Yo estoy muy cansada...

and one might say, well, if you are so darn tired why don't you just go to bed? Well, I would if I didn't have more Spanish homework staring me in the face. However, the verdict so far, after 3 days in my more *advanced* class?  

SO glad I switched!

In fact, it really isn't fair to compare the classes because the fast course is truly for beginners.  If you have never taken Spanish, it's perfect.  However, as I have learned, even having a minimal background in Spanish is enough to get you bumped up.  I'm slightly embarassed, though, as I have by far the least amount of experience in my class.  And how is it?

It's just what I wanted.  I wanted a class with some "book learning" but also a lot of conversation and this has it.  In fact, each 2 hour segment is nearly all conversation, some based on the exercises, some on anticipated events in our new jobs overseas.  Since there are only 5 of us, it is very easy to have good discussions that get more involved as we (okay, as *I*) grow in our (my) language confidence. I have no idea how I am doing officially and truthfully, I'm constantly on the edge fearing I will get booted for once again insisting that I am an American male (darn that gender business!).  However, my vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds and the words I had tucked away are all appearing once again.  

The only (and I mean ONLY) downside is trying to do this while a single parent.  Yes, I know others do it all the time.  Maybe it's just our circumstances, but it's exhausting in many respects.  I have next to no time for homework and have to hope I can get everything done in the evenings without sacrificing even more time with the kids.

The upside?  On Sunday, I was able to get the house not looking like a shoo-in for Hoarders, the Lego edition, and it's pretty much stayed that way.  The girls beat me home each day, but not by much, so just enough time to walk and feed the critters and have some downtime before the LG arrives.  Despite being in class fulltime, the kids and I managed to create a menu for the week and have stuck to it thus far.  We honestly don't have the time to eat out, and I've had no problem cooking every night...which means leftovers for lunches and that makes life even easier.  Heck, I even made it to the gym today (thank God for admin hours on Wednesday afternoon)!

On the other hand, it does mean less time for outside activities.  So, if you are wondering, it's why I haven't addressed the looming issue of the current season:  

Yep...it's cookie time!

Girl Scout cookies are back and we are on those orders!  In fact, this year, we are working together with Jill and Riley to spread the cookie goodness far and wide throughout the Foreign Service.  We have made it terribly easy to enjoy those once-a-year treats that you buy en masse because they are so darn yummy (and ship well!).  

To make it easy, I have copied the "how to" from Jill's blog.  Follow these simple instructions and you, too, could be enjoying those cookies very soon!  And now...Spanish homework is calling again...

Want cookies?  Read the excerpt from Jill's post below and just follow the instructions!

First and foremost, we don't want to step on anyone's toes, so our joint efforts are focused on providing Girl Scout Cookies solely to our Foreign Service friends overseas, where we can ship to an APO/FPO/DPO or pouch address.  If you are our family members or personal friends and want to buy from us rather than from the little girlies who are SURE to knock on your door sometime in the next few months, that's great too.  But we'll take care of you outside of this joint venture.  

Just like the last few years, the cookies are only $4 / box ... with all your favorites returning!

• Thin Mints
• Samoas
• Thank You Berry Munch
• Trefoils
• Dulce de Leche
• Tagalongs
• Do-Si-Dos
• Savannah Smiles

Here's how to order:

1) Attempt to narrow down how many boxes you want (versus how many boxes your eyes and stomach want.)  

2) Send an email to DSforGS@yahoo.com by Friday, January 18th, with ...

* Your Name

* Your Post 

* Your Address

* Exactly how many of each kind you'd like

3) When the cookies come in, send us your payment via paypal, and we'll get them out to you ASAP.  We'll send you an email invoice letting you know your totals.

It's THAT simple.

We will be shipping the cookies in the USPS Flat Rate boxes. The current APO/FPO rate is $13.45 for a 12" x 12" x 5 1/2" box ... and we can fit 8 boxes of cookies in them.  And as an incentive ... you pay the first $10 / box, and we'll pick up the rest!

A wee bit of additional information  ...

** If you are at a post overseas, pass along this information to any of your friends.  We would LOVE to outfit your entire Consulate or Embassy.  

** Consider combining orders with your friends to help reduce shipping costs.

** Between the two families, our girls sold over 1100 boxes of cookies to 50+ countries during the last two years to FS personnel.  

** We set up the DSforGS@yahoo.com email address so that we could make it easy to get more cookies shipped out to more places.  If you know either of us personally and want our daughters to send out your cookies - no worries.  Just say so in your email.  Otherwise, we have divided up the world behind the scenes so that all you need to do is send in your order, and let us take care of the rest! 

Now what are you waiting for?  Happy ordering! 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Raquel Miranda]

Happy New Year, Jen, from La Paz, Bolivia!
There's a Girls Scouts group here in La Paz, and they're in the process of finding a few replacements - 2 out of the 3 leading ladies are scheduled to leave post [end of assignment] in a few months... hopefully, they'll find good replacements shortly...
I'll be sharing the info about the cookies, contacts with the group. Thank you all for the initiative!

Take care, good luck with your language learning path [always challenging!] and have a very peaceful year!
Raquel