Fayetteville

A couple pictures of where I am going to school. The University of Arkansas -- Fayetteville. We are the Razorbacks. Hogs, they say down here. Now, I guess I am a Hog. I took these pictures while I was walking around campus today. It's a pretty place. I'll take more when the light is nice.

Changes

Each of us in the family are preparing for the arrival of our new little ones in different ways. We've had some excitement over the past week and a half. Here's what we've been up to:

Karine and the Twins news:
Last Monday night, I ended up going into the hospital for a few hours. I had been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions for about 6 hours straight. These are the kind of contractions that don't hurt, but completely tighten your abdomen. It's normal to experience some, but if you have more than 4 in an hour, you are supposed to call your doctor. I did, and he told me to head to the hospital to get some help stopping the contractions. After determining I was having the BH contractions every 2-4 minutes, they gave me a couple shots in the arm and sent me home with a prescription for some medicine to help control the contractions. This is the only sign of pre-term labor I've had so far, and the doctors assure me that it is completely normal at this point in a twin pregnancy.


Now, a week later, I've reached the 34 week mark. By 34 weeks, most babies are clear of any long-term health issues. They may spend a couple extra days in the NICU, but overall, they will be as healthy as a full term baby eventually. I go in for another appointment this afternoon to confirm that everything is going well. I'll continue to take medicine to keep contractions at bay until 35-36 weeks and then the doctor has said he'll take me off of them and the babies will be welcome at any time! It's crazy to think that in just 2 weeks or less, I could be heading into the hospital and coming home with 2 more babies!

My doctors did send me home with strict instructions to stop all lifting- including helping Zeke into his crib, high chair, etc. and to sit or lie down as much as humanly possible (while caring for a 20 month old!) Because of this, our little boy has had to make some big adjustments this past week...

Introducing our newest BIG BOY... Zeke!
His favorite words this week have been "Big Boy". We (well, Tom) scrambled to finish Zeke's new bedroom setup, complete with a toddler bed that Zeke can climb in and out of. I didn't want to jinx our luck by announcing it too early, but after 5 successful nights and daytime naps in the big boy bed, I think it's a go! He's so proud of his new big boy bed and room. Every time I go to get him after a nap, his first words are "big boy!" It's pretty sweet.

Another new change is that Zeke has started school! I know that most people don't start their 1 and 1/2 year olds in school, but we had been hearing about this wonderful toddler program through one of the neighborhood elementary schools. It's supposed to be pretty difficult to get into, but since we live in the district, we were bumped to the top of the waiting list and the next opening was ours! Zeke will be attending "school" 2 days a week and started today.

The toddler program functions like a pre-school from 9-11:30 with circle time, music, art, snack, centers, and all sorts of learning fun. He has the option of staying all afternoon for lunch, naptime and afternoon snack as well. To start, we'll just bring him for the morning, but it is a comfort to know the option is there. I think that it will be great for him to have his own special place to go and interact with other kids and teachers a couple times per week. (And give mom a break, too!)

When I dropped him off, the first toy he went for was a baby doll. I'm encouraged that he's so fond of babies, but will need to work with him on supporting the head. :)

As is tradition, I took Zeke's very first "First Day of School Picture" this morning. Here is my big boy!
And as for Tom, well, he's just busy being a good husband and dad these days. He works so hard to help us all when he is home and support us through working his day job as well as playing music at night. As I type, Tom is making the journey from Owatonna, MN back to Omaha in his 1996 Honda Accord Wagon.
Thanks to Doug and Kirsten for taking good care of the car for the past 3 years while we were living in Honduras. While this car has seen a lot of miles, we're hoping it will survive the journey back to Nebraska and be a good second car for our family. Anyone reading our blog today should say an extra little prayer for Tom and the car, and that they both make it back home safely!

***Update*** The doctor appointment went well- no new news, and Tom made it back to town! We are so happy!

The Reaction

I know that many of you who donated money to help send Stephanie to school are anxiously awaiting the news of "how did she react???" I wanted to wait a few days to share the reaction because honestly, it was a few days of reacting.

