Updates

I feel like I should update you all on the last couple of posts.  So here they are:

Caleb's school:  For the most part he is really happy there and the longer he is there the more I feel like we made the right decision.  He has been coming home lately telling me about new people he has been playing with.  Also in the park last week we ran into 3 kids from his school, 2 from his class.  They were all so happy to see each other and played so well!  Also swimming started last week.  Caleb looooooves to swim so this is a huge bonus!  Yay!

Weaning Ollie:  I decided to continue weaning.  His daytime sleep is better.  Although he was just crying for 15 minutes when he should have been sleeping.  He has taken 3, 2 hour naps since I started formula.  Something he has not done since we moved.  So I feel like during the day he is getting enough sleep.  Also *most of the crying during the day is gone.  His nighttime sleep still sucks.  So if you feel led, please pray for his nighttime sleep.  I do think he is getting his 2nd bottom tooth.  So that could play a part, but to be honest, I think he is just a lousy sleeper!

Empleada:  She worked 2 weeks, 6 days total and quit.  She wanted more money than we were willing to pay.  I should have known better because when we interviewed her she kept asking for more and that should have told me she was not the right person.  So we had a clean apartment for 2 weeks.  Now we are back to my not so great cleaning.  I am interviewing another person tomorrow that a friend recommended.  I am also going to go down to 3 days a week.  I have talked to people that have had to try out 4-5 empleadas in order to find the right person.  So we will see!

If you are my facebook friend, which if you are reading this you probably are.  I posted about "que basura de ninos" asking if I misheard it or if it had a different meaning.  Well I definitely misheard it!  They were saying "que hermosura de ninos".  oops!!!  The first quote means what trashy kids, the second means what beautiful kids.  haha!!  I was talking to a lady in the park and she was quite certain about it.  I really did not think that I heard it right.  Colombians love children and everyone has been so sweet with them here.   I am so glad I heard it wrong!!!

We still do not have the bulk of our things or our car.  Brian is supposed to be checking on that today.  But he is under a lot of stress at work.  Things have been quite busy for him :(

We have been going to an English speaking church every other week since we arrived.  It is tough because they do not have a nursery, so I end up taking Ollie out half way through the service to feed him.  Also the activities for preschoolers and toddlers is more like play than learning.   I think they have more lessons during Sunday school but we have not tried that yet.  We have to hire a driver every time we go, so we have just been going to the service.  Maybe this week.

I think that is about it for now.  I have other posts bouncing around in my head that I will hopefully get down soon!!

Mommy choices

Being a parent is absolutely the hardest job in the world.  Of course we all know this going in.  The decisions you make directly affect the life of this little person.  There have been 2 decisions that I have been struggling with this week.
First is Caleb's schooling.  As I wrote in a previous post, we had to choose between 2 schools.  A creative arts school where each teacher spoke some English and he knew a girl going there and a Reggio Emilio school where his teacher did not speak English and we did not know anyone.  We chose the Reggio Emilio school because Caleb is not that into art.  We have been praying about a school for Caleb for months.  We knew all schools here are 5 days and Spanish speaking.  God had blessed Caleb in this school.  His teacher is amazing.  We love her!  She is patient and makes Caleb feel comfortable.  She gives him a hug each morning and is genuinely happy to see him!  Caleb got off to a bad start with music class.  The first class was apparently very loud and this immediately turned him off.  So his teacher would take him to another room and play with him.  Well yesterday Caleb was refusing to go to school, crying and pleading with me to stay home, it was music day.  He kept saying "Maybe I will go tomorrow mommy, ok?" Doesn't this break your heart!! I tried all my mommy tricks and nothing seemed to work.  But after about 45 minutes I was able to talk him into going.  I talked to his teacher and told her about his morning and she told me she had already talked to the music teacher and they moved the music class to their classroom and they were going to just have a guitar and sing.  This did the trick.  When I picked him up yesterday he came out saying how much he loved music and the songs they sang, in English!
All yesterday I was second guessing my decision to put him in that school.  But the way his teacher went out of her way to care for Caleb was such an answer to our prayers!
Ok, decision 2 was to wean Ollie.  I have been struggling with this decision for about 5 months.  Ollie has severe food allergies.  At Our first visit with the paediatric GI, she directly asked me how attached I was to nursing.  I said I was very attached.  He was only 4 months.  I nursed both Caleb and Elias until they weaned themselves.  Caleb lost interest in nursing at 12 months and Elias at 13 months.  So I eliminated dairy, soy, eggs, and wheat from my diet.  When I had any of these I saw the difference in Ollie.  It would affect his sleep, he would take very short naps and wake up moaning, and wake several times during the night.  We lived close to a Good Earth market so it was relatively easy to find products without these allergens.  Also I cook 5 days a week so we were all allergen free!  But when we moved it became almost impossible to keep up the allergen free diet.  I tried just giving up wheat, but it did not seem to do enough.  Then Monday Brian was home for Labor Day but Caleb had to go to school. So we decided after we picked him up from school he could choose where we all went out for lunch.  Well Caleb being a 4 year old chose McDonald's.  This of course has every allergen ever!  That night Ollie was up every hour.  On a good night he is up 3-5 times.  When I got up Tuesdays morning I decided I could not do it anymore.  After over 8 months of broken sleep at nights and screaming during nap times I just could not do it.  So I boiled water and gave him a bottle.  We had shipped 3 cans of formula in case I decided to stop or Brian and I went out, etc.  I was in a lot of pain for 2 days and would have him nurse a tiny bit each night to relieve the pressure.  So when he was up his normal amount I thought it was due to the nursing a tine bit before bed.  I was nursing 5 times a day, so you can imagine the pain!  Yesterday I was feeling a bit better so he did not nurse at all.  But last night he was up at 9:30, 11:30, 3:30(this is when I fed him), 5:30, 6:20, and up at 7.  I feel like not much has changed.  So I am second guessing the decision.  Should I have given up nursing?  He was an excellent nurser!  Should I continue with formula?  I did go out and buy the super hypoallergenic formula today, maybe that will help?  As I type this he has woken up twice from his nap.  I don't know.  I guess that is the hardest part, not knowing!
Lucky we have a God that loves our kids more than we do and does know!  Now let's pray he lets me in on that knowledge!

