It's OFFICIAL

Atenildo

The man behind all the reams of paper work (and that is no exaggeration!!)

There was no sweeter news than to find out today that the Secretary of Education has granted the ALPHA Educational Center it's accredidation. And none too soon. After 8 years we are finally an official school that is recognized by the powers that be.

Our first 9th grade class will be "graduating" (in just 3 1/2 weeks!!!) and they will walk away from ALPHA with "the real thing". This is a HUGE step in the school's history for which we are extremely grateful (and relieved!).

Happy Blog Day!

One Year Old

In keeping with my bad sense of timing, I just realized that this blog was a year old last Sunday (November 7th). I am one of those who remembers when everyone's birthday is any other day of the year but on the actual day. How lame!


It usually goes something like this. The following day I wake up with this terrible sense of dread that something is wrong...like I left the oven on all night or I didn't do the laundry for a whole week so no one has any clean underware to go to school in. That's when it hits me like a dirty sock being slapped across my face...I forgot someone's birthday. How can I make ammends? Do I write? Do I call? Do I send a present? Do I plead insanity?


So here I am...one whole week late. But you'll forgive me won't you? Cause I will probably celebrate by making a bunch of cinnamon rolls and giving them all away. Don't you wish you lived closer?!?! :)

On the Road...Again

The Theatro Alberto Maranhão in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte was built in the late 1800's.

Just over a week after our accident Jessica and I were scheduled to travel with our string ensemble to play at a university graduation in Natal. A day or two before the trip I suddenly had a thought: what if I would have an anxiety attack when riding in the van to Natal? What if I just couldn't get in another vehicle like that? Gotta pray about that one...

I guess I was more worried about Jessica holding up the rest of the group (adolescent hair thing) than I was about my potential anxiety. We were about a mile away from home when I remembered. We made it there and back and I even slept 1/2 the way home.

Inside the theater two balconies surround the outer walls. The building was refurbished 3 times since it was built and finally named after a very popular governor (Alberto Maranhão).

Who was awake at 2am when we walked into the yard? Ken wasn't about to sleep with the two of us out on those roads with a strange driver...we weren't the only ones who were tired the next morning!

We didn't drive 4 hours just to play a few songs did we?!?! Supper at 10pm just before hitting the road.