Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Cleaning Day

Today was a great day, filled with excitement. Late tonight big sister with her hubby and kids will be arriving from Hondurus. After a 15 hr. bus ride they will be rolling in late tonight.

We cleared out babies room and set up a big air mattress and now have wall to wall beds in our "guest room". Baby is thrilled because she gets to sleep with mom and dad.

Tried to baby proof the house today. I know we have missed something, I just know it. Benji is 2 next week and I can guarantee you he will find something to get into, and hopefully it will not put him in the hospital!

The next seven weeks will be "vacation" time so we will have lots of fun pictures, hopefully! We will be enjoying Costa Rica for four more weeks, then off to the U.S. for three weeks of fun. Summertime fun.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Life Choices

I was telling teeny today that she did not have to decide right now, even in the next few years what she wants to do with her life. She is young, only 16 and has many years to decide what she wants to "be" when she grows up.

After talking with her I laughed to myself as I remembered that at her age I left home. I went to live with a friend in California and spent the summer there, doing lots of things I would not want her to do. Once I returned home to finish my senior year, I was still 16, I met my hubby. We got married seven months later, when I was 17 1/2!

I did not talk to her about that part!

Suffice it to say I assured her to look at life and decide what she wants to spend her life doing. She has a boyfriend right now that is talking to her about the realities of being a famous singer. He is trying to convince her that she will not have a life if that is what she does. I think it is the opposite and her life will be all about her.

He did tell her he did not want to live with someone that was famous. That was what got her thinking about her other options. She told him that I had always tried to talk her into being a lawyer, she can argue like none other. I mean she has always been able to argue very well.

He agreed with me. He told her because of two things. He thought she would be able to talk well in a court room, and the most important part, she looks really hot in a pencil skirt!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Chinese Channel


Baby is watching the Chinese channel. She loves to watch this channel and claims she can understand what they are saying. I think the real draw for her is just to see so many people that look like her.

I know from experience that it is very difficult to live in a place where you look different than everyone else. I mean children literally stare at me when we are on the bus. Hubby thought I was imagining it but has had to admit that yes they are mesmerized, or terrified of my big blue eyes.

Whatever the reason it is difficult to be stared at everywhere you go. When hubby first got her started watching the Chinese channel she would not watch very long. Now we find her watching it for longer and longer periods. She also likes it when we put on Chinese music for her.

We feel it is important to help her connect with her roots. Yes she is an American now and no longer lives in China. But everyone there looks like her. That is big, as I have found. When we go places that there are more Chinese people she loves it! I think it is such a relief to her to not be in the "fish bowl" for a change.

This is part of the reason we have chosen Austin to live part time while hubby finishes his degree. They have a big FCC chapter there and we are very excited to get her involved in that. She will be starting Mandarin lessons here in October, when she turns 7.

In the meantime she will continue watching the Chinese channel and yelling out every few minutes, "she looks like me too!"

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Celebrate the Successes



Yesterday baby and daddy went out to lunch to celebrate. They had read the complete Book of Mormon. Not only did they read it, they read it in Spanish. It has helped hubby's accent a ton and has been a great way to put baby to sleep every night!

She was so excited to go out that she got all dressed up and even told dad to change his pants. They went out for chinese food and had a great day.

When they got home she was ready to start reading in English so that we could all celebrate together next time!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Values


Once a week we have a "family day". That is actually kind of funny because of course every day is family day! Today was a good day for the girls. Hannah has a couple of gringo expat friends in Escazu that we get to visit with occasionaly. They all have great fun together and it is good to see her hanging out with boys that are not boyfriends. I think after her stint as tour guide last week she is glad to just rest and recuperate. She has a cold, hence the gloves. We were also doing a family service project. My friend has been sick in the hospital and it was time for her get well massage. That meant a trip over was certainly in line.

We try to teach the girls to be compassionate and gentle with the sick and afflicted. Here baby is being gentle with our friend who has been very sick. We had explained before we went that she had been in the hospital and very sick. Baby was very good about helping and just being attentive. She even went in the kitchen and helped cook dinner! Even when she saw a big ole mouse come running into the kitchen from the backyard. She just climbed onto higher ground!
I hope when all is said and done, if my children learn nothing else from us in this life, they will learn to love!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Tour Guide of the Year



Well she did it. Showed her friends a great time and shared some of the best of Costa Rica with them. The best part of all? They are all still friends. She took them to the beach for a couple of days, off to the mall for a day, up to the mountains for a day and down town for shopping for a day.

