Home at last!

Never have 5 people been so happy to see each other again! Crazy tickling (Pollo and Chicken Nugget- not AMP and I, of course) and screaming and hugging ensued in the middle of the airport!

So happy to be home, spending a lazy Saturday together - all 5 Chickens together!

Colombian Style

The spider has passed on, and we haven't seen any friends or family, so life moves on. However, we are going on day 3 of sporadic to no water service to the entire neighborhood- and Pollo and I missed the sporadic part of the service since we are at the US Embassy. So all our housemates are desperately keeping their fingers crossed that the service is on tomorrow and that the two of us can take showers.

It is a Colombian Soccer team. Apparently, a giant red devil with a pitchfork labeled American, is a great and historic logo for a famous soccer team out of Cali, so my Anti-american kidnap fears in the cab were slightly unfounded.

We ate roasted chicken today Colombian style- with giant plastic gloves. I had seen a small child doing this in the cafeteria in Barranquilla, and had assumed until today that she was allergic to Chicken skin oils, or something else bizarre, because seriously, who eats chicken wearing gloves (though I must say after trying it, it is very sanitary)? Apparently it is the must do down here - and no, this is not me, or even the people sitting next to us. We didn't have the camera with us (it is banned from the Embassy) so Google is helping me out in the visual imagery department. Have you ever googled "people eating chicken with plastic gloves"?

Pollo is US visa approved (but we don't have it in hand yet) as of 11:40 am today. We waited outside of the US Embassy in a sort of permanent tent for the whole process. Apparently, we are not paying enough taxes for walls.

The Spider and the Devil

And the spider was not dead. Because when I got up this morning and turned on the water, he leapt out of the drain. I re-drowned him. Please pray that he has gone to the watery beyond of the Bogota sewer, and there is no repeat tomorrow.

But this was not a sign of bad things to come, because the day was successful. Despite taking the longest time ever at both the passport office and the visa doctor (legitimately the agent said it was the longest she had ever waited at both places, and she has been doing this a while), we are now in proud possession of a Colombian passport, and a completed medical exit form. Keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow - we are off to visit the Americans, and hopefully secure a visa.

And my tiger of yesterday was a perfect lamb today. Pollo just finished Day 2 of no nap and lots of waiting, and driving. And he is seriously a trouper - we only had to threaten to take away Good Night Moon twice!

I leave you with this. Would it make you feel comfortable if your cab driver had not 1, but 2 of these stickers on his dashboard? I have some hopes that it is a Colombian B league soccer team we know nothing about, but the Ultimate Chicken of course went to the dark side of kidnap phobia for a few brief moments today.

What goes up, now must come down

Pollo and I conquered Monserrate today. Monserrate is one of the taller mountains surrounding Bogota, and on top of it is a church that was built in 1657. People have been making pilgrimages up the mountain to the church for over 300 years, plus the views of the city are stupendous from up there.

I had made the bold statement that we were going yesterday to the other members of the guesthouse...before I really knew what all was involved. It just sounded cool and I wanted to take some good pictures of Bogota, what could be wrong with that. I then realized as I was looking at the website last night, that it was a really tall mountain. Apparently, the only way up is either a funny little train or a cable car. Did I mention that this Chicken has real issues with heights? Like serious issues with heights. Here is hoping that funny little train was running, because I don't do cable cars - seriously, who does?

Jouney starts at the base of the mountain with our friend the Llama

This is the concerned smile before the hysteria set in

Smile returns immediately upon entering the Funicular (the train up the mountain)
Mommy is also smiling broadly - cable car averted!

View from the Funicular down to the station

Snack at the top before we climb

Now we aren't even taking pictures of the views, we are just being silly!

