Happy Halloween, Guatemalan Style

I woke up today and it was clear and cool so I decided to take a run up to the Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross). It is not far from the apartment, but the trip up is difficult as it is all uphill. It is a popular place for runners in the morning as I saw at least 30 other people running up or down from there. The hike was worth the effort as I got several good pictures including this one.


Around 10am we decided to go for a walk and feed the bird the bread crust we have been saving up. We spread the bread crust around the Parque Santa Rosa, but did not have much luck attracting birds because Luis loves to scare them off and watch them fly. Then was walked down to the La Merced, a large catholic church just north of the arch on 5th Avenida. We went inside and looked around for a while. It is a huge church and there are a lot of areas to check out. Then is was on to the travel agency to book my shuttle to the airport tomorrow. We decided we would go to Burger King for lunch, but needed to go change some US dollars to Guatemalan Q first. I like for Jenny to get that done while I am here so she does not have to visit the bank when I am in Texas. While we were eating lunch the rain came. When the rain let up, we went to Marco Polo and got the kids some ice cream. Then it was a walk back to the apartment down the wet streets.

At 3pm we started getting ready for the Halloween party we had been invited to attend. It was at the apartment of another adopting family and included about 5 families. The kids had a complete blast playing and eating the great snacks that were provided. When it was time to trick or treat, the rain was back so all the parents set up stations around the courtyard and let the kids trick or treat there. I think the kids got more candy in the ten minutes of trick or treating this year than ever before. It was mayham and they ate it up. We walked home in the dark and the rain, and just got Christopher to bed. I am sad it is time to go home already and will be counting the 20 days until I return. Hopefully by then we will be on the director's desk in the CNA and I won't have to take another trip to their office.

Dedication Day

This morning we got up, got on our nice clothes, and went to Casa Para Ninos for the graduation, Quinceneara and Luis' dedication. Luis was nervous at first and wanted to be held before and during the ceremony, but did not have any major issues. The graduation portion went well and we were glad we could be there to see Jennifer Sucely (our sponsor child) graduate from basico. The young ladies celebrating their Quinceneara were beautiful, I especially enjoyed seeing Cristina who I met on my first trip to Casa. The dedication was short - the five of us went on stage and Mike prayed for our family. After the ceremony, Maria (Luis' friend from Los Angelitos) came right over. She was very sad and wanted to come with us. We spent about half an hour visiting with the team from the Woodland UMC (our church), Walter (the director of Casa), the Ciak's and Jennifer Sucely before the driver came to take us back to the apartment. During that time Luis began to relax and wanted to go to the swings, so I took him over and pushed him on the swings for a few minutes.

Us with Jennifer Sucely


Luis and Maria


When we arrived back at the apartment, we had lunch, played inside and outside and practiced trick or treating (since Luis has never been before). Tonight we had Pizza from tele-pizza and watched the Incredibles with the kids. They are all very excited about the Halloween party tomorrow and trick or treating. Thank you for all of your prayer support before and during the ceremony today. What could have been a tough day turned into a positive experience.

A Day at the Pool....

Today was a beautiful day in Antigua. We had school as usual in the morning and then headed to the Hotel Antigua pool around 10am. I told Jenny I would handle the pool so she could have a few, more than deserved, hours to herself. While there, we saw the Dirrims (adopting Henry and Dahlia) and the McFaddens (adopting Lily). Caroline had a great time playing with Lily. Christopher spent some time at the play area next to the pool (I think he also need some alone time to recharge himself). Luis and I spent a little time in the baby pool area that is about 18 inches deep and spent the rest of the time together in the big pool. I would hold him around the waist and he would practice paddling his hands and kicking his feet. We stayed at the pool until after 4 pm, swimming and talking to the other parents. It is so nice to have some people to talk to who are going through the same thing and have been living in Guatemala longer. Here are some pictures from our time at the pool.

Caroline and Lily.



This one is Luis working on swimming in the shallow pool.


