Ciao Ninos - Fri 18 November

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Hello all,

Had a great sleep last night - probably helped by a couple of beers and a pisco sour!! Like I´ve said before - purely medicinal and to help me sleep!!

Woke up this morning and got ready pretty early. Had a few things to sort out for WW. Translated a couple of things I had done with them into Spanish (Ring a Ring of Roses and Round and Round the Garden) so that Julia can continue the rhymes with them. Also needed to purchase some oil (to soften up the playdough) and some washing up liquid (so Julia can continue to make bubbles for them). Also decided to give Julia one of the Scotland T shirts the guys in the office gave me before I left and a fleecy top that I had.

There was a new wee girl and a baby at WW today. Karina didn´t appear. Julia wxplained she is taking more kids as Ernesto will move on to proper nursery in December. I didn´t really manage to figure out their names, but they were sister and brother (baby was a boy) and absolutely lovely kids!!

Julia brought her other 2 kids in to meet me today before they headed off to school. I got a big hug and kiss from both of them (a boy and a girl). Julia has 3 kids including Andrea, and is only 29!!

The kids loved the photos. Julia has decided that they will each take oe home, which will be a lovely surprise for their parents. She was also really chuffed with the T shirt and fleece. I also showed her how to soften up the playdough with oil and water and how to make bubbles. We didn´t actually make or do anything this morning. Get the impression that Julia was having a bit of a spring clean and didn´t want to mess things up. We spent a lot of time playing games with the kids and teaching them the rhymes I´d translated into Spanish (this hd been sense checked by Marisol in CCS to ensure it was sensible!!).

I also got some photos of Julia with the kids and she took some of me with them. They are attached.

She hadn´t told them that they wouldn´t see me again until I was actually leaving. Think that was for the best. I was very good until Ernesto started to cry!! He told me that "yo gusto Gringa Lesley" - which means ´I like Gringa Lesley´. That was me floored!! Managed to hold it together though. I got big hugs and kisses from all of them and they sang me a lovely song they had prepared for me. Can´t really remember it - was too busy trying to hold it together. I have spent every working day for the last six weeks with these kids getting to know them. It was really tough leaving them.

The hardest thing for me will be not knowing what becomes of them as they grow up, and wondering whether I´ve managed to make even the slightest bit of difference for them. I wonder if they´ll remember me - probably not given that they are all under 4 years old. One thing´s for sure - I´ll never forget about them and will think of them often!!

Hope that you all feel even the teeniest bit moved as you read this - it was extremely difficult for me!!

Friday night was also a night for goodbyes with Ilona and Rick leaving on Saturday morning. We went out to Gringo Plaza for our last pisco sour with them. They were only here for two weeks, but I really enjoyed getting to know them and will miss them lots.

There was more traditional dancing on in the plaza which was nice. I really enjoy the music - it´s great!!

Anyway - enough for now. Hope that you all have a great weekend!!

Lesley x

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Photos

Wawa Wasi Sunchu
Bck row from left: Ernesto, Elias and Julia with the new baby.
Front row from left: Anna, Giovani, Andrea, Maria and the new wee girl.

Lesley and the Ninos
Awful one of me, but great photo of the kids.
Back row from left: Ernesto, Andrea, new wee girl, Lesley with the new baby, and Giovani.
Front row from left: Elias, Anna and Maria.

Lesley and the Ninos again
Better one of me, but the ninos weren´t looking at the camera!
Back row from left: Elias, Ernesto, new girl, Lesley and (screaming) baby, Giovani and Andrea.
Front row from left: Anna and Maria

Baby Rufina
She missed the group photos as she´d fallen asleep. Got one of her for good measure though!!

Funky new boots!!
Lesley´s funly new boots - couldn´t resist them!!

Comments

[MUM]

WAWA WASAI + BOOTS
HAD A GOOD SNIFFLE ABOUT THE NINOS SAYING CHERRIO TO YO. BUT THE BOOTS WELL THEY ARE SOMETHING ELSE WHERE DID THE CONSERVATIVE LESLEY GO- WILL BLAME VICKY FOR HAVING A BAD INFLUENCE ON YOU LOVE MUM