Brinley's last day of Pre-K

Row 1:Mrs. Juanita, Brinley, Bruno, Ashley, Felipe, David, Andres, Miss Rosemary

Row 2:Lucas, Henry, Danny, Valentina, Gabby, Mariano,

not pictured: Min Ju

Mother's Day

I got to celebrate Mother's Day for almost a whole week this year. Before my parents left, I took my mom and Brinley to the salon for a mani/pedi.

It was the first manicure for my mom. Our three generational outing was so much fun.

We laughed, we cried, we grew closer and celebrated each other.

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Blaine and the kids gave me a beuatiful watch Sunday afternoon.

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Mother's Day is not necessarily on Sunday in Guatemala.

The first year here, it was on a Thursday.

I had no idea.

This year it landed on Sunday and so the annual Mother's Tea at school was Monday afternoon.

I had three to go to. At the same time.

With a little time management, we hit all of them.

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Brinley was first. We had a brunch with food the kids made all by themselves, complete with place mats and paper flowers with her picture. She gave me a book she filled out. These glimpses into the mind of my children are so meaningful to me. (Even if they are so far from the truth.)

My Mom:

My mom's favorite place to go is...a restaurant for lunch.

My mom's favorite thing to do is...play with me.

My mom's favorite food to eat is...tortillas.

My mom loves me because...I take care of Luke.

My mom's favorite person is...me!

My mom's favorite color is...all the colors.

I love my mom because...she likes me.

I love you, Brinley

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Kierstin's class gave all of the mothers massages.

They had practiced hand and neck massages the previous week and gave me a great few minutes of relaxation.

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Brice's class gave the mothers a book of poems they had written. I had two favorites.

Alliteration

Mom makes many mini muffins.
Super, smiley, smart mom.

Enthusiastic empty esophagus curer.

Cooks cakes, and candy for kids.

Lani loves little loving children.

I loved his "empty esophagus curer." He said that means I make good food. And he constantly looks for ways to use my first name (Lani) because he thinks it bothers me. It doesn't.

ABC Poem

A woman was lying down at the hospital

But she wasn't sick at all.

Could this be her lucky day?

Deep down inside her is where I used to lay.

Everyone was happy when I was

Found on her lap.

"Goo Goo Gaa Gaa," is what I said.

"His name is Brice," she said right away.

"It sounds wonderful," my dad would say.

Just ten months later I learned to walk.

Kindly she raised me very

Lovingly,

Mom

Worldly Influences

Monday night I sat down to read a few articles in the Friend to the kids. One we read was entitled "Broken Trust". It is about a girl who, while house sitting for a neighbor, breaks a figurine. She tries to hide her mistake and then feels guilty. She went to the neighbor and confessed and apologized.

After finishing the story I asked Brinley if she could tell me what it was about. She thought for a minute, stood up, started dancing and then replied, perfectly on key(if there is such thing as on key in a Miley Cyrus song);

"Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has those days. Everybody knows what, what I'm talkin' 'bout. Everybody has those days. Nobody's perfect..."

Time Out

Brinley needed to sit by herself the other day to calm down. She gets wild when she plays with Luke and teases a little too much. I had her go to her room and a few minutes later she came out without my permission. In her fake, high-pitched voice she asked me, "Do you think I look like a princess?" I don't think she remembered what she was supposed to be doing and I didn't have the heart to to bring it up.