News from the Middle of the World

Love. Love. LOVE.

2012-01-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

Oh heavens to Betsy! Today I had to leave the house to get a passport picture taken (which the girl decided to photoshop - she didn't like my hair and gave me a whole new 'do, no lie! - and I was like, ummmm, you probably aren't supposed to photoshop a passport picture, but well, whatever) and the photo studio was next to my lovely yarn store. Couldn't go by without passing through, and couldn't pass through without spending the twenty that was burning a hole in my pocket.

I am beginning to see the love people have for yarn. Oh yarn! The lady gave me a tour of all the new yarns that had come in, and then I was set loose to look around (and they let me touch them!) and to keep saying, "Wait, just one more," when the lady asked me if that would be all.

So here is the stash I came home with, but oh in my mind I bought so much more.

Next month, next month.

Did you notice that I found a lovely use for both of my thirty-one bags? Yes, pure organizational happiness every time I reach in there to grab something.

Homework to Hell (You know the tune, just switch the words!)

2012-01-25T16:24:00.000-08:00

In that last post I tried to do an italics thing-y à la Ali Edwards, but I'm not so sure it worked for me. I probably won't be trying that again.

Anyhoo, even though I had this week off, I have felt like all we've done all week is homework, and it's only Wednesday! Argggghhh. I am having a Charlie Brown moment!

ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!

Ok, now that that is out of my system, here are a few shots of those infamous homework moments from the week.

Luckily, Agustín really does enjoy his homework, for the most part. This week he got to locate coordinates on a Cartesian plane (now wasn't that from like 7th grade Advanced Algebra?! Sheesh!!!); sew a squirrel; do English assignments involving cutting from a magazine (NOT printing from the Internet mind you - teacher's orders!) pictures like hippos and giraffes (not so hard) and other expressions like "taking a shower" & "getting dressed" (hard! No magazine in its right mind would be publishing those kinds of pictures!); and lots and lots of workbook and notebook stuff. Wow. I'm tired just thinking of it, and as I already said: it's only Wednesday!

And, to top it all off, whatever big brother does, little brother must also do.

I don't know, it's like some kind of Jedi/Lego Hero Factory code or something.

No wonder I found myself staring at our bedspread this morning, itching to color in the lines.

PS. Yes, I know that the previous picture is not rotated. It is a Blogger issue that has been pestering me for years - the last picture imported to my computer will never show up rotated on Blogger. We'll come back to it and fix it, no worries. I hope it doesn't bother you as much as it bothers me. :)

Project Life has started!

2012-01-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

Last week I started Project Life, and yesterday completed my second week. I am such a fan of December Daily, that I knew I would love the idea of Project Life. So I bought a core kit (Turquoise) and a variety pack of paper protectors (currently unavailable) and figured I'd start with the new year. The new year started on a Sunday, which was just very super convenient, also!

My title page

I absolutely LOVE this project. The days you want to, you can play, but the other days you can just grab your photos, jot down a few words and stick them in the pockets on the protectors and you're done. No messing around, worrying where things should go or how they should be, just words and stories on my perspective of my family at this moment in time - 2012.

Week one

Already I can't stop going back and looking at my pages, already I am reminiscing about the things we did and the things the kids said, already I am anticipating next Sunday when I can sit down and put together this week... Honestly, that is the biggest problem and only complaint I have about this project - I already feel like I'm wishing my life away, and it goes together so quick that I am craving more the next day!

I guess that's not a bad thing.

Other thoughts as I embark on this amazing (creative) journey through 2012:

I wish everyone were doing this.
I am embarrassed to keep saying it's so easy, it's so fabulous (but it is).
I can't think as to why I haven't ever done this before.
I love my life.

Week two

I was really worried about spending $50 (plus the cost of the album, which I got on sale at Michael's but which has already come apart at one end...) but now I am thinking that that is very cheap for a year full of memories.

I hope I am not eating my words by the end of this year. I really think I can keep this up. And, well, if I can't, I will still have product for 2013. :)

Oh! And I just have to mention that my sister Amy let me take her compact HP photo printer back with me to Ecuador and I. love. it. Makes for a super easy scrapping experience. :) (happy dance!)

Happy Dance

2011-12-13T05:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you again for your order from the Scrapbook.com Superstore. We wanted to let you know that your order was shipped today.

Oh happy happy happy!!!!!

I cannot wait to look at (and play with) my goodies.

Project Life will be starting soon and SO super excited.

December Daily is all caught up and I have found a bit of a groove. Going all out this year and printing the photos at home, regardless of price and quality of photo paper. Getting the stories down as they happen is invigorating and makes the project that much more fun.

Love.

December Daily 2011

2011-12-02T05:13:00.000-08:00

December has started, and it is also the start of my December Daily album. I have been so excited to start this year, although I feel like I didn't get the base pages finished until just a few days ago (I normally have that part ready to go at least a month ahead of time). It has been getting harder to figure out how to get the pictures developed, as the Kodak place that used to be right up the street has moved to the mall, but I will be trying to use my computer to print out photos a little more. I didn't really like doing the photos each week last year, and proof of that is that it my 2010 album didn't get finished until October 2011... I like having the photo in hand before I figure out what to do with the page.

I won't have access to Internet or my printer for the next few days, and I am not sure I will be able to print photos until next Wednesday. I do worry that will set me back right at the beginning of this project, but I still look forward to it. I plan to just do more journaling those days to compensate.

So, here are the base pages, before anything is put on them. I am following along with Ali Edwards's basic design (pages separated by strips of transparency or photo pockets) and super excited how this will look at the end...!

My cover. I tried to do something more on the lines of Ali Edwards, with flocking and embossing and white on white, but the paper and paints I was using didn't let the flocking and powder set, and so finally I said to myself, no, keep it simple. And that will be my mantra this holiday season. Keep it simple. So white stickers on white paper and a splash of color - red ribbon with blue snowflake. The inside is painted cream and topped with a Christmas-y "tag".

Now for the the inside pages. Remember, there is a photo page protector thing-y or transparency (in some cases vellum) between each daily spread. The first one started with a photo pocket page, but I just put in some fun embellies, no photos here yet. I apologize for the glare. Had a hard time getting the colors and lighting just right - darn low energy lights! - and was doing this at midnight last night.

Here you can see how the vellum is just separating the first page from the pocket protector.

Page 2, two page spread:

Page three. Love this lace cardstock (it was orange on the other side, painted over it in cream and it turned out a little pinkish.)

Page four.

Page five.

Page six.

Page seven. Loved making my own overlays with bits of stickers and rub-ons...

Page eight - pockets that will be filled in that day with pics, journaling, or other odds and ends. Excited to try this this year. Found some business card holders and just cut them up. Super cheap -like 20 cents each!

Page nine.

Page ten.

Page eleven.

Page twelve.

Page thirteen.

Page fourteen.

Got a shot of the other side of page fourteen.

Page fifteen.

More pockets to fill in!

Page sixteen.

Page seventeen.

Page eighteen.

Page nineteen.

Page twenty.

Page twenty-one.

Page twenty-two.

Page twenty-three.

Page twenty-four.

Page twenty-five.

So, that's it! Can't wait to fill it up.

(As I go to hit publish, I am a little nervous. I am having major formatting issues with Blogger. It keeps putting 20-30 extra lines between paragraphs and pictures. Crossing my fingers the post shows up ok...)

Looking back at last year's post, I just realized that I had solved the lighting issue by using my scanner. Silly me!

Shoe store or closet?

2011-10-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

Shoes are so expensive here that we usually stock up when we have a trip to the States. Andrés really gets into getting the boys their shoes for the coming year, and usually goes ahead and gets shoes for other coming years, as well. Consequently, both boys have closets full of shoes in different sizes.

It works great for Agustín - if we forget to have him wear a certain shoe and he outgorws it, it goes directly to Nico. However, if we forget to have Nico wear his... well, then it goes to a co-worker whose son is a couple of years younger than Nico. Recently we had to give her two pairs of shoes - never been worn - from Old Navy and The Children's Place, which were so so cute but just didn't fit anymore.

Gushing over our new faucet

2011-10-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

We finally got our faucet fixed. As I thought, we couldn't find the same piece, and there was nothing in white anywhere in the city. According to the plumber, ours was Spanish and the Euro has gone up, so they've stopped importing the white ones. This winter we'll be faucet shopping in the U.S., that's for sure.

It turns out the old faucet was ceramic and very good quality. The plumber almost cried, having to change it. He got all misty-eyed and basically said, "They don't make them like this anymore..." Who would have thought?

On a more positive note, we are enjoying the new faucet. Since it isn't "green", it isn't one of those water saving devices, so water actually comes out of it.

Slipper time!

2011-10-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

Nico found some slippers in his closet that used to be Agustín's. They fit him and so we went ahead and put them on and started walking around the house. They don't have names yet (that I know of), but they have already been introduced to Sprinkles.

They've also been pet a lot, just like a real dog.

Agustín, of course, was upset that all of his slippers are too small (note to self: this Christmas in Minnesota, be sure to get the kids slippers), so we took out Daddy's! They are a bit too big but he doesn't mind. I actually think these had to have been Amy's at some point, and she was probably going to throw them away and Andrés saved them. So, just in case, Agustín says, "Thanks, Aunt Amy!!!"

