My Christmas List

It must be the music... all of a sudden today I am in the Christmas spirit. Not that I need music to get me into the mood. Shopping for Christmas also does the trick. LOL.

Anyway, I made my Christmas list for the kids a while back, I think sometime in September (I even did a little bit of shopping then too).

Now, unlike previous years, I am NOT going overboard this year. Last year was one of the best Christmases we'd ever had, and we were on a budget as Hubby had recently lost his job. So we bought the kids a few of the things we knew they would love and kept it simple. It turned out wonderfully, even Hubby had a great time and he's not really a holiday, gift crazy kind of person.

Anyway to make my list, I put together a few items I knew the kids would love, stuff that they asked for and things I know they would enjoy.

I was very careful with my selection and even revised the list a few times because I also wanted to make sure I wasn't getting them too much stuff. After I made my list, I went to a few different stores to price check and compare some items, so that when the time came to actually buy the stuff, I would know which store to go to for the best deals.

After careful consideration (and yes, I tried to even make a budget), this is what I have so far.

For Boobie:

A Bicycle. Ever since the bike I bought for him Christmas 07 pretty much fell apart, he's been longing for another. He had finally learned how to ride his bike without training wheels; had even learned a few tricks. So that is at the top of my list.

Books. I ALWAYS get my kids books as gifts. Always! So this year, he begged for the Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest book with telescope and picture viewer (to view disks with scenes from the movie). We'd seen it a Family Dollar type store in the mall (one of my favorite stores) and I told him no, it was just too much money. At almost c7.000 colones, it kind of was a lot to spend on a book, but I put a mental note to buy it for Christmas. And so I did. I also picked up a Ben 10 book and a Shrek the 3rd book for him as well.

Shoes. Ok, I am just going off the list. This item has officially been scratched. I had wanted to get Boobie a pair of nice new Nikes for Christmas. It has been a while since he's had one and he needs a pair of shoes that are durable and also fashionable. Well, thanks to hubby, I don't have to buy him a pair anymore, at least not for Christmas because Hubby bought him a pair of Nike Shox last night...black patent leather ones. Very nice. So this space has to be filled with something from Boobies list (more on that later).

Telescope. I have been wanting to buy Boobie a telescope for some time now. I just know it's something he would love to use, even sporadically. Looking up at the moon and stars can not only be a learning experience but fun too. So I put it on the list for this year and went searching for an inexpensive beginner telescope for him as a gift. I finally found one and at a steal too. It came as set with a microscope, a very nice bonus! I cannot wait for him to break open the package and start using them both.

Nintendo Ds game. Of course! Need I say more. He can never have too many games. So he'll get at least one for Christmas.

DVD Movies. So far, on his list are Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, G.I. Joe Rise of the Cobra, X-men Origins, Hancock (he's been dying to own this movie), Batman the Dark Knight, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (we already have the first 5 movies) and I am Legend. I plan on getting at least a few more movies, 3 or 4 more to make it an even 10. Now, I know you're thinking that's a lot of money on movies BUT I get them for a GREAT price at the video store in Megasuper in Moravia. Great quality at just c1.000 colones ($1.73). I also bought him a case to put all his movies in.

X-Box 360 game. Since our x box is not working at the moment (have to fix it), I might just switch this out for either another DS game or a nice toy. No sense in buying something this Christmas that he won't be able to use right away.

Toy. This is pretty non-specific. There is a set that he has been asking for, but like a typical kid, I expect him to forget or turn his attention to other toys as the season draws closer. So I will most likely draw inspiration from his list.


For Princess:

Magnadoodle. She loves to draw and with this, at least she won't have to use a bunch of paper, not to mention pens (which she, in turn, uses to write on herself).

Baby Bassinet. How excited is Princess going to be to find this under the tree... a place to put her babies to sleep. When I saw this bassinet I knew I had to buy it for her. It's perfect! It's a bunk bed style crib for baby dolls. Princess will flip!

Books. For Princess, I got her two more books in the Petal Pixies Fairy collection: Daisy and Bluebell, and a Christmas book.

Camera. Every 5 minutes, Princess is telling me to say 'cheese' and trying to take my picture... so I bought her her very own toy camera. It's Disney Princesses and it's also a view finder. It even comes with it's own case.

