Stars or dirt

K has had quite a bit of experience with death during her short lifetime: two of her great-grandmothers, her dad's cousin, and our cat have all died. 

Once in Santa María, when K saw a rooster who had died of natural causes, she said, "I wouldn't want to be like him."


Comments made by Kayalá as the Day of the Dead (Nov 2) approached:
  
 
K: How long will we live?

Me: I don't know. Maybe until we're 90.

K: And then we die?

Me: Yes.

K: Poor us.

---------------

K: When we die, maybe we turn into someone else, maybe we turn into an animal, maybe we turn into a star, maybe we turn into dirt.  

Dancing girl

C has been taking ballet lessons since March. The ballet studio is about 6 blocks from our house (a major plus) and is run by a lovely woman and her two dancing 20-something daughters. This past weekend, after much rehearsing, the students performed "Giselle." It was clear that they had worked incredibly hard to put the show together. C's role was as a "campesina rosada" - a pink-clad country girl (there were blue-clad ones, too).   C was excited to perform on stage. She said, "Maybe someday if I have a kid, she'll ask me if I was ever on stage, and I will say, 'yes!'"

All ready! 

(Incredibly, I did her hair and makeup myself. Didn't think i had it in me!)

With friends before the performance:

On stage!

A short video clip. C is the 2nd girl from the front on stage right 

(house left, or the left for the person viewing the video):

Our graduate!

C officially graduated from kindergarten today!

The graduating class - all 3 of them - Omar, Chely, and Donato:

 Singing the school song:

C won medals for Reading, Karate, English, Friendship, and Behavior.

Excited!

Pyjama Day

at C's school

4

Our local park hosted a celebration on Children's Day (Oct 1st) with a talent show, a concert by the city youth chorus, and free snacks. The children were given toy wands. K turned hers into a number 4:

She likes numbers.

Yaya

Yellow belt

Belt-changing ceremony in C's karate class. She has moved up to yellow belt!

 (she's in the middle of the middle row)