i took ruben, pilar, sergio and emiliano to school on monday! it was amazing. AMAZING!

first, some background. i got an email from jan telling me about how this school had been discovered. it was maybe 20 minutes from gabriel house, right next to the university between maneadero (where gabriel house is) and downtown ensenada. angelica and pancho, the supervisors of gabriel house, had brought the kids (including nene) to a meeting with the school's administrative staff and some teachers to see if it would be a good fit for them. it was, and they planned to start the kids the following week.

ed and jill knox got to gabriel house at the same time i moved to san diego. they're staying at gabriel house for a year and bring some incredible gifts that will be a huge blessing.

i got to gabriel house on sunday night. the boys were still at church so i spent some time with the other kids, rocking and singing them to sleep. it was so great! i rarely did that when i was living there because most of the time i was asleep before the kids were!

i got up to the big house the next morning around 7 and sergio, ruben, and pilar were sitting on the big armchair looking so stinkin' adorable. they had matching uniforms, backpacks, little snacks for "lonche" and were so excited they could hardly sit still.

ed came and we loaded them up in his car...i think this was one of the few times these guys have been in a small car. the only thing that stopped me from putting the child lock on was ruben's face as he realized that he was the one making the window go up and down over and over and over again. it was hilarious!

i could NOT believe when we pulled up to the school. it's literally right next door to the main university campus in ensenada which a lot of my friends (including eliseo) go to, across the street from the hospital (where i spent a lot of time last year...).

we walked through the gate and saw tons of kids with all different kinds of disabilities (but mostly Down's Syndrome) playing before school started. parents were there, talking with each other and the teachers as they dropped their kids off.

he was SOOO sick of me taking pictures. i couldn't help it - i was really excited! he was too....it just doesn't show here :)

since it was monday, the students have a flag ceremony where they salute the flag and sing the national anthem (one of the longest...ever). there was a whole class of students signing the song. in sign language! spanish sign language! it was beautiful. all i could think of was alex, jose, and tonio and how awesome it would be to watch them do that...

the students were standing with their classes and went through this whole routine with the p.e. teacher after the flag ceremony. sergio and ruben got SO excited when the music came on and started dancing (with perfect rhythm, might i add). pilar was kind of over it, but it had been at least 20 minutes of the flag ceremony and listening to the director speak. i was impressed that she lasted as long as she did.
the director was talking about how the secretary of education (i couldn't figure out if it was for ensenada, all of baja, or all of mexico. i think just ensenada) was coming at the end of the week to see how the school was doing and how she had promised to help them fix up their playground and bathrooms.

after the morning stuff, the social worker (yes, this school had a social worker!) showed pilar and ruben to their classroom and then sergio to his. pilar and sergio's teacher thought it would be best if ed and i stayed out of the classroom so that he could observe them independently, and i knew sergio would be fine so he went alone to his class. i think i got a taste of what it will be like to take my own kids to school for the first time...i wasn't ready to let them go yet! i knew this was an incredible opportunity and of course i wanted them to be in schoolm but i wanted just a couple more minutes with them. i wanted to tell them to behave well, and respect their teachers, and make a good first impression, and not to worry if it seemed hard because theyw oudl have lots of chances to do well, and that i was so proud of them and knew they would do great in school....

the school psychologist (i know...it keeps getting better. they have a school pysch!) and i talked for a little while about ruben and pilar and what school was like when i was with them, some of their habits and characteristics etc.

ed had to go back to the car for something, so after i spied on the kids and saw they were doing awesome, i stood between their classrooms and just started crying. i mean...i was in the middle of one huge answer to prayer. and all of the little things where one led to another and eventually ended up to 5 of our kids attending public school was just a little overwhelming.

once the kids were settled in their classrooms and i got over myself, i went into the office to see if i could get some more info about the school since i wasn't at the initial meeting. the secretary was there (there were two secretaries!) and we talked for awhile. i asked her if it was a private school and she said no no! we're a public school, funded by the government. from what i understand, it sounds kind of like a charter school. she said the government gives the school a certain amount of money and the parents come up with the same amount so that together they have twice as much. she was very clear in explaining that the parents don't pay for the school, but rather they give the money so the government can match it. not sure what the difference is but it may have been lost in translation. the amoutn per child is about 350 pesos which comes out to less than $26! she told me the school has been running for over 40 years and has been in the building it's in now for 28. i asked if the teachers came from the university next door and she said oh no! no no, these are specialists. SPECIALISTS! meaning they have advanced degrees in specific disabilities. classes are about 8 to 10 students depending on the disability, and lot of classrooms have aides. there's a school for kids ages 0 to 6 across the street that emiliano goes to, and then there's a school a bit farther away for kids ages 15 to 22 that teaches them life skills. LIFE SKILLS!!! like car mechanic stuff, cooking, carpentry, etc. all three of these are government funded public schools. i was blown away. and began scheming...

