Good times with good friends

This weekend was another good one, full of activities. There's a lot to do in Quito, and since our weekdays are booked with our daily routine, we've been trying to get out and do stuff on weekends.

Saturday was the first rainy day we've had in Ecuador, but that didn't stop us. We first went in search of "Quito Chiquito," a children's interactive art museum. But after an hour of walking and searching in the cold rain, we discovered that it either didn't exist or was closed (at that point we no longer had the energy to accurately translate the Spanish, so we're not really sure what happened to the museum). Jairo was a trooper, though, and kept himself in better spirits than his parents during this little goose chase.

We've learned through all our travels that when we get a bit cranky, that means we need to eat, so our next order of business was finding food. Fortunately, we discovered Archie's, a great pizza joint, which was just what we all needed. Jairo got a real kick out of seeing Archie:



From Archie's we went to HUPS -- an indoor activity place for kids. It has five different play areas -- e.g., a trampoline/climbing room, an arts & crafts room, a dress-up/theater room, and a water room. Parents are not allowed into the play areas, so they are encouraged to just drop their kids off and come back later. What a brilliant concept! (We discussed the possibility of bringing this to the US -- "Hey parents, drop your kids off for a day of safe and secure fun, while you go relax/run errands/whatever." The marketer in me salivates at a concept that sells itself so easily.) Unfortunately, Jairo was a little hesitant about HUPS -- probably because he was alone, when most other kids had their friends with them. So we decided to return another day with his friends.

So the first half of Saturday wasn't a resounding success, but we remedied that with a wonderful siesta -- all three of us cozied up under a blanket, dozing to the sound of a hard rain. Very peaceful. Later we went to our friends' house for dinner (Claire & Andrew -- friends of friends who are American, and both work here in Quito). They prepared a delicious meal, and we appreciated the opportunity to speak English for the first time in a couple weeks! They also had a movie for Jairo, Ratatouille, which he loved (the kids in the orphanage don't really watch tv, so movies are a huge treat). He was so well-behaved all evening -- we were very proud of him (and once again thankful to the tias for having raised him so well).

On Sunday we went to Parque Metropolitano -- a large, rural park on the edge of Quito. Jairo asked if he could bring his friends along, and we were happy to include Jessica, Carlita and Fabian. They were also really excited to have an excursion, which doesn't get to happen often. When we went to pick them up at Casa Fe, they all came bounding out of the house with their baseball hats on, ready for an adventure.



The park was full of families, and we found a great area with lots of play structures for kids. So we spent a few hours climbing, running, jumping, swinging and riding on a zipline. They worked up quite an appetite, and enjoyed their snack of oranges and crackers.



Given all the rain we had on Saturday, Suki (the dog that lives downstairs with our neighbors) was filthy, so Jairo and I decided to give her a bath. Jairo LOVES Suki, so he was very excited about this adventure (far more excited than poor Suki, who patiently tolerated us -- she's a very good dog). We washed, rinsed, dried and combed Suki, and Jairo loved every minute of it. (The next day, he pointed out to us how clean Suki's paws were, and he was very proud of his efforts.)







We wrapped up Sunday night with a Superbowl feast of tacos -- another new food for Jairo, which he loved (how could he not?). We were thankful for another great weekend, and so happy that our boy is continuing to do well with this big transition.

Jairo's "First Day" of School

Of the growing list of exciting firsts for our new family, Jairo's "First Day" of school highlighted our week. Yeah, he's been going to school for a while now, but Monday morning marked the first time that we were responsible for the morning routine of getting Jairo ready, packing his snack, and bringing him up the hill to where the orphanage van, driven by Tio Oscar, picked up the 12 or so kids who are currently in school.

