Crepes N Waffles

Today Maria started her English class. Mario was her instructor. He started her with the alphabet, numbers 1-20 and vowels. He said she is very eager to learn and wanted to continue with homework as he left. He gave her home work of practicing these lessons and he will return on Wednesday for lesson #2. I have already gone through in pen and have written out for her what she needs to practice. We will work on it tomorrow @ 10:00ish in place of the instructor coming. We decided she will have lessons on just Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays instead of everyday. J.P. sat in with them for the 1st 1/2 hour however, it wasn't long I discovered he was sort of interrupting the study (I had asked at the start of the lesson if he wanted me to keep J.P. out or was it OK for him to sit at the table) so I decided to remove him from the room. He was a little disappointed so I took him into the family room with the 2 books I had here that were English/Spanish and tried to read some with him to make him feel better. Lunchtime rolled around and I warmed up the pizza we had left over from last night. After lunch Ms. Betty needed to take a ride to grab a quick light lunch and asked if we would like to ride along. The kids had not been out of the house yet so, I agreed and we piled into the car. She took us to show us a nice park where we could come when Steve got here (it would require a cab ride there and back) and then it was off to "Crepes and Waffles". This is a chain of restaraunts that are everywhere. It is very hard to get in due to parking issues - there isn't much of it. They have crepes and waffles of all kinds not just desserts. It was very crowded which ment the food was good. We sat out on the patio and I got the kids a really cool looking vanilla sunday complete with paper parrot, chocolate button eyes and mouth, and a waffle cone sombrerro. They loved it. After ice cream it was back to the residence and siesta. J.P. falls asleep and I take Maria into the other room and we do some water painting with the little kit that I got them. Dinner was amazing as usual with cocoanut blueberry rice & chicken. We had dinner a little later tonight as Nick, Christina and Joe had a late lunch. The kids had icecream earlier so it was probably better as they were ready for dinner when it was time. I have had them watching the Disney channel hoping that because everything is in Spanish here they would get to know the shows and characters so when they get back home...and everything is in English...they will be able to figure out what's going on and who is who much easier cause they would have already seen it. We had a little excitement for 2 minutes tonight. All the electric went out in the house - JUST FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES. I was working on my computer so I had light, I gathered the kids up and we went to the other room where Christina was with Mira. Sonya, one of the staff, came in with a candle. When I went over Christina had mentioned that the guys had gone to a movie and were not home. A couple minutes later the lights all came back on. It was interesting. All are OK and snuggled in to sleep for the night. I am in the process of trying to get laundry done so will be up for a little bit yet. We didn't make it to the mall/movie today. Maybe tomorrow. I still am looking into getting a stroller for J.P. Just haven't gotten there yet. Until tomorrow.

"Giddie Up"

Today we went with Nick, Christina and her brother Joe to the "flea market" located at the top of this huge hill. Ms. Betty took us in her car to the top and dropped us off around 12:30PM or so. There were many booths with lots different jewelry, handicrafts and art. The art is fantastic here. The weather was rather unusual...it was like it couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to sprinkle, shine or cloud up and cool off. It would change literally ever 5 or 10 minutes. It was crazy. After walking the rows of booths we followed the main road down the hill back to Betty's place which was about a 35 minute walk. We were about 5 minutes from Betty's place and poor little J.P. mumbled 2 little words "chi-chi" mommy!! Joe knows some Spanish so he was able to tell J.P. to hang on for about 5 minutes and we would be home. I picked him up and carried him most of the way and Joe was nice enough to carry him the last block or so as he could tell I was getting winded. (It's that whole 2 mile high thing.) When we got home and J.P. got in the door he bolted to our room...didn't even bother to close the door. :) It was after 3:00PM so the kids went down for siesta. J.P. finally falls asleep and Maria and I slip out of the room to let him sleep peacefully. (Just so everyone knows I am just in the next room...not to worry about leaving him alone in our room :) ) He sleeps for about an hour and maybe 15 to 30 minutes and he comes sleepwalking into the room where Maria and I are. He has some cookies for a snack and then it's off to play with the playdo until dinner. For dinner we had decided to go to this pizza place up the block that has this slide on the premisis of the restaraunt. Once inside we discover that there is not just a slide but, this little outdoor kids playland. It was great! We ordered what else but, pepperoni pizza (they don't seem to like the pepperoni so they take it off I discovered). Then off they went to play. There was a 4 lane slide, a huge pool of balls, a jungle gym thing complete with tunnel slides, etc and a wooden, roped bridge to play on. They played for about an hour or so then it was time to eat. After dinner we let them play for another 20 minutes or so then we started back home. They didn't want to leave of course so we had to bribe them with icecream upon the return to "la casa". Joe was nice and threw J.P. up on his shoulders as Maria jumped up on my back. (Nick and Christina had little Mira in the baby carriage and were cracking up because all the kids kept saying was "giddie up horsie" or something like that in Spanish.) We raced each other to the corner and then it was time to put the horses to pasture....we were tired. Each of the kids grabbed my hand and we walked the rest of the way home...well almost. Poor J.P. was so disappointed that the horsie stopped I had to pick him up and carry him the rest of the way home...he wasn't keeping up..mostly I think the combination of all the walking we did today, the short nap and the hard playing they did on the playground plum wore him out. We get back to the house and the kids run to the kitchen where they patiently await their icecream scoop. Then it's back to the room. I get them in their pjs and let them watch TV for about 10 minutes or so to unwind (the Canuel thing again) then I put them in bed. They both give me a kiss and say goodnight. Maria asks me if she has English lesson tomorrow and I tell her yes. Now, all is quite and it gives me a minute to say good night to my honey (the kids say goodnight tonight too) and to some family. It also gives me time to return some emails I received and write the blog for the day. Tomorrow we will either try to get to this big park (if Ms. Betty has time to show it to us) or I might try to take them to a movie - Walle. We shall see. Good Night Moon!!

