Communication is Key!

It takes a village but I think we are making a lot of progress in just three days!! Today was even better than yesterday as far as minimal meltdowns. I would like to take responsibility but I can’t. Alejandra is responding to reasoning and lack of attention during her melt downs. Today during both brief episodes either Ruth or my Spanish instructor were here to back me up on telling her that she needs to behave and be polite. They are able to say things to her that I can’t, even the most simplest reasoning. Hearing it from another adult helps anyway. So what would have been major drama was 3 minutes of me clinching my jaw wondering what would happen. And luckily, all was well. She went to her little preschool in the morning for two hours which she LOVES. The rest of the day was with me ( arts and crafts, 500 books, stroll around town trying to download docs for the embassy) until this evening we hung out with friends for about and hour. Bed time routine is amazingly easy. She seems very eager to have this routine and go to bed. Lots of hugs and kisses today and just smiling eyes were a huge reward. She is very eager to learn counting and writing her name. She truly has an engineers mind. She has to figure it out herself and do it herself. The other key is structure. I think she craves it, so now our days are divided up into little blocks of time. On the paperwork front, we were submitted to the embassy today and the big question is..will they issue Pink Appt. in 48 or 72 hours? I keep hearing conflicting reports. I will count on 72 and then some probably. So onward!!! Thanks for all of your many prayers and thoughts…it is definitely working!!! Antigua is truly a simple life. I don't really know the stats but the town is very small. It takes me about 20-25 minutes to get to the other side, walking of course. I like walking everywhere..to the market, to get coffee, to run to the bank. All of the streets are either a rough cobblestone type or a very broken concrete or dirt. The jogging stroller I bought from the woman before me is remarkable. I think I am atleast the third generation and that thing is TOUGH. We have been over everything in it!! The people here are all very nice and seem to enjoy having foreigners in their town. Ruth rides her bike down a huge and very steep, rutty dirt road from a neighboring town to get here. Her bike must weigh about 50lbs with no gears, going up is home is all up hill. She arrives immaculate everyday with a huge smile, willing to help in any way she can. She lives with her husband, daughter and son. Her other daughter lives in Antigua with her husband and the first grandchild, Myelli (Michelle). Every Sunday they have lunch together, her husband has lived all his life here and his family before him ect. They are incredible people making a lovely life out of practically nothing material. They have two parrots, three dogs and two cats. Lunch with them last Sunday was a very special treat. We looked through family photo albums, talked about the families she has worked for ect. Ruth's youngest daughter spoke very good english so we talked for most of the time. I just absolutely admire Ruth and how she lives, her values, character and incredible work ethic. This time has been an experience I could have never imagined and it continues to open my eyes to things I have been too busy in my own life to see. Ok, enough rambling (too much caffine tonight). More to come!!