Find the Spoon!

One of my favorite games to play with the kids involves a giant ice cube and a spoon! I freeze the spoon in the middle of the cube and they have to melt it to get the spoon out with out breaking the cube! It's so funny to see how each personality shines through in a game like this. I just love watching!

Juma P (for Pequeno or small). While he loves being the little guy and the extra attention that goes with it, even more he LOVES proving himself. Anytime I ask Juma to do something he works hard to show he can do it and that his size doesn't matter. Melting a block of ice is no different. I had so many great pictures of him... it was hard to narrow them down. His expressions are priceless and at one point he was concentrating so hard at melting the ice, he drooled! It was hilarious!

The half ninja!

Holding hands with Saide, one of the
community kids. 

Nelson is the exact opposite of Juma. He tries to act SO uninterested... note he is melting ice with his fingers. But as the game goes on, I notice that it's Nelson's turn quite often. I pay more attention, after his turn he goes only about 3 deep in the line... a nice way of saying he is cutting. =) I found it so interesting that he was cutting, as he was acting too cool for this game. I would have actually thought he would have let others go in front of him to avoid having to play. Some kids jump to play, others need nudging but love it just as much.

Osvaldo, is another one who is a little to cool for this game. But he kept playing and would try out some of the most ridiculous ways of melting ice, such as the over exaggerated swiping from side to side that is shown below.

Then there is me! Ahahha I love getting involved when I can. And yes my personality shows too, you can see I'm trying a few different techniques to see what works the best =)

On the left in the picture below is Pedro and on the right is our staff member Zito. It's sort of perfect that they are pictured together as I would describe some of their main characteristics as being the same. Pedro is known for his honesty; the kids would probably call him a tattle tale... but kids will be kids. If you ask Pedro to go buy you something you never question for a second if the change is right, because it's Pedro. The kids kept trying to sneak rocks to the ice and so we were having to check hands. It was funny as if to try and earn some street cred with his friends, Pedro was holding a rock in each hand and then holding his hands in the air with 2 fingers folded down to hold the rocks and then he would say, "look no rocks." Funny guy. 

Zito is one of our hardest workers, and similar to Pedro he will help with anything. Going above and beyond isn't common for our staff, but I'm happy to say Zito does such things!

Helder is the second youngest. And I think he sort of likes to get lost in a crowd. He is expressive and loves pictures but doesn't want to be the center of attention... unless there is a camera. He is always happy to join in but doesn't make a fuss if he isn't involved. He is just an easy going kid.

His alter ego would be Nchuale... our resident funny guy. Nchuale wasn't home when we started and I kept looking for him, knowing if Nchuale was here the kids would feed off of his silly energy... and sure enough they did. He walked up the to ice and started scratching it with his long nails, we all thought he had a rock and were left speechless when he showed us he was just using his nails... uh okay. I always try to convince the kids to use more than just their hands... I suggest arms and of course the stomach. Nchuale once again is the first one to take me up on the suggestion and we all just die laughing. He is hold the ice and moving it and he looks like a chicken... so of course I encourage clucking which he is happy to do! This guy will do anything for a laugh!

The goal was to get the spoon without breaking the ice at all. Osvaldo was working so hard to melt the ice that when the spoon went flying out and I started yelling in English, "You won! You won!" He was confused and I think he thought I was saying he broke the ice, because he started defending himself. When the kids realized the game was over, no one was excited because they won, rather they all came diving at the table because they wanted the ice!