On our way!

We made it! Into the car and on the road at least!

I've had almost no sleep, no food, my house is a mess and I didn't get
a shower, but we made it!

(I'm most sad about the shower)

Upcoming weather in Sámara

Yikes!  Looks like it will be hot and wet!

Even though I knew it was the rainy season when I planned the trip, all my little pictures in my head of how it will be are of sunny 75 degree days =).  I think I better start daydreaming in the hot and steamy mode.

The final hours.....and doubt!

I think we're about T minus 40 hours (what does that mean anyway? T
minus....?)

And I am officially overwhelmed, and in the crazy cycle.

What was I thinking?
This is nuts.
I can't be a single parent in a foreign country.
I don't know Spanish.
What if the kids hate it?
What if it's nothing like I pictured?
What if someone gets sick or hurt?
What if I didn't pack enough ranch dressing packets?

Yes, my craziness extends to ranch dressing.

Because....going to Costa Rica means eating a lot of salad.  Obviously.

Nope, there's no explaining the crazy cycle.  It's just where I'm at.

Sleep (lack of) and stress are the culprits.

And I might have cried today when I picked up Dane from school.

Just maybe.

So if you see me weeping in the next 40 hours, there's probably no explanation.

Except that I am trying to pack up my entire life in suitcases, and tie up all loose ends here (school, business, home, pets, plants, bills, mail, presents, ETCETERA) before we board the plane.  In T minus 39 hours.

Packing

Lucky for us American Airlines hasn't done baggage restrictions for Costa Rica.  So technically we are each allowed two 50 pound bags plus a carry-on.  That's 500 pound for our whole family.  I hope to not be anywhere close to that!

However I am bringing down quite a bit of stuff.  I have packed some new inexpensive toys and activities for our kids, things we can leave there when we are done.

I am also bringing donations for the school the kids will be attending (paper, markers, colored pencils, rulers, glue sticks, etc),

and also a bunch of craft stuff for CREAR, which is the day camp they will be attending when the school goes on break.

Lastly, I'm bringing some food supplies.  I don't know exactly what will be available to us, but I do know that any "american" products will be very expensive.  So I'm bringing down some stuff to at least get us started (don't judge all the processed foods!).  I know we will have access to tons of fresh fruit, which the kids will love.  But I wanted to bring a few familiar items from home.  We will also be celebrating 2 birthdays down there (Genevieve will be 8 on June 24th, and Zeke will be 3 on June 27th), so I want to be prepared with cake making stuff.

My biggest job right now is trying to keep my anxiety in check!  I have my To-DO list, and I am actually doing okay on it.  But I can't seem to control my anxiety.  It's going to be a busy week, and no matter how hard I try the end will be crazy I just know it.  I should just plan on an all-nighter the night before we leave.  Ugh!  I just have to keep reminding myself that this will all be worth it....  Right?

Villas Kalimba

I think the number one question people ask is where we are staying.  I spent weeks (maybe months?) researching this aspect of our trip.  It was hard finding something that had all the things I felt were important.  I wanted a kitchen (eating out with 3 kids is less than enjoyable, not to mention expensive!), a pool, a/c, wi-fi, it had to be an easy walk to the school, the beach, and town, and I preferred something with a property owner on site since I will be a single mom for a month.  Oh, and it had to fit in my budget!

I found that a lot of places will give you a really good rate for such a long stay.  Some of them were even a 40-50% discount!  After much contemplation I settled on Villas Kalimba.  It had everything I wanted. There are 5 detached villas surrounding a pool.

 We are renting a little 2 bedroom/2 bathroom villa with a small kitchen.

The only thing I am nervous about is there is no indoor living area.  The kitchen table and "living space" is on the porch.

But, who goes to Costa Rica to be inside, right? The villas are in a gated compound which adds another level security.

It is just a block from the school and the beach, and there is a small grocery store a couple doors down.  The owner has been more than helpful answering all my questions, and has even gone to the local school more than once on my behalf to enquire about the kids attending.

I'm really excited to call this place home for 6 weeks!  I'm just hoping my kids don't drive the other guests cRaZy!

Costa Rica or Bust!

The countdown is on!  We leave for Costa Rica in just over 2 weeks.  We'll be living there for 6 weeks, in the small town of Sámara, which is on the Guanacaste coast on the west side of the country.  I picked this town because it appears to be quaint, safe, and beautiful.  While there will be American & European tourists, it is a popular vacation spot for Ticos.  I have spent many months researching and making connections in Sámara.  I still feel confident this was the right choice, although only time will tell!

We will be staying in a little 2 bedroom villa with a pool, just a block from the beach.  I have gotten the okay to enroll Genevieve and Dane in the local school.  I have purchased most of what they will need for their uniforms, and will pick up the rest in Nicoya on the way.

Here is an aerial view of the town.

