Singin' in the Rain

Recently, Jordan discovered the old classic movie, "Singin' in the Rain." It has become her all-time favorite - for the week, anyway. That's pretty appropriate, too, when you consider the fact that we are in the midst of rainy season now and lately we've had thunderstorms every afternoon!

What is it?

Have you ever seen one of those photo quizzes that show you an unusual perspective of a common item and you are supposed to figure out what it is?

The other day, I saw this and had a thought that it might cause some people to wonder "What is it?" Any guesses? (hint: leave a comment to let us know what you are thinking)

When you're done thinking about it, click here to find out!

Negotiations

I’ve watched enough episodes of the TV show “Flashpoint” to come to the conclusion that hostage negotiations have much in common with raising a strong-willed two year old.  Phrases like “I understand that’s what you want, and I’d like to give it to you, but first I need you to do this one thing (lately, go pee-pee on the potty) for me,” are invaluable.  The negotiator must be creative, persistent, and calm in the face of unbelievable circumstances, rising tensions, and impossible demands.  Force may be used, but only as a last resort. 

 

You know, I’d love to meet the guy who first made a distinction between “Housewives” and “Working Mothers.”  I’d really like to see how long he could make it alone, behind closed doors, with a strong-willed toddler!

 

 

Así es la Vida

Costa Rica is such a well developed, “modern” nation that you can sometimes forget that it really is a Third World country.  Today was not one of those days!

 

Now that we have our Residency Visas (Thank God!), we have to get special permission from the government to take our minor children out of the country.  We went to the Immigration Offices on Monday afternoon, as our lawyer suggested, with the papers she told us we needed, to make the request.  We should have seen it coming, really, I mean it all just sounded too easy!  We didn’t though (one of the days we’d forgotten the Third World thing), and we were surprised to learn that we needed two more things to apply for permission to take our kids out of the country.  We needed a copy of their birth certificates – stamped & certified – and passport size photos of each of them as well as the other documents the lawyer had told us about.  It sounds silly, but what can you do?  That’s the law!

 

So today Henry & I went back to Immigration.  We went in the morning, because the office where you request the copy of the birth certificate that they have on file is only open from 8 a.m. until noon.  We were so thankful that a friend from my Bible Study watched Jordan for us, because the whole process took 4 long hours! 

 

Some might call this a wasted day.  To be honest, we are tempted to do just that!  But, when you’ve lived in a Third World country for as long as we have, you learn to say, “Así es la vida” (“Such is life”)!

 

My daughter the hobbit

If you’ve watched the Lord of the Rings Trilogy – or read the books, this blog will make sense to you.  For some time now, I’ve suspected Jordan was a hobbit in disguise, and today’s actions confirmed it.  Less than an hour after finishing her breakfast (banana, yogurt, Fruit Loops), she asked me for macaroni & cheese, and she’s actually eating it!  “Tensies, anyone?”

 

 

Kids say the darndest things!

A couple of weeks ago, on a day that I was feeling a bit blue, Jordan asked to look at some old photos with me.  The trip down memory lane was enough to make me cry, and that troubled her.  She climbed on my lap, looking intently into my eyes, and asked, “You okay, Mama?”  “Yes,” I replied, “Mama’s just a little sad today.”  Then she drew close to my face for what I expected to be a kiss, but instead she blew a puff of air in my face.  “What was that?” I asked.  She came even closer and blew on my nose, then sat back contentedly.  “All better,” she said, “No more sad; I blow nose!”  Who wouldn’t laugh at that?