A Cat and A Butterfly

Ok. I understand from Steve/Doc that you guys want more pictures. I do not have any "new" ones from Bogota but, I did put about 50 more pictures up via albums. Take a look they are from when we went to the picnic with Lucy's school, Miscelaneous pics and from when we went to dinner with Lucy, Manuel & family at this authentic Colombian Indian restaraunt. The food was fabulous! You basically walked through this whole cut out of a brick wall the shape of the opening of a door. There was this tinned roof pavilion which seated about 3 eight foot tables under it and one small table out in the open. The area where the food was being prepared was pretty cool, too. It was really neat to see the people cooking. Today it was raining when we woke up so the planned walk to the other parks was out. I didn't feel like taking the kids to the "Flipper" place yet via taxi on my own. Maybe next week we shall see. Instead I decided to take them back to McDonalds. We got J.P. back into this ridiculous stroller (I think we wore the thing out last trip) and off we went. It wasn't until about 15 minutes or so into the walk did I realize that I had gone the wrong direction. Now, you have to understand this was no easy road to travel. There are not really sidewalks and most of the walkways I needed to travel on are torn up. We turned around and walked all the way back to Betty's Place. The kids kept asking are we going home? I kept promising them that we were not but, that we needed to go back this way so I can get us to where we need to go - in the right direction. We finally got to McDonalds. I got the kids their happy meals and we went into the play area. After they ate I turned them loose and they ran around, up, down and every other which way the play place went. A lady came in with 2 girls I think she said that they were 2 and 8 years old. She was French. Her husband worked for ICBF and all I really got was that he signed off on a lot of adoptions. She worked in the Belgium Embassy re: Visa department. She obviously (you probably figured it out by now) spoke English. Not very well but, well enough that we could talk some. She had told me that she has been in the country for 10 years and they were leaving to go back to France in August. Her husband got a job there. She had mentioned to me that she also needed to get the girls out of the house before they drove her crazy. We talked for about a half and hour and then it was time for her to go. She asked where I was staying and if I would like her to give us a ride home. I thanked her but, declined her offer as some of the folks from McDonalds had come in to draw on the kids faces and J.P. had been patiently waiting for his turn. I didn't have the heart to make him leave right then despite the fact that it would have been much easier on me with that stroller walking back. J.P. returned to me with a black nose, whiskers and 2 triangles painted yellow (I think for ears) 1 over each eyebrow. Maria returned as a butterfly. I didn't have a camera so I took a picture of each of them with my phone. Now, if I can just figure out how to get them off my phone - the country thing is an issue. It appears that I can not call out on my phone but, I can receive calls. We try not to use my cell phone as it is VERY expensive. Only in emergencies (i.e. Steve trying to track me down) or something like that. Oh, I almost forgot!..Thanks Uncle Don and Aunt Janet for your call today! It was nice of you to take a minute to call. Sorry I couldn't talk longer but, it would have been really expensive. I did try to call you guys from my computer but, for some reason it wouldn't let me. I am not sure why. I will try one other thing tomorrow to see if that works. Else, will have to catch up with you when I get home. After we returned home the kids had some water and a lollipop from the girls who work here then it was off for siesta. We got a little off our schedule today because of the little detour getting to McDonalds. It is now about 3:00PM. J.P. finally falls asleep and Maria of course is wide awake. I shush her ( I know you love that term Jen) silently with my finger over my lips and pick her up along with her DVD player. I had put pillows under the covers to make it look like we are both still sleeping in our beds. We both slipped out of the room and I shut the door. I guess I got almost 1 1/2 hours before J.P. came hunting us. If he wakes up during his naps and he usually does, as long as he sees someone there he will go back to sleep. Else he is up.
I have them go back to the room and watch TV for about a half and hour because dinner is at 6:00PM. Tonight was a bean, rice and ground meat soup with plantains and guak. They made this awesome dessert which was made of passion fruit. It was sort of like a thick solid pudding served inside the empty fruit skin. I wish I had my camera. It was really cool. After dinner and dessert we made out way back to the room where they wanted to watch a little more TV. I let them watch until about 9:00PM tonight as it is a weekend night. They went to bed with no problem. We explained to Maria today that I have given her a privelage....at siesta time she needs to lay down until J.P. falls asleep (he will not take a siesta if she doesn't). After he falls asleep if she is good that morning then she may get up. If she was not then she looses the privelage of doing so. Also, if she gets up and purposely wakes him up then not only does she immediately go down for siesta but, she looses the privelage for the next day. She smiled when we explained it to her so...I think she gets it. She is so stinkin smart and so is he. We talked a little with family via skype today which was nice. Thanks again for everyone who is keeping in touch. I miss everyone terribly and it takes every ounce of strength not to burst into tears at the stupidest things. Like a couple of days ago during the first McDonalds trip we were leaving the house and I saw a dalmation walking up the sidewalk. At first glance I said Awwww and then it hit me like a ton of bricks and I burst into tears. Ms. Betty was there to see us off and she immediately put both hands on my shoulders and turned me away from the dog. She was talking to me the entire time...giving me strengh and encouragement. The children didn't see me and she straightened me right up so it went unnoticed by them. I have my moments I guess but, all I have to do is look into my childrens eyes and see their smiles and I know that it's all worth it. I guess this is my "Labor" time. Even though it is extremely hard I am sure once it is all over that I will only remember the parts of us laughing and having a good time. I won't remember how much I missed everyone. OK enough of that!! It's almost 10:00PM my time and I guess I should get myself to bed. Tomorrow we are gonna go and walk the local "flea market". Ms. Betty is gonna drive us up the hill and we are all gonna walk back down. Monday, Maria is suppose to start English lessons and afterwards we might try to go to a movie. We'll see. Luv to all. Hasta Luego - Chow for now.

"Stroller Buzz"

