The movers came today and packed all of our stuff. It took them all day. We have too much stuff, but we'll donate a lot of it down there, so I'm okay with that. But yeesh, it took forever to pack, and I had it all organized.
It was Miss M's last day of school, too, but I could not drop her off, because I was waiting for the movers, and I could not go to pick her up, because I was still dealing with the movers. I am so sad about that. I wrote nice cards to her teachers and gave them Amazon gift certificates. T delivered them when he picked her up. I hope that was the right thing to do. Preschool etiquette is lost on me. They gave us an awesome binder of Miss M's year, full of pictures and her art and little headings with descriptions. It is super cute. I feel so bad I didn't get to say goodbye to her teachers. They were so kind to us. It's probably better, because I definitely would have cried. I hate endings.
We leave here in a few days. I'm exhausted from the social engagements and the packing, and I'm sad about leaving our friends. Argh...endings beget beginnings, which I love, but they sure are hard.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Grab Bag Edition
It's late and I should be sleeping, or trying to, but my mind is whirling away with the contents of my to-do lists, so I might as well blog. We are in our final days here, preparing for the next big move. I've managed to assemble the necessary supplies, save a new television. We've heard they are crazy expensive in South America, and I really want a smart tv so that I can watch American television and the Mexican version of Grey's Anatomy with very little effort. I am going to be forced to actually go to a store and purchase the tv, though, because I was indecisive and couldn't choose, and now it's too late to order anything. The movers come on Thursday.
We now have our apartment lined up. It was a bit tricky, and I still haven't seen photos, but I do have a floor plan. (It freaks me out a little that I have not yet seen photos.) This is where I am going to start to sound like an even bigger ass than usual, so my apologies in advance. The apartment looks lovely--great neighborhood, near some parks that people seem to like, with a playroom for the kids and a giant walk-in closet for me. Perfect, right? Oh, and it has quarters for a live-in maid, in a different part of the apartment from the "family" bedrooms. And this is where I confess that we've been debating the merits of hiring a domestic employee.
It makes me feel like such a jerk to say that. It feels like indentured servitude to me. My friends who have had domestic staff before tell me that the wages are good for the country I will be living in, and that I would be helping the local economy by hiring someone. It still feels weird to me. Because the fact of the matter is that $10 or $15 a day is not much money, and it feels. . .bad. But on the other hand, we could pay an employee well (by local standards) and have someone live in, work full time, and still pay less than $500 a month. This person could be a nanny, or it could be someone who cooks, cleans, does laundry, does the grocery shopping, runs errands, etc. Oh, and the quality of the care/assistance is supposedly top notch. This is the kind of situation you can only dream about in the U.S.
Miss M is definitely going to be going to preschool, but the schools pretty much only offer half-day programs. T thinks he might like to work once SB is old enough to be in school. That gives us like a year or so. If he is going to work, we'll definitely need help.
I don't know. I like the idea on some level, but I feel really weird about it on other levels. We'll see.
Warning: much discussion of pooping ahead. In potty training news, it continues to be a mixed bag. Miss M's teachers continue to think that she sometimes poops in her sleep during nap time. I know better. That child has never, ever--not even as a teeny, tiny baby--pooped in her sleep. She is clearly pooping during naptime to avoid using the potty. I've resorted to bribing her, and it's going reasonably well on days when she wants something. For example, we bought a fancy bubble thingamabob, and denied her the use of it unless she pooped on the potty at school. On day one, she pooped in her pants, and was not allowed to open it. On day two, she pooped on the potty. However, on day three when she was no longer coveting the bubbles, she pooped in her pants again. Argh. We went over using the potty this morning just before I left her at school, and the end result was that she tried to use the potty, according to her teacher, but said it was "stuck and won't come out. " And then she didn't poop at all, which has now happened a few times on days when I've really stressed the importance of using the potty. She NEVER skips pooping, and is never constipated, because she lives on fruit and dairy. Double argh. But still, she has been pretty good about peeing on the potty, so. . .baby steps.