And then we were hungry, or rather Mommy was, since Pollo had the whole packet of crackers

Yes, that is a whole chicken she is cutting up - lunch for the couple sitting behind us

You are looking at fried whole potatoes (sick good!! will be recreated at home) eaten with a toothpick, a dry arepa, and the best corn on the cob ever (which will be sacriledge to my husband who was born on a corn farm - my sincerest apologies to my dear in-laws) but imagine a cross between corn on the cob and popcorn, dripping with butter and salt.

And now we are tired, and it is almost 1:30 and it is time to go back to the guesthouse. Pollo doesn't not ever want to walk, he wants to be pushed in red stroller, or carried, and the majority of the few fits he has thrown at me revolve around this issue of walking. I have carried him up part of the mountain, but now we walk back down the mountain to the train station and he does fine (it is so steep, he is practically rolling). We reach the doors of the station - securely locked and gated doors. Yes, my funny little train only runs in the morning.
Only other options down: walk down the 10,000 foot mountain path....or take the cable car. Little red stroller is at home, and Pollo is standing at my feet, saying "up pease!" So I carry him back up the mountain, part way, put him down, wait for the fit to subside, and then continue on to the cable car, all the while reminding myself of what AMP always says, "They (the children) can smell fear." Here is a picture of the cable car:

AMP actually had the audacity to ask where the pictures where that I took from the car itself? Is he insane? I was frantically clutching Pollo in one arm, the pole in the other hand, and desperately making conversation with a tourist from San Francisco to distract myself. So we conquered the mountain, and I conquered the cable car. I think we will stick with the boring old art museum tomorrow.

The Culture of Froggyland

Today I realized two things, (maybe I already knew them, but I got a refresher today):

• I have entered Mom-culture. I majored in Anthropology in college, and love history and museums and seeing new and different places. So yesterday, I arrived in the capital city of a country that I have never been to, a capital city of country that has an amazing amount of history, a truly fascinating culture, and tons of museums and sights to see. Old Chicken, pre 2007 Chicken, pre-children Chicken, would have been going from dusk to dawn, snapping pictures, and taking tours - just soaking it all up. Today, we went to Froggyland. Followed by a trip to the grocery store for lunch and you guessed it, more Corn Flakes. And then I skyped with my husband for an hour while my son napped. And not a bad day at all - particularly because I ate a ham and cheese wrapped hot dog (hello) instead of those Corn Flakes! Tomorrow, I am shooting for some culture, or at least a photo op that isn't out of the window of the cab. Opinion is out on whether or not that will be okay with my 3 year old, but Mamma is going to try.
  

• I am now in Boy- Culture. This was never more apparent than in Froggyland. Froggyland is a basically one gigantic room filled with 5 of the biggest bounce houses I have ever seen. And then tucked in one tiny corner, was a little kid section with a motorized train that went in a circle - a very small, slow circle. Mommy had to do a lot of train and track maintenance, but Pollo got to drive a "choo-choo tain" for an hour and a half. I don't know if the the train or the plane was more exciting, but that boy loves planes, trains and automobiles. A very welcome addition to the current Princess explosion going on at our house. My littlest girl, can identify every Princess by name, and she isn't 2 for another month - makes you wonder that they trusted us with another one to corrupt!

PS. In no way was Froggyland similar to the ball pit experience, where I caught the Waka Waka - this place was clean, and seemingly Shakira virus free.

Good Vibes in Bogota

Fabulous day today just relaxing at our new guesthouse, Betty's Place, here in Bogota. We went to the mall to buy some warmer clothes (it is like 50 degrees here!) and for the first time in 5 weeks, the atm decided to let me have some of my money!! Then I just found a copy of the book that I accidentally left on the airplane last month - it was on the bookshelf here, just waiting to be finished. Most amazing of all, I found out I could book our tickets home for next Thursday. I decided to give a day cushion and change my flight from Tuesday to Friday, and to book Pollo's one way ticket home. I called Continental, dreading trying to deal with an airline. When she told me Pollo's ticket would be over $1400, you can imagine my thoughts toward said airline. But as we sat there brainstorming, the Continental lady said, "Well, maybe you have some America Express points?" and 20 minutes later, Pollo had a free ticket, thanks the big brain and the big heart of Veronica at Continental. So get ready America, Pollo hits the States next Friday night!

