Mom Mamma Mama'

I'll admit I am nervous to drop Miss. K into a new preschool, mid year, new country, new teachers, new kids, new language. I had no intention of even attempting this until Fall maybe not even till February when the new school year starts here. Miss. K however has been asking to go to school since last week and yesterday when we wandered past a play school yard filled with joy filled kids having fun it was almost more than she could handle and she started pleading to go to school. So, I talked to her Tia and asked about her cousins school and the possibility of Miss. K attending the same play school, she thought it would work so we are going to check it out. Miss. K was so excited she had Disney Land sleep as my patents called it. She fell asleep early with the promise of school but then tossed and turned and woke at 4am and yelled, "Mamá I am so EXCITED to go to school!" To which my much less enthusiastic reply was, "great, go to sleep." But she was wide

Honestly I had pretty low expectations for a great birthday this year, seeing as we just arrived a week ago and don't really know anyone but family. However my Bolivian family threw a great celebration for me, San Juan and other family members who are back in town. We had great food and drink and everyone had a fabulous time. That was the night before my birthday. My actual birthday was literally crappy. I woke up to the urge to go to the bathroom and while I made it to the bathroom I sneezed before making it to the pot, and left some evidence of what was to follow in my PJ's. Not fun. As the day went on the shit continued to flow. And while I made it to the toilet most of the time I definitely ruined another pair of PJ's before my mother in law was able to buy me some antidiahrial meds. But the whole day was not a total shit show, between trips to the bathroom my kitchen cart and my couch were moved into our apartment, which was a fantastic birthday gift. The thing is i

In America we take shopping for granted. I don't know if I've ever given it much thought. If I want something I can head head to one of my 3 favorite stores plop Miss. K in a cart or simply order it on Amazon and wait a day for it to arrive. This is not the case in Bolivia. In Bolivia if I say I would like a television stand for example, I will be carted to an entire street full of furniture vendors. This at first seems like a great place to shop, that is until you realize that every single shop on the street carries the exact same products, just with slightly different prices. So after you've been in the 3rd store you know number 4-7 are not going to have what you're looking for. And so does your kid who is over walking and looking at the same piece of furniture again and again. When you have searched all seven stores to no avail but happen upon the exact piece of furniture you were envisioning on day 2 of the hunt it's like finding gold! Which makes it hard to

We have been here in Santa Cruz, Bolivia for just 2 days and though not everything is how I expected our transition from one home to the next has been smoother than one would have imagined. I have gone many places and have even lived abroad before, but never have I introduced my child to a new home, let alone life in a country not her own.   I have to say I am very proud of our little family and our ability to go with the flow. The past few months have been all about downsizing and saying goodbyes to everyone and almost everything she has ever known.   Now that I have the time to reflect I can say my kid has handled all of this with more grace and calmness than most adults I know.   Nothing against us adults but we tend to get attached to our things and our way of doing life, where as my kiddo has been able to hold on to her sense of excitement and adventure through it all. I was fearful at times of starting fresh in a new country with a 3-year-old, especially without the help