Penguins in Paraguay?

PENGUINS IN PARAGUAY????

Since it is almost 'winter' here, we have found different ways of cooling off during those 'freezing' fall days....35 degrees....okay, okay, that's CELSIUS which is about 90 degrees F.  So  it's not feeling like winter, even though we begin the South American winter on June 21. 

A really great action shot!

My children discovered that our tiled back patio is VERY slippery when wet.  And, if you add SOAP to that water and slick tile....it's VERY, VERY slippery.  So Joey and Kate invented "Penguins."  

To participate in 'penguins' one must strip down to ones underwear, or nothing (if you're a 4-year old) and slide on your belly, back, or knees like a penguin.  This can provide HOURS of fun on a warm day.  

It also doubles as a shower because before they come in the house I pour a bucket of warm water over them to rinse off the

 suds and sludge.   

In this photo (right), a dog we dog sat, named "Ranger" is trying to get in on the fun.

Joey and Kate Begin Pre-School

 First Day of School....

First Day of School

 Nothing feels more settling to a young mom than getting ALL your kids into some form of school.  Joey and Kate have begun pre-school.  

SHE IS NOT EXCITED, AT ALL!
They attend 5 mornings a week from 8:00 - 12:00. 

Our motivation to get them into school, even though summer is fast-approaching (winter here) is to immerse them into the Spanish Language.  Even though the school they are going to (American School of Asuncion) will be English-driven, the language of play on the play-ground is Spanish.  Joey has assured me that he "does not want to learn Spanish because English is working fine."  There were a few times at his pre-school where the teachers were not sure if it was English he was speaking....sounds like speech therapy has paid off....

HOLDING THE TURTLES; "SHELLY" AND "SLOW-EY"
(Kate named them)

Kate got along quite well with everyone in her class and won over the teachers with her "si and gla-ci-as" constantly!   


I should have known 
We should have known that the pre-school would be a HUGE hit when we saw the 4 turtles walking around in the front yard.  Can you beat that? 

Turtles welcome you at the front door?  

The classes are all in Spanish, but there are several teachers who speak fluent English.  It's a relief to know that if there is a real need, 
Joey and Kate will be able to communicate.  

This is the School's Logo

The school is only 10 blocks away, so we have been able to walk, which is a nice bonus since our car has not arrived (it's in Argentina, so we could get our car in the next month).  We have 2 neighbors who are wonderful enough to carpool and allow us to mooch rides.  THANK YOU!

The front door!

FAQ's

Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions:

FAQ's

1.  How often do you go grocery shopping?


My friend, Marliese, and I go every Tuesday morning to get the bulk of the grocery shopping done.  We hit the farmers market first where we can get most of the fruit and veggies, eggs, flour, cured meats....and other special items.  Then on to Super Seis (Super 6) where we get cleaning supplies, other basic foods like pasta, sugar, butter and other such items.  Then to Casa Rica where we can buy high quality breads and meats.  They home make all their bread which you can smell as you enter the store.  They also sell quality meat, which is hard to come by around here because Paraguay exports their finest cuts of beef, pork and lamb to Argentina.   Then our last stop is Dona Angelo where we purchase all of our milk, yogurt and other dairy items (not cheese though).  They have a good price on milk, which can come in a 2 pint bag or box.  I buy about 20 pints a week and freeze 15 for use as the week wares on.  There are 4 baby cows in my family so that allots everyone 5 bags of milk.  It's great because the bags look like IV fluid bags, so theoretically, I could just inject the milk into their veins.  


This process of grocery shopping takes 3 hours.  We arrive home and begin cleaning all the fruit and vegetables.  10 minutes in bleach water and 10 minutes in rinse water.  I can usually have everything put away by 12:30.  


2.  What is the most common food eaten here?


Since lunch is the biggest meal of the day, they go all out.  It always includes a meat of some sort (eggs count as meat here and they eat them often) over rice, a salad, a fruit and a piece of bread.  They don't like drinking with their meals since they are drinking Terere all day long.  Another VERY common food is corn and Mandioca (Yucca Root).  They put corn in EVERYTHING.  It's on their pizza, hot dogs, potato salad, and they make a dish called Sopa Paraguaya which is like a chicken pot pie, filled with ground meat, potatoes and corn.  


3.  What is the exchange rate for the money?  What do things cost?


The exchange rate is $4.11 guarani for $1.00.  They have bills of G 2 thousand Guarani, G5, G10, G20, G50, G 100.  They also have some coins.  Almost everything is a cash basis and often they will lower the price if you are willing to cash.   
A loaf of bread costs about $2.00, a gallon of milk $2.00, Bananas .20 cents a pound, Horse riding lessons for a family of 6 $50 hour ;)


You can calculate the cost of living on most things  here if you feel so inclined.  


4.  Do most people own cars or do they walk?


There is an obvious cast system when it comes transportation.  The poorest walk, less poor have a horse and wagon, less poor can ride the bus, then there are motorcycles, and taxis.  Those with money drive cars because Gas is expensive ($1.51 a liter).  


5.  Do the kids like school?


The school is WONDERFUL here.  I love the program.  Sofia has a class of 22 kids with only 4 Americans.  All the youth speak English and most of the staff, and ALL of the teachers speak English.  We really want the kids to focus on learning Spanish here.  They are instructed for 90 minutes a day in Spanish.  Seth loves his class and has made a name for himself by being outgoing and silly.  Class Clown?  Maybe.


A bus comes to pick them up everyday at 7:40 am and drops them off at their classroom.  We only live 4 blocks from the school, but on the hot days, and rainy days, we aren't willing to walk, so most days they ride the bus.  I have walked over to the school and picked them up many afternoons, but having the bus is a nice convenience.