A routine getting perfected. We keep adding baby steps to our daily routine so the children know what to expect and what I expect of them. We are pretty much on our own today. Christina, Nick and her brother Joe went to the organization where they got their little girl for a tour. After breakfast the children were patiently watching TV (cartoon network) while I was trying to figure out what to do with them today. I decided to try to take them back down to the mall that Steve (hi honey) and I went to before he left. My sister gave me this fantastic idea of using an umbrella stroller to go places as it makes it a lot easier for her with her 2 children. I asked Nick if there was a stroller I could use and Betty did have one here that a family had left behind. It is a pretty sturdy one (it needed to be to hold my little guy) except the wheels are a little tough. They don't really roll right but, I made due with it. Before we left I explained to the gals here what my plan was and when I would be back. I also explained to the kids in my kindergarden spanish that I was going to try to take them out (vamos Unicentral Mall) and if they are not good I will turn around and bring them right back (porte bien, no porte bien then vamos la casa rapido), I asked them if they undersood and promised (intende, promido). They both shook their heads yes and said "SI!". I packed my little sachel with appropriate things (wipes, juice, crackers, my purse, tissues, etc) and off we went. I was really surprised at how much they listened to me. The first store we went into Maria was touching all the clothes and I asked her in Spanish not to touch and she stopped. I also asked her to stay right by my side and she did. We went into the big Exito and I looked around a little bit. We walked through the toy aisles because I was looking for some other stuff for them to do. Maria was looking at some things here and there but, not once did she ask me for anything nor complain about not getting anything. She said to me occasionally "look Mommy" and I did and said I see. They were very good. I found the "craft asile" and picked up some playdo, some paint stuff, a coloring book they could paint in and some foam shapes and construction paper for some stuff for us to do to kill time. Then it was back to the residence. It was about 12:30PM and almost time to eat something for lunch. We made one stop at the grocery store where I got some chips and a bottle of Cocoa Cola (I haven't had any in a while). Back at the house I got them seated at the table and I went into the kitchen to make one of my favorite lunches as a child - peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Maria liked it with no problem especially after I told her that Taylor liked them. J.P. wasn't so sure and ate all of his chips first. I had to help him with his sandwich. After lunch they had about a half an hour before their Siesta time at 2:00PM. I opened the playdo and we had fun making different things: cars, snowman, pizzas, butterflies and snails. I am not sure if they have seen playdo before or not. I think they might have. They called it something to do with plastic in the name. We ordered pizza for dinner (oh how I miss Bizarro's - somebody have a piece for me) and ice cream for dessert. After dinner it was back to the room to watch "Free Willy" and then it's bedtime. Another day comes to a close. The days seem to be running together now (I don't have a calendar so it is hard for me to keep track). I had to ask family what day it was. Tomorrow - Saturday- we may either take a walk to some of the other parks or try to get to this place called " __ flippers" which has a lot to do for kids. It would require a taxi ride. We'll see. I called today about starting Maria with an English tutor. The cost is $30K pesos per hour which I think is about $18.00 per hour. This may help her learn. She starts Monday and will probably have them come to the residence 3 times per week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) from 10:00 AM to 11:00AM. After which we can go out and let them play somewhere. I am not sure how JP will react. I may have to do something with him while she is studying. We'll see. Guess that is it for now. Hasta Luego.

"Mack Donalds"

Today was a good day. We finally have a morning routine which makes everything much easier. The kids know what to expect now and are good. After breakfast I took them in the family room and put on cartoons which they enjoyed for over an hour! Yesterday Christina, Nick and I talked about taking a walk up to the McDonalds up the street which has a large play area for lunch today. We left the house about 12:15 and got to the McDonalds about 12:30. The kids had chicken nugget happy meals (and this time it wasn't with Salsa de Tomate...it was BBQ sauce for J.P.). When they were done (Nick had to leave to pick up Christina's brother from the airport. He will be visiting until July 3rd. He is in the service in El Salvador. He is married and has a baby on the way. We got to see a picture on his cell phone & even hear the heart beat. It was pretty cool. )we took the kids to the play area. It's not as big as a typical McDonalds play area with ball pool and all but, it was big enough to wear them out. It gave them a chance to play with some other children. They played for about 2 hours. It was pretty neat to watch Maria help some of the littler (is that even a word?) children. There was this one little girl...she couldn't have been more than 4 years old and she reminded me a lot of my niece, Taylor, at her age complete with all the little Shirley Temple curls. She had this little stuffed, fluffy brown dog which she carried around with her until she felt comfortable enough to play without him. She was adorable and Maria helped her for a while. After an exhausting playtime we walked back to the house and both kids fell exhausted into bed for Siesta. They were so tired they slept for a little over 2 hours! I got a chance to have some coffee with grown ups which was kind of nice. By the time they woke up they had a half an hour to kill before dinner. We had this awesome soup which is a big traditional soup here in Colombia. I will definately have to get in the kitchen and take notes. These ladies are the best at preparing meals. I have been here almost a week and we have not had a single soup, meal or dessert repeated. They make this picante mix that is very spicey and very good but, I can only do a little. (I'll have to find out how to make it for you Honey, Dad Martinez and Ken as I know you like hot stuff.)

Jorge - one of the local drivers stopped in and had some handicrafts with him. He wanted to know if anyone was interested in. I bought 2 beaded bracelets (10K pesos each - they had the American flag on one end, Colombia written in the middle and the Colombian flag on the other end. I plan to keep these for Juan and Maria to remind them of our journey to Colombia to unite our "Forever Family") and 4 woven ones (1K pesos each). Jorge is the nicest guy - he does a lot for humanity, etc. He buys meals/food and hands them out to the homeless. He goes and takes gifts at Christmas to needy children. He just does a lot. If anyone would like anything from him please let me know and I can get it for you. He has ballcaps, pins, a leather pouch with zippers that says Colombia and some other things. (Steve, He also has a 3 piece socker outfit that says colombia and we can get names put on the back of the shirts for the kids for 50K pesos - if anyone else is interested let me know. )

OK back to the Canuels. At dinner the way we have the table set J.P. sits in a wooden high chair (works out much better) at the head of the table. We were cracking up because Maria made a cute little remark that we all were speaking English and we need to speak Spanish. :) Joe, Christina's brother is a little bilingual and explained that it is very inportant for her to pay close attention and learn all she can so that it helps her when she goes home to Florida. She chuckles. it is for this reason that we are looking into possibly hiring an English teacher to come to the residence to work with her. After dinner, desert and coffee it is back to the room and the kids get their jammies on. Their bed time is now officially 8:00PM. They stirred for about an hour but, finally dozed off to sleep. All is quite on the Colombian front. I smile as today...was a good day! Hasta Luego! Good Night. Oh, I almost forgot. I got a really good compliment today....Maria had told one of the girls who work here that her mommy disciplines with kindness. I thought that was pretty neat.

