For those that know nothing about Asuncion... the city is on a river. Its a pretty disgusting river that you wouldnt want to touch with a 10 foot pole. But it is a river nonetheless. The built a nice road (probably the only nice road in all of Paraguay) next to the river and on Sundays they close it down for bikes. When my mom was visiting in April, we took the kids bikes and actually had a nice afternoon.
Turner is awesome on his little Ybike! Something I recommend to anyone with little kids. He was cruisin'
There is also a little beach there, where the kids enjoyed playing in the sand. Since Turner was a new walker, it was hard for him to find his footing on the sand. Kinley tried to help out, but wanted to go a bit faster than he was able!
And check out how they store their motorcycles when they are cruising in the house boat. Seems logical.
Then we finished the night off with my kids first taste of S'mores!
There are a lot of things that can drive you crazy when you have a toddler. But one thing that is really fun, is all of the "firsts" they have. You get to watch them experience everything for the first time. And even some of the small and unpleasant things (like going to the dentist) are so exciting in their little lives. Here is a look at some of the "firsts" Kinley has had in 2014... (in no particular order!)
The Dentist
February 1, 2014: She thought it was pretty cool. Even when the dentist told her she couldnt suck on ZZ (her zebra blankie) she wasnt upset. Not that this recommendation from the dentist has been followed! But we were proud that she didnt throw a fit in the office at the news!
Pamper Day
We went to a salon and Kinley got her hair and nails done. Then we went out to lunch! She sat completely still while they did her hair, and she did not want me to talk to her! I guess I was ruining her "me time".
Movie at the theater
January 2014: We went with the Primary kids from church to see Frozen. She had just watched it for the first time at our house in English. So at the theater she kept saying, "Why are they singing in Spanish?"
Riding her bike
January 2014: We were outside on the patio and all of the sudden, she is riding her bike! I guess the day before Maria worked with her for a little bit, and she caught on really fast! I was shocked!
Jumping in puddles
One of Kinley's favorite shows is Peppa Pig. And Peppa's family loves jumping in muddy puddles. So when I let Kinley wear her rain boots to school and jump in the puddles, she was in heaven.
Big girl bed
In May we decided to convert Kinleys bed to a toddler bed. We knew we were going to be going to the US and she wasnt going to have a crib there, so we wanted to make the transition with plenty of time before our trip.
She was so excited to be a big girl! And she did great at night. Naps were a different story, but it wasnt too bad. She even did great on our trip. But when we got back she asked for her crib back! So now we are back to a crib. Which means better naps, so I am not complaining!
April 2014: Before Turner started school, I was taking him to a mom and me class called Go Babies. I really think it helped him socially and developmentally. After we started going, he quickly picked up walking and started saying a few words. And he was so dang cute there too!
A week after Kinley got her cast off, I took her to try her first ballet class! We visited 2 different studios and ended up choosing the second. All of the dance schools here are very strict. You have to wear a uniform, have your hair in a bun, with a bun cover. And parents are not allowed to watch. Very serious! The only reason I got these pictures was because it was a "trial" day and parents could be there. But the first place she visited she had fun running around and getting makeup put on.
This is Talentos, the school she now attends. She started when she was just over 2 1/2. They dont really take them until they are 3, but she was able to follow directions, and they wanted our money! So they let her start early. But that is why she looks like the smallest one!
This video makes me laugh so hard every time! They were supposed to be doing log rolls, but she just couldnt figure out how to get started! Once the teacher helped her out, she was fine. But until then... man it is funny!
This was him "trying" to walk for one of the first times in November! So he was just over a year old.
Turner was not really interested in walking, but once he got this Ybike
for Christmas, he really liked using that. He would chase Kinley around
the dining room table while she rode her bike, and I really think it
helped him to get a handle on walking. It still took him a long time,
but... who is keeping track?!
Then in January, he started getting a little better! We thought he was almost there! But a few days of this, and then back to crawling for awhile!
Finally in February, he really started getting the hang of it. He was so excited and proud of himself! He wanted to walk back and forth between mommy and daddy all day!
For Christmas, I gave Lee a trip to Rio! We went for about 5 days and had a wonderful, relaxing time! The beach was beautiful, the food was tasty and the views were amazing!
We left just as Carnival was starting, so our hotel had some awesome costumes set up in the lobby. I cant even imagine putting one of those things on.
We took a trip to Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf.
We spent lots of time on the beach people watching, shopping for bathing suits, and drinking coconut water!
This is one of the many bathing suit salesman on the beach! And when in Brasil, you have to dress like a Brasilian! And there is no such thing as body image issues and lack of self-confidence. I swear it is the best place ever! After seeing everyone strutting their stuff in itsy bitsy bikini's ( like the 75 year old below that we lovingly referred to as "Lee's girlfriend"), I felt like I could sport one too. It's a great place to visit if you are having some self esteem issues! So, I may never wear it again, but in the magical land of Rio... I rocked it!
Did I mention that we drank coconut water? I mean... LOTS of coconut water!
