The one with Guatemala's Independence Day.

September 15th is Guatemalas Independence Day, so Luca and I got ready for the day in Guate gear--and then headed out to shop with Grandma Rosie for the usual Fiambre dinner.  

This kids faces lately.

We went to the brown store to get most of the veggies, and Luca got a Guatemalan bread thing to chow down while we shopped--it was super messy--but he loved it, and it kept him occupied!

After shopping Luca took a nap before all the rest of the fun.  When he woke up I could hear him playing in there, so I went up to find him and a pile of wipes--those have since been moved to a higher shelf.  This was a brand new pack--he opened it himself.

I got started on all the meat for the fiambre after he got up--again, having Nicole here has been so nice in these times.  

Grandma and Grandpa came, and we assembled the salad--and everyone ate up.  I ate meat--the salad isn't for me--but it still counts--and even Nicole tried some before she went to work.

Happy Independence Day to Guatemala!

The one with a bike ride and eggs.

Guatemalan tradition for Easter eggs,  Cascarones as they are called. You carefully cut a hole out of the egg, empty it--and use the eggs so they aren't wasted--and then carefully clean it. Let the shells dry, cut out a whole ton of confetti and then fill the eggs up, and patch your hole up with paper and glue. Then you decorate them. 

And then you throw them at peoples heads. 

Okay, not really throw them. But you crack them on people's heads, foreheads, on their neck so everything does down their shirt. Anywhere. 

My sister in law made luca some of these "Cascarones" just for him to experience. 

We got the bikes out and ready for a ride. We headed over to my inlaws so we could smash those eggs. 

Remember how they only live 7 blocks from us? Well at around block 4 I already wanted to die. I am SO out of shape it is beyond ridiculous. Bike rides need to be regular so I'm not so pathetic out there. 

We were all excited for Luca to do it. 

But he was not so much. 

Poor kid. And I needed pictures before I could console him apparently. 

He wouldn't touch any more after that. So we broke the rest and just threw the confetti up and watched it all. 

Our old neighbor kids were out and came over to enjoy it all too. I'm sure their parents appreciated all the confetti in their hair--they will probably have to vacuum it out. 

Grandpa took a bike round around the driveway--and then luca just wanted to sit in the trailer. For basically the rest of the time. He loves it in there--even though it doesn't look like it in either picture. 

After luca went to bed we moved all the furniture out of the living room so the floor guys can finally come and fix it all tomorrow morning!! 

I swept and swiffered all good--even though it's pointless because they will dirty it all up tomorrow--it's probably the cleanest the room has been since before we moved in since I could reach everywhere. 

Wish us luck living with no floor for two days! We will be living upstairs. Food will be interesting. 

The one with the Fiambre.

November 1st is when Guatemala celebrates the day of the dead. They celebrate people's lives and those that have gone on. 

My mother and sister in law were over yesterday and they kept talking about how much they wished they could have this "fiambre" all their friends were talking about. They described it to me as a meat salad. 

I asked them why they wouldn't just make it and have some--and they said they didn't know how, and had never learned themselves living down there. 

So I looked up a recipe, got it approved and got them in the car. We went to get all the stuff they needed so we could make it! The Internet can be a beautiful helpful thing! 

We got everything, split it up and planned to get back together tomorrow--Sunday (Nov 2).

My mother in law called her sister--who makes this all the time for specific instructions.

Good news!! They loved it. And said it was just right! AND it was much easier than they anticipated to make! So they will be making it at least once a year. 

This is what it looks like all done up. It's a mixture of a million veggies, green beans, cauliflower, baby corn, onions, celery, carrots, asparagus, peas, cabbage, and a bunch of other stuff. All cooked in a chicken broth and vinegar mix. Usually over night--but this was so spontaneous that it was just a few hours. And worked just as well. 

Then you pile a ton of meats on top of that veggie mix. Salami, ham, hot dogs, chorizo, Bologna, sausages. Everything and anything really.

They loved it all!! Hooray for bringing some Guatemalan culture to Utah! 

I didn't like the main mix--it was too acidic for me--but I ate the meat--and actually tried it!! 

Jose always says there aren't many things he can do here like they do there--slowly we are learning the ones we can!! 

The one with the First day of conference

So Luca hasn't been feeling well.  We will get to that in a minute.

The other day he woke up at 5:30 in the morning.  Me and 5:30 are not friends.  At all.  So I got him a bottle--the only thing basically that he has been able to keep down.  He drank it all, and more and then crashed out next to me on the bed.  I tried to move him over at one point so I could get some more sleep too, and he flipped out and scooted himself as close to me as possible.

I was so tired I left him.  I stayed so uncomfortable for the rest of time, and squished.  Do you see the space between him and the edge of the bed on the left?  That was all for me.  

He really needed to sleep, so I dealt with it.  But I ended up getting up before 8, because it wasn't doing me any good to stay there.  I couldn't sleep.  I had to run some errands before the first session of conference started.  Shockingly, I chose Target.  I know none of you would have guessed that.

I made it back for the end of the General Women's meeting that was playing, and Luca was mesmerized by the singing.  He stood there and just soaked it all in.  That happened several times throughout the sessions, clearly the Mo Tab needs to be around the house more!

I was coloring some more of Luca's new church activity book while they finished up and the first session started.  Luca and dad shared a creamy all matching and stuff.

The choir was singing during this too.  He loves music.

After the sessions I remembered I still had to go get beans for the seven layer dip.  They only sell the best guatemalan ones at brown stores, so Luca and I headed there after we dropped dad off to go to Priesthood.  

We found an baby pumpkin, and I wasn't going to get it until Luca decided to chuck it across the store basically, and everyone was watching us.  So we took it.  Just so he could suck on the stem.

While we were at Target Luca had some adventures.  Those tiny chairs are adorable, and would fit SO much better in the playroom.  Birthday time is coming, and Christmas!  It has made it on the maybe list.

I did a few loads of laundry that night, Luca loves to help in there.  And by help I mean bang on the washer as hard as he can, and eat lint from the trash can.  It's fun.  I need to figure out where to put my trash can up off the floor.  One day.

The one with an attempt to catch up.

The weather has been going back and forth between beautiful sweater weather and the stupid 90 degree heat. I'm embracing the sweater weather when it comes. And making my child do the same. It's just too adorable to not stick him in cozy clothes. 

We've been drumming in our music class and he's caught right on. He pulls pans, bowls and anything else that looks like it could be banged on and drums away. He pulled out my ceramic popcorn bowl the other day, flipped it over and used it. I have no idea how it isn't broken. 

His current favorite way to "chill" is laying on his tummy and kicking his legs. It's my favorite. 

We went to ihop this morning for breakfast with a gift card we have. Luca got a chance to sit in a booster. That didn't work out so well. He had pancakes and just tore them apart. That was fun. 

He ate sausage and eggs. At least it's something! 

 

We are finally getting grass today!! We have been waiting and waiting! 

Monday was Guatemala's Independence Day--so we celebrated with yummy food and Jose's family. I want Luca to know his daddy's culture. And 

And I'm aware the guarana is Brazilian. Don't worry. It's just delicious. 

So happy Independence Day Guate!