Just a Regular Saturday

Yesterday was just a typical Saturday. The boys had a Birthday Party and my fabulous Hubby gave me a couple of hours of peace and quiet...so my three boys were off and I had a couple of hours all to myself and guess what...I was bored and kept wondering what they were up to. So when they got home I thought they looked so cute I just had to snap away. I love "brother" t-shirts and Luka wears them so proudly that is just melts my heart (he has a couple of them).

We took these photos outside on my terrace. I wasn't too happy with my snapshots, but doesn't that always happen...if you force the shots then the session is a bit of a disaster, but at least I have some snaps to remember the shirts and to remember the day that I missed my boys while they were off at a birthday party...not only did I miss them, but I didn't get to eat cake...ha ha ha.

Luka loves the camera!

Here you can see Sam's new haircut closely...Oh, I missed that too. I heard Sam was such a big boy and sat very quietly on Daddy's lap.

Okay, this photo is a little blurry, but I had to post because I wanted to share Sammy's favorite smile/expression. He spends the day making this face every time he is doing something that he knows/thinks he shouldn't be doing. It makes me and JJ laugh every time. I just have no idea where he gets this under bite expression. When Luka was little he had his "winky" face and Sam has this one, but I haven't come up with a name for it. He just does it all the time.

For all the photos from this day click here.

BeyBlade Battles in Bolivia

Photo: Notice Luka's enthusiasm and Sam's inquisitive face.

Well, I am not sure if they are happening all over Bolivia, but they are happening in front of my house. We are new to this whole BeyBlade phenomenon. Actually it all started a couple of weeks ago back in Washington, DC....JJ calls me and the conversation goes a little like this:

JJ: Where are Luka's BeyBlades?

Melissa: His what, what the heck are BeyBlades?

Moqui (my sister chimes in on the conversation, she is with me in DC): Please don't tell me that Luka doesn't have BeyBlades

JJ: Luka is invited to a BeyBlade Party and I thought he had one (JJ didn't know what they were either)

Melissa: No, Luka doesn't have a BeyBlade...that was just a top I bought in Miami last time.

Luka: I need to take BeyBlades to Stefan's House

So there I was in DC feeling really bad that my son was going to be the only one boy at the party with no BeyBlade and my sister wasn't making me feel any better...so you know Luka was definitely going to have BeyBlades by the time I arrived back in La Paz.

My sister sent my father on a mission to buy them. We had to walk for three days straight so we really didn't have time to shop. But my dad came through, as always, and bought Luka two super cool blades.

And now you see it...Luka is a BeyBlade Champion, well not so much...just yet, but he is enjoying this BeyBlade madness.

I really just love hearing him say, "ONE, TWO, THREE, LET'ER RIIIIPPPP!"

And Sammy loves to make the BeyBlades stop once Luka gets it going...actually a really good toy for both of them and really good for their social skills as you can see from the photo and video.

My Latest Project

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly offers exclusive photobook layouts so you can make your book just the way you want.

Friday Updates

(click on images to see them larger)

Another Friday and more updates from LIVE. This week we are in for a treat...because there is one with Luka too. Luka had two days off from regular school and he loves LIVE so off he went to join his little brother...in the older class of course. At LIVE Luka is a leader and basically runs the class, but at his regular school he is more of a follower. I still haven't figured out why because the kids in his class at LIVE are the same age as in his KG4 class at ACS. Maybe it is because he is in the "oldest" class at LIVE and his "little" brother is in the building.

Here is Sammy's update...isn't it amazing all the do at school. He must love that life size screen with animals. Don't miss the last photos with the bunnies from LIVE. Yes, they have bunnies hopping around the garden all the time. Remember to click on the photos to see them larger.

Over One Year Since We Landed in La Paz

This past weekend I spent it cleaning up my iPhoto and organizing all of my photos and I came across this photo from the day our container arrived in La Paz and we started to unpack our life from Mozambique to start our new life in Bolivia. Really, has it been over one year? The time really flew and in a blink I have a "grown-up four year old" and the tiny baby I arrived with has disappeared forever and been replaced by an extremely active...is 16 months a toddler? I really hope it isn't. In any case he is growing up so fast that I can't seem to catch up with him.

