Since Madi and Kier didn’t have school today and their cousin is here, we decided Cali could skip school for the day. She was pumped about that.
Paul, Mia and I went to the Deli for breakfast. Then Paul bought his bike, which was his project for the day. He got it for $24 dollars. While Paul pondered what he was going to change on his bike, he had another coffee. Meanwhile, Mia and I went to go visit the doctor’s office of the doctor we got to know yesterday. We saw her office, talked to her a bit about common problems, the hospital in Solola and its limitations, how women have their babies in the area. We met her husband who is also a doctor and talked with him for quite sometime.
After that we went to the bike shop to meet with the bike dude to get changes on Paul’s new project. The bike guy wasn’t there because his wife was sick and in the hospital. But when we called him (there was a number on the store) he said he’d meet us right away. He must have needed the business. We went across the street to get an empanada and huge limonada con sodas while we waited for him. Paul and Mia went to do the bike stuff.
I went home because I’d gotten a call as to when Kier was leaving for Santiago. Her friend couldn’t get in touch with her because her phone’s battery was dead. I walked home to tell her they were leaving in a hour and a half. She is going over tonight to stay with the band at the Posada. They have a pool and a sauna–she will have lots of fun this evening. The band sleeps in a hostel-like room, 13 bunkbeds in a big room. Three families with kids do this every other weekend, so it’s nice that she could go with them. Then in the morning they will go to the music festival and we’ll meet them there.
Paul, Mia and I met at the Porch. Mia had to try to sort out more of her bank card situation. I think she figured out which card the machine ate, she wasn’t sure. Paul went to a hardware store to buy paint for his bike while Mia and I went up to a nursery to find plants to go up the wall that surrounds her backyard. I was impressed that I remembered where there the nursery was. We got a few options, but will come back in the morning to get them.
We walked back to get all three girls who were at the family’s house. Paul got my bike tuned up a bit, even though it was new. He got some pegs to put on the back spoke so the kids don’t have to dangle their feet when I ride them on the back (oh so safe, I know). They were excited. We stopped by PanaSuper for a few groceries and came home. Paul made supper.
The little girls made a spa upstairs, washed Mia’s feet because they were dirty. Paul came home with his newly pimped out bike. The once sad little courier bike with old 10-speed handle bars is now a red bike with new seat, handlebars, breaks, pegs on the back to stand on, backrack. It is truly transformed. He’s excited because he’s been riding his bike constantly at home, even in the winter since they didn’t have that much snow.
Kier went across the lake to Santiago with her friends and the band, all is well. Paul and I were going to go out later this evening, but he has a touch of the Tourista and needs to stay close to a bathroom. Looks like we’ll have an evening in. Both Mia and Paul went to the spa that the girls made upstairs, gave it rave reviews. I’ll have to go for a Madi massage once I get caught up on the blogs.
It has been fun going from being one adult in charge of the kids to having three adults around. Makes a huge difference in the parenting load.
Mia showed up with Tomas from the family who also brought a shovel and a bag of dirt for her gardening efforts. He also wanted medical advice about his mom’s foot that is swollen.
Then one of our shuttle guys came to the house. He used to have a shuttle, then he downsized to a car and gave us a ride from the airport when we got here. But now he sold his car and is out of the shuttling business altogether. He arranged for his friend to pick up everyone who is coming in on Sunday. He dropped by to get the sign we’d made with our last name, to hold up at the airport. Really he wanted to see us in person to see if there is any way to get his son a job in Canada doing manual labor on a farm. His son and daughter were in the U.S. illegally for a couple of years, but they had to work and drive illegally. They would like to do farm work (anything really) for six months a year legally in Canada. We said we would try to find out more about the guidelines for migrant workers. I think it would be difficult as a parent to have grown children who can’t find work. He is even having trouble making ends meet. So many people are struggling and we have so much.
I hope Kier’s having fun in Santiago.