Relaxing in Villeta

Once the school year got into full swing, things got crazy busy.  I finally managed to get pseudo "first day" pictures of the girls a few weeks into the school year.

They also started Girl Scouts this year, since Elena is now old enough to be a Daisy.  Maybe in another month I'll get a picture of them in their vests.  Needless to say, by September, I was very ready for a break.  Luckily, we have some proactive friends who found a beautiful finca to rent in Villeta, so we had a light at the end of the tunnel to look forward to.  The girls and I left a bit early on a Friday, went home and picked up Jeff, clothes and food, and then got on the road for a weekend out of the city.

The best part about Villeta is that it's fairly close to Bogotá, but still far enough down the mountain to be warm. The worst part is getting out of the damn city, which took an hour. But then we were driving along a nice, pothole free road through the beautiful mountains. The house itself turned out to be incredible. It was at the top of its own little hill with a lovely infinity pool, plenty of living space and huge bedrooms with en suite bathrooms.

Each bedroom had the same set up, so it was perfect to split with families.

This was the view from our bedroom.

We were a little less sure about the view from the shower, but there was no one around, so it turned out to be fine.

The pool and main living area were at the top of the property, and then there were bedrooms and a sauna father down.  The girls got right into their bathing suits, while the adults explored and worked on dinner.

It was fantastic open air living, and the weather was just perfect.  The black cat was also a big hit with the kids.  Can you see him under the table?

The next day, it was right back in the pool, and we joined the girls as well.

There were seven kids total, and they had a great time playing together, both in the pool and out of it.

It was one boy's birthday, and his family had brought a piiñata, which the kids made short work of.

They had also brought a drone to get some cool pictures.  The kids were fascinated by it.

I took some time to walk around the property and appreciate the flowers.

There was a little path off to one side that led to a fancy fire pit.

We took advantage of the area that night to roast s'mores, sing happy birthday and eat some cake.

I'm not sure if it was pool water or the over the top amount of sugar consumed throughout the day, but that night, Elena started throwing up and proceeded to throw up every hour or so.  Jeff and Vivian slept through it, but Elena and I had quite a night together.  She was starting to feel better by the morning, and her biggest worry was that we were going to have to leave, because she "loved this house so much".  Jeff and I were worried about her though, so we figured the best course of action was to hope for a break in the throwing up and head home as soon as possible.

She threw up once in a bag in the car, but was total champ about the whole thing.  Once we got home, we got her some pedialyte, and she didn't throw up again.  It was a rough way to end a great vacation, but we all agreed that it was a wonderful weekend, and we all want to go back as soon as possible.  We'll just keep a better eye on what Elena is eating.

Ending the Summer and Starting the School Year

All good things must come to an end, but we worked hard to squeeze in as much fun as possible before the sun set on our summer.

Jeff had to go back to Colombia, since he has a job and all, but we got in a date night before he went back, and we made sure to save space for his favorite bread pudding.

We also made sure to get in some time hanging with local friends.  Summers are hot in Virginia though, so the kids hung out in the "cold" tub.

The next two weeks of the summer were dedicated to camp, one of the main reasons we make the trek home every summer.  Elena has a local arts and crafts camp that she loves.  Each week has a theme.  This summer she did the magician theme and the carnival theme.

She also likes to check in with the fish in the lobby.

Vivian opted to try something new this year, Camp Shakespeare.  The Shakespeare Theatre Company in D.C. runs several education programs, and one of them is a two week summer camp program.  Getting Vivian in and out of D.C. was a bit of a hassle, but she was totally in her element.

We were actually pretty lucky with traffic and only had one really bad day.  Two people got in a fender bender, and one decided to shoot the other one, so the police closed parts of the highway.

While the traffic in the U.S. is generally better than that in Bogotá, I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like living in cities.

In between all the shuttling back and forth to camp, we found time for some other fun things.  I took a trip to the National Gallery with Shelley.

I brought home Paint Chip Poetry, which Viv and I had fun with.

We also got Vivian some new clothes, and I got some cute pictures of the girls outside.

Judy bought a new car, which made her even cooler as far as Viv was concerned.

In digging through the boxes from the basement, I found an old middle school yearbook.

But mostly, we just spent time playing, relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

Finally, it was time for Vivian's performance of As You Like It.  Jeff had to be back in D.C. for work, so he was able to make it to the performance.

He also took me out to the new sports bar in Shirlington.  It has rooftop seating, which we were eager to try out.  I was especially tickled by their drink special.  It actually came out pretty close to the picture.

Then it was time for our last meal of the summer at Safta and Grandpa's.  The girls, Mom and I were headed back to Bogotá on an afternoon flight.

I only had a couple days before I had to start work again, so Mom and I took a trip to PriceSmart, something I don't usually have time to do.  We found a great toy organizer which inspired a full play area overhaul.

The next day it was back to work for me.  Jeff was still in the States, but Dad flew to Bogotá to help mom out with the girls.  One of the other moms had arranged a nerf fight/picnic get together in Parque de Chico.  The girls were thrilled.

When we were looking at pictures of their day on my phone, it turned into a selfie moment.

Those crazy kids :-)  We took Mom and Dad out to lunch to help them keep up their strength and be able to deal with the crazy.  The girls are fascinated by the table inside the fireplace at this restaurant and are determined to come back some day to try and eat in there.  I can't see how the server could possibly get the food to you, but that's just me.

Finally Jeff came home, and we were all in one place.  School started for the girls, and Mom and Dad went home.  Everything was so busy, that I didn't get many pictures.  Not even a first day of school one, whoops.  I did get a picture of the girls waiting at the dentist's office with completely crazy hair though.

Definitely need to get a good picture of them this week, but the important part is they are both thrilled with the start of their new school year.  Elena is loving being in Year 1 aka Kindergarten, and Vivian has made a smooth transition to Secondary aka middle school.  The school has been a great place for them to grow and feel safe and nurtured.  Elena has already had a kite day and participated in a Year 6 carnival.

Vivian has already attended a double birthday party and gone flying through the air.

Jeff and I had our 13th wedding anniversary.  He got me beautiful roses which the girls liked almost as much as I did.

We went out to dinner at Osaka Peru which was fabulous as always.  We put our phones away and just enjoyed each other's company, so I don't have any pictures.  It's been a fantastic 13 years, and I'm looking forward to many more.