National Agriculture Week

About two weeks ago was national agriculture week in Costa Rica. Matthew had to dress up as a typical farmer at school and he finally got to buy some of the rubber work boots that he's always wanted (I'm not kidding). Comes just in time for rainy season and since he always loves to play outside, those boots will come in REAL handy with all the mud, hahahahaha. They also had a mini farmer's market outside their classroom with tables set up to sell vegetables and fruit. His job was to bring a few onions to sell and they all had to bring about 50 cents to "buy" stuff. The proceeds went to fund the classroom. I guess they were able to buy a package of paper towels and one liquid soap from that but hey, you get what you can, right? I never got to see what Matthew bought but he says it was grapes. I believe if he really bought grapes, they would be gone in a heartbeat since he loves them. Interesting that he bought grapes here at a farmer's market when they don't even grow grapes here, they're imported. Oh well, who knows what he really bought.

Last week was "Natural Resource" week where they learned all about the natural resources. They had to each bring a plant in to plant, which they'll do this week and he gets to wear his new boots again. I love how every week is a different theme/topic and they do really fun things at his school http://www.saulcardenascubillo.ed.cr . Even though his teacher Kembly is new and this is her first year teaching her own class (meaning not the internship), I really think she's doing an excellent job. It might even be better because she's full of fresh ideas, not burned out yet and still excited about making a difference in these children's lives. I really like her.



Believe it or not, he is not really "mad" in this picture. He was perfectly happy but when I told him I wanted to take a picutre, he started with this face and then I told him not to make that face. He wanted to make it anyway. He was perfectly happy before and after the picture.....who understands 3 year olds?!?!?!?!?

This was with the kids in his class that were already there once we arrived about 5 or 10 minutes before class. It's only half the class because the microbus had not arrived yet.

This was the week before Agriculture Week. It was National Nutrition Week (Costa Ricans have something for every week, I'm not kidding). I had forgotten to make this costume but had already bought the posterboard. When I went to take him to school that morning and saw others carrying their costumes in, I remembered. I quickly asked the teacher what time the little parade through the school was and she told me about 9am (it was 8am). So I ran home, made it and got it back to the school by 8:35am, whew!!!  I didn't tell her I forgot, just that I would bring it shortly. Yep, good, good times with this Mommy Brain!

Mama, I'm Mad at You

That's what Matthew said to me tonight with his hands on his hips after I turned off his Stuart Little dvd and told him that he had to go to bed. It wasn't a very nice face he gave me either (some of you may know this face). I immediately said, "well, I LOVE you" and he said in a soft sweet voice......"I love you too". I said, "you do, really?" and he nodded his head and smiled. I gave him a hug and layed down on the bed with him hugging him and he was giggling. It's the little things.......

Cerro de la Cruz

"Cerro de la Cruz" is the "Mount of the Cross" in Spanish and we hiked up it today. It is a small mountain in Nicoya with a cross at the very top where you can see all of Nicoya with mountains surrounding and even a view of the gulf of Nicoya way off in the distance. Some of you have been up it with us both by car and on foot but it is no easy hike. Some people have been known to not be able to make it to the top. But, guess what little 3 1/2 year old did?!?!??!?!? Yep, that would be our very own little Matthew. What a trooper!!! Dani carried him up a tiny portion of it but not enough to even be worth mentioning. It took a total of an hour going up and down. Dani did carry him down most of the way, but really????? The hard part is going up and after that, his little legs were just about to collapse. He did SO great! I'm so proud of him. He really didn't fall far from the tree on this one as we love to do exercise and I, especially LOVE to go up Cerro de la Cruz. Matthew has been going to the sports complex with us about 3 or so times a week these days while his grandmother takes care of Julian. He can really keep up! He usually does at least 3, if not more laps around the track on his bicycle with training wheels while we walk and that's more than a kilometer. THEN, we usually kick the soccer ball and not just kick it, usually we're dribbling it around and passing it, etc. THEN, he walks up the bleacher steps with us, up and down, up and down all the way down the bleachers and back again. I am so impressed with this little guy and SO happy that he's active and athletic like we are. Love it!!! And love him too!

Estrellita de la Semana

Matthew is the estrellita de la semana (little star of the week) in his pre-K class this week. I asked him what he was going to be doing with that title this week and he said, "help". Apparently they are the teachers helper get to be in charge of everything. He seems pretty happy about it. He's also singing several songs around the house that he's apparently learning at school and it's pretty cute. One I recognize adn the others, I don't hardly know what he's saying but he sure sings it! It seems like he's geting more into the singing thing and I'm really glad about that. I love singing all the fun children's songs and I've been a little bummed that he's gone through a phase where he doesn't like to do the song thing. Thank goodness he's coming out of that.

Another "habit" (phase, I hope) that he's getting into is saying "oh my God"......well, I didn't realize that I say it that much but apparently I've rubbed off on Dani as well because now that I'm paying attention, he says it too. The funny thing about Matthew saying OMG is that it sounds like "oh my dog" so it kind of makes me chuckle.

Since we're planning to go to Peru at the end of September, I've been looking into the info on getting Julian's "Certificate of Birth Abroad" from the US Embassy so I can get his passport. It looks like I can send all the paperwork via DHL first and then get an appointment where Dani, Julian and I have to go to San Jose (about a 4 hour drive) to pick up the passport and the certificate. That's nice to know because with Matthew, we made the trip twice and with a 4-6 month old, I'd just rather not.

The boys in their plaid.

Julian REALLY thinks he is about to be dropped, lol!

I took this shot from the ground so it looks like he's really high. He's not that high but he's starting to love to climb trees, especially this ficus.



Poor Julian, he gets treated like a rag doll :) Matthew always asks to hold him, I never bring it up, he does. So cute.