A Day for the Park

This morning was typical of every morning I think we have pretty much established a routine the kids got up about 8:00, we get dressed breakfast at 9:00, then it's off to wash the face and hands and brush their teeth. Today we planned to go with Christina and Nick on a walk to a small park that is near here. While we were waiting for Christina and Nick to get ready we played some games. I noticed today that the children are in a phase where they are fighting for my attention. I would help one of them with a piece of a puzzle and the other one would want my help with what they were playing with. This went back and forth for a minute until I caught on to what was going on. I immediately directed their attention to the courtyard and suggested we all go out and play until we were ready to go. At the park the kids played for a little while then we walked to a Mexican restraunt where J.P and Maria had what else but, Carne tacos. Then back home it was almost 2:00PM and I am trying to establish some sort of routine for the whole day so it is Siesta time. J.P. wanted to sleep on the sofa so I agreed. He finally fell asleep and Maria layed on the other sofa across from him both snuggled in a blanket. She didn't fall asleep so I let her get up and work a puzzle. Sonya had shown them some cards that had a Spanish word on them and a picture. I would hold up the card, Maria would say what it is in Spanish and I would tell her what it was in English. After we finished with the cards we snuck off to the kitchen for some chocolate ice cream. When we finished we went back into the living room where J.P. had just woken up (he wakes up on occasion to see if I am there and if I am he goes back to sleep) I wasn't right there in the same room with him so that was that. Steve and I had gotten them a game of Candyland (Dora's version) so I grabbed it for something new to do. They enjoyed it and it was easy to play. After Candyland we came back to the room for some Cartoon Network until dinner which is 6PM. After dinner it's off to wash the face and hands. They had short naps today so I thought it would be good to get them in bed early. I put in a movie to "wind them down" (Alvin and the Chipmunks). After the movie I got them in their jammies and it was off to bed. All is quite now and I finally got a chance to talk to Papi. (I love and miss you much). I am very excited as he purchased his ticket today to come back for a visit. He arrives on June 3rd and returns on June 8th. Please pray for the practice as I understand that it has really slowed down since we have had to give it divided attention with our trip to Colombia and the children. I believe in my heart that God sent us to pick up these 2 beautiful children. We have trusted him that he has gotten us this far and I can not imagine that he would just let everything go to pot now. So please pray for the practice in addition to all the prayers everyone has been praying regarding the adoption and the process. Our journey thus far (prior to Colombia) is truely an amazing one and it is wonderful to see how God has been working in this adoption. I am working on that story and will post it as soon as I can - progress is a little slow as my hands are full with the children but, I want to share it with all. Luv and kisses - especially to my husband who I miss dearly and can not wait to see in a week. Buenos Noches.

Ratoncito Miguel Was Here!

I was awakened this morning by a little hand waving 2 bills of 1K pesos (about $.50 each) and the biggest smile I have ever seen. Maria was standing there telling me that Ratoncito was here.

We got dressed and then went over for breakfast. After breakfast the children played in the living room a while. Silvia and Jamiez our representatives from our agency stopped in to say hello. I showed them around a little bit and took them to our room so they could see the beautiful spacious place where we were staying. Afterwards we settled in the family room and I offered them some coffee. I am not positive but, I believe we are through the first 2 of 4 phases (In business days the "phases" consists of something like this the best I understand it - 1) Assistant to judge has 10 days to review, 2) Minor defender has 5 days to review 3) the "Pro Qu Rador" like the D.A. has 5 days and then 4) Judge 10 days to make a decision). Keep in mind that they do not have to take the full amount of time...and looks like they have not so far. Please keep us in your prayers. It looks like we may still be on target for sentencia as Dollys (our attorney) had guestimated provided that everyone else does not take the full length of time. (Monday, June 30th is a holdiday here) so July 2nd would be the last day of Phase 3.

Silvia and Jamiez also went over with me the required paperwork and what I would need to make sure I had everything ready. They gave me a list of things we could do (tours, etc.) in Bogota should I choose. They gave me phone numbers of an English teacher and I may look into having them come out a couple of days per week to work with Maria. I think she would really enjoy that as she loves to learn.

Later that afternoon we had Mac N Cheese and icecream, chocolate. It was fun to watch them eat the icecream. I think Juan was trying to scrape a hole in the bottom with his spoon as he wanted to make sure he got EVERY drop. After a little more play time the children needed Siesta. I let them lay on the sofa where I could be with the others and not confined to our room. After J.P. fell asleep (Maria was still stirring) she looked over at me and I had gotten her coloring book and colored pencils so she could color there instead of napping. She understands now though that she is to lay down as if she were going to sleep until J.P. falls asleep. Sometimes she falls asleep and sometimes she doesn't and I am OK with that now that she is older. J.P. slept for an hour today instead of his usual 2ish.

After they woke up it was more playtime outside and then a movie inside. Later the evening we had dinner and they children played some games. Now it is bedtime and everyone eagerly jumps in to bed. It's time to sleep.

Today, Wednesday, I think we will try to get to the park as long as it does not rain. More tomorrow. Adios.

The "Nanny"

Today went OK. Even though we all missed Daddy terribly we made it through the day. This morning everyone had a shower. After showers Maria came to me wiggling her loose tooth. I could see a little blood so I know that it was loose enough that it could probably come out now. She asked me to take it out so I gently did. It stopped bleeding within 2 or 3 minutes and didn't bleed a lot at all. Now we need to notify ratoncito Miguel. Now breakfast which I can happily say did not consist of eggs and carne!! Maria and I had pancakes!! Juan had eggs. After breakfast we waited for Ms. Betty to arrive so we went back to our room and the kids were playing, watching videos and coloring. During one of the many skype calls (thanks by the way for everyone who called me today: my sister, ken & cindy, my hubby, both moms and the message from Donna and Tony - it is nice of you all to be thinking of me at this time. It means a lot and it helps!). Ms. Betty came in with brownies and chatted a little with family. We had plans to go to one of the 3 parks walking distance from here but, it started to sprinkle so we couldn't go. Instead we played Uno, after grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. The sun came out and we played in the garden - Tag, monster where I chase them around, and a hunting game where you hide something and then they had to find it using hot and cold for direction. Afterwards we sat outside at the picnic table and colored for a bit. I looked over at J.P and he had his thumb in his mouth which is a sure sign that he is getting tired. We packed up the coloring book and crayons and went back to the room. I put a movie on thinking that if he layed there long enough his eyes would get tired and he would fall asleep. I had the movie playing in spanish and figured it would settle them down - it settled them down but, he would not sleep. I swiched the language to English and then he finally fell asleep. Maria is about the age now where I guess she really doesn't need to nap but, I want her to lay down and rest. If she falls asleep then she needed it if she doesn't then she didn't. After J.P. fell asleep I let her get up and color some more. (I am trying to get them into some kind of routine which should include meals, an outing, games and fun time, a movie, siesta then I am not sure.. and not necessarily in that order - just something). When he woke up we went over to the family room where Ms. Betty was sitting working on the computer. The kids played. We made a trip to the grocery store which is 100 yards or so from the front door here. I picked up some fruit, bread, peanut butter/jelly and cheese (for lunches here) and some stuff to do laundry. Yeah! I never thought I would be so excited about doing laundry. It's nice to have clean clothes. :) We had dinner about 6PM and everyone was there: chicken, white rice, mac n cheese and soup. Oh and lets not forget the yummy chocolate dessert. Ms. Betty was nice, even though she did not eat she sat with us at the table and was wonderful teaching the children table manners. Ms. Betty - Everyone calls her Tia Betty, is bilingual and is fantastic with children. She has this gentle way of explaining things to them and they immediately pick up and learn guickly with all - i.e. use your silverware, we do not use plastic or paper for dishes so everything is sort of formal but, not if that makes sense. Manners are what we worked on today - I would make the request and Ms. Betty would translate for me. I have learned a lot from her and so have the children. After dinner an Attorney visited to speak with the other family that is here. He was super nice and spoke well with the children. J.P. got so comfortable with him he started to sing for him. When the gentleman asked him to sing more J.P. told him he would sing for change. It was so cute. He and Maria sang some songs and the gentleman gave him 1K pesos. Bravo J.P.

