First Semester DONE...

so if you had asked me 5 1/2 months ago if I thought we would make it all in one piece to the end of the school semester I think I might have answered.. NO WAY... but here we are 5 1/2 months later and tomorrow is the last day of semester for my girls and all I can say is WE MADE IT!!.. yes.. we made it.  I am filled with pride and happiness to say that they have had such a wonderful transition into Argentina.  It hasn't always been easy and yes there have been tears along the way but as we end the semester we are looking forward to 6 weeks off, but best of all, we are looking forward to going back to school already.. a true sign they are doing better than fine!! 

As we roll in the holidays here things will be quiet.  Most of Buenos Aires goes to the beach leaving the city deserted for the few that remain.  I am looking forward to less traffic as we continue to explore.  The girls are going to try sailing and archery and I am going to do my best to relax and just enjoy the time with my girls.  While these holidays are certainly a departure from our normal I am determined to make them great.. :) (even if there is no eggnog!)

In case I have never expressed this.. my husband likes to travel.. so the past few weeks we have been traveling .. El Calafate, Argentina and Colonia, Uruguay.  El Calafate to see the Glaciers and Colonia for Nola's 11th birthday.. two very different extremes of climate. 

As we roll onto the holidays let me share some photos with you:)  LOL

 that hat!!  LOL.. in Argentina when seasons end, clothes that are needed for that season go away.. no sales, no reduction to liquidate stock, just one day winter clothes and the next day summer clothes.  We however scored these fancy hats at the local 'walmart' type store.. I was floored.. and I promptly bought them and said a silent thanks!!

Our first ice burg sighting.  We took a tour of the glacier on a boat and the first time you see an iceburg close up.. all I can say is wow.. amazing to think this is only 15% of the iceburg, the rest is under the water (you know just waiting for us to crash into it)

so according to my children.. nothing tastes as cold as this drink.  Poured over glacier ice they fish out from the river

Amazing 'small' glacier

again.. a small glacier.. you know just a mile wide..

ok so my experience with Argentines to date is that are humorless.  Truly they have no sense of humor, none.. I say that I have maybe met 2 that truly laugh, its true.  So this sign on the floor was so funny to me.. because the glacier museum has a sense of humor!!!  LOVE IT..

 cold as cold can get.. and rainy.. oh and windy.. like Chicago windy.  judge the hat away.. it was still cold

Glacier Perito Moreno.. 3 miles wide and about 240 feet tall.  No picture I could ever show you can properly show you how amazing this glacier was.  When pieces would fall off the bang was like a gun blast and watching the pieces fall into the water.. amazing!!  it is the only glacier that is still growing while the other glaciers are receeding.

 These flowers reminded me of the Texas Bluebonnets...

 

 quickly I learned that Cora will do JUST FINE at the bars when she is in college.. just fine...

more glacier Moreno.. as we first saw it..

so this kid turned 11 and is just the light of my life.. she is funny and sweet.. tender and tough and everyday she blows me away with how she is able to adapt and stay so calm.. I just love her.. 

On Nola's 11th birthday she had a school play called Mighty Medieval Men.. she was so annoyed by having to perform her on birthday.

 

 Colonia Uruguay is a tiny town just an hour boat ride from Buenos Aires.  It has a lovely history and many old military forts for climbing and exploring... which is right up my kids ally. 

 So because of Argentina's import restrictions we don't have a lot of food products we are used to... mostly Nola misses whipped cream in a can and gummy bears.. while I can't help her with the whip cream.. we could help her with the gummy bears.. Uruguay keeps them stocked up because many people buy in bulk when they visit from Argentina...  was nice to get stick deodorant too, but that's a different post..

 the irony of this photo is that when we started walking with the snail in our hand, Cora stepped on a snail and crushed it.. I won't tell her.. she would be so sad.

 photo totally out of order.. but Cora worked on her Under water Ocean project for a month and the result was great!!  she did a puffer fish, complete with a 3d model, a story board and a power point presentation... she received high marks.. was proud of her

 after 128 steps up the lighthouse.. I took a break!!

 nothing like old cobble stone roads.. so quaint and lovely

 there is a beach in Uruguay.. now it isn't the Jersey Shore, but man it was nice.. we see a day trip to come to the beach again for sure!!

