Slumber Party

The next morning I slept in and then woke up and spent the day with my host family relaxing and living like an Ecuadorian. At about 2:30, Jas had her Kids with Camera’s exhibit in the library. It was so cute to see the final shots of her kids. I was in a lot of them, which made me feel like a good part of their lives for the month I have been here. All the reserve students came to see it, and my host family as well.

After the exhibit, I set up the computer from my family. I installed Rosetta Stone and the other programs. Fabiola and Joselin, a high school girl around my age, came to Kari’s house where I had set up the computer to learn how to use it. Jennifer was there as well. I taught them Rosetta Stone, and it was a really cool program. It was 12$ in Quito, and runs for about $300 in the U.S. I’m going to buy it in Spanish and maybe a few more languages for the future! I think Fabiola and the other Tabugans who want to learn English will get a good use out of it.

reading

More reading

Library

Typical day in my house

My host dad on the floor- candid shot!

Jennifer and I returned home to find my friend John Carlos and Arturo on his motorcycle. I rode with Arturo down my street and walked in on a mini fiesta as my host dad’s 18 year old sister Viviana and her newborn were there with the two kids of her “husband”, Naomi and Darian. They are some of my favorite kids, and I LOVE Naomi. If I could adopt any child from Tabuga, it would be Naomi. They are both so cute and bright, and it’s really sad because their dad had them with a woman from another city, and they lived there, but then he brought them to Tabuga because he had gotten Viviana pregnant, so she is responsible for them. She is so shy and does not say anything; we think it is because her “husband” is always out with other women or watching sports. He is about 31, but hangs out with all younger people. I thought he was my age when I first met him. 

Anyways, Fabiola laid out mattresses all over and we all watched TV and I made popcorn. In the middle of everything, Viviana just picked up the baby and left without a word. We thought she was coming back, but she just left Naomi and Darian there. Darian went into the other room and fell asleep in Ximena and Fabiola’s bed. Naomi was laying on me, and fell asleep a little before me. My host sisters, Jennifer, Arturo, and John Carlos were telling jokes until 2:30am. I woke up and realized that the kids were still there. I put Naomi in my bed considering there was no were else to sleep for her and I had a Queen sized bed. (I am used to sharing a bed with younger sisters or cousins sometimes, so I did not think twice. Apparently, my host family thought it bothered me to share a bed, and I explained that I didn’t care because she was like family to me. )