B & A

Wow these two look alike in this shot! Maybe it's because they have the same expression on their faces. In general I find that Blaise takes more after me and Acadia more like her Papa (minus the goatee:)

Much to My Chagrin

This week I locked my keys and Blaise in the car. I hadn't done that yet, so I guess it was bound to happen. It seems to be something Mom's do, what with constantly multi-tasking and lack of sleep:) I arrived at the bank and promptly got a phonecall on my cel, so I was talking while getting Acadia out of the car, rolling up the windows and locking the doors. Next thing I knew I had sealed up the car with Blaise still inside, buckled into his seat:( With my heart sinking down into my shoes I call Zaak to see if he can come rescue me. Unfortunately he is with a group doing a medical clinic in a village half an hour away. So he says he will send Ericka, one of the teachers, on a microbus with his key. I go in and quickly do my banking, thankful that both kids aren't locked in the car but worried about Blaise. I go back out to the car and look in on Blaise, who is happily eating his bunny crackers. I tell the guard at the bank my dilemma, and he tells the other guard and workers inside. A lady from the church comes by and asks what's going on. Soon I have drawn a crowd, with people from shops across the street coming to peer into the car at Blaise. "Foolish Gringa Locks Young Child in Car" is flashing through my brain, as well as everyone else's I imagine. One of the bank workers is a friend of ours, Alejandro. He and the manager try a few of their keys in the car lock - this doesn't work of course. They tell me there's a guy who can open things, so he shows up on his motorbike about 10 minutes later. By this time Blaise has been in the car for 20 minutes and is getting understandably ansy. The guy gets into the car with the little wood wedges in the window and a piece of wire in about two minutes. I feel like kissing him but restrain myself, haivng already made enough of a spectacle for one day. I take Blaise out of the car and he is sweaty but fine, and instantly distracted by a passing stray dog. Gracias a Dios! We go for icecream a few doors down to alleviate my guilt a bit, and Ericka shows up ten minutes later with Zaak's key.

The Big 02

On July 13th my little boy turned two. The night before I sang him "You'll Never Be One Again," a song from my childhood that we had on a record by Alabama. It was a bit sad that my first baby is no longer a baby, but I've got a 3 month old Acadia to enjoy so I can't complain:)
Blaise was very into his birthday this year, he tore into his presents and blew out the candles on his cake by himself. The only thing he didn't do was hit his pinata, after days of talking about it and how there were candies inside:) Oh well, maybe next year! Actually next year we will hopefully be in Montreal for Blaise's birthday, so we can celebrate with Auntie April and little buddy Noah:)

Vacation to Copan, Honduras

We made the trek this past week to our favorite vacation spot with Will, Mariah and the two kids in tow. This was our first trip since Acadia was born and it went better than I expected. We had a hotel room with two beds so Zaak ended up sleeping with Blaise and I slept with Acadia. Not the most romantic set up but definitely the most sleep condusive:) The highlights of the trip for me were the Hot Springs and eating out. The last time we were there was this past November and I had wanted to go to the Hot Springs but we never made it. So this time we drove the hour on a windy dirt road to ge there and it was well worth it! The hot water from the springs flow into a river, so you can have whatever temperature you desire, from boiling hot to refreshingly cool. It was the closest thing I've had to a bath since we were in Canada and it was marvelous:)
Our meals we ate mostly at our favorite restaurant in Copan, the Via Via, a Belgian owned restaurant that has 11 other locations around the world. The draw for us to this place is that their menu has several vegetarian options, which is rare in Guatemala. We had one supper at a more expensive place because of the salmon on their menu, another food we never eat here. I also got a few new books at a book exchange. I believe a good time was had by all, and now it's back to the laundry and cooking of everyday life:) Oh well, there's no place like home right?