A small slice of our afternoon

2011-10-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Playing with Bakugans tonight after school. Just a lazy afternoon at home, dragging out toys we haven't seen in a while. Notice how Duckie is never very far behind.

New words for Halloween

2011-10-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Not living in the U.S. means that sometimes my kids are a little restricted in terms of their vocabulary. That, or they get very influenced by mine. I decorated for Halloween a couple of weeks ago, and now whenever the kids go downstairs and see the decoration, I hear:

"This house is so spooky!"

"Spooky stuff!"

"Mommy, this is spooking me..."

And the funniest one yet. Agustín went downstairs for something and came running back up like a bat out of hell, yelling, "This house is seriously freaking me out!"

2011-10-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

Today was a bit warmer, so there was more pool in the morning, before we had to leave for Quito (the ride back generally takes a good 5 hours, and the last part is in the windy hairpin-turn roads of the high Andes, so we like to try to get back before it gets dark, around 6:30-ish). The pool water was quite cold, however, since the sun didn't come out and heat it up yesterday, but if you think the kids cared, or even noticed, you're wrong!

I got some crochet out and worked on some projects I have going at the moment.

(Do you see the use I am getting out of my thirty-one sachel-bag? Yay! I love it!)

Ahhh, what a life. I could honestly live here.

Pool...Ocean...? Pool wins!

2011-10-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

The whole way to the beach yesterday, Agustin said, "I don't want to go to the ocean. It's boring. Let's stay in the pool."

I guess I have no problem with that. The pool really is amazing! And we basically had it to ourselves this weekend. And we don't get all sandy, are close to the bathroom, close to the house for Diet Coke and beer refills. But personally, I love the ocean, and we decided that before it got dark tonight, we needed to get down there and check it out (it nevers changes, I guess, but how can we go to the beach and not see...the beach!?)

The tide was high, the water cold (it was not as hot as it normally is, although beautiful weather, nonetheless), and Agustin hurt his foot, which made the two-block walk back to the cabin a bit of a ... trial.

But we came, we saw, we walked (for five minutes). So I got my beach fix, I guess.

No worries. We'll be back in about three weeks, for finados.

(Mmmm, just thinking about colada morada. Yum!)

Over the mountains...

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Over the mountains and through the cloud forest, to the beach we go.

The car knows the way to carry us through the fog and winding roads, oh!

I love this time of year. Although summer is my absolute favorite (love. the. heat), the end of the year is so exciting, with all the holidays (Halloween, Thanskgiving, Christmas, New Years, Agustin's birthday, fiestas de Quito, Finados...).

I always loved that song about going to grandma's house with the horse pulling the whole family through the snow (reminded me of Laura Ingalls Wilder, who I secretly always wanted to live like, at least for a few days, lol). But being able to enjoy the beach and the heat and the pool and the ocean in October is wonderful, too. I guess driving through the cloud forests and winding around the warm tropical roads, barely missing the poor iguanas who are just trying to cross the highway, is better than taking a horse through the snow to grandma's house...

The mochila

2011-10-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

The boys have a special mochila they use to store all their Lego Hero Factory heroes. (2.0! 3.0! four point oh!!!!) We bring it everywhere we go, basically...to restaurants, to Grandma's house, in the car for car rides.

As Agus says, "Mommy, we need to have something to do!"

The Homework Blues...Not!

2011-10-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

I know I complain a lot about the amount of homework Agustin gets. Last year wasn't bad at all, but otherwise so far in his school career he has gotten all the teachers who think giving hours of homework is the solution to everything (mainly I believe it is just poor organization - not getting through your curriculum because you probably didn't plan class, but I digress). (And to be fair to some of his teachers, many times it is the parents who complain that "not enough" homework is being given out. What I have come to realize is that since most parents work such long hours, the homework keeps the kids busy and in the house and out of trouble for the entire afternoon, and the parents don't have to worry so much about them. Maybe more homework should be given in the U.S. as well...)

Anyhow, this year Agustin has had about 2-3 hours of homework almost every night (one nice thing about his school is that homework is not given on Fridays - that is, as Agustin keeps reminding us, until seventh grade, lol). Almost every day he gets Math and English (easy peasy - or as Agustin says, "tillos!") , and then maybe Spanish or Social Studies or Science. Some nights he gets reading homework and book reports (which I will not complain about because I am so happy to finally see some reading getting into the curriculum here - and the book reports are just what the teachers should be doing - more like how you can relate the story to your life and what parts of the story you liked best rather than a "test" to see if you read the story or not).

Every night he comes home and we sit down to hours of work... but he is so happy. He loves his homework. He thinks it is fun, and exciting, and there is always some aspect he gets a kick out of (like, "I get to draw a picture!" or, "I have to put this in the right notebook in red ink", etc). That is really something I love about him - he has such a sunny disposition, most of the time, and can find entertainment in anything (I will always remember how at a restaurant he'd take the napkins and fashion them into ships or planes and have "crashing" and "exploding" sessions - anyone who has gone out to eat with us knows what this can be like).

One of his assignments this year is to create a diarama of the solar system. Oh boy, has he been excited about this. We have two weeks to get it done, and so have been taking it slowly. Tonight was painting night, and even Nicolas got in on the action. After everything dries, we will just have to put it together. His favorite planet is Mars now (he is getting over the Pluto disappointment, I think), but I think his favorite part of putting it together will be putting in the asteroid belt.

They really loved figuring out what colors each planet should be. We must have had about 3-4 books open to help us get the right color for each one!

The school routine (at least this week)

2011-10-11T05:36:00.000-07:00

This week I am off and so I am in charge of dropping the kids off at school and picking them up again. The drop off takes about an hour - traffic is horrendous! And pick up really isn't that much better, just that it is warmer by then (the mornings have been SO cold) so I am happier. I like to get in the car, which is roasting, and not open the windows or anything, just sweat through it and let the sun beat on me and have my own little private sauna session, until the kids get inside and absolutely melt, crying and whining the whole time that they are going to die because it is so hot.

Well, they really aren't exagerrating. It is HOT!

When I pick them up from school, I have to have a juice box for them (or they melt and absolutely die since they are so thirsty), and then it is off to Grandma Shushu's, where we have a lovely lunch waiting for us. Then off to do some homework. Now Shushu lives just a block away! It is so nice knowing that she is so close. I'm not sure she necessarily likes living "out in the boonies" (or in the south of Cayambe, as my brother-in-law says), but I think she likes being near the kids at least. :)

Strawberry jam

2011-10-10T05:32:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, a friend of ours gave us a whole bunch of strawberries and Andres ended up making strawberry preserves. It was such a hit, especially with Agustin, who kept asking us when he was going to make more. So, finally this weekend, we went out on the highway to kind some big crates of strawberries. Up near El Quinche we hit the jackpot - got a huge crate for just $6! And now we have about 4 jars of preserves. Yum!

Running again

2011-10-09T05:01:00.000-07:00

Today I ran, for the first time since our 5K in August. I didn't go for very far, but it felt so good (until later that night). My knees are a bit sore but now that I got the maiden voyage, so to speak, out of the way, I expect I will be able to find more motivation to start running again. Who knows? There may be another 5K in my future, a 5K through the mountains of Quito!

Traffic Jam

2011-10-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday I was talking about traffic in Quito, and here is proof! Came upstairs to see what the kids were working on and, not content enough to experience this in real life every day, saw that they had recreated a traffic jam. Caused, of course, by the accident there in the front. But, no fear! The cops have arrived and traffic will be flowing shortly!

A week finished

2011-10-07T05:02:00.000-07:00

A week ago today we finished our teacher training course. Which means I have had vacation all week (other than getting grades in) and don't start work again until the 17th or so! Yay!

This week I will be honest, I haven't gotten much done. I love to just lounge around and do a few things at a time, while I read on my iPod. But next week I will get cracking! First on the agenda is to start exercising more regularly, and second is to get last year's December daily finished. I might have some time to go through the kids' closets. But at least get the very minimum done. I do still have to drop them off at school and pick them up, and with the traffic nowadays, that is really no easy feat.

Being Ecuadorian

2011-10-06T04:59:00.000-07:00

One of the things I have always wanted to do since I moved to Ecuador was "blend in". Being "blond" (in the eyes of most Ecuadorians, although I would never consider myself so), it isn't always easy, and when I go out for a run or walk there is always someone who has to stare at me as if I am an exotic animal at the zoo. Always makes me uncomfortable.

But one way I try to counter this is to always know more about Ecuador than the very own Ecuadorians do. Know more about their geography, history, food and culture. It helps that my mother-in-law is a great cook and Andrés's family loves to travel. I get to experience a lot of dishes that are not always so easy to find here in the big city, and I have seen a lot of small towns and out-of-the-way places.

And I have learned how to make many traditional dishes, those dishes that only Grandma knows how to make. One is bala de verde (bolón is the much more popular version, but bala is from Esmeraldas, where Andrés's father's family has roots). To make bala is quite easy - put the plantain in the pressure cooker, and cook until soft. Then mash it up with a big rock and add cheese, then eat as is or, more typically, fry it up. (Bolón is different in that the cheese is put in the middle of the plantain, like a hot pocket. I prefer bala, with the cheese mixed throughout.)