Last Tuesday afternoon, (which was right in the middle of our busiest week ever -- maybe second only to the week we got married and moved to Honduras) we sat down with Belkis and told her that we had a surprise for her. She and I had talked at length in the past few months about the weaknesses of the public school system, and how she had hoped to move Stephanie to a private school next year. I told Belkis that thanks to our friends and family, and even a few new friends we've never met, Stephanie had a scholarship waiting for her that would pay for the first year of school at a private, well-run school.

Belkis was astounded. She was silent, but I could see her hands shaking. This was a really big deal to her. I told her that it would be great if we could spend the final 2 days we had in La Ceiba working out some of the details, like which school she would attend, when she would begin, etc.

Now, to explain a bit about Belkis, she is a strong woman who keeps her deepest emotions carefully guarded. While I was a blubbering mess last week saying goodbye to everyone, Belkis was extra quiet. This was already a very emotional week for her, as she was saying goodbye to a family and a baby that meant a great deal to her. After I explained all I could about the scholarship, she said thank you and that she'd start thinking about it, and that this was a very big gift. She went home that day, and we were left wondering how she really felt about the news.

On Wednesday, Belkis came to take care of Zeke in my classroom for a few hours in the morning. She and I had the opportunity to talk at length. She told me that she was very very appreciative of the scholarship, but she had a couple concerns. You see, some of the better bilingual schools in La Ceiba run their school year from August to May, and other private schools follow the typical Honduran school calendar which runs from January to November. Belkis was concerned that we were going to place the condition that Stephanie be pulled from her current school mid-year. Most parents understand how this could be disruptive to a child's social and emotional well being, so I told her that if she was more comfortable waiting for the current school year to end, we understood and could work with that. This was the short-term concern.

Then, there was her long-term concern. Since we left Honduras, Belkis is looking for new employment and currently does not have a stable job to guarantee she could continue to support Stephanie's education after the first year. Her concern is that Stephanie would be given this wonderful opportunity for one year, but what happens after that? After a great deal of thought and consideration on our part, Tom and I told Belkis that it would be our goal and commitment to help Stephanie for the next 4 years. We don't exactly know what we'll do, or how we'll do it, but it is our goal and plan.

By Thursday, we had set up an "appointment" for Belkis to meet and discuss some school options with our school's guidance counselor. The guidance counselor already administers several scholarships for children at various schools around La Ceiba, and she had several ideas for Belkis, and was also able to help address some of the concerns Belkis had.

At the end of the day Thursday, Belkis sat us down and this is a rough translation of what she said...

"First of all I want to say thank you. You don't understand what a big gesture this is to me. It is incredible. You and your friends and family are very generous and we have been blessed by God to be given this opportunity. I don't know what my future holds, but after talking with [the guidance counselor] today, I believe it will all work out. I don't want to pull Stephanie out of her current school in the middle of this school year (right now or within the next two months) because we need a little time to find the right school and make a plan. But your generosity is overwhelming, so thank you and thank God for this blessing and gift."

Then we had to say some very difficult goodbyes. It was an emotionally overwhelming evening, but we left it with Belkis that we would be in touch regularly until Stephanie started school. The scholarship will be left in Stephanie's name in an scholarship account administered by our school's guidance counselor. We've put a time limit of one year for this money to begin to be used. Belkis knows that she's got the time she needs to help Stephanie adjust to her new education, and we can all rest assured that the money will be put to good use for Stephanie's education.

So again, from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU.

24 Hours = $240

Tomorrow, a moving truck takes our stuff away from our house in Honduras. Tomorrow begins our exit from this beautiful country. We actually will be flying out on Friday morning, and will use the final days here in Honduras to wrap up loose ends.

I've been giving a lot of thought to our conversation with Belkis that will take place this week. I'm beyond proud of the $760 our readers have contributed for Stephanie's scholarship. I truly believe this will change her life. I'm excited for the conversation I will have with Belkis tomorrow afternoon (Monday!!!) when I tell her about the gift our friends, family, and readers will be giving to her daughter and their future.

