A little of this….A little of that

Oh how the days pass – I can barely remember what we did this morning, let alone, four days ago! We are in full vacation mode and the boys are asking every hour “when are we leaving for vacation?” They are very hyped about our upcoming travels and spending time with animals and the opportunity to fish and ride horses. From all that I have read on the Internet and ‘word of mouth’, the La Carolina Lodge will not disappoint! We leave Tuesday for the Volcan Tenorio and Rio Celeste area and will return on Thursday.

Mike’s school week concluded with 8 hours of parent-teacher conferences on Thursday and a ½ day of school on Friday in celebration of Dia de Cultura where each class represented a country. Mike’s class represented Chile. Mike found himself welcoming kids into the classroom and speaking about Chile and using Spanish vocabulary he never new he had! Mike arrived home about 1 p.m. and we then walked into Santa Elena while Goudy watched the boys. We walked part of the way with three of his students and chatted them up to find out what their plans were for their vacation. Mike and I accomplished a lot, visited the bookstore, did some banking, bought my ticket to San Jose for Monday ($8.00) one way, purchased some iron pills at the pharmacy and stocked up on food/snacks at the Super Compro for our upcoming trip. Mike bought a ton of plastic containers for his classroom organization as well. We ended the night watching “The Kite Runner” on the laptop. The rain was so loud against our fiberglass roof that we had to resort to using my headphones from my IPod in order to hear any sound as the speaker on the laptop was drowned out by the heavy downpour.

Thursday, the boys had a ‘play-date’ with Jackson, one of their classmates. Nicolette and her husband live about 10 minutes away on the Rockwell farm. They have a charming house with a ‘to die for’ view of the Gulf of Nicoya. She and her husband own the Santa Elena Pension, are opening a bar, have just expanded the pension with a brand new building and have another venture in the works. She also owns a jewelry store “Luna Azul” right on the edge of Cerro Plano. They are transplants from Texas, but are here to stay for the long run. She has really personalized her house, has painted it, fresh flowers in a vase, hardwood floors, ceramic tile – ‘a real home’. I felt a little envious as I started to compare it to our house (concrete floors, smashed guayba fruit smeared all over the windows (compliments of the boys) and the only thing growing in a glass on top of our counter is a week old stalk of rosemary. Nicolette quickly reminded me of her first Tico house (they have been here 5 years) and the fact that each of the three houses she has lived in has had its own uniqueness and advantages. The boys had a great time playing, while Nicolette and I sat on the porch, enjoying the view while she recounted her story of how she and her husband got to where they are today. The boys devoured an entire watermelon and frolicked in Jackson’s fort.

I’ve been taking advantage of the library at the school in attempt to keep the boys excited about reading. They love to read anytime and any new book puts a twinkle in their eye. The library is filled with a musty, mildewish smell which clings to the pages of the books, so once home and opened, the familiar smell of the library is ever so present. Some of the books are so tattered and torn you wonder how on earth they can endure another pre-schooler’s handling – but they do! Quite frequently, I open a book and read the stamp imprinted on the front cover “For the Students of Monteverde Costa Rica, A gift from the citizens of your sister city, Estes Park, Colorado”. I usually get a mixture of books, some in English, some in Spanish.

Food and Insects – not for the squeamish. Thursday, I along with Goudy and the boys attempted to make grapefruit juice. In a secret mission, Goudy and I lifted the boys over the barbed wire fence marking our neighbors property to the east (there is a nice big house that sits on the property, but we have never actually SEEN anyone there). The boys were eager to collect the fallen grapefruit and escape back to our yard without being detected…mission accomplished!. After the boys cleaned the grapefruits, the boys cut them open and put our little juicer to work. “Is that a piece of pulp”, I asked, “nope it is insect larva”, NICE - we decided we could weed those little critters out using the strainer, so we pushed onward. A little sugar and water and ‘Que rico’! Speaking of insects and larva in food, it has been our week for quite these discoveries. For those of you that know Mike, he does not like to throw away any food, even if it is on the brink of going bad – so eggplant it was for dinner last night...or so we thought. Our friendly little insect larva appeared once again and wiggled and squirmed away on the cutting board – luckily Mike came to the realization that this eggplant was better suited for the compost. A good choice! Finally, while boiling some water for pasta, little did I know that there were dried insects (looked like the land shrimp we find on our floor every night) in the package of noodles. It wasn’t until after I munched on a few hard noodles while waiting for the water to boil that I spied the bugs as they floated up to the top once I dumped the noodles into the water. Did we buy the noodles this way? Or had the insects found their way into the bag while sitting on our cabinet shelf – no importa? Just life!