I'm packing all day tomorrow. Wish me luck! I need to have a big day. Then, it's dinner with a friend from my old job, then one more sleep, then the movers appear. We end the week with a big party with friends, and then leave for a few weeks of vacation with family in advance of our big move. Let the games begin!
We now have our apartment lined up. It was a bit tricky, and I still haven't seen photos, but I do have a floor plan. (It freaks me out a little that I have not yet seen photos.) This is where I am going to start to sound like an even bigger ass than usual, so my apologies in advance. The apartment looks lovely--great neighborhood, near some parks that people seem to like, with a playroom for the kids and a giant walk-in closet for me. Perfect, right? Oh, and it has quarters for a live-in maid, in a different part of the apartment from the "family" bedrooms. And this is where I confess that we've been debating the merits of hiring a domestic employee.
It makes me feel like such a jerk to say that. It feels like indentured servitude to me. My friends who have had domestic staff before tell me that the wages are good for the country I will be living in, and that I would be helping the local economy by hiring someone. It still feels weird to me. Because the fact of the matter is that $10 or $15 a day is not much money, and it feels. . .bad. But on the other hand, we could pay an employee well (by local standards) and have someone live in, work full time, and still pay less than $500 a month. This person could be a nanny, or it could be someone who cooks, cleans, does laundry, does the grocery shopping, runs errands, etc. Oh, and the quality of the care/assistance is supposedly top notch. This is the kind of situation you can only dream about in the U.S.
Miss M is definitely going to be going to preschool, but the schools pretty much only offer half-day programs. T thinks he might like to work once SB is old enough to be in school. That gives us like a year or so. If he is going to work, we'll definitely need help.
I don't know. I like the idea on some level, but I feel really weird about it on other levels. We'll see.
Warning: much discussion of pooping ahead. In potty training news, it continues to be a mixed bag. Miss M's teachers continue to think that she sometimes poops in her sleep during nap time. I know better. That child has never, ever--not even as a teeny, tiny baby--pooped in her sleep. She is clearly pooping during naptime to avoid using the potty. I've resorted to bribing her, and it's going reasonably well on days when she wants something. For example, we bought a fancy bubble thingamabob, and denied her the use of it unless she pooped on the potty at school. On day one, she pooped in her pants, and was not allowed to open it. On day two, she pooped on the potty. However, on day three when she was no longer coveting the bubbles, she pooped in her pants again. Argh. We went over using the potty this morning just before I left her at school, and the end result was that she tried to use the potty, according to her teacher, but said it was "stuck and won't come out. " And then she didn't poop at all, which has now happened a few times on days when I've really stressed the importance of using the potty. She NEVER skips pooping, and is never constipated, because she lives on fruit and dairy. Double argh. But still, she has been pretty good about peeing on the potty, so. . .baby steps.
I'm packing all day tomorrow. Wish me luck! I need to have a big day. Then, it's dinner with a friend from my old job, then one more sleep, then the movers appear. We end the week with a big party with friends, and then leave for a few weeks of vacation with family in advance of our big move. Let the games begin!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Potty Training is Making Me Crazy
Miss M SHOULD be potty trained. She's highly verbal, huge vocabulary and enormous capacity for reasoning, etc, etc, etc. You know what she tells me? "I like diapers." Why did you poop in your pants? Don't you want to use the potty like all of your friends? "Nope. I like to poop in my diaper."
ARGH. I'm not sure how we got here. I feel like we failed her at some point. We've been trying intermittently for the last year, but she didn't seem ready, and so we've basically just let it go. But now I feel like we are at the point that it's not a matter of being unable to do it, but rather a matter of unwilling, and I feel like it's something we did (or didn't) do that left us in this situation.
One of my friends, who has two boys who are now a few years past the potty training stage, has told me to simply forget it until she's ready and willing to do it. She says she struggled with her first child without much progress, but let it go with the second child, and it just came naturally and easily to him. I was inclined to take that approach, but, well--it's just not working. I started doing that six months ago, and she's still not there.