After the pool, the kids decided to walk back to the apartment instead of taking a tuk tuk because they wanted to stop for ice cream on the way. We stopped at Pollo Campero and got all three kids "conos" for 12Q (about a $1.50). When we got back to the apartment I worked on getting the kids cleaned up while Jenny worked to get dinner on the table. Tonight was breakfast for dinner night so we had pancakes and the like. It was delicious and the kids all enjoyed it. We talked to Luis at dinner about going to the graduation and quinceneara tomorrow for a couple of hours and then coming back and having pizza and a movie. Once he understood the plan, I told him the events would be at Casa Para Ninos, and that we would be with him "todo el tiempo" (all the time) we were there. He did not panic and seemed to be okay with it. Hopefully that will carry over to tomorrow when we go for the dedication and other events. Please pray the time there is a positive experience for all of us.

A visit to Consejo Nacional de Adopciones

Before I get to today, I have to give my wife the props she deserves for hosting an awesome date night last night. We had fajitas and then enjoyed the traditional Guatemalan desserts she picked up at Dona Maria. Here is a photo of the treats on our very elegant plastic plates. Muy Delicioso!

We started today with school for the ninos. I worked with Luis reading books and playing the memory game. Then it was off to the CNA for a meeting with our lawyer and Lorena Ramirez. The meeting was scheduled for 11am. I arrived at 10:35. The meeting did not start until almost 11:30 and was only about 20 minutes long. The meeting brought good news. We learned the psychologist and social worker had completed their reports, and our file was on Ms. Ramirez's desk and she would begin working it tomorrow. There is a possibility that we could move to the director's desk some time late next week. The file will likely be there for 4 weeks for a review. But there is movement and that is very positive.

When I got back to the apartment at 1pm, Jenny and the kids were working on a science experiment with oil and water demonstrating the density difference in the two liquids. It was pretty cool. Then is was off to the library to find new reading material for the kids and the Bagel Barn for some bagels for the next few days. On the way back to the apartment I discovered my new favorite shop in Antigua: Chocolala. We stepped in to look for a minute and the women offered us a sample that was awesome. We spent the rest of the afternoon carving the pumpkin we bought at Hiper Paiz yesterday. It was the first time Luis had carved a pumpkin and he thought it was great. Here are a couple of pictures.


Tonight we braved an evening rain shower to go to Pollo Campero (the Wednesday night scheduled meal). It was a lot of fun and the kids had good dinners and got ice cream. Then it was a wild tuk tuk ride back to the apartment. I survived my first tuk tuk ride and actually thought it was fun.

Back at the apartment, we had baths and now it is bedtime. Luis has a new favorite way to get transported to his bed, here is a picture. He is tucked in and resting now after getting about 50 kiss sandwiches from Mami and Papi.

One prayer concern we have is Luis' dedication is scheduled for Friday morning at the Quincenera and garduation ceremony at Casa Para Ninos. At any mention of Casa, he has gotten very upset and so we are worried the dedication will not be a positive experience. We are going to have a conversation with him tomorrow about the dedication, so please pray we communicate clearly and effectively to let him know that we will only be there a couple of hours and he will not be apart from us during that time.

Fun in Antigua and Beyond

So I need to catch everyone up from the last few days. On Sunday we went to church at Iglesia Del Camino. It is a bilingual church and cafe here in Antigua. It was a great experience. All of the songs are sung in both English and Spanish. Then we had a sermon about spiritual warfare, sang some more and were dismissed. Please pray for this church, they recently found out the owner of the building they rent is not going to renew the lease, so they will have to find a new home for the church.

After church it was off to Pollo Campero for lunch. I got a little crazy and decided to try the pollo parilla (grilled chicken), which was very delicious. On the way home, we stopped in a couple of shops and bought a journal for Christopher (he and Jenny are going to do a bible study together), a finger puppet for Luis and a key chain for Care. We spent the rest of the day playing Futbol and hide and seek and later Ghost in the graveyard on the apartment grounds.

Monday brought the return of school for the kids. While Jenny worked with Christopher and Caroline on their lessons, I used Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever with Luis to learn some new English vocabulary and have some fun. Then we played the memory game. He is very good at it and does not like to lose. After school we decided to go to the cross on hill above Antigua. We went to find a police escort, but were told that is only needed after 3pm. So we hiked up the hill staying on the road (which is the long way, but kept us off the trail through the woods). It was a long hike, but the views of the city were worth it. Here are a couple of pictures.

