As I look at this photo I think how many times in my life will I go through this experience. I love the fact that our life is an adventure, but also dread the fact that we never seem to plant roots in one place. Let's see so far I have unpacked moving trucks 3 times - twice in Maputo (we moved to a house while living there) and once in La Paz. I wonder all the places we will open containers in the future and how many of those places will feel like home.

I guess our family feels at home when we are all together, and it doesn't matter where we are. I often get scared of how the transition for the boys as they get older. Right now, even for Luka it is still fun, but what about the day he has to say goodbye to his best friend or worse yet....a girlfriend. Thousands of expats do it all the time but that doesn't make it any easier.

I never thought I would adapt so easily to places that I have never been to or have any connection with, but as my diplomatic life progresses I realize that especially now that we have kids, to adapt means to survive.

You have to get there, find a school, make a home, find some friends, schedule playdates, go to after school activities...make a normal life as quickly as possible. Growing up I never thought I would have to do this over and over again, but it seems to be working out okay.

I wonder where the next posting will take us...

Tomato for Dinner?

Luka has the pickier palette compared to Sam, but tonight I was surprised at what transpired at dinner. On Sundays I usually make an omelette with Luka, but today we made an omelette sandwich with egg, cheese and tomatoes (yes, super gourmet I know). Those are three ingredients that both of the boys can agree on and something that mommy can actually cook.

I thought Sam was going to devour the sandwich, but Luka beat him and ate every last bit. All Sam wanted to eat was an entire raw tomato!!!! Where did he learn that, unfortunately not from me. But man, does that boy love tomatoes. So much for my omelette sandwich...

Here is a video...

Addicted to Lists

(click on image to make it larger)

Most of you know how much I love to make lists....well, look what I found. This is a pretty genius way to sort my to do list, because they always have to go into separate categories, so one general list doesn't do the job. This way makes it easier for me to prioritize. Enjoy and happy listing!

Found this list and many other great templates at The Project Girl.

7:00 am SURPRISE

This morning I was a little concerned when the doorbell rang at 7 am. When I came to the door they said I had a package from Cielo (mom from Luka's class). Then I was even more confused....

But I was pleasantly surprised. Wow, look at this? I had my own bouquet of fruits....the best were the chocolate dipped strawberries. The entire family had fruit for breakfast. Sam especially loved picking the fruit on his own from the cup.

Thanks Cielo for the wonderful surprise...it was completely unexpected and those are the best kinds, right? She sent it as a thank you for completing the walk...isn't that thoughtful. Well, I cried a little. Who knew I could cry over fruit? Muchas Gracias Cielo!

Friday Updates

(click on the images to see them larger)

Let me know as soon as you get sick of these Friday updates from Sam's school. I just love them and I know my parents do too...so here you go. This week I was shocked to see Sam sitting quietly in the table as the sang Happy Birthday to one of his classmates, because lately Sam does completely the opposite from sitting. I also didn't know he was such a "sidewalk" artist...do you see him drawing with chalk?

Beautiful & Sad Photos from Mozambique

I have a long list of things I receive via email or articles I mark that I want to share with you on my blog. That list is very long and I never seem to have the time to do it, but this one I had to share. I saw a link to this article on Facebook (Thank You Michael B.) and it made me very nostalgic about Mozambique.

The photos are amazing and I can't help but think all the times I drove right past this garbage dump while I lived in Maputo.

We miss you Maputo!

Sam's Weekly Newsletter

Here is this week's update from Sam's daycare. Don't miss his concentration when painting! This week you can also see him sitting at the table ready to celebrate a classmate's birthday and on Friday you can see him playing with soap and foam...thanks looks like so much fun I want to have a foam party here at home.

Growing and Growing...

I guess all the eating Sammy has been doing is paying off. We just got back from a check-up at the doctor. He has grown so much in the last couple of months. Since we got back from Holland he has grown 5 cm. He is now 87 cm (34.25 inches) and he weighs 11.4 kg (25.13 lbs). I recently bought Sam a PJ while in DC. It was 24 months...well I tried it on last night and it didn't fit.

