Lots on the go!

Well, I've figured a few things out. Right now we are 2 hours a head of home - not three right now like I originally thought - But when everyone hits daylight savings that is when we will be 3 hours ahead because they do not change down here - I'm gonna love that! Not a big fan of daylight savings. Todd has been busy doing a few things here and there besides school. The school the girls go to has been having a lot of trouble with their bell system since the hurricane passed through here and somehow word got out that Todd was pretty handy sooo... He was over there fixing their bell system, and the principle said the bell has never worked so well, Todd even set in 5 min warning bells. It really is a fantastic school and the teachers really care about our kids. The girls give their teachers hugs after school everyday and the principle has been checking in on them regularity to make sure they are doing well. The only problem we have been having is with some of the aggression of the kids in the school. There is a lot of rough play here which my kids are not use to and Katie of all kids was in a fight the other day! She didn't' provoke it and she says she smiles at kids to be friendly and then they start to chase her, and she runs away. The fight was that a boy was kicking at her, and she started to kick back and then he started to hit her (I think somewhat playful in the sense of play here), and this was not OK with Katie (or me) and then she started fighting back because she didn't' like it. Todd and I went to talk with the principle about what had happened, and I think the principle realizes that we don't play like that at home. we had a good visit with the Principle and then with Katie so hopefully we can eradicate the problem. Poor Little Katie she has always been know as the little peace keeper in Magrath! Katie has a little friend named Maia (Maya) that she plays with everyday at school and is her best friend, we have yet to have her over to play. Courtney has made a little friend named Mayrubia. She is a cute little thing and she has come to play a couple times.
Jase and Katie have joined a group here through a non profit organization called STANAPA - its a acronym for something I can't remember - but they take care of the wildlife, gardens, parks, anything to do with nature basically. The Kids get to participate in different things all around the island. Last week they went to the botanical garden and learned facts about it and some if the plants. they will be going on boat rides, snorkeling outing, learning how to care, and keep different animals safe, tying knot, a tonne of neat things every Wednesday! It was 150 guilders each - that is about $80 - $85 for every Wednesday for the whole school year including a new snorkel kit! I thought it was fantastic, and they drive them home after too!
With Todd school schedule we have been lucky enough to be able to do a lot of things together in the mornings. Today we went and looked at Zeelandia - its the beach on the east side of the island. Its the most rough and right now the waves are incredibly huge because of the hurricane Igor out there in the ocean - its pretty unreal, the other side of the island is really crazy too and lots of wind today. On Thursdays we have until I have to pick up the girls at school to to something fun. So thats from 7:30 to 12:30 5 hours to hang out, go snorkeling, looks for blue beads or sea shells, or hike the Quill - Islands volcano which we did on Wednesday morning. Its been really fun actually getting that oh so important date time and its more that we had at home! Last week we went snorkeling and saw some really neat things, we swam down sith some turtles, beautiful fish, tonnes of coral, a tiny jelly fish caught me on the side of my upper lip and it was numb and stingy, sort of tender feeling for a while - oh and Todd saw a huge SHARK! We were snorkeling away through these huge corol formations with deep trenches and I'm about 2 feet behind Todd and he all of a sudden stops and I hear him yelling SHARK, SHARK, trough his snorkel tube, so of course I'm saying What , What through my snorkel tube and deseratly trying to see past him and through my foggy goggles and I can't see it. Todd then says its gone and its went of to the right so we go off to the left. And when we get out of the ocean he say, I didnt' want to tell you this is the water cuz I know you would freek out, but that shark was about 6 - 8 feet long and huge! I was then thankful for my blocked, and cloudy vision! Yes I Know I would have wet my suit!! We looked it up on the internet and we figure - and so did the scuba diving place here - that is was a reef shark who are quite timid and will swim away if it sees you (like it did thank goodness)! So that was our shark adventure!
Among the 2 inch cockroach I found in the kitchen, and another weird looking bug in the bathroom, was a huge spider in our bedroom. All together legs and center of the body, it had to be almost the size of my palm, that's big enough for me, and it was fast. Todd grabbed and fly swatter and got it. Apparently these spiders and called banana spiders, and they can make your face swell up, not by biting, but by peeing on you! So now we got to look out for peeing spiders!
I've got a few things on the go right now. I am going 3 times a week Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday for 1 hour to Jase's school to help an 8 year old dutch boy read english. I've been doing it for a week now and its okay, but I'm not loving it. I kind of have to in a way because they allowed Jase in the school when they could have easily said no. So I'm doing my part for the little school of maybe 15 students because they do need help, and also because they are most definitely helping us out. I might be doing other things there in the future i'll just have to wait and see.
A new and dear friend that I made here for 1 week, and then it was unfortunately their time to leave, made great friend on the lsland and were a great example to a lot of people. She left a Church Childrens Song Book here for me to take to the Seventh Day Adventist School - where the girls go - for the school to use for whatever purpose they saw fit. Well I was in the office one day because Katie's neck was doing its hurting thing and I thought to mention this book I had for them but kept forgetting to bring it. Uncle Ishmael - the head creator of the school, was ecstatic because he was looking for all of there Christmas music and it has somehow been misplaced and he also wanted some new songs to teach the children. So in the Church book is some fantastic Christmas song and other song which he is looking at using. He said he was going to call me when he is ready to rehearse and learn the song which I will play for him try to help him learn. He goes from classroom to class room singing the songs to the children and that is how they learn all of their song. So I'm actually finding myself quite busy between trying to keep up the household, having date time with Todd, doing stuff with school, and driving to and from schools a lot. So I'm grateful for the relaxation time when I have some.

One more thing is Laundry. But I'll tell you about that next time. I've got to get off this thing!! :)