I can be proud of the fact that I, unlike many other Ecuadorians of my age or younger, can make things like dulce de zambo, sopa de pan, bola de verde, empanadas de mejido. I love the fact that Andrés and I can go to the market and ask for the zambo, and when the lady at the stall asks what we need it for, we can tell her "to make dulce de zambo". And she looks at us, very skeptically, and asks, one eyebrow raised, "Do you really know how to make that?"

The answer is, yes, yes we do!

Lego Hero Factory...We Build Heroes

2011-10-05T04:58:00.000-07:00

Auntie Jennie bought each of the kids a Lego Hero Factory Hero this summer, and started what is now a full-blown craze. We have read the magazines, visited the web sites, and seen the movies (wherein Nico realized that his green guy, Breez, is a girl. Resigned to his fate, he sighed and said, "That always happens to me." And, poor guy, for some reason, it does. But he loves her now, and every so often pretends she is a boy.)

We got more heroes, some of which are 2.0 (3.0 is coming out this fall, I've heard), and now it is a mix and match frenzy around here. The kids love taking them all apart and putting them back together into new hero creations.

The only thing they say they are missing are the "bad guys". :)

Candy break

2011-10-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

At this rate I will never shed those extra pounds that I packed on this summer. We opened up a box of Mike and Ikes and Mommy was more excited than the kids to dig in!

Notice our new Ikea bedspread? It was about time. But white? Again, what were we thinking!!!???

Just when you get a little vacation time...

2011-10-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

the kitchen faucet explodes. (Gross, I know I need to scrub that sink, sorry!) Anyhow, Andres was doing the dishes tonight when suddenly the arm of the faucet decided to make like a rocket and just flew right off of the arm. Apparently plastic fixtures inside a faucet are not such a good idea - this is the second time we have trouble with this sink, mainly because our pipes are copper and so the water stays way too hot on the first floor (and never quite hot enough on the second and third floors) and the fixtures within actually end up melting down over time.

Ugh. I know what tomorrow will be - searching for a white faucet that matches (which I am sure we will never find) as well as looking for a plumber who might be able to come over and install it.

Until then, we will have to be real careful on the amount of dishes we dirty :(

Back to the old grind

2011-10-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, the summer's over, school has started and we are finally getting into a routine (looks like another homework-heavy year, about 2-3 hours a night for my poor Agustin, although he is taking it like a trooper and always comments on how fun his homework is), the teaching course has finished and some of my other obligations are over with, and this next week will be time to stay at home and:

decorate
clean
clean
organize and sort
and clean.

My poor house has been very neglected lately.

Needless to say, my basil and dill did NOT survive our extended vacation, so another project is to go ahead and start new plants.

Because I am so far "behind", and my sisters have written about all the good stuff already on their blogs, I will just bless you with a mini collage of some of our best moments this summer...

State fair moments - always a highlight!

Hanging out with my SUPER smart, SUPER cute, amazingly funny and quirky little nieces!

Trips to the Home Depot to do minor fixups on the new houses!

And one of the houses!

Junior Science Camp at Mommy's old school.

Spending time with my four beautiful and fantastic sisters!

Catching up with dear friends.

Playing a game of marbles up at the lake!

A visit to the Saint Paul Cathedral.

Finishing a 5k, beating my old record of never having run one before. I ran the whole way and made it under 45 minutes!

A couple side trips. To:

Mora... such a quaint, picturesque little town! Andres liked all the Scandinavian touches.

and to Hinckley... (the kids LOVE to stay in hotels - really, I guess, what kid doesn't?)

A behind-the-scenes look at the Grandpa Dan Show!

Como Zoo

The Pine County Fair and Parade! Oh, the candy!

Some moments with everyone's favorite grandpa, the one and only Grandpa Dan!!!

A pre-wedding popcorn party...

Swimming and lunch at Hannah and Hailey's.

Lots and lots of trips to the library!

A little time with the Miller/Mars side of the family.

A great dinner, just Andres and the "girls" :)

The toys up at the cabin!

Tractor rides

Lots of time spent with our beloved Legos.

A visit to Chuck E. Cheese's.

Pontoon rides (even getting stuck out on the lake was a bit of an adventure!)

And, back home, the clean up afterwards!

Whew! What a great, awesome, amazing summer!!!!!!

Needed: Plant Babysitter

2011-07-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

Who will take care of you, my little basil and dill plants? Who will check to make sure that you get enough sun, enough water? Who will check to make sure the birds and bugs aren't bothering you or picking at you? Who will take you in out of the hail and the tsunami-like rains? I want to taste you so badly, but fear you won't make it through the summer all alone... :(

Fingers crossed!

A little sun

2011-07-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

We got a little sun this afternoon, so everyone ran out into the garden to soak it up.

It lasted about 5 minutes. Oh well.

Saturday Ribs

2011-07-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find ribs here, even though they eat so much pork. So when Andres saw them in the supermarket, he grabbed them up in a flash. We had a great meal this afternoon, sticky sweet bbq ribs and baked potatoes and corn. Even the kids ate them!

Family Game Night

2011-07-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite childhood memories growing up was family game night. As I recall, and because our childhood minds gauge time differently from our adult minds I could be completely wrong about some of the details, every Friday night we would have a family game night. This was before "the girls", when it was just me and Amy and the rents, and dad had a collection of board games that to this day makes me jealous. I remember Dad reading the rules, explaining them, and always doing a "practice round" (very teacher-like of him!). Then we would play, and boy did I love playing those games! I remember the Las Vegas Nights casino game, horse race game, Uno and Skip-bo (sometimes we'd play these at Grandma's instead) and who knows what else! It was always a surprise. To this day I think that a lot of my "school smarts" came from learning and playing those games. I think people, especially children, acquire a lot of cognitive flexibility from board games and card games, learning things like logic and statistics and cause and effect in a natural, fun way. So, yes, I think that board games can make you smarter!

I have decided to try something similar with the kids. We don't manage to do it every Friday night, but I want to try to play as many games with them this summer as I can so that their brains remain supple and ready to learn, and the beginning of the school year isn't so painful!

One of our favorite games is Multiplication Bingo. We make Bingo boards with multiplication products and then use flashcards to call the numbers. Agustin just sees the equation, and no one can mark a number until he gives us the right answer. It is a complete blast, and he gets good practice with his multiplication tables as well.

Next year we'll be doing addition and subtraction bingo with Nico!

Up with a fish!

2011-07-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

The kids made me buy this app, since we got The Cat in the Hat. They will spend hours (well, minutes, because it goes through the iPod battery pretty fast), playing this game. I played the other day and it was fun. Especially with the kids next to me, screaming as Thing 1 and Thing 2 came crashing down to destroy my carefully balanced fishbowls!

Problem is, I get a little hungry when that cake comes down.

Physical trips and etrips: which is better?

2011-07-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

Some of the books I have on my iPod which need to be read. I have gone overboard a little, as I normally do at the library, and I think I have a few too many on my plate, especially considering that in less than a week we will be in MN, and I won't have time to read for all the visiting I'll be doing!

Even so, sometimes I just sit and stare at my ebooks. A world waiting to happen :) But I do miss having a real book to touch and hold. One of the biggest drawbacks to an ebook is not being able to page through it before you check it out, not being able to see how long it is (sometimes you get a book and realize that you're not willing to trudge through 900 pages!). It's also very VERY uncomfortable to browse, and often books that "aren't" on the shelf if you browse, are if you do a search. But it makes it hard if you're not really searching for something specific.

A physical trip to the library will still be one of the first things I do when I get home, but it just won't have the same magical pull as it normally does...

Back to Legos

2011-07-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Didn't I tell you? Every day the kids are pumped to get home and make something new that they thought about while at Grandma's house. Today it was this: a transformer robot (Agustin) and a big monster truck thingy (Nico's). (I'm sorry, Nico, that I couldn't work out anything more specific, but if I dare ask what it is you made, you get a little in my face and look at me like "Can't you tell!?")

Reminds me of the comment Hannah sent us a few days ago. I am still giggling over that one!!!!

Big as ... Grandma!

2011-07-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend when we went to the hotel buffet, as we were leaving Agustin went on ahead with his grandma. Suddenly I saw my "big" boy - it can be hard seeing changes in them as they grow up, since they do it before your eyes, and they will always be your baby - but today I looked up and saw this!

Agustin looked so grown up and big, and thinking of it, he will be eight in a few months! Soon he will be as big as Grandma!

Make it more Paredes-Miller kid-friendly :)

2011-07-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Bati's birthday at Hotel Colon. They have a Sunday lunch buffet that is very good. Of course, it isn't kid-friendly. Or, as Andres would say, Ecuadorian-kid friendly (every other kid had no problem eating Brie cheese with scallops and heart of palm ceviche), but not Paredes-Miller kid-friendly. Sure enough, Agustin ate a bit of sausage and meat, some cheese cubes, dinner rolls and plantain chips, and a few brownies and scoops of ice cream. Nico didn't get quite so nutritious. He tried the chicken ("Yummy, Mommy...but I'm not really hungry), had some popcorn and a scoop of ice cream and a small dinner roll.

It's so nice to go, but you feel bad spending $25 on a small plate of popcorn and mini dinner rolls.