Phone. Princess is OBSESSED with talking on the phone. She can never have too many. After buying a few cheapo toy cell phones in the past, this Christmas I have decided to loosen the purse strings a little and get her a nicer phone, complete with a few bells and whistles. I got her the Barbie butterfly phone with carry case and interchangeable face plate. She will be thrilled.

Laptop. She loves playing with Boobies old laptop. I have been meaning to get her one of her own, that works. So I put it on my mental list a while ago. After shopping around for the perfect toy laptop, I found one we'll both like. LOL. It's another Barbie item, and it comes with so many cool features, I can't even begin to list them here. One feature I do love is the piano... yes, on a toy laptop! I cannot wait for us, um, her to play with it.

DVD Movies. To be fair, if Boobie gets movies, so should Princess. On her list so far are Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Dora, Barbie, Cinderella and Mickey Mouse. I'll have to get her a few more to even it out to 10. And she got a case for her movies as well.

Car. Yes, one of those power wheels type toy cars that run on batteries... giving kids the feeling of actually driving. Not like she needs one, but I think it would be fun for her to have... not to mention drive Fatty around in.

For Fatty:

Power Motorcycle. It seems I am obsessed with supplying my children with motorized objects this Christmas. Boobie never had one of these so it's only fair I make it up by buying one for each child now. Besides now is the time to buy them or else they'll be too big soon and miss out on a fun toy. Boy I wish I had one of these as a kid. LOL!

Barney toy laptop. Since Princess fights Fatty for every single toy, I figure it's only fair to get him his very own laptop too. He also loves playing with Boobie's old laptop, fighting Princess over who gets to play with it first, so this should come as a great gift for him. When I saw it in the store, the sales clerk was trying to sell it to me for Princess, but it was a bit young for her. After I got home, I got the idea that it would be perfect for Fatty and then he won't have to hound Princess to play with hers, because he'll have his own to play with.

Books. Fatty got a Christmas book, a counting book (never too young to learn) and a Koala Brothers book.

Piano. This was one the very first things on Fatty's list. Boobie's old piano broke a while back and I never got a chance to replace it. Well, as with all my kids, fatty loves music, so I decided a piano would be the way to go. He is going to love it. It comes with it's own little stand and a little stool. Perfect for his little body.

DVD Movies. I decided to get Fatty 5 movies. He's not really into any specific show or cartoon but he likes to watch TV on occasion. Since the other kids are getting movies, I added these titles to his list: Barney, Winnie the Pooh and Elmo. I'll figure out what else when I head back to Megasuper sometime this week.

As for the rest of Fatty's list, well I am still working on it. It's tough shopping for a soon to be 15 month old, especially when his sister has a lot of the stuff he can already use. I have a few ideas and I'll have to see what father in law decides to get him ,then I'll go from there.

Now, on to Boobie's list. Since he could write, I have been having Boobie make a Christmas list of items he wants as gifts. He knows there is a possibility he won't get any of the items on the list. More than likely, he'll maybe get one or two items from the list, so he knows not to expect too much (it's more just to give us ideas).

He has never gotten every single item he has wanted from his list. And I will keep it that way. However, when I had him make his list this year, it was thankfully very simple and less extravagant than years past (last year he wanted a real laptop AND a PSP).

Lucky for him, I can actually get him a few items from his list this year (as long as it doesn't change), since I have already gotten him some stuff from the list already. I buy according to what I know he'll like and some stuff he has on his list was already on mine.

For Christmas Boobie want:

Nintendo Dsi, Dsi games (Mario and Luigi), Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, Hancock, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, A Bicycle, Lego City, Marvel Action figures, Ben 10 watch.

A very reasonable list. I think the only thing he won't be getting from the list is the Dsi (why bother since he has a Nintendo DS in perfect working order).

I am so excited. I just cannot wait. Of course, I'll keep blogging with updates on my list and the approaching season as it all unfolds.

Getting Into The Holiday Spirit

Costa Rica's holiday season comes EARLY! But for me, it doesn't start until after October 31st. Now that it is November, with Halloween a distant memory, my spirits have turned towards the holiday season.

I get so excited as Christmas draws near. Just the wonder of it all. I love all the decorations: the twinkling lights, the sparkling trees, the nativity scenes. I am in awe of everything.

