Mundo Marino

Carilo, Argentina (and the long-awaited narrative...)

Here are a few pictures from our last minute President's Day vacation. We headed south to Carilo, a small exclusive village about five hours south of us. Although Carilo is right on the beach, it feels as though you are in a small town in the Swiss Alps or a European Ski Resort. The roads are not paved and lined with beautiful summer homes.


There was a small tidal pool where the water was calm, just before the water break that the kids loved playing in. We have never seen sand like this before. The sand was composed of tiny pieces of weathered seashells.


Argentines love their meat! Lomo mean "loin". Bife de Lomo is a Filet Mingon.


We really spoiled the kids on this trip. It was just two days and they have had a long summer stuck at home with me! They each received animal baloons from a clown in the middle of the shopping plaza (mistake - we had to tote hem around for 3 hours afterward) and went on more than their fair share of carival rides. They loved this little train.


Abe continued to repeat, "Stirring and stirring and stirring a brew..."


This little shop was so cute inside. Gnomes everywhere! I couldn't help but wish that a friend of mine from DC who has a gnome collection (most of which her grandmother painted) was there with me. This little shop almost made me want to start my own collection.


I think that this pastry shop was so quaint, however it almost feels as though something is wrong reading the specials in Spanish - where is the German?



It was too bad that I was there with two toddlers who had no interest in actually allowing Mom to shop.


We also spent quite a bit of time at this Game Room. There were moonbounces, bumper cars and a bucking bull. The mouth of this Nemo opened and closed. They would climb in and wait for it to close before they would go down the other slide on the other side.

Free Rice

I am addicted to FREE RICE. I have checked the claim on Snopes.com and it is true! At least if I am going to waste my time, I might as well be helping someone else - maybe I can even count this towards my compassionate service goals!

What a Party!

On Saturday, we were invited to a friend's house for her daughter's first birthday party. We have since learned that the 1st birthday in Latin culture is almost as important as the Quinceañera. It is memorably celebrated because, as in many other parts of the world, many children did not live through the first year of life. The kids played in a huge inflatable pirate ship, ate specialty desserts, and were visited by Mickey and Minnie, Ariel, two Backyardigans, and Lilo and Stitch. Not to mention that the adults enjoyed good company and great food! Our only regret is that Peyton would not keep her clip in her hair for the pictures!

Walking the Tightrope

One of our friends built this contraption over their pool for his 5 year old son. Abe and the other boys were able to take advantage of it on Sunday afternoon...

Horseback Riding Lessons

Argentines love Polo! Today I took the kids to a Polo Club for their first horseback riding lesson. They loved the horses and just laughed and laughed with the instructors. Even little Peyton (apparently she's not so little anymore) will be able to take classes too. It really was a beautiful day...

Tagged

4 jobs I have had in my life:
Chocolate Fountain Business Owner
Environmental Consultant
Assistant Manager of a Tanning Salon (you do what works when you are in HS)
Student Aid in the Financial Aid Office in College

4 Movies I have watched more than once:
Anna and the King
Stepmom
The Incredibles
The Sound of Music

Most of the places I have lived (where do I begin...)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Virginia
Wyoming(Cheyenne, Casper and Wheatland)
California (Diamond Bar, Walnut, Yorba Linda, Hacienda Heights)
Colorado (Arvada, Colorado Springs, Golden, Fort Collins..)
Oregon
Washington
New York (Buffalo, Syracuse, NYC)
New Jersey
Ohio

2 TV shows that I watch: (when you have to buy them on iTunes, you think twice about whether or not it is worth it.)

Grey's Anatomy
Lost

4 favorite pastime activities:
My new iMac
Lunch with Friends
Friday Night Dinners with Steve
Reading/writing blogs

4 places I have been:
Hershey Park, Pennsylvania
Antigua
Mazatlan, Mexico
San Juan, Puerto Rico

4 people who email me regularly:

My mom
Heather
Sylvia (sometimes more regularly that others! lol )
Elena

4 of my favorite foods:
Plain Chocolate Cake without frosting
Chips and Salsa/Guacamole
Cheddar Cheese (Sadly, we haven't had it in nearly 3 months!)
Cheese Danish

4 places I would like to visit (and plan to in the next 2 years):
Iguazu Falls, Argentina
Patagonia (Antarctica)
Uruguay (Colonia and Montivedeo)
Bahia Blanca, Argentina