I think the picture is funny. Nico looks like he was really enjoying himself, but he couldn't even really get into the ice cream. That's how bad his eating habits have become.

I really wonder - what would it cost them to throw a few "regular" hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill (no parsely or herb-stuffed stuff), french fries and something else the kids might like, like chicken nuggets. I wonder how many more families would bring their kids if they did.

Of course, as I said, every other kid there was eating pepper-laced asparagus and Ceasar salad with sauteed mushrooms and pineapple-glazed ham, so who knows?

Make something cool!

2011-07-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Since school has gotten out, this has become a common sight at our house. All three boys, sitting on the floor, making something "cool" with their Legos. Nico is starting to get better at it, too, with a lot of help from big brother, and now he will also sit for minutes (maybe not hours like Tin) working on some special project.

It's funny to see, because Agustin has always been so good at looking at the directions and following them to a "T" in order to make whatever the project is about. Nico still isn't very good at it. He'll skip a step, or try to work from memory, or just not be able to figure out where a piece goes. Funny how two brothers can have such different visual-spacial skills.

I Love Pluto

2011-07-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight, before bed. "Mommy, I love Pluto."

"Oh, really? Well, then I do, too."

"Mommy, it's not nice that they won't let Pluto be a planet anymore. But for me, Pluto will always be a planet. I love Pluto."

The Days of the Helmet

2011-07-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

It's a sign of the times. I grew up in the seventies and early eighties, where safety issues revolved around keeping your windows closed at night in the summer so no one could sneak into your room and rape you in the middle of the night. (My bedroom was on the second floor, but apparently rapists will even climb trees to get at you.)

Flash forward 30 years (ouch! that hurts!) and you can see how the idea of "safety" has changed. As I've written about in a previous post, The Monster at the End of this Book is one of our favorite bedtime stories around here, and recently we bought the app. The other day, the kids were talking about how "now" Grover has a helmet, but in the real book he didn't. I went back and checked it out, and sure enough! That is a major difference from the book and the book app.
Funny the kids would notice it. It flew over my head entirely.

Curbing my sweet tooth

2011-07-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight Amy called me and we had a long, lovely chat. She inspires me so much. I will be forever grateful to her! After we talked I decided to put together some 2-point brownies. I wrapped them all up into small portion-controlled bars and these will be great for a little snack or chocolate craving during the day. They are not very good, which means they curb my craving for something sweet real fast!

Sharks and Bears

2011-07-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

Q: What do sharks and bears have in common?

A: They will both show up in our bedtime routine tonight!

Our bedtime routine consists of a book each kid chooses. We read them together. Tonight it will be all about sharks and a Berenstain Bears book.

We get real upset if, for whatever reason, this routine gets messed up.

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

We don't always get to celebrate the fourth in style, but this year, even though it landed on a workday, I decided we could try to put something together real quick. So we sat down to grilled hot dogs, potato salad, light beer and caramel corn. I went for my run (started c25k today), and when I got back, Andrés, who wasn't feeling very good, asked me to go to the corner store and pick up some hot dog buns. Well, one hour later I finally found a "corner" store that had hot dog buns. Rushed back and we had to put together the rest of the meal in a huge hurry, because the coals were burning out...

After dinner we went outside with the kids and did sparklers.

No playing ball in the house!

2011-07-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Isn't this what every mother says, and something you hear your whole life? For some reason, my mother-in-law doesn't seem to mind if the kids play soccer or play with balls in the house, and they have brought that bad habit into mine! Of course, you never know they are playing ball until something crashes, or you just happen to walk in on them, caught in the middle of the act!

Oops! Better have a good excuse, boys...

Microteaching

2011-07-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of my class for the Master's of Education Degree. The course was called "Aprendizaje Colaborativo" (Collaborative Learning) and there were 15 students this time. The last day is usually when the students put together all the things we have been doing with collaborative learning and finally design a 45-minute class with collaborative learning as the central learning technique. So, most of the day was watching the students teach. It is really fun to see how they put together all the things they've been talking about, but can be frustrating too when things don't quite go as planned.

Here the students were involved in a marketing class. They had 20 minutes to make tuna sandwiches and sell them outside of our classroom, and then use that experience to discuss the strategies they used and ultimately to understand some of the major concepts that should go into a marketing plan. This was definitely the highlight of the day, and a nice change of pace when you are in class on a Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The (lack of) altitude and noise from all the microteaching classes got to me a bit by mid-afternoon, and I ended up going into the airport with quite a headache. I was there early, and had to watch all the other flights going out to Quito, wishing I was on each one! In the end I had to wait for my own, the last of the night, but oh how it stinks to be in the airport early and watch another flight leaving for your same destination!

When I got into Quito the boys were there to pick me up. As I got into the car, Kas asked me, very politely, "Mommy, how did it go?"

What a sweetie!

Last Day of School 2011

2011-07-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

It finally arrived. It seemed like it never would. But finally...FINALLY!...the kids are out of school and we won't have to run around at night doing homework or looking for supplies to complete homework assignments... Sigh. Sweet relief! Summer SO makes me feel like a kid.

Yesterday the kids didn't have school (Kas is already out), but Tin had to go back today for the final graduation ceremony and year closing. I had class until 9, so I missed the actual ceremony, but there was a little party in the classroom afterwards, with cake and pizza (Agustin had been looking forward to the pizza ALL week, then got a slice of mushroom pizza and was NOT happy).

In the early afternoon I was off for my last weekend in Guayaquil, at Universidad Casa Grande. Because they waited so long to get my tickets and couldn't find a flight, I ended up getting in much earlier than needed, but I used the time to just hang out a bit on the campus and have a cold drink while reading an ebook. :)

Graduation Day 2011

2011-06-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well, school is finally getting out here in the Southern hemisphere Andes. One thing I've noticed is that since many students go to private schools, and parents pay tuition on a monthly basis, parents want to "get their money's worth", so school never finishes in the middle of the month, like most places. Nope, the schools want to charge the parents for June as well, so the poor kids have to suffer through 10 months of classes and get only 2 months of summer vacation.

Nico graduated from pre-school today. Next year he'll be going to Paulo Freire with his big brother. We will miss Freedom, but not the homework. I feel like I'M going on vacation! Woohoo - no more homework!!!!

I guess it's fun for kids to have a little graduation ceremony, but sometimes I wonder - seriously? Now there is a ceremony for every grade. Agustin's is on Friday. Graduating from 2nd grade. Hmmmm. One more obligation for the parents, as well (and another day we have to ask for permission from work...)

OK, I'll stop complaining now, just because my kids look so cute posing with their diplomas...

The Mess

2011-06-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

School's winding down, and that means that every day there is a pile of books, notebooks, used pencils and markers and glue and tape and paints and construction paper and foam and glitter and... piles of it all coming home in the kids' backpacks. I can't keep up with it. It is accumulating everywhere. It is taking over the house. It's like the Blob.

I need a way to dispose of it all without the kids' seeing. Otherwise, they cry and pick it out of the trash!

The Stash

2011-06-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

He found it!

Daddy's (not-so-secret) stash of chocolate.

And, he found it right before bedtime.

Can you say, hyper?

Bedtime favorites

2011-06-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

The kids have picked up some bedtime favorites over the past few weeks. Agustin took to reading "Marvin K. Mooney, Will you Please Go Now?" a few weeks ago and got such a kick out of being able to read in English that he has decided to read it every night. Just the other night he said, proudly, "I almost have it memorized." Nico, when he hears that Tin is about to read it, whines, "I HATE Marvin K. Mooney!!"

Nico, not to be outdone, has decided that if Tin is going to insist on reading Marvin every night, then he will read something. Of course, he is just beginning in Spanish, so he chose a picture book that we got somewhere (for free, and you can tell), but he enjoys reading the words out of it (I suspect he reads the pictures but, oh well).

Lastly we have the classic The Monster at the End of this Book. Now, even I enjoy this one! Who wouldn't? And we bought the iPod app and it is so funny. The kids take turns, one reading along with Grover on the app, while the other follows along in the book, and then they switch.

The only problem? It makes for a long bedtime ritual. Some nights we have to get started by 7:30 just to be ready for bed at 8:30!

Practice Makes Perfect

2011-06-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

The kids have a birthday party tomorrow. I caught Agustin walking around the house with an egg on a spoon, a few minutes before bed.
Me: "Whatcha doin'?"
Agus: "Practicing. Nico! You should practice, too! For the birthday party tomorrow."

So here they were, practicing a typical party game, with hopes to win a prize.

They also practiced their dancing, in case there is a dance contest.

ETA: They didn't win. But Agustin said he came in second place in the dance contest.

A brief look at our month

2011-06-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

I feel bad that I haven't been keeping up on the blog, but then again, for it to be fun to read, it has to be fun to do. More than anything, I have been terrible about taking pictures. I have also been teaching a course in Guayaquil for a Master's program, in Spanish, and aside from hours and hours of prep, the actual stress of having to travel there every other weekend for three weekends in total has really taken its toll. Also, need I remind you, my Overdrive Media Console has forced me into reclusion. Soon, I expect that the novelty will begin to wear off, but until then, happy reading! :)

So, what have we got this month?

A beautiful, relaxing, warm trip to the beach house, where the kids played in the pool nonstop and we only saw the actual ocean for about one hour on Saturday.