It's been a really long time since we knew what 5:30am felt like, but Monday morning gave us a taste of what was to come for the rest of our time in Ecuador. Getting up when it's still dark out isn't fun for anyone--and Jairo clearly has our "not morning people" gene--but he seems to be good about going through the getting-ready routine, even if his eyes are half-closed most of the time. The biggest challenge is trying to figure out which of his three uniforms he's supposed to wear that day; but so far we're batting 1.000. Here he is on Monday morning:



We picked him up from the "van stop" around 1:45 later that day (after going back to bed for a couple hours, learning some more Spanish, and running some errands)...and started our daily routine of lunch, play time, homework, play time, shower, dinner, reading, and sleep. Oh, and add laundry to that daily list--we realized that because of the uniform rotation, and the fact that he's a very active (code for "likes to get dirty") 6-year-old boy, the days of weekly/bi-weekly laundry are a thing of the past. Anyway, here are his other two uniforms:





We've been trying to stick to the afternoon routine that Jairo has been used to from his days in the orphanage, and we do a variety of fun activities throughout the day...ranging from running around the back yard with Suki the dog, playing the piano, going back to the orphanage to swing/jump/run with his friends, or playing the classic game of "how long can it possibly take to eat a bowl of soup" (Jairo is the current record-holder at 72 minutes).



We squeeze an hour of homework into the afternoon, which generally includes both math and language. Our days also include plenty of breaks for "dar cosquillas" (tickling)...when I see Jairo whispering something to Rebecca, I know that I need to make a run for it, since they will soon be chasing me down for a good ol tickle. I also enjoy the daily routine of trying to change Jairo out of his uniform into his regular clothes...this usually entails about 15 minutes of wrestling and the wonderful sound of our little boy's laugh.

Getting Jairo to eat has certainly been a challenge so far, but we think we finally made a breakthrough tonight at dinner, which included having him help us cook the meal. He finished his entire dinner and even asked for additional food...and was so proud of himself (as were we) that he wanted to call his Tias after dinner to tell them. They were so excited to hear from him!



Our nights end with a shower, reading a book (by flashlight, per our previous post), and saying our good nights. After he tells Mami which lights he wants on and how open/closed he wants his bedroom door, the last sounds we hear are "Te Amo" and "I Love You," in the sweetest little voice we've ever heard.

Our first weekend together

This weekend was our first weekend alone as a family, with Jairo living with us full time. We thought that this could be difficult for him -- being away from his home for the first time, sleeping in a strange bed, being the only child in the house -- but he did great, and it felt very natural for all of us.

We were really grateful to Clark & Melinda (The Vaughns, orphanage directors), for inviting us to join them for a cookout on Friday night, so that was a great way to kick off our first weekend with Jairo. The cookout was the good old-fashioned kind -- hot dogs roasted on sticks over a bonfire, and of course roasted marshmallows. Another couple who had adopted their son from PSN (Para Sus Ninos -- aka For His Children -- the orphanage) also joined us, so Jairo enjoyed playing with their children all evening, and he was worn out by bedtime.

Jairo slept like a champ this weekend -- going to bed around 8pm, waking up around 6:30, and staying in his bed until about 7 or 7:30. Then he came into our room and crawled into bed with us, and waited quietly until we were ready to get up. We also continued the excellent habit that the Tias have instituted, which is siesta time every weekend afternoon. So we all laid down together in our bed around 2:30 on both Saturday & Sunday -- he just rested on Saturday, but was out like a light on Sunday. Mami & Papi really appreciated the resting time as well!



Jairo had lots of fun exploring our house and finding new things to play with. The house has lots of classic toys -- the ones we played with as kids -- so it was great to see that things like Lincoln Logs and a rocking horse could still be so entertaining. It's clear that kids really don't need all the other stuff we put into their lives -- as evidenced by the fact that his favorite "toy" here is a flashlight, which he sleeps with every night. He asks us to turn off all the lights in the house when he's ready for bed, and we walk to his room following the flashlight, then we read a book in bed by the light of the flashlight. It's really sweet.



On Saturday we went to Parque Carolina -- a really nice big park in the center of Quito. We played on playgrounds, rode in paddleboats, watched bikers and skaters in the skate park, and just enjoyed another lovely 70 degree blue-sky day (which is every day in Quito). We also went shopping at a local mall to get a few supplies, and discovered MegaMaxi (not to be confused with SuperMaxi, MegaMaxi's smaller cousin), which is like a really nice Target + Harris Teeter. So far we've been able to find everything we need here.

