Wrapping it up

When I started this blog back in early 2011, we had just moved to Santiago.  I began writing it as a way to document our family's experiences as expats.  I wanted a record, a diary if you must, for our girls to be able to look back on.  Being as they were so little when we moved (and still are), I knew that they would not remember much of their lives in Santiago and I wanted them to have documentation of their years living below the equator.  I wanted them to have first hand accounts, written in the moment, and not told from faulty memories years down the road.  I wanted them to have pictures of what their everyday lives were like and the adventures we went on.  I wanted them to be able to re-live their extraordinary travel experiences.  I did it for them.  I also did it for me.

But, as I mentioned in a previous post, we have come full circle.  After 3 years here in Chile we are off on a new adventure.  One that does not involve living in Latin America, one that does not involve speaking Spanglish.  And I have made the decision that this is the natural place to end this blog.  This is the final post.

But do not fret.  I have not given up blogging.  I just have to start anew. You can now find me over at

Bohemian Rhapsodizing 

Get it?  We now live in Bohemia. Rhapsodizing is to "express oneself in an immoderately enthusiastic manner".   Exactly what I will be doing.  OK, I also thought it was a great play on the famous Queen song...

Thanks for reading Spanglish Accent for these past three years. I would like to say that without you readers it wouldn't have been possible but that isn't true.  I still would have written it, but it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.  That is the truth.  I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and living it.

Here is to continuing to follow wherever life takes us...



"I see my path, but I do not know where it leads.  Not knowing where I am going is what inspires me to travel it."  - Rosalia de Castro

Déjà Vu all Over Again

Our house keys have been turned in.  Our worldly belongings packed tightly into shipping containers, awaiting their voyage across the ocean.  We have said goodbye, or see you soon, to friends that we have known for far too little time.  And we are, once again, living in hotel's for the foreseeable future.  It is exactly what we did three years ago on our way out of California and into this Spanglish life.

We have come full circle.  Sometimes, it seems that nothing has changed.  And yet, everything has.

Three years ago we were staring into a future that was full of anticipation and promise. Our lives were yet to be shaped by all that would happen in the future.  A future that now is our past.  It was our first time living out of the U.S. as a family and we were excited, though a bit apprehensive.  Everything was so new - the language, the rhythm of this huge city, the very streets we walked each day trying to get accustomed.  Each corner turned brought us face to face with the fact that we were strangers in a strange land.  Slowly, but surely things started to become familiar.  I could find my way to Plaza Peru and back again without getting lost.  I could take the girls to the corner Starbucks and order coffee in Spanish (though I couldn't answer or understand if they veered off script).  I couldn't wait until we left the hotel on that last Friday.  Not because I didn't like the hotel, but because I had been living in one hotel or another, and out of suitcases, for 8 weeks by then.  I just wanted normal life to start again.

And for the next three years life was as normal as it can be when you live 6000 miles away from family and friends.  In a country you had never set foot in until you were already in the process of getting a Visa to live there.  Life had handed us an opportunity to explore the new, the old and the amazing.  And for three years we took advantage of it.  We gave our girls extraordinary experiences that I hope they are grateful for.  I know I forever will be.  But life was also very normal.  The girls went to school, they went on play-dates and we all made friends.  We had barbecues, and dinners out and saw a ton of movies.  Perfectly, exceptionally normal.

But we knew it was only a matter of time before it would all change.  That is the nature of the work B does.  So, last week we moved back into the very same hotel we stayed at when we first arrived wide eyed and full of "we-got-this" attitude.  I am, in fact, sitting at the same desk where I created this blog.  I remember setting up camp right here, designing and shaping this blog.  Hoping that somehow I would find the words to adequately express my thoughts.  Last week I started doing the same thing, in the same place,  for the next chapter in our lives.

Full circle, indeed.

The streets I walk down now are very familiar.  Known.  Though now I walk them knowing that each step I take takes me a bit farther away from Santiago and a bit closer to Prague.  I am no longer a new resident of this great country; I am merely another tourist soaking it all in the rest of my time here.  I now walk these streets, not dreaming of what life will be like in South America, but thinking of a future in yet another country, on another continent.  Fittingly, we will again be moving 6000 miles away.

