1st call of "potty, socks, shoes, jackets!"
Finding and packing diapers, sippy cup, water, snacks, camera, purse, Spanish/English pocket dictionary
2nd call of "potty, socks, shoes, jackets!"
Checking the map and/or looking up bus or subway routes; gathering enough pesos
Final call of "potty, socks, shoes, jackets or you're getting left behind!"
Loading kids in the stroller and unlocking three separate doors with clunky keys before we reach the street.
You'd think by now we'd have it down to a science, but it still takes a good half hour every time; and that assumes that everyone is already dressed (reasonably) and fed. Having hair brushed or fixed is now optional.
On Sunday afternoon, after showering our Papá with dozens of homemade cards and pictures and an Argentine birding book, we decided to head to the San Telmo neighborhood. We´ve been told there is usually a street market on Sunday afternoons with performers, Tango dancers, etc. It seemed like a nice thing to do on Día del Padre. But after going through the whole routine to get to the street, we realized it was raining. Would the street performers still be out in the rain? We didn't want to trek all the way there to find out. Reverse! Naps and card games instead.
Yesterday the kids and I explored the Botanical Garden. It was very nice, with a wide variety of well kept plants, bushes, trees, cacti, etc., well maintained walkways, and a handful of statues. I can imagine in the summer it is quite colorful as well, but for now it was just green. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures. At one point a blur of kids ran past, and Colby recognized our American friends that we meet at our nearby park. So they had a nice game of tag. At one point Sienna commented that this was a nice, quiet, peaceful park. I replied, "Yes, except for when we're in it."
Some recent comments or conversations with Colby....
"Mom, they do not have their statues dressed very modestly!" (as in, not dressed at all)
"We've been here all this time and haven't seen any houses. Where are the houses?"
(Me) "These are houses (pointing at high-rise apartments)."
"No, not just places where people stay for a little while, but where they live."
"That is where they live. All the time. It's city life."
"Do people in Argentina, or people who speak Spanish, know how to spell their names?"
"Of course."
"But what if their name has the aaaa sound (like in apple)? They don't have a letter for it, so how would they spell it?"
"None of their names have the aaaa sound. It's just not in their language."
(He's having a hard time with this concept.)
Most of the playgrounds we've been to have pretty much the same equipment: swings, a slide, teeter-totters, and a climbing apparatus. And sand, of course. It seems like it would be boring after a while. And yet, the kids still have a great time. It has been a wonderful experience for them to use their imagination and creativity, and to really be each other's best friends. They were giggling so much today, as they climbed on the swings, balanced in the middle of the teeter-totter, did trains down the slide, and of course, played in the sand.
And last but not least...
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