So proud

Can I just say how proud I am?  Last night was the Mutli Cultural Fair at the school.

Genevieve & Dane were each in a performance.  They did great!  

There was some sort of communication error in Genevieve's class and the ball got dropped for the costumes....right into my lap!  I spent the last 2 weeks making 13 skirts (with some help on the hems & sashes).

Good times! (note the sarcasm).

 And Dane.  I thought he would completely pitch a fit about having to dance.

He surprised me!

And how cute is he?????

Love them! =)

****And yes, those are his white felt shoes peeking out the bottom of his pants =)

An idea in the works

One of my biggest desires as a parent is for my kids to have a strong sense of empathy and a compassion for others.

Sometimes life gets muddled with the ordinary and mundane schedules of work, school, homework,  baseball, dinner, sleep.  When do we fit in the really important stuff in life?

My kids love going to Awanas, and I love for them to go.  They learn a lot, and it's fun. But I don't feel like we are building community there as kids come from all over town.  I also feel like we are keeping them in a bit of a Christian bubble.  Part of the reason we decided on public school is that we want to be a light in our community. We want to make connections, build community, and show Christ's love to others.

So I've had this idea floating around.  I would love to start an after school club at our elementary school.  A club based on biblical principals, but would be appealing to people from all walks of life.  A club where we teach kids how to care for others above themselves.  I envision doing service projects locally and supporting charities abroad.  I want to open their eyes to the rest of the world, as many have not seen anything beyond our little well-to-do town.

I'm picturing a mix between fundraisers and projects where we can use the money earned to help others.  Making blankets for the homeless or elderly, providing backpacks & PJ's for kids in foster care.  Raising money to dig wells in Africa, provide school supplies for the underprivileged in Oakland.  I want to expose them to different opportunities and see where their hearts lead them.  What ideas can they come up with?

I was thinking "Compassion Club" is cute.  But then I googled it and found this.   It appears that Compassion Clubs are quite popular amongst a certain crowd =(.  Maybe we can bring new meaning to the term!

I have a lot of ideas.

The question is will I make this one come to fruition?

Resourceful Mama

When I found out on Monday that Dane needed white shoes for his Kindergarten dance performance on Wednesday, what's a mama to do?

My boys don't have white shoes.  I know that some do, but my boys....lets just say they've never met a puddle that they didn't befriend.  The muddier, the better.

I'm not cheap, but I was not about to go buy white shoes that would only be worn for three 2-minute performances.

So I made these.

What are they?  They are an old pair of brown Van's that had a hole in the toe, and technically are outgrown (but he could still get his feet in, albeit a little uncomfortable).  I first tried spray painting them white.  The rubber around the bottom turned out great. But the paint wouldn't stick well to the canvas fabric.  So then I tried brushing them with house paint.  Um... they looked awful.

Ah ha,  I got it!  Felt.  I cut out and glued white felt onto the shoes.  It was kind of a sloppy job, but it worked!  And up on stage, no one is the wiser.

Sometimes I'm kind of proud of myself for my resourcefulness.  Is that bad?

I'm just gross.

It's back!  Wendy's 2nd annual DMV (Dirty MiniVan) Contest.  Although I don't have a minivan, my Chevy Tahoe is just as embarrassed.  

Let's just get right to it. 

 The view from the drivers seat.

Trader Joe's shopping bag that I always forget to bring in, random papers, Softball bucket & equipment, extra skirt, mail, bag of diapers/wipes, and a bag of baby toys I need to give away.

Passengers seat, other view

Mexican blanket (I've had for like 20 years), broken bag spilling the baby toys I need to give away.  Every time I made a hard left turn "Old MacDonald" would start playing from the tractor.

Center Console

Goofy (or is it Pluto) Pez dispenser, binky clip we haven't used in months, green container of bandaids, receipts, pencils and who knows what else.

 2nd Row behind drivers seat

 Jacket, soft-sided cooler from who knows when (or what's in it), diaper bag, extra clothes, diapers, (and let's be honest, I have no idea what all that crap is)

2nd Row, other side

another sweatshirt, and a really gross filthy carseat

3rd Row

sweatshirt, backpack, crumbs...this area actually looks clean!  Relatively speaking =)

Back trunk area

Another bag of ?  Maybe change of clothes, diapers?  Stroller, 2 camping chairs, and yes, a potty seat =) I think I should get extra points for having a toilet in my car.  Does it get any grosser? 

There you have it.  I feel more exposed than if I were posting naked pictures of myself on the internet.  

Tomorrow's the day to clean it out!

or the next day....

Test

Test

map anyone?

One of the most frustrating aspects of finding accommodations has been all the different not-to-scale maps of Samara that everybody has on their websites. Location is extremely important to me as I've decided I don't want the expense of a rental car for 6 weeks. I want to be able to walk everywhere, which could be a challenge with my 3 year old (who threw a fit just walking a few blocks to pick up his brother from school today).

