A reason to celebrate

The first week of school was a success.  The adjustment was not too hard and I wonder if it's because we all know this is temporary and the desire for change and challenge comes a little easier that way.  The girls had instant friends as all the Colombian girls welcomed them with open arms.  Even with the language barrier there is so much warmth and excitement among the teachers and students and they are always willing to help us with whatever we need.   

We decided to check out a fantastic waterpark not far from our place.

Zip line into the pool!

We took a stroll to some of our favorite spots.  

We even found a unique Colombian woman making large crickets out of corn husks! 

School!

The girls started school today!  They will be the only Americans among 700 at an all girls school that is spanish speaking only.  They were excited and eager to go.  We went back and forth in deciding whether to send Ava to a bilingual school but this one is walking distance and she was up for the challenge of learning spanish.  Sophia and Esme began showing interest in attending and well, three uniforms later, here we are.  I love that they want to stick together and their desire to learn new things.  Sophia and Esme go from 8-1:30 (how great is that?!) and Ava stays until 2:30.  We will continute homeschooling English and math lessons in the afternoons.  Can't wait to see how their day was when we pick them up! 

Metro, Museum, and Fairy talk.

Who thought walking everywhere was a great idea?  Oh, right that would be me.  
I'm used to jumping in my car and being 3 minutes from 2 of my favorite grocery stores back home.  Walking to the store is great until you realize you just need a few things or when you realize your family really does go through produce like crazy.  And come on what mom doesn't forget something on her list everytime she goes?  It's ok, there are worse things. Seriously though the hills are killer. 

On a different note we headed to the metro for the first time in Medellin!  We headed to a wonderful childrens museum complete with aquarium and botanical gardens.  By the time we got to the gardens our legs were ready to fall off.  The walk to the metro and all around the museum were enough for all of us.  The kids are really surprising us though with how far their little legs will carry them.  We'll have to head back again soon.

Esme says while walking around "Mom, I think there are more fairies in Colombia than Texas."  

Parques and Comida

We live in El Poblado which is a suburb of Medellin and it's a beautiful community filled with parks and restaurants and shops.  We are having so much fun exploring new places everyday.  I want to eat in every quaint little restaurant and shop in every boutique.  We have decided to try a new restaurant once a week because we can eat out for about the price we can buy a meal at the store.  Almost every place we visit is suurounded by a little tropical oasis.  Here are some pictures of the last few days of areas just around the streets where we live.  I should really start taking a good camera around and stop taking so many photos with a phone.

 Hands down the best crepes and ice-cream I've ever eaten.  Dan and I have both been here before when I visited Colombia awhile back.  Lets just say the kids agree with us now.

Dan starts back to work full time next week.  Wish me luck!

I'll start with getting some umbrellas.

We've arrived!

Traveling was a breeze...for everyone but me.  Not sure if it was the altitude change or if airplanes are just messing with me as I get older.  It's only 3 hours to Miami then 3.5 to Medellin.  There is no time change so no jet lag excuse there.  I spent the last hour on the plane and 45 minute car ride to apartment feeling more nauseous than when I am pregnant (and thats some serious nausea).  Lets just say the first thing I saw in our apartment was bottom of a toilet bowl.  The balcony view and South American air yesterday morning was refreshing after my travel woes.

So, with all that behind me we hit the ground running first thing in the morning, well walking actually which we will do a ton of while here.  Girls were so excited.  They are noticing all the plants and flowers that surround the city that they've never seen before.  It's amazing how they stay that way year round too.  We started the morning out exploring behind our apartment building.  The security man gave us a key that unlocks a gate behind the building to the most tropical little place with a stream running through it.  We've been twice today and no one was there.  We have decided to call it our Colombian secret garden.  Lots of bamboo and plants I don't know the name of.





















On our way to the store after and just around the corner from our place we spotted a school of music, art, and dance.  When we went inside there were cooking classes and music classes going on and all the women there invited us in and led all the kids away to participate!  I will probably say this more than once but people here are seriously so so friendly.  The way they look at you and interact and greet is so welcoming you just want to love them back.  Not only is this sweet little school magical inside offering everything from art classes to toddler music classes to musicals for the older kids, we left knowing so much more about the city and surrounding area from the nice ladies inside.

From the school we headed to the grocery store.  The streets are busy and there are a lot of hills and I definitely will get my workout in just walking around here.  Love that kids want to explore so much.

Look what we found around the corner from our house! Sometimes I can just look in the window of one of these pastry shops and feel satisified without actually eating one of the divine treats.  My peeps not so much...

 I really want to learn Spanish and have already tried to ask people for directions.  Everyone-I mean EVERYONE speaks only spanish.  So, I am going to sound silly and learn their language, walk around town with my bambinos and try to not get lost, and I will definitely eat their baby mangos daily (the real reason I didn't feel the need to get a pain au chocolat from the french bakery).  Not too bad for the first day.  Those 10 suitcases will surely unpack themselves if I leave them long enough, right?