marisol learned how to ride a bike today! we had gym and then recess, so she spent a solid hour and a half getting the hang of it. we got 2 bikes for christmas - one with training wheels, and one without. she mastered the one with training wheels but with the unpaved streets and huge potholes it wasn't too easy to make the jump from training wheels to no training wheels. someone else was using the other bike, so she picked up the one without training wheels and i helped her get started. i would hold on to the back and run with her and try to let go when i thought she wouldn't fall....i had a flashback of my dad helping me learn how to ride a bike! and then when she started getting it on her own i was SO PROUD of her. she just never gave up and after an hour and a half pretty much had it down! it was very exciting and she was thrilled.
here's a video...


this is tonio and his story from a couple days ago. it was not easy for him but he did a great job!



jose and alex working together. jose spends a lot of time writing the same 6 or so letters with his stencil and doesn't usually want to do anything else. one of the men who works here has become his adopted 'dad,' and so i asked jose if he would rather write a note to luis asking him to buy a lollipop or something. he was SO excited and decided he wanted to ask him to buy a motorcycle too. this is what that note said: papa, please buy me a motorcycle and a lollipop. love, jose. alex helped him find the right letters; it was precious!



marcos skyped with becky (used to work here but is in costa rica at language school and will be back in may) tonight and he came to my house to talk to her! he was very distracted but was so cute talking to her.