After breakfast, we have book time and play time in the room, and then it is off to the pool! The girls love the water. Katie tries really hard to walk around in the water on her own, even though she is going underwater every few seconds. Luckily, Mommy is always there to catch her. Rosa just splashes and smiles the whole time. Apparently, the Colombians here think we are crazy for going to the pool when we do, and we even had a "concerned citizen" come over today to make sure we had sunscreen on the girls. OF COURSE!
Then it's back to the room for Rosa's nap and then out for lunch. Yesterday, we went out for lunch and had...PIZZA! Thank goodness for Julia (she is one of the mom's of the older sisters of my girls) who told us where to go. That melted away some of the homesickness right away! After lunch (today - Rosa ate two things of baby food AND a bottle of formula and rice cereal), Rosa usually falls asleep right away, and once we put Katie in bed, she isn't too far behind.
Finally, we come home, get baths, sing songs, and chill until bed time (around 8pm).
So for those asking, that is what a day in Monteria looks like. Tomorrow, is our interview with ICBF, and our court process will start! Pray that we get a "fast" judge, so that we can come home faster. According to our interpreter, things are looking good for that to happen. Now I can just leave it in God's hands and hope for the best.
What wonderful time to spend with your children each day! I understand the home sickness, everyone goes through it, so know it's completely normal. I really encourage you to SOAK UP every minute you have in their homeland. Try to learn as much as you can, take more pictures than you can fathom looking at, find ways to experience their culture in any way possible, pick up a few gifts unique to their country, etc. When you get home, you will want to share this in some form with your girls. I know my kids still enjoy looking at all of the pictures and hearing about the things unique to Colombia, and they have only been away for a little under three years. Also, I tried to embrace the feelings of homesickness. I know that sounds weird, but I knew that when we brought our kids to the U.S., they would be experiencing similar feelings and I wanted to really be able to empathize and give them what they needed to deal with their emotions. Also, be prepared to get the lectures and questioning throughout the time you are there. We were constantly asked why our kids weren't wearing jackets, caps, etc., when they were sweating. You all know what's best! ; ) I got really good at saying, "Muchas gracias. Eastamos bien." Thank you very much. We are fine. Good luck with your ICBF interview tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteTraci Jensen
We had lots of "concerned citizens" approach us while in Monteria...no baby in the sun. Even when we told them we put on sunblock they would keep repeating it. Your routine was very much like ours but with a 5 year old along we went to the park both morning and afternoon. There is a great ice cream place in the park..I think we had brownie sundaes everyday for 3 weeks. It took us a while to figure out why the park was always closed in the day. Every time we walked past the park in the daytime...the iguanas were sunning themselves. Your girls are adorable. How is the bathing situation going? We had warm water (use the term loosely) only once in the 3 weeks we were there and the rest of the time, Angelica screamed bloody murder in the shower. Love following your journey and see the pics. Good luck and hoping you get a fast judge.
ReplyDelete