08.29.19

We’ve spent everyday this week at school attending meetings and working on our classrooms. The entire staff have been welcoming and helpful.

There is a family operated cafeteria in the school where we eat every day. The food has been very good. Some type of chicken is always an option, but there have also been days with macaroni and hamburgers. It also includes a coffee bar where we can get macchiatos for 50 cents all throughout the day. Derek loves that, partaking in a few a day. He may start a go fund me page so Batavia Elementary can open a coffee bar. 😁

The boys attended a new student orientation and got their schedules. Looks like Geometry, Drama, and Spanish for Dexter among his other academic courses and Albanian as the language elective for Xander.

We continue to try new things and we walk several miles a day. It’s still very hot here. Every time we have ordered a hamburger they have been huge. As you can see in this picture, they are a big as Lucy’s face!

Also, this is the only place we have eaten so far that has had ice. Evidently ice is not easy to come by here. Drinks come in cold bottles, but forget about the ice. I wish I would have brought an ice tray from home!

We have also labeled ourselves “the thirsty Americans.” Do Americans drink larger amounts of beverages than other places in the world? We never have enough to drink and when we ask for additional water we get puzzled looks. Still trying to figure this one out.

On our walk home from school we often see cows roaming aimlessly about.

We have also started cooking a bit at home. The first meal we attempted was grilled cheese. We bought a skillet and turned on the stove top. This is a picture of the dial.

I put that sandwich in and turned it to 4. It didn’t seem to be cooking and eventually I cranked it all the way up to 6. No luck. As I was pondering whether or not this brand new stove was broken, I suddenly wondered if the lower the number meant the hotter the heat – success! Another difference from home.

Ellie has been going to Nashana’s everyday. This is such an answered prayer. What a huge relief that I can drop her off and know she is well taken care of and loved. She still cries when I leave her, but Nashana says the tears don’t usually last long.

We’ve been successfully getting where we need to on time except for one morning when it was just the girls and I. I missed our taxi, so we walked to the bus stop. We got on the first bus, but I missed the drop off to catch the second one. Found out I was heading the wrong direction and then finally got on the right bus going the correct way. Lucy was a champ. Never worried, just wondering why I couldn’t get it right. Haha!

Meet the teacher night is tomorrow. Looking forward to meeting our students and their parents!