The Honduran Island of Roatan

 A Daycare Center in Coxen Hole

Coxen Hole may be the capital of Roatan, but it's not a big destination for the cruise ship tourists who flock to beaches and resorts when they come into port.  I was also a tourist on the island recently, but it's not memories of scuba diving or tropical drinks that make me smile the most.

It's thinking about my zany morning at the Allred School, where I gathered on the quilt with these delightfully energetic kiddos!

The School

Our driver-buddy, Jorge drove us 30 minutes to Coxen Hole. He grew up there and pointed out his school and church, but he  had never heard of this school.

When we found Allred, it looked like a little ship, sitting on a wedge of land in the "Y" of the road. The colorful mural was a good distraction from the barbed wire above the wall. Some workmen with noisy electric saws greeted us as we passed through the gates.

Hola!

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It was already heating up by the time Don and I arrived at 8:15.  Heavy duty fans whirled the warm air around the dim, but colorful room.   Children rushed up and greeted us with big grins and hugs.  There were lots of "holas" even though the older ones had been learning English.

Breakfast Time

The director hadn't arrived yet, but one teacher spoke English. She decided I should start at 9 instead of 8:30, since all the kids hadn't eaten their porridge yet. That was actually nice, since it gave me time to settle in and observe a bit first. 
It was also a treat having Don along for his third time assisting me with language and camera!  He was a better observer than me and noticed a crab scuttle through the corner kitchen area.  We eyed the little thing as it moved under the table and paused under a little foot!

The Crab is Spotted!

When we heard the squeals and saw the little bodies leap and dash about the room, we realized this was not a daily occurrence.  I was glad to see the teacher handle the situation with a smile on her face! 

Two little boys made an attempt to capture the critter with flipflops. The youngest child made a leap into Don's lap!  (Don made a lot of friends, when he sat his 6'2" frame into one of those little kiddie chairs!) The teacher managed to grab the crab in a towel and move it outside.

Starting with the Youngest

The kids were pretty wound up by the time I spread out the quilt at 9:00. I've learned lots of tricks for working with kids who don't speak my language, but this was the most lively non-English speaking group I've worked with.  My little tricks weren't very helpful!  I have to laugh just now as I notice something in this photo for the first time.  The little boy who seems to have his head thrown back into the bookcase, appears to be wearing one of my sandals!

Too Squirmy to Sit!

There was no way these kids wanted to sit on that quilt.  So up we went, onto our feet to sing, jump, pat and clap.  No need to ease into this group. 

Listening and Singing

After a bit, I could get them to sit back down, long enough to hear "Senor Pickles" (the giraffe) snoring inside his sleeping bag.  I was surprised that almost every child wanted to sing "wake up" to him.  So many beautiful little voices.

Senor Pickles Brings Order!

It was a bit comical how little control I seemed to have over my young group.  But my puppet managed a lot better.  When Senor Pickles whispered a command in my ear, I sat up at attention. The kids obviously caught on because they laughed and sat up straight and quiet...at least for a moment. 

Good-Bye Beanies

We stayed seated just enough longer for me to pull out a few Beanie Babies to teach another song/game.  I'll admit, this game was just a bit too tricky for these kiddos. They attempted to follow my motions and we had some fun, but the best part of the Beanie Baby song was that I got to leave those stuffed animals behind for adoption.  Slowly but surely, the toys that my grown kids once played with are finding new homes in far away places!

Scarves to the Rescue

These packable, chiffon scarves are my best travel prop.  With my young group they suddenly became fun rewards for the kids who were sitting. I placed the sheer scarves on their heads and they gazed through the colors until I started the music... then some pretty silly dancing began.

The Older Bunch

My second group was a bit smaller and since they were older they were learning some English.  They learned the word "quilt" and we shared words back and forth, by pointing out images on the printed fabric. 

When we stood up to do a song, the older group suddenly had as much energy as the young ones.  They giggled and followed my motions with lots of their own improvised movements & stunts. 

I suddenly noticed the little boy in blue & white stripes and how carefully he worked to follow my movements.   I seized the moment and had the others sit down and invited him to "perform" alone.  He beamed at their applause!  It's always hard to notice the kids who are trying hard... in a wild group.

Creative with Scarves!

With this group, I balled up the scarves and tossed to kids who were seated with their hands in the air.  Right away kids began finding clever things to do with the colorful props.  They became, hats and belts and blankets and ties.  The little boy in red was so delighted with his cape creation.

Music!

I started up some Dixieland Jazz and the kids got crazy.  While the saws buzzed outside the windows and sweat poured off my brow, we took over the room, swirling and twirling, jumping and snaking those scarves every which way.

Wild Fun

This kind of fun can so easily turn to chaos... when 2 kids collide or fight over a color... or test the limits by leaping off of chairs.  But I lucked out. I steered a few to work together in pairs, trying some new moves...

Slow to Warm Up

But one little girl wasn't ready to join in. She hardly wanted to hold a scarf. I wasn't sure if she was new or shy, sad or even mad.   

After a while I asked her to hold one end of my scarf and I held one end of hers. We began to jump in circles with the 2 scarves stretched between us.  She held her smile back as long as she could.

London Bridge!

I don't even know if these kids are aware of the London Bridge song that I grew up with.  But we let the music from the I-Pod speaker help us with a jazzier version of the childhood game!   My new friend and another little girl became bridge holders, while the rest of us circled underneath.

A Circle... Sort Of

And then we connected our whole group, holding scarves instead of hands.  It was sloppy as we circled with the music in one direction and then the other.  But no one got hurt and there was laughter.  Good enough.

Adding to the New Quilt

When I finished up, I handed my group over to one of the teachers, along with boxes of crayons and printouts of geometric quilt designs for the kids to color... at another time.  I asked if I could borrow just a few kids before I left.

I handed out fabric markers and quilt squares and showed a photo of the new quilt that I'm working on.  Their artwork added to the new quilt will help me remember my visit!   

The Puppet

As I packed up, I noticed that Senor Pickles had escaped from his bag.  My once shy/sad little girl was having him talk to a younger boy.  I sure wish I knew what that puppet had to say!

What Did I Learn?

I was exhausted after 2.5 hours. I was ready for a shower and a gallon of iced water. I looked at the kids and wished I had their energy.  They weren't a bit worn out.  

Then I looked at the teachers and realized they had many more hours to go.  I thanked them for the work they did to give these children a safe and enriching place to be.  My experience with the kids in Roatan was delightfully draining.  And for some reason it taught me to not forget the teachers.  I need to thank them more!