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Fun-filled Weekend

On August 2nd (yes, I’m behind in blogging) we woke to a beautiful, clear day. We could see Cotopaxi, one Quito’s most famous volcanoes which is located about 2 hours south of the city. It was majestic, showing its snow-capped peaks.

We decided to head there, as we hadn’t been there since about 2 weeks before Timothy was born.

As soon as we got to the park, a set of huge clouds rolled in obscuring the views of the mountain.
Although we were within 10 minutes of the base, we couldn’t see an inch of it. In fairness, Cotopaxi did make a few brief appearances, just to remind us that we were close by.

We had a wonderful afternoon, hiking around a lagoon at the base of Ruminaui, another mountain close by.



This lagoon was filled with birds and beautiful flowers, as well as interesting terrain.


The boys enjoyed it, or so we like to believe since they napped.

Also topping the fun news for the weekend was Timothy’s new skill – walking. Yes, our baby is walking. (PLEASE send another Marta!!) He loves his new ability and is eagerly trying to keep pace with Jacob.

We finished up the weekend watching a great performance of the opera, Carmen, at Teatro Sucre, an old restored theater in the historic part of town.

Buenos Aires!

We headed to Buenos Aires, Argentina for our August break. We were eager to visit Santiago’s grandfather, Norberto, who turned 85 recently. He is a wonderful man, and it was a delight for us to be able to share time with him and introduce him to his great-grandsons.

It was naturally very different than the last time Santiago and I were there. Single, kidless, and carrying backpacks, we saw a different side of BA. However, this one - the one with parks, zoos, and a lot more cafes - was just as delightful.

Naturally, traveling with 2 little people is always…fun. Yes, with lots of challenges, crumbs, and a little whining (ours), but fun. And naturally, now that the boys are into kissing and wrestling, trips are a lot more fun.

Top on our agenda was going to a classic Argentine steak house, so we headed downtown to La Chacra, Santiago’s favorite. Jacob was immediately fond of it, in light of the stuffed bull and horse that adorn the front of the restaurant.

There was no shortage of meat, and Jacob quickly learned the family tradition.

Timothy showed off his walking skills by heading to the kitchen to help the chef.

It was a fabulous meal, and we were stuffed to the gills. (We naturally had room for limoncello, a chocolate mousse and flan, but that’s a different story.)

We took a little post-lunch stroll and stopped at the Obelisk on the main boulevard in BA.

The next day we headed to Puerto Madero for a stroll and lunch. Following a delicious meal, we visited some of BA’s best sites including Casa Rosada, San Telmo (famous for its tango dancing in the plazas), and La Boca.

Along the way, we had a near tragedy. Once the boys had dozed off in the stroller, we realized that wow-wow azul (the blue dog, not to be confused with the red dog) had fallen out of Jacob's hands. We hurriedly rushed to retrace our steps. We were delighted to find a somewhat dirty but completely intact wow-wow waiting for us a few blocks away. (See earlier comment about how this trip differed from our first one!)

The next day we headed to the zoo. The boys were delighted to see bears, lions, giraffes, and many other animals. Timothy quite enjoyed feeding the animals, while Jacob got most excited for the monkey with the colorful bum.

We spent Wednesday, August 13th in Dique Luhan, a small town outside of BA where Abuelo Norberto has a small cottage. It was Timothy's first birthday, and what a wonderful memorable place to celebrate our littlest guy.

Back in Buenos Aires, we spent the day seeing some other great sites in Buenos Aires, including Santiago's old house which has been converted into a pre-school.

We had a wonderful lunch with Santiago's cousin, Carlos, who immediately won the hearts of both boys. It might have been the crepes with dulce de leche and ice cream. I don't know.

Our final full day in BA was a playday downtown. We shopped at a small open air market, ate ice cream at the famous Freddos heladeria, and pondered the world while the boys played at a beautiful park until the dropped.

But best of all, we just got to enjoy Abuelo Norberto (or Buelo Noobetto, as Jacob calls him). What a blessing to enjoy his presence.

Timothy turns one

Our beautiful little baby turned one. We can’t believe how quickly the time has flown, and how much he has learned. He is walking and loving his new capacity to explore the world and chase his brother. He and Jacob are two peas in a pod, and are actively engaged in wrestling with, loving, and annoying each other.












We spent the day in Dique Luhan, a small town outside of Buenos Aires where Santiago’s grandfather has a small cottage. The boys loved being outside, digging in the dirt, “helping” with the yard work, and seeing a more rural setting.













We were blessed with great weather, unusual for Buenos Aires in the winter. We had a feast for kings – surprise, a big steak.









The boys were delighted by the strawberry cake, and were helpful in sampling it in advance.

The rest of the day the two played in the leaves, which was a huge delight.

We’re so thankful for this year in Timothy’s life and for being able to spend it with Abuelo Norberto!