Today, Saturday, after my run, we walked up to school with the bins we had purchased yesterday in hand so Mike could start to organize his classroom and ready for some project work with the kids once back from vacation. The weekly game of ultimate Frisbee was taking shape. You can see them practicing in the pic above. As the afternoon wore on, more folks showed up, and the game got competitive. My boys enjoyed playing in the sandbox and the play-yard. We then headed to Pax and Raquel’s house to play with Sierra. She is a very mature 10 year-old who is chomping at the bit to baby-sit Michael and John. Stewart their neighbor, and Sequoia, her brother were also there, so good play for all. I enjoyed talking Spanish with Raquel and Pax and were thrilled when they commented on the improvement in my Spanish – YAY! Sierra’s room is filled with her crafts and jewelry making beads – the boys were captivated. She will watch the boys tomorrow at school when Mike and I attend the morning Meeting.

Finally, I think the rainy season is here – it is a good thing as we are so dry. We have had rain the last week, each day, which will hopefully continue. There is concern that come Spring, water may be rationed and only permitted for use before 7 a.m. and after 11 p.m. – Let the rain dances begin!

P.S. - Last weekend at the Farmers Market, the kids enjoyed an activity "making masks" compliments of an art-teacher from San Jose. It was great, I sat down with them on the make-shift table (an old door) while Mike purchased all the fruits and veggies. Michael was in craft heaven, John just enjoyed getting all his fingers in the glue!
Signed: S

What to Do...What to Do

So here it is almost mid-week, and next week's vacation is fast approaching - 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, I am at the computer; Mike sprawled out on the bed with several Guide Books open and dog-eared on various pages. We hope we are getting closer and narrowing down our vacation plans; I think to myself "why is this so difficult"?
Monday - I have to take a bus into San Jose to see a Specialist (will leave on the 6:30 a.m. bus out of Santa Elena, meet with the Dr. at noon, maybe squeeze in some shopping and then catch the 2:30 bus back up the mountain in hopes of seeing Monteverde again around 7 p.m. that same night.
Tuesday through Thursday - as of now, looking like we may head to one of the volcanoes in the Northwestern region of the country. Arenal seems a little pricey so we have gotten some good tips from locals -- check out Guayabo or Bijagua which are near Volcan Tenorio and Rio Celeste. Rio Celeste is a river in the canton of Guatuso that is dyed light blue by a chemical reaction of minerals from the Tenorio Volcano. The magnificent color of the river, along with the lush forest that surrounds it, should make for a wonderful hike through the Tenorio Volcano National Park. We will probably hire a driver instead of renting a car; we have a friend here, Katya, who can help us with the transportation. We are looking at several options for accommodations and would love something that offers activities for the boys, fishing, horseback riding, helping on the farm, etc.; perhaps the LaCarolina Lodge will be our choice (more research needed)
Friday - Spanish tutoring
The rest of the time we'll hang out in Monteverde and Santa Elena and check out the Bat Museum, Butterfly Garden, Serpenterium, Insectorio, etc. We've also been invited to share some time with another teacher and her family in San Luis which would be great fun.
So you can see, we are busy planning and hope that we leave some time for relaxing :)

I am on Shared Snack duty again for Kinder tomorrow and just pulled a banana bread out of the oven at 9:30 and also made a decent chicken soup for dinner tonight. Just a little plug for myself (everyone needs a pat on the back once in a while, and when it comes to cooking, the more positive reinforcement I get....the more meals the boys will receive !)