Getting Settled Back Home...

I just arrived back in La Paz this morning...very early! Thank goodness we arrived early because I was able to get one of the last taxis before the strike started at 6 am. The good news is that I am home and back with my boys, but I am wiped out and need some time to get organized. I have so many stories to share with you about the three-day walk. It was a truly inspiriting event and I can't think of a better person to have had this experience with than my little sis. We definitely surprised each other interns of what we can accomplish and what our bodies can endure. We also learned a lot about other people and the amazing drive they have to survive.

Well, let me get organized with school, play dates, clients, ABIA, the PTA and much more and I promise to share our journey of the 3Day with you.

For now I will share two photos of my boys that my friend Bianca took while I was away. Can they really grow that much in 6 days! Sam went up a diaper size while I was gone! Luka got smarter and very persistent. I got home this morning and all he wanted was his surprise!!! What happened to showering mommy with hugs and kisses (he did that too).

Look what happens when mommy is out of town. Daddy takes Sammy out to a BBQ in a PJ shirt! Ha ha ha.

Run Luka Run!

Official Recap

Here is the official recap from the walk as taken from www.the3day.org:

The 2011 Susan G. Komen Washington, D.C. 3-Day for the Cure began early on a rainy Friday morning with an emotional Opening Ceremony at Washington Nationals Stadium. The 17-mile route featured many memorable highlights, including the Nation’s Capitol, the Botanical Gardens and the Smithsonian Museums. After a long day of walking, we settled in to camp at Avenel Park in Potomac, Maryland, our home away from home for the weekend.

On Saturday morning, we woke up early, ready to hit the trail again for another great day of walking. Saturday’s 21-mile route began with overcast skies and a nice 70 degree temperature, warming up in the late afternoon when the sun came out to join us. The cool, green landscape of the Potomac area was inspiring. Every step of the day’s route was filled with community support from local churches, Girl Scout Troops, and friends and family. After lunch, high-energy Kaxaxe’ Dance Troop got us up to speed to finish off a beautiful afternoon as we headed back to camp for a fun camp show and a good night’s rest.

Sunday’s 15-mile route wound through Bethesda and the neighborhoods of Northwest Washington, D.C. The cheering station at Dupont Circle was a great pink celebration with support from family and friends. We passed by the National Zoo and the White House as we headed onto the grounds of the Washington National Monument for a celebratory Closing Ceremony.

It is pretty accurate, but missing all the gory details. I will post my recap soon...

In the meantime, here is a link to all of my pictures.

Closing Ceremonies to an AMAZING Weekend

We did it! 60 Miles in three days. Honestly I didn't think it was possible. I know that both Moqui and I had our doubts about whether or not we could finish in one piece or at all. But somehow we did it and we rocked it!

Friday it poured all day, Saturday was the toughest day and the last two miles seemed like 20 miles all on their own, but somehow even though we couldn't move at night we woke up the following morning and started to walk with our achy legs...about 30 minutes into the walk you hit a stride and get so much inspiration from the people around you...and get this surge of adrenaline that you don't know where it comes from but you just WALK!

I still have many stories and photos to share with you, but for now I wanted to post these videos of the closing ceremonies at the George Washington Monument in Washington, DC. It was an incredible experience that Moqui and I will never forget and participating in the closing ceremonies was very emotional. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. I think the most touching moment was when the survivors walked in. You can see this in the video below. As you looked at the group of people you couldn't help but see all the different women (& some men) in the group. I think what shocked me the most were the young women in the group. There were some that couldn't be older than 30! At that moment Moqui and I looked at each other and realized how lucky we were. How can we not do this again!!!!

The woman you hear speaking on the video also did our opening ceremonies. Isn't she awesome! She is also a survivor.

Just to recap...DC had over 2,200 walkers and we raised 7.2 million dollars!!!! Moqui and I raised

over $5,200 USD and we have over $450 USD towards our fundraising goal for next year. That is right...we are doing it again baby! This time in Tampa...a little closer to Moqui's home. I will have our fundraising page for that up and running soon so if you didn't get a chance to donate for DC you will be able to donate for our 2012 walk. Be on the lookout for that link.....

