The Latest from Maia Louise

Hello Family,
I haven't blogged in much time, but I am BACK! As a matter of fact, I will be back in the states the 14th of April. I am looking forward to returning. I am very homesick, and I am spending a lot of time looking for a new job and apartments on the internet. It probably isn't the best way to spend my last three weeks, but whatever.
For the past two months I have had a job that I really enjoy. I am the caretaker for six little girls. I wake them up in the morning, get them showered and fed. They clean their room and bathroom, and then head to school. We play around for a couple of hours mid day, and in the evening I put them to bed. It is all a little more complicated than that, but that's the general idea. My girls all have parents that they go home to on the weekends. They speak a native Maya language that is very beautiful. They try to teach me words, but I am a slow learner. I used to have eight girls, but two of them got moved to a different group. They were being very disrepectful. These girls are not easy. I spend a lot of my time getting mad at them. They outright don't listen at times. This is a general problem at the orphanage. The kids have very little respect for the volunteers. They always listen to their Guatemalan caretakers. But in my case, I have no Guatemalans working with me. I enjoy that, because I have total responsiblity, but at the same time, I get very tired. I am gaining their respect slowly, and by the time I leave they will be perfect angels. God knows I spoil them, despite their bad behavior. I have repainted their entire bathroom, bought them puzzles, board games and jumping ropes, encouraged them to create a mural in their room, and let them use all the toilet paper they want (toilet paper is to be used sparingly in Casa Guatemala). I have a favorite, even though that isn't really right. Her name is Sandra and she is six years old. She needs a lot of attention. I hug her and cuddle her constantly. She had 13 brothers and sisters at home, so attention is limited there. Her teeth are rotting out of her mouth, which is a horrible sight. But I recently sent her to the dentist, and she can't eat anymore sweets, and must brush her teeth (or what is left of them) three times a day. I am hoping for big strong white ones to replace the old ones. She is a beautiful little thing. I do her hair in two braids every day (she has lice, but we're working on that). She wears little sea green dresses. She is learning to jump rope, and the big girls are almost letting her in on their games. When I wake her up in the morning, she twitches and opens her eyes with a surprised sigh. I love her, I really do, and leaving her will break my heart.
What I am really looking forward to leaving is everything but the kids. I am really stuck here, going to the same bar every week, and practically living on an island. I feel trapped, and that feeling is wearing me down. I will be very sad to leave the kids, but my heart jumps with the idea of moving back home. I can't wait.
See you all soon.
Love Maia