Courage...

So my Nola decided to try something new this year in school.. competitive swimming.. she has never done competitive swimming and she has been very happy, excited and of course super nervous about competing..

Our first Tournament was this past weekend in Mar Del Plata.. about 5 hours south of where we live. 

So I titled this courage... because it took at ton of courage for us to go there.  From Nola having courage to try and new sport and put herself out there and to the rest of us to drive 5 hours in a completely foreign country to see this tournament..

It was a great weekend though.. took us about 6 hours each way to get there.. rain and lunch stops always add time.   There isn't much between B.A. and Mar Del Plata.. just lots of cows and horses, some sheep..

overall Nola did great.. I am learning how it all goes and apparently like 20 kids are in one 'heat' but they go 5 at a time.. so in her first heat she came in 3rd.. but overall came in 20th of 27 kids.. super proud of her hard work these last 5 weeks!!!

 

so during our lunch break we went down to the beach where Sea Lions just hang out.. like 400 of them.  They are called Sea Wolves here and are named because they sound just like a wolf when they are yelling.  It was simply amazing to see them in the wild!! 

 

Mar Del Plata is beautiful.. I can't even imagine how crazy packed it is in the summer.. because this weekend was lovely cold and there were tons of people.  The beaches are very wide and lovely.  Cora was thrilled to dip her toes in the water and collect some sea shells.

 

little sister super proud of big sister

 

the reward for being super supportive... a banana split..

76 days...

So it has been 76 days since we have arrived in Argentina.. some days it feels like 76 days, some days like 276 days but most days it feels like day ONE..

trying to find 'normal' is not always easy.  trying to remind myself to enjoy this is not always easy.  but we are trying!! 

we have had some fun these last few weeks:)

while most will tell you here that renting from an Argentine is a tough business and most landlords are horrible, we have been blessed with the sweetest landlords... Mari the wife bakes for us quite often.. homemade Alfrajores are amazing!!



some days the big girl is happy.. at the zoo with some new friends.. makes her very happy!

 so we visited the Teatro Colon.. one of Argentina's oldest opera houses.. it is simply stunning!! 

 The gold room with all original furniture

 each chandelier has over 220 lights and weighs 1/2 a ton

 

 the ceiling is actually painted canvas that was hung up.  Angels adorn the gold room

 Cupid and his mother...

 

In the land of MEAT and more meat... this fish was incredible!!!! 

 



so thankful school is great!!!  the bus stop wait made better by playing eye spy..

I have finally found my name!!

 

so on the side of the roads here frequently by the train stations are vendors selling like flat breads.. we have always wanted to try one, but sometimes it is just hard to work up the courage..

we worked up the courage!!!  and it was quite tasty.. sort of like fry bread..

Barrio Chino.. (Chinatown).. is just a few blocks downtown, but has the best most random items ever!! aside from super fresh produce and fish it carries odd expat products.  with very limited imports, these are rare finds indeed.

 

1/2 jar of skippy from China.. $55 pesos.. on the official rate market $6.54 USD.... (thank god for the black market so the price is $4.23 USD

I am super thankful that spring has arrived here early and my drive to get the girls is now becoming beautifully green

Cora's origami Cora.. her shirt folds out to reveal her personal narrative writing.. :) Cora loves school.

 

Cora's favorite book made into a few week school assignment..

 

I am so very proud of the girls.. their Spanish is coming along like no one's business.. (mine isn't nearly as good).. they love writing in Spanish and truly I am blown away..

 

 



All the good really does outweigh the bad..

 

so things are very different here and it is easy to get caught up in the negative aspect of this adventure.. no friends close, homesickness, no dryer for the clothes, getting lost is a daily happening, not being able to read or understand grocery store labels, no drive thru you can manage.. etc..

 

this past 2 weeks or so I have been STRUGGLING to find the positive.. but here are just a few... :) 

 

if I want.. I can get a soup fix.. expensive, but hey.. it works.. I am now waiting for velvetta and rotel and the world will be as it should be..

3 weeks of looking and I finally went to a merceria and found thread!!  let the mending of torn pants begin.. 

They may never truly know my name, but its all good.. because they know what I want to drink:)

while comfort food may be on the harder side to find, some days that suck have a way of letting you find a slice of home in a deli where the owner is from Staten Island, NY:)  and he says you name the way your mom did when you were a kid..

the kids LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE school.. and they love having these hats.. they are constant reminders that we brought a piece of a very special person in their world with us and she is always around..

Chris Pine on the giant billboard when I drive the 40 minutes to school is a bonus.. he is not bad to look at

even birthdays are awesome in any country.. :)

 

having your husband find an irish hairdresser in the middle of argentina.. yes.. priceless..

Artwork that proves your child is happy happy happy... so very happy..

 

 

random sloppy joe's at an expat dive bar.. for $30 pesos.. can't beat it...

 

and lastly.. finding a lovely group of PTO moms from around the globe who show me where I can find marshmallows and good Kung Pao Chicken..

 

 

not listed in my happiness photos: 

the snickers bars we found at Walmart.. because I ate them!!