Up

Guess who took this picture? We are on our first airplane flight ever, and we are SO excited!! Particularly about the pilots and not as much about the seatbelt. We are on our way to Bogota to finish out the wait to come home-probably another week and half until plane number 2 home! He, unlike Chicken Little on her first flight, was a perfect flyer.

The only tortuous thing was that, on the way out of the airport I saw Paradise-or my first opportunity for a real cup of coffee in 5 weeks- you can call it either one. Unfortunately, I was pushing a stroller, managing three carry on bags, and trying to "keep my pants off the ground"( this was accomplished by pushing the stroller with one hand and keeping the other hand in my pocket -my children have really been stealing all of my food!), so there was no fulfillment of my DD fantasy tonight. Seriously, 9 mornings out of 10, I have found shreds of paper in my morning coffee, and on top of that, it just tastes....not right. I found out that all the good coffee is exported, probably to the DD by my house. So drink up your fine Colombian coffee-and save a cup for me - I will be home soon!

Summer of '10

The Summer of '10 has been a little....different from all our other summers. We didn't make it once to the beach at home, and we only had two cookouts at the B and the D's pool, which is highly disappointing (but the ones we had were not to be missed! ). We missed some friend's birthdays, and we missed out on some lazy fun days just hanging out together. However, we did get to see family and friends in Missouri over the 4th and had a truly amazing time with everyone, particularly meeting our new nephew. AMP and I also had a blast on our whirlwind anniversary trip celebrating 10 crazy years together. Of course the biggest highlight is that little boy still awake on the other side of the room! But I will say that the following statistics make me slightly exhausted:

• 13 hotel rooms
• Confusing number of airports and flights, (I lost count somewhere in the mid 20's) considering how many times AMP and I managed to get left behind!
• 15 packings and 15 unpackings,and 2 more still on the way
• 57 of the last 96 nights spent somewhere other than my own house

*I have time to count all this up, because what else am I going to do while I am sitting in dead silence in the 13th darkened hotel room, hoping desperately that he will fall asleep!

And so, on this final weekend of the summer, the deChicken clan is still scattered around. Momma and Pollo are of course still waiting in South America, Chicken Little and Chicken Nugget are happily having a reunion/sleepover with their besties at home, and Papi is mainlining Mountain Dew at home, craziedly working on a Chemistry proposal, with a little College Football in the background. Here's to high hopes for a slow and boring fall, with no packing and unpacking, and to the Summer of '11 - may we relax and enjoy introducing Pollo to all the joys of home!

Tigers, Churches, and Wedding Proposals

On Monday morning when I woke, facing this week with no idea how to keep my little man busy. So, I gathered my courage and decided that we were going to zoo. No translator, no guide, the two of us were getting in a cab and going. So we went. And we had the place practically to ourselves and it was fabulous! His two favorites, the tigers and the ostriches. The two of us must have stood in front of the ostriches for 25 minutes, and he would not let me move for anything - the boy was entranced. Today at lunch he once again demonstrated to me how the bird was cleaning it's belly feathers - he just thought that was hysterical. I thought it was yet another example (like going to the circus when you are an adult) of how some things that were cool and awesome when you were a kid, are just plain creepy and gross when you are an adult.

Tuesday rolled around, and we had some medical test set up for early in the morning. At least we thought we did, but apparently we didn't. Let's just say that by 10:30, Pollo hadn't eaten yet, had been poked and prodded endlessly (they couldn't find the poor little guy's veins) and we had made two full circles from the lab to the doctor's office, to the hotel, back to the doctor's office and then to the lab, all without his favorite little red stroller. We would just right Tuesday off right now, except for the fact that we got to see the famous Cathedral in his city, and while the outside is less than impressive, the inside is amazing. And the coolest part, is that Mass was going on in a side chapel, and Pollo wanted to go. Our friend (guide) was with us, and during one of the repeating/reciting/prayer parts (this is only the third Mass I have ever even seen a portion of, so I don't really know), she leaned down to say it with him, and he knew it. The boy had definitely been to church before, which explains why he was so good on Sunday at church with me, and could explain the prayer obsession. So Tuesday wasn't a complete write off, after we all had a chance to nap and calm down.

