A Thanksgiving to Remember

Thanksgiving morning Adam decided to make himself some scrambled eggs for breakfast. When he went to crack the eggs he noticed there was a hole in one but figured he must have done it when he had grabbed them. About an hour later the eggs came back up and Adam had a classic case of salmonella! Nicaraguans do not refrigerate their eggs so they sit out in 90 degree weather until they are finally bought and I’ve found quite a few that are cracked since we’ve been here.

Our plan for Thanksgiving was to drive to Managua (the capital) and go to a party there some friends were having. We were going to spend the night since it’s a two hour drive and the party started in the evening. But by three o’clock in the afternoon Adam was still throwing up and feeling horrible. However I was determined to eat some turkey so I made a bed in the back of our truck for Adam to lay in, packed the girls in and off to Managua we went. I had to stop once to let Adam out so he could throw up and it was just a miserable ride for him. You might be wondering why on earth I did not just stay home and let poor Adam rest, my excuse is that I had actually gotten food poisoning a few weeks ago and felt better the next day so I assumed he was going to start feeling better in no time. Also I had not left our little town in weeks because Adam had been busy at camp and I was going a little insane being here. Knowing we were going to get out and celebrate Thanksgiving was what had kept me going for the last two weeks! I wasn’t about to give that up. 

We ended up arriving at the party late (Adam really slowed me down ;) but I did manage to get some turkey and stuffing. I had a fun time talking and Ashlyn loved playing with the kids there, I walked in holding Sydnie but after that I didn’t see her the whole time. She was passed around from person to person and I enjoyed having my hands free. We ended up spending two nights there since Adam was still so sick. Thirty hours later and still throwing up he got a shot for vomiting and nausea which made him feel better. In hindsight I should not have taken Adam, but Ashlyn and I did have a really fun time and I’m glad I went. 

Scorpion

Here is the latest creature I found in our yard, this time I opted for a machete instead of a shovel. The first swing took out his tail, the second swing cut off his pinchers and finally the third swing did the trick. They are surprisingly fast and resilient! 

This Toy will Help your Child!

I have been wanting to find a doll that Ashlyn can put in water and pretend to give a bath to. Yesterday we were out grocery shopping and I saw a little plastic “Baby and Bathtub” set. So in the shopping cart it went; it was perfect and for only two dollars!

When we got home I opened up the toy for Ashlyn to play with and got quite the surprise. I knew the toy was cheap…but I guess I didn’t realize what a cheap toy in Nicaragua was like. Not only is the doll rather creepy looking but it has a paint smudge across it’s face, the head is white and the body is brown. It came with two left shoes bigger than the dolls head and a plastic pacifier which is also the size of her head, not to mention there’s no hole in her mouth to put it in. Much to Ashlyn’s delight it’s head, arms and legs all pop off and there is even an ugly gray outfit for the doll. When I took a closer look at the packaging it read “Baby & Bathtub; This toy will help your child!” Really? That is quite the claim. Help her how? Learn to rip the limbs off dolls? That two left shoes ten times to big won’t work? 

The toy either belongs on the Island of Misfit Toys or on the next movie of “Chucky". Regardless, Ashlyn has enjoyed ripping the limbs off, giving it a bath and trying to put the shoes on. So I suppose it was worth the two dollars…

These pictures really do not do the creepiness of the doll justice.

Free Day!

It was only 8:00 am and I was already having a “challenging” morning with Ashlyn. I looked over at my little girl wiggling in her seat and knew we must get out of the house today. She was not being naughty…she was just bored! Moments later Adam appeared and randomly asked…“Would you like me to take Ashlyn today?”  Ah, my hero comes to the rescue! An hour later Ashlyn was packed up for a day at the beach with her daddy. I waved goodbye to them, walked back in the house and realized I had a day all to myself. I had forgotten how much I enjoy silence and being alone; it was rejuvenating!

What did I spend my free day doing? I cleaned! Not only did I get the normal chores done like laundry, dishes and mopping but I also did all those things on my mental “to do list” that I never get around to. That might not seem like fun, but it was to me. It was so nice to start and finish a project without interruption. By 5:00 pm I was done with everything I had wanted to do. The house was clean, Sydnie was sleeping and it felt so good! 

When Adam brought Ashlyn home she seemed happy and content. I think a whole day of playing outside and getting some undivided attention was what she needed. Adam said she had a great time sitting on the playing with rocks in the sand and running on the beach. She even brought a rock back for me. J Adam also mentioned it was the most relaxing day he’s had in a while too. I think everyone enjoyed the day; thank you Adam!! 

    Ashlyn ready to spend the day with her daddy. 

Playing in the rain

Today Ashlyn had a great time playing in a giant puddle after it rained.