I believe I can flyyyy!

This was my last week of work before Christmas! The daycare's last day was on Friday, and the high school girls' graduation was on Wednesday. It was a very good week.

On Tuesday, my housemates and I all went to Volcan Irazu with Fray Jorge, one of the friars that lives across the street from us. It was really cool...we were in the clouds....definitely a different experience.


For graduation on Wednesday, I got to hand out some of the diplomas, which was really cool. I got to give all the girls a big hug and congratulations...it's going to be sad without them there next year! One of the teachers that I work with, Oscar, had to read a prayer for the graduation, and he has told me in the past that he is "Catholic" but he definitely is not practicing. So the principal of the school called Oscar and I into her office and was telling us all the things we needed to do to get ready for the graduation, and she said, "Oscar, you'll read the prayer, okay? So just start with a sign of the cross, read the prayer, and then finish with an Our Father and a Hail Mary, since we're in the house of the Virgin." Haha, it was pretty funny, I had to help him to remember the Our Father, and he was super nervous. It went very well, though. :-) After graduation, Isabel, another teacher, asked if I could help her with her English homework, so we went to KFC to practice for her English test that she had on Friday. I'm really glad that I'm starting to make more friends at my work, because I have felt that I've had a pretty difficult time fitting in there until now. A couple of the teachers, Oscar and Alejandra, even came to the Christmas party that my roommates and I had on Friday.

The last day at the daycare was super fun. We had this big elaborate party for the kids and their parents (most of which were moms and some grandmas), and the kids sang some songs, Santa Claus came, and there was a tooooon of food. It was kind of sad, because a lot of the bigger kids are not going to be coming back in January because they'll be starting school! A couple of my favorite kids are not going to be back, which is a big bummer. Also, the woman who works full time there, Magaly, is not coming back in January either, and it was super sad to see everyone say goodbye to her. She's been working there for four years, so I imagine it's going to be hard to leave. I have no idea who is going to be able to take her position, because she is soooo good with the kids. It will be interesting to see how next year goes.

Well, I don't have too much else to talk about, but I do have lots of pictures :-) I'm going to the beach tomorrow! How's the snow treating everyone?

Agustin! He's such a little sweetheart. I was sad that I failed to capture the mohawk he was sporting the day before.
Diego. He's a little flirt.

Isaac. He always says to me, "Y su papa?" "And your dad?" And we'll go through my whole family before the conversation ends.

Jeremey and Allen...sweeeeeetest brothers ever.

Allen again.

Juancho and I at the volcano.

Juancho, Liz, Kinzie, Fray Jorge and me.

Fray Jorge. I was trying to teach him how to blow bubbles with his gum...kind of failed though.

I can flyyyyyy!

It was freeeezing up there!

Charlie, Liz and I at our Christmas party.
Hahahahaha, this picture totally captures the intensity that the kids had while they were performing. It was awesome. That is Camilo, Agustin, Amanda, Engel, and Alexa.

Michelle! She's just precious.

Moises....they made all the kids go in the kitchen for like 15 minutes while they talked to the parents...yikes. About half of them were screaming about how they wanted their mom the WHOLE TIME.

DORIANNNNN. He's sooooo cute.

Nick and I ice skating in a mall! I met Nick last summer when he was a chaperone at one of the CHWC sites I worked at...it turns out he's in Costa Rica, too and lives super close. We went ice skating, got our picture taken with Santa, and ate some Taco Bell. We also played in lots of toy stores...all in all a fun day. :-)

Merry almost Christmas!!!