Attempting to cook here. Oh, and a trip to the pool!

Cooking here is different. I don't know if it's the altitude, the gas stove, or the fact that I don't have all my normal cooking utensils here. This weekend I made Cincinnati chili, and it was good, but not the same. It was too thick, and too salty. I think the water evaporated too fast? We cooked it exactly the way my mom does, and it was much much different. We had over Carlos' family and everyone had seconds, and there weren't any leftovers so i guess it was a hit, but it just wasn't the same to me! Today, though, was a fail. For lunch me and Johana took a stab at pad thai. It did not go well. Carlos thought it was pretty good, but I was not impressed. We bought all the ingredients even though some of them were slightly different. I guess they were different enough to change the entire course of the meal though :) This is how it usually looks when we make it at home:

this is making my mouth water just looking at it. When all was said and done though, this is what we got :(

There was not nearly enough sauce I guess, and it was not even close to as flavorful as it usually is. Plus the pasta was thinner and cooked faster so it was starting to fall apart a little. It wasn't terrible, but my hopes were high that it would be more like we are used to. But we also had grilled plantains and fresh squeezed limonada (my favorite :)

After lunch we decided to take a trip to the pool since my exhausted kids refused to nap. I thought this would help them get some energy out. It worked :) Unfortunately though, our trip got cut short by rain. The princesses even got to play!

Preschool day 2, and other musings

Well, I'm turning more Colombian every day. This morning I left the house in a sweatshirt and pants because it was chilly. It's 70 degrees. Yea, I know, that's not that hot. But in Cincinnati 70 means that you can shed the layers, not add them :)

Well here I sit again in the clubhouse, sipping my coffee, listening to Latin music that makes me wonder how these people can actually work and not do a Latin dance, looking at Don Quijote paintings, and hoping that Emma is doing well in preschool. This was a more difficult day. Everything was going well, she was playing with the teacher not paying any attention to me, and I was moving toward the door. Then another kid came over to play, and she had her mom with her. Emma decided the teacher was no good, and she wanted me to play. It was a difficult exit to say the least. Thank god Carlos is taking her tomorrow when it's her first "real" day without any parents. I feel good about this though. The teachers are so nice, and they are very understanding of the fact that she doesn't speak Spanish. They try to say as much in English to her as they can.

Oh, and another tidbit, mostly because it will interest my mom- it appears my neighbor is a hoarder.

Lastly, something different here that I am starting to get used to: the public restrooms. Most of the time, even the nice ones don't have seats. And they don't always have toilet paper. Sometimes you have to buy it there, sometimes you have to bring your own.

Finally making this house our home!

This has been a very busy and productive day! We obviously had Emma's first day of school today and since that went so well I was in a good mood and a productive mood too :) my mission this afternoon was to (finally, since it was long overdue) unpack. The kids stuff is all out and in a place. We still need a lot of hangars so a lot of stuff is piled up until we get more hangars and more storage. The closets are built into the wall so they have some drawers built in, but it's not really a dresser. So I may get some more drawers for storage. I found a store that I LOVE that sells that kind of stuff. Most everything is plastic and they sell tons of kid stuff. I am also working on my stuff, but I have a similar problem what with the hangars/ drawers issue.

The finishing touch today was finally putting the cutting board (in the picture) in the kitchen! Thanks, April! Every time I see it, I will remember everyone I left in the US :)

Also, I got a radio app on my phone so I have been listening to Q102 all afternoon! Talk about feeling like I'm back at home!

And don't even get me started about the view! I will never get tired of it :)

We also desperately need to buy more carpets. The floors here are gorgeous but Charlie is so wobbly these days he's falling over all the time and its only a matter of time until he hits his head and really hurts himself. Also we need new crib rails in Charlie's bed. We originally got the ones below, but we didn't realize how short these were so he's sleeping in the pack n play until we can switch them. It will be nice to have him sleeping in the bigger bed bc then when Emma climbs in, there will at least be space for both of them and she won't have to climb on top of him or step on him :)

First day of school!!

Today is Emma's first day of school! I have obviously been a bundle of nerves for the last, oh, 72 hours. We really wanted to get her around other kids, and since we speak English at home we wanted to sure that she was getting enough Spanish exposure and in a way that would also encourage her speech skills. Plus, the preschool is in our complex, so we can just walk her over and be close if she needs us! So far so good I think. Today is a practice day so it's short (2 hours) and parents are allowed to come in and play too. On Wednesday, her first real day, we have to leave her at the door, and not go in. I told Carlos that that was going to be his job :) so we stayed with her about 30 minutes, and when she went into a little room for song time, we snuck out. We just went across the street to the clubhouse where we are chilling and I'm sipping a cafe con leche and reading! Charlie stayed home with Johana while we came here. Thank god for her!!!

I checked on her a little while ago and she was sitting on the floor playing a game with one of her teachers, but she looked like she had been crying :( I just sent Carlos back to check on her and he hasn't come back yet. That could be a bad sign. Oh here he is!!! Apparently she was playing puzzles with one of the teachers and looked happy! They told Carlos that she only cried once while she was playing with some trucks. That was in the room we left her in, so I'm guessing it was when she realized we were gone.

