Dumaguete Cousins: April 2005

Painting at the Park

Quezon Park a few minutes after 3pm, just after having set up their easels.

Sketching...

Sketching...and not liking what's sketched...

Sketching...

Sketching...and wondering if it's sketched right...

One guess which city landmark they're about to paint. On the right, in front of Shari is Susan Canoy, their art teacher.

The panel of experts.

The belfry taking shape at 5 pm. They didn't take a snack break at 4! Such dedicated artists.

...And then there were four...

Swimming Graduation - 1st Term

Swimming class 1st term graduation, 7,8,9 o'clock classes

Colin would have been sitting beside Louie, you know.

Steffi and Kate did really, really well! They're getting promoted if they come back for the next term. :-)

"Graduates" at fun time.

Tadaah! Can't have a graduation without an audience, right?

Tearing Up Our Street

They're tearing up Noblefranca!

Setting up new water lines.

The boys got a kick out of this! The only place that was cool on this street that afternoon was in the cab of this backhoe - it came with airconditioning.

All that just to get our "new and improved" water line.

Afternoon snacks at Sans Rival. Place was packed, I had to go outside to take this photo.

Waiting for their spaghetti and sans rival...and I'm the one who gains all the weight. Totally unfair. :-)

Art Class on Friday

Jordi: How do you draw a fish?

We have oil pastels, baby oil, cotton buds and we're not afraid to use them.

Art Class is held on the second floor of this pre-World War II building at the university.

Time for cartoons.

The Kids Write

THANK YOU!!!!!

DEAR MAMA & PAPA,

I AM HAVING THREE SUMMER CLASSES ALL

BECAUSE OF YOU. THANKS FOR THE

FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND LOVE YOU HAVE

GIVEN ME. I MISS YOU VERY MUCH. I HOPE

TO SEE YOU SOON. GOD BLESS YOU.

WITH LOVE,

Shari & Colin

THANK YOUWITH LOVE!!!!

DEAR MAMA & PAPA,

I MISS AND LOVE YOU BOTH. (“,) I MISS RUFF,

CHOPPER AND KIKAY. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.

I LOVE YOU.

LOVE,

STEFFI

We're on our way to this afternoon's art class and just dropped by the bookstore so they can write these. Ooops, got to go! We have yet to pick up snacks.

Atypical Thursday

6:30 a.m., and everyone's on the "bus"

Playtime! They get about 5 min of play at the end of the class.

Steffi starting on her song, with Mr. Abrio, SU College of Performing Arts

Kate with Mrs. Erojo. She knows exactly what she wants to wear to the recital, so please don't forget to bring it with you when you come next week, Mama Em.

Shari with Mr. Caballes. Mama Den, don't forget to bring her extra special dress this weekend. The girls plan to practice singing wearing their dresses. ;-)

Pizza and sandwiches at Why Not. This was their treat today for having finished their art assignments and done all their classes. The girls had iced tea WithOut ice! See how seriously they take this singing business? The boys waited at the bookstore and played on the computer. Another gender thing? By the way, their usual prizes/treats from me are hugs and kisses, distributed equally. :-) They're getting good at group hugs!

Some of the messages they left for me right outside the kitchen door. They'd felt bad for me because i got a stomach ache coming home. Aren't they sweet?....Don't you wish you were here? :-) Hala, pang-leave na mo diha para kamo na sad bus driver. :-) Oh, before I forget: have arranged the girls' interview and confession with a priest next week. After that, they can receive Holy Communion. Em,you might need to talk to the girls about this. Den, Shari needs to go to confession, too, so I'll take her. She was so scared of joining us for communion because she hadn't gone back since that first time. Wait, would you like to do that when you get here?

2nd Week of Swimming Class

Colin is the smallest in his class but he can float!

Steffi doing the breathing exercise for free-style. Sorry, was trying to catch the instant when she'd swing up her head to breathe. I think we need a video camera over here. :-)

Kate! She'd just crossed that pool.

Colin and Louie. This will take some time. :-)

Lifeguard detail. :-) Nana, Manang Amay and Jobelyn. We always stop to get hot pan de sal on the way here so yes, we have the energy to keep track of who is where.

That's how close we are to the kids. At graduation time, this is where The Parents shall sit. Please arrange your schedules now; I've told them you'll be here. Pressure, pressure!

When Parents Visited

Forest Camp on Sunday April 10, with Titus and Emma

Know what it took to get them all bunched up like that? I waved a camera at them saying, "Summercousins!"

Nana Diding with Shari, Steffi, Katja, Louie and Colin. It was high noon, very bright and they were standing beside deep shade, and I forgot to change the setting on the camera, hence the Mr. Clean brilliance of the whites.

This pool is about 5 ft deep, at least. It's super cold, diverted river water.

Louie mid-jump. The place was packed but everyone else was having lunch so the kids had space to do their thing.

Jordi leapt from that rock; yayas at left.

Well, here's a picture that paints a thousand words.

They'd been trying to get that goose to chase them, and whenever it obliged they'd run screaming.

I think Titus has the "strict father" look down pat. Either that or he's constipated again. :-) Earlier, heard that he was - according to Tita Baby - "gamay na lay kulang, pari-on na."