Awesome weather, blue skies and no rain, and terrific food - the highlight being grilled prawns at $10 for about 5! YUM! Andres's great aunt went, as well, so we had a full house!

More pool pictures. (There are a lot more. Sorry, but since that is all we seem to do at the beach, the all look the same!)

Our home away from home. Too bad it takes five hours to get there. If only it were a two-hour trip!

Right after we got back from the beach, we started a bit of stress. Andres' mom went back into the hospital for pneumonia (and her stay lasted about 2 weeks again - but she is doing much better at the moment), I started prepping for a new English class I was informed about just a day before we started the cycle (on my birthday, no less!) and then I started the stress of preparing class for, and traveling to, Guayaquil. Well, only one more weekend of that (July 1-2) and I'll be done, and my students are awesome and, though my Spanish is a train wreck, it has been SO MUCH EASIER teaching it (Collaborative Learning) the second time around. The biggest source of stress has been trying to find resources and materials in Spanish, so some translating has been needed as well...

Also during this month I (well, Andres too) have attempted to start up running (jogging) again. We have taken the kids to the park a few times, and Daddy plays soccer with them while I walk/jog. They love it, and we get exercise. A win-win. But it always depends on the weather. Since we usually get home around 5 pm, that is usually when the cold mountain wind starts to descend on the city, so we usually don't bother. We have all been with the sniffles for a few weeks, and that icy cold thin mountain air does NOT help!

Plus, Nico usually peters out on us and then someone has to carry him back from the park. Of course, he doesn't mind!

Also, a friend of ours, the one who gave us the big crates of fruit a couple of weeks ago, sent us a huge crate of the most delicious strawberries I have ever had. If you got anywhere near this, it smelled like Strawberry Shortcake's hair. Pure heaven! Of course we couldn't get through them all. We ate about a fourth of them (you can't see it in the picture, but there is another layer under that top layer), froze another fourth, and with about half of them Andres made homemade strawberry preserves. Wow! It turned out so so so good!

It felt like strawberry heaven!

So, that is basically what we've been up to this month! I hope to get better about posting this upcoming month!

Silly pictures

2011-06-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Be careful. Be very careful.

If you allow the kids to go on Photobooth before bedtime, it will be very hard to get them to go to bed. They LOVE this program. They will snap picture after picture, using every possible effect, and each picture will send them into a fit of the giggles.

And afterwards, you will have hundreds, literally hundreds, of pictures to delete!

Family picture

2011-05-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

We took this quick family picture the other day for Kim and Kristin's birthday. It was just meant as a quick hi from our family, but now I am realizing that we don't do this enough. There are very few pictures of the four of us, as a family. Normally I wouldn't care or notice much, but last week we went in to our embassy appointment to renew Nico's passport and one of the things they ask for is "proof" that the kids is yours. This usually means pictures over the last five years that depict kid with parents. We had lots of pictures of Mom with Nico, Brother with Nico, and Dad with Nico, but only 3-4 (in the last five years!!!!) of Mom AND Dad with Nico. And those were the pictures she wanted. Luckily, we didn't have any problem at all renewing his passport (he's gonna need it soon!), so no biggie, but one of my goals this year will be to get more family pictures. You never know when you might actually need them!!!!

Eating healthy

2011-05-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

It isn't easy trying to create a dinner that is easy, fast, and healthy, especially when your kids won't touch a vegetable and almost won't even touch a piece of fruit. Daddy got the great idea the other night of making little "tablitas" of cheese and ham for the kids, and they loved it! Of course, no veggies or fruits - these two live off of meat, potatoes/rice and cheese - but it was so popular it has been requested a couple of times since!

Sunday is Empanada Day!

2011-05-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

We invited Andres's aunt (greataunt) over for lunch today. We have been meaning to do this for a long time - and more often. She has a lot of dishes and recipes that everyone is interested in, so we decided to make pineapple cheese (just a gelatin dish, but called so because it cuts like cheese - please don't throw up in your mouth a little, Amy :) ) and sweet cheese empanadas (de mejido). The kids had to get in on the fun, as well. Andres had the great idea of using the pasta machine to roll the dough.

Unfortunately, they looked better than they tasted. His aunt forgot to tell us to put margarine in the dough, so they were very rubbery and chewy on the outside. I wrote down the recipe and steps, however, and added the margarine in, so hopefully next time we make them they'll turn out a lot better!

Becoming Best Friends

2011-05-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

These last three days the kids have been getting along so well together, it's incredible. They never really fight, but all too often Agus wants to do his own thing and Nico just stares at him, whining "Agus, why don't you play with me?" Today, we didn't see the kids even once! (Except for lunch and dinner). They were so busy playing pirates and looking for treasure, they had no idea we were around. It was so fun to just sit and listen to their imaginations at work, and not have to try to find something for Nico to do while Agus played on his own.

Mini container garden

2011-05-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

In Orlando I found some seed packets for basil and dill and decided that those were two herbs that I wanted to try growing myself. Basil because we use it often (or would if it would keep in the fridge - but it never lasts more than a day) and dill because it is impossible to find here (although last weekend I found it at the supermarket. Go figure - as soon as I start growing it, after sixteen years of never being able to find it, so does someone else. Oh well, fresh grown will be better anyway!). The dill is growing very fast, but the basil just sits there. I think it said that it takes about 6 weeks. Hmmmm.... worth it?

Next I want to grow green onions and chives! And cherry tomatoes. And zucchini. I am going to need a LOT more space!

Two Bugs in a Rug

2011-05-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

Another restless night - but this time they both got involved. I love the fact that they want to sleep together in the same bed, even though said bed is not really big enough for two growing boys anymore. Usually it is Agustin who sleeps on top of his brother, but tonight, I don't know what came over Nico, but he came out of his normal sleeping stance of vampire with crossed arms over his chest and actually hugged his brother all night. Agustin woke up and said that he slept so well because his brother hugged him all night.

Is it a little stalker-ish that we go in to stare at them while they sleep? We just can't get enough of the kids, I admit. You can't wait to put them down for the night and then all you think about is how quiet and lonely the house seems while they're sleeping.

Eating our fruit

2011-05-18T05:14:00.000-07:00

We made taxo ice cream with all the taxo we had. It is one of the only ways we can get Agustin to eat fruits. Ice cream.

I'm sure the doctor wouldn't agree on this strategy.

The Mummy

2011-05-17T05:16:00.000-07:00

Agustin, aka the Wiggler, the Wiggle Worm, Mr. Ants-in-his-Pants. This kid can NOT stay still as he sleeps. Poor Nico, who sleeps like a rock and doesn't move an inch during the night, has to put up with this kid's nonstop movements. Tonight, Agustin was whining in his sleep, so Andres went to go check on him. This is what he found. He unwrapped him and put the covers straight, but in the morning he was all wrapped up again like a mummy! And Nico with NO covers!

Reduced-space soccer

2011-05-16T05:12:00.000-07:00

The house in El Prado is (slowly) coming along. Basically, all that we need now is furniture. We spent Sunday there having fish and chips and a cake (a little celebration for Bati's being accepted into his Delta Program) and the kids and Daddy spend the day outside playing soccer. The ball went over the fence various times, until they finally had to give up on the game because the neighbors got tired of sending the ball back over.

I really wish there were more parks (for kids) around the neighborhood. The park behind us is beautiful (although built on a hill - not so great for a soccer game) but so full of broken beer bottles that I am afraid to send the kids over there to play. Oh, and dog poop. And other gross stuff we won't even mention. Maybe someday the city will clean that park up, but until they get rid of the midnight drinkers, the broken glass is here to stay.

Off to England (again)

2011-05-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

Bati received good news this Friday. He had an interview with the Delta program he was applying for in England, and he was accepted! This is a very prestigious certification program for English language teachers, and very few people in Ecuador carry this certification (perhaps very few, even, around the world). That I know of, there are probably only about 4-5 people in the country at the moment with this certification - and he will be one of them!

He leaves in September. The kids will miss him so much, but I know he is really excited.

Congratulations, Bati!

Lazy Saturday

2011-05-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

I've got a couple of big weekends here coming up (I will be teaching in Guayaquil in a few weeks and that will be keeping me busy for about a whole month), so a really lazy Saturday is right up my alley today. We just laid around, reading, playing, doing arts and crafts, going for walks, a little TV. Blissful!

2011-05-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

Andres did a favor for one of our co-workers, and to say thank you she brought us a crate of goodies from her own garden. We've been working on it all week, and even had to give some away. She probably gave us like 30 or 40 huge lemons (soooo sweet and yummy - they make the best lemonade), 40-50 taxos (I think these are called champagne papayas or something - I'll have to look it up) - we made some ice cream and delicious taxo yogurts with them, and about 15 avocados - the avocados all got ripe on the same day - so we are up to our ears in guacamole!!!!

You can see we also received the Miller News today. That will be going on a scrapbook page later this week...

Garlic Shrimp...Yum!

2011-05-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Had some garlic shrimp today at a really nice restaurant. It is probably my very favorite dish, ever! It was hot, spicy, creamy and garlicky. I wish I knew how to make this at home!!!

What's my excuse...?