Afterwards we came back to the room and the children watched some TV - usually the cartoon network. Maria was too excited to watch any more so off into bed she climbed anxiously awaiting ratoncito Miguel. Mommy is getting tired after a long day. Tomorrow we have a meeting with the CAII rep Silvia here at the residence at 11AM to talk and maybe we'll try to make it to the park for a couple of hours. Guess that's it for now. Until tomorrow. Good Night - Good night honey. Luv you all lots.

First Evening Without Papi

Wendy - After the mall today we came back to the room and Papi got ready to go. I didn't have the children take their nap just quite yet as I wanted them to be awake when Papi left. We were in the family room visiting with Ms. Betty and Juan was so tired he fell asleep in my arms. Maria was watching TV in our room which is viewable by huge picture glass windows (with curtains that were open at this time). The bell rings...it is time for Papi to go. He goes back to the room and says good bye to Maria and then brings his bag to the door. I lay J.P. on the sofa with a blanket covering him. I give my husband a big hug as tears fill my eyes (they are now still as I am writing this). I try hard not to cry (I am glad the children can not see me as it may upset them) but, I can not help it. This is the first time we will have been seperated from each other! (Other than the week he spent with Dr. Zane finger studying for florida chiro exams) It was really, really hard to say (not good bye) but, see you later.

After Papi left J.P. was still sleeping and I asked Maria to please take her nap now (she was in our room). I told her I was going to talk to Mr. Nick and Mrs. Christina (The other American family that is here right now adopting a beautiful little girl names, Mira). I came back a few minutes later and she was playing and I could see a tiny tear in her eye. I wasn't sure if it was because Papi was gone or if she didn't want to be in the room alone. I grabbed a blanket and asked her to follow me to the family room. I helped her onto the sofa and covered her up, gave her a kiss and told her I love her. The other couple had gone but, Ms. Betty was there and we were chatting as Maria watched "football" (soccer). A few minutes later we looked over at Maria and she was sound asleep. They both slept for about 3 hours (I think the atmosphere and the travel wore them out). They woke up at about 6:15 PM and we left for pizza at Archie's. Archies is only a short walk from Betty's Place. The other couple knew the way. They said that they have tried a couple of other places for pizza and Archies is the closest to home they have tasted. The children and I split a medium pepperoni, ham and salami pizza. I think this is the first time thay have had pizza and they loved it. Believe it or not Papi, Mr. Carne took off all the meat and ate just the cheese!! After pizza we came back and had a little play time in the family room. Then back to our room for a little winding down, watching TV, etc (The Canuel way is that when you go out they can't get to sleep right away they have to "wind down" first.) About 10P I shut off the TV and let them know that it was time for bed. Daddy called shortly and they got to say goodnight.
J.P. asked 2 times for him tonight and Maria although I think she understands where he is and what is going on, misses him. As do I. (I luv you honey as I know you are reading this). When Papi called to say that he had landed both children came running over to say hello and good night. They are sleeping now. I guess that is it for now. I will write more tommorrow.
Buenos Noches!! Luv To All and Miss You All Much. Wen

Bye Bye Papi

Well today is my last day in Colombia. I fly out late afternoon.

We made it to Bogata safe. The flight was great and the children travelled well. Bettys place is awsome. The house is very nice. Our room is very big and nice. It reminds me of a mountain resport. I'm sure Wendy will post pictures once we get the cameral dilema figuered out. We gave Luci back her camara.

There are many restaurant walking distance from the house. Theres a grocery store almost right across the street. There is a dominos and McDonals. I dont like to eat fast food but that sure sounds good now. There are three parks walking distance that are very safe. Another family from New York is here. Theys have been here 10 days. They will show Wendy the "nieghboghood". They have adopted an infant. I believe he is a physician.

Staying here was a good decision. I feel much better knowing my family is here. It was a decision that Wendy and myself share mutually. We felt we would be much safer and the kids would be so much more comfortable here. Valledupar was a great experience that will last a liftime. We could not have asked for a better guide than Luci. She really cares about the adoptive familes. She stood right outside security in the airport within view of us while we waited in the terminal for an hour prior to boarding the plane! She was a godsend. We will all miss her, Manual and kids dearly. Hopeful we will all cross paths again someday.

Well I guess it's time to pass the torch to Wendy. Hasta Luega.

Kids Dancing - They Take After Their Momma :)

Bye Bye valledupar

We have made a decision to return to Bogata for the remainder of the time while waiting for sentencia. Living in a hotel that we can't go to the pool, can't walk out the front door without a guide for security reasons basically confines us to the room. You could only imagine what that would be like after 11 days with children. We will be staying at Bettys Place in Bogata. It's more of a residence style hotel with large bedrooms, family rooms and a playground for the kids. Wendy and I both agree this will be much better for the kids. We will have greater freedom to go out as well and I could return for a visit (something I culd not do if we stayed in Valledupar as I would lose two full days and one night and the price is double). We leave tonight about 7pm. Please pray for a smooth transaction.

