Tomorrow is Friday!!!

9/15/11

Good Evening!

It is a beautiful warm Thursday in San Benito. 

The last two weeks have passed so quickly and not a post has been written...my apologies. 

This past Friday was one of the most magical yet. We always attempt to do something fun to celebrate a hard work week. We have been heading out to the island, and each time has held something new, different, or exciting. There were no fireworks (these ended the week before, Labor Day weekend), but there was a night swim on a very vacant beach on South Padre Island. The Moon was having fun with the ocean and we had the opportunity to play within the bantering waves. Sarah, Cecilia, Allie, Tizoc and myself let our skin soak in the salt for over an hour before running, dancing, and somersaulting on the sandy dunes until late in the eve. After realizing we had drifted about 1/2 a mile from our original beach towel location, we traversed a lengthy return that involved some wonderful imagination. Wish you all were with us...it was rather bewitching.

In remembrance of the ten year Anniversary of September 11, I would like to offer the reading suggestion of “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer. It offers a sad review of a father and friend, lost in a Tower. 

To catch up, I must not forget to fill you in on the teacher’s details. This past Sunday was, by far, the most stressful yet. Grades for the students in IDEA, Sarah’s classes, and for the students in A. Leal Elementary, Ceci’s classes, were due on Monday. The weekend was full of grading, documenting, and tracking....not to mention paper, stacking up everywhere (See notes 1 and 2). 

Note 1: Sarah is using laminated color sheets for much of her quizzes. She's preeeeety awesome. :)

Note 2: We found a wonderful Recycling Center in Harlingen that literally unloads you car and sorts commingled recyclable items. I was somewhat wary the first visit due to the appearance of the shady drive-through warehouse, there were about seven larger rough gentlemen awaiting my little Fit and waving me into the port. Yes, a murder movie set-up. The incident ended quickly, no pun intended, as the men unloaded my vehicle. 

Anyways, turning in grades did happen for both the girls, though some struggles did occur that included timing and the requirement that no child be given below a 50%, even if they deserved it (don’t worry, not many did). Monday was already doing a good job halting our high spirits and grade sending, but then the air-conditioner decided to take the day off...making the indoors a real scorcher. As Ceci retells it, there were multiplication facts flying everywhere, not because the students were emphatic about learning, but because they were being used for fans... 

We had another family dinner Tueasday night, not at our home, but at Will and Kara’s in Harlingen. French Toast, Fruit Salad, Cinnamon Rolls, and OJ...all wonderful. Talk about all of the other TFA struggles definitely made us feel like we are not in it alone.

This week will end with another visit to the island we hope, and maybe a stop at BOBZ, a tourist store on the way to our Island swim. 

For now. 

lets.

all.

just.

get.

along.

PAZ!

Welcome to the Chicken Ranch!

Hello All! 

It is I, Cecilia’s Chicken Ranch General Manager...ok, Annelisa.

Well, to kick off the new month, we had a smashing party last night (Wednesday). To be honest, we just invited a few TFA friends over for vegetarian potluck “family dinner.” It was wonderful to have the home painted and somewhat tidy. As Sarah gave an uninterrupted lengthy tour of the rooms and areas, I wouldn’t want to leave you out, so I most do the same!

These pictures were taken before visitor arrivals, so the girls were hard at work, planning lessons, in expectation of a late eve and early morning. 

Welcome! 

This is our porch with a wonderful free couch from the roadside. We often sit out here during our morning breakfast to enjoy the awakening sky.

Rojo wall in our lounge room.

View of our front room from the kitchen doorway. Note ventana, Mexican fireplace, and Jorge's artistry.

 Amarillo kitchen. With a chalk wall, courtesy of Cecilia and Arisa’s stylish notions.

Cecilia’s habitat!!! (“it’s like my room at home” she says)

  Sarita’s quarters.

...Other Happenings in the past few weeks...

Oh yes, the teachers!

Both Cecilia and Sarah are finishing their second full week of school tomorrow. 

You may have read that sentence rather quickly, and not thought much, but you must know, it has involved hours upon hours of work and preparation. Cecilia, 5th grade Math, has four periods, each ranging from 16 to 25 students. Tomorrow is the first real test for her pupils, so we will see how they do (great, i am sure!). Sarah has been teaching a variety of lessons to her 9th grade English High Schoolers. Some of what I have gathered from lessons has included Socrates, Spelling Bee vocabulary words, and even personal letters from each student. 

Most of our dinner conversations include stories of the day and thoughts of education so it is fun as well as inspirational to be around the enthusiasm of both of these first-rate educationists. 

Something our evening also includes, at all costs, is our sunset. We have a beautiful personal star that likes to bring us glorious evening of color, but demands one thing of its viewers, that we climb upon our rooftop to see him set. 

This is a picture of last night and some of our visitors that joined us to say goodnight to our star friend.

This is Monday Evening with our wonderful Miranda visiting.

Last words.

As far as our Ranch is coming along....no chickens or coop yet.

Our lovely goats are thriving though. 

 This is one of the two babies. Billy is the scary looker in the background..

We also have a new compost bin! Built from reclaimed wood and cloth. It turned out pretty big, to my amusement. I followed suggested size from an online source and wend for a 4 ft. by 3 ft., but in retrospect could have made it much smaller due to our lack of garden clippings (we haven’t planted one yet) and our small compostable kitchen remains. Oh well. 

In closing. 

Thanks for stoppin in and visiting our Chicken Ranch.

Please close the gate when leaving, the goats and Chloe (our Landlady’s dog) like to visit with neighbors. 

Come back soon!

Paz!