We had a causal day on Sunday, playing in the yard with Suki, playing games, and cooking. Family meals are very important in Ecuador, and a big part of their lives, so we're trying to continue the Tias' tradition of big meals together, especially lunch. (Side note -- most people leave work and come home for lunch with the family every day, so rush hour is really around lunchtime, not morning and evening). I did my best to emulate the meals the Tias prepare for the kids (first soup, then a plate of rice, beans and salad, then fruit), but I think I've got some big shoes to fill. Having only made Minute Rice, I was quite unprepared for Ecuadorian rice, so my first batch was crunchy, and my second batch turned into a big pot of paste. Luckily a lovely woman named Maria has now shown me how to make their rice, so fingers crossed that batch #3 will be edible!

We also went swimming on Sunday afternoon. The orphanage has a wonderful pool, often used for therapy for the children with special needs, and Sunday is play day in the pool for all the kids. So we went over there and played with the children in Jairo's house (Casa Fe -- aka, Faith House -- which houses the older children). Jessica, Carlita, Fabian and Wilma had a great time in the water, and loved having us play with them.



We are really enjoying this house, and so glad we decided to stay here near the orphanage. The house is large, and nestled on the side of a mountain, overlooking Quito which lies in a valley between two large mountain ridges. The orphanage property is on two sides of a quiet, unpaved street, with Casa Fe (the older children's house) on one side, and the two other children's houses (Casa Harlow for the toddlers, and Casa Vaughn for the babies) on the other side of the street. Our house is on the side with the younger kids, so we are close enough to visit Jairo's friends and Tias, but far enough away that it enables them all to start to make the separation from one another. So far we've been visiting Casa Fe once a day, and Jairo has also been riding to school with his friends in the orphanage van (see next post). So this arrangement is great, and we're very thankful for how well everything is going!

Leaving the orphanage

On Friday, January 29, Jairo left the orphanage to come live with us!

The orphanage has a great program for facilitating the bonding period between parents and their child, and they watch closely to see how the bonding is going. If all goes well, parents are able to take custody of their child within a week or so. Things were going well for us and Jairo, and the orphanage said he was ready to go with us. So Friday afternoon, after school and lunch, Jairo packed his things and left the orphanage to come with us to our new house.

We were prepared for this to be an emotional step for Jairo, as the orphanage is the only home he has ever known, and his tias and friends have been his family. But he is a very adventurous and confident boy, and so he was very excited for this next step in his life. He didn't miss a beat -- he happily packed all his clothes into a bag we brought, and his tias had prepared a bag with his books and a few sentimental items (including the books, video and photo album we had sent him).

It was really sweet to watch him pack and to see how excited he was to come with us. That being said, it was bittersweet, because we know that this is the closing of a very special and important chapter in his life. The orphanage staff have been so good to him -- raising him as if he were their own son -- and we can only imagine how hard it must be for his tias to have to let him go. And he is very close to three children in his house -- Jessica, Carlita and Fabian -- so it breaks our heart to know that they're losing someone who for all intents and purposes has been their brother. Given all of that, I was thankful that his leaving the orphanage was not a grand and drawn-out production -- it was swift and low-key, and I think everyone appreciated that.

The very good news is that when we left, we didn't go far -- in fact, we only went next door! The orphanage director, Melinda, offered for us to stay in a house that is on the orphanage property, so we happily accepted her offer. We felt it would make for a much easier transition for Jairo and his friends and tias, given that they can still see each other every day. And Jairo was particularly excited about this option, as this is the house where Suki lives -- Suki being the huge and loveable dog that the children adore. He was so excited to move to "la casa de Suki" that he ran all the way here (which was hilarious, because the bag he insisted on carrying was almost as big as he is, so it kept causing him to veer off the path and into the garden while he was running.)

So this is a really great thing, and we are so thankful for the gift of this house, and thankful that what could have been a very traumatic move was in fact quite simple and happy. We are looking forward to settling into a nice life here for the next couple months!

Tias, Tarea, and the Trampoline

What an incredible first week it has been with Jairo! So many special moments, new beginnings, and wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Today will be the next big step in Jairo joining our family, as we will be taking physical custody of him once he gets back from school!!

