Beyond Buenos Aires: San Antonio de Areco

San Antonio de Areco

Peyton happily accepted my photo invitation today, so there 

are quite a few of her.  (Good thing she's so cute.)

A new Parilla (grill) where we enjoyed lunch just off of the 1st floor balcony.

Statue of Vieytes

The town along the park

A bonafide Guacho

Look through the charming window to the courtyard

Yes, as nasty as the water may look, they really swim in it. 

El Puente Viejo

Grandma Barlow and Peyton

Our Cool Dude.

Another cool dude, Grandpa Barlow

And the coolest dude, always capturing video

Sweet Sophia. 

 She really has been with us through all of our recent travels, but is often left out when we take pictures.  

Argentina: Buenos Aires and Beyond

I have been on a long time since I have consistently updated this blog. My many reasons (or excuses) which include: a new baby, adapting to 3 children, 2 toddler birthdays, summer in the southern hemisphere, Christmas, my parents, both of our birthdays, his family, and travel a.k.a. Professional Tour-Guiding. The overwhelming realization of this post is that I have photos I would like to share from each of these events. I do not know where to begin... chronological order seems logical, but I am excited to post about recent events. So, I am going to start a series of posts which I will call "Argentina: Buenos Aires and Beyond". I may interject a few birthday party happenings and current events as I go along in my desperate attempt to keep this blog up to date and interesting. I also use this as a journal, so of course, bare with me as I post things that someone else might not necessarily care about.

No Time to Blog

Here are three good reasons that I have not had time to post much of anything...

Iguazu Falls


Colonia, Uruguay


Estancia Santa Susana

Whoo Hoo!

I have all of the last-minute details to take care of before my in-laws arrive at 7:45am, but I can't help but rejoice in the fact the Blurb.com has finally fixed its software problem and it now compatible with Blogger (and Wordpress)!

I have slurped the blog into a book, but now have to figure out how to change the page layouts. There is way too much white space!

No time for that now... To you, HAPPY SLURPING bloggers!

A Visit from Nina and Papa

Contrary to belief, we are still alive. It seems that when you have a lot going on in life and visitors (YAY!) the blog falls by wayside. However, this intermission will end shortly and we will post about our most recent acts! And yes, Martha would be completely disappointed that I still have a holiday background on January 18th.

A typical conversation with Abe

Yesterday at lunch while trying to feed Sophia and Peyton simultaneously...

A: Mom, am I going to Juan's house today?
M: If you want to. They invited you over after lunch.
A: Are you taking me or is his mom picking me up?
M: I am going to take you and I will just stay and visit for a couple of minutes.
A: Is it far away?
m: Not really, it is a little further than your school
A: Well my school is a little bit far
M: Well, it is like 5 km. It is not really far away.
A: So is it close?
M: No, it is not close
A: So then it is far away.
M: Abe, not really.
A: So it is perfectly far.
M: Abe, yes, it is perfectly far.
A: So does that mean that my friends who live past Juan's House are really far?
M: (Getting impatient...) Please Abe. Your friends all live in different areas and yes, it takes longer to get to some places than others.
A: But Mom, how far is far away?
M: Okay Abe, really. It depends. Do you want to go to Juan's house after lunch?
A: Yes. Depends on what?
M: Please take a bite and each your lunch so you can go and play.

If only he was this happy to do all of his chores...

Apparently he likes gadgets (or a vacuum named 'Shark') as much as we do!

Sophia's 1st Christmas

Christmas Tree Photosession

...and the first official picture of all three of them.

Her Favorite Place to Be

...drool and all.

What a Grin!

Click on the series to make is large

It is obviously apparent that she has an older sister who wanted to help entertain her, but the truth of the matter is, they adore her and would do just about anything to make her smile.

As far as babies go, Sophia is a dream. She eats, she studies all of us around her, she smiles, she sleeps and then eat she some more... all with the the crazy hair that just won't stay down. My Argentine friends tell me that there is still time to shave her head like they do, but I finally have a baby who has kept hair past 2 months old. I occasionally resort to Steve's gel but in the end, she just looks like Jack Nicholson. We do LOVE her expressions though! Doesn't she have a great smile?

So far away...

I stood in the kitchen with Lidia as she told me about her holiday traditions and then I told her about ours... and then I began to cry.

Today, I miss family. Today, I wish that we were all together sitting around the table playing games and laughing together. Today, I wish that 6827 miles did not divide us. Tomorrow, I will wish the same thing.