Yesterday we spent the morning going to ICBF to get the necessary paperwork for the move. We had a nice lunch with Luci and Dolly before returning to the room where the kids took a nap. Later after dinner Luci picked us up and we went to a couple of Fiesta's (parties). We had a good time. It was wonderful to spend time with her family and experience true culture here in Valledupar. Everone at the hotel has been very nice and friendly with great service. They have gone above and beyond their call of duty catering to us and making us feel at home knowing we do not speak the language. Thanks to the manager Gladys and the staff at the Vajamar for taking such good care of us.

Dolly stated that she expects for us to recieve our Sentencia around July 7th. This is much longer than we anticipated although she said it's possible it could happen sooner. Upon the receipt of sentencia Wendy would need to travel back to Valledupar in the morning, sign and return in the evening. We have made arrangements for someone to watch the children while she travels. Steve plans to return over July 4th weekend. Thanks to everyone for all your continued support and the prayers. Please continue to pray for us!

Just another day

We went to the barbeque yesterday. It was held outside of town on a very large piece of property. There was a big house, a swimming pool, a cabana and a bar area complete with grill , outside showers and bathrooms. There was also a soccer fields and a playground for the children. There were several other estates surrounding the property. These were the only single family type residences (with lawns) we have seen here in Colombia. When we left we dropped off two little girls and went to areas we have not been before so it was like a tour for us.

The kids had fun. JP swam almost the entire time. Maria ran around playing with the other kids. There were mango trees everywhere. Whenever you wanted one you just plucked it from the tree. The first bite was like......OK i'm not sure about this although after several bites it was good. We left a little after 2pm, came back to the room, washed the kids and put them down for a nap. They didnt wake until 5. Wendy put on Sound of Music for them and they really liked it. About 6:30 we went for dinner. We horsed around the room for about an hour after dinner then the kids went back to bed. It's 7:45 now and the kids have just awakened.

Today we are suppost to meet Dolly at 10 am. Hopefully we have great news. I need to notorize several forms today giving Wendy permission to travel with the kids back to the States without me. It's the Colombian law. Without this she would not be able to travel with the kids.

I leave Sunday to return home. My flight is at 9 am and I arrive in Bogata at 10pm. I dont leave Bogata unil 8pm. Over 10 hours in a an airport that no one speaks English bymyself is not goint to be a fun day! Oh well. I'll update later if we hear any news this morning.

School's Out!

Wendy-Yesterday was the children's last day in school. Steve and I took some time to catch up with some phone calls, emails and went down to the pool. The children came home around 12:30 today. Juan Pablo (J.P.) was funny, he did not want to leave the taxi. :) I think he had too much fun at school. After lunch we came up to the room. We want to start teaching them more English so we are trying very hard to speak more to them in just English. One thing we did is teach Maria the Hokey Pokey. I do not think she has ever laughed so much at her crazy parents (yes, Steve too!). I catch her "singing" it (the best she can) every so often. I also sat down with her and went through the alphabet both in printed and written, upper and lower case. I wrote everything down for her and she would redo a line under me. She is VERY eager to learn. She is VERY smart and is going to be a great student.

Steve-We went to a unique restaraunt called El Hueco last night for empanadas, arepas and some cheese things. It was all cooked in a large pot. The restaraunt was basically outside with a brick wall around it and a small roof above preperation area and a couple of tables. See pictures. After dinner we went to a park where the children played. They had great fun. We came back to the room where they had showers, played for a little while then went to bed. Wendy and I watched a movie on JP's portable DVD player althouth began falling asleep about 30 minutes into it. I guess we we worn out as well.

Today at 8:30 we are going to a picnic at school to celebrate thier month long break.

We have not heard from Dolly as of yet. The Italian couple is still here so she is busy working on thier case. The judge has not sighned thier Sentencia yet so they are unable to leave. Dolly is suppose to travel to Aguachica today for them so I assume it was sighned yesterday. She is suppose to be back and meet with us tonight at 5:00 pm. Hopefuly. It is a danagerous and long drive.

Fiesta!

Last night we went to Manual's fiesta (party). We had a good time. There were many people there including the principle of the school. There were other children there to play with the kids. We stayed until about 10 pm. This is the latest that the kids has stayed up and they need to be ready by 7:15 this morning to go back to school. Wendy is getting Maria dressed now. Juan is still sleeping although will have to be awakened soon. We will be on our own again this morning. It gives us some alone time to rest together. The kids seemed to really enjoy school yesterday. They were excited about going again today. Unfortunatly today is the last day before a month long break.

The family from Italy recieved thier sentencia yesterday afternoon and had left for Bogata. They arrived in Valludepar June 20 for a total of 28 days. We have been here for in Valludepar 7 days. Hopefully we will be much less than 28 days. Keep praying.

Today we are suppose to meet with Dolly who will hopefully have a target date when she thinks we will be finished. I believe she will go to court today. We are hoping to be on step 2 (the 10 days). She had represented the other family so yesterday she spent the day trying to get thier Sentencia completed before close so they can fly out. They had been delayed several times and were very fustrated.

Several of you asked how Maria broke her arm. She had fallen while playing on a playground about 2 weeks prior to us comming to get her. Well it's time for breakfast. I will post pictures later.

School is in.

I want to thank Luci for loaning us her camera. Without it we would not be able to share our wonderful moments with all of you. Also thanks to everyone else who has shown support through blog comments and emails. Even though we are a long way from home in a place that is much diffenrent with people speaking a language we dont understand it makes us feel like we are are close to home.

Today the kids are going to school. They will be going to the private school where Luci teaches that we visited yesterday. Her neighbor is going to pick them up at 7:45 and dropping them off at 12:45. It will be nice for Wendy and I to have some along time together. We are planning to relax a little by the pool. They will also attend tommarow and then Thursday is the barbeque at school. After that the kids will be on a month long break.

This evening we are planning on celebrating Manuel's (Luci's husband) birthday. We will be going for cake and drinks.

Last night we went out for chicken with Luci, Manuel and their two boys. Food is very resonable here. The entire meal for all of us with drinks was less than $20 US. Some things are quite expensive here and others are much cheaper than the US.

We were talking yesterday to Luci and she said the kids have not once asked for there foster mother. This is unusual as most kids begin asking for her. The kids have been calling us Mommy and Papi from day one. They have totally accepted us as thier parents which doesn't suprise us as this entire process was orchestrated by God himself.