We continue to be so impressed with the TLC that he has received at the orphanage. They really take great care of the kids--physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. The orphanage has 1 caregiver, who they affectionately call "Tias" (or "Aunts"), for every 4 children...which is much better than most orphanages that we have read about. The tias work in 24-hour shifts, starting with getting the kids ready for school as early as 5am, feeding them, playing with them, doing their homework with them, and overall just teaching them good morals and values. The orphanage has such a great staff in general, including multiple psychologists for both the kids and tias. One in particular, Susanna, has been a huge help transitioning Jairo from his life in the orphanage to life with his new parents. She is bi-lingual, so one of the many hats she wears is translator between Jairo and us when we do not quite understand each other.

We got into a good routine with Jairo during the week, picking him up at school in the early afternoon, which usually included playing with him and his friends on the playground until the bus arrived; eating lunch cooked by the tias, which usually consisted of soup, salad, and beans & rice (we brought our own sandwiches); playing with the kids for an hour in their yard; working with Jairo on his homework; meeting with various staff members for an hour while Jairo took English lessons with a volunteer; and playing with the kids some more until bath time and dinner time...at which point we headed back to our hotel. Homework ("tarea") time has been a good experience to watch the tias work with the kids. I do not remember having homework as a first grader, but Jairo has about an hour per day...and the tias do such a good job with the kids, with their patience and teaching ability. It has been a great experience for us to witness this, since it will be "our turn" on Monday to take over his homework responsibilities.

Jairo has learned a few English words so far...numbers, colors, body parts, etc...one day after English class as I was carrying him around on my shoulders, he started singing "head, shoulders, knees and toes," a song we remembered from way back when, so we sang along with him. But the English words that will be etched into our hearts forever was the first time he called us father and mother with his cute little accent ("fa-there" and "mo-there"). We tear up every time we think about it.

And then there is the trampoline. In the very first scene of the video that we received of Jairo from the orphanage last year, we saw him jumping on a trampoline...so this will always have sentimental value to us because it was our first introduction to him. One of the first things we did with him after we met him on Monday was play with him and the other kids on the trampoline...but the memory we will have forever is Wednesday afternoon. It was the first time that we were actually alone with Jairo...the other kids were bathing or eating dinner, but they let us play with him a little more before we left for the evening. So it was just the three of us out on the trampoline...the sun setting...no other kids around...and the only sound we could hear was the pure joy of laughter coming from our little boy. It does not get any better than that.

Jairo!

How does one begin to describe the day they meet their first child? There really are no words to capture the richness of this experience, but it will be forever etched in our memories as one of the most touching and significant moments of our life. I'll do my best to relay the highlights...

We woke yesterday to a beautiful blue-sky day, feeling great, and surprisingly calm. We had been praying that we would be as relaxed as possible for this emotional event, so the prayers were definitely answered. Eric said it felt like the day of our wedding -- knowing a life-changing event was going to happen in the afternoon, and thus not really knowing what to do with ourselves leading up to that. So we just tried to do normal things -- lunch, talking, walking around -- but of course none of it felt normal.

We went to the orphanage (Para Sus Ninos) around 2:30, and met with their child psychologist, Susana, and their social worker, Cristina, for about an hour. They described all that they had been doing to prepare Jairo for his new life, and we were once again so impressed with how thorough, thoughtful and professional the orphanage staff is. Jairo has been in excellent hands. They told us about the calendar they had made for him, counting down the days to our arrival. And Susana also told us that recently she had said something to Jairo in English (he has only spoken Spanish up to this point), and he asked her, "Why are you teaching me English... are my parents from the United States?" We asked her if she thought he wanted Ecuadorian parents, and she said, "He just wants parents." [Cue the sound of our hearts being pierced.]

Around 4pm they took us to Jairo's house to meet him. At that point we both had some intense emotions going, but we held it together, and went in to see him. Jairo was waiting on the couch with his two good friends, Carlita and Jessica, and surrounded by his Tias (his "aunts" who care for the children). When he saw us, he hesitated for a couple seconds, then jumped off the couch and ran straight into our arms. We hugged him for a very long time, and he held on so tight. It was a very tender moment, and one that will live with us for the rest of our lives.