I will post the photos soon.

PS I apologize for the quality of the video. Recorded it with my phone...I should have taken my FLIP...next time.

A Very Wet Day 1

Hello People!! This will be a short post as I am super tired...but Moqui and completed Day 1. A total of 16.5 miles and our legs are killing us, but all for a great cause. We actually kept a great pace and finished the day much earlier than most people. Of the 2.500 walkers I would say we were in the first 150 people. We were already at lunch by 10:30 am!!!

The last few miles were the toughest mentally and physically due to the hills.

Then the big surprise was at camp. It had rained pretty much all day we were soaked to the bone, but I never expected the camp to be such a mess. It was flooded and everything was covered in mud about 2 inches deep. This was a bit of a disaster in the area of the tents and we made an executive decision to find a nearby hotel. I was really excited about my first camping experience, but being a novice camper I was not prepared to rough it and be soaked and freezing at the same time. Moqui and I also weren't prepared with tarps for the tent and floor.

So now we are in the hotel...toasty and cozy and resting for our early wake-up call tomorrow! Sorry. I only have one photo to post...don't have a way to load the photos from my camera to the computer here in the hotel.

More updates tomorrow...now to crash in bed!

Sam's Weekly Update

I was in Washington while I received this update...gotta love the internet and email. I love being able to see what my little man was up to this week even though I wasn't there. I miss them both so much! Luka, Sammy...Mommy will be there soon!

You may click on the images to see them larger.

Is that JJ on the red carpet?

Hey, I was just checking my email and reading an update from my friend Bianca's blog and she posted about the Generous Hearts Party and I thought I would link to the post since I never got around to writing about it. It was a fun night and we (ABIA) raised over $6,000 USD for our charities.

I really love this photo of JJ being interviewed on the "red carpet" with James. Yes, we really had a red carpet...why wouln't we...ha ha.

Click here to see Bianca's post. Thanks my friend!

And I promise to catch up on my posting upon my return to Bolivia...no more pink parties to plan and more time to blog.

First DC Update...

(me and my sis during the layover)

Well, my little sister just landed and I am anxiously awaiting her arrival. I am all dressed and ready to go. My plan for today is to go shopping at Union Station for some last minute things I need for the walk and they go for an early carb packed dinner somewhere and be in bed by 8 pm. We have a 4 am wake-up call tomorrow and need to be ready to walk at 5 am, we are going to need all of the rest we can get.

But what has happened on the trip so far...

Well, leaving La Paz was a bit of a drama. I received an email at 11 pm the night before my flight telling me it was cancelled. When I called American Airlines they said I could leave La Paz no earlier than the 25th. I nearly had a heart attack, that would mean that I miss the whole walk. This was not an option. But after hours of JJ and I on different phones trying to come up with a solution we had NO solution and I decided to trek to the airport at 4 am anyway to see what I could do.

You see the problem was that I couldn't get out of La Paz to make my connection to Miami from Santa Cruz (also in Bolivia). All flights on other airlines were booked and American was helping with these bookings. So basically you had 200+ people at the airport fighting for the few seats on two other flights with two national airlines. I was really out of luck, then suddenly my angel appeared - Patricia Viscarra.

Patricia is the daughter of one my fellow ABIA members and she was also at one of my recent PINK PARTIES so she knew all about my walk. Well, she had a reservation on a flight (she had managed to get one last night after she got a call about the flight being cancelled). She reserved the last first class seat on the flight. The problem is that she actually needed two seats. But she gave me her reservation! Alleluia!! I had a seat. So I paid $300 USD for my FIRST CLASS one way ticket to Santa Cruz with 15 minutes left before the plane took off and I rushed to the plane. I was in the such a hurry to make the flight that I just sort of forgot to check in my huge duffel bag...OOPS. I was able to gate check it and properly check it in when I arrived in Santa Cruz.

Here I am in the long flight from Santa Cruz to Miami. I can't believe I made it. You see, angels really do exist.

