Taller de Autoestima

Recently at Teleton, Reina was recommended for a "Taller de Autoestima" or a self-esteem workshop.  I wasn't very thrilled about it because it meant for 2 months instead of going to Teleton a minimum of twice a week, I would be going a minimum of 3 times a week.  This week I was going to have to go 4 times, 2 being today.  My first appointment this morning was frustrating to say the least.  All of the doctors schedule all of their appointments at 7:00 am.  In order to be close to one of the first ones seen, one must arrive at Teleton at 6:00, wait outside of the gate for 30 minutes then try to maintain the same near-front-of-the-line position when arriving at the nurses station so that you can receive a good number in the order patients will be seen, and finally wait in the waiting room an additional 30 minutes or more in order to see the doctor.  After getting up at 4:15 this morning and hauling baby Josue into town for his appointment for which the doctor had gone on her honeymoon, I was dreading making another trip back this morning.

Matt had left for the dump, which meant Haley was to go to Teleton with me.  I brought a book to read to Haley and a magazine for myself if Haley chose to play.  My mom took Reina the first week, and last week was just for parents, so I did not realize that the workshop was for the parents as well as the children.  Each week, we have a list of materials that our child is supposed to bring in order to do a project to build the child's self-esteem.  Today, Reina and I made a house with construction paper and glued it to cardboard.  Reina had to write her name on the door, then I had to write everything else.  On the windows and roof of the house, I had to write qualities that I see in Reina.  On the sun I had to write what she means to me, and on the tree, I had to tell Reina how much I love her.  Because Reina cannot read, I dictated to her that which I was writing about her, and she clapped and squealed with each thing that I wrote. 

The way home, Reina and Haley laughed the entire way.  Between seeing how great Reina felt after the workshop and hearing the girls laugh, I knew this workshop was a great thing and definitely worth my time to go to Teleton one extra time each week.