I collected the kids from school today and we headed home quickly as the sky was threatening. At the pasture gate, we were greeted by Nicolette and her crew, she rolled down the window of her truck and yelled "heading to Chimera (a tapas restaurant in Cerro Plano) for a Margarita - want to join me"? After a brief hesitation - I shot across the road with the boys in toe, shoved them into her truck (she already had a full car-load of kids inside) and said "let's go"!. The kids (about 7 of them played in the garden and patio area outside while we enjoyed a cocktail (Margarita - a refreshing change from the red wine I usually consume - those of you that know me well, know that is my beverage of choice :)
The kids sat at another table and ordered various tapas (a much better snack than what I could have thrown together at the 4 p.m. hour) I was delighted to see Michael and John interacting so nicely with the other kids - they did well - no spillage or broken water glasses, so a successful evening. Deb (the other mother that joined us) is the owner of Chun Ches (which is a bookstore/coffee shop in Santa Elena). It was a nice way to end the day as I have been feeling a little disconnected of late...perhaps we are settling in as we fast approach our third month here, the rains are starting to come and the reality is creeping in that I do miss my work and am realizing just how much of my identity was wrapped up in it. So what does that mean? I thoroughly enjoy my kids and love the curiosity and expressions - the way Michael can contort his face is amazing - I am really loving the time with the boys even though a lot of it is challenging beyond words. So, I will continue to ponder this and sit with this feeling of 'Just Who is Sally beyond her laptop, global conference calls and metra train pass? and what is she being called to do here in Costa Rica?
I enjoyed my time Sunday at the Evangelical Church (iglesia Dios) in Santa Elena. I walked into town and found myself sitting on a church bench 20 minutes ahead of schedule. I watched as Ticos filled the church, lots of children, old and young alike. By the time 10 a.m. came, the church was packed, standing room only - the first 35 minutes was filled with song, drums, bongos, guitar - very upbeat - lots of clapping and hand waving - a far cry from my rather traditional Presbyterian church in Clarendon Hills. Shirely (my friend), found me and moved in to take a seat beside me - she was a comfort to my eyes and made sure I was following along (best I could as the 2 hours was all in Spanish). I spent a lot of time gazing around at everyone's faces, the way they greet one another, the way they greeted me - with hugs and kisses, I felt like I was an old friend. Perhaps I was? I reached over and took Shirley's hand as we all sang together. The kids left the main building and attended their own service (Sunday school) while our service concluded. At the conclusion, we all went up to the front of the church, some of us knelt while others danced and began to weep. For me, it was quite an experience as I have never been so free with my expressions. I told Mike about the service and said if we wanted to get a feel for a Costa Rican Evangelical service, this is the place to go.

So, another week filled with diversity, thoughts, rain and anticipation for what is to come.
Stay tuned
Signed: S

Does Super Nanny make House-calls to Costa Rica?

An exhausting week, still trying to find some normalcy after just one day/night away last weekend. I guess our boys crave the routine/schedule so even an ‘overnighter’ can throw things out of whack for a week. It has been tough since our return from San Gerardo last Saturday. I continue to TRY to be consistent, fair and firm while attempting to keep a sense of calm when laying down the law at home. I always think of Miss Julie in these situations (their teacher last year at Seton Montessori) – she had such a calming way about her with the kids and even when she was in an ‘instructional’ mode, she was so gentle with her words. So she is an inspiration to me, especially over these last 6 days. Really concentrating on the importance of manners with the boys...(please, thank you, looking people in the eye when greeting them and keeping their left hand in their lap during meal times (the latter being quite the challenge). I remember Auntie Beth stressing meal-time manners with Josh and Zach at a young age, so I figure, start now and by the time they are off to college, they’ll get ‘it’ ☺ My ‘pet peeve’ of late is trying to get the boys to understand, instead of screaming at the top of your lungs from the tree swing, clear across the yard, to ask me for a PUSH – get off the swing, come to me in a calm manner, and ask “mom, could you please push me on the swing”!? You know boys, we do have neighbors here and although we rise at 5:30 a.m., doesn’t mean our poor neighbors need to. Frequently, John and Adrienne (the School’s Director and his wife) who actually ARE our neighbors, witness the meltdowns, tantrums etc. first hand. I just know that tables will soon turn and they will start to catch the boys in behaviour befitting almost four-year olds. So – this little recap, not only catches you up on how I've spent my last days but is also a preface for the summary below of my first school volunteer experience Thursday afternoon.