Wednesday was less eventful. The plan was just to ride the new city bus to end of route and back, so we could see the city. Sounded like a good idea, and was nice to see a new section of the city, but a three year old on a bus for an hour and forty five minutes? The boy loves any motorized vehicle, but today, when we were walking back to the lab to check on the lab results, we passed in the direction of the bus station, and he started chanting over and over, "No quiero bus" (I don't want the bus)- we may have traumatized the boy in our quest to see the new and expanding part of Barranquilla.

Today, Chicken Little started Kindergarten. She looked adorable to me (on Skype, so sad I wasn't there, I can't really talk about it), and apparently to some of the little guys in her class as well. The very first thing she told me when I asked her how her day was today was, "Mommy, some of the boys were trying to get me,....and they said they wanted to marry me!" She tried to act shy about this, but knowing her as I do, I am not convinced that she didn't propose first!

Keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow. There is a chance (still a chance) I may have good news tomorrow. Will keep you posted.

PS - Notice, Chicken Nugget also had to join the backpack fun!

Chicken on the other side road

Imagine a major New York city street, at night. Now imagine that there are no crosswalks, no stop signs, no stop lights, no police directing traffic, and you are in front of the emergency room entrance of a hospital. And there is just the ambient glow from the roadside food stands and restaurants, no street lights. That would be the spot where Pollo and I decided to cross the road tonight. Why did the Chicken cross the road at this particular juncture? Why, to get food, of course. But once on the other side, after collecting her food surprise to go (I honestly had no idea what was in the bag until we got back to the room and was pleasantly surprised that it was everything I ordered), the Chicken now had to cross back to the other side. Thank God for two nice strangers, a slow motorcycle, and a giant city bus. Without their traffic direction and help, the little red stroller would still be frozen on the side of Calle 70.

Three Chickens fly the Coop

They are off! There were some tears, (only Mommy and Chicken Nugget made it through that hurdle unscathed), and a lot of frantic packing and resorting, but AMP, Chicken Little and Chicken Nugget should be arriving in Bogota soon to catch their midnight flight home - who's jealous of AMP? By himself, with two small children, who blatantly refused to take their naps this afternoon, on an 18 hour journey home that involves 4 airports, 3 planes, 2 carryons and 1 princess backpack, not to mention customs, and that 12 am flight departure. I think I got the easy part of this whole deal. Pollo and I are all cozied up in our massive, new hotel room after a great meal and an adventure-filled evening (more on that tomorrow).

We had one hang-up, and that was, Where, Oh Where, do you turn on the water for the bathtub? We both searched and pondered on this question for a good 10 minutes at bathtime tonight, both of us even peeking down a little dark cubbyhole under the whirlpool tub, ( I feel certain more than a lizard calls that place home). Finally, I made Pollo put his clothes back on, and we trooped downstairs. No English is spoken at the desk tonight - how does one explain this problem?

Me: "No agua in bano."

Blank stare

Me: Pantomining shower (this involved lots of happy fingers making fake sprinkles), and all while saying "No" and shaking my head. Then I followed up with a sweeping long vertical motion with both arms, and saying "bathtub" very slowly (I am sure that part helped).

Now that everyone was clear that we were speaking about the tub, I used Karate Kid wax on, wax off motions while shaking my head no emphatically, to indicate there were no knobs to turn on the tub - perfectly clear, right?

