Hello, December

It's crazy how fast time goes...like sand through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives. (LOL, I had to make the reference, even if it dates me!)

Lots of craziness going on around here, which doesn't help the frenzied feeling usually associated with this time of the year. Trying to remember to slow down, and doing an OK job of it so far. In fact, because we will be in Florida for the holidays, I suspect that things might actually be smoother - no big cookie plates, no big meals to plan, no need to clean the house for upcoming family gatherings (although I will miss all those things).

Some of this, I think, is contributing to a feeling of disconnect with the holiday, however. I feel like it isn't really affecting me, like I can't really get excited over it. I don't like that feeling much, because this is my absolute favorite season. I suppose once we are in Disney World I'll be singing a different tune, when surrounded by all the lovely holiday-ness and the promise of lots of wonderful SHOPPING!

Speaking of shopping, we basically have our holiday shopping already taken care of (I guess this would be another reason why I don't feel all that stressed and worked up). We are doing it the 21st-century way, a la Amazon. There's something interesting about shopping online (finding things easily, paying electronically, then later getting the product and being surprised all over again), but there's something largely unsatisfying for this Generation X-er as well. I don't really like not being able to hold, see, touch, manipulate the product before I buy it, and stress and worry (A LOT) about getting the right thing, making sure it is what I think it is, etc. I know people in the States and other parts of the world don't worry - you can always return it, right? - but when you just get one shot (and a one-week window for delivery) to get it right (no Amazon returning from Ecuador, that's for sure), the stakes sometimes seem really high.

Nico, age 11, at Quicentro Shopping

We celebrated this guy yesterday, for his "santo" (San Nicolás). We went to T.G.I. Fridays with Bati and Gaby, then went for ice cream (although now Nico says he "doesn't like ice cream and never has" - hmmmmm). The kids, of course, didn't have school since there was vacation for the Foundation of Quito, but we had to go back home to work on projects, which are due soon, so not much play time for us! The good news is, we finished the projects. Yay for us!

I tried to get a picture of all the food, but my dish came late and everyone had already dug in!

In addition to all this, there was a huge landslide yesterday in the south of Quito which is blocking the city's water supply. It isn't affecting our house, but is affecting more than a half million inhabitants, and is affecting our university. After much debate - and conflicting information online- CEC (not the university, however) decided to stay open. The building's cistern is expected to hold up over the next few days. Fingers crossed!

Finally, I'm wrapped up in my December Daily project this month, and loving the whole process. Sometimes I look at a page and just think - meh - but once it's all done and put together I'm always sooooo glad to have done it. I will admit, however, that with the kids being older and not so into all the traditional "Christmas-y" things we usually do, I'm having a hard time "finding" my story for the day. Most of them have nothing to do with the season, which in fact is OK. Some day I will look back and remember that this perhaps was the year when the kids outgrew some of our previous traditions, but more than likely it could also be the year that starts new ones!

Mad project skillz

Maybe later this week I will get a chance to post some photos of my progress :)

Here's to a wonderful season!

All the love

All the love for these two guys. They make me laugh. They make me smile. They make my heart full.

One thing I love is bringing them little treats for after school. Today it was a box of fancy cookies from Hansel & Gretel, which they scarfed down almost immediately. Last week it was a package of Nerds (for Nico - he's the candy/sugar-lover) and a Hershey's Cookies-n-Cream candy bar (for Agus - he's the chocolate lover).

Right now they are into lots of Kindle play and Minecraft. After homework's done, lunches are packed, uniforms laid out, and homework signed and put away, we often get the question, "Can we play on our Kindle?" Usually the answer is yes, and depending on the time, they may get up to an hour before it's time to eat supper. They usually sit together, playing together and giving each other advice.

This weekend at the beach they brought their Nintendo 2DS (because there would be no Internet access) and on the way home Nico said, "I forgot how fun my Nintendo is!"

If they aren't on their Kindles, they are on their iPods/iPhones, texting Bati and listening to music (especially Agus - he'll sit for hours just listening to all his favorite songs. Apple Music was definitely a good buy for him!). At the beach they both would wake up early (around 7 a.m.), and go put on their respective headphones and just listen to music until the rest of the house was awake.

That's what their obsessions are at this time. And in between all of this, they sometimes read, write stories (Agus) or "theories" (Nico), or play "soccer" in the little hallway outside of the bedrooms.

Like I said, all the love.

Today...

• Today I am getting excited to go to the beach for the first time in 11 months. Eleven months is too long! I am looking forward to the heat, the food (shrimp in coconut sauce and popcorn shrimp with fresh rice and plantains!), the pool, sitting outside with an ice cold beer, playing board games with the boys on the patio, sleeping with no covers at all!
• Today I am happy that I took the time to go for a walk while at work (I even brought my tennis shoes, so I was able to walk further and faster). It was a mere 3 km, but it feels good to have that "out of the way", since the rest of the day will be driving to the beach. 
• Today the secretaries are at an event in Sto Domingo, which means it has been abnormally (and almost eerily) quiet around here - no students coming to our office, no beeping from the turn-style turn taking thing, no loud music coming from their desks (the station they listen to plays the same mix over and over, I could go through the songs right now - mostly 70s and 80s - one of which is Mr. Roboto). 
• Today it was sunny and warm (although a little breezy) while on my walk but is now getting dark and looking like it might storm and/or rain.
• Today Agustín went to school nervous about his Sociales exam. I helped him study last night for the exam, and the topics were all over the place: biodiversity in Ecuador, World War I, the history of democracy, economics, how to set up a small business, deficits and surpluses and balance sheets. In all honesty he knew most of the stuff in a general sense, but if they ask too many details he will bomb that test (it was hard and I had to look some stuff up - he even had lists of the different battles fought on each of the fronts of WWI). We shall see.
• Today the boys had a school event going on so they didn't need to wear uniforms. That's always fun.
• Today I am anticipating my final Day in the Life of 2017. It will be fun to be at the beach (although boring - I expect to have lots of pool/ocean/food pictures.