At the fundraiser last Saturday night, I was approached by Kimbra, another parent, to assist her and Mike with their final mini-course this past Thursday between 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The mini-courses are offered each Thursday and often times, the parents get involved co-partnering with a teacher or another parent to teach a skill or showcase a particular talent they may have. (anything from computer skills, practical skills, cooking, sports, etc.) I think the courses span a quarter or semester. Mike and Kimbra's course (Art and Nature) involved getting the kids outside to observe nature, collect leaves, etc and draw some of their findings. Thursday's crescendo involved using fabric paint, leaves and book bags/T-shirts to stencil on the leaf prints with the intent of sharing the book bags with their parents during next weeks “parent-teacher’ conferences. There were about 12 kids in the mini-course; only two girls – kids ranging from ages 8 to 12.

Interesting to be out of the Three year-old world for awhile...my observations were the following:

As I floated around the room, I was often asked for more paint, or help pressing a leaf onto the book bag – what amazed me is that I did not hear “Please, could you get me some more green paint” or “ could you please help me with this leaf” – perhaps I was so atune with these basic manners since it is just this type of thing that consumes my day with my two three year olds, but immediately I thought to myself “where are their manners”? Is it a cultural thing?

The kids address the teacher on a first name basis – “Mike – come here”, “Mike – can I see this” etc…this was such a new concept for me as the kids at Francis Parker in Chicago where Mike previously taught addressed faculty very formally. Again a cultural thing or perhaps MFS being a Quaker school, they encourage teacher/student relationships to be on a more informal basis. I didn't dare introduce myself as “Mrs. Schaefer”. Just another difference to get accustomed to.

It was a task keeping the kids focused and engaged for the 90 minutes – perhaps because they are of the pre-teen age (need I say more) or was the environment too informal to foster structure without rigidity?

After the activity I shared my observations with Kimbra and Mike and had another interesting conversation with Mike about it last night.

Miss Manners I am not – Gosh, I am so exhausted just trying to keep my own kids from screaming, throwing or hitting each other most days – however I do recognize how important it is for me to continue to re-inforce good behavior and respect. Is it time for me to call in Super Nanny? Does she make house-calls?

So what’s next? The school has reached out to the parents asking for volunteers to lead or co-facilitate mini-courses starting after the October break. I have expressed an interest in giving a course on “How to set up a Blog” or “How to play basketball” since I played in high-school (although it has been along time – I do recall something about zone defense vs. man –to-man???) There are plenty of opportunities to get involved at the school and I look forward to having some time to help out in anyway I can.

Speaking of the October break which is the week of 10/12, we had thought we may need to head to Nicaragua for three days as we are still waiting for our work visas to come through, but the school tells us we have paperwork that will suffice in the interim until the final papers arrive. So local we will stay! We are thinking about going somewhere with the boys for 2 or 3 days (perhaps to Arenal to experience the volcano and then head back home to take in some of the local attractions here that we have not had a chance to frequent as of yet. If we can swing it, Mike and I are also interested in taking some Spanish classes or hooking up with a tutor so we can concentrate on honing our Spanish while Goudy watches the boys. Need to firm something up as mid-October is fast approaching.

Mike and I are busy at night – I continue to assist him with some of his organization tasks (developing templates or entering data into his grading program as he needs to prepare 32 assessments for his kids in his 4 classes so he can present them to the parents during the 10/8 conference day.

One other comment, I plan on attending an Evangelical Christian Church this Sunday just outside of Santa Elena. One of the mother’s of a classmate of the boys (who I befriended at the Parent’s tea last month) attends and has offered to pick me up and have me accompany her and her family on Sunday. I look forward to it – I believe one of the Guindon sons is the Pastor.

