Deep in the Heart of Texas

In May we took a brief trip to Texas to see Richard's family. It was a great escape from the heat (can you believe it?), and we had a wonderful time. Between time in Dallas, at the house in Pampa, and on the ranch, we felt good and family-filled. Below is the book we made on Shutterfly to commemorate our experience. I was so proud of it I just wanted to share (no other compensation beyond joy and pride). 

Note: There are not so many pages as it seems when the book is loading, but you do have to have a little patience, and once it does load you will see extra Shutterfly logo-ing, etc. That is what you get when you take an embed code from a commercial website I do believe...but whatcha gonna do?

 Click here to view this photo book larger

 (and you are totally going to want to see it larger...)

Peanut Program at Progresar

Our neighbors, the Smiths, are the greatest blessing we could possibly have here in Colombia. They have been family to us and helped us navigate this whole parenting thing in innumerable ways. They have taken us to appointments, brought us the occasional meal, invited us to holiday gatherings, and taken Peanut away from us for a few hours to make all of us better people - to name just a few. We could not be more grateful for all they do for us.

So, you can imagine that we were all ears when Fanny came to ask if we would do her a favor. "¡Con mucho gusto! ¿Cómo te podemos servir?" With pleasure! How can we be of service?

After having worked in a bank for many years, Fanny decided to follow her true passion and go into education. Rather than becoming a teacher, however, Fanny decided to open her own school. It is called "Progress", and is located in the town adjacent to Barranquilla, Soledad. The center has both a pre-school and a primary school and serves a vulnerable population of kids on a shoestring budget. We had been invited to visit a couple of times, and I even gave the reflection at last year's graduation service. The school is Fanny's passion, and she takes it very, very seriously.

"Could you do me a favor? It has to do with the school", she said.

"Oh, sure. What do you need? How can we help?"

"Well, I was just wondering...would you all allow me to use Peanut's name as the name of the program I want to start for the kids to help them develop their values and strengthen them as people?"

"Umm...yeah. Sure. Wow."

"Thank you."

That is what we could do for Fanny. She loves Peanut so much that she wants to make sure that she is remembered whether she is around this place or not. She wants to to have Peanut's name on a program for her kids so that Peanut will always know she was important to her. So no, thank you Fanny. Thank you. 

Birthday Baptism Bash - Part 2

Birthday 2 - The Day After, and the Day Before

Though we began our celebrations on the actual day of Peanut's birth, there was too much goodness (and too many presents) to be contained in one mere day. 

We only opened two presents on the day, so the 23rd and 24th were spent mostly doling out the birthday love from abuelos, tías, tíos, amigos, and more. We basically opened two presents in the morning and two in the afternoon because more than that and Peanut started getting a little wacky. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the biggest hit was still the bag and tissue paper. Luckily one-year-olds don't know or don't care that you are using the same two bags for every single present...

Before this grand occasion, Peanut had a number of books a few stuffed animals, and a little cube of toys. We felt like she had enough to do a toy change up, but not so much that we would be overwhelmed. Still, she was privileged. Blessed to have books; they are very expensive here. Blessed to have new things. Blessed to be the sole owner of all these things. While we have tried to give things away as she gets older, inevitably the amount of "stuff" she has is increasing. Some of it is hand-me-downs (Thank you McCavits!), but a lot isn't. We want to make sure Peanut has everything she needs to learn and grow, but we also want to remember not to get sucked in to the hype. It helps to realize that the Nutter is getting as excited about the wrapping as the present, and to realize that she can make fun and learning out of even the strangest things.

With blocks, books, and a band (oh my!), we should be all set through Christmas and beyond on gifts, but what we could not have done without was family. It would have been awesome to have everyone together, but we were thrilled to have Abuelita, Grandad, and Nanny in our midst. Peanut was so excited she even started walking for everybody...my girl's got nothing if not good timing.