I think I might try and take a jog up there one morning to get a picture of the Cross with Agua (the volcano) in the background.


The kids were pretty exhausted from the hike, so it was an early bedtime for all of us last night.

Today we had school in the morning. I worked with Luis on vocabulary, the memory game and playful patterns for our school day while Christopher and Caroline had English, Social Studies, Math and Science.

After school we headed into the city to visit Hiper Paiz. We needed costumes for the Halloween party we are going to on Saturday. When we walked into the store we were greeted with Mucho Santas, Christmas trees and lights. Luis was beside himself. He can't wait for Christmas. We found a small section with costumes and were able to get all of the kids a costume. Here is a preview of the costumes for Saturday. Jenny was very excited to find a number of things at Hiper Paiz that she could not get at La Bodagona, like muffin pans and mix, soy sauce, crisco spray (we don't have non-stick pans here) and shake and bake. It was a sucessful trip and Jenny is stocked up on food for a while.

Now it is raining and the kids are playing inside. Time for me to get back to playing with them.

Another Day - Day 36 (from guest author Christopher)

Today I woke up and went upstairs and woke up Luis. Then we went downstairs and we looked at my pokemon cards. His favorite was PIKACHU, torward the back of the book. After that we woke up dad and I poured myslef a bowl of Fruit Loops. Soon after, Care woke up and we got in our clothes. Next, we went outside and played. Luis swong, Care climbed a tree and I praticed kicking my football. Then we went to church. Next, when we got home I got on my DS flew to Sandgem town and talked to Dawn's sister."Now what did the news say? Oh-ya Route 228, they said there are lots of BELDUM there..." I imditly flew to route 228 bought some pokeballs(ultra level)and found a Beldum. I used all my balls and didn't catch anything.(P.S. A Beldum's catch rate is 3!) Then we got to have spgetti for dinner. Then I took a shower, got dressed went downstairs for cake.

THE END

Family Reunion!

This is Victor. It was an early morning for me today. I was up at 5am to get the dog out for a good walk and finish getting ready to go. Then it was off to the airport for the 9:30 flight. The flight was uneventful and I arrived in Guatemala about 10 minutes early. I went though immigration and customs and found a shuttle to Antigua for $10. The shuttle dropped me off at the front gate of Santa Rosa Apartments at a few minutes after 1pm. As I walked in, I found Jenny and the kids on the swings and got the best welcome ever. All three kids yelled and came running for a giant hug. Awesome! Unpacking the suitcases was kind of like Christmas. The kids were crawling all over us as we worked to get the stuff unpacked. They loved getting some old favorite toys from home and some fresh reading material. Jenny was in tears when she saw the package of letters from Children of the Woodlands. We are so thankful for all of the support wwe have gotten during this process from our friends and family. We spent the afternoon playing soccer, hide and seek and swinging. Christopher challenged me to a game of soccer in the yard. Then we played hide and seek outside. It was a ton of fun and the kids could not get enough. By the end of the game, I was exhausted. Jenny and the kids have created their own thrill ride at the apartments. Here is a short video of how it works.
Tonight we had the traditional (yes, they are already creating new traditions) Saturday Night pizza and a movie. We order Papasito’s pizza and watched the Barbie Diamond Castle video I brought. We had a good time snuggling on the couch. After the movie we had cake and ice cream to celebrate being together again. Then it was time to be off to bed. I read the “En El Bano” book to Luis which he thinks is hilarious. It shows animals using the bathroom. It is good 5 year old male potty humor. Buenos Noches!

TGIF!

It's Friday and we're ready for the weekend! Actually, we are ready for Victor to arrive tomorrow afternoon!

The kids miss our dog at home, and our apartment complex doesn't allow pets. What to do? The kids figured it out: start a roly-poly habitat. Lucky me, I'm now Mom to three kids and 1.4 million roly-polies. Here are the happy kids who (finally!) have some "cute, cuddly" animals to love:


Today we had a very short school day and ran a few errands in preparation for Papi's visit tomorrow. When we got home, the kids found a lime tree on the property and picked a bunch of limes. They are quite the healthy size, as you can see, Caroline is holding one the size of a baseball. We cut one open, but it wasn't very juicy, so I'm not sure we can made limeade.


