A Day In Paradise...Not Really

Okay, I admit I didn't go into today with the best attitude. I am still coughing and sniffling a bit, so when I found out that we were going to go swimming AGAIN, I was more than a bit disappointed. I have become a little bit tired of standing on the sidelines, taking all the pictures while the boys have all the fun. That being said, today was a mess!

We went to Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal which is a national park outside the city of the same name that has hot springs and waterfalls that you can swim in. To say that it is beautiful is an understatement. It is more like Eden. Troy kept saying, "How can we be stressed in a place like this?" It is lush and green, and they have basically built this resort with several pools of hot water where the mist just rises. It is incredible. So how could we be stressed in a place like that?

Well, for starters, the boys didn't like that the water was "caliente" despite the fact that every other pool has been too cold for them. Samuel was the worst. He spent the entire time pouting. We had no idea what was going on with him, only to find out that he was coveting this water spout that other kids were playing in - when it became available for him, he didn't want to play in it. Then lunch was a disaster in that Troy ordered a hamburger for me, it came with everything on it, he took it back, they said they would fix it, they brought it back plain, I bit into lettuce and nearly threw up, so I was pretty much done for and Troy felt awful. The boys were still not into swimming into the hot water, but were cold because the air was chilly. At this point Mama and Papa were both in a bad mood, so we thought "Let's try taking them up to the cascades, those are cold water." We put on their sandals (that we made a special stop to buy just for this purpose) and headed up to the cascades. It was a no go, they didn't want to follow Papa into the water. And then...the sky opened up and it poured.

It has just been that sort of day. As I write this, we have already put Daniel in time out and now Samuel is out there in the "boring chair". We have totally lost track of how many times each kid has been out there (Luis has the least because he actually listens and doesn't hit, kick or shove his brothers). I think we are both exhausted from refereeing. And whoever said that girls create more drama have not met our kids yet! Oh, and the food for me was especially a big deal today because I have been in a foreign country for over two weeks and I have not been eating well and I am just longing for food that I can eat - a hamburger seemed like a safe bet.

Here are some pics from today:


Luis enjoying the view of coffee country, Dosquebradas, Pereira and beyond.


The fam preparing for the hike up the hill to the park. Don't I look enthusiastic? Let me tell you, things go so much slower with two four year olds in tow, especially Luis who is slower than a snail...


Daniel enjoying the hike along the falls. He would point out stuff like leaves and rocks. He's such a boy!


The view of the falls from the hike. It really was amazing.


A view of the falls from the pool area. The rest of the world still has not gotten the memo that speedos aren't that attractive no matter who you are, but they sure wear them with pride...no matter how big or how hairy!


Samuel was so not into the pool today. He just sat there eyeing the water spout.


He did love the cooler water fall that Papa took him to though! Much better. I don't know what it is about being pelted with water. He is going to love the giant mushroom at the UCY Waterpark.


Daniel doesn't really get into the water anyway, so today was just another day at the pool for him. Hot or cold - it doesn't matter much to him.


This picture of Luis pretty much sums up how everyone felt today.


Bonus Pic: I need to do a whole post on why twins are awesome, but mostly why dressing twins is awesome. How cute are they in their matching, but not matching outfits?! Love it!!!