Oh and this is going to be a long one because it has been a long (and I stress long) couple of days!
So, we are in Bogotá and we are definitely feeling in between homes. We miss Charlotte of course, but we miss the comfort and friendly faces of Pereira too. Don't get me wrong, we are glad to be on the last leg of our trip, it would just be great if we could have accomplished everything in the comfort of our El Cortijo home with our familiar friends and food (yes, this one will involve my weird food issues). I spent most of yesterday crying, I think from exhaustion and hunger. The food here at Halifax is just plain different, and if you like everything just plain (like me), then you are simply out of luck. Troy has had a splitting headache today due in part to the fact that his brain is about to explode from constantly having to think in two languages. So this trip is starting to take its toll on us.
Friday
Yesterday morning (pre-crying spells) we went exploring. There is a parque just a few blocks from the hotel that is surrounded by restaurants, so we took the boys for a walk to get out some of their energy and let them play on the playground. It is such a treat to have a park so close by. We also have this at home and I now know how valuable it is going to be.
The day ended horribly though with the worst bath night in the history of bath nights. We don't have a bath tub here, so we had to shower the boys with a hand-held nozzle which they are not used to. I made Daniel go first, which was so stupid on my part because he freaks out easily, but I thought Luis would be far worse. He screamed the entire time and since I was already pretty much on edge I ended up getting really upset with him which upset him more. He wouldn't let me get the shampoo out of his hair and after much commotion, constant screaming on his part, I finally just covered his eyes and turned the nozzle on his head. Needless to say, the poor boy was completely panicked, freaked out, upset, confused, etc... He was still crying hysterically ten minutes later when I put Luis Angel in the shower who was also crying by this point. However, within two minutes Luis was splashing around having a grand old time. Samuel even asked Troy if he could take another "bath" when he was done. The whole time I felt completely horrible because I was not only mad at my child for being afraid and crying, but then I made him more afraid than he already was. To add salt to my wounds (and this is why I don't deserve to be a mom) when I sat down on the bed near Daniel after Luis' bath, he got up and gave me a big hug!
Saturday
This morning the boys woke up at the crack of dawn and we could hear them just giggling away in the other room. They clearly think that being able to wake up without Mama and Papa is a hoot. I would think so too if their ruckus didn't wake me up!
After breakfast, Jaime came to get us to take us to Divercity. What is Divercity, you ask? Well, it is this really brilliant concept where kids can go and "work" and earn "money". There are something like 60 types of jobs they can try out - including firefighter, construction worker, cashier, detective, and more. They get costumes at each station and when they have completed their task, they get paid, then they can take that money and buy prizes with what they have earned. Sounds awesome, right? I thought so when I read about it on the Boyachek's blog. Well, we got there around 11:00 AM only to find out that they were having a special party for the newspaper (who is a sponsor) and that they wouldn't be open to the public until 1:30 PM. So we decided that we would return to the hotel, get some lunch and come back.
For lunch we went to Archie's (sorry Brian and Penny, I have been dying to go to an Archie's for weeks now). The kids got to make their own pizzas which was so adorable. They got chef hats and aprons and were covered in flour. It was just too cute! The service wasn't great, but the pizza tasted divine! We made it back to the hotel just in time to meet Jaime again for the second time to go back to Divercity. Troy asked "Are you sure you want to skip naptime?" Of course, it's Divercity, it is going to be awesome!
So, we get to Divercity and the line doesn't look too bad until a man in a "construction outfit" points out that it is broken in half and wraps all the way around the little glass wall in the mall...Well, we waited for about 45 minutes just to get to the cashier. Then we were directed to another line that was about 4 times the length of the pay line (how is that possible!?) to get into the actual park. Luckily, that line moved very quickly, and Daniel only threw one fit in which he refused to move and I had to carry him kicking and screaming ("no big deal, he'll be fine once we are inside"). Once inside though, it was full on chaos! Kids running everywhere, some scary looking wolf thing nearly made the twins cry, and for the first time I started to admit maybe this isn't going to be awesome...
I could go on and on, but to make a long story short, I will say this: Divercity is really a place where you go and stand in line for hours on end...well your kids stand in line and parents aren't allowed to stand with them even if they are four, are criers, and are terrified of everything - which we didn't know until we had already paid. It is a place that is really cool in concept, but a little off in execution. There is nothing to do for the smaller kids. Samuel had a blast, but he only got to be a fireman because the line was so long we didn't have time for anything else. The twins were just too afraid to even try anything and they were exhausted from all the walking. At one point, they were laying on the astroturf in this fake park across from the fire station. I knew someone would probably step on them, but I didn't feel like fighting them on it so I just let them lay there for a while. In short, Divercity was a bit of a disaster for us.
That being said, I take every single day here as learning experience, from baths where my son is begging me to bathe his brothers first to family outings that fall way short of fun. Our children have not been exposed to a whole lot of stuff, including having to stand in line by themselves for an hour in order to be firefighters for five minutes. Every day brings mini-victories and to me that's what counts, that is what I take with me.