Thanks Choppy and Poppy for the package (again) – ah, a new pot-holder, more stickers, balloons and granola bars for the boys, magnets, glad wrap ‘thingys” and a new Children’s Bible. The boys and I spent over an hour on the patio reading the stories before dusk set in last night and spent a lot of time talking about Moses (they loved the concept of the baby in the basket and also the parting of the sea) – when I said “enough, I need to start dinner”, the kids responded “more mom, read more’, so there you have it. Their minds are so inquisitive and OH the questions that come out of their little mouths. I look forward to re-inforcing the stories and working the readings into our daily/weekly routine.

Off to the Farmers market - All for today
Signed: S

San Gerardo & Back

If you are reading this post, one of two things have happened – we’ve gotten our telephone/internet service restored (out since last Thursday’s storm) or I’ve connected to the wireless network on the school’s campus…regardless, happy to be back…and back we are!

Last Friday, we had an opportunity to (along with other teachers) go on an overnight experience with a very talented and well-known author and guide, Mark Wainwright. At a mere $15.00 charge for the adults, Mike and decided to seize the chance to experience this hike, overnight and night exploration led by Mark. Mike and I vacillated as to whether we should go as a family or if he should go solo – after some discussion and finding out that three other young boys would be going along, we made sure the van had room for the Schaefer crew. We departed about 3 p.m. Friday in three mini-vans, heading to the Santa Elena Reserve. This reserve is about a 30 to 45 minute drive and is for the most part up-hill. This Reserve has quite a unique feel to it – much different than the Monteverde Reserve. More tropical and what I would say, more lush than its counterpart. We arrived at the Welcome Center/parking lot with both boys fast asleep (they were coming right from a busy afternoon in Kinder). Mark summarized the activities for the night/next morning and we were all off – oozing with anticipation and excitement. Michael in dad’s arms, and John in mine. Luckily they both awoke shortly after we departed and walked the rest of the way (about a two hour hike in with a couple of stops along the way for Mark to point out and comment on fruit, trees and insects). With a sign up ahead “Estacion this way”, I thought to myself, won’t be long now – another ½ hour with the clouds/mist thickening and darkness descending upon us. Michael delighted in holding Miss Melody’s hand and chatting with her the last leg of the trip in. Miss Melody and Miss Eliotth (the boy’s teachers) were two of the 20 or 25 folks on the trip. Some teachers came with their spouses, others invited their children or mothers along…a nice mix of ages and backgrounds which contributed to the richness of the outing. Of course, Ginna and Tedi came along which I’m sure contributed to the boys comfort level and laugh/happy factor. ☺

We reached the Estacion about 5:00 p.m. – the accommodations were lovely, think of it as a ‘lodge’, with a multi-purpose room when you walk in, which was large enough to accommodate a ping-pong table and a couple of rooms off the back, partitioned off was the dining area and the kitchen. Above were the majority of the cabins (adjoining rooms)…about six, equipped with two bunk-beds, shower and toilet, very nice and clean. The balcony supported a ½ dozen hammocks and a spectacular view, not to mention a cozy place to rest your weary bones, crack open a book or suffice as a somewhat make-shift playground for the younger ones. Mike and I made sure the boys understood that although the balcony was awesome – it was very hazardous as the railing was surely not up to any code. The couple that took care of us (cooked the meals) were very accommodating and the meals, well – YUM in a word. I gorged myself and am quite sure none went away hungry. Everyone was responsible for cleaning their own plate, utensils and cup once done to assist with the clean-up. Mark announced the activities for that night (an earlier night-hike to depart at 7 p.m. and a later around 9 p.m.) – we opted for the 7 p.m. We outfitted ourselves in long pants, shirts and flashlights and took to the trail. Not even getting off the front porch, Mark’s son, Kyle, discovered several frogs hanging out in the front yard. Mark was so patient with the little ones and was sure that everyone had a chance for an ‘up close' and personal view of the little jumpers. Michael and John’s eyes lit up when the frog jumped onto their tummy and then SMACK, stuck to John’s forehead– how neat! We saw fungus on sticks that when all flashlights were turned off – glowed like a ‘glow-stick’ – having the kids keep the flashlights off to admire this was the challenge! We marveled in the sight of fire-flies hanging out in the tree canopies above and caught a glimpse of a tropical rabbit before it took cover. No rain to speak of, but plenty of little bugs which required me and a couple of others to pull up our hoods of our rain gear tight around our chins and ears!