After we finish our coffee, we are going to go peek at her again and then go to the little store here. It's also across the street. I have a feeling it will be a lifesaver for me when the whole thing is open. There is just a small part open now, and they are finishing the rest. We want to see how it's going, and what they have now. Then we will swing back around to see her :) and maybe we will stop by the church too haha. The pictures posted on here of buildings are taken from the clubhouse doorway. One shows the church and the little market is behind it. The other shows Colegio Logos, the school. It has balloons hanging on it. I will update everyone after school is over this morning!

UPDATE: we just got home, and I think that overall school went very well! When we walked over to pick Emma up, she was sitting in one teacher's lap sipping on her drink! When we checked on her before we went to the market she was in the kitchen area eating her snack! (the fact that she was ok without us was nothing compared to the shock that she was actually eating :) she jumped up when she saw me and when I asked if she had fun, she just grinned and said uh huh! I asked if she wanted to go back to play tomorrow and she smiled! Hopefully she will feel the same way tomorrow :)

Getting into the swing of things!

Well we have been here a little over a week! I have to say, I am liking it more than I had expected to! I don't feel completely isolated (yet.. although we still have 7 weeks here :) I know enough Spanish to get by, and it is getting better every day! I had know idea that life in Latin America was so nice! Our helper in the house, Johana, is amazing! She is a really good cook, and has a good eye for detail so the house always looks spotless, and she is great with the kids! I guess her last job was taking care of some kids so she is used to it. Charlie adores her and he follows her around the house all day. Emma is still warming up to her, but she told her "Ciao!" when she left yesterday. So I guess we are making progress :) Another thing I love here is that everyone is so nice! I don't know if we just live in a great area, but everyone is very understanding of the fact that my Spanish is terrible. They try to communicate with me the best they can, and people are always going out of their way to help hold open the door when I am pushing a stroller, or helping to push it up a hill on the walking path here if I am also carrying Emma. Not to mention Carlos' family!! They have been just great, and I am so lucky that we are here with them! His mom has been taking me shopping, and she even flew my mom to Bogota to help her get to the right place and make sure that she got into the right gate!

The place we live is amazing! Even though we don't have a car yet (Hopefully next week!!) I can feel a little independent by walking around the complex, going to the park, or the pool, and one of Emma's favorite pastimes: feeding the fish in the pond! The pool here is pretty much from my dreams. It has a pretty big baby pool that no one really uses! Every time we have gone there is no one there, and maybe one or two kids filter through on their way to the big pool. We would never have gone to the pool at home. First of all, I can't handle two of them in water where they can't reach the bottom. Second, our neighborhood pool in Mason is usually frequented by older adults who don't want to be bothered by kids splashing around when they are trying to relax. This area is so much more kid friendly. We had a great family trip to the pool this morning actually!

Overall, I am so happy that we made the choice to come here. The scenery is amazing, we get to finally hang out with his family, the people here are so friendly and helpful, and the way of life is just so relaxed and comfortable! I am definitely missing my family already, but I know that it will get easier over time and I know that they will love it here too when they come to visit!

Now off to a family dinner date with Ivan and Kristel and the kids!

What I have learned from traveling with kids

The main thing I learned is that you must PACK LIGHT!!!! We took with us 9 checked bags, and two carry on items each. This may not have been bad if the 4 passengers were able to carry their own stuff... But seeing as one person had to carry 6 carry-ons, and push the kids, and one person had to manage the 9 bags, it was complete and utter torture. It woud also have been better if we didn't have to wait for our bags and take them to the hotel at 1 am. That was, by far, the worst part of the trip. My mom and I just stood there with our bags and looked at each other.. Like, um what do we do about this?? Also, it was so late that all the guys who are usually around to help were gone. Thank goodness we were able to have the concierge from the hotel take our bags for us in the morning. That was the turning point in the trip, getting checked in at Miami they took all our bags, no issues, no confusion, we got through security easily, and got to our gate with only about 20 minutes to spare, so we didn't have to wait around forever. Then we got to our seats. OMG. International Business has spoiled me beyond belief. My kids too for that matter! Charlie got to play on the floor!

Emma got to sleep and watch the Lorax on the tablet they loaned her :)

I got mimosas and was able to recline to a completely laying position (even though it was only for long enough to test it out :) My mom got to kind of relax for a little while. Wow am I jealous of her trip home! No kids, no distractions, just relaxation.. It will definitely be nice for her.. My trip home on the other hand. Gulp... It will be just me and the kids. And no more than 30% of the stuff as I am packing very very light for the trip home. I am limiting us to 1 carry on (if possible) and hopefully 2 checked bags, but I guess we will see how that goes. I think that the majority of clothes I brought are summer clothes, and hopefully by the end of September it will be cool enough that we can leave them all here. And our layover in Miami is 3 hours longer than the way here, which will HOPEFULLY end up being 6 hours longer assuming that our flight from Bogota is on time. That will be very nice for sure! We will have time to rest, get