We met with Dolly yesterday. She will be going back to court on Wednesday and will hopefully have a date when things will be finalized. So far things are ahead of schedule. Paperwork was submitted Friday. It arrived to were it goes by Monday. This typically takes 3 days. The first step is a 5 day process. Hopefully this will be completed by Wed. Then the next step can take up to 10 business days. We need prayes this step goes quickly. Then Dolly will travel to Aguchica to get the birthcertificates and passports for the children. This will take 2-3 more days. After that Wendy will fly to Bogata with the kids and get Visas with the US embassy and have physicals with the kids, another 3 business days and they are not opened on Friday. Then back to Florida!!! So on the long end it could take 3 more weeks. On the short end about 1.5 weeks.

Hasta Luego

Change of Plans.

Dolly is sick this morning but, Luci was here. She took us to the school where she teaches. The children played and Steve and I were introduced to 2 Colombian English classes. We sat in the classes while the children asked us questions. This was to practice their English. Dolly will be here this afternoon and we will talk with her about the upcoming processes. Attached are pictures from the school We are to go to Luci's house this evening. Also, Luci has arranged for the children to attend school there to help them with their English. They will go 2 days per week from 8:00AM to 12:00PM. We will go and "teach" other classes. We have been invited to a school BBQ on Thursday.

Feeling better!

Yesterday I continued to feel bad most of the day. I stayed in the hotel and slept until about 5pm when Luci and her family picked us up. We went for a tour around the city. It is much larger than I imagined. There were people everywhere palying loud music and dancing in front of there houses. There were kids swimming in little rivers. There were areas with many kids playing on electric cars, blow up slides and moon walks. We stopped and let the kids play for a while. The houses and environment is soooo much different than the USA. It really reminds me alot of Mexico although the people are very friendly here and no one is trying to sell you things. We forgot the camera although I had taken a few pictures with Wendy's cell phone. I just have to figure out if I can transfer them to her computer.

Earlier in the day Wendy and Luci took the kids out. They wanted to buy me something for fathers day. They each made me a card and Maria picked out a T-shirt for me. The kids behaved much better yesterday. Hopefully as time goes by it becomes easier.

This morning I woke upfeeling much better. We will visit Dolly, our attorney at 9:00. We thought we may go to the pool afterwards and I will swim with Juan while wendy paints Marias nails and does her hair. The sun is shinning and it looks like it will be a beautiful hot humid day justlike the rest of them.

We have been in Colombia for over a week now. I leave next Sunday. Continue praying that things get finalized here and Wendy can travel back to Bogata with me. After the judge finalizes things we recieve the Sentencia. Wendy will then travel with the kids to Bogata and visit the US embasy. The kids will have to have a physical and passports and visas will be issued. This takes about 3 days. She can then come home.

Fathers Day in Colombia

Yesterday was a difficult day. The kids are getting very anxious being couped up in a hotel room. With Maria's arm in a cast she cant go swimming. There really isnt anything else to do here in the hotel so this makes it very difficult to occupy the children. We played several games although Juan wasnt to intrested and was into everything. Gladys the hotel manager had taken us out after lunch for a little while. We went shopping for new zappatos (shoes) for the children. We went to a park on the side of a river afterwards. There were many people swimming and barbequing. Wendy started feeling very sick when we were there. She had flu like symptoms. Shortly after returning to the room I became sick. We spent the evening running to the bathroom. Luci came over and had taken the kids down for dinner. She said they ate very well. She went to the grocery store to pick up some things for us and stayed the night to help out. It was a big help.
Today I feel better although still not up to par. Wendy feels much better. She is going to take the children down for breakfast and bring me back some food. We woke this morning and watched our worship service as it is broadcasted live on the internet. The message was great. Pastor Mark talked alot about children and it was very appropriate for us. Amazing how god talks to us when we ask for guidence.
Well this is my first fathers day so hopefully it will be a great day. Luci went home to clean u and has returned with her two youngest sons. She will be back in a few hours. Hopefully we will be able to take the kids out for a while.

The first trip to the doctor

The kids wanted to go swimming so bad yesterday. I had taped a plastic bag over Maria's arm using medical waterproof tape. Well.....it didnt work. Her cast was soaked and began falling apart. The hotel doctor looked at it said it need to be replaced. We were sent to an orthopedic center. X-rays were taken and a new cast was put on. She is not allowed in the pool. This is going to be so difficult because this is the only thing that thay can do here is swim. She had so much fun yesterday while swimming. It's gonna be rough telling her she can't go in anymore, especially with the langauge barrier.

There is another couple from Italy adopting who will be leaving in several days. They invited us yesterday to go to the Exito. We didnt go because we had just returned from the doctor. This is like Walmart. We had gone shopping there on the first day here. There is two of them in town. The one the family went to yesterday has a second floor which is a childrens playground. Hopefully we can start going there as a substitute for the pool. Also there is an area walking distance from the hotel where the kids can drive electric cars. The italian familty had told me about yesterday. We just need to find out if this is safe for us to go.

Jennifer, who runs our office is pregnant and due on June 28th. She had some complications and the baby had to be taken yesterday. This is going to make it difficult for everone working to keep things going as steady. We need prayes for the safety of Jennifer and the baby along with office to continue to run efficiently. Pray that the judge makes a speedy closure of our case so we can return home to get things back in order.

We are on our own today so I dont know what we are going to do. I'm sure there will be another adventer. Hopefully tomarrow will be all about good news! Hasta luego.

We are all alone today

We actually had our bonding meeting yesterday. I think Dolly (our attorney) had presented everything to the courts although Im not too sure due to the language barrier, sometimes it's difficult to interpret. Not too sure where we are. Dolly had driven last night to Aguachica to get the original birth certificates. I understand she will return next week. We met with her about 3 pm yesterday and the social worker and psychologist were still working on thier reports at 3:30. Not sure how late the courts are open and if this was completed yesterday. Initially Dolly was planning on presenting today. Maybe her assistant will present it today!

We had several meetings yesterday and did alot of walking. We went back to the ICBF and have recieved official custody of the kids while in Valledupar. We can go back and get permission to leave the area but must remain in Colombia. We are planning on staying for now. Keep praying that Wendy and the children will be able to travel back to Bogata with me on the 22nd!

Today we have no meetings. We will spend the day, hopefully relaxing at the pool (La placina). Luci asked that we remain at the hotel. She has a seminar today and tomarrow and will not be with us. Last night we went to her house. She has 3 boys and one girl. The kids had a lot of fun with them. It was a good break for all of us. It's been difficult for them in a hotal room.