Here is an example of how vastly off these maps are, and why I am obsessed with the internet and researching. I was looking at Condo Solimar - (the yellow rectangle on the left). As you can see it looks pretty close to the school (the purple oval on the main street of town))

Until I looked at google maps. Condo Solimar is circled in red and the school is a green X.

It's appalling really.

Just for kicks here's another map of Samara

If you clock on the pictures you can see them bigger and in more detail

Are my plans falling apart?

So, I thought I did my homework.

Back when I was researching Antigua as my destination, I was originally planning to go over the kids winter break plus miss an additional 2 of weeks of school. The reason being is the winter is my husbands slow time of work and I thought he could possibly take a month off to be with us. But I found out that Guatemala schools are off the month's of December and January because it is their "summer break".
That's when I started getting the crazy idea of bumping up the trip to our summer (June/July) and doing the trip mostly as a single mom.

I thought I had done my homework.

I booked our tickets.

We were to leave June 5th (the kids would miss the last week of school) as we are using miles to purchase our tickets and we could use less miles by going earlier.
Tonight I found out that Costa Rica takes a 3 week school break from July 5th through July 24th. 3 of our 6 weeks. Half our trip!

So now I am wondering will the public school even take my kids for 3 weeks?

I did find out about a program in Samara called CREAR .

They provide after school programs and summer enrichment programs for the local kids of Samara. The key word is local. That doesn't stop this mamá loca though. I put in an e-mail to see if my kids can participate too. I'm anxious to see what they say.

I was really looking forward to the consistency of them being in school for 6 weeks though. But, such is life in a 3rd world country. You have to learn to roll with punches, otherwise you will just be consumed with frustration.

Oh, one more thing I learned tonight. The schools are typically only in session for 4 hours a day! Now that is muy loco!

Contacts

Finding local contacts is key in this kind of trip.  I thought I had hit the jackpot in the contacts department, but unfortunately "my source" has been less helpful than I had hoped.

You can find contacts in lot's of ways.  I scour the internet for forums, reviews, websites and blogs to find people I think can help answer my questions.  Expats can be a gold mine of information.

Right now there is a family who owns a vacation house in Samara (right across from the place I plan on staying).   They are there with their  kids who are attending the school I plan to have my kids attend.    They have a website dedicated to raising funds for said school.  They should be a wealth of information.  But they answer my questions with the bare minimum.  Very frustrating.  And that is part of the reason for this blog.  If I can help you to not reinvent the wheel, then I will be thrilled!  This is an exciting opportunity, and we should be helping each other!

Here is an expert from my last e-mail to my "source".

What are the school hours?  

I just purchased our flights, and we will be there June 6-July 19th.  Who is your contact person at the school?  Should I contact them ahead of time about my kids attending, or just enquire at the school when we get there?

They have a preschool program as well?   Do you know how old the kids have to be to attend?

My kids will be 8 (entering 3rd grade), 6 (entering 1st grade), and turning 3 on 6/24. 

I am talking to the owner at XXXXXX, and am hoping to stay there.  I loved your house, but it is out of my price range for this trip unfortunately.  Maybe in the future.

Samara isn't the easiest place to find lot's of information on, so I am eating up any details I can get my hands on.  I appreciate anything you can tell me.  

Thanks!

And this was the source's reply

the hours at the school vary.  your three year old is too young for the public school.  there is another program that costs money at the patio colonial.  lenina would take all of your children there.  the two older ones should be able to attend.  you will have to ask when you get here.  XXXXX is right across the street from [our house].

the director name at the school is lourdes.  she can answer all of your questions but in spanish

A few crazy ideas

So I've had a handful of crazy ideas in my life.

One landed my husband and I in a motorhome for a year traveling the entire United States. Our families sure thought we were crazy. It ended up being the adventure of a lifetime. Truly the test of a marriage. 365 days together, in a tiny moving home. And no internet or cell phone to assist the process. These were the dark ages people (1998/1999).

Another locura {crazy idea} took us to Kenya for 3 weeks. With our 3 1/2 year old. And 20 month old. Now that is crazy. Let's just say we survived :)

A little over a year ago I took my daughter (age 6 at the time) to the charming town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for a week. Just the 2 of us. I don't think this was crazy. Well maybe a little. Especially when we were dropped off by our taxi at our "B&B", at dusk, and nobody was home. Our flights were delayed, and we had come straight from the airport to a deserted street in Mexico, left on the curb with our bags. At that moment, I indeed thought I was un poco loco.

And here I am today, working through my latest and greatest crazy idea. I'm blogging about it because I think there are other crazies out there like me trying to do similar things without a lot of resources. Just maybe I can help someone else figure out how to pull off adding a little crazy into their own life.