I am pretty sure the nervous little fellow who followed me upstairs tonight while muttering "bano" to all his colleagues, was quite certain that I either wanted a bath drawn (American Princess), or had broken the toilet (I hope not to jinx myself on this one).

PS - there is just a knob in the shower that makes the knobs in shower run the bath - obviously!

Forth and Back

We are back in Barranquilla. After AMP and Pollo made the forth and back trip yesterday (yes, AMP is insisting that the phrase should be "forth and back" instead of "back and forth". I am insisting that he is a nerd, and he might need a timeout from NPR). We all piled in the van this morning and left Cartagena Bliss and headed back up the Caribbean coastline to Barranquilla to begin Phase 3 (the waiting game).

We drove right pass the the public restroom where there was an incident on the way down. No details, but let's just say, I did might have "broken" something (yes Jo, I have a problem), and then rushed out and jumped in the car. The driver kept saying something to me "spanish, spanish, spanish," so I responded "Si". Always a safe answer, and I needed him to drive away before I was discovered. As we pulled away, AMP said, "You really gave them money, because that is what he is asking you?" Of course, I didn't! So, not only did I "break" and run, but I didn't pay. I slid down in the seat a little as we drove back by today, and fortunately no one in the bus had to stop to use the restroom, or I might have been busted!

One sign we are in Barranquilla - When we dropping our bags in the room after checking in, I hear a shout. Guess who's back? New hotel, new pet lizard. We are definitely back from forth.

*Please admire AMP's blurry picture of Lizard Pet #2, it took some amazing calisthentics to get this close.

Feliz Cumpleanos Pollo!

Party Checklist - for the birthday celebration of your precious 3 year old son, whom you have only known 3 weeks, but of course you want to make it special.

• Transportation to festivities - It is literally down the street we are on, but too far to walk. So, we all pile in a taxi to go to "McDonald's". It is massive, possibly the largest one I have ever seen, so I thought there would be no trouble directing the cabbie to the restaurant. Wrong. Apparently, AMP and I have ridiculous accents, and when we speak English words, that translate directly to Spanish - complete incomprehension ensues. "Hilton" has been a nightmare, until just yesterday when I figured out to say "Heel-ton" and the cabbie got it right away, the very first time. "McDonald's" was just not happening for any of us, as we started to go the wrong way down a one way street. Lightbulb turns on, and I dragged out a Magna Doodle, and AMP wrote, "McDonald's" on it. He shouts, "Oh, McDonalds" clear as day, and away we go.


• Party Setup - Children play happily in the giant playground while I set up the stuff and arrange the food as AMP brings it over. All is well until I, in one fell swoop, knock over all three of the kids drinks on the floor. Chicken Nuggets repeats the trick during the meal, but of course, that was only 1 cup. So of the 4 drinks the poor girl had to clean up around us, it was Mommy - 3, Chicken Nugget -1.


• Menu - McDonald's is an obvious choice for an red-blooded American child, but our red-blooded Colombian child didn't touch the hamburger, the fries, or even the amazing chips- ahoy ice cream thingy that the rest of us devoured. (A petition should be started immediately to add that to the American menu! ) He only drank the apple juice, that somehow turned out to be apple soda.


• Party Hats - AMP and I realized about 10 minutes into lunch, that only he and I were wearing the hats, and were eliciting some quite strange looks, which isn't unusual, but we both decided to ditch the hats immediatly.


• Happy Birthday Balloons - Resounding success. Every child that entered that McDonald's playyard took home a balloon, whether their parents wanted them to or not, and then of course, I started to have some ideas (AMP classified them as paranoid, but I beg to differ) that we needed to make sure that all balloons got out of the upper playyard, because you know that a child might bite a balloon, pop it and then choke, (that is what they told me at the dentists office) and what about latex allergies? (AMP's point on the development of latex allergies only after long exposure and primarily in the medical field, thus probably precluding children under the age of 3, was a point well taken)


• Toy Story Book with both English and Spanish storyline and sound effects- Last minute addition from the "Heelton" bookstore, but best gift ever in Pollo's opinion, and quite possibly the loudest. The cellophane that it was wrapped in was actually only being used as a buffer to block the tremendous sound of speakers on the side. No parent in their right mind would buy it after hearing the unwrapped version.