2011-05-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

OK, so I haven't been very good this year about blogging. And normally I wouldn't care, but... last year, finding something to blog about every day was so rewarding, and I captured a lot of those little moments of the kids growing up, the cute things they'd say, etc., and this year I'd be hard pressed to even recall one really cute, funny thing they've done/said. (And it isn't that they haven't been saying cute things, of course.)

So, what's my excuse?

First excuse: lazy!

Well, the first couple of months of the year, I really had no excuse at all. I was just being lazy. I wasn't even working fuill time! I just didn't feel like getting on the computer at night. And, for some reason, I absolutely HATE loading pictures onto the computer, so it's usually Andres who does it. So pictures wouldn't get loaded quickly, the time would pass, and the laziness would just grow.

Second excuse: where's the camera?

Our camera was MIA for about the last two weeks or so. I knew it had to be in the house, but where? NO idea.

We finally found it, two days ago, under a pile of laundry. Yes, I had a pile of laundry in a laundry basket that didn't get put away completely for at least two weeks.

Oh, the shame.

Third excuse: Heroin

Actually, not heroin, but I feel like a heroin addict must. Because look what I just found!

OK, you probably can't see that - but it is the screen shot of the online library in Saint Paul. Ramsey County also has the same. So does Hennepin County. I registered my library card online with Hennnepin County and voila! I can check out books and download them to my iPod!!! At three different libraries!!!!!

I spend every hour of the day either reading (I have so so so so many books I have put on my to-read shelf and a lot of catching up to do!), or browsing the digital shelves. My family hasn't seen my face for the last two weeks, and my eyes feel like they will fall out one of these days, but it is like pure heaven. Some people want chocolate ice cream and cake. Me, please, just give me a book. So I think - five minutes loading pictures and updating my blog? Or five minutes reading that book I've got going (I've got like 5 going at the moment). Like an addict, I always go with the addiction.

Can you be addicted to books? Not that I care. Like a true addict, as well, I can't get better if I don't recognize the addiction, and I have no intention of doing so, but just for curiosity's sake, can you?

Oh, don't bother answering - I won't have time to read your comment, anyway, since I'll have my nose in a book.

PS - Just to give you an idea, so far this month I've read five books from my online library:

Blood, Bones and Butter (Gabrielle Hamilton)

Zeitoun (Dave Eggers)

The Girl who Fell from the Sky (Heidi Durrow)

Wicked Prey (John Sandford)

The Help (Kathyrn Stockett) - just finished this last night and it is So Good. Like a modern day Gone with the Wind. Loved it!

Playing grown up

2011-04-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I look around my house and feel like it will never be decorated the way I want it to be. It always looks cluttered, yet unfinished. I think that my kids will have memories of this house being what a "grown up" house looks like, but in my opinion, it doesn't come close to how I remember my childhood home looking. Our house on Saint Albans always seemed so cozy, a bit packed and full (five kids, after all, will take up a lot of room!). We had "enough" furniture, things on the walls, a table and chair set that wasn't broken (or about to break) and that looked sturdy and able to withstand the kids. There were things there like fireplaces and hutches and cabinets for dishes, and a dishwasher and all the rooms had overhead light fixtures. There were lamps in the living room and frames and pictures decorating the walls. And even though I hated piano lessons, there was a beautiful piano and a grandfather clock that rounded off the look and made it all seem like it belonged together.

In our house we have furniture, but everything seems put together haphazardly. (Which it is - the accumulation of things from when we first got married, piecing together things decade by decade, haha.)

Anyhow, one thing Andres has always wanted was a bar, a place for his wine collection and glasses. We are not big drinkers by any stretch of the imagination, but it is something that, to him, meant our house is becoming complete.

He found this amazing and gorgeous bar at a department store about a month ago, and went ahead and got it. The price was outrageous, but it looks so nice in our living room and has made things come together better that it is worth every penny.

I love opening it up and looking at it. It's so fun to have some "grown up" furniture!

Umm, now we need to complete our wine glass sets (they break so easily...)

My office

2011-04-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

My "office", for the moment. Nice and quiet, not too cold, all to myself. You can get a lot of work done when ou're not interrupted constantly!

STICKY!

2011-04-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

I got these cute bowls in the dollar section of Target.

A few months ago, Andres broke my only mixing bowl, promised to buy me a new one, and never got around to it.

So, of course, I saw these cuties and got them for myself on our last trip. And for only a dollar! Pinch me, please!

Unbeknowst to me, however, was the very very sticky glue that the Chinese factory that made these bowls used for the label - which was on the inside of the bowl.

I tried everything, for three weeks.

Soaking. Nope.

Scrubbing. Nope.

Nail polish remover. Nope.

Baby oil. Nope.

WD-40. Nope.

I was SO frustrated. I grabbed some powdered detergent, like Tide, and threw it in there to soak. Nope. Or, at least not until I started rubbing the detergent out. It took some major elbow grease, but the detergent stuck to the adhesive, and by rubbing and rubbing I created a little ball of sticky detergent.

Score!

Not sure these suckers were worth a dollar, though.

(Spring) Cleaning

2011-04-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

There is no spring in Ecuador. Here on the equator there are no "real" seasons. But, it must be in my blood, April rolls around and I feel like cleaning!

A couple of weeks back now, I decided that we needed to do something about Nicolas's room. We got the loft put in (still waiting for the carpenter to come and fix the upper railing) and we moved most of the toys in there, but it was always looking like a mess, and there were a lot of toys that really just needed to go. In terms of toys, I've noticed (with my boys, at least) that less is more. YET, they will not throw or give away one single thing, which means we even have teething rings lying around, in anticipation of being played with.

(In all fairness, every time I think I will throw some toy away, the very next day, or even hour, I will spot one of the kids playing with it. So, I am always a little hesitant as well. I've also had those "Mommy, where is that ______ toy?" moments. *Gulp.* I can't say "in the trash" without causing a flood of tears.)

So, a couple of weeks ago, a night the kids went to bed early, I decided to go through their things and get rid of some of these excess toys. It took me hours of separating and throwing, and I couldn't walk for a couple of days afterwards (great exercise for the back and legs!), but the next day the kids actually took out some of their toys and got real excited to play with them.

It just goes to show that a little organization can actually spark a lot of creativity.

Happy Easter 2011

2011-04-24T18:43:00.001-07:00

Easter isn't really celebrated here much in Ecuador. Yes, there is vacation, and fanesca, but there is no decorating, or talk on the TV or radio about the Easter bunny or spring sales or what-have-you, and so every year I think I am going to forget about Easter Sunday. So far, luckily, I have always remembered, sometimes at the last minute.

Yesterday we decorated eggs, so the kids reminded me before they went to bed that the next day the Easter bunny would be coming. I don't know how many more Easters we will have of our beloved bunny, but this year the bunny obviously thought that since the kids were getting older, they could handle more difficult hiding spots. It took us a good half hour to find all the eggs and the baskets.

We had a great call later in the afternoon from our family in Minnesota! I was completely surprised! I was in the middle of making suncatchers (I always remembered them as so fun and easy, but now being the adult in charge - and in charge of clean up - I realize that making those things is a bit stressful!). The suncatchers took over an hour to bake, maybe even two hours (is it the altitude? I blame everything on the altitude! Even my moods, haha) and now they are on the kids' window. I will share a picture tomorrow.

In the meantime, we had a lazy day at home. With a little inspiration from my sister, we had cola-glazed ham, delmonico potatoes, mixed veggies (frozen), pickle dip, and French silk pie. We spent the day playing games with the kids like Wii, Go Fish, Old Maid and War (remember that one, Grandpa Dan?) and saw a movie on our new big screen at night.

Oh, and I went for a walk. Just like the last few days, it was sunny and nice (or at least not raining, it really hasn't been very sunny here) when I started off, and by the time I came home, lightning and thunder, and a downpour as I walk through the door.

We decorated white eggs this year, which turned out nicer, and now we've got a pound of egg salad in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch! :)

Blackberry Smoothie anyone?

2011-04-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

Andres did a Chavo del Ocho today, blending a blackberry smoothie without the lid on. All over. Ceiling. Shelves. Cooking books. He thought it was hilarious. But I will be the one cleaning it up for the next week. (He cleaned the original mess, but you can imagine that specks keep showing up...when he is out of the room, haha)

Celebrities in the midst

2011-03-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

This trip, Agustín asked specifically for a Goofy hat. "I want a Goofy hat because that's what my daddy got the first time he went to Disneyworld. I want to be like him!"

Of course, Nico couldn't get left out of the action.

His hat, with that sly little wink, seems very appropriate.

And Agustín, with his separated buck teeth, couldn't look more goofy! LOL.

They drew a crowd. Everywhere we went, the staff would say things like, "Hey Goofy, you must have gotten off work early today." Or, "Hey, we've got two celebrities on the ride with us today!"

Needless to say, those hats were worn with great pride.

Ready, set, ....go!!!

2011-03-24T07:49:00.001-07:00

OK, I think I am getting ready to get back into blogging. In February I was SO busy with TEFL. Some days I was working 12 to 13 hour shifts, so that month was out. Then, we went to Disney World for 10 days for the (second) best family vacation ever, except for when we visit MN, of course! When I look back on these last few months, I realize we have done an awful lot of traveling for our family, between the beach and Florida.

