Hockey in the Dominican Republic

Hello!

Hockey has now come to our Caribbean home!

I could not resist when I was offered six hockey sticks from a family leaving the Dominican Republic. I did not ask where they got them or why they had them but, as a Canadian, I had to take them. Hockey on the front porch has become our family's new favourite activity. . .

. . . for most of us anyways and especially for a certain four year old who actually has a pretty good slapshot.

Little brother, on the other hand, would rather jump on the sticks or whack the car. 

It is too bad that there is no ice anywhere around here. Or snow. My little girl asked last week, "What's tobogganing?" At least we have a start on winter sports with our hockey sticks. We've got to start somewhere!

Enjoy your day!

Marcie Cooper

P.S. If you're in the area feel free to stop by for a game!

A Gecko On the Stove

Happy fall!

A tiny part of me wishes that I could see the trees with their leaves changing colours but the rest of me is content to be here in the warm sun.  It has been so hot that we have been leaving the doors open to try to get a breeze flowing through our house. That's probably how a gecko got in and came to visit my kitchen today.

At first, I thought he was a cockroach. I saw something scurry under the toaster when I went to make lunch. I got a shoe ready to attack but then this little guy came running out.

I put my shoe back on and grabbed the camera. When I tried to catch him (with a box...I'm not the type to catch lizards in my hands and my helpers were out bike riding) but he ran onto the stove.

The box was not working. As soon as I made a move he would run to another part of the stove. Finally, with two identical sized baskets that we use for homeschool, I trapped him. 

I set him free outside the door and after resting for a few minutes he hopped off into the grass.

I spotted him again later on in the day but he was not heading toward my kitchen. Hopefully he learned his lesson. At least it was better than a cockroach!

Marcie Cooper

Homeschool

Hello!

My lack of writing lately is all due to one thing--homeschool! These two go to school in Spanish in the mornings but do homeschool with me in the afternoons.

They are as different as night and day. 

She is creative with an huge imagination that takes her far away from the tasks in front of her. She loves to learn about the world and has improved in reading but is still scared to write because she doesn't want to make mistakes. I can't fit everything in that I want to teach her.

He wants to get started as soon as he gets home and do everything in his bins and more. He is having fun with numbers in ways that his sister never did because she was too busy making objects talk to each other. I am already looking for more things to do with him and he only started homeschool three weeks ago. Kindergarten math suggestions anyone? 

I feel like I am more prepared for homeschool this year than ever before but am still finding it challenging and time-consuming. Their best hours of the day have already been spent at school from 7:30am to 12:30pm. They are learning Spanish and building friendships but I don't want their English to suffer. I'm going to try to keep them home on alternating Fridays to have some individual time with them but I'm still not sure if that will give us the right balance between school and homeschool.

Please pray for God's wisdom as we try to give our little missionary kids the best education we can while also keeping them involved in the culture we are in.

Thank you!

Marcie Cooper