Day 24, Catching Up

Hi everyone...a quick post before Jim has to take off to work with the computer. We've had a fabulous last few days. The weather has been gorgeous and sunny. A few days ago I ventured into the Diez de Agosto market. It's an indoor farmer's market jam packed with fruits, vegetables, grains, cheeses, and people. Then there is the meat and fish area...yikes! Not very appealing so I stuck to the fruits, veggies, cheese and grains. I felt so out of place. It's very crowded and not much room for a stroller. In addition, I don't know some of the local names for the items I want, how much to buy and how much I should be paying for it. I just winged it and I seem to have done Ok. Everything is so much tastier bought fresh from the market, lots more flavor than back home where things are shipped in while still unripe.

I discoverred more things Alejandro likes as he would point and squeel when he saw something yummy he recognized. Lunch that day consisted of Queso Fresco, fresh baked bread, grapes, mangoes, carrots and a peanut nouget that reminds me of Turron from Puerto Rico. All fresh, all yummy. I was really nervous about the cheese because it's sold in the open, unrefrigerated. Oddly, it seemed cold when I got it. I took a leap of faith that we wouldn't get sick and we've done fine. I can't say I'm looking forward to going there again...it was that intimidating for me. But, for fresh yummy goodies, I'l definitely venture it. I'm sure I'll feel better about it the next time since I know where to find what now.

On Saturday, Annie and I had a girls out day. We ventured on the city bus to Rio Mall where there is an arcade, movie theater and food court. We had lunch and went to the arcade, which has with a bunch of huge moon-bounces. For two dollars, she could bounce in there all day! She's gotten so good at climbing, my prissy little girl. After we went to the movies, also at the mall. Annie chose to see, "The Tooth Fairy" and although the movie was dubbed in Spanish and she couldn't understand all of it, she stayed for the whole thing and enjoyed it. Topped off the day with a big cup of ice cream.

We've been fortunate to have been befriended by another family in our apartment complex. The dad and grandma are American. The wife is Thai, and they have a 5 year old boy that mostly speaks Thai. He and Annalise can't understand a word the other says, but the have a ball playing outside and picking cherries to eat off the trees. Yesterday, the family invited us to go to a new park none of us had been to before. They live here permanently and have a large SUV that we were all able to fit in with the kids in the back cargo area playing all the time...scary for me. Ugh.

Parque del Paraiso was gorgeous! It reminded me a little of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens when I was growing up, only it also had the river than ran through it with paddle boats (closed yesterday), tons of playsets and gigantic rocks for children to play on and climb. There were musicians throughout the park, and most importatntly, ice cream vendors! There were also other food vendors kiosks there, but we don't frequent them. The food looked awesome, and Annie was starving. She had to wait until we could go over to the mall to eat our usual stuff.

Alejandro is doing super. Potty training is going well, save a couple of accidents, both on daddy! Tee-hee. We have gotten into a good routine. Presently, we are in Carnival season, so Annie is off from from school for the next three days. Wednesday, we'll be going to the court to verify signatures. The next step.

Bye for now!

Lisandra.