I am at work right now, but plan to get online tonight and upload a few favorite pictures from our Disney vacation. Actually, I might need to do 3 to 4 posts on it, because there were so many cute cute pictures! It will make me sad to see them, though, because I just want to go back. I think I could live in Orlando. The people were SO nice, everything was made to be as convenient as possible, the traffic was manageable, there was so much SPACE! It reminded me very much of Minnesota in the summer: so so green, so many small lakes and bodies of water, water everywhere. I have no idea where all the green comes from, though. We had 10 days of clear blue skies ("out of the blue clear sky"), not one drop of rain! And this is spring. Does it ever rain there?

I'm seriously thinking of looking for teaching jobs in Orlando. Or I could just work at Disney World. Even cleaning the bathrooms would probably be fun there. Not one worker is crabby, everyone was smiling all the time! It felt like a different world...

Bruschetta-tasting tour

2011-01-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

It ain't easy keeping up with this creative mind! Today was a small bruschetta-tasting tour around the Mariscal neighborhood. Ice-cold beer. Ice-cold Diet Cokes. Bruschetta and a perfect day - not too sunny, not too cloudy.

Mindo Lindo

2011-01-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

Today we made a special day trip out of the city, to Mindo, about an hour northwest of Quito. I love going this way - the changes in the weather, vegetation, wildlife. The waterfalls coming down out of tree-covered mountains. Steep cliffs plunging down to small, trickling (or raging) rivers.

We got a big umbrella leaf along the way. Put him in the back seat but I'm not sure he was comfortable - not a lot of space back there for him.

Here is a sense of how big these things are.

Perfect for getting out of the sun or rain with.

Spent some time in a tree-cabin resort (El Carmelo). Had a nice time walking around the grounds.

On the way home, a little Ecuador-adventure for you: a landslide, which kept us oh so close yet oh so far from home for about an hour while people tried to build a ramp out of sand in order to get around it. A bit too much adventure for me, perhaps, as the land kept sliding down.

Well, that's living in Ecuador for you!

Walking Route (in Car) #4: the Basilica

2011-01-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

Today's walking route was more of a driving route. For one, we are getting enough of these hills.

I really like the Basilica. Andrés's grandpa is buried in the crypts here, so we go to mass here a couple of times a year. I like how majestic and regal it seems.

The altar is something different - very plain and simple but with the Ecuadorian flag. A lot of altars in Ecuadorian churches have the flag right up there with the image of Jesus.

Dad's teaching me a lot. He does his homework before we go places and then tells me what to look for. For example, look at these cool gargoyles.

Made in the images of Galapagos animals and other animals from Quito. I don't remembering noticing them before, although Andrés has for sure shown them to me.

Inti-Ñan Museum, or the Path of the Sun

2011-01-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the Equator. In fact, we went to three equators: the main one, where most of the tourists go and which the Escuela Politecnica Nacional measured (wrong). The original in Calacali, measured (wrongly) by the French in the 1700s. And the one, Inti-Ñan, measured by the Quitus over a thousand years ago (correctly).

Definitely, Inti-Ñan was the highlight. We saw how some native tribes in Ecuador (still) live.

Dad with his Haorani friend.

Some lovely shrunken heads. The one on the right was a 12-year-old boy, preserved thus for his status in the tribe. Over 15o years old or so. Something like that.

But better than anything was learning all the cool things that you can do, right on the equator.

Like a balance an egg on a nail.

Or watch how water rotates differently right on the equator and even two feet south and two feet north.

Or how you lose resistance on the equator and can't really defend yourself from another person's attack, but a foot off of the equator, you retain your strength.

And I walked along the equator with my thumbs up and eyes closed and could feel the magentic pull of the north and the south.

SO COOL!

Guinea pigs, ice cream and bizcochos, oh my!

2011-01-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows Andres knows that he likes his food. Anytime we go on a trip he is all about finding the food that will go along with it. And sometimes the food stops trump any other stop. Today it was guinea pig in Chaltura (I ended up not quite getting up the nerve. I doubt I am missing much). (And, yes, that is the kids like zombies in front of iPods. Well, you know, it keeps them quiet.)

Next it was ice cream in Ibarra. Pictures while we ate and made room for round two. Throw in quesadillas just for good measure!

"Mommy? How about a picture here?"

"Oh, and here too!"

Bati and the kids at Yaguarcocha Lake.

And in Cayambe bizcocho biscuits and caramel sauce for the ride home.

Pictureless Saturday

2011-01-15T20:10:00.000-08:00

Ah! I had to spend the morning at Tin's school and the afternoon at work and I didn't get a picture today! Not much going on... just hanging out, trying to catch up on stuff and getting ready for tomorrow's trip to Chaltura, where some say the best place for guinea pig in the world is. Well, we'll know tomorrow!

(And here's the guinea pig that later ended up in Grandpa Dan's stomach!)

Walking Tour #3: San Marcos and Alameda Park

2011-01-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

Another walking tour - as if our feet haven't had enough! :) But, it has been so fun getting to know more of Old Town. Today we took a taxi to La Merced and caught it open.

Next we visited a small, traditional neighborhood called San Marcos. I have never been here - have never even heard of it! Quite a little treasure in the middle of bustling downtown. Quiet, shady, no traffic. Ahhhh, fresh air. And as an added bonus - a working fountain!

Took these steps down, but everyone else seemed to be taking them up!

Took a taxi back up to Alameda Park.

Always getting that perfect shot, ya know! :)

The monument dedicated to Simón Bolívar - Latin America's freedom fighter and hero.

Going up to Bethlehem Church. This is the church Laura and Checho are members of.

Then a short rest in El Ejido Park as we make our way back to work to pick up Andrés. Oh, and Kari had to check out the little library they have built in the park...

Walking Tour #2: The Route of the Theaters

2011-01-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

Today the tour consisted of theaters and, of course, churches!

First, the Sucre Theater. Gorgeous. So much work has been done restoring some of these old buildings.

Next was Teatro de Variedades. Not technically on the tour but pretty and all restored, too!

A cool building on some street. It's amazing all the times you come down here but are so busy watching for traffic, or shopping, or talking to the person with you, you never even look up to see the buildings. You really need a tourist (with a photographer's eye, of course) with you to start appreciating things more.

Bolivar Theater, a cultural icon and now a gutted mess. A gas tank at Pizza Hut exploded over ten years ago and to this day the theater has not been restored. I'm assuming they are still caught up in the legal battles. A shame, too, since I can remember going to the theater café with Andrés's aunt on some of my first trips to Ecuador and having little finger sandwiches on the balcony.

Santa Catalina. The nuns here are cloistered and survive by selling wine and honey and other items to people, who go up to a turnstile, put their money in the little cubbyhole, and turn it. A minute later their product appears. There was a constant line 2-3 deep the whole time we were there.

Santo Domingo Church. Open. Cool altar. I didn't take a picture and probably should have, since it was only the second time I've been in there. Grandpa Dan will have to send me a copy of his.

And down to La Ronda. I took this picture for Andrés because I knew he would like it, and sure enough! Of all the pictures he immediately brought this one up and said, "Cool picture!" I know my honey, that's for sure!

The balconies of Quito. Classic Old Town.

Back up to San Francisco Church. Candied peanuts in all varieties on the way. Spooky clouds.

Inside the convent we spent a few minutes recuperating and hiding from the sun. It was hot and we were tired, but it was so peaceful and cool inside the convent. Getting away from the smoke and smog and noise of downtown Quito, yet still in the midst of it all...

Walking Tour #1: The Street of the Seven Crosses

2011-01-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Today Grandpa Dan and I started the first of our walking tours of downtown colonial Quito. The tour today was of García Moreno street - named so after the president who was assassinated on the street many many years ago. But it used to be known as the Street of the Seven Crosses, since you could look down the street and see seven crosses of churches from the top. I have always heard of the seven crosses, but have never taken the time to "get to know them", so to speak. Today was the perfect opportunity!

The first cross: Santa Barbara Church.

One nice thing about getting downtown around 10 a.m. is that the churches are open. I had never been in this church before, so it was nice to go inside. A very humble, modest church.

The second cross: La Concepción Church. The picture was discovered a few years ago and now has been restored. Nice to look up and see that there - I almost never even knew there was a church on that corner!

Also open, also one I don't think I have ever gone inside. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful and unique every church in Quito is.

Not sure - possibly Santa Marianita de Jesús? Very interesting - I don't think I have ever seen a woman on the cross before.

The third cross at the Cathedral, right in Plaza Grande. Not open. I think I forgot to get a shot of the cross!

But nice doors. Someday I am going to do a picture tour of different doors and windows in Quito.

The fourth cross: El Sagrario.

Breathtaking inside. Look at that ceiling!

The fifth cross: La Compañía.

The sixth: El Carmen Alto.

The seventh cross will be for another day. Once we got to El Carmen Alto the characters on the street started getting a bit shadier and creepier and we decided not to risk it. Plus - our feet were starting to hurt!

Homework time

2011-01-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

This is what nights have been looking like around here. Nicolas, doing his homework. Grandpa Dan doing his.

Calderon today

2011-01-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

Today our mission was Calderon - visit the old lot (the wall has been painted maroon and there is no sign of the little house at all!), and look for the perfect picture. It's tough work writing a book, apparently!

