Big update

Last published on April 23rd... that is what my blog-schedule says. Whew! A lot has happened since April 23rd.

Lucia turned two. I will take the time to write a proper Dear Lucia later - we are deep in the "terrible twos" - with all they're ups and downs.

Rafa graduated from Civil Engineering Technology and got notice of a pass on his last exam for his Professional Engineering License. 

Spring came - slowly and cold for the most part.

I finished one of the most challenging and also most rewarding school years of my life. I ended up doing a lot of mental health support this year... among other things. The best advice I had all year: "It's all conversations, you just have to keep having the conversations".. I had lots of amazing conversations with kids, many frustrating ones, some funny ones, some very fruitful ones...
An example of one of the fruitful ones - if not my best moment as a professional...
Me: "________ - if you are not bi-polar I am going to poke your eyes out!"
The student - "It does run in my family."
Me: "Then you need to see a doctor."
I loved it, and also was ready for a break - which is good because a big break was on it's way.

June 31st I finished school. In the next ten days we packed up our house, sent our most precious things to my mom's, sold or gave away the rest, cleaned, packed, changed our address... and loaded our kids, 8 bags, 2 car seats and the stroller on a plane. We flew out of Kingston and arrived, 6:30 pm and 3 planes later in Barranquilla. July 11th, 2013.

A so begin the next two or three years. We settled into our apartment, 4 blocks from my mother in laws house. We`ve purchased and borrowed some basic furnishings - just missing some bed frames to get our beds off the floor. We`ve enjoyed the little pool downstairs. I started work on the 22nd - the kids don`t arrive till the 12th of August. A big change from the afternoon of prep I am accustomed to. As I imagined - everything is easier in the second round. As I hoped - the kids are settling in well - no one has been sick and everyone is sleeping well.

In a week and a half I`ll get somewhere around 100 students in middle school History - Grade 7 World History and Grade 8 American History.

Rafa is happy, I am enjoying the change and Diego already doesn`t want to go home. Lucia, she doesn`t seem to care where we are as long as Rafa and I are both here.

Pictures will come - as we continue to get settled and organized.