Miss M turns three and a half next week. She will start a new school in August, and I assume (but do not yet know for sure) that she will need to be potty trained to attend. But more than that, it's just time. She knows when she has to go. She will tell you SOMETIMES. More often than not, though, we end up with an accident.
Today I took her to a little water park for kids. She was playing, and then something--the look on her face--tipped me off to the fact that she was pooping in her bathing suit. "Miss M," I said, "Do you have to go potty?" She agreed that she did, but it was too late. When I got her into the nearby bathroom, the poop was dripping from her diaper onto the floor. Honestly, I just wanted to cry. She was utterly nonplussed. When I said we had to leave because she had pooped in her bathing suit, she simply said okay, and asked if we could come back later. Then she promised she wouldn't do it again, like she does every time I tell her that she needs to tell me when she has to potty.
We're going to start a sticker chart later today, with prizes she can see. I think I will put them up on a shelf, so she knows that when she gets enough stickers, she can have the prize. She's not typically motivated by prizes, but it's worth a shot. I have to do SOMETHING. If anyone has a better idea, I'd love to hear it.
ARGH. I'm not sure how we got here. I feel like we failed her at some point. We've been trying intermittently for the last year, but she didn't seem ready, and so we've basically just let it go. But now I feel like we are at the point that it's not a matter of being unable to do it, but rather a matter of unwilling, and I feel like it's something we did (or didn't) do that left us in this situation.
One of my friends, who has two boys who are now a few years past the potty training stage, has told me to simply forget it until she's ready and willing to do it. She says she struggled with her first child without much progress, but let it go with the second child, and it just came naturally and easily to him. I was inclined to take that approach, but, well--it's just not working. I started doing that six months ago, and she's still not there.
Miss M turns three and a half next week. She will start a new school in August, and I assume (but do not yet know for sure) that she will need to be potty trained to attend. But more than that, it's just time. She knows when she has to go. She will tell you SOMETIMES. More often than not, though, we end up with an accident.
Today I took her to a little water park for kids. She was playing, and then something--the look on her face--tipped me off to the fact that she was pooping in her bathing suit. "Miss M," I said, "Do you have to go potty?" She agreed that she did, but it was too late. When I got her into the nearby bathroom, the poop was dripping from her diaper onto the floor. Honestly, I just wanted to cry. She was utterly nonplussed. When I said we had to leave because she had pooped in her bathing suit, she simply said okay, and asked if we could come back later. Then she promised she wouldn't do it again, like she does every time I tell her that she needs to tell me when she has to potty.
We're going to start a sticker chart later today, with prizes she can see. I think I will put them up on a shelf, so she knows that when she gets enough stickers, she can have the prize. She's not typically motivated by prizes, but it's worth a shot. I have to do SOMETHING. If anyone has a better idea, I'd love to hear it.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Where is Time Going??!
Once again, my world has sped up and time is slipping through my fingers. It always happens as a move approaches. I know it's coming, and I don't know why I don't plan better. I guess I need the urgency of impending deadlines. Of course, work has gotten busier over the last month, too. Once I finished with my Spanish lessons, I had to return to a more structured work environment, and it's really getting in the way of my life! So, no blogging. Although I really should be, because now that I am so busy, my mind swirls with the many things I must do, and I'm not sleeping well. I swear, I didn't dream for months while I was studying Spanish intensively, and now that I'm so busy with other things, I am having the freakiest dreams. I'd rather just not dream at all.
Why such disturbed sleeping, you ask?
Well, I still need to finish vaccinations for me and the girls. We're in various stages of getting vaccinated for awesome things like yellow fever. Then there is the planning. Visas. Shipping the car. Shipping our stuff. The million other little tiny logistics involved in packing and moving a family of four to another continent.
