The Day My Kids Made it on WHAS11.... Go Cards!

Just made a homemade latte, with almond milk. My dear roommate Faye, it must be her european blood, assisted in the frothing process. With a spoonful of sugar,  I never knew my heart could be so happy over a cup of joe. It is raining.... the breeze is coming through the window and it is game day. It feels a bit like Christmas morning. Louisville tips off at 4:00 and I will be watching, cheering proudly..... although I wish I could tap my shoes like Dorothy and be in Atlanta, you can be certain my heart will be in Georgia today.

As many of you probably already saw......  I taught my kids the C-A-R-D-S Cheer. Yesterday on a break before my kids Spelling and Art class  I decided to send the video to the WHAS 11 news station facebook page. I thought I would pay tribute to cheer on the men and women's basketball team in their run this weekend in the Final Four. Moments after I sent the video, I received an email back from the producer at WHAS11 asking permission to use the video..... What transpired over the course of the day was the video then being placed on the website, facebook page and then shared from there....... the video has since been shared by Louisville fans and Cats fans all over the place.

Just wanted to say Thank you!  (Although my kids do not understand, even when I tried to explain to them). It made me really proud to call Louisville home, to cheer on the Cards today in the game and proud to share my sweet kids joy with my hometown.

All of this aside, yesterday I sat at my desk while watching as my kids worked on their art projects...... I had to take a deep breath to keep tears from falling from my eyes. Why am I so lucky to be the one to teach these 22 kids second grade? I am not sure I will ever understand. One thing I am certain is God is really good....... really really good.

You can click the link below to see the video of my kids posted on WHAS11 News Page  :)

http://www.whas11.com/community/Must-watch-video-Cards-fans-all-the-way-from-Honduras-201629821.html

or you can view it here on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WHAS11?fref=ts (scroll down to see it)

Happy Game day to you! Cheering from Honduras. GO CARDS GO!
Love me :)

One of my kids is Jesus

The title of this post may be a bit strange but I can assure you I have a full explanation for it.

I think God is using one of my kids to teach me how love works. What it means to love unconditionally. What it means to love with no bounds, with no expectations, not tangled up in an agenda or expectation but loving without  any expectation of something coming in return. Loving purely because we are all his children and we all deserve to be loved fully and wholly. Loving because each person is made in the image of the most high king and father. Love with patience. Love boldly and intentionally. Love not because you chose do so, but because he has simply beckoned us to do so.

If I am honest, I do not like it. It is hard. I get angry. This child does not listen, does everything that I ask him not too. He will not sit down for anything. He laughs at discipline and thinks throwing things is funny. There are days, most days actually that I would rather send him out of class then deal with him. There are days that are the best because he is not in class. There are days that he is jumping off his chair and I would not be upset if he got hurt. He gets under your skin and is defiant. He is disruptive and difficult.

But if I am even more honest with myself I know what I am to do......

The more he pushes. Push back with love. Demonstrate through my actions that I have not given up on him. That he matters to me. That I care about the man he is growing up to be. That I want him to learn. That I do not want him to get hurt. Tell him that I care. That I truly deep down love him....... I love him just because the father loved us first and that is it.

It is that simple.

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast,

it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts,

always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4

Hump Day Ramblings...

I saw a friend from high school that posted a picture of their family roasting peeps over a fire. I miss the cold weather. The change that comes with seasons. I am missing this time of year when the aisles of Easter candy are in the stores, robins eggs, the last month of solid skiing on the slopes, knowing the promise of the coming spring. This time of year is one of my very favorites

Some say they are green with envy over my pictures by the pool from this past weekend but I must admit I equally share the same envy. The grass is always greener on the other side.... This is an expression I can resonate with. As a friend said, "what people don't realize is that they can grow there own green grass right where they are." So true. Today it is raining.... last night it rained all evening..... and its raining now. I like the rain. I like the sound on our tin roof. The rain gives permission to slow down.... it is the most perfect weather to read a book, drink coffee and lay in your bed a bit longer... After a day with my kids that I would rather not talk about (not a good one to say the least) I am grateful its Wednesday... for my yoga mat, for the coffee and the rainy weather...

