It's a Small World

The theme for the roundup this time around is things that are liked about Post. 


Today we went to the home of a couple that used to live in our Condominio (gated community). They are Baha'i and were celebrating a holiday. I made my way into the kitchen to see if I could be of any help and lo and behold: Malachi's teacher was there helping! She's Baha'i and was over to celebrate the holiday as well. It was such a treat and we really got to understand that in Costa Rica...it's a small world after all. 

Simon, the two year old

Simon turned two years old recently. 

This is unbelievable since I think it was just a bit ago that he was born a few days after the last of three blizzards that happened with-in 10 days. 

Simon is amazing John and I every day. He's talking up a storm. Sometimes he chooses Spanish (he can almost count to 10 in Spanish and gets to 2 in English), sometimes he chooses English. If he doesn't get the desired result in the first language he tried, then he might try the other. 

He has tantrums unlike any I've ever seen. Simon knows what he wants, and will not tolerate not getting what he wants. Unfortunately for him, I don't always care about what he wants, only what's best for him. He doesn't get that yet. He also doesn't get that tantrums usually tend to have the opposite affect in this household. 

Simon walks, runs, and sort of jumps now. He can go down stairs all by himself, but he usually prefers to hold a hand. He LOVES to shower with his brother, and if we even say the word "shower" he goes into a frenzy. 

He's a bit of a pick eater. He likes rice (who didn't expect that?!), pasta, homemade cheeseburgers (but not McDonald's ones - how did we luck out so much there?), juice, milk, water (with ice please), toast, eggs (that's new) and a few other things. He wants more syrup or honey on his bread product after about every bite - we tend to fake it for him. 

He really wants to be like his big brother. He would probably love it if we sent him to school with his own backpack on his own bus. However, he and his brothers often fight. This is usually resolved with one of them screaming and one of us breaking it up. I have a feeling this is my foreseeable future.

I can't tell who his favorite family member is. I think it used to be me, but now I think it changes with his mood, and who can/will get him what he wants at that moment. 

He's a bit shy until he knows you, but then he's very sweet and will even call you with a parent's cell phone and chat you up. He'll also text my mechanic 11 times with nothing to say...he's not allowed to use my phone anymore.

He's handsome, charming, sweet, loving, protective, amazing, and so much  more. 

Happy Birthday buddy. Mommy loves you so much and no matter who you are now or will be later, I'm always going to.   

Physical Therapy Update

It's been a while since I updated y'all on Coen.

Last week on the way to Simon's birthday party at the mall, Coen and I stopped at CIMA for his physical therapy appointment and I showed the therapist Coen's latest achievement: Coen crawling. She was so excited for him, so excited that she deemed him done with therapy unless the Dr. requested more. She and I agreed that he probably wouldn't be doing that.

Not only is he crawling, but he can move from a crawl to a sit (which he couldn't do last Wednesday), and he's working on pulling himself up. I have a feeling that we'll soon be moving his crib mattress down.  Another thing I think he's accomplished..talking. In one morning about two weeks ago he said "da da" three times after seeing John. Three times! After the third, I called it as his first word. Today he was using the ma ma sounds quite frequently while playing with me. I might be dreaming, but I'm calling that one as well. :)

Musings

Traveling alone is easy. Maybe too easy - there's no challenge in it. I went through airport security in less than five minutes. I ate my airplane snack in peace. I did a large chunk of History homework before landing. I went through immigration and customs amazingly fast. I went to a friend's house for dinner and ate in peace - without feeding a child. I woke up to the sounds of Latin America instead of a child poking me or talking to my husband. I didn't prepare a school snack, or force anyone into a school uniform, or send anyone off to the school bus. Instead I've been taking  my time with email and facebook. I've been chatting with an old friend (tangent: I've never met this person in real life, but would consider her a friend thanks to WoW and fb, amazing how things work these days), and my "sister-in-law" and lazying around. I will get to homework...eventually.

So thanks to John (who is doing all of the aforementioned work) I've been relaxing since I got through security at the airport in San Jose. It's a little hard to do though.

Why do moms have this "curse." Why is it so hard to take time for us? I don't mean a couple of hours for some time at the salon, but I mean four days in another country to hang loose and relax. It's not like our husbands are incapable, shoot, mine is more capable than me! The world will not end if I'm not there to help! The kids will not be damaged by me being gone for four days! Why oh why then do I feel a bit guilty (just a bit really) for indulging in some me time? Moms? Can you answer that?

new look

I wanted something that reflected how happy I've been lately. I think this template does exactly that.

Perks

Beaches, family beach vacations, little, cute, sun kissed noses, "camping" with your kids in the hotel room,  doing homework at the beach, breakfast at the beach, lunch at the beach, grandparents babysitting, casino date (walking out of the casino, richer, even if it is only $22).

Some perks of living in Costa Rica.

Mi Vida Dulce

I said the other day to Sarah that she needed to make sure she was taking care of herself because she wasn't feeling well. Only then could she properly take care of her husband, daughter, and clients. That really got me thinking that I need to heed my own advice.

So today when John was taking the brunt of my "I'm too busy" breakdown, I told him I didn't want to quit swimming. He thinks that exercising is as important to me as I do, so we agreed. I'm not quitting swimming.

I really want to quit work, but I only have five weeks left, so I'm going to push through it (plus I'm taking off some of that time anyway to use comp time saved up). I'm certainly not quitting school because I really need to get through this.

So...we decided I'm not quitting anything.

And it was nice to have a break down. It's too bad that it had to happen as we were arriving at the Embassy for John's work, or on his birthday. But he's so amazing that he didn't care (or at least he said he didn't care).

I went to the pool, swam early, did my shopping, got home, did my homework, and now I have a bit of free time to blog, chat on fb with friends, and possibly watch just a bit of Ellen before I get ready for John's birthday dinner.

I'm actually loving life right now.

Mi vida dulce.