school is usually from 8 - 12 but for the first week they'll go from 8 - 10 to ease into it slowly. goodness knows they need the time outside of gabriel house and around peers but it's a lot all at once, and we don't want them to have any negative connotations with school if we can help it.

when i went to pick up ruben and pilar, i asked the teacher how it went. he said "good." and i said no really, how did it go? and then he smiled and said do you really want to know? and i was like yes! he said ruben and pilar fought a lot and didn't really listen. i told him how i was their teacher for a year and they've had lots of people come for different amounts of time...and with each teacher progress is made, but once that person leaves, the kids regress little by little. it's sad and frustrating but unfortunately it's how it is. i told him how they live with about 30 other kids who have disabilities that are more severe than theirs, and that sometimes it's all our staff can do to feed and change diapers of the kids who can't do it for themselves. because of that, ruben and pilar are left to their own devices a lot of the time, which results in them fighting to get what they want and having the run of the house. personally, i think they're very well behaved considering all of that, but there's definitely a lot of room for improvement. it's also hard because both of them can make sounds and communicate, but it's in their own language that i wish so desperately i could understand! they think they're saying something that everyone else should understand and then get frustrated when people don't respond the way they expect them to, based on what they "said." i told the teacher they need patience and persistence and they'll be just fine. he agreed and seemed to know what i was talking about...but that situation could definitely use prayer! we're trying to get them in different classrooms, which i think will help a lot.

all of the rooms look great (and a lot like what you would find here!). every student's name is on the board with his or her classroom job, there are calendars to practice the date, fall decorations are up, student projects are hung around the room, and on and on. so exciting.

sergio's classroom...

in the afternoon we took emiliano to school, but the teacher said it was time for us to not stay. ed had been staying for the full two hours and watching, but he's ready to be on his own. she said eventually he'll be there for the full 4 hours, which is awesome.

overall, incredible. huge answer to prayer and an emotional day and a half! please continue to pray for the kids as they settle in to school, that the transportation situation is figured out, and how to make this an opportunity for other kids at gabriel house as well.

more to come soon :)

at the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of the year, there are a lot of things i could be. this time, though, i choose to be thankful.

for her laugh as we sing her favorite song for the thousandth time.

for having the chance to trust adults again.

for a passionate and caring teacher.

for new rooms.

for brand new wheelchairs and a happy boy.

for women with beautiful hearts.

for willing helpers.

for brothers that get along.

for luz and estella, who met us at church after working a 12 hour shift with the kids.

for such good role models for my boys.

for heart stealers, even if it makes it impossible to say bye.










for retirees who still have lots of love to give.










for progress that's been made.

and for the chance i've had and still have to be part of it!

wooo hooo today was crazy busy! i took pily, ruben, and josue for a walk in the morning, where we stopped at the store for some juice and then went to visit the friendly neighborhood horse. everyone has one around here. i had visions of pily's fingers getting bitten off as she fed it some leaves, so that didn't last very long.

later josue and i went to calimax to buy some dessert! the kids love me, i promise, even though i give them bananas for dessert.



alex, jose, and tonio came to the apartment afterschool. they saw the dirty dishes piled up in the sink (oops) and begged, like literally - hands clasped together, pleading with me - to wash them. i was like well, i mean, i'm not really sure....okay! anything that makes them happy! and if it makes me happy too, well, that's just perfect.

i had dinner with dan and ivey tonight - love them! they have great hearts and are so passionate about what they do at the ranch. after that i met up with rocio and briana! this is the happiest baby i have EVER seen. she was all smiles and laughs and is crawling! at 8 months! rocio is such a good mom and is doing really well. she's still in beauty school - her mom takes care of briana in the morning while she's at school. it was soooo good to see them.

