Little A Turns One

 I honestly don't know how this happened. Somehow my baby girl is already a year old. You would think that I would be able to see this coming. After all, I had a whole year to prepare for it. It seems like yesterday that I was lamenting over being overdue and uncomfortable. Alas, I was blindsided once more.

In my defense, I think it happens faster the more kids you have. With just one child, the days were not so busy and full of, well, life.

So here we are, celebrating my special little girl and the joy she brings to our lives.

Little A has always been a mover and shaker. She was very active in the womb, and she continued that activity after birth. She rolled over when just two days old (although that was probably a fluke), and regularly rolled over when she was 2 1/2 months. She could reach anything in a room when she was four months, crawled a real crawl just after turning 5 months, and took her first several steps in a row when she was 8.5 months. I know that some kids reach these milestones earlier, but she impressed me with her activity.

Miss A also loves to be outside. She stands by the door, longingly gazing outside until someone lets her out (and goes out with her). Sometimes, she finishes her dinner and immediately walks to the door to be let outside. Then, she cries when it is not possible to grant her request.

Little A is also very social. Her first real word was "hi." She said this around four months, but she didn't say Mama until she was 11 months. I guess she didn't think she needed to since I was always there. In fact, the first time she said the "ma" sound, it went something like "Ma ma ma ma babababa."

A is such a joy to have in our family. I have thoroughly enjoyed this past year. Having an infant is intense, but it is so worth it. I look forward to what her second year will bring.

Spring Break 2015

A beautiful heliconia

This year we actually took a Spring Break from school. It ended up being closer to two weeks than one, but we did do some school on several days, so I guess it all evens out.

We decided to visit my parents in Costa Rica since my mom called and invited us down. Our co-op took a Spring Break, so we left the day after co-op, took the following week off, and returned home the day before the next co-op classes. We were determined to make the most of our time off.

I flew down by myself with the kiddos, a fact which was not ideal, but I was given a great measure of grace. The United Club had a family room, which we shared with another little boy. The kids played happily together, unaware that our second flight had been delayed. They ate snacks, finished puzzles, played with Legos, and used the cleaner facilities when necessary. This was such a blessing and well worth the cost. Thankfully, the extra time out of the plane made the longer flight more bearable. I broke down and payed for the older three to watch a movie while A slept and S played on the iPad and slept, too.

Reading with Grandma on our first day there

We arrived a bit weary, but in overall good spirits, to meet my mom and sister at the airport. Going through immigration, the man called me "muy valiente," and a lady in the bathroom said I deserved a medal. I don't know about that, but seeing my family's beautiful faces after our long journey was reward enough for me.

For the most part, our days were pretty laid back. We did visit the jungle with my sister and her family, a trip which thrilled me as I was able to experience areas of the country which are part of my sister's everyday life. The first day, we drove out to see their property and to picnic by the river. Then we visited my dad's farm, where they are building a restaurant to employ some of the ladies of the community. After that, we got to see their cabin, which has the most amazing view. Our final stop before stopping was to a friend's house, where we enjoyed coffee, food, and fellowship. It reminded me of Swedish fika. The kids found toys and balls and played with the boy who lived there as well as a neighbor girl. It was fun to see them interacting with kids from another culture, and it made me realize what a bubble my kids live in.

Down by the river

One of the many beautiful views

One of my dad's pineapple plants

My kids loved seeing how bananas grow

Picking coffee at Grandpa's farm

The photos really don't do it justice

Pink bananas

A playing at my sister's friend's house

Playing with the neighborhood kids

Two beautiful ladies -- inside and out

Down by the Pacuare River

We also had the opportunity to visit with some old friends, a pleasant surprise as I had not planned on seeing anyone other than my family. My sister hosted a dinner one night, and another friend took the time to come out to my parents' place to visit for an afternoon.

Playing Quirkle with Grandma

Most days we just completed a little school work, walked through the breathtaking gardens, played with Legos or played games with Grandma, and went swimming in the afternoon. The kids also played with their cousin and watched movies at Grandma and Grandpa's in the evenings.

Kicking the soccer ball around Grandpa

My crew in a gazebo out in the gardens

I did take K and A to the open market on our last day there. I wanted K to witness the stalls and possibly taste some new food. If we had been their longer, I would have purchased more at the market for the kids to taste, but we didn't have a lot of time to eat what we bought. I did buy an "agua de pipa," which failed to impress K but refreshed me.

They were already starting to take down the stalls when we arrived.

K with the Agua de Pipa

On the trip back, I was to take two days traveling home. I wasn't thrilled about it, but I figured I had to do what I had to do. When we finally cleared customs in Houston, I saw a strangely familiar figure. Timo had surprised me by flying to Houston just to help me on the final leg of the journey. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I had tears in my eyes. It was such a romantic thing for him to do for me. As it turned out, the final flight was the most difficult of all of them. I was so thankful for his help.

Overall, this trip was outstanding. I would have liked to experience it with Timo, but that simply was not possible with his work schedule. I realized that I can travel with five kids by myself (even if it is not ideal), and that is a rather liberating and empowering feeling. I look forward to our next trip, but I hope that we can travel as an entire family instead of a fragmented one.