And the shopping. I think it is mostly the shopping that is disturbing me right now. There are the everyday things that need to be replaced while we're in a place where a) the cost of goods is reasonable and more importantly b) I easily can find what I'm looking for, because I know where to look for it. There are also the things that we'll need in this new place that we didn't have before or didn't need before (like, twin bedding for children who are no longer in cribs--the linens were included in our current furnished rental!). Then there are the things that we'd like to have that we might not be able to get there, silly things that you don't even think you'll miss until you can't get them any more, like good quality tin foil and chipotle peppers in adobo and those awesome force-flex trash bags that don't rip when you overstuff them. I have bought. . .very little. Honestly, I'm overwhelmed and don't feel like shopping. Spending piles of money stresses me out. But if I'm going to shop, it all must be done before the movers come, so that it is all ready to ship, which is also stressing me out. The obvious solution to this is to do nothing, like I have been, because of course that solves everything. :)
The movers come in something like 17 days. We still don't know where we are living, which is making it a bit hard to figure out what we need. We've heard that we'll want to buy necessary goods here and ship them. We've also heard that we are unlikely to have central heating, but should expect temperatures at times near freezing (what?!). Oh, and that we will probably need rugs, as most of the apartments have tile and/or wood floors, which just makes them seem colder. Which might make you think that I would a) be trying to speed up the housing situation so I have a clearer idea of what I need, or b) that I had done some shopping for rugs, but not really. I'm hoping to have the apartment arranged by the end of the week, which really doesn't give me much time, but. . .it just is what it is.
I finally broke down this weekend and did a flurry of on-line shopping. I bought three rugs and new sheets for the girls. I now will be biting my fingernails to see if they arrive on time. I hedged my bets and bought the rugs from three different retailers (and got free shipping on all three and heavy discounts on two of them. . .score!). I decided on (but did not yet purchase) a new television. I still need some computer accessories, a few child-friendly space heaters, a pair of black flats and a couple of down comforters, at the very least. The list of things I SHOULD get, but probably won't get around to, is substantially longer.
I'm not sure why, because it certainly doesn't move the ball forward, but I feel lighter just for having typed that. Maybe now I can sleep!
Why such disturbed sleeping, you ask?
Well, I still need to finish vaccinations for me and the girls. We're in various stages of getting vaccinated for awesome things like yellow fever. Then there is the planning. Visas. Shipping the car. Shipping our stuff. The million other little tiny logistics involved in packing and moving a family of four to another continent.
And the shopping. I think it is mostly the shopping that is disturbing me right now. There are the everyday things that need to be replaced while we're in a place where a) the cost of goods is reasonable and more importantly b) I easily can find what I'm looking for, because I know where to look for it. There are also the things that we'll need in this new place that we didn't have before or didn't need before (like, twin bedding for children who are no longer in cribs--the linens were included in our current furnished rental!). Then there are the things that we'd like to have that we might not be able to get there, silly things that you don't even think you'll miss until you can't get them any more, like good quality tin foil and chipotle peppers in adobo and those awesome force-flex trash bags that don't rip when you overstuff them. I have bought. . .very little. Honestly, I'm overwhelmed and don't feel like shopping. Spending piles of money stresses me out. But if I'm going to shop, it all must be done before the movers come, so that it is all ready to ship, which is also stressing me out. The obvious solution to this is to do nothing, like I have been, because of course that solves everything. :)
The movers come in something like 17 days. We still don't know where we are living, which is making it a bit hard to figure out what we need. We've heard that we'll want to buy necessary goods here and ship them. We've also heard that we are unlikely to have central heating, but should expect temperatures at times near freezing (what?!). Oh, and that we will probably need rugs, as most of the apartments have tile and/or wood floors, which just makes them seem colder. Which might make you think that I would a) be trying to speed up the housing situation so I have a clearer idea of what I need, or b) that I had done some shopping for rugs, but not really. I'm hoping to have the apartment arranged by the end of the week, which really doesn't give me much time, but. . .it just is what it is.
I finally broke down this weekend and did a flurry of on-line shopping. I bought three rugs and new sheets for the girls. I now will be biting my fingernails to see if they arrive on time. I hedged my bets and bought the rugs from three different retailers (and got free shipping on all three and heavy discounts on two of them. . .score!). I decided on (but did not yet purchase) a new television. I still need some computer accessories, a few child-friendly space heaters, a pair of black flats and a couple of down comforters, at the very least. The list of things I SHOULD get, but probably won't get around to, is substantially longer.
