Big little Boy

Time flies and Elliot is growing up so fast. Since we have been back from Costa Rica, he has had another growth spurt. And last week he started walking and now he is cruising around the house with his walker and is getting really fast at it. Soon, he'll be walking on his own and then he'll run and chase his big sister. 

Elliot has become quite the talker and is constantly saying something. Often, we can really understand what he says. His favorite sayings are: "all done" (when he finished eating); "Mama"; "ball"; "turtle"; "no" and "nein"; "bath"; "hi"; "danke" (thanks in German) and some other things. If he follows in his sister's footsteps and keeps up with all that talking, our ears will be chewed off by the time those kids are 5 years old. (Amelia talks all day long, from the time she gets up till it's time to go to sleep.) Thus, it can be quite noisy in our house. But those are good, happy noises.

 

Of course, he eats like a champ too. So far, there is no food he doesn't like. And I don't cook for him anything separate anymore either as he likes our food the best. Especially meats: he had tried steak, pork,  sausages, chicken of all kinds, lamb and ground meat. He seems to like it all.

 

Amelia has been a good big sister and lately she is trying to feed him and brings him his water cup or his pacifier when he is crying. Elliot loves playing with her and crawls behind her and tries to do whatever she does. It is nice to see that they play so well with each other and grow up doing things together since they are so close in age.

One thing he already learned from his sister is throwing a tantrum. When we tell him no and he really doesn't agree with our decision, he throws himself on the floor and cries. Luckily, it only lasts a few seconds and he is easily distracted and forgets why he was mad at us. It is fascinating to see how fast he grows up and that his own personality is already shining thru. Even though they don't look much alike, certain character traits are very similar between Elliot and Amelia. On the other hand, he is still a Momma's boy while my girl is Miss Independent. But best of all, they are best friends and love playing with each other, which makes me really happy.

My Special Day

Once a year, every one has a special day. Mine was on Thursday. I'm 33 years young. And I really can't complain. I'm not feeling "old" but I'm not 20 either. Life is good. I can honestly say that I'm proud of who I am and what I have achieved so far. And I'm truly blessed to have two great children and a loving husband I can spend my life/birthdays with.

Even though we didn't plan anything for my birthday, it was a great day. I was amazed at how many people congratulated me and thought of me. I don't take that for granted. It means a lot to me and makes my birthday special. I thank God for my life and the many incredible blessings, special friends and family he has given me. 

Luckily, my loving husband was still on vacation and so we had the whole day to spend as a family together. We had breakfast together, went for a nice walk and then I spent some

me-time at the salon and got a haircut (which I desperately needed) and a pedicure. It felt nice to be pampered while the kids had fun at home with their daddy. And a birthday without cake wouldn't be a birthday. So in the afternoon, we went to Cheesecake Factory, where we had a delicious slice of cheesecake. The kids and I have a sweet tooth, so the cake was just what we needed, whereas my husband decided to get an Ahi-Tuna appetizer. He sure didn't had to share that with us. For dinner we took it easy and went to WholeFoods for take-out. Everyone could choose what they wanted.

I have to mention that my little girl made me a birthday card (with my help, but it was her idea), which was the best card a mommy can ever receive. And my loving husband gave me a certificate for a 2-hour horseback ride. So, on today I went to the local horse farm called "Blue Heron Ranch" and enjoyed a nice trail ride. I have not  sat on a horse in a long time but I clearly missed it.  The weather was great and my horse "Storm" was very pleasant and did great on my commands. Since it was only me and the barn manager going on a ride, I could decide what we wanted to do. So, we did everything from walking, trotting, cantering and even galloping. Sitting on that horse makes me feel young and free again. It was just a perfect gift for the horse lover in me.

And since Amelia wanted to see me on the horse, Derrick and the kids met us at the horse farm when we came back from our trail ride. Amelia was able to feed the horses, watch the chickens, and play with the cat. But best of all, she was allowed to do a couple of laps on my horse. And she was invited to come back and ride the miniature horses in the next week.

