Let me just start off by saying how sorry I am for not writing for a while. It has been absolutely crazy here! First off we don't have water. We were getting water for the neighbor but then her landlord found out that she was giving us water and so now she can't. So then Nelson (our driver) was bring us water everyday. He would go to Carlos' house and fill up this big tank a couple times a day and then fill up our big holding tanks. That would usually last us a day or so. But now Nelson doesn't work here anymore so now we don't have a way to get water. Carlos brings water but its kind of always up in the air when they will bring it because he is always pretty busy. Last friday was our last time with water that Nelson brought. We had barely enough water for saturday and we had not a drop on sunday. They didn't bring us water until late sunday night but they didn't bring enough for the kids to take showers with. So we kind of live day by day with the whole water situation. The first priority of course is all the kids, so they get to bathe first and the dishes usually get washed first.

Since we don't have water the kids are all getting these soars all over their bodies. They kind of look like pimples but only 3 times worse. They are called "Granos" here. They are bumps that are really big and pussy. We have to pop them when they get really bad and clean them out. Sorry thats kind of graphic but its true. Five year old Cindy had them really bad the other day so I had to pop them and clean them out and then put medicine on it. She was crying and Manuel had to hold her down because she didn't want to do it. I felt so bad I wanted to cry. From the soars the kids have scars all over there arms and wherever else from them. I wish there was something I could do. Before they moved out to the new home they never had these things. Its terrible.

I absolutely hate hate hate the phones here. They are pay by the minute phones. I feel like I'm always running out of minutes and needing to put new minutes on. I'm so worried about money anyways that it just adds to my stress more. You never know when you are going to run out either. You just try to send a text or make a call and it doesn't go through. I'm so worried that I'm going to be somewhere are really need my cell phone and not have minutes. Its kind of scaring. I try to save my minutes as much as possible but its hard. Like I said it always seems like I have to but more and more money into.

Twelve of the kids started school this last monday. Yani 16 & in 11th grade, Amanda 15 & in 10th, Cindy 14 & in 10th, Eva 12 & in 1st grade, Henry 12 & in 6th grade, Jason 12 & in 4th grade, Manuel 10 & in 1st grade, Vanessa 8 & in 2nd, Fernado 8 & in 2nd, Eduardo 8 & in 2nd, Moises 9 & in 1st, & finally Nancy 6 & in 1st. The ones in 1st grade it was their first time ever going to school. Here their are all different ages in each grade. You just go to school when you parents can afford to send you. All Public schools are free here but you can't go to school without a uniform. Here school is very different. The elementry school starts at 7 am and goes until 12 pm and the high goes from 12 pm to 5 pm. Well the school our kids go to. I took pictures of the kids getting ready and waiting for the bus so I will post them up here hopefully.

Some rules of the schools are; if they are late get spanked (the younger kids), they have to have their nails cut really short so they don't get dirty (pretty much so you don't see the white of the nail), they can't wear gel in their hair and the girls can't wear make up. I know there are a lot more but I don't know the rest. They all have an english class. Yani always is talking about her english class with Christina and I. Yani gets in a lot of fights with her english teacher because she knows some of the things he is saying is wrong. She will show us her homework and tell us what her teacher said and we will tell her its wrong. Then she will say that she knows and she tried to tell the teacher that but he wouldn't listen. Right now she is learning about verbs and adjectives. Her teacher was really wrong last night so we told her to tell him that she has to Americans living with her haha. So we will see what happened today when she comes home from school.

My typical day here is wake up at 7 and bathe the 9 little kids. Then I help bathe the babies and take them downstairs. Then I help get breakfast ready and serve that. Then the 9 three to five year olds have kindergarden in the morning. After that its time to help with lunch and serve that and shortly after lunch the 9 younger kids come home from school (the 6-12 year olds). They eat lunch and then their homework. Next we kind of just hang out and play or do whatever needs done until its time for me to help with supper. Around 6 or so the older girls come home from school and they eat supper and do their homework. At 7 its off to bed for everyone except the 5 oldest ones because they help with cleaning the house at night. After we finally get everyone settled down, teeth brushed, pjs on and into bed we do the nightly chores. Such as maybe hanging laundry out to dry, dishes, cleaning the living and dining room. Then its off to bed! A good nights sleep is definately needed after a long hard day of work! Then its up for another adventureous day with the kids. After Christina (the other American here) leaves I will have to get up at 5 am to get the younger kids off the school.

So thats my life right now. Its has long days, tiring night and early morning but I wouldn't trade it for the world! I hope next time I will get to write a new blog sooner, once again sorry about the wait!

i love you all and miss you all soo much! I think of you all everyday and the kids always ask when the other Americans are coming.

xoxo

love,

muneca

lis

Tomorrow is Fernado's birthday and he will be 9. I'm excited because it will be my first birthday of the kids' that I get to celebrate!