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Thursday, April 01, 2010

Panama: Vacation Week!


We stumbled on a road-side rodeo. The best part is hearing Ru recount his experience there.

Under the sprinkler (Sundays only) at our favorite beach restaurant. Guanico.

Practicing letters!


Another beautiful early-morning walk in the ever-compelling Casco Viejo, Panama City.

We visited the canal in part so people wouldn't give us flack for skipping it.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Panama: Weeks 1-3



We arrive in Panama City, sick and without our luggage, but still manage to fall in love with Casco Viejo.


A swing in the hammock and a swig of beer and we're all recovered.


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Eco Venao and some day trips to nearby beaches on the weekends.



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Ruvane still hates the ocean, refuses to go anywhere near it, but has a great time swimming in rivers and tidepools.


At Casa Mango, while Noah works, Ruvane and I take walks and check out the local wildlife.





We teach Ruvane how to speak Spanish by making him put in his own requests for food. It should come as no surprise that he learned "Un helado, por favor!" very quickly.



We were also not above manipulating Ruvane to stay awake during a car ride by offering him a sickly sweet strawberry ice cream bar.. which is really just the tip of the iceberg regarding the general health quotient of food we consumed here.







As always, there is an interesting cast of fellow travelers to meet. This time, we can't help but to gravitate (and share housing with) those with kids. Let the good times/madhouse begin!





We take a boat trip with another family. Ruvane is justifiably terrified of being on the boat: the waves are huge and steep and we keep getting splashed in the face. The life jacket is way too big for him so I myself am nervous. We arrive to pristine white sands, amazing snorkeling and millions of hermit crabs.

Soon to come: week 4 - vacation week!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Related?


So after seeing the picture below, my dad dug out this one of me from about the same age. Can anyone see the resemblance?

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

New Pixels


I was gifted a wonderful new camera this year for Hanukkah - so get ready for more posts in 2010! Thanks, Noah!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Fall Moments




Scene: early morning, half-asleep, in bed with Ruvane. "Mommy, wake up now." Me, groggily: "I'm awake." Ru: "No. Wake up like this. I will show you." Ru crawls to edge of bed and sits up. "You have to sit up. And then you put your feet on the floor. You can practice. It goes like this," he stands up. I am mystified that even after 2 years of getting up early - too early - I still apparently need practice.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Autumn



...it's all about trains, leaf piles and fishin' for this dude.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

What a Feelin!


OK, Noah will probably kill me for posting this picture, but I couldn't help it. What you see here (a bare-bottomed, leg-warmed toddler) is such a quintessential scene in our lives these days. A few weeks ago, we potty trained Ru. We called on all our experiences in countries where kids wear diapers for way less time than in the US, and consulted some of our fave resources for inspiration and tips on how to proceed. We keep him bare buttsky around the house and underwear-less when he's out.
It's going great and we're so happy to be down to one diaper a day (for overnights). We even converted his diaper changing table to a plant stand! Should you find yourself near Ru after a potty success, be prepared to do a little dance (or hand over a sticker if you have one on you).

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Sideways Glance


Yesterday, Ruvane was lugging around the house Noah's new book on marketing. He says to us, "This book is gonna be a present for Bobby." Noah and I, in true parental form, gave each other a sideways glance. This glance meant we both understood: act cool but pay close attention, don't ask leading questions, and can't wait to chat with you about this later. We have been hearing about this Bobby for a couple of days now, but have no idea who or what he is. We are curious about this imaginary friend, but we are being careful to allow Ru to shares details about him (her?) at his own pace. Mostly we are curious where Ruvane came up with the name Bobby. We can't think of any Bobby - in life, books or toys - so how would he even know Bobby is a name? It was revealed, interestingly, that Bobby lives in California.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Expressions

One of my favorite things Ruvane says these days is "Let's do this!" and "How you doing?" One of my least favorite things is "Mommy, get up now. Wake up now."

Pre-Circus Drills

In preparation for his upcoming trip to the Monticello circus, we are teaching Ruvane some acrobatics

W X Y and ....?


We have been known to modify songs in order to entertain Ruvane during his recent desires to sit on the potty. He made up this version of the alphabet song all by himself.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Strawberry Fields

For this entry, we refer you to our friends' blog to see the latest footage of Ruvane and his buddy Oliver. Ru thought the unripe, green strawberries were apples.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

"Where's Ru?"

These days, he's most likely hiding.


Sunday, May 31, 2009

Walk Backwards

There are a lot of things we as parents much teach the future generation. Not sure exactly where this skill fits in, but it cracks Noah and me up every time we see it.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Happy Birthday to YOU

Ruvane is getting pretty serious about eating his cake with all these spring birthdays. He likes to sing Happy Birthday with just as much enthusiasm.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Kids' Table


The first outdoor meal of the season and the first designated table for kids only, replete with fun things like crayons, paper and fun placemats!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Design-Build Team


If you can't tell by the scope of their recent project, both of these handsome boys have the architecture gene in their patrilineage.

As a Young Man



These pictures were taken RIGHT before I decided Ruvane was a bit young for water colors!

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Sink Retrospective


I don't watch Ruvane like a hawk, and our house used to be fairly child friendly. But Ruvane has learned all sorts of tricks these days. This morning, I found him in the sink - note the running water and the soaked pants - with our toothbrushes. A far cry from the little Ruvie in the sink of October '07. But at least he's sort of close about our morning bathroom routines!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Don't Try This at Home



We are home now, and will miss the freedoms of raising a child in beachy Mexico. Ruvane got accustomed to a lifestyle that isn't sustainable here in the US (ie: riding in the car on Mom's lap on the dirt roads). We will be happy, however, to open our mouths in the shower and wash our fruit in tap water!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

New Pool and New Child Proofing Issues



Each time we move, we have to spend a few minutes removing things that are dangerous and breakable from Ruvane's investigative claws. New houses are fun for Ru, though, as there is so much to explore. Our newest house has a great pool that Ru likes to jump into repeatedly.

"Ruru Do It"



There's lots of things Ru wants to do himself these days, and we're happy to have help waxing the surf boards.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Abuelos

Our new house is not in the center of town, so no daily visits to the roosters and tractors. Luckily, Roz and Shael arrived, providing so much needed entertainment for Ruvie. They brought a kite, some books, and a fresh supply of baby-chasing energy. We took them to a surf spot, a full moon party, Rufi's for tacos, and Eden for delicious margaritas and sunsets. Save for some mosquito bites, we sent them off no worse for the wear (hopefully).