I'm not sure why, because it certainly doesn't move the ball forward, but I feel lighter just for having typed that. Maybe now I can sleep!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Another American Tragedy
I have so many happy memories of Boston Marathons past: runners from around the world and thousands upon thousands lining the race course in celebration, through cold rain or muggy sun, brimming with soul and grit, and kindness. It is a race full of kindness. It is hard to get a bib for Boston. To qualify, you have to be a very good amatuer runner, or an elite runner. The remaining runners--many, many, many people--get their bibs by running for charity, after personally raising thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. When I've stood on that racecourse in the past, it's brought tears to my eyes to see spectators, deep and thick, out on Heartbreak Hill or around Cleveland Circle, miles from the finish line, calling out names from runners' bibs, cheering on unknown strangers as though they were best friends on the cusp of the actual finish line. The energy is special. There is no other marathon like Boston.
As a New England native, I've had countless friends, family members, and acquaintances run Boston, some every year. It is shameful that someone has tried to mar this event, this day, the accomplishments of 27,000+ people. You know what, though? Boston is tough and resilient. Today we mourn, we pray for the injured and their loved ones, we weep for a little more innocence lost. Tomorrow, we will stiffen our backbones, strengthen our resolve, and start to rebuild. We will come together, we will rise up, we will overcome. That's what we do.
As a New England native, I've had countless friends, family members, and acquaintances run Boston, some every year. It is shameful that someone has tried to mar this event, this day, the accomplishments of 27,000+ people. You know what, though? Boston is tough and resilient. Today we mourn, we pray for the injured and their loved ones, we weep for a little more innocence lost. Tomorrow, we will stiffen our backbones, strengthen our resolve, and start to rebuild. We will come together, we will rise up, we will overcome. That's what we do.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Hurrah!!
As of today, my Spanish is officially "good enough." I have been deemed fit to do my job in Spanish. No more Spanish lessons for me, at least for now! I can't even begin to express how relaxed this makes me feel. Now I can just watch the Mexican version of Grey's Anatomy for fun! And read books. . .in English! And relaaaaxxxx!!!
I am so proud of myself. And so relieved. It's really, really good to have this accomplishment behind me. Now the countdown to the big move really begins.
I am so proud of myself. And so relieved. It's really, really good to have this accomplishment behind me. Now the countdown to the big move really begins.
Monday, April 8, 2013
What's Your Theme Song?
I often think of the old episode of Ally McBeal where she picks a theme song for her life. For years, whenever I had a big project at work, just before things really got intense in terms of workload, I would create myself a cd of music to listen to in my car during my late night and early morning commutes. When I was working 18 hour days and racing against the clock, I considered these cd's my "theme songs" for the project. The real purpose behind the music was that I would blast it loud and roll the windows down and use it to keep myself awake, especially when I was driving home in the wee hours of the morning after a killer day at work.
I would always label the cd with the name of the project, so that eventually I had a collection of cd's with project names scrawled across them. I would listen to nothing else on my way to and from work, other than my "theme songs," so this collection of cd's essentially became a collection of memories of the projects and of my life at the time (although to be fair, often my life at the time WAS the project). The cd's were always a mix of songs that were currently popular, and songs that reminded me of the project. On one project for example, I had Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," because it reminded me of a jerk that I had to work with, who was working on the project from another company. Every time I played the song during that project, I thought of him and laughed. Years later, when I run across these old cd's and pop them into the cd player, I am transported back to those times. They are like auditory scrapbooks.
I have to show off my (newly acquired) Spanish skills later this week, to see if my company thinks I am sufficiently proficient to do my job in Spanish. If I am not, I will continue studying (sigh--both a blessing and a curse). If I am sufficiently proficient, then I move on to do some other things and gear up for our big Latin American move. So of course, I made myself a theme song CD. Since I'm not commuting at this point, I've been playing a song or two as I start and end my day. This Silvio Rodgriguez song is one of my favorites. Plus, it's full of the subjunctive, so I can call listening to music "studying." :)
Do you have a theme song for your life? If you had to choose one, what would it be?
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