Saturday, our day started at 5:30 a.m. – the kids slept through the night and no crying or whining – so all was good. Breakfast was a filler – complete with breads, rice and beans, fruit, eggs, granola, juice and plenty of coffee! The clouds broke for a spectacular view of Volcano Arenal – it is about three hours by car and much less by something called a Jeep-Boat-Jeep (I think). The lot that housed the lodge was open and wide with lots of Guava trees to entertain the little ones. Peaceful and serene with so much nature to take in. Mike and I both enjoyed getting to know the other teachers and meeting parts of their family. Trisha (the music/drama teacher) strummed the guitar and sang which was just perfect for this setting. Post breakfast, we suited up for another hike – have you ever seen a Blue Morpho butterfly up close? Mark pulled out his net (the smaller ones had fun playing with it and putting it over their heads – it covered Michael and John’s entire body). The one side of this creature a brilliant blue, the other side a kaleidoscope of colors (salmon, browns, blues, yellows) something I could see as an ensemble an interior decorator might select for a home. Back to the lodge for lunch, a group photo and a grueling hike back up to the main entrance. The hike back was all up-hill and I carried Michael on my shoulders the entire way (except for a short time when Ginna took him) – THANKS GINNA! At each corner I thought for sure we would be greeted with a flat section, but that did not come until the last 200 meters. Thankful that I had been running, my lungs were in good shape, but the almost 40 pounds on my shoulders still a chore. Michael slept a lot of the way and I jostled his position so as to balance the weight. The sweat was cascading off my brow as the sun was out and no rain insight this day either. Coupled by Michael's drool – I am sure I looked a “sight” when I reached the others waiting, huddling, sharing their snacks and cheering us on when we finally made it back to the vans. Mike and John followed shortly thereafter and all were accounted for. Back in the vans and home by 4 p.m. – just time enough for Mike and I to grab quick showers, accept the pizzas made by Goudy’s mother-in-law and hot-foot it to the Coffee House/Pizza Night/Talent Show Fundraiser at the school that night. From what I could tell, the event was well attended – John proceeded to devour 5 pieces of pizzas and a pumpkin pie. A long day was brought to a close quickly as the boys were going down hill fast – we scooped them up and headed for home with our flashlights and headlamps in toe.

We are blessed to have had this experience and would love to return to San Gerardo with friends or family (make sure your knees are in good working order and don’t forget your hiking/rain boots!

P.S. - Just had the phone company here at the house, so we are back in biz!

Signed: S

Alive in Costa Rica

Yes, we are here. It has been a few extra days since our last post. Reasons? I have been very busy with school tasks and Sally has been using her project management skills to assist me after the boys go down; our phone and internet connection has been down since the thursday afternoon thunderstorm - several hits of lightning very close; immediately afterschool friday, we joined the school staff for a wonderful overnight trip to the San Gerardo Biological station, I´m sure Sally will fill you in on the details, including the epic hike back yesterday; and last night, we attended the huge Coffeehouse event at the school.

Deciding to spend the day at school to prepare for upcoming conferences and the week´s curriculum, I also find Wendy, a lifelong resident and woodworker, building a drawer for a desk in my classroom. We proceeded to plan a minicourse to build shelving for my classroom, using old desks and scrap lunber.

Sending this message from the school PC and hoping to get our phone service running tomorrow, I will think about everyone and hope you are well. Signed M.