When we first got to the park the boys were more excited about the sand than anything else. What will they do when they get to go to the beach for the first time?
Playing with the kids has been the biggest treat. I think I like pushing Luis on the swing more than he likes swinging.
Me and Daniel looking at each other through this bubbly thing. He makes some pretty funny faces, but mostly he just needs to know you are there.
Samuel is so brave. He will try any of the equipment just to see what it does. That means one of us needs to be nearby!
In order to get Daniel out of the sand and up onto the playground equipment, we had to tell him that this tunnel was a cave. He immediately started yelling for his brothers, "Carlito, Luis Angel! Venga! Una cueva! Una cueva! Venga aqui!" I told Troy that it is all about how you market it!
The hermanos enjoying the cueva! Isn't my spanglish awesome opposum!
Yay! Comfort food! We treated the boys to ice cream and the twins didn't really eat theirs. Very weird! Maybe they have weird food issues too!
At Archie's making pizza! It is just so fun to watch the little chefs.
At Divercity, Troy was actually able to get Daniel to pose in one of those head cut-out things. How cute is he?!
Samuel makes a very handsome firefighter!
This picture pretty much sums up Divercity. Here Samuel and I are waiting in line to take "money" out of the ATM to go spend it on little prizes.
7 comments:
You are doing a good job. They need to know that they can freak out and lie on the artificial turf and scream and you will still love them and be there for them. Very important thing for them to learn about you. I know you know this but thought I would say it anyway.
Joanne (easy for me to talk, don't even have my kid yet)
It's humbling, isn't it, when you totally lose it and the small child is so quick to forgive. I have wept so many times after these occurances. THANK THE LORD that He is merciful and gives us what we need for each day. I wish I could say you won't lose it again, but you probably will, and the Lord will continue to faithfully, patiently convict you, sanctify you and cause you to grow in your dependence on Him. And what your boys will remember is your gentle, loving care and how you were quick to ask for their forgivness. Isn't God so good???
Thank you for your openess. You are such a wonderful example of living upright before the Lord. Praying for you!
Sorry it's been such a rough couple of days. Hopefully time will pass much quicker from here on out...
Don't ever say you don't deserve to be a mom. That's simply not true! I can guarantee even Brangelina have moments when they wouldn't win the "parent of the year" award. It's a struggle (I say with all the wisdom of a non-parent...) but at the end of the day the Lord will carry you through the difficulties and bring you loving embraces from your children who adore you.
Hi, You do not know me but I have been following your family adventure and blog that i found when checking Brian and Penny's. I sounds like a normql family adventure to me. Outings are never as we expect they will be. I'm sure you and your children will have many fond memories of how you began and became a family. Good luck in finalizing your adoption so you can bring your family home to the US.
Brians Aunt (Tia I think) Ruth Ann (AKA Annie)
Divercity sounds like an interesting place. The whole concept sounds great but then you factor in the gobs of children who don't quite understand standing in line in the first place, the parents lining out their next moves, and the entire concept seems to get lost in the jumble. I can imagine how you felt. We went through a similar time the two times we went to the rides and games section at the malls. It was too much of a clustered and pushy environment for me to even enjoy taking the kids there. Heck, I've even felt that same way here in the U.S. a time or two during visits to Chuck E. Cheese.
Hang in there. You only have a few days to go. I don't think the families who adopt from Bogota experience that depressing feeling so much, but as a family that adopted in an outlying region coming to Bogota for the Dr. and Embassy appts, it does hit you to some degree. I pray that the excitement of that big airplane ride out of there carry you through the next few days! You'll be home and under your own roof soon! And keep clicking your heels all the while saying, "There's no place like home! There's no place like home!"
Yes, parenting is hard....and you do deserve to be a mom!! Hang in there!
Hey Troy and Andrea! Your time in Bogota is drawing near! Hang in there!
I am not sure if we ever posted this, but we found out later in our week in Bogota that the 'extra' tiredness that we were experiencing, along with periodic headaches was probably due in part to the altitude change. I am not sure if that holds any merit, but we did feel better by the end of the week...then again, maybe it is because we were on our way home after a very long time of being away.
At any rate, Andrea, don't be too hard on yourself. This parenting thing...and with children that are older...has such a learning curve that comes with it. You are doing so very wonderfully with the circumstances that you guys have had to deal with...sickness, three very different personalities, being away from home, dealing with the stresses of a changing and unpredictable schedule...I think that you have just about had it all...well, I am sure this is far more, but you guys have certainly been through the ringer.
I am thankful for your honesty and candidness, and glad that the boys are showing signs, at times, of grace with you both as parents, as you struggle to develop a relationship with each of them. I am sure those moments are so very helpful and encouraging.
Much Love,
Sheila, (Dave, & Jonatan)
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