they want to be loved

there are many children here at casa hogar and the littlest ones are the easiest to love. they just are. some of the 10-12 year olds that are more energetic and have fun and loud personalities are also easy to love because you see them all the time. there are some kids that dont get recognized though. most of those kids are the older crowd of boys, ages 12 and up. for whatever reason i just connected with some of those boys last summer. jorge calixto (13), jorge(14), jonathan(14), roberto(14), lalo(13), and omar(15)- they are great and unique and i love hanging out with them. a lot of times they will just come and sit by me and we don´t have to say anything... we can just sit there. we can have a conversatoin or not... they will just sit there. they need attentiona and recognition. yesterday lalo came out and showed me his sketch book... he is amazing! he smiled as i looked through it and asked questions and things like that. he wanted to be recognized. later my jorge (calixto) asked me to help him with his homework... of all things... math. (not my strong subject to say the least). but i helped him and then he explained to me things about his grade point average and how he needs certain grades for this and that. the kid is so smart and i told him so. he wanted recognition. that same day roberto gave me a paper to look at. i was confused but opened it and it had a 10 written on at the top! as i complemented him he just smiled. he wanted to show me his grades and be recognized. i love these kids and they need people to love on them and praise them for their accomplishments. as hard as it is to be here sometimes those are the moments i love... the ones that make the kids feel special, unique, and appreciated.

This week so far

I had construction duty one day this week and most of the American teams struggle with two things. 1. They want to do cement- not moving tiles. Which I might add... those tiles have been moved a thousand times in the past 4 years. I know because Orangewood moved them at least three times a couple years ago. So, the team wants something more significant to do. Well, let me tell you, they don't know it but making and moving cement in Mexico is not that exciting, fun, and definitely not easy. 2. Americans want to give 120% the first day. They are running the tiles to the finish point. They have four more days or construction... take your time and don't kill yourself (is what I want to say). Americans want to be quick and efficient. Well, in Mexico, quick and efficient are not on top of the priority list. It will get done eventually and thats ok. The whole building isn't going to be up by the end of the summer. Moving on...
The kids.
Kevin (6 yrs) is a little boy that said absolutely nothing last year. Not a word. This year he is talking! Amazing. I was holding his hand as we were walking to craft the other day and he kept giving me kisses on my hand. :) He is a little softer around the edges this year too.
Gaudencio (7 yrs), bless his heart, had a rough day two days ago. Kevin decided to chuck a frisbee and poor Guadencio was staning about a foot away, in the line of fire. So, Guadencio gets hit and starts crying. I ran over and scooped him up and after he stopped crying he was happy to sit in my lap. Later I came up some stairs and he was crying again! And so I scooped him up and we just sat there and I held him. He likes to be held when he is hurt. Some of the younger ones don't.
I brought out sudoko again and Monse and I played. Then Uriel came up and saw what we were doing and made a comment. Uriel is 13 and he is an intelligent, quiet, independent boy. He is not one that really comes out and plays with the teams or hangs out with the inters. He has probably said a handful of words to me ever and he sat down and we started playing sudoku! Then Jorge Calixto came and went and it was still Uriel and I. So, when it was time to go to be I let him borrow the book. It is funny how something in common can bring two people together.
Well, today is my day off. So, I am resting and then it's back to work tomorrow.

I am here

i arrived saturday with two other interns- beka and mandy. mandy has been here before for a year before. it was not the feeling of nervousness that i had last year coming. i didn´t have a fear of getting lost or not being able to speak any spanish. and myrtille (she does everything and is in charge of the interns), in her infanite wisdomm said that the interns did not have to do the walmart bus trip. every year the interns are dropped off at walmart and told to get back to casa hogar.... not exciting... so that is two years in a row that i didn´t have to do that! there is no one here long term- so it is just the summer interns. it feels kind of weird because aaron was here last year and was in charge. but at least mandy and i have been here before so we know what to do.
i got to casa hogar and it was funny to see how the kids greeted me. jorge calixto and chucho gave me hugs and smiles. lupe and blanca sat there while i hugged them. dani looked at me quizzically and then said - i remember you! roberto got back to casa hogar late that evening and just came smiling and gave me a big hug. then in came lalo and his brother, omar.... probably two of my most favorite people ever! i was so glad to see them and they were glad to see me.
so Sunday we went to church and we crammed... and i mean crammed in the bus. i think we had 50-60 people in a bus that sat 20 comfortably. on the way it was... do i dare say a pleasant ride? i got to sand up right by the window and i got a great breeze until we stopped. gama was smart and sat on top of the chair beside me so he could ge t the wind too. on the way to and from the beach big jorge made sure he saved me a seat and so i had to sit down. so what is some more sweat added to everything else?
i spent a lot of yesterday just observing. one of the little ones, andres, kept coming to me with a piece of fabric with something in it. he would tell me it was icecream or something and then squeal with delight when i opened it and was so surprised that it was a fruit seed. i also brought the sudoku out and liz sat on my lap while monse and i played.
wednesday i have my day off. mrytille said i could come to her house and wash close and spend the day there. so, i will probably be able to write tomorrow night or wendesday.