So, all in all I had a fabulous birthday and enjoyed spending it with my loved ones. I really do like celebrating birthday, even though I'd rather celebrate someone else's birthday and give gifts, but I think it is important to celebrate life and the fact that one was born.

 

Fall Fun

This past week, while daddy was still home on vacation, we had some more fall fun. Since Amelia wanted to ride a horse, we figured we go to a local nursery where they have a little petting zoo and pony rides. And since it is fall, they even had a little pumpkin patch there.  

Amelia was so excited to be riding her pony "Shadow" and I must say, she did great. She sat on that horse like a pro. Maybe she comes after her mommy and will learn how to ride a horse when she's a bit older and may even does tournaments too. I would fully support that but Daddy on the other hand is not so fond of that idea.

Elliot wanted to sit on the horse too and when we put him on there, he said "Neigh" all by himself.

And that same afternoon, our HOA organized their annual pumpkin patch event, where kids could paint a pumpkin and have their faces painted too. Amelia chose to decorate her pumpkin with bats, spiders and other art work. 



Other than that, we have enjoyed the somewhat cooler temperatures and went for lots of walks around the neighborhood or to the playground. We usually end up going to feed the ducks and birds and sit by the big lake to look for fish and skip some rocks. Amelia especially enjoys throwing rocks in to the water. And I must say, she definitely has a strong arm as you can see in the short video clip. 



 

Enjoying our Staycation

Since we came back a few days early from our vacation in Costa Rica, we have enjoyed our home and the beautiful Florida weather (a little cool front, resulting in the same weather as in Costa Rica minus the rain). It was nice just hanging out at home, spending time with the kids in our backyard or going on little field trips, especially since Daddy was still off from work. Also, Amelia and Elliot loved playing with their toys in their rooms again. Being away from home for a while makes you appreciate what you already have.

On Thursday we fixed up the backyard and I decided to plant my vegetable garden again as we won't be moving for another few month now. In a couple of months we will enjoy some homegrown bell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, carrots and radishes. Of course, Amelia and Elliot helped me with the planting process. They also enjoyed their newly filled sandbox and the water table.

 
 

And since we have an annual pass to the Miami Seaquarium, we spend our Friday there. The kids really loved watching the dolphins and the killer whale. The weather was perfect and the crowds were minimal.

It feels great being back home again, but more so that we can enjoy time together. The kids don't care where they are as long as they have each other, Mommy and Daddy near by.

Our Experience in Costa Rica

After being in Costa Rica in our pursuit of happiness and seeing different towns, meeting new people and doing excursions, we have learned quite a bit about this country. First of all, Costa Rica is beautiful. Amazing landscapes, mountain views and deep green valleys with grazing cows. Top that off with great clouds and pretty fog above the mountains when the rain comes in (it is rainy season and rains at least every afternoon), it is something you won't see in South Florida.

On the other hand, it has been warmer than expected. Atenas is supposed to have the best climate in the world, but somehow we still find it too warm. Maybe it is because we are coming from South Florida and are used to the 81F (27C) and were hoping for cooler temps around the low 70s F (20C). Since we read about the average temperature being in the low- to mid 70sF, we are a bit disappointed. But at least at night it cools down to the high 60sF (18C) and one can sleep with the windows open, which feels really nice for a change. Thus, we have narrowed down our search for a rental house to the north of Atenas, mainly to the small towns of Zarcero and Sarchi. Since Zarcero is up in the mountains, it feels a bit cooler there. Unfortuately, the rental market is very limited here  (and so are real estate agents) and so far, we have not found anything affordable yet. Of course, you can rent vacation houses for $1,000 and up a month but that's not what we want/ need.

Typical (lower class) Tico Housing (no building codes whatsoever) and typical way to dry their laundry

This brings up another point about CR. It is not as cheap as portrayed in all the books and blogs we read. For example, gas is very expensive and since they have a cooperative setting here, every gas station charges the same amount per liter (744 colons per liter = $1.37). Although vegetables and fruits are cheaper than in the U.S. (but still more expensive than I thought they would be), meat and milk is very expensive and so are any other household items such as plastic storage boxes, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, toys, clothing, etc. And of course, all things electronic and cars are at least 30-50% more than in the U.S. as those are all imported. Which means that there is an import tax on top of it (i.e. for a washing machine that would cost $450 in the U.S., one would have to pay $800 in CR plus 13% tax).