Full circle.

I am ready to go.  Not because I don't like the hotel or I have been in Santiago for too long, but because it is time.  I have made my peace with leaving Chile and I am ready to begin the next chapter.  I am excited and apprehensive about a future that will shape our lives into something new once again.  We are once again full of "we-got-this" attitude.

We have come full circle.  Sometimes it seems nothing has changed.  And yet, everything has.

 

Why I Elf on A Shelf

The ubiquitous ELF.  You know the one, he shows up some time between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and watches your every move.  And magically this elf flies back to the North Pole each night to report if the family (usually the littles) have been naughty or nice.  If you know nothing of the Elf, read here because you need to be caught up to read the rest of this post.

The whole phenomenon started about 8 years ago and has been growing in popularity ever since.  What started as simply placing the elf each night and having it watch from one spot all day, and then moving it again to the next spot, has now evolved into placing the mischievous elf (and they all seem to be very mischievous) into ever increasingly elaborate scenarios and then posting fun pictures of the elf online.  And this is what has the internet up in arms.

There is a huge, and growing, backlash against the elf.  Some take the stance that by creating elaborate scenes for the elf and then posting the pictures online that we are engaging in the Mommy Wars a la "look what I do, and better than you" type. Some say that the elf is just creepy and actually psychologically damaging to children (article).  Some wish they had the time to keep up with the elf, some choose not to do it for religious reasons and some just say bah humbug to everything during the season.  To each his own.  But after reading the above article that told me that I was only doing this to be able to Facebrag about it, that I am damaging my children with "developmentally inappropriate" traditions and worst of all, that I am perpetuating the Mommy Wars by participating, I had to respond.

Yes, we choose to elf  (yep, a new verb).

We started the tradition last year because up until then the girls were just too young to appreciate the elf.  And yep, dare I say it, the time and effort that goes into it.  Because I knew if I was going to elf, I was going to ELF!  I was going to make sure that the girls really got into it because why else bother?  I knew that once I started there was no going back.  I knew that for 24 days (our elf shows up on December 1) I was going to have one more thing to do each and every day.  I went into it with my eyes wide open, my Pinterest account at my fingertips and a plan.

Yes, a plan.  I have to have one or it all would fall apart about day 3.  Sometime in about mid-October, I start looking for ideas, thinking of scenarios and keeping a list.  I write them down in my free time and some time in late November I put together all 24 days of Fidget (our elf).  I keep in mind where we are going to be because, being expats, we usually travel back to the U.S. this time of year, and I make sure that the visits away from home require less paraphernalia.  If any of my scenarios need props (which few of them do) I make sure they are ready and handy.  See, I don't want to spend a lot of time each night on this.  I am just as tired as any other mommy by day's end and the last thing I want to do is elf at night.  (That almost sounds naughty and like a whole other post).  I make sure I am prepared and ready.  Nothing I have on my list takes more than 5 minutes to set up and snap a picture of...

This was the list I made in November -

And I have stuck to it.

But I still haven't told you why I Elf on a Shelf...

Why, when I have so little free time each day do I take even 5 minutes out and stage a doll?  Why add one more thing to do in an already hectic season? Why do I do it?

