Rain and More Rain

We made it to and from everything we did today with mostly sunny skies, but when I went to pick the kids up from school the skies opened up. It reminded me of the great flood of '06. There is a disco going on right now next door and they are playing a tribute to Michael Jackson...It's going on and on and on. Here's some rain for you, with a horse.

I made dinner~

And let me tell you it involves more than throwing some stuff in the oven. I had to wash all the vegetables and herbs (can you believe I found fresh thyme?) with soap and then soak them in a bleach/water solution for 10 mintues. After that, I risked death or at least 2 days of vomitting, and pan sauted some chicken breast. If you know me, you know I hate chicken breasts, but these things were juicy and perfectly cooked. Kids wanted mashed potatoes and actually, I did too.

Check out this ocotillo

so much prettier than bars in a window. Except that I like the bars that are around the cactus too.

door knobs to die for

I love this.

My Whole Body Hurts!

I went to bed at 8:00 and woke up at 5:30 barely able to move from all the walking I did yesterday. My feet hurt and I think this is why. Not the shoes, by the way.

 

Fountain of Women with Water Boobs

Hotel Patio

I found wine, and I'm tired

I don't know how to explain the walk I took 6 times today, but suffice it to say that I am exhausted and my hips hurt. I dropped the kids off, came back home, took them lunch, came back home and then sprinted my last lap back to the school to pick them up. We took a Tuk-Tuk home, which is a motorcycle attached to a carriage, because I thought I wouldn't make it if we had to walk again.

Ruth taught me how to wash the vegetables but I didn't have the energy to cook, so we walked over to the exquisite Hotel Casa Santo Domingo for dinner by the fountain. If you know me, you know I am kinda spoiled and for someone with no money, I know what luxury is. This hotel is like something out of a dream and I am going to see if I can post a short video of it so you can experience the fantasy. We ate hamburgers and I finally got a glass of wine. It was like honeydew nectar. They light the whole place up with candles at night and I'll try to go over there tonight and take some pictures...if I can stay awake.

I am trying to stay away from bad food and booze, and have discovered that it is easier, surprisingly for me, to stay away from the wine. Healthy food, as in lettuce, broccoli, etc. makes me nervous because it can contain salmonilla or e coli. Paul told me yesterday that we should wash our vegetables the same way because the people who pick the vegetables for us are crapping in our fields the same way they do here. Hummm....remember the spinach outbreak? Can't they put some portapotties out there for them to use?

here are the kids

The kids are now in school and I just met Olga, my neighbor, who is here from Chatanooga, TN with her teenage son and friends. I'm worn out from my first treck across the city and will have to do it all over to bring the kids lunch. Here's a picture of them getting lost with me. The volcanos are in the background. This is the apartment and a cool flower right outside the door.

day one - 25 pounds to go

I woke up early because I am still just so excited to be here I can't sleep. The kids slept a bit longer and then got up and ate more cereal. Perhaps if they just stuck to that we would eliminate our risks to stomach disorders.

We all ventured out into the city at 7:45 thinking that would be plenty of time to get to school since they start at 9:00. My map reading skills have always been somewhat sketchy (are you happy Michael? I admit my flaw) so we wandered way off course, but that's the cool thing about Antigua. It's a 10 block by 10 block square, so if you think you're going in the wrong direction, you just make a right until you figure it out. We passed this cool church on the way, so if we hadn't of gotten lost, we never would have seen it.

 

We're in Guatemala!

Day One with no wine.

I woke up last night at 12:30 and never went back to sleep. Finally at 3 a.m. I gave up and got in the shower. The kids were up by 4:30 and we were out the door on our way to the airport. Michael made me cry when we said goodbye. Who knew I would miss my husband of 16 years so much?

We are now settled in our little apartment and my landlord Paul came by to give me the rundown on the place. Good to know I CAN flush toilet paper, and this after I lectured the kids sternly to never do such a thing. Thank God, because I don't know how long I could handle sharing a bathroom with 2 kids who can barely wipe their bottoms in a regular world. I could invision poop everywhere.

I will post some pictures of our surroundings in the morning, but just thought I'd send along this picture of the children all snug in their beds. Hope you have a good night sleep and I am off to pass out as well.

Drive through the World's Largetst Pecan Grove

Michael, Mason and I went up to Las Cruces this morning for an office party and decided to take the long way home through the Mesilla Valley. It never fails to amaze me everytime I drive underneath the pecan trees that have grown to meet each other over the old highway. I need to remember to bring my camera everywhere so I can take pictures of what I am describing, but here's a pretty picture that I didn't take anyway.

Kids With Knives

The first series of the Kids with Knives cooking class ended today and I am somewhat tired. I went to try shoes on and my feet are so swollen that a size 11 shoe felt snug. Me and my German ankles walked out without buying anything, but them I found the shoes below at Tuesday Morning, size 10, thank you. I will take a picture of them on the cobblestone streets of Antigua when I get there.

Anyway, this blog is to thank all those Kids with Knives who gave it their all this week. Kudos to Austin, Emma, Jake, Victoria, Claire, Rada, Daniel, Mason, Kassidy, Brynne, Bailey, Rachel and Cooper, who hung in there as best she could!

I couldn't do this cookbook without you, so I hope you'll email me here on the blog and let me know how your recipes turn out. Off to soak my feet.

Swim Night and Pedicure

Mason swam in his second meet last night and somehow got a first place ribbon even though he came in second to last. I told him to keep it since it could be the only blue ribbon he ever sees. I think he still thinks he really came in first, but it is probably the chlorine that is making him see visions.

I prepped to today for the trip to Guatemala by getting a pedicure with Nancy and Donna. The Donna and I went and bought these shoes for the trip. $16.99 at Tuesday Morning.

Do you like the Toucan?

Just want to see what happens when I write a new post. Does it push the photo down further?

I am learning how to blog!

Am I the only person I know who isn't blogging? Is this something you learn how to do easily if you were born after 1985? It has been like pulling teeth, but I figured out how to post a picture. The next one will be one that I have taken myself now that I have my beloved Nikon back. It's like new!

Mason's Last Day of School

It's almost over, and summer couldn't come soon enough. Mason looked tired today, even though he was excited about his last day of school. I let him slide when he lied about brushing his teeth because I am so tired of yelling everyone to get ready in the morning. Olivia is watching, "Don't Mess with The Zohan," for the 15th time and it is completely inappropriate viewing for a 10 year old. I must sound like the most incompetent mother....and sometimes I am. Frankly, it's the only Adam Sandler movie I like.

My camera is getting fixed so I should be ready to go once it gets here. I won't blog much before the trip, but I do have to practice downloading pics, etc. Will this blog be worth reading? Will I find my sense of humor once I get out of this sweltering town? Hope so, because no one will read this if I don't get cracking.

Real quick note about the cookbook. I am nervous I won't have enough recipes. My invented sour cream and onion chicken sounds gross, but tasted great. Then I saw Rachel Ray make a sour cream and onion turkey burger. It must be kismet, because I never watch her show. Watching daytime tv makes me feel like I should be ironing, so I never turn it on.