• Buzz Lightyear figurine - Carefully selected and trucked down here as the present of choice, despite some parental misgivings that it was marked down at Target for a reason. Buzz is now safely tucked in with sleeping Pollo, but unfortunately, Buzz is still shouting intermittently, "I am Buzz Lightyear, I come in peace."

*His actual birthday is tomorrow, but we had scheduling conflicts in our terribly busy daily schedule, of beach, pool, eat, sleep, pool, eat, bathe, and big sleep. No, seriously, of all days, tomorrow was the day that he has doctor's appt scheduled with his regular peditrician, in Barranquilla. So today, we partied like it was the 26th!

Embracing the Carribean

Yesterday, we got Chicken Little's hair braided on the beach. While I was sitting there, watching the process and waiting for AMP to return with money for the braids and for the Cokes we drank on the beach, I ended up getting swindled into a massage. Somehow, a "No, no, that is fine," translated to start massaging my feet, and ended up with Mommy flat on her stomach, being massaged by two women head to toe, and keeping one peep eye on my child. They kept saying "much stress" and shaking their heads with a concerned look on their face. Seriously? I am laying in the Carribbean with a Coke in one hand, getting a massage, and I don't have to do Chicken Little's hair for a month? Trust me people, this is the way to spend maternity leave!

What goes down, must come back up

We have done some crazy stuff before. Usually, it involves AMP saying, "Let's do....." and blindly charging ahead. Being the chicken in the family, I scramble along behind, thinking "This might not be a good idea??" and trying not to be scared. I generally prove myself to be tougher than AMP thinks I ever could be, and of course I love all the opportunities to prove his low expectations of my "toughness" wrong - just love 'em. Yesterday might go down as the prime example of this scenario. We wake up with one more day in Old City Cartagena, and it is AMP's birthday. So, I say, "Whatever you want to do, totally fine!" Famous last words.

He decides that we should all visit Castille de San Felipe, the fort on a hill that was built to protect Cartagena after everybody kept ransacking it and taking all the gold. As he gathered the strollers and the children and the sunscreen, I tentatively asked, "Do you think there are stairs? Like a lot of stairs?" I trailed off as I saw the "Toughen up" look go across his face, and we all piled into a cab. As we arrived, my inner monologue sounded something like this (a little edited for my more sensitive readers):

"Dear god! That is huge"

Quick glance at AMP, who is happily buying tickets and fending off hat vendors - He doesn't look scared. I start frantically applying sunscreen to all three children. Please remember that it feels like 100 degrees in the shade, and there is no shade available....yet.

We charge up the hill,which turns out to be a series of ramps up. I trudge along behind extremely proud of myself for not huffing and puffing. We get about half way up to the top, and are stopped by a man who is starting a small tour in English. We join the group, and he mutters something, about pirates and soldiers, and 2500 meters of tunnels running under and through the fort. That sounds cool....until he charges down one of these tunnels, and everybody follows fearlessly, including AMP with Pollo in one stroller, and of course, Chicken Little is at the front of the group, already disappearing around a turn. So, I collect myself, pop a wheelie to get down the stairs, and calmly push Chicken Nugget into the dark.

Imagine if you will, a small dark tunnel, no higher than your husband's bald head, covered with mold, and more humid than outside, because somewhere, about 525 feet below you, is the sea. There is a nice brick floor, but it is kind of slick, with all the humidity, and after 350 years of use.
So we walk along these dank little tunnels and see where the soldiers slept, and then we go to see how they escaped if the pirates ever got in the fort. I turn the corner with Chicken Nugget's stroller and see the most narrow, vertical tunnel you can imagine going down that doesn't require a rope or a ladder. It is so narrow I can't stretch out my arms without my elbows scraping the sides of the wall (this actually works to my advantage later).