• I do it because there is such a short time that my children will believe in the magic of Christmas.  And there is a magic to Christmas.  There is a magic to a fat man in a suit that flies all around the world guided by flying reindeer and delivers presents that a small army of elves have helped him make.  The longer I can keep their faith in this, perhaps the easier it will be to shape their faith in other things.
• I do it because the joy in their voices, the smiles on their faces and happiness in their hearts is palpable when they see Fidget.
• I do it because their joy is my joy.
• I do it because they live far, far, far away from family and we don't celebrate the holidays in our own home most years.  Fidget is the one thing that follows them as they are uprooted during the holidays.  It gives them just a little bit of reassurance that if Fidget can find them each day, no matter where they happen to wake up, then the big guy won't forget them on Christmas Eve either.  
• I share the adventures of Fidget on Facebook and Instagram, not to show that I am Mom of the Year, but because my family is so far away.  They do not get to see the girls on a daily basis or even talk to them all of the time.  By hitting send on an Instagram photo and attaching it to facebook, I can reach them all in one fell swoop.  Yep, I could put it on my private photo site, but that then that would require everyone to check it.  That is a lot to ask of my 88 year old grandfather...(and yes, he is on facebook).  It lets them share in a little bit of the magic.
• I do it because it takes me back to a time of my own innocence.  An innocence that I get to see in them each and every day when Fidget is here.
• I do it because I am still a kid at heart and believe in the magic and wonder of the season.  
• I do it because I like to be creative and I like sharing that with my kids.
• I do it because in this crazy expat life we live at least one thing is constant.  Each and every year, on December 1, Fidget shows up, pulling her pranks and moving around the house.  And, just to clarify, we have never told the kids she watches to see if they are bad or good.  We have never used her as our eyes and ears to Santa.  We do not use her to "shape up" their behavior.  She is their friend.  One who makes messes they can't and doesn't get in trouble.  One who gets to play at night and do nothing all day.  A friend that they talk to when they think I am not watching.  I grew up with a Santa that watched me sleep (which does seem a bit creepy) but there are more kids in the world now and Santa sometimes needs some help - don't we all?
• I do it because I hope that it creates memories.  And stories.  And a bond that we can talk about when we are planning what their kids elves will do some day...
• But most of all I do it because I love it.  And because they love it.  Isn't that what it all comes down to in life - doing what you love?  What brings joy to you and your family?  

If you choose not to elf - I respect that.  But I also ask that you respect my right to elf.

Now, on to what Fidget has been up to at our house...

December 1 - Sunbathing since we were at the beach.

 

December 2 - Getting her photocopy on...

December 3 - A photo shoot with her  Lego pal, but what for?

December 4 - Ah, what all of those pictures were for!

December 5 - St. Nick (a day early) and a Gingerbread train.

December 6 - getting all caught up in her own antics!

December 7 - Getting caught red handed taking money from the piggy bank.

 

December 8 - She built a DVD house.

December 9 - She set up a salon and painted some nails.

December 10 - Playing with Dominoes.

December 11 - Circling her wish list of toys from the catalog.

December 12 - Playing with markers.  On the eggs.  In the fridge.

December 13 - She Elf-napped their school clothes and left them these outfits instead!

A Visit with Santa

It is that time of year.  Time to scare the daylights out of Stinkerbell by taking her to see the big, jolly man in the red suit.  I'm kidding...I think.  The girls have been begging to go see Santa for the past 2 weeks and we finally had a free day on Saturday to do it.  This year, MadHatter wanted to go to the mall by our house since she had seen that Santa had built a WHOLE HOUSE in the middle.  She loved last years snow globe but this was totally new and unexpected.  She said she wanted a peek into how Santa lived.  And a peek she got...

Waiting to see Santa

Peeking to see if they could maybe catch a glimpse of the big guy.

Still not so sure of him, but at least she isn't crying.

(anyone else notice that his pants are too short?)

From above.  We were escorted upstairs to Santa's private quarters to see how he lives.

Santa's version of a play room.

His bedroom.

Where he makes out his naughty and nice list...

Saying goodbye to the elves!

The girls loved it.  And Stinkerbell didn't cry!!!  It's all about the 3 M's this time of year.  Magic, Milestones and Memories!  Ane we nailed them all!  I truly hope that this isn't the last year of MadHatter's believing.  I'm just not ready for that yet...

School is in Session

 Finally.  The day was upon us.  

We woke early (oh, did we wake early) after a restless night of sleep.  Hers, not mine.  Well, mine too but only because of her.  I would have slept like the dead otherwise.

One of us was bright eyed and eager.  The other sleepy eyed and yearning for coffee.  I will let you guess which one of us was which.

We rushed through getting dressed and brushing our teeth.   We found our shoes and put them on in record time. We even wanted to skip breakfast and just go.  "Nothing doing", said I.  So she ate about 2 bites of her waffle and a grabbed a cereal bar to go.  