We're going to have a fabulous time with Victor this weekend. I hope you have a great weekend, too!!

Livin' La Vida Loca

Well, I guess our life's not too "crazy" when it slowly is becoming routine. That's actually a good thing...

Monday, Tuesday and today (Wednesday) were rather normal days for us. Of course, our mornings involve school - although Monday lacked motivation for the teacher as well as the students. After school, we usually venture out for something. Yesterday was "Revolution Day" here. Guatemala has a lot of holidays. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and the view of "Agua" volcano was fabulous. I've attached a photo:



We had some fun with science at school. The C.O.W. staff may recognize the super poly-absorbent crystals in our recycled container. These tiny, hard little crystals will absorb a ton of water and grow exponentially in size. Anyways, Chris and Caroline have seen them lots of times, but I didn't think Luis had at his Casa Aleluya school. The crystals are even more fun with colored water. We've enjoyed observing them change.



You may also notice the bread on the counter. The brand name is "Bimbo" and the kids don't know why I chuckle every time I make sandwiches. Oh, the little things that help me keep my sense of humor. :)

Have a great evening, and thank you for your prayers!

Weekend Fun

Good evening! I hope you have all had a great weekend - we did!

On Saturday, we stayed close to the apartment. Antigua is a busier place on the weekends, so we like to avoid the crowds. We decided to celebrate a "plain day" with a "plain party." You, too, can have a plain party! We decorated the kitchen with colored streamers (paper cut into long strips and colored with crayons) and baked a "plain party" cake. For our actually party, we watched Mermaidia (classic Barbie movie!) and played Go Fish. We had pizza and enjoyed some cake.

The best part was Luis' response. A party? And it's not for a birthday? Just because?? Wow, I bet he never imagined how much fun he'd have with his forever family (or how much of a sweet tooth his mom has, to come up with such an crazy reason to eat cake!).

Today, Sunday, was fantastic. We went to church this morning. We sang one of my favorite Spanish Christian worship songs. Caroline said, "I can't believe I can sing in Spanish!" The kids made some new friends at church. There is an option for Children's Sunday School but the kids would prefer to stay with me. It's fine either way.

After church, we met some friends for lunch. Sheila and Lily introduced me and the kids to two other moms who are fostering their children in Antigua like us. One mom was from the Dallas area, and the other was from the UK. We exchanged numbers since the other two moms might still be here awhile (unfortunately). Please pray for ALL the adopting families to finish up and get home!

Don't forget that we miss you!

Living on the Edge

The edge of gastrointestinal issues, I suppose.

We went to the local fruit & veggie market yesterday. It's amazing, really: stall after stall of vendors selling their goods. There is other stuff for sale, but I mainly am interested in the produce. I couldn't believe what I could get for $5: 6 Bananas, Bag of apples, 2 lbs. of strawberries, 3 peppers, 4 onions, 2 cucumbers, and a baby watermelon!

So back to living on the edge. Strawberries have a bad reputation for causing issues for the tummy, but it's a favorite fruit for all three children. I wondered if there was a way to enjoy these. So I bought some and took them home. Here was the process of washing the berries:


First, I rinsed them in the sink and cleaned them with a sponge. Second, I soaked them in my fruit & veggie wash. Last, I rinsed them again. I concluded that they were probably now the safest berries in Central America. But to be on the safe side, I gave them to the kids and didn't eat them myself (we needed at least one healthy person, just in case!).

Well, all the work was worth it because Luis had a gigantic smile on his face. He loves, loves, loves strawberries!

Adventures Continue

Good afternoon! I have a bit of time during a patch of rain to write an update.

Yesterday, after school, we went to La Bodegona. We had a successful visit. I needed some additional menu ideas - simple meals, though - and the kids helped me look closely in each aisle. Shopping here is a bit different than at my Kroger. Aisles are very narrow, in fact, they are too narrow for a single cart. There isn't a rhyme of reason to the way items are organized in the store. For example, the cereal is next to the mayonnaise, which is next to the canned beans. On another aisle, the coffee is next to spaghetti sauce - thank goodness, it was in my search for decaf that I found spaghetti sauce. (Can anyone who speaks Spanish tell me what "Decaf" might translate to?)

