16 Days with Papa Dave

Just three hours after we returned from Buenos Aires, my dad arrived at the airport in Asuncion. He was bag-less for a few days, but eventually his suitcase arrived, too. Since he had already visited us in October - and we had done the more "tourist-y" things then - we spent a lot of time at home, chilling with Bailey, going on walks, and playing games. Here are some of the "highlights" from his trip:

Bailey and Papa spent a lot of time out in the dirt! My dad took it upon himself to be our gardener for the two weeks he was here. He raked the leaves from the dirt and swept them off the patio daily. That job has become an every-other (okay, every third or fourth) day chore since he left.

Papa also introduced Bailey to the iPhone. She absolutely LOVED scrolling through the pictures (especially her own) and giggled every time he showed her a video clip of herself.

After so much time outside without any toys, Papa "forced" us to go shopping for some outdoor essentials. We went to the store intending to get a pail with the accompanying rake and shovel accessories, but when Bailey grabbed hold of the wheelbarrow and started pushing it up and down the aisles of the store, well, Papa Dave couldn't resist!

For those of you who don't know my dad very well, he can't sit still and do nothing. Being that we were in Paraguay - NOT an exciting vacation destination - and that his morning raking and sweeping filled only a half-hour or so of the day, Papa Dave took it upon himself to clean our windows. And by "clean" I mean "take-a-knife-to-the-edges-and-scrape-off-all-the-paint-and-grime-caked-in-the-crevices". It took him two days to finish the job! (And my windows look AMAZING!)

After working so hard around the house, and after our daily (sometimes two or three times daily) walks around the neighborhood, naps were definitely in order. Papa Dave lounged in the chairs on our front porch, keeping Nala company.

Papa also had the chance to spend two whole days babysitting Bailey. And by "whole days" I mean from 7am when she got up until after 4pm when Brandon or I got home. The last Thursday and Friday he was here, we both had staff development at school and were in meetings all day long. I know he was blessed by the time spent with Bailey and I was at peace knowing she was in good hands.

Love you, Daddy!

Whirlwind Month...

Phew! This month has been CRAZY busy and I've tried to capture it all for you. There are nine (yes, NINE) blog posts that I've put up in the last few days that chronicle our move into a(nother) new house, Bert and Diana's visit to Paraguay, our trip to Buenos Aires and a little construction project at the house. Here's a master list of the updates:

• New House
• 
  
• Visit with Abue and Grandpa
• 
  
• Buenos Aires - Food
• 
  
• Buenos Aires - Zoo
• 
  
• Buenos Aires - La Ventana
• 
  
• Buenos Aires - La Boca
• 
  
• Buenos Aires - Architecture
• 
  
• Buenos Aires - El Conquistador
• 
  
• Construction
• 
  
• Happy reading! :)

Construction

When we first looked at the house that we have now moved into, there was a spot in the kitchen that was “missing” some bottom cabinets. We were told that the landlord’s soon-to-be wife (whose furniture would be furnishing the house when she moved in with said landlord) would be bringing her washer over and it would be housed in that little spot. She didn’t have a dryer, but one of the families leaving Paraguay this year was selling theirs so we bought it.

Easy. Too easy.

Come moving day, I stumbled into the knowledge that the washer would be coming to the house, but it wasn’t going in the kitchen. You see, the washer is a top-loading washer and they laid a countertop over the entire length of the wall, covering the space reserved for the machine (come to find out, too, that the plumbing wasn’t done right, either, so even if the counter wasn’t an issue, the lack of a drain for the water would have been). So now we have a washer and dryer with no hook-ups and family coming in two days. Family that we promised we would be able to do laundry for so that they could pack light.

Trying not to freak out.

One of our friends that helped us move that day also works as a maintenance guy at Brandon’s old/Stacy’s new school. He volunteered for the job of creating a laundry space for me outside and we jumped at the opportunity.

Brandon (left) digging a hole to tap into the existing water supply to run water for the washing machine.

The PVC pipe running back to where the washer/dryer will be housed.

Over the course of two Saturdays, Ruben and Rosalino came to the house to work on our project. Brandon helped when he could while I fed the boys and kept the coffee coming. The first week they ran plumbing for the washer and re-wired a few things so that both the washer and dryer could be plugged in. I’m still not sure that their electrical work would pass a state-side inspection, but it works.

"Before" picture

This last Saturday, they came and built an overhang to protect the washer and dryer from the elements and laid cement for the machines to sit upon.

Rosalino painting the overhang and Ruben preparing to lay cement.

Finished product!

(they even moved the light so that it would be right above the washer/dryer)

I can’t describe how grateful I am to these two men and the time that they spent to make me my laundry “room”. THANK YOU!

Buenos Aires - Food

Going into the vacation, Brandon was set up to have high expectations for the food in Argentina. Numerous people had told him how great all the food was and he of course was excited But alas, his hopes were met with disappointment as we struck out night after night, eating mediocre meals (pricey mediocre meals).

As long as Bailey had her sippy cup and snacks, she didn't seem to care much about anything else!

Breakfast was always at the hotel and was a typical continental breakfast spread: coffee, breads, fruit, scrambled eggs, juices and yogurt. It was a perfect start to each day. But lunches and dinners caused us some worry. Part of me thinks we were trying to hard to find good food, asking all the workers at the hotel and cab drivers where to go. We might have been better off to just wander the streets and stumble upon a corner bakery. But that’s just my theory.

