The Harmans in Grenada

Goodbye Grenada

wes — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:45:55 +0000

Goodbye, Grenada.

Last days in Grenada

wes — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:15:34 +0000

Nearing the end.

harmangrenada — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:12:18 +0000

We leave in 9 days. I’m sad to leave, but also looking forward to visiting family. We stop in New Orleans for a week then on to Vegas for a week. I hope we can take the heat. Even though we are so close to the equator here, the non-stop breezes make it quite comfortable.

I’ve noticed a growing sadness among the Grenadians we know. People aren’t happy for us to go. The kids were the first Casa kids at their Montessori school, so the teachers there are pretty bummed, too. The person who will miss us most is Judy. She has been the kids’ babysitter and a wonderful woman to know. We will miss her, too.

I’m not sure I’m ready to leave yet.

Cubs Baseball Cal

wes — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:28:10 +0000

Conversation on the way home today

harmangrenada — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:53:31 +0000

Cal: “Did you go to work today?”

Me: “Yeah, but I wore shorts today because I don’t have to teach.”

Cal: “Did your teachers kick you out?”

Me: “Nobody kicked me out, and I’m one of the teachers at my work.”

Cal: “No you’re not.”

Me: “Yes, I am.”

Cal: “No you’re not. You’re mom.”

Me: “What do you think I do at work?”

Cal: “You be the Mom.”

Last week

harmangrenada — Sat, 16 May 2009 13:47:08 +0000

We’ve had a wonderful week with my friend, Melody, and her husband. Melody and I spent the entire week in the sun and water chatting and catching up. We drove the island to show them what the northern and eastern sides look like, we had some fantastic food, and I drank way too much. It was great.

In the fun, I keep running into people I’ve been working with at the university, and I’ve learned a lot about what I have meant to a number of people. It has been extremely satisfying to know that the people I’ve fallen in love with here felt the same about me. I will miss them dearly, and I certainly hope to enjoy their company again.

Cal’s first “scuffle”

harmangrenada — Sat, 09 May 2009 14:01:21 +0000

We went to a party for the kids’ school last night at a bar on the beach. All the kids and their parents were there, and of course, they invited people who have friends with kids who might want to join the school to come to the get together. One parent did just that. She brought her son, who is in Cal and Addie’s class and a friend with a son about the same age as Cal. The two boys were playing on some small Catamarans sitting on the beach when Cal walked over and said hello to his classmate. WES and I saw the visiting little boy jump down off the Cat and start kicking sand at Cal. Cal turned his back on the boy so he wouldn’t get sand in his face, and then it happened. Exactly what we’ve thought since he was born, he hunched his back, got the scariest look on his face, and turned back to face the boy. He firmly planted his feet in the sand and looked right at the kid. After staring for a couple of seconds (the whole time, mind you, I’m yelling, “Cal! Cal! Cal!”), he kicked the biggest clump of sand right in that kid’s face. By that point, I’d reached him, and he walked away with me.

A few minutes later, I noticed him standing back by the Catamarans and the two kids with the same big stance he had on the beach. He yelled, “Hey! Hey, you fuck kid!” Then he turned to see me, and said, “I called that kid the bad name,” nodded his head as if he’d taken care of things, and walked away from me.

I don’t know how much the kid understood. He speaks Portugese not English, but he stayed very clear of Cal for the rest of the evening.

Yoga underpants heroes.

harmangrenada — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:32:24 +0000

The kids had been discussing yoga class and Lazy Town. This is the combination of the two. Cal has a shirt on upside down as pants. At least they match.

From the life of Addie & Cal

wes — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:06:47 +0000

Addie’s sign

harmangrenada — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:56:43 +0000

Addie found a long piece of cardboard and decided to make a sign out of it rather than toss it out.

Sculisfanrelnonfictin

She brought it to me and said, “Look mom, I made a sign. It says, ‘School is fun, real, non-fiction.”