Yesterday I was able to capture Caroline with a beautiful smile and wanted to share it (mainly for the grandmothers!). Doesn't she look like she's growing up too fast???



Today I school, Luis got to discover shapes using this math manipulative. To practice fine motor skills, he took the rubber bands off with plastic tweezers.


After school today, we walked over to some ruins called La Candelaria. There wasn't much to see, but our imaginations went wild. We wondered what this place looked like in its peak. We think it used to be a church, but was destroyed in the earthquake several centuries ago. It was a bummer that we couldn't enter the area, nor was there any information about La Candelaria. It was still pretty cool.


Later today, we went to the library and found some more reading material. Caroline was excited about a Junie B. Jones book, and Chris found a Where's Waldo? Luis totally knows who Barney is, so we come home with a Barney book each week. Thank goodness the Barney DVD that I brought from home runs a Spanish track - he's enjoyed that.

If the rain holds out, I'm treating the kids to Pollo Campero, and tonight, Caroline and I are having a girl's sleepover. Hope you all have a good evening as well!

In The Zone

No, I'm not talking about Guatemala City's zones! :) It just seems like the last few days, we're getting "in the zone" together. Yesterday, we went to church, which felt like a normal thing to do for us. Today, we held school. We play a lot, we read a lot, we swing at the playset a lot. Luis gets more snuggly each day, and readily says, "I love you" to the rest of us. I feel as though God has already started to heal his wounded heart. What a blessing and priviledge it is to be one of God's vessels in this process.

Chris and Caroline are doing well, too, and normal sibling stuff is coming up more often. Stuff like "Why do I have more chores than Luis?" However, truth be told, Luis loves to be mommy's helper!

Tomorrow's lineup: School and grocery shopping. Sorry it's not very exciting! Have a great day!

A Wonderful Milestone

Greetings from Antigua!

Today was the first day we didn't leave our apartment compound. With the threat of rain all day, we stayed close to home. When it wasn't raining, we were outside swinging or playing soccer. When it was raining, we came inside and thought up some creative ideas. Here's something we did today:

I think the fine teachers at Children of The Woodlands would be pleased with this open-ended activity of building a city for all of Luis's cars. The kids went the extra mile by using egg cartons for mountains, toilet paper rolls for tunnels, and even included a zoo. This kept them busy for awhile!

Our Saturday night special is pizza and a movie. Tonight, we tried a new place, Papazito's, and the kids all agreed it was the best cheese pizza they'd tried here so far. It was Chris' turn to pick the movie, and he selected Veggie Tales Jonah.

The best part of the day was at the end. It brought tears to my eyes, tears of joy. Here's what happened: Luis said to Caroline, "I love you." At first, I thought he was just mimicking us, because of course, we say that all the time. But when I was putting Luis and Caroline to bed, he said, "I love you Caroline. I love you Christopher. I love todos mi familia!" and he flung his arms wide open for a hug. I realized he understood what he was saying, and it ended up with a giant hug with me and all three kids. Chris and Care were beaming, because it came unsolicited. It was just one of those moments when I felt like God was saying, "This is why you are where you are." Have a blessed night.

Another Day in Paradise

Yes, it is paradise to have my three children, together, finally. So it really doesn't matter where we are in the world.

We walked around more of Antigua today, still trying to find our way around and help the kids feel more and more comfortable here. We had some success. We found Papazito's, an Italian joint offering pastas, sandwiches and pizza. They deliver, too, so I think we'll try them for our Saturday night pizza & movie night.

We also found the location of a famous home, Casa Popanoe; unfortunately, it was temporarily closed. We'll try back another time - I read that the view from the rooftop terrace is gorgeous.

Additionally, the shop offering authentic Guatemalan pastries and other sweets was also closed. Darn, if I understood Spanish better, I'd know why they were closed! Luckily, both the famous house and the sweets shop are close by, and we'll check again soon.

Surprisingly, we went for more ice cream. It's a favorite for the kids. It was a warm day, at least before the afternoon rain came, and stopping in was a nice chance to rest before walking the 6 or so blocks home.

I didn't take many pictures today, after all, how many pictures of kids eating ice cream does one blog need? So I captured Luis being funny. As you can tell from the photo, he fits right in with our family! Enjoy!