our first Colombian birthday party

On Friday Caleb, Elias, and I went to our first Colombian birthday party.  It was for one of Caleb's classmates and her little sister.  We went to the store and got his classmate a present since the one I ordered online had not come in time.  Toys are very expensive here, so if I have enough time I am going to order them online.
The party was in a social club.  It was by far the most over the top party I have ever been to!  When you first walk in it was decorated in princesses with tons of pink balloons and steamers.  There were giant marshmallows in the shape of flowers on the tables and candy.
The party was hosted by a a man and woman dressed as a princess and a knight.  There was an area where the girls could go and dress like a princess and put on make-up.  The boys could wear a knight tunic, but my boys were not interested.
The princess and knight did a few warm-up games with the kids like the parachute with balls.  Always a favorite with kids!  Then they went outside and divided into gender groups.  The boys learned to bow properly and how to joust a little with toy swords.  The girls got magic wands and were learning how to do little things with that.  Then we went back inside and they gave all the kids different animal headbands with ears.  Elias was a ladybug and Caleb was a tiger.  They had this talking tree that would describe the animal and the kids wearing that animal headband would go up front and act it out.  You can imagine how Caleb did with this!  I was in the back feeding Ollie solids and I hear people calling for me because Caleb was crying.
Then they had food, hot dogs with cheese on top, chips, and juice boxes.  Great party food for preschoolers!  While the kids were being entertained there were waiters walking around with hors d' ouevres; pita with hummus, little empenadas, chickpea balls, and drinks.  I am sure there was other food  too, but I did not get a chance to be with the adults much.
Just when you think it might be over, after the kids finished eating, the dancing started!  There was a disco ball, a bubble machine, and loud crazy music.  But as far as I could tell it was appropriate for a kids party.  After the dancing we went back outside to break the piñata.  It was Belle from Beauty and the Beast so it was weird watching the, beat up on Belle!  This was Caleb's first piñata, so it was fun for him.  People were sweet and picked up stuff for him and Elias so he did not miss out!
Then we went back in for singing and birthday cake, called "ponque" here.  It is a bit different, first they sing "Happy Birthday" in English there was a second verse in Spanish,

Que los cumpla feliz
Que los vuelva a cumplir
Que los sigue cumpliendo
Hasta el ano tres mil.

Then they count to the age they are turning and the birthday kid blows out the candles.
At that point Ollie was no longer cheerful so we decided to get going after the boys ate a cupcake.
We got the the party at 2:45, the invitation said 2:30, I knew it did not to be there on time, but we were still early.  Apparently the general rule is to show up half an hour after the invitation says.   Now we know!  We left at 6!  We were one of the first to leave.  My back was killing me from holding Ollie for 3 hours and he was ready for his last nap.
Both big boys got a goody bag as they left that had a plate, bowl, and cup with Monsters University.
The boys had a great time!  They were very excited to go home and show Daddy their goody bag and  goody bag from the piñata.   It was a good time but unlike any party for kids I have ever seen!