Getting crafty with the craft

So we went out looking for the things needed for the board today.  You know...pounding headache, crazy kiddos and all.  We went a couple places but they didn't have any of the stuff I needed, although I did find other nifty things like pipe cleaners and googly eyes.  I was really upset because I thought this board would be the perfect learning utensil for Raymond...he's so visual.  I also thought that Joe and Caroline would learn with him and it would take some of the work out for later.  The thought of having to re-think the entire thing was overwhelming me...did I mention the headache?  So, we go walking out of the store at the mall and I'm like a kid who just dropped her ice cream cone...when I hear this loud music (this is not uncommon in Nicaragua...in fact it's hard to get away from loud music here)...as we walk closer to the parking lot we see these woman dancing to the Reggae Ton band playing.  I am not kidding you the woman had these little bra like outfits leaving little to the imagination, with big head pieces (like a Vegas show).  There were booties shakin' and hips swayin'...we were watching all of this from behind the stage so decided to go around to the front.  I know this may seem all scantily clad and all but the culture here is so different, we had a fun time watching it and it put me in a better mood.  Then I thought...You know, we may not be able to find everything we need here, or understand what people are saying all the time, having to hang our clothes to dry isn't always fun (especially during the rainy season when out of the blue it starts pouring on them) and sometimes you want a warm shower (I don't even think I remember what a bathtub looks like), the faint memory of a/c in our home is nice and the comfort of having running water and power 24/7 is also a plus...BUT...there are some parts of this culture that I don't ever want to leave.  Over time, we will figure all that other stuff out...in a year I will know where to go and what to say, so for now I can't let this beat me...it's time to get more creative.  I need to work with what I've got.  It's funny, when you are away from everything and everybody you've ever known and you rely on each other for EVERYTHING how impossible things may seem sometimes.  Here's the thing though...I know we're here for a purpose and having challenges is nothing new to me...so...stay tuned to what the new project will be...

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