Enjoying Antigua

Good evening! Yesterday, we went to explore "the big red building" that we always pass on our way to the grocery store. We'd heard from a friend here that there was a small children's reading area. We entered the building, and realized we were in for a treat. It turns out the building had been a university several hundred years ago, when Antigua was ruled by Spain. Similar to lots of buildings here, major earthquakes had severely damaged it. Now, however, as a massive restoration project comes to an end, the building, courtyards, hallways, etc. are absolutely gorgeous. I love the architecture here. Anyways, a portion of the building is used as a museum of sorts, and right now it was featuring photography from Mexico, Guatemala, and many Central American and South American countries. It was fantastic!

Today, after our school time, we went for a walk. We stopped at a panaderia (bread shop) on our way to the library. The kids checked out some new reading material. Luis actually chose books in English. His ability to understand English is growing by leaps and bounds. This afternoon, I asked, "Where's my timer?" and he answered, "I don't know." So he either really doesn't know where my timer is, or he is just mimicking me....although I try really hard to figure out what he's saying (or at least say "Uh-huh!").....Thanks to Chris and Caroline, he knows "ice cream" and "cookie" and "pudding."

Unfortunately, it rained off and on for most of the afternoon. We postponed visiting a place with ruins til tomorrow. There are so many places here with ruins to explore that I can't remember all the names. We'll try to remember to bring the camera this time.

Thanks for all of your prayers on our adoption. Keep them coming! Have a blessed night!

Sweet Moments

Today was Monday, so back to our school-day routine. I must admit that I really enjoy home-schooling the kids, and this time in Guatemala is not only a special time with Luis but also bonus time with Chris and Care.

I won't bore you with our curriculum, but I will say that we are having fun coming up with creative declarative, imperative, exclamatory, and interrogative sentences. :)

After school, we went about our errands. Christopher treated the other two kids ice cream using his allowance money. Very sweet. Here are their happy faces:



Next, we found the barberia to get Luis a haircut. His hair needed a cut two weeks ago when we picked him up! We found the place and he didn't want to go in. Poor guy, he cried the whole time his hair was being cut. I held his hand the whole time and wondered why on Earth a haircut would be so upsetting. An example of when our language barrier is a problem, and an example of wishing we knew more of his past. And just like any other mom who feels extreme guilt, I bought him his favorite cookies at the store!

The store, by the way, was interesting. This one has been bought out by Wal-Mart, so you can purchase their labeled items. The set-up was strange. The toilet paper was next to the fruit, the milk was next to the shoes, and even though I could find any type of pasta I could want, there wasn't any spaghetti sauce. The whole place was about 4 aisles wide. Well, we ended up having spaghetti noodles with butter instead of a tomato based sauce for dinner, and it turns out we all got to eat!

We got home and I treated Luis to a bath with two colored tablets, and his haircut was looooooong forgotten. Here's his photo, you'd never even guess he'd been upset!



At bedtime, Luis and I snuggled together and he had such a sweet smile on his face. It was such a joy that he continues to open up to us emotionally as he learns we can be trusted. God is good!

The Sunday Times

Tonight will be a quick post because Luis is restless in his sleep, and I am anxious to be his comforter. But today started bright and early, as usual, but with a magnificent view of the volcanoes. We even watched steam and ash come out of one of the volcanoes (I think, Fuego).

We went to church this morning at a Spanish & English church service. My friend, Sheila and her daughter Lily, told me about it. It was great to worship God in such a multi-cultural setting. I can't wait for Victor to come with us. And they actually played one of my favorite Spanish songs, one that I'd first heard in Guatemala four years ago.

After church, Sheila and I took the kids to lunch at where else? Pollo Campero! It was great catching up with Sheila and the kids had a fun time together as well.

It was a beautiful day so we were outside this afternoon, and we had a quiet evening at home reading books before bedtime.

Good night and have a great week!

Fun Saturday!

I didn't post yesterday because I was pretty exhausted. Chris was missing his Daddy and needed a lot of special consideration yesterday. I am grateful that I read about Culture Shock for Kids - the info helped me. The picture below is from yesterday, when Luis and Caroline built a fort in their room, naming it "The Reading Club." I am so excited that all three kids enjoy reading!