Eric and I had been practicing our Spanish diligently, and had spent a lot of time discussing and practicing all the things we were going to say to Jairo when we first met him. But at that moment, both of our minds were completely blank slates, and neither of us could come up with a thing to say. I think we said, "Hola, Jairo," and I'm pretty sure I said, "Como estas?" But that's about it. So much for our plans!

After our initial hug, he brought me some flowers that he had picked for me, which I will always cherish. And then he discovered Eric's Yankees watch, which he immediately took off Eric's wrist and put on his own. Eric was pleased to see that our boy knows a good team when he sees one. :) And from there, we just spent time with him in his house, slowly and delicately getting to know one another. He showed us his room, and his countdown calendar (which had a heart on the date of our meeting), and he very proudly introduced us to everyone as his "Mami y Papi." We were so impressed with his ability to open up to us so quickly -- this is a momentous change in his life, so it would have been natural for him to be scared, shy, angry or sad -- but he was none of those (or if he was, he did a great job of hiding it).

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Jairo and the other children in their yard (including jumping on the trampoline, bike riding, playing on the swings and slide, and a lot of Eric running around with Jairo on his shoulders). Then it was time for them to begin their evening routine -- bath, dinner, quiet time -- so we sat with them and watched a movie. It was a really peaceful way to end the day -- all of us cuddled up on the couch -- two kids on each of our laps.

As you might imagine, we were drained, both emotionally and physically, by that night. So we came home and just fell into bed, completely peaceful, and incredibly thankful for the wonderful gift of our son.

One More Day...

Well, we made it to Ecuador on Friday night, with one of the easiest international trips we've ever taken. Both flights were on time, there were no lines at the airports, they let us check in about 200 pounds of luggage for free, and our hotel was only a short cab ride away. We've had a very low-key weekend, taking care of the few things we hoped to before our big day on Monday...bought a phone, took a couple Spanish lessons (with a wonderful teacher named Jaime), and did some exploring around the city. Mostly, just enjoying some quiet time, knowing that we won't have as many opportunities for this in the coming weeks (and years)!

We're so excited for tomorrow...to finally meet the little angel that we've been preparing for all year...and who we've known in our hearts for many years. It's amazing to know that whatever tomorrow holds for us, it will include so many memories that we will have for the rest of our lives. It's not too often in your life that you know such a day is coming in advance, and we can't wait to soak it all in. We're coming for you Jairo...just one more day, mi amor.

Off we go!

It's midnight on Thursday night, and we're ready to go! We've been busy preparing all week (all month really), and it all came together. To-do lists are all checked off, everything is packed, the house is ready for our renter, and we're feeling good. We leave tomorrow morning on an 11am flight, and arrive in Quito tomorrow evening sometime, with a brief layover in Miami.

It feels a bit like the preparations for our wedding, and for our around-the-world trip. Both were huge adventures, with massive planning, organizing and preparing leading up to them. And both turned out to be amazing, life-changing experiences, creating some of our most treasured memories. We can only imagine all the good things that will come as a result of this trip!

Buenas noches.

One Week...

One week from today we will meet our son for the first time! We are full of excitement, anticipation and joy at the prospect of seeing Jairo in person after all these months of looking at his photos and thinking about him.

He has been waiting patiently for a family for a long time, and we feel so fortunate that he has waited for us. We are blessed to have been chosen to be his parents, and we can't wait for the moment when we can hug and hold him and tell him how much we love him!

Estamos viniendo, mi hijo. We're coming, my son.

The Road: An Introduction

Greetings from The Road!  We started this blog to capture the adventures and moments from our life, which are particularly meaningful to us as our family grows.  We look forward to sharing these moments with our family and friends through the photos, videos and musings we'll be recording here.

We love the dual meaning of The Road.  First, The Road signifies travel -- all the adventure, learning, fun and growth we experience in our travels around the world.  And second, The Road represents life -- the journey we are sharing with each other, our family, our friends, and the broader world community.  We hope to capture here some of the moments, both great and small, that we experience along The Road.

We hope you'll enjoy the journey with us!