Tuesday

Today was a good day! I hope I didn't sound too down on my last post. It's really not so bad here, but during the dull moments we really miss home. We wish that we could share our first experiences in person with those we love and not strangers. We are grateful that we are here in the first place, and all indications are that we will be here much less than most people. We will stay as long as it takes to bring the boy home!

Today you'll be happy to know (you and our arteries) that we did not have eggs for breakfast! We had tostadas frances, better known as french toast. It was very good! After breakfast we got dressed and ready to go to the Hacienda Santa Barbara mall. It is called Hacienda because it was built on the site of an old farm. There is a very old part of the mall, with cobblestone streets, and it is very quaint. We decided to take the boy with us this time - why not, moms take their babies to the mall all the time, right? The cab ride was a little crazy, I had to hold him while the driver bobbed and weaved through rush hour traffic. The ride only cost 5,000 pesos which is less than $3.00. We went with our Minnesota friends Pam, who is a spanish teacher, her mom, and her two girls. The girls tortured the poor boy the whole day but he took it all in stride. They insisted on pushing his stroller (borrowed from the hotel) all day, and helped me give him his bottle. They held his hands, and stroked his head, wiped his chin...they were so cute. I am really going to miss them when they leave tomorrow. Their mom commented how laid back we were about the girls playing with the baby and with them jumping all over me. I assured them that I am very used to kids and babies with my family! It felt just like home having them jump all over me!

At the mall we went into a music store to see if we could get some Colombian music CDs. The store clerk was very nice and opened up a bunch of CDs and let us listen to them all. We bought two, one that is very funky, and one by a popular artist here with alot of guitar type music. We also bought a little chiva (click on the word to see a picture) for the baby's bookcase. A chiva is an open air bus that is used to carry all kinds of goods and people through the countryside. It is usally packed to the gills with stuff, from chickens, to vegetables to people. There are some pictures of real ones here. I also got a little costume jewelry for me. Oh and the boy and I had our first experience with a baby changing station at the mall. I wish I took a picture. I would put it in a frame and label it "Baby's first public restroom". We did pretty good. With that under my belt, and the spit up on my sweater, I think I am officially a mom.

After the mall we went to a restaurant near our hotel that is known for authentic Colombian food. (I know, all I do is talk about the food - but it is the highlight of this trip besides my son!) I had a dish that was basically a big mound of rice with pieces of pork, chicken and sausage mixed in, as well as peas and other vegetables. There was a fried egg on top and plantains around it. Delicious! Jim had some kind of peasant dish that had big red beans, a big hunk of bacon, some ground meat (pork I think), and a fried egg. Very good. After lunch we came back to the hotel and just hung around for a bit. We sat in the living room with everyone and chatted. It's like the United Nations in that living room most days. Our orphanage contact stopped by to pick up some candy we brought to her from the US. She wanted those little mini snickers and milkyways with the Christmas wrapping. We chatted with her for a while, and she invited Jim to play golf later in the week, we think with some other American people and some orphanage people. That should be fun for him though I'm sure he's nervous he won't be as good as the rest. I'm sure he will! How cool to tell people that he golfed in Colombia though, huh? She also told us that our case should move along okay, so were hopeful about that.

Let's see...I don't remember much of the afternoon - I played with the girls some more - I even read a Curious George book completely in spanish. I hope I didn't tell a totally different story than what was written! Jim took a nice nap. Before you knew it, it was dinner time, porkchops with some kind of sweet sauce, rice and broccoli, oranges for dessert (not to worry, I've got oreos stashed in my room for a proper dessert). After dinner the sweater lady came back. We bought a beautiful hand made wall hanging that I hope our little guy will always keep as a memory of Colombia. But the best part of her visit was that I got a lesson on how to make little crocheted butterflies! It was very interesting to be taught completely in spanish! The woman was very nice and told me that she will come back tomorrow with some thread and a crochet hook for me to keep so I can practice making them. I even translated her verbal instructions to someone who wrote it down in english! I can't wait to make them, they are so cute! I have found that I am SO MUCH better at understanding spanish than speaking it! So I'll let you know how I make out with the butterflies.

After she left, at about 9:00 we came back into our room for the night. I have been on the computer for a while now, and at 11 I will give the baby his last bottle and then go to sleep myself. Interestingly, the orphanage woman told us not to wake him up for his 3am feeding and to ignore him unless he is really awake and crying. She said he needs to get used to sleeping through the night. Okay by me!

Tomorrow morning at 8:30 we have our Bienestar interview. We have made plans for Thursday with Alfonso and Estella to go see the Salt Cathedral. Apparently there is some kind of church carved into a salt mine. We also have tentative plans to meet up with more friends of friends who live in Bogota. Maybe lunch on Saturday.