This is the house of Grandma Shushu's aunt. She passed away a few months ago, but the family still owns it and has fixed it up a bit. It holds a special place in their heart, but I have never actually been inside. The colors - white and gray - are the ones Grandpa Dan has suggested for our walls. I like!

What do you think of when I say...?

2011-01-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

...Baños?

Yes! Sugar cane, melcocha taffy, and the church with all the volcano erupting pictures.

...Bender?

Agustín and Nico next to a real, life-sized Bender at the restaurant Ali's in Ambato.

...Yambo?

What? You didn't know about Yambo Lake? Well, let me tell you. It is in a crater, along the highway (we are looking down from the highway to get the picture), no one knows how deep it is (some say it goes to the center of the Earth), and the deathbed of old trains, which used to run alongside the lake and inevitably fell in. Some people say that political dissidents may have been dumped in the lake. It is quite mysterious, cold, slimy green and a bit suspicious.

Photo Shoot in Ambato

2011-01-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

Today we took a trip to Ambato. The weather could have been a little better, but we had a nice time anyway. First we went to eat the famous gallinas de Pinllo (Pinllo chickens) in peanut sauce, finishing it of with some local pop: pineapple-flavored Fruitkiss.

Next we went up to the Primera Imprenta to view the city. As Grandpa Dan searched the horizons for that perfect building and perfect shot, Agustín asked me to take a "few" pictures of him.

"Mommy, take a picture of me here."

"Mommy, now take a picture of me here."

"Mommy, now here."

"Here too."

"Now take a picture of me here."

"And now here."

"Oh, this looks like a good place, right Mommy?"

And after all those pictures, I had to get one of the two of us. He was so huggable at that moment!

The whole time Agustín was posing, I ket trying to get Nico, but he kept giving me his back.I did get this one, though, surprising him by coming up behind him and sticking the camera in his face!

Next we went up to Quisapincha.

Driving around later that afternoon, we came across an indigenous celebration. Got to watch as adults and kids went out dancing, some dressed as devils, others as angels, others as animals (there was even Bigfoot), all dancing around statues of the Baby Jesus and Joseph and Mary. Very very cool.

This guy was a bit creepy, but cool to watch. He had a stuffed skunk that he used as a phallic symbol and/or pointer. I am not sure at all what was going on, but it was one of the neatest shows I have seen. I need to do some research to understand more about what the celebration and custom was all about.

That night it was Ali's for supper.

"Mommy, here is good too, right? One more. Last one for today, OK?"

A night of relaxation

2011-01-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

I had an especially trying time with the kids this week. There were quite a few accidents, lots of bodily fluids to clean up, quite a bit of excitement over having Grandpa Dan around (the novelty still hasn't quite worn off), Grandma Shushú at the beach (meaning interrupted routines), and Nico ending up at the doctor's office last night (sinus infection - nothing $70 of medicine and a $45 doctor appointment can't fix), so we had a well-deserved night of tapas and wine on the town (Shushú got back and we dropped the kids off and went out for supper - I think she was really happy to see them too after a week of not seeing them at all).

Nico didn't go to school today so I stayed home with him while Bati took Grandpa Dan out and around. Nico is feeling much much better already. Thank goodness for antibiotics! :)

Photographer at work

2011-01-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

One of the fun things so far this trip has been watching Grandpa Dan really get into taking pictures. I am one of those people that usually just snaps the picture, not really thinking about it. (I always wonder why everyone's pictures are better than mine. Ummm, maybe because they actually think about it before they press the button?)

Got some lessons from the pro - try to get a little green in the picture.

Notice the difference?

And Quito from the Panecillo. Looking north. It seems interminable.

Around Quito

2011-01-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

It's nice having someone here to take around town and enjoy some of the scenery with. I haven't been doing many tourist-y things lately, so getting out and seeing some of the newer stuff has been really fun.

Grandpa Dan and I went to the park today, then spent the rest of the morning doing some errands. Grandma Shushú is at the beach, so we have also been in charge of picking the kids up from school this week. Agustín is usually happy to see us, but Nico always wants his grandma. More than anything because he wants ice cream after school!

Little ducks, all lined up in a row

2011-01-04T06:05:00.000-08:00

We are all really enjoying our fluffy Crocs. Mine don't come off my feet. I feel like I am walking on a cloud when I have them on. It feels like a huge disappointment whenever I take them off.

Will my TV survive the Wii...???

2011-01-03T04:54:00.000-08:00

We got a Wii from my family for Christmas. Grandpa Dan brought it down with him and it was the coolest, best present ever.

We got it set up a couple of days ago but haven't had a lot of time to play on it. Decided to try some tonight. So far the kids like cycling. And of course boxing and...

swordfighting!

We have a winner!!!

The only problem is that I'm not sure if my TV will survive the Wii. Nicolás is pretty good about staying back.

Agustín, however, really gets going. He gets off into his own little world and doesn't realize that he is about to smash in the TV screen.

Gulp.

Raclette and airplanes

2011-01-02T04:41:00.000-08:00

Bati had us over today for lunch at his new place. We had Raclette, which is where you put an electric grill on your table and heat up cheese, meat, potatoes (in this case) as you eat. It's something the Swiss do, I guess. We had chocolate fondu with strawberries and bananas for dessert.

It gets a little smoky when you've got the Raclette at work.

After lunch we went downstairs to the park. Bati's apartment is right in front of Carolina park. Grandpa Dan had brought the kids some blasa wood gliders and we put them together and flew them for a while. It was really fun, although Nico seems to be getting sick. He was so crabby and cried and whined the whole time that he couldn't get his to "go like Tin's".

That kid is a handful, I'll tell ya!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T04:47:00.000-08:00

Well happy new year! Welcome 2011. Wow. When I was little that sounded soooooo far away. Thought we'd be living on the moon or driving in flying cars or something. Of course, we DO have iPods so... almost the same thing! haha.

Had a quiet day at home. Not much going on around here on New Year's. Most people just went to bed by 6 a.m. when the kids are getting up. Nothing open. Dad helped me take down the Christmas decorations though. It's so nice to know that that is taking care of!

New Year's Eve 2010

2010-12-31T20:14:00.000-08:00

What a great way to spend the end of an equally terrific year.

A tour of this year's año viejo contest on Amazonas.

Some pretty architecture.

A tour of the city and the viudas and viejos. (Grandpa Dan has some great pictures of the viudas, or widows.)

The green wig was a hit this year!

Lots of time with family.

Celebrating another year. (Happy birthday, Grandpa Dan!)

And we did end up making a viejo...

and burning it. (Shhhh, don't tell Agustín. He would NOT be happy! He prohibited us from burning the viejo this year.)

Amidst LOTS of fireworks. (Maybe a bit too much. A few went off a little too close to us, as well as our house windows!)

And my personal favorite story of the night. It was getting late, and Agustín was trying his best to stay up. We put him on the stairs to draw a bit. After a while he got up and started passing out pictures of dinosaurs that he had drawn. He had pictures for everyone, even people who weren't there (Great Grandma Ali is in Cuba at the moment on a trip, and Nico had fallen asleep in the car while we went out to see the viejos.) It was super sweet as he passed them out. He had written a dedication on each: To: (name).

He made it until 11. After I put him to bed, I found another drawing he had made. It was a picture of a a Hot Wheels car (a 7x7 - "Daddy, if 4x4 is good, why don't they make 7x7? That would be even better!" - his own personal invention). The drawing said: To: me.

I just love that sweetie!!!!

Happy New Year.

A Common Sight

2010-12-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

Feel like you've seen this before?

He will never get tired of Legos.

Mask hunting

2010-12-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

Got out today to look for the perfect mask and see what kinds of things will be showing up in our viejos this year. Some Michael Jackson (as always), Shrek, Correa and police officers (re: Sept 30), Toy Story.

Back home it was reading time. Again. And again. And again. And again.

A Star in our Midst!

2010-12-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

There has been so much excitement around here waiting for the famous Grandpa Dan.

This morning at the beach the kids were ready to leave by 8 a.m. because "Grandpa Dan is coming!"

Every plane that went by later that evening had Grandpa Dan on it.

And now he is here and the kids are so so so happy. He is like a celebrity in their eyes.

I have a feeling he won't be getting much of a break from their attention!

Swimming in the rain

2010-12-27T20:03:00.000-08:00

Spent the morning basking in the hot sun at the beach, then the afternoon in the pool. We didn't even get out when it started to rain.

Love these faces.

Post-Christmas Trip

2010-12-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

We decided to take a little trip to the beach the day after Christmas to warm up a bit from the colder Quito temps. The kids didn't seem to mind. It was nice and hot, hotter than the last time we were there.

Four pineapples and three papayas for a dollar means one big fruit salad!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hello Christmas 2010.

A visit from Santa during the night.

Stockings stuffed with cool treats. (When I was little the stockings were always always a favorite.)

Lots of discarded wrapping paper.

A few toys strewn every which way.

And a few favorite presents.

Family Pics

2010-12-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve. We spent part of the afternoon at Great Grandma Ali's, and the evening at our house, opening presents and having a nice turkey meal. We got our annual family pictures as well. It isn't easy getting the kids to sit still long enough to snap a couple of pictures, but I think they turned out OK.