2.17.2010

laughing moments

today's funny moment: trish is making pumpkin soup and has poured it in the blender to, well, blend it. i hear the blender roaring and trish yelling so i run into the kitchen to see her jumping up and down, orange pumpkin all over her arms, yelling ''the lid's not on!'' over the noise of the blender. we manage to turn it off and then she says , ''okay, now you hold the lid on!'' so i hold and she pushes the button. but somehow the lid still wasn't on, so then i got the pumpkin all over my arms too and then i understood why she was jumping up and down... the soup was scalding hot!

yesterday's funny moment: trish and i am standing on a street corner waiting to cross the street when this tiny old man runs his cart into the back of my legs. i turn around to say ''ay perdon!'' and he says ''que monstruos!'' as he stares up at me and trish and then huffs off, pushing his cart into other people. ...in case you don't know, ''que monstruos!'' = "What monsters!"

2.15.2010

Family Time!

awwwww the brothers and sisters all together. and me the midget. i had two wonderful hours with this bunch saturday night while in elgin and it was great to be together again! love you guys!

2.13.2010

Camera Withdrawal

I mentally kicked myself all day yesterday for not bringing my camera with me. Seriously, what was I thinking? My initial thought was that it was only one weekend, so I wouldn't have many opportunities to take photos. WRONG. Yesterday I saw at least 20 volcanoes (some peeking through the clouds!), at least 10 craters, islands in the Pacific Ocean and in various lakes throughout Central America, Aztec ruins in Mexico, the beautiful skyscrapers in downtown Mexico City, snow-peaked mountains in Mexico, and of course the beautiful Chicago cityscape all lit up at night. Everytime I looked out the window and saw another beautiful sight, I regretted not having my camera.

And I apologize to you, the reader, that I can't share the visual with you. Bummer, bummer, bummer.

The good news is I get to see my family tonight! It will be the first time I have seen Wes since he left for England in August! Maybe someone else will bring their camera! :)

2.09.2010

February 12th through February 14th

So today is February 9th. And on Friday, February 12th, I will be on a plane at 7:30am from San José to Mexico City. After 5 hours in Mexico, I fly for Chicago and will arrive around 8pm.

Saturday, February 13th, I will be in a testing center before 1:30pm for the Illinois Spanish Proficiency Exam 0056, hoping to earn my Type 29 certificate for teaching in a bilingual classroom. When I am done with the test, I will be meeting my parents and siblings for dinner at GIORDANOS :) I'm not excited about that part of my weekend or anything :)

And then Sunday. Back at O'Hare by 12pm. Fly to Mexico City. 5 more hours. Fly to San José. Arrive around 12am, go through customs, arrive home 1amish.

That's right. 1am. Then back to work Monday morning, 7:15am. Eeeeeh.

I have mixed feelings about this upcoming weekend. Please pray that God gives me peace as I take the exam on Saturday.

The New Costa Rican President!

Left to right: Oscar Arias (current president) and Laura Chinchilla (president elect)

History was made Sunday as Laura was voted the first female president of Costa Rica. She takes office the 8th of May.

2.08.2010

Playa Esterillos

Fuimos a la playa este fin de semana, y nos divertimos muchisímo!

We went to the beach this weekend, and we had lots of fun! :)






















2.03.2010

Student Writing

I thought I would treat you again to a few student thoughts... Here's straight from their writing notebooks.

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life without trees

Hi my name is James and my topick is life without trees. With out trees would be bad becuse if we did not have trees ther would be no climing, no homes for anaminals, no tree houses, no fun, and most of all there would not be life on our planet. We would all die becuse we would not have oxygen. did you know that trees give off oxgyen. If you did isent that cool. yes or no? pleas anser the qestion. I am dune with that topick.

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I really like fieldtrips. I also like the olipicks. they come on when I'm twelve and then when I'm sixteen. they come on every four year I've been waiting for them to come on last year Micheal Phelps was Americas heroe hes a great swimme he beat France by a fimger! it was great! I'm proud of him. he was awsome. I couldn't believe my eyes it was the greatest thing ever!

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Imedeatly he drew his sword so did Link. They both received a few cuts, before the man knocked Link down with one solid punch. Link got up and asked, ''Who are you?'' ''My name is Ike,'' he replied ''How did you get here,'' Link asked, ''I don't really know, '' Ike said. ''I was in the middle of battling a dark knight, when that portle appeared right in front of me . . . . . the next thing I knew I was right here'' Ike finished. ''So you came here without knowing'' Link said.

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(Teacher Note-- This is about the student's mentally handicapped brother)

If sam wasn't here I woudn't be here because sam has saved me 2 times and sometimes I just get mad at myself because I treat him bad or ignore him. When he is trying to tell me something or make me happy. and I feel the same for my other brother henry only I chose to talke about sam because I never talk about him and I think he deserves to be talked about also.

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(Teacher Note-- The purpose of this entry was to confuse the reader with homophones... Good luck!)

Who knew that my new book was going to be green. The other kind of flour was the color of the flower. was fair when i went to the fair the fareman wasn't fair i confused myself. miss siscoe said she will get a new nose but she didn't knew that she will get a new nose and her sister knoew she would get a new nose but that they cut her other one so they said they couldn't put the other one on because it was bleeding so she became the girl with no nose. One week she was very weak and so she said to the tail to stare at the stairs. but then she changed her mind and said go up the stairs, see the sea, and stare at the sea. Dear deer, you are very healing heel heal heel. Hares heals will heal very fast. i don't know just write.