They were very lucky that the weather cooperated and it has not rained for five days now! That in itself is a miracle at this time of the year.

As you can see by this picture she now has a boyfriend to add into the mix also. He asked her, at the promptings of her matchmaking friend, to be his girlfriend. The thing is here in Costa Rica there is a method to their madness.

They begin with friends with benefits. Benefits I am told kissing and holding hands etc. They stay there approximately six weeks, and then it is on to girlfriend, boyfriend. I am not sure what is next and since she is only sixteen she will not be finding out for a couple of years either!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Friends, Boyfriends and Beaches


Teeny finally got a visitor from the U.S. They have had a blast and she brought a friend with her who got to fit in some surf lessons. They took a trek to Manuel Antonio and hung out for a couple of days. Staying in the cabinas saved them a bunch of money and just eating chips and refried beans also helped save bucks.

One night they decided to camp on the beach and that got a little scary. Some crack head kept asking them for money and food. Finally they decided to get a room in the cabinas for the night so they could get some sleep.

We were very proud of her for helping her friends enjoy Costa Rica as well as keeping them safe and sound, so far they go home Saturday. Still a couple of days for fun. Tomorrow is the pool and then a campout in Monte de la Cruz for the last couple of days. What a trip for them.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Parent Rights



Did you know that as a parent if you get dreadlocks you pretty much give up your rights to tell your kid they look weird? Yeah I did not realize that until after I got the dreadlocks, but I can't really say anyone looks weird anymore.

It is a great way to keep you from being judgmental, just get them and try to say someone looks anything! It just sounds really funny coming out of your mouth with all those fuzzy crazy locks waving around on your head.

Kind of like the saying when you point your finger three more are pointing at you. It has been good for me though, and sure makes me stop and realize how incredibly judgmental I was.

The good news is this was playing Emo pictures and hopefully not a look she plans to stick with long term. If she does, oh well what can I say?

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Creative Days

Teeny has friends coming to visit from the U.S. They will be arriving tomorrow and she is very excited. She has planned their whole itinerary for their time in Costa Rica. Their first visit will be early Sat. morning when they will head to Manual Antonio beach for two days.

They will come home to rest Sunday night and then head up to Monte de la Cruz for a campout Monday night and Tuesday. After a day of rest they will head up to Arenol volcano for a overnight at what we think is one of the most beautiful places on earth!

This will be her first trip as a tour guide and she is very excited and nervous that everything goes well. No matter what it will all be Pura Vida for sure.

The best part for us was all the great cleaning and organizing she has done on her bedroom, it looks great!

Today she took her little sister with her to get the dog her vitamin K shot and they went to have ice cream. They had taken both dogs and while they were at the park the little guy tried to jump up on a wall and knocked himself silly. They were about to head back to the vets place to get him checked, when he finally got his head back on right.

It was a really nice day weather wise and they had a great time hanging out and eating ice cream.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Concentration


The excitement mounts as we prepare for painting the walls! It is amazing that this little girl can get so excited about something we put off and put off! She is already asking when we get to scrub the cabinets!
Today was also the day she announced to all of us officially that she "quit" school. It was funny because she said it kind of quietly first then louder and louder until she was shouting. Her sister gave her high five and she felt like it was o.k.
I still think she was holding out because she thought I really wanted her to go. For the past few days she kept trying on different ideas. She had one idea to go twice a week, only on late school days. Then she said one day a week. And then she finally came around to where she really wanted to be.
This is possibly the first time I have seen her take control and do something she really wanted to do.
Another landmark for has been she is crying now. that has taken six years. The thing she will cry about? When she has to get off the computer. Not the cartoons, not the friends, not go to bed, nah only get off the computer. Excellent!

It started out pretty focused and actually lasted about three walls.

My older daughter has been the family sushi maker. Actually her hubby was the maker, she was just the idea person. He makes great sushi, but since he is in Hondurus we had to make our own. It was a fun adventure and teeny is making it again today with her friend.