Setting the right example

School is in session, and my new 6th graders are just as lost as expected. So, to help them get acquainted with me and my classroom style, I asked them to create an "All About Me" collage. The only catch was that I wanted them to use a circle not a rectangle so that I have more space on the wall for hanging their finished work.
"How do you make a circle, Miss?"
"Very easy. Just take the construction paper (my example was a brown sheet) and fold it in half. Then, take the scissors and cut a little half circle and.....voila!" I opened my circle of brown sheet and the whole class burst out laughing. My circle was a butt with a perfect crack down the middle. No doubt about it. No amount of re-cutting could help, either. And I was laughing so hard that I was crying. "Don't cry, Miss, " said little Gerardo. Cutting a butt out in front of my students. That's a first.

Better idea

  

Antigua

Hello. Colin here. Well, we're back in the saddle again. The kids come to school tomorrow and away we go once again. But everyone is very sure that this is going to be a good year. Compared to last year...how could it not be?

At this point last year, military choppers were circling overhead, rioters were setting buildings on fire and swine flu was running riot. This year, everything is very tranquilo, so far. No culture shock or military coups to deal with...only a nasty dengue epidemic and bratty school children. Nothing but good vibrations (what does that even mean, anyway?). So, it's very good to be back in our classrooms, back in our own bed, back with friends.

But before we returned to Tegucigalpa to settle back into normalcy, Elisa and I got on a bus and took a sixteen hour ride to Antigua, Guatemala for a week of relaxation and Spanish school. And let me tell you something. It was amazing. In all seriousness, if you ever want to go away for something special, Antigua is the place. Flights into Guatemala City aren't too expensive (or long) from the States and Antigua is a mere half hour's ride from there. It is the most magical place we have ever been to. Check the pictures out for yourselves.

Don't know exactly what happened here but it's a cool effect, yeah?

Good tropical art

My lovely wife with a lava sea in the background. But more on that later. I stuck this one in here because it's candid and it's hard to catch Elisa in a candid moment. She's what's known as

a 'poser.'

Some beautiful building of some kind...

Los Arcos

These colors are amazing, aren't they? Guatemalan culture is very vivid and distinct. Each pueblo or town has its own print--like Scottish clans. Guatemaltecos can tell where someone is from by their clothes.

Why is Elisa jumping out from behind that tree? I don't understand any more than you do. But this is the courtyard of our little Spanish school...I wish I could go back there and live forever...

Us with our wonderful teacher, Odilia. She was even sweeter than she looks. Her favorite teacher expression would come out in this little chirpy sing-song voice. She would always say, 'Vamos a ver,' as in, 'Let's see...' We loved her. She and her husband have four chicas...and all four are into karate. Weird, huh?

Our breakfast cafe where we'd cram our homework over expresso. They made a movie in this place last year.

Los Arcos en la noche

One of the major reasons to visit Antigua is the cuisine. Some of the best international food you'll find anywhere. See the astounded expression on my face as we wait for our Mediterranean dishes...the absolute best hummus ever.

No, this is not a postcard. That is Volcan de Agua. You can see it looming from almost anywhere in town.

And yeah, that's for real. This is Volcan Pacaya on the other side of town. It exploded big time two months ago and is building up for another as you can see. This picture was taken as Elisa and I were running down the mountain away from it. We went almost to the top. Stupid? Maybe. But very fun.

This is about 1000 yards from the top.

My wife likes to make me pose for these rugged, inspirational pictures where I stand in some dangerous-looking place and contemplate the meaning of existence. I think she wants to be an 'artiste'.

Still warm...

Elisa didn't want me to keep this shot. She said it was too 'bootylicious'. But how can one be too bootylicious? Is there such a thing? You girls and your...issues...

I call this one...'Sea of Lava.' What do you think?

Onward and upward!

What a shot, huh? Cowboys are so cool.

Me and our guide Carlos. Super nice guy and yes, he is really that small. Central Americans must think gringoes climb down the beanstalk.

This is where the folks wash their clothes.

If you look closely, you'll see the entire Crucifixion narrative.

...after a long, hard day of studying the Spanish. Don't I look so weary and worn? Life in Antigua is brutal.

Elisa grabbed this amazing shot of a woman on the loom.

I don't know about this one but Elisa wanted to keep it...something about being able to prove to our kids one day that we used to be very cool...

Yeah, I don't know anymore than you do on this one. There was some kind of parade. That's all I can really tell you.

And, like any good parade, there was dancing in the streets.

Much love, folks and nos vemos.

Summer lovin'

  
Is it just me or does everybody make grandiose plans for summer and then maybe get one of them accomplished? Not that hanging out with the family is grandiose, but from the beginning of the summer we were traveling back and forth in our dearly missed Subaru Outback. We went from my little brother's wonderful wedding to the Thomson family reunion in the rural mountains of Virginia. Then, we sped our way over to the 60th wedding anniversary of Colin's grandparents and the next day found ourselves alongside Emerald Isle beach. While we caught our breath from quick catch ups of dearly missed family, we finally slept in one bed together (before that we had slept in 11 different beds in 11 different nights). Rest. We found some, but when your back in your own country, you want to do everything you've been missing since you left! And that's pretty impossible. But I'm an optimist (and just slightly irrational), so I believed we could get it all done and relax, too.

We found time for both, but what a rush of seven weeks! Tegucigalpa slowly slipped from our minds as we talked in English everyday, all day....as we walked around Wal-mart, slowly taking it all in (really? it's all in one place? that easy?)...as we adjusted to the rules once again of the road...as we got up to Dad's good-morning bacon....as we (OK, mostly just me) worked three 1000 piece puzzles...as we watched all kinds of TV in English (although 'So You Think You Can Dance' is probably almost as good in Espanol)...as I gobbled up gluten-free menus and Colin found some good beer...yes, the summer gave us time to let the year slide off our backs and remind us how much we love being home.

Thank you, dearest family...Megan, JT, little Noah D, Dave, Scottie, Mom and Dad, Jenna-Clare, Jeremy, the mighty Wilbo, Abbie, Daddy and Mama. And our dear friends....thank you Natalie, Becky, Rachel (really, it had been 3 years?), Sara, Steve, Bobby, Tarryn, Matt, Brandon, Mariel, DB, and all of you we couldn't meet up with (Richard and Sarah S, Brennan, Derek, Joseph...so many.) or only could talk via phone, gosh...you are our other family. One day we'll be closer together and can enjoy some BBQ (or tofu, whatever's your hankerin) in our backyard with all of our cute little ones running around everywhere. We already miss all of you...tons.

Coming soon (Colin-style): last week's adventures in Antigua, Guatemala.......