"No."

But, AMP has already charged down with Pollo and Chicken Little is already at the bottom, so I took a deep breath and start the slide down.

"At least this is the worst of it"

It wasn't, because at the end of this tunnel, was another tunnel, equally steep, and quite long. And then another, .....and of course, then another. By this point, there is some very sketchy water swirling around our feet - Did I mention I was in wooden soled flip flops - great for traction! Thank god the Steve Madden label on the sole came off half way down, the stickiness was the only thing holding my right shoe on the whole way up.

We stopped only when the guide said "From here on you have to swim." I realized then - it was the escape by sea route that we were exploring with our strollers, and I now found myself 1 meter below sea level. Not sure when that happened, but probably sometime during our Indiana Jones style descent in the belly of the fort. Just as a note, the thin blue tube at our feet was pumping out the sea water so the tunnel we were in wouldn't flood to our necks. Then, to top it all off, 2 shirtless workers with flashlights arrive from further below in the tunnel where they are repairing a leak.

"About face! Where is the elevator up?

But alas, it was back up the 45 degree angle tunnels. I almost decided to take a new job, join the workmen and stay down there, but there was Chicken Nugget, staring up at me so sweetly, so... I started to climb. A very nice, retired gentlemen offered to go behind me to make sure and break my fall - he got a stupendous view as I pushed that stroller up those 4 tunnels. The wheels kept jamming on the sides of the tunnel, and at one point it was so slick, that if I hadn't quickly thrown my elbows out to the side, we would have both taken out that nice, retired gentleman. AMP kept calling back, "How are you doing?" I very politely said nothing, as I couldn't breathe, much less talk. My inner monologue at this point can not be repeated.


I got serious kudos from the entire group when Chicken Nugget, the nice, retired gentleman and I emerged from the dark. But this is my advice. Never take your 3 children and 2 strollers to explore 300+ year old tunnels to the sea in a developing country. Not unless you want to have 50 people ask to take your picture on the way out- "Look at the stupid gringo who took her baby into those creepy tunnels!"

Paradise in Hades

It truly is amazing here- if anyone gets a chance, you have to visit. We explored and wandered today, with our two strollers and our other child begging for a stroller or even a back ride most of the day. The cobblestone streets, the balconies with the bougainvillea, the brightly painted houses, it is simply paradise. However, it is hot as hell in this paradise. Lonely Planet on weather, and I quote: "It's so hot here, the homeless often beg for not for money, but for limeade. Temperatures usually hover around Hades, but the sopping wet humidity is the real killer." So we took Lonely Planet's advice and siested with the chicks from 1:30 to 4:30, after we got ripped off at Hard Rock. I know it is touristy and seriously a joke with prices, but honestly, AMP would have gladly given the shirt off of his back for a small taste of America, so we paid for it and enjoyed every minute of it. Then tonight we ate local, and indulged the homeless drink of choice. We ordered a round of jugos and limeades for the whole family. Given the cup it came in, AMP and I both preemptively lunged at the cups to taste test (our kids are crazy enough without being drunk!) but it was fine and ridiculously good. And of course, AMP didn't quite beat Chicken Little, she definitely got to that drink first! After spending a hard day of chasing pigeons, banging her knee on a the wall of the fort (she weaseled a stroller ride out of that one) and sporting a sweat mustache for hours, she deserved whatever was in that drink!

