Smuggling Gerbils

The transformation has begun. I am turning into a hippie. It all started with my first long skirt. Let me clarify… not my first long skirt ever, just my first long skirt with some flowers on it. I then got my second long skirt that was even more flowery than the first. Now I have my third long skirt (we’re talking down to the ankles long, people) and I also own a pair of feather earrings. I even wore the long skirt while wearing the plumed accessories. And I have learned to knit! I doubt that I will ever truly love the smell of patchouli so maybe that makes me an aspiring hippie or a non-hippie with hippie tendencies.

Life is good up here. The summer has been fun and school starts for Ryan on the 16th. We plan to take a quick beach trip before getting back into the school year routine and I would also like to make a San Jose run. On my next trip to the City I plan to buy a few things: funky yarn (limited choices here on the mountain—basically acrylic yarn or baby acrylic yarn), beads so that I can make more jewelry and of course some refills for my Gillette razor. I may be hippie-fying but I’m not ready to join a drum circle or start smuggling gerbils in my pits just yet.

Summer Fun

Well, so much for my resolution to post more often. I guess the good news is that it’s June (okay, the very end of June but June nonetheless) and not December so at least I just have a few months worth of blog-catch-uppery. So here’s a recap: We had a great two weeks in Austin in February. Of course the time flew by and we didn’t do as much as we thought we would.--- but isn’t that what visiting home is about? In March Mike and Mike came to visit. We got to enjoy them for a bit before they headed off to the beach. Ryan learned to whistle in March and we had our family photos taken at the end of the month. April 1st was the Caminata (Walkathon) for Ryan’s school. It was a killer (lots of uphill action) 13 kilometer walk and our superstar tough girl, Ryan, walked the whole way! She was the youngest kid to do it. How cool is that? At the beginning of April Jackson pulled himself up to stand for the first time. Then he decided one milestone wasn’t enough for the month so he decided to eat his first (certainly not his last) piece of dog food as well as start doing the army crawl. May was Ryan’s last full month of school so she stayed busy with activities and play dates. Nir and Galit were in Israel for a month so Cane and I stayed busy splitting the hours at Luna Azul. Jackson started clapping and saying “yay” (definitely my kid) and he says “bowwow” to the dogs. Now we’re in June. The second was Ryan’s last day of school. Ran, Jackson, Bodi and I went to her end-of-year program. Jackson has started taking steps around the coffee table. Ran and Shannon went on a two-day retreat to discuss the PSE. Ryan has been busy playing with her friends and having a great start to her summer break. It will be interesting to see how we manage to keep her entertained for 2 ½ months.

Summers are tough times here because that’s when families tend to leave the area. We have been so lucky to have terrific neighbors for the last semester but they are getting ready to head back to Florida. Jim and Donna have two kids, Catie (6) and Kevin (8). Ryan and Catie were fast friends. They are easily able to fill their time together with lots of fun and very little conflict. You know that they are good friends when they even get into trouble together. One day while Donna and I were having coffee at her house, the girls went outside to play. They came back in with handfuls of Ryan’s toys and were proud to announce that they had gone next door to our house via the shortcut (which means they didn’t go into the street). Naturally they got into trouble for leaving the property without an adult but at the same time it’s such a treat to have a neighbor you like and a shortcut through the woods to get there!

I have a feeling the summer is going to fly by—much like the first half of the year already has. This weekend we’re going to David and Karen’s wedding in Sugar Beach. We’re looking forward to celebrating with them as well as enjoying a family getaway. And believe it or not Jackson will turn ONE next week! We plan to have a party for him next weekend so with work and life, parties and play dates, I’m sure July will be over in a blink. Hopefully we’ll have some visitors this summer to keep us even busier (hint hint).

Until my next post...

Pura Vida

Back in Action

It seems only fitting that I should resurrect my blog in the place where it began... good ol' Texas. It kind of seems like we never left but we have actually been gone for a year and four months. It has been so nice to visit the village that helped raise our first child and introduce them to our second. A lot has changed but so much has stayed the same. It's great being in the "Land of Plenty". Family and friends. High speed internet. Tex-Mex. Dim sum. Sushi. Gelatto. Steak. Haircuts from Kelly. Massages from Christopher. And did I mention shopping? Gotta love it!

Two weeks have flown by and like the true procastinator that I am, I have waited until the day before we leave to get online and post this blog. Our visit has been so much fun (despite the fact that Ran and I both got sick) and we wish we could stay longer. The good news is that we are making a commitment to get back here more often.

My next post will be from Monteverde. I plan to post before the end of the month. I had a bit of trouble jump-starting my New Year's Resolution to be better in touch through emails, letters and blog posts so I am making it my Chinese New Year Resolution instead. That way I haven't wasted an entire month. That's me.... always thinking.

Happy Year of the Dog
I'm resurrecting my blog
No more sitting around
like a bump on a log

Pura vida
Pura amor