Here are some pictures from this week. Happy Hump Day yall...

Homemade Wheat Bread. First time making bread and first time success. It is all gone..... (not paleo but so yummy and so worth it)

View from the pool and the lake on Sunday. Jane Austen along for the day....

My roommate outside on our porch drinking a beer, trying a coosie for the first time. 

Had to capture all my kids standing on their chairs to see the horse walk by... Yes a horse all by itself walked by our classroom... love this place sometimes its too much to contain.

My roommate Kylie dying her hair on our porch earlier this week.... A bit nervous about the box that was only $1.25 But it worked and looks beautiful I might add.

The 3rd grade Volcano Science Project we have been making. Proud teacher. They have done a great job.

As well my kids sang the Louisville Cheer again: C____A____R___D___S! In honor of the upcoming Big East Tournament. Best recording of it to date. They have gotten the motions and the shouting down for sure.......

This morning started at 4:30 am with yoga and again I practiced at 6:30 pm. After a long day at school I decided to take it all out on my yoga mat.. thank goodness for that... July is creeping up on me quickly and I want to be sure my body is ready for 28 days of intensive training....Speaking of time.... One month (correction from what I first said was a week) from Sunday my mom will be in Honduras. (so excited)

 As well if you are looking to hear a song that I have been playing over and over over again. Click here

"The cross has taught me to live, In mercy, my heart now to sing. The day and its trouble shall come, I know that your strength is enough"

Desperately needed this reminder today. Warmest to you on this Wednesday

Scaring One of My Kids

Dear Monday Monday Monday..... lunes lunes lunes. As expected, you were completely unexpected. Thanks for not being the same.

I walked into the secretaries office to try and scare one of my kids today. Yes I did this. I admit it. (Pretend phone calls when you were a babysitter remind you of anything? Everyone has done it before, you know that you have) ..............Let me explain:

I took one of my kids out of class and walked to the office. We stood at the door of the office where I said to him, "Miss. Karla has your "Tia's" (aunts) phone number and I can have her called right now. Do you want me to do that?" He shook his head No. We walked back into class and he sat right down. (temporary victory? I think so)..........I could have physically picked him up today and super glued him to his chair. Why is that such a difficult task for a second grader? I will never know.

Although today was the start of a new week which is often not a welcomed sight. It was a really good day. Kylie and I spent our afternoon with our tennis shoes on and walked towards Los Naranjos. It was really really hot today. Humid and sticky. It still felt really good to just be out of the house, get some fresh air. We laughed at the Hondurans cat calling at us and talked about our upcoming Spring Break trip. A real life adult spring break is just what we need. Kylie's other half is joining us as well, so she especially has a lot to look forward too.

After a cup of coffee in town we headed home and just hung around our  house...... After a recent conversation about what I am to do after Honduras, I decided to take an aptitude test for the heck of it. I found the test on Oprah's website (A bit cliche). The test was titled.... Who am I meant to be? The results were not at all surprising ... spot on actually but it still gave me some things to think about. 

What does this mean about what is in store next you might ask? Who the heck knows.... But here is a snip it of the results:

Striving to Help

You are a nurturer: If there is one thing that brings you satisfaction, it’s tending to others. 

Looking ahead: It’s important for you to be genuinely of service in acknowledged ways. Whether you foster a child, care for an elderly aunt, rescue animals, or support a rock star’s career as her personal assistant, look for opportunities where you can help other people or bigger causes. Volunteer work has your name written on it, as do many careers: nursing, teaching, customer service, healing, social work. Don’t feel pressured to run the company or lead the project; you may be even more effective as someone’s right hand. And you’ll likely find working with other people more meaningful than flying solo. 

If you as well would like to take the test here it is.

