News from the Middle of the World: December 2017

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!