AMP

I was jealous of a little girl today. She was sitting on the edge of the big pool and her grandfather(?) had just handed her a cup of chocolate ice cream with a cookie in it. She sat there peacefully enjoying her sundae in the sun, while I flailed after my children and tried to convince them that the granola bars I brought to this country from Target where as great as the ice cream sundaes floating around us. Oh wait. My kids didn't even notice - that was me I was trying to convince. I tried not to stare, but like we have talked about - there has been a lot of Corn Flakes, and a lot of children eating Mommy's food. I did finally stop staring at the little girl (she might have been getting a little uncomfortable) and took my little Pollo to the bathroom, again. I saw AMP a minute later, and justed blurted out something random about yummy chocolate ice cream and a little girl, and then we scattered like the wind to collect and control the ninos.
10 hours later, we are sitting here quietly in the room while the kids sleep, and I of course request that he make his nightly trip up to the lounge to smuggle us some Coke Zero for our Mad Men party that is about to start. A few minutes later, I opened the door to AMP and this:


Now I don't have to be insanely jealous of any little nine year old girls tomorrow at the pool.

Pollo Update: Tonight, he feel asleep with Sissy. No rocking, no crying, no nothing. Just climbed in bed with Sissy and then after comforter negotiations ended, they fell asleep. I am beyond stunned - I was prepping myself for another year of bedtime wars and night- night strategic planning like we had with Chicken Little. I don't want to jinx us, but this could be something!

OCD Pollo

They warn you in adoption classes, and in your homestudy, and in every book, and on every website that in the child's transition process into a family, different behaviors can occur. Everything from hoarding food, to catatonic states, to abject screaming....there are lists a mile long with really legitimate reactions to joining a new, and sometimes (in our case) very strange family. We were concerned for a while that Pollo was OCD about washing his hands, and with flushing the toilet, until we remembered that Chicken Little did this exact same thing. Okay, maybe AMP said it as a joke on day 3 after his 15th trip to the bathroom that morning with Pollo, and being the slightly paranoid person that I am, I started looking up OCD in adoption, until AMP busted me - always be sure to close your search windows when you are done with them. Anyway, we both agree now that Pollo is OCD, but it isn't about washing his hands, or flushing the toilet. Like I mentioned earlier - he is obsessed with praying. However, it has reached an epidemic state as of today. Tonight, at the Guadelupan Lady Mexican restaurant, we practically had to stop between each chip to pray - Chicken Little kept complaining "I don't want to pray anymore!". Once this morning, in the pool, he started throwing a complete fit because we couldn't understand what he wanted to do. We went through the list: bano, eat, play in Chicken Little's big girl pool, even go down the water slide with Papi, until AMP realized he wanted to pray again? So there, in the baby ball pool, we all joined hands (a must), closed our eyes, and blessed the agua and all the people around us - and commenced with a resounding "ah-men"!

Signs that you are just Plain Fancy!

• Upgrading from slimy Ball Pit to pint-sized Ball Pool. Same balls, totally different experience - at least for AMP and I it was. The wee ones might not have noticed the difference at all.

• Eating breakfast in the Executive Class Lounge - so fancy and even free! Until one of your flip-flops breaks and you must limp out of the lounge in a very non-fancy, barefoot way.

• Meeting a Very Important Person who worked (high-up) for both Tele Mundo and a former Mayor of New York City and discussing the fabulousness of NYC's Upper West Side with her for half and hour, then excusing yourself to take your children to the bathroom, only to stare in the mirror and see mascara dripping and smeared all around your eyes, and your hair, literally standing on end - seriously, how does one "swim pretty"?

• Relaxing in the same Executive Lounge with your oldest child, both drinking sodas (bad mommy), eating cookies (bad mommy!) and playing on the Ipad and Ipod respectively - so fancy again! AMP and two little ones awake from nap and come up to join you for more cookies (double bad mommy!!) - fancyness all around!Until, on your way out, one of the hotel staff hands you the VIP's card from above, and they say "she asked me to give this to you." Neither the staff person nor the VIP knew either your name, or even your room number - and you are staying in a 10-story resort. Your family definitely doesn't stand out at all!
  

Here is a Coke Zero (that is all we can drink down here - AMP is DYING for a Mountain Dew -so very fancy!) toast to being not a bit fancy, having an extremely "conspicuous family", and loving every single minute of it!!!