The night of the 24th we made sure to get Peanut home and in bed early, but the abuelas had other plans. Jacky and Fanny invited them to go get their hair and nails done at a place nearby. I was tired (and I needed to put together the sugar high gift boxes we were giving out the next afternoon), so I chose not to go with them. Luckily, I did not miss out on the action. Why you ask? Because due to the high number of hair dryer, straightener, curler thingies that were being wielded in the beauty shop, the power blew in mid-style. Not to be daunted, our neighbors just piled everyone into their (teeny-tiny) car and brought them back to our home to finish up the job. I may get in trouble for this, but it might be worth it...

 

 

 What was worth it was the effort - on everyone's part - because the next day was big. 

I mean, big.

Birthday Baptism Bash - Part 1

Birthday 1 - The Actual Day

It started with a crown.

My mom, heretofore known as Abuelita, came the day before in order to be with Peanut on her birthday start to finish. As soon as she heard Peanut's stirrings, she ran in to sing Happy Birthday and so the celebrations began. Allowing her to finish her breakfast, in short order Abuelita had pulled this lovely topper out of her bag and Peanut went straight to royalty. 

Now I didn't think it would last. 

We can put a hat on Peanut's head to protect her from the sun, and if she is not immediately distracted that hat is off within .25 seconds. In fact, we can barely comb the girl's hair without her reaching up and grabbing to use the comb herself (which, perhaps deeply surprisingly, rarely results in combed hair). So I figured this crown, made of curly ribbon and wiry stars was a fun gesture on Abuelita's part, but one that would require some lightening fast fingers on the shutter of my camera to catch an actual photo of it on her head.

I could not have been more wrong. Peanut kept that thing on allllll day.

Sometimes she would toy with it... 

 

And once in a while she would lend it to someone else...

But by and large the girl kept that thing on all day - fascinated I tell you.

Most of the morning and early afternoon were spent doofing around (in a crown), waiting for Papi to get back from Cartagena with Nanny and Grandad. When looking at herself in the mirror got old, climbing in and out of and on top of Abuelita's suitcase became the order of the day. Because Abuelita's bedroom is also called the living room, there was not a lot of space for her to be private, but the upside was that she got to introduce Peanut to the wonders of make-up brushes.

Since Peanut's mom does not actually know what to do with a makeup brush, 

someone was going to have to step in at some point. 

 

 I will note that it is possible the lesson did not fully take as 

"brush-cap-as-musical-instrument" was an equally popular choice.

Once Nanny and Grandad arrived, we deemed it time to celebrate. And what better to celebrate with? 

Why, Cheerwine, of course. 

She looks like she just loves it, right?

 

We talked a lot about what happened a year ago on the 22nd, and noted that Peanut was way to big to return from whence she came, hard as she might try.

And even though the official party was scheduled for the 25th, no one wanted to miss out on this special day. 

We donned the birthday girl shirt and obviously requisite tutu and invited over the rest of the family. 

 So with Tía Jacky (also fondly, and very appropriately known as Tía Mala...), 

Abuelo Alex and Abuela Fanny, we cheered for the birthday bean.

Papi made a scrumptious flan, we sang, we clapped, and we laughed and laughed and laughed. 

Though the prize was well worth it, I am giving September 22, 2011 significantly higher marks than 2010.

But it ain't over yet folks. It ain't over yet.

All in the Family

It takes a village.

I was always a believer in the idea that it takes more than just parents to raise a child, but actually having a child has lit that idea up in neon, underlined it and put flashing arrows all the way around it.  We are lucky and privileged to have had visits from Abuelita Kit, Tía Laura, and Nanny and Granddad all since Peanut joined us.

Abuelita Kit (Mamie's mom) came just three days after Peanut came unshelled.  She dealt with post-partum Mama, got to watch the first bath ever, went to the first pediatrician appointment and watched full screams in action with the first vaccination.  She changed diapers and sat at the window for sun time.  She brought down a ton of stuff including the entire stock of Costco's protein bars, some Combos, Cheerwine, baby stuff galore, and she continues to scheme on how to get North Carolina barbecue into the country.  She will be the most surprised when chubbalicious Nut of the now knocks on her door in December.