6.  What do I do ALL day, since I have a maid and a gardener who does all my yard and housework?


Cute.


Okay, the real answer:  It's been amazing to sit down with my kids and read books, play freeze dance, paint, color, go to the park and spend a little time for myself reading and preparing for further educational pursuits (more on that later).  I can actually do things without feeling like I SHOULD be doing something else.  It has been precious to have this time with Kate and Joey, especially since in August they will both be in school (Kate in pre, Joey in K).  I have loved being involved with them daily, playing on the ground and in the trenches with them!  


It has been fun to learn how to cook the local cuisine.  I have more time to make quality foods and spend time with my family around the dinner table.  


I'm SO thankful for the help I have.  I really feel like life is good.


If there are any further questions, please let me know.  I'm happy to pass along any info you're curious about.

A Mother's Mothers' Day

Thinking of my Mother

When someone asked what my mother did, I thought, "She Juggles!"  She juggled 14 children, 4-6 pets at any one time, a hard-working husband, and all the demands of her church callings.  She could out-juggle the best of them.  Today as I was getting ready for the day, I looked at the pictures I have lined up in my closet shelf, and saw my mother, the juggler, in her final performance.  She was juggling an awful disease that left her bed-ridden for the last few months of her life, keeping in touch with her children and grandchildren from her bed, and a positive attitude.  She ended her show with such grace, beauty and love.  All of her children gathered around her bed-side for some final words of wisdom, to be close and to hold her hands.  She had used these same hands for 67 years to perform every act of kindness for all who knew and loved her.

I miss her dearly. 

 Today, I just looked at her pictures 

and thought of her life and legacy. 

Mothers Day, this year, was very bitter-sweet.   I find myself thinking about the yearly letter I would have received from her that praises my mothering abilities and my ability to juggle all the demands of a young family, and I think: 'I could just reverse the Dear Karen part with the Love, Mom part and this letter would be to you."  Who do you think taught me how to 'juggle' anyway? 

Horse Back Riding

Sofia and Kate are excited for Horse-Riding lessons!

Joey, Seth, Sofia, and Kate ready for the range.
(this dog is not ours, we are dog-sitting, "Ranger)

Sofia on her beautiful horse, Peppino.

Kate on her horse.
She was a natural!  By the end of the hour she was THE BOSS!

 Taking riding lessons in Paraguay is very inexpensive.  We are going to try and do 2-4 lessons a month, as a family.  The kids were so natural with the horses.  It was a perfect Saturday!  

Seth was the big man in charge.  NO FEAR!

Joey looks really coordinated with his horse colors.

Kate packed snacks for her horse and put them in the front of her overalls.  She was a natural cow-girl!  So fun.

The crew!

SE-CUR-IT-TEE


We gots it!  A lot of people have been wondering about our safety here.  Thanks for your concern for our daily well-being.  We are feeling safe and secure in our fenced in-with-electric-razor-barbed-wire-at-the-top-gates and barking dog and roaming security guards and armed guards 2 doors down and Marines on call...and....and...and....


So, we are safe.  Is that fair to say?


They have given us a security briefing about how to be and live here in safety.  If we don't go out after dark, and keep our passports in a safe place, we're not much of a target.  We live in a nice area where people who would be dangerous are only found if we are lurking in dangerous corners.  We try to avoid that.


The second night here we set our alarm and our oldest opened the door, at 6:00 am, before we had a chance to turn off the alarm.  It beeped for about 3 seconds when we got a phone call from the Embassy, where the Marine's are on guard 24/7, to make sure we were safe.  It's been reassuring to know that we are being watched over.  


There is no civil unrest here, people are generally happy to live here and have a lot of pride in their country.  We love it here and try to keep our noses clean.

1 Month Anniversary

We have been away from our lovely Vienna home for 1 month now...


We miss our dear friends, our good neighbors, and our wonderful family.  

Author: JOSEPH PARRY

MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD;
THOSE ARE SILVER, THESE ARE GOLD.
NEW-MADE FRIENDSHIPS, LIKE NEW WINE,
AGE WILL MELLOW AND REFINE.
FRIENDSHIPS THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST
TIME AND CHANGE ARE SURELY BEST;
BROW MAY WRINKLE, HAIR GROW GRAY,
FRIENDSHIP NEVER KNOWS DECAY.
FOR 'MID OLD FRIENDS TRIED AND TRUE,
ONCE MORE WE OUR YOUTH RENEW.
BUT OLD FRIENDS, ALAS MAY DIE,
NEW FRIENDS MUST THEIR PLACE SUPPLY.
CHERISH FRIENDSHIP IN YOUR BREAST
NEW IS GOOD, BUT OLD IS BEST;
MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD;
THOSE ARE SILVER, THESE ARE GOLD.

We love our new friends, our new neighbors, and our new Embassy family.  


Soon these new friends, neighbors and family will be the 'old' and we will be off to make other 'new' acquaintances.  Such is the life of the nomad.


After one month away from our home for the last 3 years, we are struck with how much we have loved our experience in VA, and Boston, and Orem.  Each stop-over has allowed us growth, friendship, and 'mellowing' of sorts.


For those who will follow this blog, I hope you know that as I write about friends, family and loved ones; I am actually picturing YOU in my head. Honestly, from those in Boston, to Vienna, to Utah. I have your faces flash through my mind and tug at my heart as I think about how much I love you.  I am writing this in the wee hours of a Saturday morning and thinking of you!  Most blogs are all: me, me, me but I am writing to let you, you, and YOU know; I love you!