Meeting - How I spent my silent time

I attended my first meeting last Sunday morning at the school. It started at 10:30 and thinking I was very prompt, arriving just before then, however; there were others already deep in reflection when I entered and selected my seat. I shared a bench with Ginna and folded my hands, closed my eyes and bowed my head. This was a silent meeting, so I spent the time in prayer and did not open my eyes until the introduction of any visitors and announcements at the end of the meeting.

The first thing I did was mouth the Lords Prayer. Following I offered up my prayers of healing and of thanksgiving:
A prayer of healing for a dear friend and colleague who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. I pray for wisdom for the doctors who will operate next month and for her strength and faith and that of her family as well.

A prayer of thanksgiving and celebration for a recent engagement in the family (brother John) and a hope that he and Amy will find peace as they plough through the logistics and challenges in joining their lives together.

A prayer for myself to strive to be a patient and caring mother as I continue to transition into the role of full-time mother. Asking for guidance and calm as I deal with my boys on a daily and almost minute by minute basis and that they may feel more at home as they settle in.

A prayer for Mike as he continues to acclimate to the school, his schedule and students.

A prayer for family and friends back home and that they may continue to be in good health.

I know for a fact that I fell asleep several times as I was so relaxed, however no head-bobbing (or at least I don’t think – Note to self: Ask Ginna to confirm ☺

The children came into the meeting with about 15 minutes left in the hour. Followed by introductions of any visitors (there were a hand-full) and announcements and greeting one another. The announcements were of a wide spectrum; included below is a sampling:
• A plea for a lost Cat
• The chiropractor will be at Rio Shanti this week (Rio Shanti is a boutique, yoga, massage place between our house and the school)
• The mini-super at the end of our drive-way and across the street is finally opening today (well, it actually opened on Monday, but whose counting?)
• Puppies and kitten adoptions
When the meeting concluded, I felt much like I do after a massage (although I think I’ve only had 4 in my lifetime, but clearly remember the feeling of total relaxation and feeling like a ‘wet-noodle’. There was something very soothing about the time spent, for me, it was in prayer, for others, who knows? It was good to be there and I will return.

P.S. – Thanks to those who responded to my post “Faith-Full”, your ideas are an inspiration to me.

Signed: S

Waterfalls & other Wonders

Although life here in Monteverde is at a slower, more manageable pace, I feel like the days get away from me.  “Was it yesterday that we hiked that wonderful little trail to the waterfall or was it last week”?  Activities seem to bleed over the days in the calendar; maybe it is because the activities are so diverse and ‘unscheduled’, much more spontaneous than perhaps what we are all used to.  Sometimes, the planning and scheduling of life gets in the way and contributes to our ‘stagnation’.  Here, my mind is freed-up from the clutter, you would think that would help me keep track of what day it is, but truly I have to look at my calendar setting on my watch each day to do the reality check…ah Yes, it is Sunday! 

Last Sunday we hiked La Catarata (the Waterfall Trail) which is just down the main road.  After calling out a few “holas”, and getting no acknowledgement, we decided to sneak under the chain link gate and see what kind of trouble we could get ourselves into!  The boys did really well – the trail provided many opportunities for them to hone their climbing skills, clutching onto old, wet ropes which were strategically placed along the trail to help navigate those tricky ‘ups and downs’.  We delighted in having the entire trail to ourselves -- all we could hear was the distant waterfall and the occasional bird.  A few water obstacles to navigate and luckily no snakes lurking.  The waterfall was perfect, not too big or overwhelming, but rather peaceful and serene.  We treated ourselves to an ice-cream at the Cheese Factory to cap off a great couple of hours.

A busy school week for Mike as he continues to get his routine and tools in place.  When he mentioned that he needed to plan out his math and science ‘scope and sequence’, I was like a kid begging for candy from their parents, with hands stretched out and fingers wiggling – “Gimmee, gimmee,  please, please, please, let me plot out your timeline on Excel”.  I was thrilled to lend my assistance and help organize and present his thoughts and vision.   I quickly put together a very colorful plan for Mike with bar charts, dates and key milestones.  Ah – was good to know I haven’t forgotten everything from a professional tools perspective.  I feel a little like Mike’s personal assistant – I have been helping him in the evenings with computer ‘stuff’ or just as a sounding board for any new ideas he has floating around his mind. 

