El Paso trip: December 8

Wednesday. My last day really. I knew I could eat breakfast with the kids on Thursday, but then I'd have to go! So how to best use this day?
We enjoyed a healthy breakfast again together. By now, we have a whole crowd of children who eat with us! After the bell rang, I walked around and took more pictures. The one above and below is of the library. It's really a big and beautiful room. The tables are decorated with children's art!

I joined the kids for lunch again and Emma took me inside the library ~ she had to return two books and check out two more ~ and she showed me all around. Also, little Liberty came into the lunchroom sobbing again. We sat together, with Matthew, and ate lunch. After she went to the playground, I talked to one of the lunchroom adults and they told me Liberty suffers from "separation anxiety" (no kidding!) and that she was doing better until the break they had during Thanksgiving week ... and then her anxiety started all over again. Whew. Poor little thing.
This is the back side of the school playground, with the mountains in the background. I almost got in trouble for taking this picture! I was actually across the street from the school, just walking after lunch, thinking I could snap a few pictures of the area. I took TWO pictures and then saw a teacher motioning to me. I crossed the street and was interrogated about my intentions! I'm glad they are protective of the children and watchful over them ... but isn't it a sad world we live in where a grandma can't even stroll past a school and take a few pictures? I explained who I was and who my grandchildren were and then I was told, "No more pictures." Yikes.

I had a few hours before the children would be home from school. Jesse was at work. Diana was taking a final exam. And the mountains were ... out there ... so close, but so far! I wondered if I could walk to them, perhaps just to the foothills ~ it would be good exercise and something to pass the time!
Sabrina once told me that Texas reminded her of Israel ... the geography, the lay of the land, etc. I completely agree! There are rocks and stones everywhere! Israel is just like this! And the mountains are very similar too ... not extremely high, but very rough and irregular.
I had a great time walking and taking pictures ~ at least here no one could restrict me! It was a gorgeous afternoon. I walked wearing just short sleeves with my jacket tied around my waist. The sun was wonderful.
I took some off-road paths and felt like I was in the old west ... like an old cowboy movie! It sure is dirty and dusty in El Paso!
I walked for two solid hours, but I never really made it to the foothills. I only went so far before I turned around and headed back to the house. I didn't want to be late and have the children worry.
Isn't it beautiful here?
I had to cross over an elevated pedestrian walkway (over a highway) where these pigeons greeted me!
I'm not overly fond of the cactus ... but I'm sure there are many kinds that are prettier than these.

After school Wednesday afternoon, the kids did their homework, and then we got the Hotwheels back out to play with.


We colored more pictures ... these are ones using color changing markers ... they really are not worth all the hype they receive ~ but the children did enjoy them.
I had completely forgotten I had brought my thumbprint book with me and an ink pad ... but then I remembered ...
so everyone made thumbprint pictures!
Chris turned all of his thumbprints into little fish ... and a few shark!
I love this lion Chris drew!
The tiger completely cracks me up!
But Christopher is a very good artist and I just love watching him create!

We had a real nice time reading books Wednesday night. We read a good story by Max Lucado, "The Crippled Lamb" that was new to the kids! They really got into it and loved how it finally had a happy ending.

We also read a well-known story: "The Tale of the Three Trees" (a traditional folktale). This is one of my favorites from way back. I read it to the children a few years ago and right away I knew this would become a favorite of theirs as well ... and it is!

This was our last night together and everyone did just fine. We looked forward to having breakfast together in the morning and didn't spend much time talking about it being our last night!