Then I arrived in Miami and got a wonderful surprise. I had a welcoming committee waiting for me at the airport: Mom, Dad, Maxwell and Wole's sister and nephew (in town to help Wole with the boys while Moqui is walking with me. And Monica, Wole and Evan we on their way too. We had a great birthday/family dinner at the airport. Really there is no better way to spend a 2.5 hour layover at the airport...and it was my little sister's birthday to top it all off!!

Happy Birthday Moqui. This is the first birthday we are together since I left to Mozambique in 2006. I know that Miami International Airport gets a bad wrap, sometimes well deserved, but I have wonderful memories there...this being one of them! I love MIA.

Then I literally ran to the plane to make it. I wanted to spend every last minute at Chili's...but I made it and I was able to work off my Buffalo Chicken Salad...ha ha ha.

11 pm - Made it to DC and took a cab to the hotel. Saw some TV...I love flipping through the channels late at night in the US...something always peaks your interest, right? Then I slept until 7:30 am...heaven for me...then I spoke to JJ and Luka on the phone. And Luka reminded me that I had to buy him a Halloween costume and was very intrigued about "sleeping outside." I am camping two nights during the walk. I really miss my boys, but I will be with them soon enough and as the flight attendant reminded me on the plane: Every woman needs her "Mommy FREE" time to enjoy herself.

So here I am it is 12:39 pm and Moqui is still not here...Where is she? I think I will find a phone to call her.

I will try and post an update but I am at the mercy of the free computer at the hotel and I don't have a way to upload the photos from my camera...but let's see what I can manage.

Family Picnic @ ACS

It has been one year since our first ACS Family Picnic. I can't believe one year went by to fast. It was like I blinked and Sam is walking and is his own person and Luka is 4 years old and everything that comes with that. How did that happen?

One year ago Sam was a teeny tiny baby and was content with drinking milk and being in mommy's or daddy's arms...not so much anymore. We have a nickname for him in our house "Terremoto" or "Earthquake." The boy does not sit still and oh my is he stubborn, so different from his older brother. Sam doesn't sit still. If he wants something he just gets up and goes for it. Here he is playing in the obstacle course, "Hey this is cool, I think I will stick my foot in it."

Here is Sammy with Daddy. I just wanted to show you how tall he is...well, you know how tall JJ is so it gives you a little bit of a point of reference. Sam is 16 months old and he is wearing cloths from when Luka was 2.5.

Here is another Sammy face. This is the "I know I can't do that, but I am so cute I am going to do it anyway" face.

This is his "Hey I want to do that too...who cares if they are 5 years older. I am sure I can figure it out"

At last year's picnic Luka was all smiles, but nowadays Luka gets very sour when he doesn't get his way. This is his "No, I don't want to leave the inflatbles to eat lunch. Seriously mom, I am not going anywhere so forget it" face. But the good news is that this Luka only last 3 minutes then it is back to the lovable and hilarious Luka. Don't you love his "Hello My Name Is" name tag.

This morning on when we were getting ready for the picnic he said, "Mommy I love you to the Sun and back because there is no moon out right now." What a smart little boy!

He asked us to get his face painted...he went for the zebra makeup.

It was a hectic day, but the boys had fun and we managed to mingle a little as well. You can all all the photos from the picnic here.

You've Got Mail

Wondering what we are up to? There is a new feature on the blog...you can sign up for email updates. Just look on the right hand side of the screen and you can subscribe to email updates and receive the posts as they are posted.

The PINK Party

It was a night full of PINK surprises at Destapa restaurant in San Miguel. The owners went all out and had the place decked out in PINK. There wasn't a detail they didn't think of...pink drinks, pink straws, pink napkin rings and the pink menu was delicious. Here is a photo of the pink drink menu...those were really yummy!

We raised about $800 USD and half the money went to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the other half went to a local charity - La Fundacion Contra el Cancer de Bolivia. Actually at this point my sister and I have raised what we need to raise for the walk. We have actually surpassed our goal of a combined $5,000 USD. So these $400 USD will go to the foundation, but will be earmarked for our 2012 walk in Tampa.