As the season draws nearer, the church in the center of town builds it's stalls outside, and fills them chock full of holiday decor to sell; electric snowmen, reindeer, ornaments, wreaths, etc. Shops deck their windows with all kinds of Christmas gear and decorations go on sale. Not to mention all the toys and goodies for sale in the stores; doll houses, kitchen sets, motorized bikes and cars.

This year, more than just Christmas to look forward to, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving as well. Not that I'm planning a grand feast or anything. But this year, I just feel in the mood to go a bit more festive than I have in the past. Costa Rica isn't big on Thanksgiving. As a matter of fact, it's not a celebrated holiday at all. But that doesn't mean there are no celebrations. With the thousands of expatriates that live here, businesses have started to capitalize on this very American of holidays, complete with all the trimmings.

Restaurants and hotels offer Thanksgiving dinners, for a hefty price and supermarkets sell all the ingredients, including whole turkeys, to make your Thanksgiving day dinner a success.

So as I prepare myself for the season, shopping, decorating, cooking and baking, I know just how special this holiday will be.

I usually kick things off with a little Christmas music, which I have playing right now on the Internet. For T-day, I'll make some turkey crafts with the kids, as we've done in previous years.

And for me, while Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks and the food (lets not kid ourselves), Christmas brings with it a whole new meaning of being thankful and of course, lets not forget the gifts (again, lets not kid ourselves).

I get excited imagining the looks on my kid's faces Christmas morning as they open their presents. I get a thrill knowing that no matter what they get ( a lot, a little, or not much at all ) the time still has a magical meaning and they will be thankful. I just want my kids to have the wonderful memories. When I was growing up, we hardly celebrated Christmas in a big way. There wasn't much money to buy gifts or even decorations. But the season still had wonder and I remember still loving every minute of it. The Christmas memories I have from that time have always stayed with me and that is truly what I want for my kids. For them to cherish the time, the season, the family togetherness, the fun, the wonder and the magic of it all.

ANTS!

There are ants EVERYWHERE. And in EVERYTHING! They are a nuisance and it seems, no matter what you do to try and rid your home of them, they always come back, sometimes in a different spot.

I cannot leave anything on my kitchen counter for fear they will get infested with ants. Drop a crumb on the floor and minutes later, you'll see it swarming and covered with ants. I had to remove my cereal box from the top of the refrigerator because the ants had gotten to it. I see them marching along doors, in lines along the wall, on the highchair, computer desk, the bathroom sink, even in the microwave of all places. They get into and out of anything. And there is nothing you can do about it.

I have tried spraying them to death, spraying their holes and hiding places, only to find them coming from a different hole or hiding place sometime later. They may leave one spot just to find another. And as quickly as they come, they go, only to come back again.

I have to say, even though I detest the little buggers, they are harmless. These tiny ants don't bite. I feel them running along my skin now and again but they never dare nip at you. Which is good. They are not as bad as say, cock roaches or mice. So even though I hate that they are everywhere, I'll take them over those other creepy crawly nasties any day.

I do still wish there was a way to get rid of them though. I hate having a house filled with ants. But it's a way of life in Costa Rica. Show me a home WITHOUT ants and I'll kneel at your feet and try to convince you to switch houses. LOL. Not really. But seriously, is there a home in Costa Rica without ants....even a few ants? Any home? Any home at all? I doubt it.

Cupcakes

I made cupcakes for the VERY FIRST TIME Wednesday night! Surprised? Now, I know you must be wondering... how could I have survived all these 9+ years as a mother and NOT have baked cupcakes before? Easy... I used to just buy them. But now that I see how easy they are and how much fun they are to make, I'll be baking cupcakes a lot more from now.

I'll have to confess that I didn't actually bake them from scratch. I used the box version... I am NOT a baker, OK. I usually stick to stuff that I can bake in as few steps as possible, like my easy, 4 ingredient Butter Cookies or my Banana bread (I can bake my bread with my eyes closed. I don't even use a recipe... I have it memorized and I eyeball everything).

Baking just seems like so much work to me (the pies, the cobblers, the decadent cakes). It's not just the cleanup that gets to me (baking can be very messy), but all the instructions and following recipes to a T... I just can't get down with that. But baking can be lots of fun and come this holiday season, I'll be looking for easy recipes to make for me and the kids. Cupcakes are now on that list.

I have been wanting to bake cupcakes for a LONG time now, ever Boobie was little. But I just didn't have the motivation. I never had the paper cupcake molds or the pan. And it seemed like a lot of work. How wrong I was.

