Guatemala 6/29/2019 - 7/13/2019 |
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Wednesday, 7/3/2019 - Mael David's Second BirthdayI woke up early again for work today, and enjoyed a breakfast of fresh fruit, coffee, and orange juice while connected to meetings.We gave the kids the clothes that we had brought for them (sweatshirts for the girls, a T-shirt for Eddy, and a shorts and shirt set for Ian). Since we had already watched "Coco" twice, we decided it was a good time to present them with a bilingual "Coco" storybook. Ian loved it right away, and looked at the pictures. We ate fresh pitaya fruit while Paulina prepared the new large grill for lunch. She lit the charcoal and cooked steaks, which were served with fresh guacamole, vegetable rice, roasted garlic, and corn tortillas. When I was done with work for the day, I decided to resume my quest. Last year, Tyson had seen a carved wooden dog in one of the shops on Santander Street. When we tried to find the shop again so that he could buy it, we were unsuccessful. I had vowed that this visit, I would find the dog and buy it for Tyson if it killed me. I walked the length of Santander with no luck. Then I retraced the steps that Tyson and I had taken down to the lake, now doubting my memory and wondering if it hadn't actually been on Santander at all. The sun was bright and hot as I enjoyed views of the crater lake and its surrounding volcanoes. Many flowers were in bloom, which added to the natural beauty of the area. When I got back to the homestead, I met Rocio, Mael, Aracely, and Ian in the alley. They had stopped by to invite us to Mael's 2nd birthday party tonight. I sat down at the outdoor table with Humberto and Craig, and tried to cool off after the walk in the hot sun. Humberto asked what I had been looking for and I reminded him about Tyson and the dog. He asked me to describe the store. I told him that it was run by an elderly couple, it was chock full of old-looking wood carvings, and it had a glass display counter down the center. "Oh, I know that one. He wears a hat, right? That's Tomas!" He told me that the store is literally across the street from his new office! Tomas and his wife live in Chichicastenango, but they come to Pana on weekends to sell their wares. Humberto called Luis in the office, to ask him if the shop was open. Luis responded that it was not, because Tomas and his wife had returned to Chichi yesterday. I found it ironic that this location was the closest possible location to their house on all of Santander Street. Tyson and I has walked up and down the street countless times...only to have had the store be right in front of our noses (but, it had never been open). Now that we know the location, we still have nine more days when it could possibly open. I'll get that dog for Tyson yet! Ian likes to help with Humberto's garden. Humberto set him up with a hose and he watered the plants. We went next door to Humberto's sister Juana's house for Mael's party. Mael showed us around the yard, taking us to see the chicken coop and his clown piñata. In attendance were Mael's parents Hector and Rocio, Rocio's brother Carlos, Humberto's cousin Victor and his wife Rosa, cousins Josue, Brittany, and Daniel, as well as Aracely, Eddy, Ian, Humberto, and Paulina. Poor Josue's arm was in a cast and sling because he had fallen through a rotten corrugated planel when trying to retrieve something from the roof. Birthday boy Mael had first crack at the piñata, followed by Ian, Daniel, and Brittany. The little kids didn't make much of a dent. So then older kids and adults had their turns, blindfolded this time. Aracely, Eddy, Juana, Paulina, Rosa, Carlos, and I each took a turn. Soon the candy was dispersed. The piñata's party hat came off, and Mael kept balancing it on his head and giggling. Kids' music was playing; we must have heard "Baby Shark" at least 5 times! Though we had never actually heard the song before, we knew of its insidiious reputation from friends who are parents. Now we feel their pain. Another song called "Ball Pit Party" had us in stitches of laughter. They served nachos with melted cheese, chili, black beans, and guacamole, with tamarind juice to drink. We then went inside for Mael's birthday cake. They sang to him and he blew out the candles, but they didn't smash his face into the frosting. It was a moist white cake with whipped cream frosting and strawberries - quite delicious! I really enjoyed playing with the next generation of kids. Hard to believe that Rocio, whom we met when she was only 9, is now the mom of a 2 year old! We are so proud of her! It was great to see other members of the extended family as well. Thank you for a lovely party Juana, Rocio, Hector, and Carlos! Happy birthday, Mael! |
 Rocio, Mael, Aracely, and Ian  Rocio, Hector, and Mael  Hector, Daniel, Rocio, Aracely, and Mael See all photos from this day |
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