This is my first day alone. My mom left early this morning :'( And it was also Carlos' first full day at work. Just me and the kids, and of course Johana :) To make the day worse, I am getting over being sick, and got way less sleep than I needed. My kids have decided that in Colombia, they are early risers. I guess they were talking to their cousin who wakes up at 6 every morning. So far they haven't slept past 6:19. Ugh. Overall though, the day hasn't been too bad! After breakfast we went for a little walk, fed the fish in the lake, played in the little playground, fed the fish again, came home and now the kids are trying to take a nap.. We will see if that actually happens, so far no luck. We are also having internet issues here. I guess they are coming to figure it out tomorrow so this may not get posted until tomorrow when it gets fixed, but hopefully I will get my sim card today and be able to use data on my phone to post this, as well as get on facebook, and check my emails, etc :) Here is one thing that shocks me every time down here: We get shows in English, with Spanish subtitles. When I have watched reality tv, the same is true.. But they don't bleep out anything down here, so I will be half watching and all of a sudden I hear F bombs flying! I guess now I will need to be careful what I am watching so Emma doesn't pick up any bad habits ;) Well, I need to sit back, enjoy some fresh squeezed limonada, watch some VH1, and get ready for Carlos to get home for so we can eat lunch! At least I get to play with my kids and look at this all day :)

It's going to be a loong night

We are at the airport! We got here with a little bit of time to spare- and we were ready to get to Miami. Unfortunately we are still in Cincinnati and we were supposed to be almost to Miami by now :( our new estimated arrival is 12:17. Ugh. I'm just hoping that the kids will sleep on the plane since its so late. I plan on wearing Charlie in my moby wrap so hopefully he will just snooze. I just hope that since we are so late, they will check our bags all the way to Colombia so we don't have to wait for them and carry everything to the hotel.

Wish me luck- this will probably be a very long night. Hopefully everything will go smoothly leaving miami in the morning!!

Almost time to go!

In 48 hours we will be in Miami, and 1/3 of the way done with our trip to Bucaramanga! We are flying to Miami on Thursday, spending the night there, and then flying to Bogota Friday morning so that we could break the trip up a little. I am getting really excited now! We are getting to the point where things are coming together, and my stress level has come way down since I got a massage today (thanks Mike!!). Packing is about 99% finished, and both my pets have homes (thanks Molly, and Sally!). I have all the toys/snacks the kids need for the trip.. All I have to do is do a quick wrap up of cleaning the house out, and take a creepy book back to Costco! All fun ahead for the most part! Tomorrow morning we are going to see a sweet little 3 week old cutie, and one of my great friends, then finish up with stuff around the house, and a family farewell dinner! Then Thursday going back to the house space bagging Emma's sleeping stuff, and getting to the airport.... I can't believe it is already time to go, I have been planning this for a year, so the fact that it is here is just unbelievable! Fun update: Our A/C is installed in the apartment!! Most places in Colombia don't have A/C, and that was always one of the hardest parts for me when visiting since I like it cool inside. Also, Carlos has been car shopping.. I had been SOOO against this since cars there are so expensive and public transportation is really good. Apparently though, being American and speaking in English will put a target on us. So I guess we will be car owners! Ok, well off to bed! Two more nights to spend with my snuggly puggly :( Mr. Jinx's new home!

8 days until wheels up

I already wrote my first post, but for some reason, I can't see it anymore. So here I sit, mask on face, martini in hand, Kardashians on in the background, pup laying at my side, and here we go with take two! So, as most people who know me know- our family is in the proces of embarking on a journey that will be taking us to Colombia. We are easing into it and me and the kids are staying for two months at first then coming back to the US. We leave in 8 days, so the countdown is definitely on. I have myself pretty much ready to go, but I still need to pack the kids, and get some leftover stuff done. It is mostly just getting my head around what is about to happen! I have always lived in the suburbs in the midwest, so not only have I not lived in a city environment, I have also never lived in another country much less one that doesn't speak English. gulp. So here are the things that I am looking forward to:Being reunited with my hubby!!!! {who has been down there for 2 weeks already}Eating lunch together most every dayFinally getting the chance to spend quality time with my in-lawslearning about the culture LEARNING THE LANGUAGE!!!not having to cook or clean anymore :) Things that I am worried about: learning the language! I will be lost in translation for a while, while I remember all the Spanish that i have forgotten. The trip down there. My kids have never flown before, and at 2 1/2 and 10 months, I am really dreading the trip on behalf of my cabin mates. I think my older one will be ok. She is easily distracted by movies. Charlie on the other hand.... oy vey. He is so active, and always wants to move around. And he's riding on my lap. ugh. I hope he will sleep since at least the international portion is during his usual naptime. Anyone who has tis for flying with an almost 1 year old- I would LOVE to hear them!! Leaving my cat. I got him 8 years ago, and now he needs to find a new home. He won't be travelling with us, and since he's getting old, and is set in his ways, I don't want to bounce him back and forth every time we come and go :( It will be so sad to get rid of him, but I know that it is the best thing for him. Ok, well I have a stuffy nosed, crying toddler pulling on me, so I guess that wraps up this session. Until later!