4 favorite restaurants:
Taco Bell! (The $200 RT Flight to Santiago Chile really is tempting)
Kansas (Currently, our only hope for good American Food and they are open before 8pm - which means that we can actually take the kids)
Anything Tex Mex (not the Argentine or Virginian version)
Pei Wei

4 things I am looking forward to in the coming year:
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with Steve's family
Seeing my family in Oregon (cross my fingers)
Becoming fluent in Spanish with the kids
Traveling

3 things I am not looking forward to in the coming year (can't come up with 4!):
Moving Again... in June
An 18 hour flight with children
Organizing all of our papers

Tag! You're it! - Sylvia, Alicia, Ie Li, Talai and Katie

He's 30!

Can you believe it? I am so proud of him and his accomplishments! As each year passed, we have tried to predict where we would be in our lives when each of us turned thirty. We would have never suspected that we would be in a foreign country with two children. I could not ask for a more loving, kind and dedicated husband or father. I can only pray that he is afforded another healthy, happy and fun-filled 50 years...

She's All Girl...

...when she is not battling with the boys.

Fruit Market

I bought a large sack of oranges for fresh juice from this stand for 7 pesos (US$2.25).

President Gordon B. Hinckley

"Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause. Lend your efforts to helping people... stand higher, lift those with feeble knees, hold up the arms of those that hang down. Live the gospel of Jesus Christ." President Gordon B. Hinckley 1910-2008

As a convert to the church, President Hinckley is the only Prophet that I have known. He was one of the most wonderful men to have ever walked the earth and lived his life as a beacon for all to follow.

Mission Reunion

It has been more than 10 years since these men served together in the Colombia Barranquilla Mission for our church. This mission, like so many, had very few North Americans, which meant that Steve spent a lot of time with people he thought he would never see again due to life circumstance and borders. They told mission stories, laughed about times they shared, and drank malta (not to be confused with mate) and Postobon, a Colombian orange soda. It was a joy to meet their familes and spend the afternoon practicing my espanol.

EDITED: Steve's companion passed away about a year after this photo was taken.  He had Cancer that was diagnosed shortly after we met. He left behind a pregnant wife and small daughter.

Mundo Jurasico

We took the kids to the robotic dinosaur exhibit. They were so life-like that Abe would not go near them.

My Little Picasso

Peyton LOVES to color, and not just on paper! This scene was repeated a few days later with a new, more permanent medium - nail polish.

As for Abe, he just wanted to be the center of all the laughs!

Things are really looking up...

Our car arrived tonight on our doorstep - still in the shipping container - in one piece! WhooHooo!

Primary Delegates

What good is a blog if you can't get up on a soap box once in awhile...

Here is the requested link for the number of pledged delegates for each candidate. Romney was leading the pack before the Michigan primary as most of the states so far divide their delegates according to percentage of vote. Yesterday, the media was calling McCain the clear front-runner. According the the media, Romney would have to win Michigan to stay in the race. I find that this is interesting since he has been in the lead since New Hampshire. Now Mitt has strengthened his position. Until now, he hadn't won an eastern state outright, but they still contributed votes to his candidacy. If Wyoming hadn't broken the rules by moving their primary date before Feb 5, it would have meant just a few votes less than winning New Hampshire. Romney might even receive more votes from Wyoming than MCCain scores in NH. I think that Romney is the only GOP candidate that the Democrats (media) fear that they cannot beat in the general election.



Click Here for Republican Primary Scorecard

Today...

I wish that I were a registered voter in Michigan.

My Cats

McDonalds in Argentina is...Supersized. I am not referring to the portion sizes, as you would never find one that offered free refills on anything. I am talking about the novelty of the restaurant. The majority of American Fast Food Chains offer Play Places and daily activities for the kids. At this particular McDonalds they have a calendar posted with the scheduled activites. By accident, we stopped in when it was time for face painting. The kids sat patiently waiting for their turns. They turned into two cute cuddly kittens. This lasted only moments before they transformed into big cats - Lions.

New Years Day in Recoleta

Recoleta Cemetery

These are tombs at the Recoleta Cemetery. If you ask me, it is a bit morbid. Each tomb is decorated differently. Some have been maintained and have fresh flowers, others have not. Some coffins have protection from outside, like glass on the doors, other do not. Here are a few of my favorite photos. It wasn't easy taking them because the kids wanted to run through the isles and look into every window. We were trying to keep them reverent!



