FAQ'S

We are so fortunate to have so many friends and family checking on us during this time of transition. Most everyone has the same questions, so I thought I would do a Frequently Asked Questions posting.

Are you there yet? Yes, we arrived about 10 days ago after being on home leave for a very long time!

How was the plane ride down there (especially the landing) and how long did it take to get there? It is about a 2 1/2 hour flight to Miami and then another 2 hours to Tegucigalpa (aka Tegu). Matt was nice enough to give his first class upgrade to Cole and me. I thought that was a great idea until I remembered that the plane that crashed on landing into Tegu, the people most injured were those at the front of the plane. Thanks Matt!!!! It was worth putting my life on the line for a first class trip. Cole did great up front with me, the only problem is he is so happy and LOUD!!! He didn't cry, he just made a lot of noise until he fell asleep. It was a good flight, short!

How are you doing? I am doing good so far. It is just tough without a car and being stuck in the house so much and not having our stuff. Once we have those things and I have a routine I think it will be fine. There as SO many american products, it is unbelievable. I also get the networks out of Denver, so I have the Today Show in the mornings and Oprah at 4:00! Not that I get to watch it too often, but it is there. Once Sept. comes and all the new seasons of the shows start, I will be good to go! The american products and good television really help!

Is everyone healthy? Yes, everyone is doing great. Reid is still on meds and will be until the end of the week. He is on a pretty strong steriod and the dosage is tapering off. We hope he continues to feel good after the meds. But, in the meantime the medication has increased his appetite. This is a kid who eats like a bird and now we can't keep him full. I am scared for my future when I have 3 teenage boys and trying to keep them fed.

How was the swim party? I mentioned to some of you that we had a swim party at the ambassador's house the day after we arrived. It was nice to meet some other families. The grounds are open to us to go and use whenever we want. It is very common for several families to go and hang out while the kids swim. It is like having you own private country club.

How is Matt's job? Matt is doing fine, he is still trying to find his way and figure out what he needs to be doing. But so far, so good!

How is school going for the boys? School is going good for the both of them. There are only 12 kids in Reid's first grade class and he seems to of already made friends. Graham is happy in his class. He has a teacher from the states with her master's in early education. The 3 and 4 year olds are mixed, which isn't a problem yet. But next year when he has to stay in the class while his 4 year old friends move on will be a problem then. I knew this was going to happen with him playing with the older kids and then hard when we hold him back. He will have the same teacher next year as well, not sure if that is good or bad. I should have gone with my gut and sent him to a local preschool for this year and then moved him to his school the following year. But it was so easy to just let him start with Reid at the same school. They both ride the busy together in the morning, otherwise I don't know how I would have gotten Graham to a different preschool. At their school now they don't wear uniforms, boy do I miss the uniform thing!!!!!!

Is Cole walking yet? No, he is 15 months and still not walking. He can stand alone forever, he can stand up from sitting down without holding on to anything, but he won't take any steps. Surely, we are getting close.

Have you been in touch with the necklace lady (my friend Ligia who moved here from BA and she makes necklaces)? Yes, my friend Ligia arrived about 2 weeks before we did. She had us over to her house for an asado (argentine BBQ). It was really nice and really strange being with her in this country. She lives less than 5 minutes from me.

What is your house like? We have a really nice house just the right size for our family. The hardest part is the backyard is down a level, so we can't just open the back door and let them run out and play. They could, but we can't really see them. We have one small bedroom downstairs and the other 3 bedrooms are upstairs. The bedrooms are HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!! One of the bedrooms is for the boys and the other one is going to be a playroom. Tonight Cole is being moved downstairs (alone) in the small bedroom. Otherwise his crib was lost in that huge room, and we need a playroom. The maid's room is outside, that is too bad. We have a large living room off of our bedroom, it is not a family room because you would go through our room to get to it. We need more furniture!!!!! Off of the dining room is a beautiful covered patio and the embassy provides really nice patio furniture, so that will be nice. Down one level (with beautiful stairs leading down) where the yard is, is another covered patio. It is really nice down there. Our yard is pretty, but small. We are hoping that our trampoline or swing set will fit in the yard, but there's no way both will work. A problem we are having now is that we don't have bathtubs! Reid and Graham have been taking showers and that is getting old! Cole has a small blow up tub I borrowed and I have his tub coming. But at the rate he is growing he won't fit in there too much longer. Matt had a meeting today to discuss ways we could get a bathtub installed. The owner already denied the request. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the embassy will pay for it.

Do other embassy families live near you? Yes, everyone and everything is about 5 to 15 minutes away. There are no real neighborhoods so no one in really in the same spot.

Did you hire a maid? Yes, we had hired a housekeeper/maid before we arrived from another family leaving post. We like her. She works from 8-6 everyday. We are in the process of trying out another young girl who will help me with the kids. She will live with us. We need someone younger (way younger than me) to play, run, and keep up with the boys. Most families here have 2 maids. Hopefully she will work out.