'As I say at my desk making the Christmas card that I would give to a resident, I tried to figure out how I could skip this field trip.'

What is a field trip?

"Hola, Marilla," Senora Collazo greeted me.

What does hola mean?

"Hola, Marilla," Senora Collazo greeted me.

What does Senora mean?

'I had two big helpings of rice and kidney beans, two helpings of dessert, and three glasses of mango juice.'

What is a mango?

'I never ate so much. I figures that with all this food, I was sure to get indigestion.'

What is indigestion?

To speak quietly and unclearly.

Another word for worry

'She touched my forehead and my neck. She left the room and in a few minutes came back with the thermometer in her hand. I opened my mouth and she slipped it under my tongue.'

What is a thermometer?

A word that means 'spread out'.

Another word for 'unsteady'

'Maybe I could just hand it to her and leave. It might brighten her day. So gingerly I crossed the lobby and stood next to her.'

What is another word for gingerly?

'"Who is there?" the old lady asked as she coquettishly fixed her silver bun with the light touch of her manicured hand.'

What does coquettishly mean?

'"Who is there?" the old lady asked as she coquettishly fixed her silver bun with the light touch of her manicured hand.'

A word that means clear and specific.

'When the coconut sweets were passed around, she mischievously asked for two.'

What does mischievously mean?

Another word for enjoyed.

'"I used to dance so well that men would line up for a chance to dance with me. I had many, many suitors at one time." she said. "I had suitors that serenaded me in the evening and others that brought me flowers."

What are suitors?

'"I used to dance so well that men would line up for a chance to dance with me. I had many, many suitors at one time." she said. "I had suitors that serenaded me in the evening and others that brought me flowers."

What does serenaded mean?

A type of art made by sticking pictures, photographs, cloth, etc. onto a surface.