and family and thank you for your support.

As a side notes, to clear up yesterday's post for my little brother, a BOSU is a half ball you use for balance and strengthening with a firm base, and Hippotherapy is not on hippos.  It is therapy with children on horses.  Happy birthday baby brother!

My first day in the special needs school

Today I went to the special needs school and was able to do some physical therapy.  It was a really nice day.  I worked with a therapist named Diego.  He works with the children in the morning and in a clinic for sports medicine in the evening.  He was very patient with my Spanish and he spoke slowly for me so I could understand.  He does not speak English, but we were able to talk all day so I guess I am getting a little better at Spanish.  I was very pleased to see how the school is run because they really care for the kids and adults that are there and treat them respectfully.  The lunch experience was very calm and not rushed which I really liked too.   The PT area has a lot of really nice equipment like a treadmill. stationary bike, BOSU, whirlpool, steps, trampoline and even a therapy suit and the cage with pulleys for it.  No clinic I have worked in has had the cage before.  I will be doing hippotherapy with the children also once a month, which will be a lot of fun.  I met another volunteer this morning who is from Denmark.  Her name is Anya.  I will be working with her for nine weeks.  She is very sweet, but knows very little Spanish.  I was able to translate some for her today which made me feel good about my Spanish skills.  We will be walking to the school together which will make the walk go by faster.

While I worked, Matt took the kids to the mall and the supermarket and got some snack foods.  He said riding the bus is getting so much easier now that we have done it so many times.  I guess we are settling in.  After working, I was able to have lunch while Matt and Lucas worked on school work.  Lucas is doing very well with his school work and learning a lot.  I even heard him playing with action figures and saying"Muy bien!"  He has also taken to playing paper football and we play every day pretty much.  Today it did not rain in the afternoon or evening so we went out to the courtyard and played soccer all together and then took a short walk.  It was a very relaxed and peaceful day.

Home schooling

Our First Church Experience

Today started out as the most beautiful and hot day here so far.  We walked to a local park that had all kinds of fun things to do.  It had a big pool with a water slide, bouncy house, a zip line, playground equipment, little rides, food vendors, running and walking tracks and paths, basketball and soccer areas.  We even got to watch a little bit of a soccer game going on.  The kids had fun, but they were still tried from yesterday so we did not stay long.  It is nice to know there is such a nice place so close and I am sure we will be visiting it often.

Our host mother and I had a broken Spanish discussion this morning and I came to the conclusion the best church to go to had mass at 5:30PM so we made plans to go to church then.  The church was only about 2 miles away, but it was pretty much straight up a mountain!  On the way there, Matt pushed the kids in the big double stroller.  Well the sidewalks leave a lot to be desired and are not passable in many places without carrying the stroller.  It was feat just getting there. Of course, la masi (the mass) was all in Spanish so we did not know what was being said, but it was beautiful and I did understand that we are supposed to share the love of Jesus with all people.  I hope that is what I was supposed to get from it.  During mass the sky opened up and it starting pouring down rain.  As mass ended we decided it was not going to let up any time soon so we decided to start the long walk home.  It rained hard the whole way.  Matt carried the stroller which was another feat.  The kids were amazing and never fussed about anything.  We were soaked to the bone, so we all changed into our pajamas and ate dinner.  I have to say dinner in jammies is really a great way to go.  We watched the end of the Chargers vs Broncos game and then time for bed.  Today the lesson I am taking from the day is that simplicity can be so rewarding we just have to sit back and realize the good in it.

The beautiful view at the park

Lucas took a picture of the park.  He is becoming a little photographer.