Our search for good food led us down dark and dangerous streets. Literally. On our way out to La Boca, we asked out cab driver where a good place for dinner was. He gave us the name and vague directions (back that way a few blocks and then to the right). After spending the afternoon in La Boca, we started asking around about the restaurant. After all, the way the cab driver talked about it, it was a tourist hot-spot featuring food from all over South America. A few people didn’t know what we were talking about and one woman looked at us and said it was too dangerous to go that way at night. We persisted and eventually made it to the front stoop of the restaurant.

Alas, it was a sketchy neighborhood, especially as the sun set and the scattered streetlights flickered off and on, and the restaurant was closed. They didn’t open for dinner until 8. It was 6. Bailey goes to bed at 8:30. Thankfully there were some workers in the restaurant who were gracious enough to call us a taxi to take us back to our hotel. Strike one.

Pre-dinner smiles; excited to try the spread in front of us!

The worst meal, by far, had to be at a place called “El Gaucho.” It looked nice from the outside, had meat grilling over an open fire in the front window and was crowded, despite the pricey menu. We thought we had a winner. We ordered a parrilla for 4, which looked great.

Looks good, hu?

Looked being the key word. The only meat that was edible was the chicken (which wasn’t half-bad). And we would have been completely lost if not for the French fries and bread served on the side. Strike two.

Brandon flashing a thumbs-up in hopes that we found a winner!

Our last night in Buenos Aires, Brandon was determined to find something good. We ventured out on the recommendation of one of the guys working the reception desk at the hotel to a restaurant called Puerto Cristal. All I can say is: finally. It wasn’t over-the-top amazing, but compared to what we had experienced thus far on the trip, we were delighted to have finally found a restaurant where we enjoyed the food.

YEAH! Good food!

Buenos Aires - Zoo

If Bailey could talk, I’m sure she would say that this was the best part of the trip. She walked nearly the entire time we were in the zoo, scrambling from one area to the next, talking to and waving at the various animals.

Family shot just inside the entrance.

Not afraid to get up close and personal.

Bailey and Mommy with the elephants.

Checking out the bears with Abue and Daddy.

Reaching out to pet the animals (after ripping her hat off her head).

Leading Grandpa and Abue around the park.

Checking the map before we left to make sure we didn't miss anything.

Buenos Aires - La Ventana

The second night in Buenos Aires, Brandon and I snuck away, leaving Bailey with Abue and Grandpa while we enjoyed a tango dinner show at La Ventana. The music was 100% live and featured an accordion choir. There was also a guitar/drum group that played more native music. In addition to the beautiful tango dancers, there were also singers and a man who “danced” with ropes in each hand, ropes that had weights on the ends that he swung around rhythmically, in perfect coordination with the drumbeat. We weren’t allowed to take pictures during the show, but here are a few from dinner before the curtain rose.

The view from the street

The banquet room/stage before the show began.

Anyone surprised with Brandon's goofy face?

Awwwe, so cute! :)

Buenos Aires - La Boca

This part of town was a favorite for both Brandon and me. It was filled with sidewalk café’s and had a bohemian feel to it. The people were warm and friendly and the artwork was colorful and quirky. There’s also a futbol stadium that is home to the La Boca Juniors.

The walls were all painted in bright colors.

A fun metal statue just out on the street.

Brandon and Bailey taking in the artwork.

The "caminito" section of La Boca.

Futbol stadium from a distance.

Family shot next to a crazy blue horse.

Abue, Brandon and Bailey in La Boca.

Buenos Aires - Architecture

The buildings in Buenos Aires have been immaculately maintained, and the city is filled with plazas that host a myriad of statues paying tribute to various historical figures. Here are just a few pictures to give you an idea of what the city looks like:

Buenos Aires - El Conquistador

This is what a hotel ought to be like. It was simply wonderful to walk into a hotel and feel like you were back vacationing in the states. Granted, the towels were uncharacteristically thin and the workers all spoke Spanish, but there was a bathtub, we could flush toilet paper, and the rooms were cleaned daily while we were there. It’s the little things that can make a vacation.

A real bath (not in an oversized bowl from the grocery store)!

View of the hotel from the street (our room's window is right next to the "s" in conquistador)

Bailey – of course – shared our room, but we were able to finagle the pack-and-play to fit between the curtain and it’s lining so that the sun was blocked from the window and she couldn’t see into the room either. It made naptimes go much more smoothly as we were still able to move (quietly) around the room without disturbing her.

The first night we were there, it was WAY past Bailey’s bedtime, but we still hadn’t eaten dinner. I volunteered to stay in the room with Bailey while they went to eat. I told Brandon that I wasn’t all that hungry; I’ll just take a nice long bath and go to bed without anything more to eat. Well, he wouldn’t have that, so he ordered something for me to eat from the bar/restaurant downstairs. When the server arrived with my tray, I was flabbergasted. What part of “I’m not that hungry” didn’t he get? :)

Every morning the hotel offered a continental buffet breakfast and one of the waiters was especially helpful with Bailey. Once he learned her name, Aldo couldn’t get enough of her, bringing her a high chair, getting water for her sippy cup, bringing a plate of peaches from the back once we’d eaten all the ones out of the fruit salad on the buffet line. Thanks, Aldo!