This morning was bright and warm - perfect weather for the pool! We planned to meet our friends Carolyn and Olga Ciak at the Hotel Antigua's pool. We hadn't explored the southern sections of Antigua yet so I was glad to do so on our walk there. We passed a really old cathedral that tomorrow is having a Blessing of the Animals (in honor of St. Francis of Assisi). I thought about taking the kids, since they love animals, but I can't bear the thought of Chris and Care in tears missing their dog. So I think maybe we'll find an English-speaking Protestant church service instead, without pets.

Anyways, we arrived at the pool, very excitedly. For 150Q, or a little under $20, we were able to spend the day there as well as borrow towels. The water was heated, which I love. One side had a little kids area that is about 2 feet deep, the other side about 5 feet deep, separated by a pathway about 6 inches deep.

For those of you who don't have the priveledge of knowing the Ciak's, they are missionaries at Casa Para Ninos, Luis' FORMER home, and we've enjoyed our time with them over the last several years of visits to Guatemala. Olga (Carolyn and Jack's daughter) and Luis are friends. Luis enjoyed seeing Olga, and Caroline was grateful for a girl to play with. The Hotel Antigua is absolutely spectacular, and we all enjoyed it tremendously. They even offered free face-painting, and I took a picture of Olga the Tiger and Caroline the Butterfly.


We took a tuk tuk home from the pool since after several hours in the pool, they were worn out. After cleaning up from the pool, we ordered pizza and watched Barney in Spanish (a DVD we brought). It was fun listening to Luis sing the songs in Spanish, although I didn't know what he was singing. I think he appreciated having something in Spanish. Finally, the movie was over and Luis was practically begging me to take him to bed. Good night!

Getting into the Groove

Good evening! It was another day here in Antigua, Guatemala, where the coffee is first class and the view of the volcano is breathtaking. I will try to take a picture of it (the volcano, not the coffee) soon.

We got right back into the swing of things for school. We're making modifications for our new student, but I'm grateful for that!! Chris and Care are both reluctant but relieved to be learning again. (Shhhh! Don't tell them they were learning lots of stuff during the "Empathy Break"!) In fact, I noticed Chris had taken my multiplication fact cards in his room today.

After school and lunch, we headed back to La Bodegona for groceries. Luis must be growing, or has an extremely lucky metabolism, since he is eating constantly! I know he got three meals a day, plus snacks, plus treats, at Casa, but I guess he's never had such unrestricted access to a pantry (or at least in this apartment, a cupboard!) or to a refrigerator. Lots of fresh fruit and proteins are readily available for him.

It took almost half an hour to walk to the store, mainly because three children tend to slow me down. But we take a different route each time, so we're discovering more and more places here in Antigua. We got almost everything on my list, including the world's largest mango (until I realized it was actually a papaya), and headed out of the store. Since there is no A/C here, the store gets really warm. With our three full black Kroger bags, the kids and I flagged down a tuk tuk for a quick ride home. It is a really unique mode of transportation, and for 15Q, less than $2, we were home in about 5 minutes. The kids loved the ride, partly because it was bumpy (cobble stone roads) and partly because they are just tired of always walking! But they really are such troopers! I've included a picture of a tuk tuk, as well as a picture of the three kids in ours today.


We had about 5 hours to kill before dinner, and the kids were getting a little bored with the 4 toys we brought from home, so I had to get creative. Remembering how much Luis likes to look for "Goldbug" in his "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go" book, I asked Caroline to design a Goldbug on paper. She did, we cut it out, and took turns hiding Goldbug upstairs. Here are the happy hunters:



We had some rain this afternoon so I let the kids watch a DVD movie. Luis patiently watched "Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses" in English, and I thought it was funny when he laughed. Kudos to Chris for patiently watching it too. They will each have a turn picking out a movie, too, later this weekend. And I was happy for the chance to sit down and read a chapter in my current book.

Dinner was chicken and rice, because Luis likes chicken and rice, and then off to bed for the kids. I am grateful for the time I have at night to catch up on skype with Victor and sometimes even a dear friend. Looking forward to a new day tomorrow, full of opportunities! Have a great night!