a new addition was being put on to the kitchen while i was still here, and one of the two rooms was finished by the time i left. now the second room is finished, which means the old baby room is now empty. this equals a play room, no wheelchairs allowed! i brought pily in with a couple of other kids...she was standing in front of me, so i asked her to smile as i took a picture. she immediately drops to all fours, sticks her leg up in the air, and looks at me expectantly, waiting for the picture to be taken. i was laughing so hard i could barely take the picture!

we spent at least 2 hours on the trampoline today...so good for these kids and their abundant energy.

tonio is has such a beautiful heart and loves, loves, loves to hold babies.

we played outside all afternoon...it was beautiful! we've been having lots of fun. i brought most of the kids from the big house outside this afternoon since i kind of felt like i was neglecting them....the talkers and walkers tend to dominate my attention. eek.
it makes me really sad, though, for some of these kids who need a consistency that just isn't here right now. there are so many good things happening, there really are. school, for one, and a teacher who cares about her students is nothing short of a miracle in this country, where kids with disabilities don't get to go to school. but some of the kids, especially josue, really need someone to be here all the time. people have made significant progress with josue to the point where he's been able to control his behavior and responds well to adults. every time his mom takes him home for the weekend, though, it's like we take 3 steps back. he comes back and is a nightmare. he seeks attention in the worst ways, doesn't listen to anyone, is so up and down with his emotions at the drop of a hat, and is just miserable. it's so hard for him and it comes out in such an ugly way. it breaks my heart to think about what happens when he's home and what a struggle that would be for anyone to jump between lives, let alone an 8 year old with major disabilities who is basically non verbal but doesn't get that no one understands him.
i just want to fix it. i know i can't and i know there are more effective things i can do...but he needs help. pray for him.

always a good sign - empty wheelchairs and a happy marcos. i hosted the social event of the year - floor time with hilary - up at the big house this morning. hehe. my spanish is coming back quickly but not instantly, and humor is hardest for me to translate. you'll have to deal with it coming out in the blog, you english speakers :)

then i brought kiddos down to my apartment to spoil their dinner and make a mess. i had to get a picture of alex with his face COVERED in chocolate. from hot chocolate, mind you. love this kid.

skyping with adele/my parents! they loved that.

who knew how happy someone could be with lemonade in a coffee mug.

saddest part of the day...i went to rocio's to see her and the baby. i turn the corner by her house and it's destroyed. all that's left are four walls. broken windows, piles of wood in the front yard, and absolutely nothing inside. the wrough iron fence was even gone. i was really, really scared for a minute, but then i asked her neighbor if he knew where she was. he said something about an earthquake and them living 'over there.' super helpful, so that was great. i talked to her dad though and she and i are going to try to get together tomorrow. i seriously don't know what i did before a cell phone. neither of us have one and it is a paaaaain.
some good came out of it when i stopped at my favorite tamale stand on the way home...tuinki wasn't there but i did have a strawberry tamale for the first time. very interesting. i'll stick to my green chicken and corn i think.

i don't know how i did this for a year. i'm pooped. can't even keep my eyes open.

well...i'm back! it's kind of surreal. actually a lot. everything has changed, but at the same time nothing has changed, if that makes sense. saw krista last night (yay!) and made it to church in ensenada this morning. it was so awesome walking in and seeing everyone...friends, parents of friends, people that are like family...josue, cande's son, was there for the first time since this summer, and his son is 5 months old! when josue's hair was long, these two were identical.

a bunch of people went to cande's house for lunch. i guess you could call it a fish fry, since he fried fish, as you can see. he also sang a song about lifting his hands as he splashed oil on the fin which made it slowly go up to a 90 degree angle...
so good to see them!

walking up to gabriel house was weird...i was like sick to my stomach! it was probably just the anticipation, although i guess it could have been the fish hahaha. i came around the corner and teddy, marcos, josue, ruben, and pily started yelling my name, which is just about the best homecoming ever. the rest of the night was chaos as usual. new rooms are finished, there's a new boy, lots of new staff, new ideas, new progress that some of the kids have made...you get the idea.

my baby! i spent an entire year trying to get a picture with jamie where he's a - looking and the camera and b - smiling. i never came close, and then this is the first picture i take! i walked up to him and he goes 'ama!' - his way of saying mama. love him.

nene helped feed jamie at dinner. obviously it was a group effort with roles to be played by all :)

i'm exhausted and overwhelmed. off to bed for a full day tomorrow!