Tango

After living here, the birthplace of the Tango, for more than I year we finally saw our first show at Senor Tango. This was a diplomatic awards ceremony for a recent tennis match, which for me meant free VIP tickets and a last-minute date with Steve and Sophia. We had a great time, although we felt bad ducking out with nearly an hour left of the show because it was nearly 1am. For Argentines, this is a reasonable hour, but for us, an hour from home, a babysitter who needed to get home to her own son and our two children who would wake with the sunrise, it seemed the right thing to do.

Straight No Chaser- 12 Days

I love this...



Thanks Robyn, again. You have to turn off my playlist at the bottom or pop it out on YouTube to watch this.

Good-Bye Play Kinder

Today was Peyton's last day of school at a wonderful Jardin run by Gabby (in white). Peyton is the most fond of Lola, who is holding her. I hope that Peyton will embrace her new preschool the same way!

The school itself is a converted house with a very small yard. All of the room have been divided and every last square inch is being used. They have even converted the roof into a playground to give the kids more space outside. However, it is filled with a lot of fun activities and love! Each class had no more than about 10 children within 6 months of age with two teachers. This was the perfect transition for Peyton and she is now ready to move into a class of academic learning with a solid foundation of Spanish.

Yep, She's the 3rd

I just realized that this is the last photo taken of Sophia. Sadly, it was a month ago. I have so much to catch up on. Hopefully I can get it all posted soon.

I am now dreaming of this... (Thanks to Robyn)

But I cannot justify spending that kind of money at Pottery Barn and I am too late to have this made here by Christmas!

Update: I had met with a carpenter this morning to see what this would cost here so that I could avoid the shipping costs. I was quoted $1000 USD for each piece and 2 month turn around time! Now you all know why I use the APO instead of buying locally!

Christmas Dilemma

Update: Santa succumbed to the red retro kitchen since the pink one is on backorder until Feb.  If the red one is too small, then Santa will sell the red one and exchange it for the perfect pink one in a couple of months!

Do I buy this great wooden kitchen set which weighs more, costs slightly more, is backordered and does less so that I enjoy looking at...

or do I buy this functional, compact, lightweight, plastic eyesore?

Or do I compromise on this one which seems a little small?


or this?

2nd Annual Summer Christmas

The tree is decorated and the nativity sits prominently on the mantle, but there is something about swimsuits and 90 degree weather that make it difficult to get into the "Spirit of Christmas". Although Argentines do not decorate their homes until Virgin Mary Day on Monday, we have proudly displayed our "gringoness" by decorating a week early.

Santa made a very special visit to the End-of-the-Year party for Abe's class on Monday. However, Abe would like you to know that this is not the real Santa.  The real Santa can speak all of the languages, not just Spanish.

On Tuesday, which was his final day, many of the moms took the class to Burger King for lunch and then headed to a special Christmas theatrical show at Alparamis.  Apparently, Alpapramis began as a nursery selling plants and has evolved into a Christmas store year-round.  It is a beautiful shop in a Swiss Chalet building across from the Presidental Palace.  Even Sophia loved the lights and music of the show.  Peyton was terrified of Santa and would not even sit on a small chair next to a Christmas tree about 3 feet away.  Toting 3 children in a holiday store filled with toys and fraginle ornaments mde it impossible to take a photo of my own.

Goodbye K-4

Abe had a wonderful year!  The end of the school year is bittersweet for us.  He has learned so much from his teachers and from his peers.  He has really grown out of toddlerhood and into a little boy.  Not only has he learned facts about the his world, but he has broadened his world view and become fluent in Castellano.  It is incredible to hear him speak and play in groups of kids that he could not communicate with just 9 short months ago.  

Abe, we are so proud of you.  I look forward to having the summer together before you leave for school all-day.  I will miss you not having you around as much next year.  I have a feeling that the transition is going to be more difficult for me than for you.  You are so charasmatic and bright.  We love you!

P.S. The Argentine School Year begins in Feb. and ends in Dec.

2-Month Weigh-In

No, no, not mine! :)

Height - 22.5" (+3)

Weight - 13 lbs (+5.5)

Head - 15.35" (+2)

Thanksgiving 2008

Thank you for hosting a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey, swimming and good company!  

Personalized Service

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my:

World-Class Car Parts Dealer


Cost-Conscious Costco Shopper


and Package Engineer


We really appreciate your time and ingenuity! You have gone well beyond the call of duty and I have a feeling that we are indebted to you for quite some time.

Springtime

Our First Garden (including mine)

3rd floor view of Jacaranda trees out front ...

and the back.  They currently line the streets of the entire city.  And what I love most is that we have a PERFECT view of them out all three over-sized windows upstairs.