Things are much differnt here. The roads are very narrow. No stop lights. Motorcycles everwhere and constant beeping. People walking out in the streets. Sometimes I think they are going to be ran over. Most cars and houses have no A/C. Cars are very small. We have been walking alot to all the meetings. Several blocks from the hotel. I feel very comfortable on the streets. No ploblems and people have been friendly. You cant put TP in the toilet anywhere in Colombia. The food has been good. Breakfast consists of Arepa, empanada, queso (cheese), fruit and Hurvos (eggs typically with ham). I have papaya juice and 1/2 cup of cafe leche (coffee with milk).Lunch and dinner i have had baby beef, fish and several varieties of chicken. We have eaten at the hotel everyday. I'm looking foward to eating out soon. Wendy eats Arroz con pollo everday. Juan eats like a horse. He was hombre (hungry) last night night at Luci's. Manual, her husband warmed up Pollo and platonos (chicken and bananas) for him. He ate a large dinner earlier, Spagetti pollo (chicken) plus half my carne (beef). This can be good for me. Maybe I'll drop a few pounds. We neen to go for breakfast now so Hasta Leugo (see you later). Steve

PS. Thanks for the posts. It's nice to hear from everyone. Makes us feel closer to home.

It's a Beautiful day

It's about 6:30 AM and the sun is shinning. It comes up very early here and shines in our room, even with the curtains closed. It looks like it will be a beautiful day.

The meeting of the kids was very exciting. When they arrived at the ICBF we were upstairs waiting on the children in the room we decorated earlier. When Juan Pablo entered downstairs he took off running. They called him and he said he is going to find his "Papi". They were about a half hour late. We were so anxious while waiting on the children. When they arrived they ran to us giving each other hugs and kisses. They were very comfortable with us as if we knew each other for a long time. I think callling them several times prior really helped. Luci had her camera and took pictures so we will try to post later. Everyone at the ICBF was very impressed.

We have a meeting this morning at 8:30 to discuss the legal process. So far so good. Our "bonding" meeting is scheduled for Friday. This typically takes 8-10 days. Hopefully we will stay ahead of schedule!

Maria is an absolute angel! We bonded instantly and have been side by side since. She like to tickle me just like Taylor. I have been teaching her english words. She picks up quickly. Juan was a little bit of a handful last night although we managed. Wendy spent a lot of time with him. When he finally got to go swimming he callmed down. He is so adorable. God truly blessed us with two amazing children.

Both children slept with us last night. Maria snuggled in my arms all night. She had both dalmation stuffed animals with her. I woke up this morning with one of them in my face giving me kisses. Juan slept net to Wendy. He is still sleeping and Maria is next to me watching Cat in the Hat on her DVD player. I will talkto all later.

Welcome to Valledupar. Gotcha Day!

It's 7:30 am and Wendy is wrapping gifts for the big party today. We arrived about 7 pm last night and is was dark, hot and humid, much like Florida. Bogata was very cold and I was freezing the entire time. We met Luci (our translator and guide) and Dolly (our attorney) at the airport. The hotel was on a street that we traveled about two miles or so on. It was a narrow one way street with many stores lining both sides, mostly shoe and clothing stores. It reminded me alot of Bay Street in Nassau Bahammas only the street was much narrower. There were many people out on the street. Motorcycles were everywere pulling out in front of us all over. There were vendors with carts that looked like large wheelbarrels selling fruits/veggitables. The Hotel Vajamar is very nice and reminds me of the typical Miami Beach Hotel. The people have been very friendly.

Luci is picking us up at 9 am. We are going to go to a Sony store so we can find a charger for the camera. Then we will go to the store for decorations and cake for the party. It is going to be held at the ICBF office. There will be many people there. We are very excited about meeting the kids today! After the party the kids will be comming back with us to the hotel and staying with us the remainder of the time. I'm sure Wendy will post later. Well I'm hungry so Im going down for breakfast! Adios!

Hola Colombia!

We departed Ft. Lauderdale airport on Monday 6/9/2008. We got through security checks with no problems and no long lines. When we arrived at gate H4 the Avianca crew had not arrived yet. We boarded the plane at 5:50PM (about 15 minutes late). We were in the back of the plane but, had no problems finding places to put our carryons. Across the isle there was a mother (Luce) and 2 daughters (4 & 7 - the same ages as Juan & Maria!). There seats were not together but, close by. One of her daughters was seated next to us and I told her we would help her if she needed it. At one point in the flight her 2 children would sit together and she would sit next to us. We told her the purpose of her travel and she lit up like a shining star. She is originally from Bogata but, is now residing in Florida. We shared with her our adoption process to this point and how everything is being orchestrated by God. She was pleased to hear how he was working in the adoption and said she would continue to pray for us and our family. After arriving at the airport she helped us find our way to the baggage claim area, collect our luggage, get through immigration, find our friends from our adoption agency and delivered us safely to them. Thanks Luce for shinning! (Newsboys: Shine) Your guidence and assistance was greatly appreciated and I hope your vacation "back home" is a pleasent one.

After clearing immigration it's really cool! There is a small area on the other side of the "clearance machines" which has a large glass window wall. On the other side are hundreds of people/family members and friends waiting for loved ones to arrive with signs, flags & banners. It was pretty amazing to see. Apparently it is customary for many to "show up" to pick up loved ones from the airport. We had about a 20 minute ride to our hotel in which Nora - our adoption agency's representative/attorney in Colombia spoke with us some about what to expect over the next couple of days. When we arrived Silvia and her husband Jamier (sorry if I mis-spelled that) assisted us into the hotel, the Zentana. The Zentana is a quaint little place sort of like a bed and breakfast. It is very chilly here to us, in the 60s. Later this afternoon Silvia and Jamier will pick us back up and take us to the airport. We will stop by a store to try to pick up cord/charger so we can use our camera! Yes, we forgot the charger....we were going to bring the video camera but, could not get it to hold a charge. Knowing the charger and the video camera shared the same charger I didn't bother packing a seperate one for the camera. Then later when the camera didn't work forgot to put the charger in the suitcase. So, not sure if we will be able to post any pictures. We will try. After arriving in Valledupar this evening we will get to the hotel (Vajamar) and settle in, rest up because tommorrow is "GOTTCHA DAY"!