Oh, look, here comes Papa Noel and his happy little duende. The carol we sang to invite them to join us at the Air Force holiday party has evidently worked because in their hands they drag a load of loot. I wonder what Papa Noel will bring me this year. Perhaps a dollhouse. Perhaps a kitchen set. Perhaps I will be stuck carrying around stinky boy shoes while they jump in the bounce house. But it's okay, I get candy, too. Only what is this candy? I am crying. It's so spicy. Quick wipe your tears with your stinky boy shoe. It's not so bad. Tomorrow will be worse. Your legs will be covered in bruises from wiggling children. Ever will tell you your boyfriend doesn't like you anymore and is leaving you for the girl from Transformers. "But I still love you, Mega." And then he will rub his grubby hand over your mouth. "But why Ever?"

"I'm cleaning him off of you."

This is another trick he will employ. "Mono, kiss my hand and I will pass it to her." In slow motion he will bring his hand over to your cheek before violently crushing the make-believe kiss in his fist. "I killed your kiss." Later when Mono tries to hold my hand Ever will snatch it away, claiming that he is cold, then shoot Mono a dirty look. Ever is the 6-year-old you see in the photo to the left and I think he and I need to have a conversation. As we speak he is banging on my apartment door.

A few big changes have been happening around here. Good for me but really, really shitty for some others. And it all comes down to what a jackass my boss is. Last weekend my friend Juliet from my university in Madrid emailed me asking if I knew whether there might be some job openings at my work for her and her boyfriend James. I forwarded their resumes over to Matejo and crossed my fingers that he would consider them maybe in a few months when/if Michelle moved on. Michelle has been visiting family in New Zealand for the last few months and is due to arrive in time for New Years, but I think partly her decision to come back had to do with her now ex-boyfriend, and I'm not sure that she'll return for a full year now, as she had initially intended.

It didn't work out like that. Matthew emailed me back to ask how soon they could be here. And as it turns out they can be here for the next semester - January 2. Now Juliet and James are arriving to Cozumel in 11 days. Donnamarie was fired this morning. Michelle received an email saying either she or Lizzie had to quit and if she didn't feel like coming back from New Zealand, there was no problem with that. Lizzie left on Thursday for Christmas in England, and upon her arrival was met with an email from Matejo saying he couldn't guarantee her many hours this coming semester and if she didn't want to come back, that would be fine (although all her shit is here). Lizzie is under the impression she still has a job, just with reduced hours (as was I). Michelle is under the impression that Lizzie does not have the job. I was under the impression that Lizzie's fired. Meanwhile these two new teachers arrive in two weeks, along with Michelle, Lizzie, and me, when currently we only have three teachers and that's all there seems to be a need for. Hmm.

I don't think my job is in danger (at this point) because Matthew I think knows my students like me, and Juliet - one of the new hires - is a very good friend of mine. But then again, he's psychotic, so who can really tell?

This is kind of worrisome.

But it's also kind of EXCELLENT that Juliet is coming!