Family Fun

I should probably explain my pictures from Memorial Day. We just chilled and enjoyed the beautiful weather. My daughter and her family are here visiting, so we are really having fun with that.

Our family has become very Tico. We love having family all together and the more the merrier. In fact if the rest of the family wanted to live here, no problem. We have been known to have 11 people living in our little apartment at one time.

Funny story. When my daughter and her new hubby were moving into their apartment we went with them to sign papers. The landlord looked very sternly at my son-in-law, who is obviously Latino and gave strict orders that he was not to move his whole family into the little two bedroom apartment with them.

They all agreed to that and moved in. Fast forward two weeks, he gets deported. I told my daughter to hold onto the apartment because we needed a place to stay while our old trailer was being hauled off and our new modular being moved in.

A couple of months later we moved in with my daughter, at the moment there were only five of us. Two weeks later hubby and I left for China to pick up baby, making it six people in the two bedroom. A month later my 19 yr. old son moved in with us to get his life straightened out. Next month another son separated from his wife and moved in with us. Next came my youngest brother needing a place to park it for a short time.

Then my poor daughter and her baby came back from Hondurus. Man we were packed in like sardines and needless to say the landlord was not at all happy. Of course it took them about six months to get our home done and we lived in that little apartment the whole time! Crazy times.

Good times, good times!!!!

Kinder Graduation

And did I mention that Ticos love to celebrate any and everything? And that they can drag said celebration on for hours at a time? For example look at babies kinder graduation, yes kinder. Be there at nine thirty sharp. Oh yeah and then wait 45 minutes to get in. Not to mention waiting in the very hot sun. Oh sorry all of you being buried in snow and freezing to death up north.

After finally being let in we wait another thirty minutes for all the kids to line up. Then they come out two by two and have their names read while they parade up the aisle. I had to laugh because I did not think baby would hold a boys hand and I was right, she came out first with the teacher between them. The guy reading the names read her two very simple names and added the little boy with her first name, poor girl just did not have enough names.

Finally after two and a half hours we were done with the big day and off to the ice cream store for a ice cream to celebrate the happy day. Of course tonight is the sleep over with niece to watch Frosty, eat popcorn and hot chocolate.


The worst thing about the whole deal was I was ready to cry the whole darn time! For those of you who know my older children you will understand why I weep to see babies grow up.

TAXI DRIVING JERKS

I have to say that most of our experiences with taxi drivers have been very positive here. In fact we have quite a few funny "pick-up" stories about taxi drivers. One time when we were in Nicaragua a cute young guy gave us a good deal on the long ride to the beach town of San Jaun del Sur. We got in the car, the girls in the back and hubby in the front. As soon as we got in he adjusted his mirrors so that he could see the gorgeous teenager in his rearview mirror the whole two hours there. But he did make one stop in town to buy a new cd, an English love song cd! It was freakin' hilarious.

The other funny one was when the old toothless guy picked us up. I was in the backseat this time and he kept looking in the rearview at me. He asked my daughter how long we had lived in Costa Rica and how our Spanish was. He told her that if her Mama had a Tico boyfriend she would learn Spanish really quickly. I may not speak good Spanish, but I understand it, hello! As he kept talking and looking I asked my daughter if we should get out of the car. She said "no I think I'm good, but you may want to get out anytime now." Funny.

Tonight we went to the mall to meet the tall one and have some ice cream. We got in the taxi van to head home. Now we all take taxis together all the time. They do sometimes tell us no if there are all five of us, insisting they only take four at a time. In that case we usually just find another driver who will take us. We thought good tonight because we got the taxi van. A little more expensive because of the extra gas, but no hassles. Boy were we wrong. He started in right away talking to my daughters boyfriend about how they charge more when there are more than four people. Lie number one. Then he kept talking about it all the way up to the house. The meter read 1900 when we got home. Tall one went to hand him a 2000 bill and he said no it was 2800, because of the extra person. We said no we only pay what is on the meter. He started giving us crap and hubby came out of the house, that was when he sped off and threw the 2000 out the window, cool free ride!

VICE PRESIDENT

Vice President Biden was in Costa Rica Sunday and Monday. Yesterday when we were returning from our field trip there was all kinds of crazy security around the airport. I find it kind of funny because probably ninety percent of the Ticos did not care or even know he was here, and the other ten percent would just be pissed off by all the congestion his being here caused in traffic.
If he only knew how much nobody cared if he was here or not he would not have had to bring his own limo from the States. That's right he had his limo flown down with him, can't leave home without them you know.
He stayed Sunday night in the Marriott hotel in Belen. I do have to admit the guy has good taste. Me and hubby stayed there two years ago on our 28th anniversary. That was the first day hubby arrived to stay in Costa Rica. I had already been here nine months and we had been visiting each other every three months. It was good to be together again as a family.
Not only that but there was of course the miracle that we were celebrating our 28th anniversary! I find every one of them even more miraculous. The saddest part is it never gets easier. Oh sure some things get easier, but about that time some new difficult situation arises for you to deal with , it never ends to be sure.
Back to Vice Pres. Biden though. Actually I can't think of anything nice to say so I will end it there.