Sisters need school supplies

My neighbors

Nahima and Yare school fund

I'm going to help but need help helping. Both need backpacks (mochilas) and the older needs lots of notebooks. Nahima just graduated from Kinder so needs a first grade uniform and shoes. Yare needs another uniform after two years.  Both Yare and Nahima are doing well in school

El Día Del Niño

Kinder parade around Jaluco

The band they danced to later followed them around Jaluco

A Rodeo dance

Girls waiting for parade with stick horses

A Chilindrina party the next day

El Día Del Niños is tomorrow the 30th but all the schools celebrated early. Jaluco Kinder had their parade Wednesday followed by a Chilindrina party yesterday. I'd never heard of Chilindrina either but I'll let you look it up. It's the name of a popular childrens TV character. The parents made the stick horses the day before and a few made the green and yellow Chilindrina costumes. 

The Secondaria had an all day party yesterday and I haven't seen any pictures of that yet but maybe some will pop up on Facebook. No school  for anybody today.

Farmland behind Pinal Villa

I dropped Lorena off at her moms after Kinder and the new field is next to their house. This is part of the area that has been too wet to plant for the last 6+ months. It's a double planting of Sandia (Watermelon) and Mangoes. They often double plant Mangoes because the trees won't get large for a few years.

When I got home I could hear a sprayer working fields on the other side.The Tomatillos are gone but another large field of Chili is behind them. I missed the spraying but took a few fotos of the Chilis. Across the road was another field of was was left of a Sandia crop. I'd heard that huge truck loads of Sandias had been leaving but never saw them. I was surprised kids had not been selling their illegal haul around the neighborhood.

New Sandia and Mango field

Lots of Chili

Jalapeño

The Chili sprayer

Remains of the Sandia crop

Jaluco Kinder has a Revolution

The Jaluco Kinder where two of my neighbors attend had their Día de la Revolución celebration a day early. Most of the other schools in the area will have theirs today with marching/parading in the streets. The Kinder stayed on campus. 

We bought Nahima's outfit earlier this week and I didn't want her riding on the back of a bike with her mom so I volunteered to take everybody over and to take pictures. I don't know if the kids had a rehearsal, but it looked like a first time for all of them. Basically like herding cats. 

In the past I've only seen the kids dressed up for war but this included the warriors, the campesinos and the elegantes. My best guess is the elegantes are the Spanish landholders and kind of strange to see them celebrated for the Revolution.

Nahima enjoying herself

Eiker the character and his sister

Kinder Plaza

A mix of culture

Los Elegantes

Making tortillas

Campesinos

Another Nahima day

Yesterday Burro was getting a bath in my outdoor sink and Nahima was helping

It was raining yesterday so I took her and mom to school but school was closed so no pictures. I took them again today to see inside the school and a foto or two. We arrived a few minutes past 9 and the gate is locked at 9 so we waited outside for awhile. Very impressed with the condition of the school.

Burro in the sink

Waiting for the gate to be unlocked

Kinder Patio

Only Nahima's class sitting outside. Other classes are in rooms

Nahima after first day in Kinder

Only mom could take the picture

Last year she lasted a day and a half and made such a fuss the local Kinder said not to bring her back. One of our neighbors is a teacher at the Kinder in Jaluco and she assured us they put up with the ones that don't want to be there. Lorena's bike has a new child seat on the back and they took the back road to Jaluco this morning. No crying or complaining at all this time. She wants to go and all the kids get new backpacks (mochilas) tomorrow. Finally growing up a little.

First day of Kinder

Today was the long awaited first day of Kindergarten for Nahima. Yesterday the mothers helped clean the classroom and playground. We also painted wooden crates used for each students personal storage space. I drove this morning because of the crates but normally they will walk to school.

The big deal is how does Nahima handle being away from mom and with strange kids in a strange place. There was no crying when we drove away but she did tell her mom this morning that maybe tomorrow would be better for Kinder.  I was surprised there were like 25-30 kids in that small classroom with only one teacher and a helper.

Pinal Villa Kinder

Classroom and wooden storage crates

Nahima with arms crossed - still some doubt

She needed fotos so used mine

No smiles for mug shots - besides she has no front teeth

Another fiesta

This was a dual baptism and birthday to make it easier for the families to afford it. They rented the local party hall, provided food, tequila punch, party toys and then managed all the activities. They served the food and punch and managed all the kids games like musical chairs and the Pinata. Lots of energy spent on the kids !!!

Hugo didn't even want to go after working six days a week. He'd prefer spacing out in front of the Tele and having a beer or two. But no, kids wanted to go and mom insisted. Not that many people showed up probably feeling like Hugo on a Sunday afternoon

All parties are different and I'm usually willing to give them a try. This one was just a little too long. No problem, we have another next Sunday for the Grandma who will be 87 years old ... but this one only a few blocks away

Large party palapa rental for Melaque

Musical chairs

Pinata

The diablita that mom can't wait to put in Kinder