To me, this is typical Argentina. On the left there is a beautiful tomb made of granite and well-maintained on the inside. To the right, a run down forgotten tomb. 100 years ago, Argentina was the 7th largest economy in the world. This country has so much unrealized potential that has been wasted away.


Domingo Faustino Sarmiento



This statue is a little strange...


Eva "Evita" Peron

Banyan Tree in Recoleta

On New Years Day, we finally made it downtown to check out some of the sites. We spent most of our time here in Recoleta. We dined in this cafe at one of the tables pictured above under the Banyan tree branches, overlooking the Recoleta Cemetery. The beam on the left side of the cafe is another support for the branch that exits the photo to the left. According to Wilkepedia, "In Hindu religion... it represents eternal life because of its seemingly ever-expanding branches." They would have broken years ago, but they built support beams for the branches to rest on. It is a sight to see!

New Years Eve Festivities

Steve and I had an incredible New Years Eve experience on the 37th floor roof downtown. I think that we may have been on the tallest building in the area. We watched as hundreds of fireworks expoded in the sky beneath us. Even though BsAs has nearly twice the population of NYC, the skyline is not built as high, leaving a vastly large city as far as the eye could see. Like Christmas Eve, all of the Argentines get together set of firewroks, surprising in these tree lined neighborhoods, the ones that are far too large to be legal in the States. As we stood looking down on city, with nearly a 360 degree view, we were atonished at just how many people there are in this city. Steve proclaimed that this was one of the top 10 things that he has seen in his life. I agree. There is no way to describe the enormity of the city and the amount of fireworks that were visible. And to follow Spanish tradition, we ate 12 grapes at midnight for good luck. Thanks Jay!

Happy New Year!

This is the last post for 2007 and I can't believe what an eventful year it has been! Actually, it might have been a little too eventful on occasion and my children have really felt the constant change. One would surmise that this would teach flexibility, but somehow it seems that they regularly remind us that they have been through as much as we have. In the interest of time, I will not recap the entire year, but I could fill pages (and should have as they occured).

I have found a renewed ability to spend time alone. For the most part, I prefer company, but occasionally I find myself longing to be home and by myself in the evening with quiet. Who would have thought that I would ever feel this way? Spending time with myself, it actually is quite nice.

The flood and living in a hotel for 9 weeks. Need I say more?

The cruise... without children! (Thanks Janet)

Staging and selling our first home. There are a few things that I might have done differently if we have planned to live in it for the rest of our lives, but I loved how it turned out when all of the renovations were complete.

The Bid for posts and our move.

Again, I write this as we sit in a temprary house in Buenos Aires, once again waiting for renovations to be complete on our permanent house. Today, Steve received the keys to the other house so that we can go in an check up on the progress, measure rooms for a few pieces of furniture that we would like to have made, and paint. If we are going to live in this house for two years, we will learn from our last experience and get everything done now so that can actually enjoy it.

I am grateful for the wonderful family and friends that we have. I am thankful for the constant support of those same people. I am grateful for our health and the opportunity that we have embraced to show our children the world. I am grateful for an incredible husband who loves his family and his country. I am regularly humbled by the example of my children. I hope that 2008 brings joy, happiness, increased faith and much growth.

Happy fun-filled New Year and may you accomplish each of your yearly goals!

90+ degrees in December?

Here are a few cute pictures from yesterday. They love to swim, especially with Steve. They spend hours knocking Steve into the pool. Now if we could only get Abe to swim without the vest...

One More Hour...

As if the current time zone difference hasn't been inconvenient, we begin Daylight Savings Time tonight and spring ahead one hour. For more information go read this. Officially, we will be 6 hours ahead of Oregon and 3 hours ahead of DC until March.

Our Summer Christmas

Four Christmas parties, three visits from Santa, two castles - one pink and one grey, one Extra Special Tickle Me Elmo, one highly-anticipated green dinosaur, and no extended family. We had a wonderful summer weekend playing in the pool, spending time with friends and opening gifts. The other Americans warned us that this would not feel like a traditional Christmas. i.e. Notice the bathing suits while sitting on Santa's lap. :)

For Argentines, Christmas is celebrated on the Eve with a huge family feast around 11pm followed by the opening of gifts at midnight and a night full of fireworks. This would be a wonderful tradition if we did not maintain our North American one. 2am fireworks make waking up bright and early with toddlers a little more difficult, but it was surely memorable. We are already looking forward to next year!

