Getting Out

So our new friends who we will live two doors away from and who also happen to be lds have been wonderful this week inviting me and the kids to all kinds of activities. First off, there is a mall almost every half a mile here in downtown. They are all really nice and have great stores. Everything is pretty comparable price-wise to the U.S. or it's maybe even a little pricier. To really get good deals here, you have to shop locally in the street markets, and I haven't ventured that far yet. Anyway, in almost every mall there is some kind of play place or fun zone for kids. It actually seems more family friendly here than in the states. Anyway, the one we went to was really cool. The boys had a blast...they had a zip line, trampolines where they hook the boys up to a harness, slides galore, a ball room that shoots mounds of balls into the air (Clark's personal fav). They even had an area where the boys could fish for little fishies to take home. We took some home but they died the next day because we didn't get food for them in time. They may also have suffered severe concussions from Andrew's 'gentle' shaking of the bottle on the way home.


In other news, we are getting used to using bottled water for EVERYTHING since the tap water here isn't safe for drinking, but apparently it's okay to shower in? We our still awaiting our bout of cyclospora or giardia, maybe with a little Dengue fever mixed in. ;-) Everyone says it's inevitable, and I am sure I won't be so cavalier about it when it actually hits, but the medical office at the embassy knows how to handle it all, so I'll take confidence in that. This week I also got a local cell phone...okay, WAY easier than in the U.S. Granted, someone gave me a cell phone, but I hear you can get a cheap one for $20, and then you just buy a SIM card that already has a phone number attached to it, you buy some pulsa (minutes) and you are good to go. No contracts or anything. The only down side is that the cell phone numbers here are TWELVE digits...I know it's only two more than in the states, but it just seems like a lot!Me and the kids have been taking taxis on our own all this week, and I haven't ever felt unsafe, but I will be happy once we get a car and driver...hopefully soon. Above is a pic of the boys having a blast in our taxi. The kids are over their jet lag, but Tanner and I are still falling asleep at about 8pm every night this week.

Today we went over to another new friend's house for a pool party and the kids had a great time. Clark and Andrew seem like they are settling down a little bit and it's great seeing them make new friends so quickly and easily. Most of the kids in our neighborhood that are Clark's age are girls, so I actually think that will be good for him since he already has a brother he can rough and tumble with anytime he wants to. It seems things are settling down a little bit in general now after a week and I don't feel so crazy....I was feeling a little bit of the crazies the end of last week. Thank goodness for the church, neighborhood families, and nice people!