Things I want to remember

Our time here in Ecuador has been very special, and there are so many little details that have made it so. I've tried to take "mental pictures" of everything, so I can always remember how things looked, felt, smelled, tasted and sounded. And I've been jotting a few notes throughout our stay to help me remember some of the little things I want to remember...

- Listening to Jairo sing in bed in the mornings

- Playing "who can say i love you the most times" after we put Jairo to sleep

- Watching him fall asleep in the blink of an eye in the back of cabs

- Asking him where his food is, and him drawing a line somewhere on his body to indicate how full he is

- Watching Eric pull Jairo with the swing tied to the crocodile in the backyard

- Jairo's first words in English: Mother... Father... Come on! (and "washy-washy," which he says when he wants to say something in English but doesn't know how)

- Seeing the smiles of all the children, receiving their big hugs, and playing and talking with them when we go visit Casa Fe

- Leaving our doors open on beautiful days and having the breeze sweep the Bouganvilla blooms into our house

- Practicing Spanish with Jaime every morning, and watching the clouds roll in over the valley

- Having Jairo explain to me how open or closed he wants his door every night after we put him to bed

- How Jairo describes every kind of food he doesn't like as "picante" (spicy), and everything he does like is his "favorite!"

- Discovering how much we enjoy "Frasier," which we watch at 6:30am after dropping Jairo off with Tio Oscar

- Taking our semi-weekly trips to Condado Shopping to visit MegaMaxi

- Seeing Jairo's sleepy smile in the morning as he tries to wake up

- Watching the babies and toddlers come down to our backyard in the mornings with their Tias, to sit in the grass, take in the warm sun, and pet Suki

- Singing the abc song to Jairo while he brushes his teeth

- Jairo thinking that a number on anything is the price of that thing (including buildings, cars, etc)

- Eating dinner in our dining room and looking out over the valley as dusk settles in and all the lights become visible. The reflection of the valley lights in our living room mirror always reminds me of our Christmas tree.

- Listening to Jairo sing "head, shoulders, knees and toes" all the time

- Playing with Suki in the backyard, seeing her waiting by our front door in the mornings, and witnessing her patience, loyalty and good nature

- Walking down our cobblestone hill every afternoon, Jairo on Eric's shoulders, the valley visible beyond the trees, talking with Jairo about his day at school

- The very inexpensive and always-available cabs, and the very friendly drivers

- Watching the birds splash in the bird bath, and the hummingbirds float around the trees outside our windows

- Discovering milk-in-a-bag, non-refrigerated eggs, and miniature napkins

- Breakfast in the kitchen, lunch on the veranda, and dinner in the dining room

- Seeing all the single-story houses with iron posts jutting up from the roofs, in hopes of a second level someday

- The winding hair-pin turns of the roads through the mountains, the rolling hills of brown and green, and the vast expanse of Quito spreading down the valley

- Fresh mountain air. Warm, sunny days. Crisp, peaceful nights.