Hello Minneasota - I brought you some warm weather

We are having a heat wave in MN. I think it's up to 50 or so. You should see it. People walking around in shorts and flip-flops. I even saw a teenager with shorts, flip-flops and a tank top walking around outside! In Honduras you will see people breaking out hats and winter coats if it gets down to 70 degrees. Sister is even anxious to break out her summer clothes.

Being a mommy to three is not something that I'm used to. Juggling the needs of three kids is tricky learning overnight. It would be one thing if it started from birth, but I'm sort of jumping into this when Baby is 3 months old in my home away from home too- you know. The flights coming to MN were normal and the kids were fine. I was happy to fly on a newer Delta international plane from San Pedro Sula to Atlanta because it had tv screens on the backs of each seat. Brother could pick from some kid movies or cable tv channels too once we were close enough to the states. This made up for the fact that Delta is no longer offering in-flight meals.

We had a two hour lay over in Atlanta, but we barely had a moment to spare. Of course I am slowed down by two little children, 3 carry-ons, a purse, a car seat and a stroller. Trying to schlep all this through airports was not the best on my back. I needed help moving my luggage through immigration from the airport staff. The woman that helped me was not the nicest of people and barely helpful. I was flagged upon entering the US for the first time and had to have all my luggage re-scanned and one of them opened. There was a lot of schlepping going on and that airport helper person watched me do a lot of the work. When I got to the other side she put my luggage on the conveyor and turns to tell me in a rather monotone, unfriendly voice, "we accept tips". Sorry honey, your base pay is all you are making this time. I forgot and didn't have tip money anyway. I actually ran into a number of other rude airport staff along the way. I have had really nice friendly experiences before and all these rude people surprised me this trip through the huge Atlanta airport.

Brother had a small melt down on the second plane to MN because he missed his papi. I think a combination of all the excitement and then it being bedtime made him feel very emotional. He cried and cried in my arm. It broke my heart. I got him to calm down by drawing a picture of papi on a piece of paper. I tried to make it as close to what papi would look like as possible, including drawing in papi's whiskers. Brother held onto that picture the rest of the way. A funny thing - tonight Brother was drawing on the chalkboard a picture of papi - whiskers and all. So cute. Baby did really good on the flights too. She just nursed to her hearts content and she was happy with that. Well...both kids were kind of cranky on the decent of both flights, but that was manageable.

Once all the luggage was packed into my dad's car and I had baby buckled into her carseat I sat down in the front seat and in that moment that my butt hit the seat a searing pain in the back of my shoulder started that ran up my neck and down my arm and into the middle of my back. It took three days of constant ibuprofen for the pain to calm down and I still am taking it easy on using that arm.

Baby saw the doctor and the surgeon already and she is scheduled for surgery on April 3rd. Everything looks normal as far as that is concerned. I've also been making appointments for the dentist and doctor too for the kids and I. So now, I'm trying to figure out what I should be doing with my time while I'm here. It feels like such a long, long time that I'll be here when I think about it. I know I need to work and this can be an opportunity for my husband to focus on work too. But I miss my husband and strangely...I think I could miss Honduras too. I'm surprised.

The Sprouts Celebrate Halloween

I admit it. I've been homesick the past month. Maybe it's that the "holidays" are here and it just doesn't feel like the holiday spirit yet? At least not the way I know it. I need it to get very chilly, turn the heat on in the house and cuddle up under heavy blankets at night.

The stores have all been decked out with Christmas gear already. There were only a few Halloweeny things out at stores. I did get a bit nostalgic driving by a Hallmark store though that was spookerific. Fake cobwebs and big black spiders and ghosts in the front windows. It was awesome. We drove by and I thought to myself that I wanted to go back to drive by again. I don't know why? To feel nostalgic again? he he he

I find myself wanting to pretend I'm in the US. For example, I try to look at something and put a frame around the image. Mostly when at stores or restaurants that remind me of someplace in the US, but I have done it even driving past green fields and rivers. I place myself in the US for a moment to feel what it would feel like there. Lately I try to imagine cold air and the smell of the house with the heat on. Especially the smell of leaves drying on the ground once the trees have given them up for their long winter sleep. MN has great smells. The seasons are clear as a bell and each has it's own unique scent. It's awesome.

I used to think Halloween was silly and evil. I tried to not celebrate it. But then I had kids. And gosh, it's just good fun. I also realize now that without it, a time marker is missing. I feel disorientated. Like I just woke up from an afternoon nap and I'm not sure what time it is.

It was a little discouraging to try to celebrate Halloween for the Sprouts. Sister was getting a lot of flack at school about it. Her friends don't "believe" in Halloween and think witches will come to get us if we do celebrate. I said *boo* and decided that since Sister wouldn't be able to go out trick or treating we would bring Halloween to Honduras. Well, at least to Sister's classroom. I made a trip to the big City Mall to the K-andy Land store and bought some candy corns and chocolate foil wrapped eyeballs. We also picked up some caramels from the grocery. Placed some of each candy in little plastic bags to keep them fresh and then into paper Halloween treat bags that I found at the grocery store. It was a big hit with the kids and I guess some decided they like Halloween "a little".

