Culture Day!

Yesterday was Culture Day in Costa Rica and at Matthew and Julian's school, they drew names to see which continent each class would represent and then individually, which country each student would represent. The children had to dress up in traditional dress from that country and take a traditional dish as well to share with the class. Well, Julian's class got Asia and Julian got Japan. Matthew's class got Africa and Matthew got Nigeria. Personally I love this kind of stuff so as soon as I found out, I started googling and trying to figure out what the traditional dress was like for boys in both those countries. I found lots of pictures and then chose the ones I liked and that were easiest to make and got started! I got a sewing machine for a "baby" present when Julian was born from my parents and both their spouses (thanks y'all!) and am always looking for a great way to use it. I had such fun creating these outfits and looking on youtube on how to sew them, that I can't even explain. I am a master at the sewing machine now and I can now thread the machine with my eyes closed in 2 seconds flat. It used to be so hard for me and frustrating but I got it down now! I don't know why it was hard before because it's really simple. At school, they dedicated the whole morning to learning and sharing about other countries during a big school wide assembly and later back to the classrooms to try the traditional foods.

Of course when Julian got Japan I immediately thought SUSHI! since I make it from time to time here at the house anyway. Obviously I wasn't going to put raw fish and no matter what I put, I really didn't expect them to really eat it. The teacher said it was more to represent the country and not necessarily that they were going to eat all that. So, I made sushi rolls with avocado, cucumber and a typical fresh white cheese from Costa Rica. I don't know if they ate any of it, but that's what I sent! Then, for Matthew, I researched typical Nigerian recipes and found this simple one called Shuku Shuku which are baked coconut balls that taste just like coconut cookies. They were great and I don't even like coconut cookies that much. So Matthew took those and they were a hit! I had so much fun doing all this and can't wait to use my sewing machine again. I am going to have to make some other things like simple skirts and stuff just to stay into it.

This was the dress rehearsal and the sleeves on Julian's are too long and the neck was too big.

I'm waiting on some pictures that some others took from school. This was still dress rehearsal.

Going to school that morning and the neck and sleeves are fixed on Julian's outfit.

See Matthew in the back on the right side?

You Smell Like.....

Today, Julian and I were cuddling on the sofa for a minute and he said, "You smell like.....(I was like, WHAT IS HE GOING TO SAY NEXT?) pancakes and bread and cookies." It made me laugh out loud. So I said, "You smell like Chinese Shrimp and Pizza." It was what sounded best to me at the time. Then he said, "You smell like flowers.....and junkfood." I guess that's what sounded best to him at the time. Then Matthew turned away from his video and chimed in....."You smell like......Poop!" Leave it to the older one to ruin something nice and sweet between mother and toddler. Then someone said "diarrhea" and it just went on and on and I stopped participating. Finally Matthew said to me, "Usted huele a PURO flowers!" meaning that I smell like pure flowers. It was so loud and pronouncing that it erased all that poop and diarrhea talk from before. Thank goodness!! Boys love to talk about all that raunchy stuff. Good thing I'm not easily disgusted......

Not a great picture but it's at a resort with my mom and it was the

 

independence

 day parade of lights.

Matthew wanted to be buried.

The ZOMBIE!

Tuckered out after a long day at the pool.

Mimi came to visit and we went to the beach!

My late father-in-law's old 1958 Landcruiser Jeep that is off to be restored!

My father-in-law would have cried out of happiness at this picture.

Paco y Lola

I am just in awe. Amazed really. Maybe it's not that big of a deal but I really feel that it is. Matthew can read! My almost 6 year old has read 34 pages of a book to me and they aren't just one line pages either, like minimum 4 and up 7 or 8 sentences per page!

I really started to realize since last week when we had a parent/teacher meeting and was told that 5 or so of the 13 kids needed a little extra help in reading and Matthew was one of them. The teacher said she would be at school an hour early a few times a week to give extra help. I wasn't thrilled to hear this and a little surprised because whenever he's had homework and had to read simple words, he could. Oh well, I thought, at least he's going to get the help and we will start working at home and get him caught up in no time. After the meeting, I asked the teacher if she could recommend a simple book that we could work on in the house especially since Spanish isn't my native language, I would like a guide of what kinds of simple sentences they're working on. She told me and I bought the book yesterday. When he got home from school he saw the book in the living room and I told him what it was. Immediately he opened it and started reading the sentences. Slowly but surely reading them. By bed time he had read 34 pages and with only a few hiccups which were words with syllables that he had not seen yet in school. After I told him how they were pronounced, he got the hang of it! I mean, 34 pages?!?!?!?! This book is famous in Costa Rica and it's required reading in first grade throughout the country. It is a 125 page book called Paco y Lola. Just a reminder, he's still in Kindergarten. The Ministery of Education does not teach reading before first grade but Matthew is in a great private school and they REALLY CAN read before first grade! I think I'm in even more shock because there are adults that can't even read and I just can't believe my little almost 6 year old is doing it pretty darn well!

 This is Matthew's first reading book!