My original goal was to raise $1000 in 10 days to send Stephanie to a school that will teach her well. Tom thought it was a little out of reach at first, but we have been overwhelmed with the generosity of our readers. Thank you.

We have just $240 to go in the next 24 hours to reach our goal. That's just $10 per hour! If you haven't been able to contribute yet, this is your chance. For those of you who have donated and sent kind words and prayers for this goal, Thank you.

Tomorrow we will return to regular blogging. If we make our goal, I'll upload a really sweet belly picture- 15 weeks with twins and a big round belly!

Please Help Stephanie

Seven days ago Karine made a goal: collect $1,000 in ten days to send little Stephanie to a quality school for a year. So far our readers have donated $650. This is a truly awesome display of generosity. Now our goal is within reach. If you have donated, thank you so much. If you haven't, please help us today.


Stephanie with her mom and Zeke.

Please Help Stephanie Today

Her name is named Stephanie. She is eleven years old. She is intelligent and funny and bright-eyed and curious. She sparkles; she shines. She dances and sings with our little son until we’re all rolling on the floor laughing. She is full of light and happiness.

And she is full of potential.

It is this, her boundless potential, which compels us to act on her behalf. She doesn’t know that we are doing this. She could never imagine anyone doing something like this for her. But we must do it because we can.

Stephanie missed over one-hundred days of school last year. Not because she doesn’t want to learn, but because the Honduran public school system is dysfunctional and underfunded and corrupt. That is not her fault.

She wants desperately to learn. And we, with your help, can make that happen for her. We can send her to a better school and put her on the path towards a brighter future.

Please donate today: $10, $20, $50, $100 – any amount will make a huge difference for Stephanie.

Thank You.

Ten Dollar Tueday

Today's goal:

Ten individual donations of ten dollars or more.

Don't know what it's all about? Read the entries below.

*************************UPDATE***************************

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!

AWESOME
SUPER

Our total so far: $518 from 23 donors. At the end of day four we are over half way to our goal. We are getting there.

Thank you so much.

A Parting Gift, DAY THREE

So far, you have contributed over $300 to give a little girl the chance of a lifetime, an opportunity to learn at a decent school. We are humbled by your generocity. Thank you so much!

Let's see if we can't get another $100 closer to our goal today. Please consider contributing any amount.

Maybe we can make a deal. Let's take a little stroll down memory lane. Read this post about cashews I wrote a few years ago. I did something very stupid. If you laugh out loud at this stupid thing I did, maybe consider donating a little something to help a girl get a quality education.

One addendum: I actually did end up covered in fluid filled pustules.

A Parting Gift, Day TWO

Thank you all so much. Day One was a huge success. Over $200 in donations will pay for two months of school for a very special little girl. If your generosity today can match donations received yesterday, Tom has agreed to do something ridiculous and or embarrassing. He's already shaved his head, so that's out. He's open to suggestions. We have a video camera. Maybe a performance of Old McDonald filmed at the local Burger King? Something like that. Any ideas?

****UPDATE****

4 PM Honduras time. We are half way to today's goal. My embarrassing stunt may include dancing in a public place and or wearing a silly costume. I don't want to, but I would love to half to.

A Parting Gift, UPDATED

We've got about 2 weeks left of our life here in La Ceiba, Honduras. It's been an amazing 3 years full of ups and downs. We've grown accustomed to many of the idiosyncrasies of living as foreigners in a different culture. We've been given one beautiful son, and we leave Honduras with two more little ones on the way.

The country of Honduras has given us beauty. The rainforest, the beach, the islands and reef, the mountains and hills- it is truly a special place. The true beauty, however, has been in the people we've encountered here. We've discovered friends in unlikely places and been blessed with kindness by countless people.

