HHE!

Some of our household effects were delivered on Friday- hooray! We have two shipments coming by boat- one from New York and one from Virginia. We received the one from NY on Friday, which was unfortunate because it had almost no toys in it, except for M's small Statue of Liberty, which he has been inexplicably asking me about for months. It was a bit (ok, a lot) embarrassing to receive so much stuff, especially when I knew that more was coming. However, once we got it upstairs and unpacked it, I wasn't as mortified, because once you took away all the packing materials and boxes that were too big for their contents, it didn't seem like that much stuff. But I couldn't help obsessing about what we must look like to our housekeeper and the guys who were unpacking us. Good incentive to keep reducing our belongings.

This isn't all ours! We had 2 of these crates plus a little one you can't see.

We definitely packed things we don't need- a lot of storage solutions like plastic drawers and shelving. Now that we have sufficient closets and shelving, all of that is superfluous.

We were happy to see our linens, the kids' little bookcase, and our rocking chair. We don't use it that much now that my babies are big, but it fits nicely in our bedroom and will go to a happy home whenever we decide it's time. We are glad to see our artwork, though it doesn't match this furniture at all and definitely doesn't fit all the space in this huge apartment. It will be fun to buy new pieces of art as we travel the world.

Yesterday we went to the beach with a number of friends. It was our first day trip, and it was lovely. We went to a small beach club where you can sit all day, as long as you eat lunch there. They have beds with thatched roofs or cloth covers- including a few that are in the water! Whenever we go somewhere with a pool, M doesn't want anything to do with the beach, but this time, he enjoyed swimming in the salty water and L really had fun playing in the sand. The water is so gentle and shallow that she could run in and out filling up her buckets. It took about an hour to get there, but we ran into some traffic. Looking forward to next time.

Jardin Botanico

We recently spent a lovely and hot morning at the Botanical Garden in Santo Domingo. It is enormous and we were glad we chose to take the 30 minute train ride around the garden. The breeze felt great and we enjoyed the Japanese garden, which we would have missed otherwise. The train stops for about 10 minutes to let you get off and walk through the garden. Afterwards, we enjoyed some ice cream- lovely outing!

Remembering 9/11

On 9/11/01, I was living in NYC, attending grad school in public health at the northern tip of Manhattan. My friend called to tell me to turn on the TV after the first tower was hit. We had no idea what was going on - there was no footage from lower Manhattan for a while, I don't know how long. And then, when there was, it looked like a nuclear wasteland. Just white smoke and paper fragments.

From my window on the 23rd floor of a Washington Heights apartment building, some 13 miles away, I could see the towers burning. My grad school friends and I tried to donate blood, but were turned away- no need.

At first, I couldn't cry. I must have been in shock. A few days later, I think, I was at the Javets center as a volunteer Spanish translator for the Red Cross. My first few clients were people who had been affected economically, by losing their jobs or their customer base, and were seeking financial help. But then I was asked to translate as the U.S. flag was given to a Ecuadorian family whose husband/father had died in Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the north tower. This man had a 15year old son who was furious. I could barely get out the words without falling to pieces. That night, I went home and cried for hours.

The next day, I visited Union Square. I was astonished at the outpouring of love and community evident all around me. There was an enormous circle of candles and flowers, with volunteers continuously lighting the candles that blew out. I remember the twin towers depicted in roses, donated by South Africa, if I remember correctly. And the signs, oh, the signs. Grieving families and friends had hung up thousands of signs with pictures and information about their loved ones. The fire stations were swallowed in flowers and cards as well. It was heartbreaking.  It was also strengthening, to watch the city come together.

I remember you, NYC. I miss you from afar. I will never forget being there with you on that day.

Tonight I grieve for the families who lost their loved ones that day, in NYC, Washington, DC, and near Shanksville, PA.

Settling in

We seem to be settling into Santo Domingo nicely. Last week, our car arrived - 3 weeks since arrival and 4 weeks since shipment. Everyone tells me that was pretty quick, but boy, did it feel like a long time. Driving out of the Embassy compound in 'Little Grey' (she was named by M) was seriously the best feeling ever. I never appreciated the posts about cars arriving until I too was in the same shoes. We were spending at least $20/day on taxis and were constantly worried about the kids' safety in the crazy SD traffic. It was always a toss up as to whether the taxi would have seatbelts or not. For some reason, we waited until about 2 weeks in to call a driver someone had recommended who speaks English and drives a well-equipped Toyota Sienna minivan. He was only slightly more expensive than the going rate and I wish we had used him from the start.

We spent a lovely long weekend in Bayahibe, a resort area about 2-2.5 hours from our home. There were 3 other new embassy families and 3 families who are leaving within a few mos. We stayed at an all-inclusive hotel that is modest, but charming and lush. As we walked to our room for the first time, L asked "is this the rainforest, Mama?" We spent most of the weekend sitting in the middle of the pool, chatting with new and old friends, while trying to keep an eye on our kids who were roaming free in the huge shallow section. Everytime I looked for M, I saw his feet or bottom, as he spent the entire time diving underwater. I am so proud of how far he has come with his swimming in such a short time!

The beach looked a little battered by the storm, but was delightful nonetheless. And you know the best part? $300 for all 4 of us, including food/drinks, for the whole weekend. Definitely the cheapest family vacation we've ever had. I am already wondering how the next post will possibly live up.

Yesterday, our air freight arrived! It took 5 weeks to arrive - a little longer than I expected, but we managed. So far, the only thing I wish I had packed was my guest room sheets/blankets/pillows. We brought our own pillows in our luggage, and lots of towels in UAB, but for some reason, I did not put guest bedding in there. We're expecting a Peace Corps volunteer guest this weekend and the good news is that she'll be happy with anything, but I'd like to pamper her a little.

The kids are so happy to see their toys. Apparently, L didn't look up from her things for hours, except to ask Daddy to open something. We mailed ourselves a package of toys/treats/books before we left, and I think next time I'll include a few games, too. Once they have played w/ all the toys we brought in our luggage, a game can be stimulating and played repeatedly.

M is still doing well in school. We hope to get L registered within a week- we've been having trouble deciding. I'm hoping once we do that, D can start regular Spanish classes. He's been really wonderful and I know it has not been easy. I would like him to be able to claim his own time.

That's enough from me for now.