Pumpkins grow in Honduras, but I don't think many farmers plant and harvest them only for Halloween. We heard about stores having some in, but they proved to be elusive. No luck with pumpkins. But! If you get lemons, you have to make lemonade - right? So we carved watermelons! It worked out great! I'd do it again. And we don't mind eating the insides.

We went out for pizza for dinner to celebrate and had a very happy time. Came home and played around the candlelit watermelon jack-o-laterns for a few minutes and called it a night. Here is a slideshow:

Saying Goodbye ~ The Final Hours

Okay...I'm kind of weirded out now. I wake up this morning and look around me and think how different my surroundings will be in just a few days. I pay attention to the way the light shines in the morning and the sounds of life in the suburbs of MN. It's so beautiful here. It really is and I'm going to miss it immensely.

I was able to get together with friends and family the past few days. Friday afternoon my parents hosted a "grandparent" lunch since my grandparents on my mom's side couldn't come to the going away picnic. They are getting older now and it's difficult for them to get around. The lunch was really nice except for one disappointment. Sister's Sprouts paternal grandparents were supposed to come to the lunch and just as they were to arrive, Sister runs out to get the mail and there is a card from her grandparents saying they were not going to be able to make the lunch! If the mail hadn't been checked we would have never known they were not going to make it and been waiting and worrying.

It was horrible. Sister started to cry and then I started to cry. She was so excited for them to come and was so concerned with things being just right for them. She had picked out where she wanted them to sit and asked if she would be able to spend some time with them after lunch. She had been counting down the days until they were coming. I was so disappointed for her. What kind of grandparents do that to their own grandchild? What a cop-out to not even have the courtesy to call. It was a rude and inconsiderate thing to do and ultimately was the end of any effort on my part to include them in Sister's life. Now I realize that my hopes for them to accept and love their biological granddaughter were too grand. At least Sister had a chance to meet them as she was not able to meet her father. They seemed like nice people, but it's obvious now that inconsiderate, selfish behavior must run in the family. I know I am not sounding very nice, but this really upset me.
Maybe they will even read this since I've sent out the blog website to them before. I guess it's just the truth and I won't risk hurting my daughter again on them.

Anyway...off that negative note. After our lunch I prepared a "goodbye" and "thank you" dinner for my girlfriends. It was wonderful! I had such a good time preparing a meal for them and hopefully they liked it. We ate and hung out for many hours just talking and laughing and crying late into the night. By the time I had to say goodbye to the last guest I was completely exhausted but happy the night went so well.

Tonight I went out to dinner with my two sisters. Again, such an awesome time. I am enjoying taking the time for family and time for myself and really paying attention to things here and swallowing as much joy and beauty as I can these next few days. Honduras will be beautiful don't get me wrong. But MN is home.

After dinner we had time to just sit and enjoy conversation. When we do get together there are usually kids with enough distraction that our conversations are cut off and we have to ask for reminding of where we left off. Tonight there were no distractions and I enjoyed sharing a meal with them like real grown woman.

Sisters dinner at Buca's
I love you girls!!

I decided that I don't want to be sad. I'll try hard, but I know it will be weird saying goodbye to my sister's tomorrow night. With technology we really aren't that far away. I'm sure there will be tears as they seem to come even just writing about it...but it will be okay. It really will, I know. It's just hard to say this first "goodbye".

Cold MN Morning

Maybe I'm more aware right now that I will be walking off a plane in just about 24 hours and it will be summer like conditions. But here in MN it is one of the coldest mornings this winter and the cold is desperately trying to find it's way into any place it can. Last look at 11:15am it was -14 F. Pictured here is the glass door to my parents backyard. Covered in plastic and all and it still has frost buildup. Can you imagine trying to explain this to a Honduran...that we put plastic on our windows.

Art Shanty Projects On The Lake

Home Art Shanty Projects

I love MN. I'm going to miss this state when we finally move.
Living in the arctic is not always easy and it's definitely not fun a lot of the time and can often be quite dangerous ; but Minnesotans just know how to role with it and find cool ways to make the best of difficult conditions.
It's going to be a high of about 0 degrees today. I just looked at the current temps (7:30am right now). It's -13 degrees F. Hmmm..... I just can't risk bringing the kids out in the cold. If it was say...about 20 degrees, we'd be out on that lake all afternoon.

No ice on the windshield trick

For all who live in the deep freeze....and may have to park outdoors.

For windshields, mix a 50/50 water and white vinegar solution in a spray bottle. Spray it on the night before. Voila! No ice the next morning. Totally environmentally friendly :O)