Ants

Oh, the ants. I have managed to keep them out of my cereal and food so far, but they are still filling my apartment at an alarming rate. I came home from a walk tonight to about twenty large ants roaming around the floor. And then I knew, tonight is the night!
For what, you ask?

The ant bait! I have strategically placed them around my house, and am awaiting for the magic to take place. For some reason, ant baits are nonexistent here, so I stocked up on some while I was in the States and brought them back with me. Tonight was the first night I brought them out and I am expecting great things.

In non-related ant news, dance practice for Independence Day celebrations has started at school for teachers and students, keeping us busy and sweaty.

xoxoxo
Laura

Cereal

Today I want to share with you a little about the joys of grocery shopping in Nicaragua. It all begins with me trying to decide what to cook for dinner. My roommates and teacher neighbors have a fabulous plan where we each cook one night of the week for everyone else. This is great for me, because cooking is not my forte. Anyway, once a week I still need to decide what to cook for my friends. I run through my ideas: BLTs, hamburgers, spaghetti. The ideas quickly end. If it were just me, I would make some yummy mac and cheese, cereal (we will come back to that later), perhaps a peanut butter and jelly. However, I need to feed something substantial to my friends, so none of those things are going to fly. I decide that I just cooked BLTs and probably should hold off for a while on those, same with the hamburgers and spaghetti. So I hit up the internet, looking for cheap and easy recipes. The internet is exploding with such things, so this usually doesn't take long. I find a delicious looking chicken something or another, then realize the stores here don't carry one or two of the ingredients. Next recipe, same story. Finally, I uncover the recipe. To the grocery store I go - only to discover that the store no longer carries that ingredient. I know it was there last week! I saw it with my own eyes! It is still hard for me to comprehend how stores can go in and out of stock so quickly. Nothing is consistent and you never know what you are going to find.

This can turn into a blessing though, those unexpected surprises. Last week I went to a Costco-like store that I only shop at a couple times of year. As I was going down the cereal aisle (my favorite aisle, which should be noted is about 1/10 the size that it is in the States) when I saw it. LIFE CEREAL. Right there on the shelf. I got my breathing under control and snatched up the double box.

Let me back up and tell you about my cereal drama last year. I love cereal. I eat it every morning. When I first moved to Nicaragua the stores had none of my favorites, so I adopted a new favorite. About three months later, that particular cereal was gone. Bummer. So I moved on to another, just for it to be gone a couple of months later. The story continues. When I arrived back this year, both of those cereals had vanished. So my excitement was doubled when I was in the store and saw Life cereal, my all time favorite. I decided that I needed to start stocking up so my problem from last year wouldn't reoccur. Over the week, at three different stores, I found some treasures and made a nice little collection in my kitchen. As along as the ants don't find them, this should be a great situation.

Off to cook dinner!
Laura

Routines, Lines, and Potatoes

Week one of school - successful and completed! I love my new students. The first week was busy and filled with all the first week things: learning routines, getting books organized, remembering how to line up, putting together binders, learning where to put homework and how to head a paper. And of course, we read Scaredy Squirrel! The squirrel is back and has become the most popular person (ok, animal) in the class.

One fun lesson that we did this week was talk about immigration in Social Studies class. We talked about when different countries immigrated to the U.S. and the reasons for it. When we talked about Ireland and the potato blight, we tried peeling potatoes and discussed what it would be like to eat only potatoes for a long time, and then to have even that food gone.

The new stars of 4th grade

One more thing to share with you this week. Thursday morning I woke up to.... another flat tire! That makes #4 in the last half year. Right now the spare is on... we will see about getting everything fixed up tomorrow. 

We are off to a great start and I am looking forward to next week as we begin more curriculum and settle into routine. 

xoxoxox
Laura

First Look

Here is your first look of Miss Eberly's 2012-2013 school year. New colors, some new technology, less dirt (at least for awhile)...

Last night was Open House, and it was quite the success. I felt much more confident than last year and my translator remembered to come!

Dressed up for Open House
Emily (my new roommate), Sarah (5th grade), Erin (2nd grade), me, Kelly (2nd grade)

After my presentation, some of my students from last year came into my room to say hi and give hugs. One student asked me if I hated her and my class from last year. I told her of course not and asked why. She informed me that since I painted my room my favorite color (red) and decorated nice that I must love my new students more and that I no longer like my old students. I am glad to know that my room looks cooler (at least on 4th grader standards). I want it to be bright and happy to start off the school year.

Monday is the big day. I am praying that I would show the love of Jesus to my students each and every day as we learn and read and grow together. Thank you for continuing with me on this journey!

Back to School

I landed in Managua last Friday night and immediately thought, "Ahh, I'm home." Those are more or less the same words I thought when I arrived back in Omaha earlier this summer. I think I will always feel like I am coming back home when I am going back and forth between those two places. Omaha contains my family and best friends and is the place I grew up in. Nicaragua contains my ministry and work and so many students that I love. 

It feels good to be home. 

School starts on Monday; Open House is this Friday. Needless to say, there is much to do. My room is getting a paint makeover this year. I bought the paint before I went to Omaha so that the workers could paint it over the summer and I could get right to work decorating when I got back. Of course I didn't buy enough paint. Then today I went into school, and low and behold, still not enough paint. Three trips to the paint store later, I am pretty sure my room will be totally painted when I walk in in the morning. Next comes decorating and putting up bulletin boards and posters like a mad man, lesson plans, and preparing myself for Open House. I feel much better about everything this year with a year of experience behind me. I already know my upcoming students, some of their parents, the ins-and-outs of the school, etc. 

I'll post some pictures this weekend of my room and give a more thorough update then. 

Much love,

Laura