When Boobie's teacher sent home a list for the bake sale, I knew what I wanted to send in. Each child had a day of the week (every Thursday) that they were responsible for. Each week, one student had to bring in a baked good, pastry, dessert to sell to the class to raise money for 'something.' This was my chance to shine and put my baking chef hat on.

Mother in law had 'gifted' me a Dunkin Hines moist yellow cake mix and I had bought the super soft and fluffy frosting a while back. They were both sitting in my pantry waiting to be put to good use. When I decided to bake cupcakes, I knew I would have to get the pan, so I bought one at Megasuper.

Now here was the hard part: finding the damn paper cupcake molds. I went to 5 different supermarkets in 3 different towns before I could get my hands on them.

First, Megasuper in Moravia only had the mini molds. Hipermas and Mas x Menos in Guadalupe didn't have them. So I hopped in a cab to Jumbo Supermarket in Moravia. I remember seeing the paper molds there once when I was shopping for the cupcake pan. Just my luck, Jumbo didn't have them either; they must have run out. I had to hail another cab to Auto Mercado in Tibas, less than 10 minutes away. I prayed that this supermarket would have them. I had never been to Auto Mercado before, but I heard they sold a lot of American items... cupcake molds are definitely American, no? I almost burst into tears when I went down the baking aisle at AM and the molds were no-where in sight.

A quick question at the bakery though, and I was led to the right aisle, where they had so many different kinds of molds, I had a hard time choosing. I bought one of each of the 3 different kinds. Since I plan on baking many more cupcakes in the future (why not, I have the pan for it now), I figured I never want to be in the situation again... hunting for paper molds all over Costa Rica.

After that was taken care of, I could finally look forward to the actual baking. I could not believe how easy it was. 17 minutes for each batch of cupcakes and they were done. An hour of cool down time and they were ready to frost. Easier than pie!

I baked a total of 33. I gave one to Fatty and one to Boobie straight away... Boobie was lusting after them the moment the batter was done. I got 2 thumbs up, a very good sign.

I gave one each to mother in law and father in law and I sent one with Boobie as a special treat for snack the next day. I sent 24 to the bake sale. And of course I saved 4 for the house... 3 of which went in my belly. YUM!

According to Boobie, the cupcakes were HUGE hit, one kid buying 10. Boobie even purchased 2 of the cupcakes. I was so proud of myself. I had finally conquered the cupcake and now look forward to baking many more in the future. I cannot wait!

We Have A Problem

Boobie, my not so sweet, not too innocent, but still my baby Boobie, is starting to steal. Not sure when it started or even why, but ever since an incident that occurred a few weeks ago while visiting friends with mother in law, I've had to keep a watchful eye on him.

I know it has to do with the age. Kids steal; it's human nature. There are so many reasons why we steal. And in all honesty, none of them are excusable.

When I was a kid growing up, we were poor. I used to steal money (a dollar here or there) from my grandmother's shop to buy snacks to eat. I know if I asked her, more than likely, she would have given me the money, but that never crossed my mind. All I thought was, we were already hard up for cash. Asking for money to buy treats was out of the question. I just figured I'd take it and hope she didn't find out or that I wouldn't get caught.

With Boobie's stealing, it disappoints me. We're not poor. We're not rich either, but we're not desolate. He knows anything he wants, within reason, is given to him if he asks. He may be a little spoiled, but why would he steal knowing that the things he steals are easy to come by. He gets an allowance every so often, so he can buy the little things he wants.

I was told in secret by mother in law about his theft a couple of weeks ago. She had taken him with her to visit a friend of hers. While at their house, Boobie took a car that belonged to one of the boys and lied about it. However, the lie was just too big for him and he couldn't cover his tracks well enough. Since he was the last one they saw with the car, they knew he was the culprit and so he had to give it back and apologize. I know mother in law must have been mortified. But I was so shocked. This wasn't the first time he had stolen, but the first time he had done it on purpose and the first serious offense, to my knowledge.

Mother in law made me promise not to make a big deal about it because she had had 'the talk' with boobie and was confident he wouldn't steal again.