For me, personally, one of the most special people I have encountered is Zeke's nanny, Belkis. This young woman has come into our home and our lives with a contagious smile and a can-do attitude. She's a single mom who rides her bike instead of taking a bus or taxi. Belkis completed high school about 10 years ago- a true feat for a girl in the public school system here. Everything about her is wonderful, but what is most wonderful to me, is that she loves my son. She really loves him, and he really loves her. She's taught him Spanish, dances to silly songs, and hides behind the sofa for him to find her. Zeke is enamoured. Belkis has given me peace of mind every day as I head off to work, because I know my son is going to have a fantastic day with one of his favorite people in the world.

I want to thank her in a big way. This is something I've been thinking about for many months now. About two months ago, I thought of something I could do- from one mother to another, that might make a difference. You see, Belkis has an 9 year old daughter who is just as bright, cheerful, and funny as her mom. This little girl doesn't miss a beat. She's smart too! Whenever she has a day off of school, she comes with Belkis to our house. Zeke loves having this energetic firecracker around. I love having her around too- except it means one thing. Usually when the little girl is here, it means school has been cancelled- again.

Honduras has a public school system that does not work. The teachers are on strike often because they don't receive their paychecks from the government. I won't go into all the faults of the school system nor will I pretend to understand all of the reasons it is the way it is. All I know is this- Belkis would love to put her daughter in a private school here. She could give her daughter- who desperately wants to learn- an education where the teachers come every day. It would be a place where there is a seat for every child, and teachers are motivated to help the kids learn. Private schools here (not the big bilingual schools) cost roughly $100 per month. For about $1000, this little girl might have the chance to attend classes more than 50 out of the 180 designated school days per year. It would make her mother proud.

I had hoped to be able to help sponsor this little girl's education. I know that $1000 would change this little girl's life, and possibly her future. Belkis will continue to work in Honduras after we leave, and support herself and her daughter. However, for most people here, finding work that pays an extra $100 per month is beyond difficult.

I had hoped that our little family could handle the expense of an extra $100 per month to put aside. Due to the rapid increase in our family size, and the rapid decrease in number of working parents in the house, I'm afraid Tom and I won't be able to do this alone. I am asking for anyone who has enjoyed reading our blog over the past 3 years to consider helping us change one life here before we leave Honduras.

If you can afford $10, $25, or even $100, your donation will go directly to a scholarship fund for Belkis's daughter. I promise that your money will be put into good, honest hands. My goal- lofty as it may be- is to raise one year's tuition- $1000 in 10 days. Can you please help?

We'll keep you updated as we work toward our goal.




Thank you all so much!

****UPDATE****

We received the first donation over night. Thank you so much!

****UPDATE****SUNDAY MAY, 23****

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Day One was a huge success. Over $200 in donations will pay for two months of school for a very special little girl. If your generosity today can match donations received yesterday, Tom has agreed to do something ridiculous and or embarrassing. He's already shaved his head, so that's out. He's actually open to suggestions. We do have video capabilities. Maybe a video of a performance of Old McDonald filmed at the local Burger King? Something like that. Any ideas?

Busy Bees

The beginning of a new school year always proves to be a busy time of year. This is especially true if 2 out of 3 members of the family are teachers. We've been otherwise occupied during the past two weeks- preparing for the first week of classes, and now teaching the first week of classes. In the past, Tom has had a bit more time during the day to do some blogging. Our readers will need to stay tuned to see what the former librarian is up to this school year. I'll give you a big hint- it's not in the library, but it's still at our school!


Life is pretty good otherwise. Ezekiel is happy every day when we arrive home. Happy because he's been happy all day, and he's happy again that we've arrived home. We're so lucky. He's been smiling, talking, and fake eating/lip syncing a lot lately. I'm going to try to post a quick video to make people happy- because this type of video makes me happy!

Also, I had intended to use this blog to commemorate each milestone age for Zeke. I have missed his 6 month birthday! At 6 months, he's doing a lot of cool stuff. I think I'll try to do a 6.5 month blog instead- updating everyone on his weight, accomplishments, future plans, etc.

So, blogosphere, please accept my apologies. When we begin to fall into the rhythm of the school year, our blog should pick up again. We'll have interesting stories, political updates, family news, and stuff about our life in Honduras in general. Until then, please enjoy this short baby video.