 Tía Laura saw a pretty sweet snoozer, but one who was definitely putting on the pounds.  She did a ton of changing and holding as well as calming a hyperventilating  Mama who was worried she had scratched her daugher's eye thus partially blinding her for life (the Legume is fine).  She had the chance to see a little bit of Peanut's hometown, but most of the time she just hung out and shnuzzled on the sweetest and best Williams-side-of-the-family niece in existence.  She will get to introduce Peanut to her kids, the nutty cousins when we visit in January.

Nanny and Granddad (Richard's parents) just left this week, and man we were sad to see them go!  Granddad is an expert sleep inducer with a back of steel and arms like springs.  Nanny is a Jane of all trades who did a little of everything, including taking care of Mami and Papi!  They went on Peanut's first voyage (to Cartagena), lived through the ups and downs of a 5-6 week old, and caught the first real smiles being given away.  We even got to spend Nanny's birthday with her.  It was a treat!  They are glad to have  a January visit on the books, but are a little nervous about when they get to see her after that!

 Now it seems real life begins and we are really on our own.  So far we are making it, but dang I enjoyed my village!  Thanks to all of you for taking the time, spending the money, and spreading the love to us and to the newest family nut.

(PS. We look forward to seeing GIT, Libby, Rob and Jean in December as well.  You all are in for quite a treat!)

G.I.T. and the Corral

My dad came to visit this past week.  He now signs his emails G.I.T. - Grandfather in Training.  He was only here for a short time, but he too brought a boat load of things down (okay, an extra suitcase, but these suitcases are jammed people) courtesy of a lot of pre-shopping done by my step-mother Libby.  I am now suited out with all the accouterments for breast feeding and pumping, my fair share of Combos and protein bars, first-aid supplies, and...of course...Cheerwine.

We took dad to church, to our grocery store, to the Museum of the Caribbean, and of course to the office on the grounds of Reformed University, but mostly we just hung out.  Dad loves to observe and people watch, so he was pretty content wherever we were, whether it was waiting for lunch in the food court, checking out the patrons of Crepes and Waffles, or marveling at the differences between north and south Barranquilla.  We were really sorry that Libby, Rob, and Jean could not make it down with him, but being a G.I.T. is tough work and there was some pretty heavy lifting going on.  It might have been safer for them at home this time. 

Here is the evidence...

G.I.T. and the Corral from Richard Williams on Vimeo.

Abuelitas Gone Wild

Well, this past week we had a visit from the abuelitas.  Both Kit and Margaret came at the same time (on the same flight, wearing the same color shirt and pants even!), and they each brought two suitcases and big carry-on bags.  We had asked each of them to bring a few things, but nothing that we thought would require too much space.  Of course what we asked for had only the slightest relationship to what all came down...

Yup, this is what abuelitas gone wild looks like.  I suppose that given the fact that my dog gained something in the realm of 10-15 pounds in only 5 months with my mother the slightly grandiose tendencies of my mother could have been predicted, but combine she and Margaret together and it looked like the 0-3 section of Babies-R-Us had decided to set up a branch in Barranquilla.  Given that none of these items includes booties, little sweaters, socks, or any stitch of extra clothing for warmth, the sheer magnitude of items is all the more impressive.  And who would have thunk that a baby bouncer chair could fit in a suitcase?  Or that my mother-in-law and my mother would have brought down virtually the same one...?

Who knew this could all fit in a suitcase? from Richard Williams on Vimeo.

We are very grateful for such great gifts and such great grandmothers.  We look forward to when they come back in September/October to get to know Peanut and help him/her try on all these cool clothes.  And we know they'll be back because, well, the shirt says it all!