Fast forward to Friday, the night before Halloween. Boobie had a sleepover at his friend J's house. The following evening, as I was getting the kids ready for bed, I noticed a brand new stack of Ben 10 trading cards on Boobie's dresser. I am used to him coming home with new toys all the time, especially from J's house. They trade toys sometimes and J has so many duplicate stuff, he just gives them away to Boobie. But this was a brand new set of cards, the price tag still on them. I knew J wouldn't have just given them to Boobie.

So I ask boobie where he got the cards from.

"Dada", he answers.

Now, I know Hubby. I know he didn't buy those cards... not only because it wasn't really feasible for him to actually find the time in his busy schedule to pick up Ben 10 cards, but because Hubby doesn't usually buy stuff like that for Boobie. Unless Boobie is with him and specifically asks. I know they didn't have time between Friday and Saturday to buy those cards.

When I probe further, because I know he's lying, he then says he got the cards from J.

It didn't sit well with me that he had lied to me to begin with, now my gut instincts were telling me that he stole the cards. I ask about a ba-zillion times where he actually got the cards from until the truth finally came out. He took the cards. Or rather, stole the cards, from J; his best friend.

I was so disappointed, hurt and upset.

Well, now he's 'grounded' with all privileges taken away. And he also got a stern talking to from Hubby, as well as mother in law, father in law and yours truly. He also has to give the cards back and apologize. And he's not allowed at J's house for a while.

He did see J on Monday, where he told J about his 'five finger magic trick'. While J wasn't fazed, I know just how upset Boobie would be if somebody took one of his toys or precious little collectibles. He would throw a tantrum. He has got to put himself in other people's shoes the next time he's tempted. And I just hope there isn't a next time.

While I will try not to run with this, I don't want him to think that it's not a big deal. It is! I don't want him stealing and then lying to us to cover his tracks. It only sets him up for even worse behavior in the future.

The Rains Have Come

And so it is. Winter time has finally reached us... a little late, but it's here.

I can't say I am upset. I'm actually happy the rainy season showed up. It's good news for the earth and the vegetation, the flora and fauna.

I was starting to get just a little bit worried when October, supposedly the rainiest month, was hardly rainy at all. The poor crops were suffering. I loved all the beautiful sunny days, but I get antsy when the weather doesn't go as planned (that's an oxymoron, I know). But we all know, come October, better hunker down for a lot of rain. When that didn't happen, I feared winter had just passed us by, which would not have been a good sign. Not to fear though, it decided to show it's rainy head late. It's now November and like clockwork, the rains move in. Sunny mornings, sometimes so sunny and hot, you have to stay indoors. Then by the afternoon, the sun disappears,the day cools down and the dark clouds, synonymous with showers, blanket the sky. It rains sometimes all night. Most times, it only rains until the early evening or late afternoon. But it's raining every day now, like it should.

So true to winter time routines, get all your errands and chores done before noon. Because if you don't, you'll have to wait it out until the next day. Like the saying goes, "the early bird catches the worm". Back in middle school in Jamaica, my teacher used to have a lesson on the board for all the early arrivals to do as extra credit for the day. If you came early and got it done, kudos to you and the chance to enhance your grade. If you were late, tough luck. So just like that, things must be done early in winter, or tough luck. And no 'worms for you' until tomorrow.

Oh No! Not Again!

Princess is sick... AGAIN. I think I might have jinxed it, hearing about all the sick people and kids out there, and thanking my lucky stars that we escaped the 'bug'. It's been so long since we've been sick, I was hoping we could avoid it.

I went downtown today to do a bit of Christmas shopping, so obviously, I was in a great mood. I'd been looking forward to going shopping in San Jose center ever since I went there to price check items for X-mas. I couldn't wait. I would have gone yesterday but Hubby surprised me by calling and telling me to meet him for lunch at the mall with the kiddos. I jumped at that chance. He even took the afternoon off to spend with us... how nice. Well, back to the story.

When I got back home from my shopping trip, my in-laws informed me that both the kids had fevers. Well, Fatty was asleep and his fever broke, but Princess was burning up when I touched her forehead. I figured it might be like the other night, the day she got stung by that damn bee, when she woke up with a high temperature. I was a little worried but not too much.

Well, I am worried now. She just threw up buckets. And she's been whiny and listless ever since I got back, around 1:30. She's not being her usual self. I just hope it's a bug and not the freaking flu. I'll have to keep a close watch on her. Dammit. I hate when my kids get sick. Poor Princess.