Another blog written while in Bolivia…
I’m sitting outside right now. It’s a beautiful day… the sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky. Not too hot, not too cold. Silence.
TIA TIA!!!!!
Okay nevermind on the silence part. Tia means aunt and it’s what the kids call us here. I like to think they are affectionately saying Auntie Natalia in their heads but I guess that’s debatable. It’s never just one “tia” either. It’s always said in pairs. Three kids are now around me, completely interested in what I’m typing. Make that four. Here’s a visual incase you were having trouble picturing it.
I actually snapped that picture without them noticing. Usually they jump with joy at the first sign of a camera. I guess that’s even more proof of how fascinating this is to them.
We have been here for about a week now. When we arrived, the kids came running to the gate to welcome us. We had dinner with them, then a bible study, then came back to unload. By the end of the first night I knew this was right where I was supposed to be for the month. It was already home.
The next morning we woke up at 7:15 for breakfast and bible study, then the kids split up to do their chores. We joined them to help. I was with Sefarino, Natalia, and Lusvinda. Talk about a good time picking up trash.
The smiles didn’t leave their faces. When our bags were full, I asked them where we dump it. They pointed up the mountain, so off we went. But who wants just a normal walk up, right? So I walked behind them for a bit then screamed and ran at them. They screamed back and bolted toward the top of the hill, looking back every two seconds yelling “Tia tia!!” We emptied our bags, then back down we ran. One thing I love about kids is that you can do the same thing with them kachobillion times and the kachobillionth time is just as fun as the first. When we were done I took out my camera and they ate. it. up. “Tia tia! Saca un photo!!!” (Take a picture) Music to these ears. So we took a tonnnn of pictures.
We finished with the trash before a lot of the others finished so we just played in the yard for a while. We played dogpile on tia natalia, duck duck goose and chase, and climbed a bit up the mountain. After one afternoon it felt like I had been there a lifetime.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the older kids were out of school so we got to hang out with them extra. Wednesday and Thursday we loaded up and went to the river to fetch some (and by some I mean a ton of) gravel. First just Annee and I went with some kids and after we spent thirty minutes trying to kill this one
extremely annoying bee, we got to work. Andrew, our contact, went back for the other chicas and more boys.
The kids here can turn anything fun. We spent hours and hours getting gravel and it was tiring but nothing can be boring with them. Friday morning we had breakfast at the gardener’s house. She made delicious bread but there was so much that we couldn’t finish it all. And what do you do when you have yummy food in front of you that you can’t keep eating? Stuff it in your pockets while she isn’t looking, of course. She either didn’t notice or thought that we reeeaaallllyy liked it. It was just as good the second time around.
After breakfast, Frizz, Liv and I went over the river and through the woods with some others to pick pumpkins. I was thinking “Oh cool, a pumpkin patch.” Wrong. How bout a pumpkin mountain. Okay I didn’t actually pick the pumpkins, but I did stand at the fence and take them from the people who did to put them in the truck. Hey, it’s not my fault that I fell trying to get over the fence.
When we were done with the pumpkins, we took them back and switched out kids and Jenna and I went with them to get firewood. Jenna’s middle name is Beast, and rightfully so as you can see below. We rode in the back of the truck on the way there but had to ride in the cab on the way back
(sad) because the boys barely fit in the back. At one point I looked out the window and saw fingers so I took a picture and realized that Roberto was on the very top of the truck. Safe? Sure, why not.
After we got back and unloaded the firewood we just hung out with the kids the rest of the day. We took a little nap outside, cleaned some bones for some good meat, Frizz did some flips with them in the yard for a while, ya know… the usual.
Saturday after chores we spent the afternoon playing soccer, feeding ducks, and climbing mountains. It was a full day but so good and full of so much fun and laughter.
This morning we went to church. I got to sit by our favorite empanada maker (you’re missing out, really). The kids are now inside doing I don’t know what, and I’m sitting outside. It’s a beautiful day… the sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky. Not too hot, not too cold. Silence.
….
TIA TIA!!!!!
