Only in Ecuador

Today I bought 25 beautiful pink roses for $2! It's crazy. In our apartment, there are propane tanks everywhere. I'm not a huge fan. Fortunately, there is a large fire extinguisher in the kitchen as well. Comforting...kind of. There is no central natural gas system here, so the stove, dryer, hot water heater all have their own propane tanks. Oh yeah, so does my grill. I am very excited about my "Made in the USA" Thermos gas grill. Over the weekend, it was all we had to cook since we couldn't figure out how to light our "luxury" stainless steel stove! That's fixed now.

The kids are adjusting reasonably well. That is to say they are fighting as if they have been together since birth!! Ok, they get along very well at times too! All in all, they are very cute and doing well. There is alot to get used to for all of us. For mom and dad, it will be hard for us to get used much less help when we get back!! What do I mean?? Our rent includes 2 cleaning ladies that come everyday to replace our towels, make beds and clean up. In case that isn't enough, we have another lady (former f.m. domestic helper) come in twice a week to help with laundry and cooking. She costs a whopping $2/hour. Don't worry, we're not taking advantage...apparently a typical wage for this type of work is $1 to $1.50 per hour!!

I found a most fantastic new cookie. There's chocolate in the middle and more surrounding the outside. K doesn't love them as much as I do. Lucky for me!!

My systems engineer friend will be glad to know the locally brewed beer is fantastic and economical...in moderation of course!

Some important math we have learned recently...2 + 2 does not equal 4. It equals 10...10x the work,10x the noise, 10x as long to bathe the family, 10x the laughs, 10x the love!! Another interesting euquation, 1 = 3! That's right 1 = 3. Managing 1 very rambunctious young boy = managing 3 girly girls. M is not afraid to agitate all three of his sisters at once. He knows how to get under their skin remarkably well. I think F is happy to have some sisters to share the pain, I mean love from M!! Don't let the very cute picture of M fool you!!

Progress is slow but steady...we signed some documents Monday and are awaiting our first vist to court to start the official legal process. We expect to go before a judge next week sometime.