Merry Christmas

Topping the Tree

It is family tradition that the kids place the star on the tree with the help of the tallest member in our house, Steve, of course.

What this picture does not tell is the tale of the journey to this moment. Once we found this tree the day after Thanksgiving (Argentines don't put up trees until Dec. 8) we wrapped the individual branches with 7 strands of lights. Within 90 minutes of pluggin them in, every bulb had burned out and was completely black due to the 220v of electricity that surged through the lights made for 110v. And as with everything else in this country that requires electricity, we found overpriced lights for AR$30 per strand. Reluctantly, we purchased 4 strands. What we did not know if that that they are the old technology - if one goes out, the whole strand does too! As you can guess, we are now down to 3 strands on the tree, even though we checked them to see if they worked before we left the store.

The kids and I decorated the tree one afternoon while Steve was at work and Abe anxiously awaited Steve's arrival so that he could put the star on top of the tree! I love all of the small Christmas traditions.

Our First Trip Downtown

As most of you already know, we live in a suburb just north of Buenos Aires near the International School which also affords us the benefit of a large home and a yard. Although this is definetly the best choice for us, we are missing out on the beauty, culture and nightlife that the downtown of Buenos Aires has to offer. Of course, most of you are thinking that I have children and no need to fret about the nightlife anyway. In theory, this is right, however there is not a single non-North American restaurant in this town that opens before 8pm... and if we go when the doors open, we are either the only people in the entire place or we share it with another couple over 65. They say that the only people who eat dinner before 9pm are North Americans and old people. As a resident of the city, I can attest that this is true.

The fact that we live in a suburb is to point out the fact that there is not a lot of reason for us to go downtown quite yet. The city is NOT handicap accessible which means that pushing two children in a double stroller on cobblestone sidewalks keep us more sedintary than I would like. However, we did try to go downtown once on the second Monday after we arrived.

I decided that the best way to get there with the kids was to take the same route Steve does everyday to work. We had planned on going to the Zoo which is located across the street from the Embassy. We would spend a couple of hours there in the morning, meet Steve for lunch and then go to the Embassy to sign a few papers and check out the Commissary.


I walked 15 blocks to the train station, and then rode the train for 35 minutes. Now when Steve gets off the train in his suit, he spends the 7 pesos (roughly a little more than $2) for a taxi to the Embassy. However, we didn't have much else to do for the day and so I thought that the 25 blocks would make a nice walk for the kids and a chance to see more of downtown. What I did not realize at the time was that there were absolutely NO ramps on the curb of the street and there is the worst smell I have ever experienced in my life on this route. I can only speculate that this smell is from the hundreds of dogs that walk this stretch everyday like those that you see in the picture above with their dog-walkers. The interesting trek was not such a big deal. Simply a Latin American wake-up call.

Now to put this into context, we had promised Abe the zoo on the Friday before (he was and still is rather bored around the house without his toys) but rain had cancelled our trip. He has been looking forward to this outing for almost a week. When we finally arrive at the entrance to the zoo, there are no signs, no posted hours, no indication that it would ever be open, but the chains across the gate made it clear that the zoo was definetly closed. And as it turns out, a lot of things are closed on Mondays (we made the same mistake again today in Chinatown). Abe was bawling and completely upset. I studied the map and found a Japonese Botanical Garden on the next block. I figured that this was a good way to kill some time until we caught up with Steve around noon.

The botanical garden was nice and the kids had a good time running around and checking out the various statues made of recycled metals. It really was interesting and we could have spent more time in the park. Until Peyton took a swim...


Above is the scene, moments after I had cleaned her up. As you might be able to tell, from first glance it looks like solid grass to walk on. To Peyton's dimay, the water is deeper than the cement edge and when she fell in, the water line came to just below her eyes. The man in the picture quickly helped me pull her out and I managed to get her stripped down and her diaper changed fairly quickly. This incident would not have been a big deal. Normally, I would have turned around and gone home right then, but Steve had scheduled a time for me to sign papers at the Embassy in the afternoon. I relentlessly tried to phone Steve, but he was slammed on the Visa line until 2pm without a chance to call. I walked the main street looking for new clothes for Peyton, trying them on my half-naked child in the store because sizes run differently. I should mention that no one I came in contact with spoke English. I really looked like a crazy tourist. We finally met Steve at the Embassy to learn that my appointment had been cancelled. So there it is. My first experience downtown. You win some and you lose some.