Although this is helpful information.........I am grateful that amongst all the aptitude tests in the world and societies remarkable job of telling us what and who we should be...... "You see me, and you know me and you love me through and through"-------- This is the greatest hope that I have....

PS: Glad so many of you liked my bucket list.... pretty sure after I wrote it, I could easily have added twenty more things. For example be on a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade or better yet be one of the people that get to walk with the giant blowup thingies... would be fun :)

March Madness. Helen Keller. Lessons in Our Class.

I do not have to say it..... You probably already know that I am a big Louisville Cardinal Fan. So in honor of March Madness, I decided to decorate our classroom with basketballs. David C and I  created a basketball goal to install in the classroom as well. It has been a big hit.

To all my former colleagues at Graebel, you remember my basketball goal that I had in my cubicle. The paper one made out of a paper plate for the hoop, that was above my recycling bin :) This was my inspiration.

Your probably thinking what a horrible idea. But hey these kids do not know the magnitude of my love for basketball (maybe they do now) so what better way to incorporate some fun by putting in a goal. If the trash can is under the hoop they are allowed to throw paper through the hoop. That's the rule, although I have watched anything but paper being thrown up at the goal.... pencils, pencil sharpeners, soccer balls etc...  After the goal went up we had some practice sessions..... check out below :)

(Top left, it is installed up high enough that they cannot dunk on it :), top right practice dribbling, bottom left the fake and bottom right David  in for the block while Roberto pretends to dunk)

Gisel dunking the ball. She is quickly climbing to the top of my one of my favorites list (shhh don't tell the kids that a list exists)

Above is a picture of Gisel trying to dunk on the  basketball goal. Here below are pictures of her playing futbol with the boys. She and Ana, a first grader, are the only girls that play futbol with boys. I have a special place in my heart for any girl that is willing to get out there and play sports with the boys. I did not capture the moment but just after I took these pictures Gisel scored a goal and celebrated in the most stereotypical international futbol goal scoring way.......She ran across the field, arms stretched out and shouted in a long drawn out kind of way...... G___OOOOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!!! It was great.

Here below is a picture of Henry and Samuel, posing for me as if there was a free kick and they are protecting themselves. Hilarious.

In class this week I decided to continue our lessons on  Helen Keller. In the library I found another book about her that had Braille printed on the back. Side story, last week I read a story about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. To my amazement my kids did not know who she was. They were fascinated by the thought that she could not see and could not hear.

Today I took the opportunity to write the Braille alphabet on the board. I then gave my kids a piece of paper so they could write their names in Braille. To my knowledge disabilities are not readily talked about....... even more so it seems that unless you are of the wealthier class in Honduras there is very little to offer to you for a future.....

I want my class to be aware of others around them, understand that they are healthy second graders but that not everyone is like them and not everyone gets to grow up like they do.  I desperately want my kids to know how to love well and love others that are not just like them well. Showing them Braille, and watching them run their little fingers over the letters and asking them if they think it would be hard to read that way..... so incredible.... I hope gives them a little perspective....

Here below is a picture of my kiddos writing there names. Some went on to write their families names as well.

I have been giving a lot of thought about the example I am setting for my kids. What I say, how I act, and how I discipline? Am I building them up? Am I setting an example of love and truth? With a heavy heart, I am realizing how many ways I have failed.  Children, as we all know, pick up on the smallest of things. They remember the silliest of things (even those that we wish they did not). I have no resolution per say but do have a few things I am going to be challenging myself with over the next coming weeks......My prayer is to have more patience, to listen more attentively and most importantly to teach them to love people well. I think that's what God wants from us. Love Him and Love Others.

Happy Saturday to you. From my cough, cold, a few spoon fulls of peanut butter, my coffee and my bed. Warmest Kristina

Thoughts on this found below......

Love is always given freely - it’s not rooted in demands, ritual, obligation, or what you can do. It cannot be contained, it cannot be limited, and will always defy the tidy theological boundaries that we create in our collectively small imaginations.