 We capped off the birthday weekend with a little go kart racing.. never in my life have I felt so out of place but the kids loved it!!! 

so this is the gas station at our neighborhood.. they serve food and this is the outdoor seating area.. while the kids and scott laughed at me for wanting dinner at the YPF, you have to give it to me, the view is lovely.. :)

1 month...

So I realize that I haven't blogged for a whole month.. there have been many times I have sat down to blog, but I just couldn't.  With the holidays approaching this has been an odd month for me.  On one hand I am settling and adjusting as I think I should be.. or at least how the books and experts tell me I should be and then at the same time I find myself sobbing for very little reason over missing small things.  I realized our 4 chosen Christmas ornaments to pack to come here, are instead in storage.. seems so silly in the grand scheme.. but I sobbed a full hour thinking of this..

Thankfully November though has been a very busy month here and it has kept me somewhat engaged and with little time to just sit and stew on things..

In true fashion.. in pictures here is my month:)

so Halloween in Argentina is not a big deal.. at the kids school they have a Halloween parade and while we hoped for trick or treaters in our neighborhood there were none.. the neighborhood next to us apparently is the place to go.. next year.. I am thankful my kids are good kids:)  they had fun shopping for outfits and making this holiday work for us.

much to my surprise (and the surprise of all of the locals I talk to) Christmas décor has arrived in Argentina a full month or two ahead of schedule.  Argentina is a last minute type of country so for this to be available so early is odd.. many say it is to help with sales.. we are in the middle of a heavy recession here.. 

 

truly nothing makes me love this city like the cemetery here.. its morbid but I like it..

 

so let me tell you how much I love my friends at home.. so at our Texas school we have rafflemania.. and I love it and was always involved with the planning of it.. just love it.. this year.. some crazy gals made my head a fun head on a stick and passed me around.. it was fun.. and I miss this lady so much right here.. not a day goes by we don't talk about Ms. Williams and our friends in TX.. to say we miss them is really an understatement.  I enjoyed the many pictures that came thru via text that night.. I cried.. I laughed.. I felt loved...  

Nola finished drama club.. what a great club for her.. she really has a talent.. especially for sarcasm.. :)

 

so my two friends and I went to the Ava Peron museum.. I really don't know much about the Perons, but to say they are a large part of argentine history would be just not enough.. they are a HUGE part of Argentina.. some love her, some hate her.. there really is no in the middle.  The museum is exquisite and makes me want to learn more about the period of time she and her husband ruled the country. 

so let me tell you how hard it is to find 'colonial' wear here in Argentina.. LOL.. it is like finding a needle in a hay stack.. thankfully my tutor has a seemstress who makes clothes.. after 3 weeks of trying to send measurements, handing over clothes we had this jacket made and on the day we needed it.. we got it.. :)  thankful it fit well and Nola was thrilled.. She worked hard on her presentation and I was really proud of her.. my Lewis Meriwhether!!  she killed it..

some days the city is really, really pretty..

sometimes you go see a polo match and you giggle while out of breath with your kids talking about how only John and Vanessa would think these stairs were cool

so thanksgiving.. lets just say this wasn't the same as years past and I truly missed my Texas Family.. Michelle, Michelle, Carol.. Fudd.. MR. STEVE!!!!  and my kids. I miss my kids.. but we did a thanksgiving meal with co-workers and it was very good.. found turkey at the grocery way easier than some said I would and managed to no burn anything.. :)  bonus as well on the real thanksgiving facetime came to the rescue and seeing our texas family was just what this girl needed!! 

see the sticker at the bottom.. YEAH.. let me tell you.. so you have to get your car inspected here.. and it is not that easy for a girl who speaks very poor Spanish and well just it is easy.. but hard... but thankfully I had a lovely friend walk me thru it over text and I did it!!!.. I mean I DID IT... for me it was a huge deal.. you may go past this moment.. LOL

As much as a grumble I am thankful for this man who continues to push me forward on this adventure never letting my 'wanna just stay in my hole zone' linger...

because I love old keys!!  this was our hotel room key..

