Costa Rica Adventure Day 11- Bits and Pieces

   Today was a pretty calm day compared to the rest of the week.  Not too many were there.  I played Monopoly with a group of the older kids for a while.  Thank goodness I grew up with nieces and nephews around because there was a younger one who they wouldn't let play so it wasn't even a question to put him on my "team" to help me out.
   I had a funny conversation with one of the girls today.  She's 9 and in 3rd grade.  We talked a little bit out what school is like in Costa Rica and what school is like in the US and then she asked the bombshell question....
Rose:  Do you have a boyfriend?
Me: Nope I don't
R: Why not?
M:  Good question...well because I'm in Costa Rica.
R: But when you get back to Costa Rica...You can get one.
M: We'll see...(fading off hoping that would end the conversation)
R: Do you have a friend that is a boy?
M:  (Not sure where she is going with this)...I have a lot of friends
R: Well when you get back ask one of them to be your boyfriend. (In the most matter of fact tone a 9 year old can have)
M:  Haha ok.  I'll see what I can do.
R:...but he's got to be cute
M: Of course.

Oh to be 9 again and have it be that easy to get a boyfriend and get fake married Haha....Now all anybody wants to do is hangout and not put time and effort into girls...ay ay ay :)

One thing that I love is the way that Mayela and her daughter say my name.  They don't say Natalie...They call me Natty with an emphasis on the A....I love it!

We all sang today and we kind of let Kerry and Andrew take over for a while so they can get used to it.  I'm going to miss so many of these kids.  Tomorrow will be very interesting.  One of the older ones came up to me and said she was sad because I was leaving.  I told her don't even worry about it because after us come more and more y mas y mas y mas y mas...and she said "Yeah, but they won't be like you."
   I'm still sticking to my guns that no, they won't be like us and do the exact same as we do, but they are going to be a great help and open these kids worlds up even more.
   Kerry told me today that she is so happy she got placed at Gatitos because apparently at some of the orphanages they have some strict rules and aren't allowed to really touch or love on the kids.  I'm grateful Gatitos is different.  I had to do that for 18 months where we couldn't hold the cute little ones...It would be hard.  Especially here when you know so many of them just need a little more love/attention.

So many of these little kids are still so innocent and have a very distinct definition of right and wrong.  It's interesting to see some that don't have that anymore.  It makes you wonder what happened along the way for their's to change or for them to lose it...That whole nature vs. nurture argument again.

Afterwards we took the bus straight downtown and went to the National Museum.  It was in this old fort and was pretty cool.  They had a lot of informative things and of course a butterfly aviary too.  But no Monarchs this time.  Then we walked through the market.  It was interesting seeing the different artisans and finding the unique ones that you can tell is what they do.  We found this cute old man who does different things with Bamboo.  He paints them and uses it and seeds to make mobiles.  He also had some paintings on canvas that he did.  It was pretty cool.
I may have to go back and get a key chain or something that he painted.

We walked around some more and I took a whole lot more pictures.  I liked letting go and not worrying about our safety and things being stolen for a while.  It really does calm me.  I wonder how I can use that as more of a hobby.  Anybody want to pay me to go random place and take pictures for them Lol :)