Culture Shock

Quito is a fairly big city and we have only seen little bits and pieces of it in the few days we've been here, but it is a world away from what we are used to. Hence, the title: family adventure.

Here are some things I didn't necessarily read about in the guide books but have learned so far.

Dryers are a luxury. Almost nobody has one. Many wash by hand as well. We are spoiled because we have a washer & dryer here. Dishwashers are unheard of. We somehow scored one in our "luxury" apt. However no stores sell dishwashing detergent. The clerks assured us we should just try regular dish soap. hmmmm.

The view of the Pinchicha valley (where Quito is) is absolutely breath taking. Nothing close to anything we've ever seen. Cannot wait to get out and take more photos.

Many places we've traveled before in our lives we've encountered plenty of folks who speak English. Not so much here in Ecuador. (This makes the fact that our kids understand and even speak a little English all the more amazing)

Pedestrians NEVER have the right of way.
While we're on traffic laws.... no seatbelt or car seat requirements either which gives us mini-heart attacks whenever we venture out by automobile. Also there are too many children (and adults) weaving through traffic selling fruit/papers/brooms(?)and candy. It's upsetting.

We went to the shop today. A really nice kitchen shear (scissor) cost $1.49. The paperback Finding Nemo book we got for the kids cost $8.60. What?

On food....milk, margarine & eggs are not refrigerated here. It took us a while to find margarine! Thank goodness N is old enough to help point this out to us.

Power outages are often. I experienced that in our 1st hotel while showering in a windowless bathroom. Scary!

Poverty here is overwhelming.

We ate out at a local restaurant the other day - huge chicken dinner with roasted potatoes and rice (starch is big). 6 of us. Total bill: $11.

The ubiquitous buses spew black smoke as they ramble around town. The pollution is thick in the air and it's hard to breathe when you are out on the street. Also the sidewalks are very uneven and hard to navigate with a stroller. There are no cares about littering. Everyone throws their trash in the street, sidewalks, our back patio (we're on the 1st flr).

Despite our (my) language issues, the people we have met are so kind and helpful! Everyone you meet wants to give you a kiss on the cheek.

We saw a man walking his 3 goats down a busy city street 2 days ago. I did a double-take. I thought they were dogs.

It's crazy - but we are loving it and appreciating the opportunity to see and experience this amazing place our children were born.

That's all for now. We are tired but good. The children are adjusting to each other and us well. We are amazed at how wonderful and caring they are. Also amazed that they've only been together a few days and already fight over toys and mom and dad's laps like they've been together forever.

First Overnight.

We just put the kids down to sleep for the night and told them strictly NO TALKING once the lights are out. HA! Whisper, whisper, whisper, shhhhhh! mom! dad! shhhhhhh!whisper whisper....

This morning we met the girls and their f.m. at their church. We were called up to the altar and honored during the service with a sort of blessing and dedication. We got many "felicidades!" (congratulations), handshakes and kisses, and all of the children sat through an hour and a half service - a miracle in itself. Afterward we had a celebratory/good-bye lunch at Tony Roma's at a nearby mall. F.M. drove us all back to our apartment where we had a tear-filled emotional good-bye. The kids were so well prepared for all of this that they took it in stride, but f.m. was having a hard time, as was I. This amazing woman invested so much of herself in these two little girls and we cannot imagine the painfull heart-ache at saying bye. We will forever be grateful to her and plan to keep in touch with her as the girls grow.

I feel bad for our neighbors because the noise level coming from our apartment rivals the car alarms and plans landing on our heads that we had at our first hotel. I am afraid that someone will call the police for all the non-stop shreaking and screaming and giddy laughing. We are happy, and amazed, but also scared, and maybe a little insane.

Can we handle 4? There are more of them than us......

We now have full-custody of N & J. This week it will become legal. Hopefully we'll know more about timing early this week.

Today was the memorial service for my grandpa. I am saddened beyond words that I cannot be with my family right now. I miss them, I miss my grandpa.

Day 2. Happy Day.

We spent the whole day together yesterday at the girl's apartment. They have a playground just down the street so we got to run around and play (gasp, altitude!).

We were able to sit and talk to their foster mom while the kids played and get so much information. Two interesting bits of info we learned: the spelling of their names are really Nataly and Joselyn. Foster mom got this info directly from a birth family member and it got changed along the way in the girls paperwork. Aha! So we will honor those spellings going forward! Also one of their favorite vegetables is beets. I have never in my life cooked a beet. I suppose I will have to learn now, huh?

After lunch, J and M napped and the older two girls played together and bonded. F communicates with her sisters in Spanish and translates for us when we need (mostly me - Chris' Spanish is great). N is making a great effort to speak to me in English, but J doesn't seem to mind that I don't understand most of what she tells me - she just keeps chattering on and on as if I do. J is a talker. She needs at least 15 min extra at every meal because she talks so much she forgets to eat.

F told me that she was so happy to have sisters and loved playing with them. M taught the girls a new English word yesterday - "Mine!" Oh boy.

This morning we are moving to an apartment with 3 bedrooms, a small patio and a grill (C is excited about the grill). The girls will come to our place for the day (without foster mom) and the same on Sunday when we will have our first overnight. The transition has been going smoothly - the girls were excited to come to us and seem to have no reservations. The foster mom has done an amazing job raising them, and preparing them for their adoption. Much gratitude to this amazing woman.

Happy 4th of July! We are floating on Lake Minnetonka (Lake Alexander, Lake Wallenpaupack), bbq-ing with our neighbors and friend's, watching fireworks from the dock - in spirit........

Our 1st Meeting!

It was an emotional and exhausting day. We spent ~4 hours today with our new daughters! It was so exciting for all! Tomorrow we will spend the day with them at the foster mom’s apartment. So far the adaptation process seems to be going very smoothly. We are overjoyed and overwhelmed, and are so happy to be here!

On a sad note, and sorry to deliver the news this way to my family, Kat’s Grandfather (Norm’s Dad) passed away this morning. Life’s irony can be so cruel and twisted. Grandpa would have been very pleased with the news of our meeting today. In spite of his Alzheimer’s, he was keenly aware of and excited about the new great-granddaughters about to join the family; I’m sure he was watching.

We have arrived

Our social worker called us on Tuesday morning at 10:15, just as we were about to leave the house.

"You can travel anytime now! Let me know when you can leave and we'll set up the meeting with your girls."

We left 22 hours later.

Got in last night. Really couldn't sleep. Too excited. We had a long day of travel - especially because M is at that magical age when tantrums abound and sitting still for more than 5 minutes is torture. We all agreed that the flight from Miami was the best we've ever been on. It was an Ecuadorian airlines and we were treated to first class accommodations with private tv screens, massaging seats that reclined all the way horizontal, down comforters, and all the bread sticks M could eat. Amazing. The price for tickets last minute and refundable that we needed are basically the same for coach and first class. Easy decision.

We are in a comfortable hotel, but only temporarily until we can find a more homey place to camp out here for the next 4-8 weeks. Note: there are court closures the first 2 weeks of August, we've been told our odds of making it home before then are very slim. This is not what our expectation was, but we're trying to roll with it.

Barely slept last night, partially because of excitement, partially because of the symphonic sounds of a busy little city, with airplanes landing, trucks chugging, some godforsaken dog barking, and everyone's favorite- a car alarm screeching as I type this at 6am. Lovely.

We get to meet N & J this morning, and spend the day together. Couldn't be happier.