Consular Report of Birth Abroad

 Yesterday we went to San Jose to the US Embassy to apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad for Julian. In order to get his US citizenship, we have to go there to report his birth in a foreign country. There are many requisites including proof of my living in the US for at least five years after my 14th birthday (high school transcripts and social security reportings work for that), a letter from the hospital with the basic details of the birth, stating all the dates of which I have been outside the US in my life and where (which is A LOT of work) etc. It's all worth it though. In about 10-15 days we should have his Birth Abroad certificate and his US passport. I will officially have two Gringo Ticos by law with dual citizenship.

We had to leave around 4:45am in order to get the Embassy by our 8:15am appointment and we out of there by 9am. I LOVE how efficient the US Embassy is! Anyway, after that we had to go get Dani's tourist Visa from the Peruvian Embassy for us all to travel there at the end of September. Costa Ricans need a tourist visa but for Matthew, Julian and I, we're good with just the US passport. After the Embassies, we ran a few more errands and ended up eating lunch at Outback Steakhouse which made me pretty happy. Julian was a trooper the whole day but since he's easily distracted when nursing and we usually only do it in my room in the rocking chair, he didn't nurse well at all. He's always looking all around behind him, to the sides and at the ceiling. I guess in Peru he'll just have to get used to it because we'll be there a week. Since he wasn't nursing hardly at all, he tried some new foods! Don't judge me too harshly but he tried Ritz crackers (pre softened by me) and french fries and Alice Springs chicken at Outback. The chicken did not include the cheese, bacon and mushrooms that come on that though. He had a pretty good time with it all. After lunch we went to a place called Atenas ("Athens" in Spanish which is ironic since Dani's father is from there and both my parents are from Athens, GA) to visit some family on our way back. We had a good visit and Julian was great and even held by many people he doesn't know (which is iffy these days if he'll let them do that). Finally we got home around 7:30pm.

Matthew had stayed all day with my friend Lisa. Lisa spent the night the night before, got him ready and took him to school in the morning and picked him up at 3pm. Three days a week Matthew does afterschool activities like going to the sports complex in Nicoya, arts and crafts and science experiments. He seems to really like it. After 3pm, he played all afternoon until his grandmother arrived around 6pm to take over. I think he really enjoyed the whole day and did really well. I'm so proud of both my boys. They are so awesome!!!