so for the actual Thanksgiving weekend we went to Iguazu Falls for a few days.. we went to the state park in Argentina and then went over to Brasil side.. all I can say is WOW.. every mile of hiking and every step climbed was 100% worth it.  The falls are amazing and to be able to see the kids reaction to it all was just so worth it.. It was 93 degrees and 100% humid.. it was worth it..:)

 

so now it is almost December and I am going to lay it out there I am glad we are busy because this is going to be a tough one.. While I am trying to remain positive, I am struggling with the fact that its summer when it should be winter.. shopping here is way different.. forget gifts in for the kids.. and this marks the 10th anniversary of my dads death.. There is not a day that goes by I don't miss him and I always wonder what the heck he would think of this adventure we are on..

 

tomorrow we decorate for Christmas and I will enjoy the month:)  

focus on the good...

This week I have sat down to blog a few times and just can't..  but today I needed to.  Aside from being homesick and a bit sad, we took 2 steps BACKWARDS in our paperwork for our official ID's here.  With that said I need to blog and focus on the good.. the really good here..

I really don't want to be 'that' expat that just complains about things here...   there are lots of good things here to focus on

so of course, in pictures, here is what is good!!!

 Let me tell you the Argentine's know how to snack.. 3 pm snack is so common here.. a little coffee with milk and a ham & cheese sandwich.. it is the best.. the girls and I are fully trying to embrace this..

 Last week by accident we tried to find the Japanese gardens... instead we found the Rose Gardens.. truly just as nice (I think. I will know for sure once we find those Japanese gardens.. LOL).. the roses were incredible... 

 there is always a hill to climb.. LOL

 I am not sure what type of tree this is, but there are a lot in the city that are extremely old like this one with their roots exposed.  Many have limbs that almost lay on the floor which make them the perfect trees to climb. 

dear lord I am not sure how this happened, but that 10 year old on my right is now a full inch taller than I am.. how the heck!??!

 The ducks made us giggle and think of our friend Michelle.. she loves to get ducks every spring.. and I get the appeal.. they are soooo cute... but they also eat their own poo, so truly they are best in the wild..

 Pastries here are so good.. now their chocolate pastries are not very good, they tend to be dry, but fruit pastries like this apple torte are usually so very good.  I loved the presentation of this!!  This café also had Iced Tea.. which is like the rarest thing to find here.  I drank it so quickly there was no time for a picture at all!!

 So Mother's Day here is in October.  Despite my saying I didn't need anything special the girls did want to do breakfast for me.  McDonalds to the rescue!!  I also received cards from the girls written fully in Spanish.  I am beyond impressed with their Spanish skills.  Every day they come home knowing a new phrase or word.  Blows me away

 I love our little 'hood'.. it is quiet, easy to walk aroundand there are two ponds to sit besides.. or you know have a dance party.. (yes I am sure our neighbors loved that).. we also channelled our inner Vanessa and did a bit of yoga!

 International Day at the girls school is a fundraising event attended by about 2,000 people and there are booths from all of the countries that sell food and treats from that country.  The girls performed a sweet song about the different countries and their differences, it was lovely. 

 facepainting.. extreme!!

 Many different counties performed on International Day.  Colombia by far had the best stage show.  The Colombian ladies know how to get the crowd on their feet and dancing.  I enjoyed watching them and trying their fruit salad.. it was so fresh and delicious.. and if you know me.. I so do not like fruit salad.

 So Cora asked for Argentine color as her face painting.  I think this pretty much says Argentina!!!

 another picture from the Colombian Stage Show

 This girl right here is pretty awesome.  She was the first mom to say hi to me at a beginning of school year and give me her contact info.  I am lucky to be able to have worked with her on our U.S. booth (we made sloppy joe's.. so north American..).  I am lucky to call her friend!!

 so this picture so does NOT do this tree justice, but soon I will have better photos.. In November these beautiful purple floral trees pop up all over the city and are just so pretty.  I am blessed to have like 20 on the road I drive down to get to the kids school. 

 spring here means storms.. which leads to some of the nicest days ever here.  I will take the rain..

so really have I told you how good the coffee and pastries are here??  LOL.. I definitely have issues...