Friday 1/13/17 - Working Remotely The kids didn't have school today. As we went to the house for breakfast, we could hear Shina singing while she was getting dressed. She loves to sing; we had noticed her singing at mealtimes before. Rosa said that she will even stay in the bathroom for 30 minutes at a time just singing to herself. Everyone is so excited and relieved that Cachupin the dog returned home last night! We all gave him lots of attention today. I bent down to kiss Shina good morning and Cachupin licked my cheek. Abuelita got a big smile on her face as she gave him some good petting before he ate his breakfast. We gathered in the kitchen for a breakfast of jam-filled crepes, ham, and coffee. Delicious! After breakfast, Antonio took Shina to the dentist in Cotacachi, and Rosa accompanied them. Craig was left to babysit and entertain the two older kids while I was working. He did a great job! Sisa and Yupanqui have a lot of energy! One of their favorite games is "pelo, pelo, no pelo" (hair, hair, no hair), wherein they point out that Craig basically has hair everywhere on his body except his head (this is a favorite game in Guatemala as well). This time there is a new variant ("pelo blanco") where they point out his white hair. He is older than their grandfather, after all! For lunch we had tomato soup with canguil (popcorn), steak, peas, rice, and strawberry juice. It was another gorgeous sunny day. This not only meant that the internet was reliable for my work today, but it was also a good day for laundry to dry. During my lunchbreak I took advantage of the sun and washed some laundry in the outdoor sink. The kids played with Craig while I finished up my work day. Rosa bathed the kids and I helped out. Shina was freezing cold afterwards, so I dried her off and dressed her, and then she fell asleep in my arms once again. After her bath, Sisa warmed herself by the fire in Abuelita's outdoor kitchen. Antonio installed glass in the new kitchen window. The home improvements are coming in fast and furious! Tomorrow we will go to Otavalo to the animal market to buy a pig for the baptism feast (the local pig didn't work out). I don't know how we will get it back home! We will also buy Shina's baptismal outfit - a variation on their traditional clothing, but all in white. It is traditional for the godparents to purchase the clothing for the godchild. Apparently there is a large new market that has opened in Otavalo since our last visit, and we would do some shopping there. For dinner we had soup, tuna salad, lentils, plantain, rice, and fresh juice. And so starts a 3 day weekend for me, where I can spend more quality time with the kids.

Cachupin Sisa Abuelita and Sisa in the outdoor kitchen See all photos from this day