With A Simple Hello

April 14, 2013. I woke up late (almost 9am!) and told my host mother I just felt lazy this morning. She laughed and said she's up at 7am everyday. I know... Haha I hung out in my room for a few hours reading my children's Spanish books and organizing my papers. I felt a bit dizzy (been that way for a few days now and unsure as to why) so I told the kiddos I couldn't play much.
I had something so similar to polenta for lunch today Gram! Totally the same texture, was made from corn, and had a red sauce and ground beef with it. It was delicious! And of course, I had it again for dinner because I raved about it :P
After lunch I played cards, went to buy gum with the munchkins, and watched as Jerson went fishing in the filthy water in his underwear with fishing line and a hook he found and worms that he dug up in the mud. Crazy. Noemi and I sat and chatted on the porch a bit. She then... Decided to do my nails and hair... I can't believe I'm going to post the pictures below. I must love you all and not care one bit about my appearance anymore. Ha. Okay, so my nails were done with play dough. My hair, she did in pig tails and then decided I looked like "something in Spanish" which totally had something to do with a Chinese woman... So. She asked for my makeup and added some...things on my cheeks. Just see for yourself. Haha my host mother got a kick out of it. I flipped my hair around and spoke with an obnoxious high-pitched ditsy voice about how pretty I was. Haha every Dominican that walked by seemed to love it too :P
We then played outside some more, I busted out my iPad to show the pictures and ended up showing them games. Which lasted quite awhile and resumed again at night. Haha oops. But they enjoyed it :). Munchkin and Dad? Jerson LOVES the Mayhem game! I told them that it was one of your guys' favorites.
I'm trying to think of what else happened today (outside of lots of people coming over to buy clothes or shoes from the giant box!) but it was really just lots of hanging out with the kids. Lots of cards. Lots of running. Lots of complete confusion but also lots of understanding (more than last weekend!). Lots of iPad games and arguing over who's turn it was. And lots of sweating; como siempre. This weekend was infinitely better than the last. The more I think about it, the more I realize I may have gone crazy on the weekends if they never came over. I love my host mother but we would have done nothing but watch TV. Hooray for them saving my sanity! It's amazing how fast you fall in love with these people. Honestly. These kids now have a special place in my heart along with mi mamá aquí and I'm already dreading the day I have to leave them... It's also amazing how much the people here light up with a simple "Hola" or "Buenas." Totally a random side note, sorry, but en serio, they stare and keep a straight if not stern face as us Americans walk by. But as soon as you say hello and smile, their eyes lift and a wide smile spreads as they say hello back. It's a beautiful and simple thing that makes me really happy :).
The night ended with a phone call from my baby girl and I couldn't have been happier. We actually had time to chat, just us girls. I missed that and miss her like Woa. Thanks for calling beautiful. Wish we could do it more but those brief calls mean the absolute world now. I'm so proud of everything you're doing and feeling (and I mean, everything). Keep becoming the incredible woman I already know you are!
Un chin corto but I think the pictures do enough in this post... Buenas noches, everyone.