A Fine Way to Begin 2009

One of the local papers quitely reported the good news on December 18th

In 2006 ALPHA was the topic of debate in a Mossoró city hall meeting. The result was that ALPHA was declared to be "useful to the public" by city leaders. That simple statement gives ALPHA tax-exempt status on the local level.

RECOGNITION: The paper reports a new "law" was passed that declares the ALPHA EDUCATIONAL CENTER of Mossoró as "useful to the public". The above article states that...ALPHA is a not for profit organization with the intent to serve the community.

This year, we went a layer deeper. One of ALPHA's Teachers has a good friend who is a State Senator. Together these men guided us through the hoops in getting this same recognition at the state level.

The next step is to acheive federal recognition. It will be the 3rd of 5 steps in ALPHA becoming exempt from paying a 20% payroll tax which weighs heavily on us each pay period. Now, that's something to look forward to!

You Never Know What to Expect

Breaking up some of the rough, cement floor in the canteen area. It will be replaced with a smooth, low maintance floor in this high traffic area.

ALPHA has been undergoing a bit of renovation the minute the kids were let out on vacation earlier this month. There has been a lot of pipe layed for plumbing for two new bathrooms in the pre-school classrooms and even a new foundation/wall where the original wall ajoined with the neighboring property. Yet to come: new ceiling and new floors.

There are always lots of little things that come up when you do a project like this. For instance, wouldn't it make much more sense to install a new floor in a high traffic area just outside the classrooms that they are being remodeled. So...


Tell me this is a joke...

What was thought to be some loose cement that needed to be torn up turned out to be MUCH more...

Just a 7x7 foot hole under the floor. The steel was not in very good shape, so it was a blessing to have "found" this new developement right under our feet. It sure provided a wee bit of excitement for the guys working on the project. :)

The canteen was originally a little house...the hole was a septic or something.

Ok, now we gotta fill this thing in, right?!

A House is a House for Me

The awnings above the upstairs windows, porch on the front of the house and a porch floor all the way around the house are the newbies since we started the big push to get the house done to sell.

When the girls were little we read a book that told about what houses are called for different animals; a hive is a house for bees, a den is a house for bears, etc. Then half way through the book it got silly and started naming houses for all different kinds of objects...a cracker box is a house for crackers, a shoe is a house for feet, etc. Finally at the end of the book it comes full circle and applies it to people...and a house is a house for ME.

Here is a wee bit of our house that Ken has been pouring himself into since before we got back from the US so we can get it ready to sell. It isn't quite done...the finish work seems to take FOREVER, but we keep plugging away.

PAINT!!!! Oops...two shades of blue? Good thing it was BEFORE the second coat.

The stairway going up to the 1st floor. Steps aren't finished yet, but the plaster trim is done and the walls painted downstairs.

Ken's dad, Joe, pitched in to help get ready for our ALPHA staff Christmas party by painting some in the downstairs.

Every year we have a staff get-together the day after school gets out. This year it was at our old house. There might not be another oportunity to have it here ever again, so we poured ourselves into getting the place fairly presentable for this event.

Wiring for electricity wasn't quite done, so Ron strung up enough Christmas lights inside the house to light up the whole place. The girls were extremely impressed!

My happy helpers. All that plaster, sanding and painting makes for a tremendous amount of dust.

Glad to be of service!

Over All Ready?

One of each instrument warming up just before the opening of the Pre-School Closing Program. The Band played a couple of songs and then accompanied the 300+ in attendence in singing the Brazilian National Anthem.


I actually signed something with "2009" yesterday. Good grief! Where on earth has the year gone? I know I say that every year, but this has just got to stop.

A 12 year old Alicia and her birthday cake. Another year races by...

Alicia grew probably 2-3 inches in the 4 months we were in the US. Everyone here wants to know what kind of food they feed people in the US to make kids grow like that. :)

The celebrators and the celebratee.

Sorry to say, because of the flurry of activity at school, I just didn't have time to make a decent cake, so I ordered one. Alicia flattered me when she asked if she could have a homemade cake for her birthday next year. Why? Because mine taste so much better. :)

First REAL snow of the year. While we are roasting in the tropical heat, Jessica is trying to keep warm in Iowa. I hope that smile is still there in February!