Another Bailout

I should be preparing for two birthday parties, but instead I sat down to read the headlines and feed Sophia. For weeks, I have been in shock as Americans continue to support actions that pull us away from a Free-Market Economy. America is about capitalism and that is one of the things that makes America great. The American Dream really is alive. I have numerous examples to site, but I digress.

Why are we continually bailing out people and corporations that have made poor financial decisions? Why should we bailout people who have defaulted on their mortgages? Aren't they the ones who purchased more than they could afford while we spent our money responsibly? The market prices of homes went through the roof because of the thousands of people who were approved for mortgages they could never afford and those same people were the ones who bid thousands of dollars over normal market value because they felt like they could. I agree that banks tried to exploit these people, but they allowed themselves to be exploited. I read the fine print and questioned lenders about fees and interest rates when we closed on our condo. We paid upfront for others stupidity and now we must pay to fix their problems. Are we doing this so politicians can make promises to their constituencies?

Home ownership is not a right, is it a privilege. I was sickened when I watched congress bailout greedy financial institutions. I am even more distraught by politicians who do not want to tell the American public that their foreclosures are the consequence of their poor decision making. There is more money for the bailout of Wall Street than we have spent on the "War on Terror" over the last 7 years, which we might all agree has been too much. For the love...

Now, I am alarmed that we are discussing bailing out the auto industry. Are we moving to socialism altogether? Jobs will be lost and that is devastating, but those corporations made bad decisions. Maybe if we cut the fat from the auto industry (just as we should in the banking sector), it will leave us with a few corporations that really can compete on a global scale and will be all the better for having to adjust to changing times.

Please, I beg Congress, do not give the hard-earned dollars of financially savvy individuals to bail anyone else out. You made a mistake the first time that you did. So far 300 billion has been pumped into banks and what do we have to show for it? The economy is not strengthening and it hasn't created more consumer confidence. Please allow the free market to take its course. America will prosper and flourish again in time.

Happy Birthday Abe (yesterday)

On his way to school for a Sprinkler Party

It seems like a momentous occasion to have your oldest child turn 5. He is no longer a toddler and really is a school-aged boy. When I think about his birth 5 years ago, it seems like so long ago. So much has happened in those 5 years. Since his birth, my priorities have changed. My life has been committed to his well-being. Nearly everything that I have done since then has been centered around a child, and now children. It is Abe who is always teaching me. With him, I am always on unchartered territory because he is my first. There are so many qualities in Abe that we adore. Here are just a few:

His intelligence and love of learning.
HIs laugh
The way he cuddles (and the fact that he still wants us to cuddle him)
His love of babies (since before Peyton was born)
His sense of responsibility
His Confidence
His ability to carry on a GREAT conversation.

I love you Abe! You are more than I could have ever dreamed of!

Happy Birthday Peyton

We can't believe that Peyton is 3 years old and yet we can hardly remember life without her. Here are just a few things that we love about her:

Her fearless/go get 'um attitude
Her eyes
Her non-stop singing
Her extremely competitive nature (that one is from Dad)
Her hugs (they really are the best)
Her ability to make you laugh, especially when you are upset.
The smile that makes you heart melt (again, especially when she thinks she is in trouble)
Her sensitivity to how others feel
Her ability to play like a girl or rough with the boys
She is a great helper and loves to contribute

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! We are so blessed to be your parents! We can't wait to see what lies ahead in the years to come!

Way to Go!

Proof that summer is quickly approaching!

This is the 5th day in a row that the kids have been in the pool. The weather has been beautiful and the nights have been warm enough to keep the water at a reasonable temperature.

Yesterday, Abe learned how to do a somersault in the water and today, he worked past his fear of the deep end (he has been able to swim but insistent upon the fact that he would sink if the water was too deep), and swam the length of the pool. He also dove down 6 feet to retrieve a toy and then swam to the edge alone. I love having a pool! The kids appreciate it just as much! I love that it keep the kids outdoors and active for hours while I sit on the side with Sophia.

Sophia's First "Cheese"

...and new hairdo.  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  After just 6 weeks, check out the rapidly developing rolls. 

Boys Will Be Boys

They say that there are two types of men.  Men who can grill and those who think that they can.

Chub

Sophia is one month old and filling out quickly.  I thought that I would have so much more time to take photos and dote, but the reality of it is that we have three children now and that does not leave much time for photo shoots.  I just wanted to show you the double chin that I referred to in the last post.  She continues to look more and more like Abe.  

(Mom, this is the same age that Abe was in Mazatlan.)

Happy Halloween

From Anakin, Tinkerbell

and Darth Vader!