Even the boys got into the pink theme. Look at my handsome hubby with his pink tie & shirt.

Towards the end of the party I got to really party with JJ and all of his friends!

I would like to thank Destapa and all of the sponsors (Flor de Leche, D&M, Shocolat, Mami Love Design, Campos de Solano) for helping to make the PINK party such a big success.

To see all the photos from that night please click here.

Quick Thursday Update

(click on images to see them larger)

I apologize for my few postings, but these last month has been literally insane. Planning two events on my own has been a challenge. The first event - Breakfast with my BREASTfriends was a success and in a few hours we will have the PINK PARTY. I promise to post photos and details about it all and I also need to catch you up on all the great things our boys are doing, but all in due time. For now I will leave you with the weekly update from Sammy's daycare...I just love them!

Happy Thursday!

Oh, wait I had to share a quick conversation I had with Luka two nights ago:

Luka: Goodnight Mommy, I love you.

Me: Luka, you know what...I love you to the moon and back.

Luka: What is back?

Me: You know...(I had to think how to explain this basic concept to my 4 year old). Well, Luka this is back. Like when I say I will be back in 5 minutes or also like when I walk back to your bed after turning off the lights so I can give you a kiss.

Luka: Okay, I understand.

Me: So I love you to the moon and all the way back.

Luka: That is a long way. But mommy, you aren't going to the moon now????

Breakfast with my BREASTfriends

Thank you to everyone that attended Breakfast with my BREASTfriends at the Hotel Camino Real on September 13, 2011. The breakfast was a success and we raised $1,000 USD to FIGHT breast cancer.

Half the money will go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and my 3 Day Walk in DC in a couple of weeks and the other half went to a friend from La Paz that is currently undergoing treatment and is not covered by health insurance.

Here I am with my pink outfit, about ready to start the program!

We had a fabulous guest speaker - Dr. Veronica Alume from Argentina. She is a specialize in Radiation Oncology. Here she is informing us on prevention and so many other important issues on the disease. Vero, you made it so easy to understand everything and hopefully people will take action towards prevention.

Here I am with Bianca and Valentina. Thanks Bianca for taking all of the photos!

To see all of the photos from the event click here.

Luka is the Star Student

This week Luka was selected as the Star Student in class. What does this mean? Well we had to fill out a questionnare and send tons of photos to school and the teacher created a special bulletin board all about Luka. He was also able to do special things all week, such as take toys, dress up and share books with his classmates.

These photos were taken on the first day when Luka wanted to take Rapunzel to school and dress up like Flynn Rider. I think he did a great job of dressing up. He even asked for a messenger bag like in the movie, the only thing is that I didn't have a crown for him to put in the bag.

He had so much fun and was very proud of being the STAR STUDENT. We were also very proud that he was the first in his class to be selected.

To see all the photos from that morning click here.

Another Salty Week for Sam...

(click on the images to see them larger)

I hope you are enjoying these updates/recaps every Friday as much as I am. I get so excited when I see the email in my inbox!

This week Sam continued his exploration of salt at school...they ate hard boiled eegs, made salty edible play dough and even found time to plant their own vegetables. Very busy group of toddlers!

This week I got a little sad when I realized that Sam has grown up in a blink of an eye. Lately I have been so busy that I have been slacking with the photo taking and recording milestones. Where did my baby go? This morning he said "Hola" on the phone and he is very independent around the house now...a little too independent sometimes.

Something new he did this week is that he gets on the couch all on his own and sits next to Luka and actually will watch TV for 5 minutes...that is huge for a 15-month old. He looks super concentrated for those five minutes. Until now the TV was just a big picture frame he would ignore.

Oh and how can I forget his fascination with Rio. We recently discovered this movie in the van Herksen household and all I have to do is press play...at the first sound of Rio Sam is shaking his arms, dancing with delight. He doesn't know how to shake his booty yet, but seeing him shake and bake his upper body is very amusing. Luka on the other hand has no problem shaking all sorts of booty and doing the Samba during the opening song in the movie.

That is all for now...