"Is it time to go, Mama?  Is it time now?"

"Yep.  But first I need one simple picture"

Eyes rolled but she knows she isn't getting out of this one.  So she went around turning on all of the lights in the front hall before sitting down on the steps, held up her sign and smiled patiently.  I clicked a few and decided it's not going to work very well.  Even with all of the lights on it was still pitch black outside and that means so is my front hall.  Grainy and oddly shadowed is all I was going to get so I give up.

We left the house at 7 a.m. (about 45 minutes before school starts) so that we did't get caught in the drop off crush.  We still did.  Thank goodness for the bus...Normally she would be catching the school bus right outside our front door. It is super convenient but also super early.  And for the first day (or week, I haven't decided) I wanted to be there to show her where things are and how to get from place to place.  

Yep, that says 6:57 is her pick-up time. Ouch!

We parked out in left field.  Literally.  We had to park on the baseball diamond since there were so many parents staying and walking their kids in the first day.  She hopped out before I could even unbuckle my seat belt.  I walked around and handed her the brand new backpack she picked out.  And she hoisted it up onto her shoulders like she has done this everyday of her life.  

And we began our trek.  And it was a trek.

Nido de Aguilas is a campus not just a school.  It is larger than some community college campuses in fact.  And the building that houses MadHatter's classroom happens to be located up the stairs, across a bridge and on the far side from where we were parked.  

You can see her building over her left shoulder.  

We searched for K2B together.  She found it first and then smiled in delight when she saw her name was written on the door.

And this is where she stops smiling and becomes a bit worried.  She gets inside and clings so tightly to my left arm that I am afraid the blood flow to my fingers is going to stop.  She hides her head behind my arm but peeks out every once in a while to see who else has come in the room.  She is curious, but apprehensive.  This is all new to her and as excited as she was at the prospect of Kindergarten, she is a less sure of the reality.

So, I stay for a minute.  Or twenty.

I help her pick out her cubby and then put her backpack inside. 

We pick out a cubby tag and write her name on it.

We draw a picture on the front of our new journal that Miss Andrea has given us for the year. 

And we read a story.

And now it is time for me to leave.  The school day has begun and the kids are all lining up at the circle.  The other parents are saying goodbye too.  But MadHatter wants just one more hug.  

And another.

And another.

Finally, I pry myself away and leave her holding Miss Raewyns hand with tears silently leaking out of her eyes.  I leave quickly and never look back or I am going to end up with tears not so silently leaking out of mine.

The day is long (for her).  Stinkerbell already misses her sister and can't understand why she is not home when I pick her up after pre-school.  She keeps asking when we are going to go get MadHatter.  

"Now Mama.  Is it time now?"

Finally, 2:00 rolls around and we head back into the chaos that is Santiago driving during afternoon pick up.  Stinkerbell is so excited to be able to go "The Nido" to pick up her sister.  

And she makes herself at home when we get to MadHatter's class by just walking in, sitting down at one of the tables and grabbing a pink pencil to draw a picture.  She sits right next to her sister.  Who has no trace of tears but only a huge smile on her face.

When I ask, "What did you do today, Mad?" she just smiles, gives a slight shake of her head and says, "It's a secret"

That's right.  I didn't get a single detail out of her about how her day was or what they did for all of that time.  She told me she would tell me tomorrow but for today it was a secret.  She wanted to be the one to hold all of the memories for awhile without sharing. 

This doesn't bode well for the high school years...

We held hands on our walk out of school.  All three of us.  MadHatter saying hi to various new friends and teachers.  Telling them about her accomplishment on the monkey bars (she finally learned to do it hand over hand all the way across) and laughing at their shared antics of that first day.

It was heart warming.  And a bit sad.  

MadHatter has begun her separate life.  The one that slowly, but surely, gives her more and more time away from me.  Away from home.  She is navigating a new school with changing classrooms.  She is making friends of her choosing and not just having to play with those in her class.    She is not going to be at our lunch table more than she is.  She has memories, and moments, and stories that I will only hear second hand.  If I get to hear them at all.  Until now I have been there for almost all of her moments, and memories and stories and missing them makes me a bit sad.