Everyone parks their car in their gated front porch so no one steals it at night. Plus, there is no space to park on the road.

While the landscape is beautiful, unfortunately there are no hiking trails, close-by national parks, or other outdoor activities that one can do with small children. Most homes that are located in the small towns have no backyard and the people park their cars on the front porch, so you see a lot of kids and dogs (every family seems to own a dog in CR) walking and playing on the small paved roads by their house. I think we had to brake at least a dozen times because dogs came running on to the streets. And while most towns do have a playground and in the town center a small park, there is not much more to each town than that town square and some shops.  

Typical road conditions: small curvy roads and everyone walks on them

So after some debating and analyzing we came to the conclusion that CR is not the right spot for us and I don't think we will find our happiness there. There are just too many factors not adding up right and considering that we would leave everything behind for something that might work, it is not worth to us. Plus, the main factor of living cheaper and on a budget to enjoy more family time seems impossible now that we know what everything costs in CR. Therefore, we will continue with our pursuit of happiness till we find it....somewhere else that is. I guess it wouldn't be called the "pursuit of happiness" if one would find it right away!?! So, we are continuing with our journey and keep searching (new places to live are already being explored). For sure, we are happy that we went to CR and explored it and then made our final decision.

Goodbye Costa Rica, till we meet again some day

 

Costa Rica Vacation, Part III

Since we are on vacation, we took it easy the last couple of days and enjoyed ourselves. We went swimming in the pool, walks in the rain, to an observation deck in town with some great views and today, we went to a Zoo in nearby La Garita.

 Amelia loves relaxing in the hammock swing on the back porch. It is very comfortable.

 
The two little ones are showing off their new headgear. Aren't they adorable? Elliot was 10 month old today and he doesn't look and act like a baby anymore. Please, stop growing up so quickly.

The Zoo called Zoo Ave, is actually an animal rescue and rehabilitation place. It was very nice to walk thru a jungle-like environment and looking at animals that are home to Costa Rica's bountiful landscape. Since the nearest National Parks are at least an hour away from here, this is the next best thing to Costa Rica's wild habitat that you usually find in the jungle. And best of all, it wasn't crowded at all.

 

 

The zoo also offered Canopy Zip Lining, which Costa Rica is known for and I always wanted to try. So with the blessings of my loving husband I tried it. And it was great going 50+ kmh  down the jungle. There were a total of 3 zip lines and while the first one had the shortest distance, it was the most scariest as I didn't know what to expect. But the feeling of flying thru the woods was phenomenal and I definitely want to do that again.

For sure, we had some fun and relaxing days. And I loved that I'm able to spend quality time with my husband and kids. After all, it doesn't matter where we are or what we do as long as we do it together.  

Costa Rica Vacation, Part II

On our scouting expedition thru the Central Valley of Costa Rica, we have visited many small and some bigger towns during our first week here. On Thursday, we went South thru San Jose (the capitol) to Cartago, Paraiso and Orosio. We didn't stop in San Jose as it was too big, busy and crowded and we have no interest in living there anyways. But driving thru we noticed that this city is just like any other big city with shopping malls, theaters, restaurants and lots of traffic and people. It felt very different from the other, smaller cities in Costa Rica, more developed. We stopped in Cartago for a few minutes, but didn't like the city much either and decided to move on. Except for the remains of the castle from earlier times, Cartago had really nothing to offer for us.

The castle in the middle of downtown and Ticos feeding and petting the pigeons.

Next, we arrived in Paraiso (not much there to see either except for the church and the park in the middle of town- this is how every city is set-up in Costa Rica) and decided to drive further to Orosio. There is a big lake near this mountain town, but due to construction on the nearby dam, the lake was drained and we couldn't really see it. But here is a snapshot from the river and the dam. Very pretty indeed. And we had a great lunch with a beautiful view in a restaurant on the side off the road in Orosio.