We have fooled ourselves into believing that love is too simple to be the most important thing. We believe that we have to do something, but love reminds us that we don’t have to do anything to be loved – we just are.

And that's the brilliance of love ... it's utter simplicity.

Taken from here

Honduran Breakfast

I have been meaning to capture all that these kids eat for breakfast. I am missing quite a few common things they consume for breakfast but have a good variety for you too see. Yes this is the norm. Yes this is what the kids have every day. Pizza anyone? fried chicken? French fries? Pancakes? (sort of normal). Cereal (very uncommon to see). Baleadas? (beans and cheese in a tortilla).

Enjoy. 

Last Week of School + Lots of Pictures

Writing a class story for Molly was just a few of the highlights for the week. A week that on Wednesday I was pretty sure none of us were going to survive. (Combine last week of school before Christmas excitement with christmas concert practicing, wrapping up classes = chaos). I had the third grade class together come up with a story in honor of Molly's birthday ( I teach third grade English and Science), each page was given to a student to illustrate. To put it short, the kids in the story were jumping on tables, playing football in class, all of them getting in trouble to then the redemption part of the story where they all passed their exams and Molly was happy. You should know this class is notorious for being horrible, I am sure Molly will like the story book. I sure enjoyed listening to them come up with ideas for it.

Here are the pictures of the week (lots of them)

Hanging Stockings. 

Genessis opening the first bag of the advent calender.

Suckers for day 1 of the advent calender

Karla and Madeline

Tuesday Sergio opened the bag.

His expression is fantastic and Aracely! Love it.

Robertos snowman. His name and he was born in New York. (One of the few places kids know in the United States)

Sergios!

Caleb. Classic

Another highlight would be trying to explain to my class in Spanish the difference between the words crunch, munch, crush.... For example letting Howdy place his hands on either side of my face and to push... and told him see this is "crush". You are "crushing my face". Hilarious. (as well to all of my former wyld life friends reading this, this greatly reminded me of "I will crush you" program at wyld life camp michindo)

Here is my class as we waited to practice our performance during school. Thankfully waiting over an hour to go on they were relatively behaved... thank goodness for that.

Al

Check out austin powers in the back, Aracely.

Yesterday my kids had a class party. My kids were ecstatic  In the advent bag yesterday (day 4) was trash.. but what they did not know is that I had goodie bags for them. Filled with all sorts of Christmas treats and things... They were so excited. We had more candy than any child should ever consume in a day. Lots of hugs, thank you, I love you's. (Pretty certain this is because of the candy :))

Look at Angels at the desk face laughing David Cardona just opened the bag to find only trash...

Genessis and Sharon with their bags.

Lizzy

Christmas Countdown, on our board!

Because you can never have enough icing, so I scopped the extra on a napkin and let them lick it with their fingers!

Last evening we watched the kindergarten/ preschool Christmas performance at school and then following a party at the restaurant nearby. I am pretty sure kindergarten and preschool children could be wearing plastic bags and they would still look adorable. The show began with a procession of candles and then followed up Mary and Joseph with a donkey. The preschool has a little girl who is blind and she rode the donkey. It was so sweet.

Weren't all the zoo animals at your nativity scene as well? The unicorn, the lion all in the manager as Jesus was born? According to Honduras they were. 

The lion was incredible.

Santa made an appearance as well. 

The unicorn!

I must try and attempt to explain Honduran fashion as well. Moms wear stiletto heals to what seems like everything  Never mind that its pouring rain and you must walk through a field to get to the performance. You should wear heals. Please see the image below:

Molly and Marvin

This little rugrat :)

Molly and her kiddies 

Cheesy Smile

Today is it. We said goodbye to Kate this morning, had mimosas for breakfast with sweet bread for Molly's birthday. It was a bittersweet morning. Our table was adorned with Goodbye cards, Birthday gifts and birthday cards. Last day of school. Christmas performances are the only thing in our way from the Christmas holiday. So excited.

Two more sleeps away from Home. Only one more day :) and I am H town bound Sunday!