6 Weeks in Antigua!!!

We've now been in Antigua for 6 weeks and we are finally settling in, I think! We've loved having so many terrific visitors (Thanks Mommy Jane, Poppy John, Daniel, Abbey, Elianna, Hope, Melanie and Aaron!) to keep us company and help us out in a myriad of ways.


Ravi is settling in to her school routine and beginning to understand a lot of Spanish. In fact, she has requested that I speak to her ONLY in Spanish, which is a bit tricky because my Spanish is still pretty much buried deep inside my brain. (I'm hoping to enroll in morning Spanish classes for a few weeks in August, which should help immensely.) Remarkably, on the second day of school we met a girl named Tali (YES, I SAID TALI!!) from America so, of course, they are fast friends and I've hit it off with her mother also. It's nice to have someone to call when I have no idea what is going on in school (because the teachers only speak Spanish!). They've been here 6 months so they know everything about life here in Antigua and are now my personal gurus. In fact, Tali's mom took me to the open air market and showed me an incredible used clothing market that is hidden behind the regular market. Apparently someone ships used clothing from the United States all the way down here to resell for 2 dollars each!! I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, as someone also ships down our old school buses so they can churn out smoke all over Guatemala.... I'm sure these buses are the ones which FAILED emissions inspections up north.... But, I digress...

I'm sure you want to see new pictures and I have many for you, but first I want to tell you that we are moving houses later this week, as the owners of this house are coming back for a visit. We found a beautiful house not too far from here and I'm excited about a change of scenery. It will also move us onto a more main street of town and put us near to a beautiful outdoor cafe with gorgeous plants and trees (all labeled with names) and very close to where Liat and I take yoga.


Shira continues to do beautifully. She is talking more and more. Today she said mojado (wet) and cuidado (careful) and enjoyed a visit from her foster mother. She has settled into life here in Antigua much better than the rest of us!! She is playful and smiley and keeps us all on our toes. Speaking of toes, she loves nothing more than trying on ALL of our shoes and trapsing around the house in them. When Abbey was here, she tried on Abbey's shoes (when she wasn't home) and said "Abbey!" over and over again!



Liat is enjoying her horseback riding lessons and making terrific progress. She has learned how to post (which is the special movements you make during trotting) and her instructor is very pleased with her. Next week she will go on an instructional ride near Volcan Agua. She continues to enjoy yoga and quiet time with mommy (as there are still NO kids for her to play with here who are her age). We are enjoying reading aloud the Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing series (Fudge-a-Mania, etc..). For fun we trek to a nearby hotel with a heated pool and she swims and swims and swims....


Enough talk, here are some pictures:

Strolling Beauties

Elianna and Ravi at our favorite restaurant

(notice the marimba band in the background)

The biggest eater of the family...

Ice cream in the central plaza...

The equestrian in the family..

Ravi in a huipil and falda

Liat tries on the cargador...

Facepainting helps pass a rainy afternoon...

Ellen (studying Spanish in Antigua!!) and Abbey and the kids eat a typical meal with us

(actually it's birthday cake!)

Me and the girls--the only picture we have of the 4 of us!!!

Me and the little ones! (Ravi and Shira are almost exactly the same weight these days!)

Shira enjoys her favorite pastime--climbing stairs.

Ravi enjoys a swim!

Hope helps me schelp the kids...

Ravi makes a tortilla at our favorite restaurant.

Ravi and I get into a tuk-tuk--our main form of transportation around town.

Elianna, Ravi and Liat in typical Guatemalan garb.

Elianna and the girls