But only for a minute.  Because how can you be sad when she has a face like this after her day?

She loves her Nido sun hat.  Says it makes her look like a cowgirl.

We got home and I made her take one last picture.  This time it was light out so we did it outside.  She obliged and then ran off to tell her sister all about her first day.  Little stinker!

47 days

 We have been stateside for 46 days now.  We will end that streak at 47.

Tomorrow night we catch the red eye for home. And I have so much to tell you about those 47 days we spent with family and friends.  But I can't.  Not just now.  Not because I don't have the time (I don't) but I also don't have the heart.  I can't sum it all up while I feel I am still in the midst of it.  Maybe next week, when I have some distance and when I have some clarity, I will be able to start dissecting it all.  Piece by piece.  But until then...

It has been a vacation jam packed.  Full of fun, laughs, love and heartache.  We have caught up with friends, both new and old.  We have attended a wedding and a funeral.  We have laughed, we have cried and we have lived. It has been 46 days that I will never forget. 

And I promise I will tell you all about it.  But like I said before, not just now.  I don't have the energy, or the words, right now.  

So I will leave you with a Wordless Wednesday post.  

There are 46 pictures here.  Each taken with my iPhone and posted on Instagram.  Each summing up one day of our vacation.  They can't possibly tell the whole story (that is up to me in the next few posts) but they can hold you over until then.

Until then...

June 8 - Leaving, on a Jet plane...

June 9 - A Dallas welcome

June 10 -  1st swim

June 11 - 1st Lake day

June 12 - Stinkerbell learns to pedal forward!

June 13 - Taking care of business.  The dentist.

June 14 - Safari tour.

June 15 - Another pool day.  Damn.

June 16 - Homemade Pina Colada's with fresh shaved coconut.  I am never coming home.

June 17 - Second piercing in that ear...and only that ear.  The first time it was done she was only 4 months old and it was done poorly.  It had to be done.  But there were no tears, no cries and a big smile after this moment (I captured the worst of it).

June 18 - Swings!  Nana and Grampa hav the best yard ever!

June 19 - She misses her Papa!

June 20 - Rough life.

June 21 - Taking a ride in Grampa's car.  AND Happy Birthday Papa!

June 22 - Oh to be a kid again!

June 23 - Best Friends together again.

June 24 - Off to see Monsters University.

June 25 - Pool side relaxation.

June 26 - A bit of learning, without knowing it, at the Austin Children's Museum.

June 27 - Showing them what Texas BBQ is all about at Opie's.

June 28  - My baby turns 4!!!

June 29 - half of this crowd is headed home! 

June 30 - Too many reptiles and too little water.

July 1 - Our daily ritual.

July 2 - Seeing the Austin Bats take flight.

July 3 - Choices, choices.  Firework selection for tomorrow.

July 4 - Happy 4th everyone!

July 5 - 5k and BBQ!  Does it get any better?

July 6 - Spike and MadHatter on a ride.  She has waited a year for this!

July 7 - Tie Dye!

July 8 - Another house full.  This time 11 kids and 8 adults!

July 9 - Spa time!

July 10 - Contemplating the silence!

July 11 - Happy Half Birthday Baby girl!  In Buffalo!

July 12 - Papa!!!!

July 13 - Niagara Falls!!!

July 14 - Crossing over to the other side!

July 15 - All dressed an ready to remember a live well lived and a man well loved!

July 16 (maybe 17) - Happy birthday to me.

July 17 - Family pool day.

July 18 - Safari park elephant ride.

July 19 - Cheers.  Wine tasting in Niagara.

July 20 - starting our journey home.  Back to Austin we go.

July 21 - Sleepy kids.  

July 22 - Turbo...Movie 3 in 5 weeks. 

July 23 - trying something new.

July 24 - Movie night with Tio Clavo.

I will add July 25th tomorrow.  After the fact.  All it will be is a picture of a bunch of suitcases in my parents front hall.  Suitcases that are full of our things.  Things.  Not our memories.  Those we will carry with us.

Forever.