On our way home, we stopped spontaneously (restroom break) at a BBQ restaurant in San Jose and discovered a little gem. They had a really nice playground in the restaurant and while we waited for our food, the kid loved playing there. And since it was a BBQ restaurant, they had lots of decorative bulls and oxcarts there. Amelia was very fond of riding on them and loved standing next to X-large one at the front of the restaurant.

Every Friday there is a Farmer's market in Atenas, where local farmers sell lots of fresh produce, fruits, meats and such. Of course I wanted to go and check it out and while we were there, we sampled some fruits and cookies and even met some Expatriates (Americans from Arkansas). We also bought some great fruits such as those Lychees. Afterwards we drove up North to San Ramon and looked around that town for a while and met up with a Real Estate Agent. Again, there was a church and a park in the middle of the town, where the locals/ Ticos meet and hang out. 

Since we seem to like the North of the Central Valley much better than the South and it is a bit cooler there, we decided to check out Zarcero again today and weren't disappointed. When we arrived, it just started to rain a bit and the temperature dropped to 68F (19C) but then as soon as it stopped raining, it went right back up to 80F (25C). The air was very misty and the view up the surrounding mountains was just beautiful. This town definitely has something mystical about it, especially when you stand right in the middle of the park in the center of town.

And since our two little ones get restless driving around so much, we usually stop by at a playground in each town we visit. They love running and crawling around and get along well with the local kids. Language barriers don't seem to exist at that age. Whereas Elliot sticks out a bit with his blond hair and blue eyes, Amelia seems to fit right in with the Ticos.

 

And so we swing away on our vacation and enjoy our time being together.

Costa Rica Vacation, Part I

After a quick and uneventful flight from Ft. Lauderdale to San Jose, CR, on Sunday morning, we arrived safe and sound in our rental house in Atenas (25 minute drive from the airport). Already at the airport, we were greeted by really friendly and helpful Ticos and so far we have not incurred an unfriendly person yet. Atenas is a small town, which seems to be almost every town here. Nothing special, some good places to eat, grocery shop and a catholic church and small park in the center of the town (like in every town this size). The weather has been great. Not very humid, even though it is rainy season. Usually it rains every afternoon here for an hour, just like South Florida. But the temperature is much nicer with highs in the mid-80sF (25C) and lows at night in the high 60sF (18C). Just perfect to have the windows open all day long. It does get dark here around 6pm but then the day begins earlier too at around 5:30am. How do we know? Let's just say the kids have not adjusted yet to the 2-hour time change and we are up very early (5amish) the last few days, which means we go to bed early too. 

Our backyard oasis

View from the house and a daily visit to the cows next door

We have a rental car and are doing daily trips to scout out different towns and surroundings in hope to find the perfect place for us to live at. On Tuesday we visited a town called Sarchi, which we liked very much. It had a nice small town feel to it, but enough store there to get different things if needed. The town center was really nice too with a big church, a toddler playground and some huge oxcart exhibition. We also visited a very pretty botanical garden there, which is owned by Germans...(we also found a German bakery and Café in Atenas today and now we are enjoying some fresh baked breads and cakes)





Then we went on to Zarcero, a small town way up in the mountains. It was much cooler there 67F (17C) and very moist (it is rainy season after all), but we loved the climate and the town center. Right in the middle of the town is a small topiary, which made the town look mystical. Distances are not a big thing here but it does take some time to get used to the driving style. We are in mountainous terrain here and if the roads are paved then they are narrow and very curvy, up and down the mountains. Thus, it takes much longer driving from point A to point B and I had some scary moments in the backseat.

And this last picture was taken just 15 minutes after the prior pictures and one can see clearly how misty/ foggy it got within minutes. Would be a great place for a haunted evening on Halloween. Don't you think so?

Today we rested and relaxed at the house, but tomorrow we are off to explore the South of the Central Valley. Stay tuned for more about our trip.