Friday, we had Stewart (a first grader) over to play after school.  Fridays are short days – school wraps up at 2:15, so still a good portion of sunlight left for play.  His mom, Veronica was headed to Santa Elena and Stewart wanted nothing but to come over and play with the boys.  We had spent some time with them on Independence Day  and apparently Stewart had talked about (along with our boys) how great a time they had earlier in the week, so there you have it!  I would take the three kids home while Veronica did her errands and Mike stayed at school late to get a head-start on the coming week.  Personally, I considered just getting three kids home by myself a huge ‘win’ !,  It was hours of soccer, swinging, climbing and finally gardening… Earlier in the week, Stewart so proudly showed off his garden at his house, he quickly went to work gathering up bamboo shoots and aloe plants on our walk home from school and gave us all instruction on how to plant them in our backyard.  We shall see the fruits of our labor.

We had another awesome hike on Saturday, this time we ventured up to the Cloud Forest Reserve (where I run each day).  We hiked a trail with the boys that Mike and I had conquered seven years ago during our honeymoon.  I remembered it like it was yesterday, Mike not so much, of course I said that 7 years ago, his mind was all-consumed by his lovely bride so perhaps he was more focused on me than the trail J  We hiked up to the Continental Divide where the rain falls to the Atlantic on one side and the Pacific on the other.  The boys did great and had plenty of energy to make mom nervous as they ran around the look-out deck, pushing their luck leaning over to get a better glimpse of the view.  No rain, but plenty of mist and clouds – the trails were quite dry and one could see the toll the dry weather has taken on some of the foliage along the trail.  Half way into our hike we heard the familiar word “Poop”, so after all the time we have spent trying to get our boys to use the toilet (and not pee in the woods or in the pasture or in the front yard for that matter), we told John, “well, you’ll just have to go in the woods”.  A confused little face looked back at us and after some additional reassurance from his mom and dad, that “yes, this is the only option”, he dropped his drawers and quickly took care of business.   Mike quickly pulled out a poop bag from the back-pack and stowed the little treasure away for the return trip!,   We ended up carrying the boys on our shoulders the last ½ mile where they both proceeded to fall asleep, they snoozed through the cab ride home, the transfer to their beds and proceeded to sleep almost to 4:30 p.m. that evening.  Did I mention we had to be at a dinner by 5 p.m.?  Luckily the boys woke up in good moods, a quick wipe-down and off we went to a dinner at a Parent’s home, put on by the School Board members.  Michael and John had a blast playing with the other kids and were excited to see some familiar toys (scooters, big wheels, dump trucks)…toy heaven, Costa Rican style of course, as the kids played hard, using the tile ramp in the back of the house as their runway…happy to report that no trips to the clinic were needed, although mom was on-edge the entire time watching and waiting to dive to protect a skull – no helmets!

Today, Sunday, another full day – a run for mom, a quick splash of the face and douse of powder and off to my first Quaker Meeting  (more on that later), as I left for the meeting, Mike and the boys were busy making Guava jam from the fruits on our trees.  Looking forward to having some on my toast tomorrow morning.  Very labor intensive, so Mike tells me.

P.S:  Although we love Strider (the dog – see earlier post), we have decided not to adopt him and make him part of our family just yet – our plate runneth over and adding a dog to the family is not in the cards right now

 

Side Note:  For those of you that know me, I don’t cook – I am one of the lucky women who married a man who enjoys to cook and is pretty good at it.  I can now say that I have cooked about 5 times in 7 years of marriage (three of these times being here in our new home).  I’ve even managed to bake banana bread a couple of times and have gotten the “YUM” word in return from the two boys.  Not bad, considering our oven does not have any temperature settings.

 

Finally, more crafts, the boys enjoyed necklace making last week and happy to report both are still ‘intact’.

 

All for now.

Signed:  S