Gotta love the Fridays. Cali was off to school after 7, as usual. Kier got all of her work done this week, so she didn’t need to go into school today. Madi, on the other hand, had a bunch of homework, she went in at 8:30, which made her happy. Everyone happy.
I gave Kier the option of sleeping the day away or going in to town to get breakfast and coffee. I also said we’ve get a loaf of the banana bread she has been asking about all week. She hates missing out on breakfast. To date, she has opted to get up and come with me instead of more having more zzzz’s. Must be getting older.
We walked down Santander, dropped off the laundry, then went for breakfast. Kier told me about her evening. One of the guys she hangs out with, his dad is in a band and was having a birthday. So between sets at PanaRock, she had birthday cake with the friends and family who were there.
It is such a different teen social culture here, as I’ve mentioned before. They will talk so openly about….everything. The regular routine seems to be this. Guys who have known her for a few hours will either ask her directly or will send “inquiries” through her closer friends (usually the guy friends) to ask her, “That guy over there really likes you and wants to know if he has any chance.” The teens lay their feelings out there without apology or reservation, for everyone to witness. No one holds back here, they just tell it like it is, and expect you to do the same. So different from our culture of privacy, saving face, hiding our feelings for fear of rejection.
After my breakfast teen update on who likes who in Pana, we went to the bank, found her favorite banana bread, bought her some new flip flops. Kier had a skype date set up with one of her friends from home, so we had to get back. So many of her friends are on skype, she can connect with them whenever she wants. She talked with her friend for from 11:00 until 1:45 when she had to leave for her voice lesson. Two of her friends have new girlfriends and one of her friends had experienced an unexpected break up with her boyfriend. Makes my head spin, but I try to keep up on what she tells me.
Right after skype, Kier had voice lessons, related to the musical. Then around 7, the gang started to gather at the Porch. They were going to be an actual party at one of the guy’s houses. His parents own PanaRock, so I suppose they don’t mind allowing a house party here and there for their kids. These gatherings in homes are more unusual and only happen every couple of weeks, although one happened last week, too.
Cali went over to the family’s house after school. It was Laurita’s birthday. I gave the mom some money today for the time Cali spent at their house this week. She was very happy to get it. For me this is the best way to give them extra money. Cali hangs out and plays at their house, they barely notice another kid. I can pay the mom directly at the end of the week, which gives her some extra money of her own.
Madi was at school the entire day, and still didn’t get all of her homework done. She could have worked on her work at home, but she loves to be there. After school she and I went all over town on my bicycle trying to find a birthday present for Laura. We settled for a bunch of different items that we found here and there. Laura seemed pleased. Not sure they get gifts on their birthday. Madi stayed for a while to play with the kids. Cali was so proud of herself that she was the translator between her older sister and everyone else in the family. When they came home they brought fresh hot tamales with chicken in them. They were so incredibly delicious. Usually those are made for special occasions–perhaps they made them for Laura’s birthday. Kier had one before she scooted out the door for the evening.
Cali’s frog blog: Today I had lots and lots and lots of fun. After school I went over to Laura’s house. We first made our soup in a big bucket again, Mayansopa. We put dried leaves, flowers, berries that we called beans, bark from the tree that we called chicken, the little white flowers were salt. We stirred it with a paddle. Then Jose, Laura and I ate an orange in the tree. Next Madi came and brought Laura’s birthday presents. We gave her a new ball, a new purse, four lip glosses and four hair clips, a water balloon maker, gum, and chocolate kisses. She liked her presents. We made another soup so that Madi could help, and we played tag. Then my flip flop broke for good and couldn’t be fixed. Laura gave me an old pair of shoes that were too small for her. We ate some tortillas with cheese on them, and then played hide and seek. Did you know that hide and seek in spanish is escondite? At the end of the visit we made tortillas and now I have a some new tortilla strategies. First we put the stuff into a ball, we put a piece of plastic on it and then we smush the ball with a plate, then we take the plastic off and put them on the hot grill. That is the new tortilla strategy that the mom taught us. I asked Laura if she wants to sleep over at our house tomorrow. Her little brother wants to come, too, but really we only want Laura. When we came home they sent 4 tamales with us for my mom. They were yummy and warm. Inside the corn husks was corn stuff and inside there was salsa and chicken. I only ate part of one and it made me full right away. I had to wash all the dirt off of me before I got into bed. I had a scratch on my ankle from a pointy stick. Mommy put some stuff on it to keep it from getting infected and then a bandaid. But it hurts and I’m not sure I can go to sleep with that. Tomrrow we are having a big sleepover. I have to get new flip flops in the morning so I have shoes for the sleepover. Then I have to be home in time for sleepover at 11 a.m. P.S. I love you all very much and I’ll see you soon daddy.