sv evi

With Jacob & Favio, our kids’ closest friends here

So, it was difficult to plan Jade’s birthday because I had to wait until the Thursday before the weekend to find out when Tomu’s soccer game would be. We have no soccer schedule for the year, we always find out 1-3 days before a game when and where the game will be. So I gave the guests 3 days notice about the party. My best friend here, Fabiola, helped me to plan the party. She said to tell people from 3-5 pm, on Sunday. She took me to pick out the cake at the bakery. I took Jade to pick out her piñata.

We spent Sunday cleaning and decorating the house and making food for the party. Our friends from the States, Steph and Nic, arrived at 3:15 pm. The next guests arrived at 4:15 pm, Cuencanos Lorena, Juanito and their granddaughter. Fabiola and her family didn’t arrive until 5:30 because Jacob had a soccer game at 3:30. And the two Venezuelan families never showed up, and also didn’t write to say they weren’t coming. So it was a bit disjointed of a party…as soon as Fabiola and crew arrived we did the piñata and the cake. The adults ended up playing ‘the fun game’ as my family calls it, and the last guests left at 9 pm! Tomu and Jade are usually in bed at 7:30 pm. Whew, how exhausting. So the party lasted 6 hours, with different combinations of people.

Later, Lorena told me that Sundays are usually sacred days to spend with family, and that parties here never have an ending time if they take place in someone’s home. I’m learning…

Jade has been a bottle fiend since she stopped breast-feeding at 10 months. She always woke up once a night and wanted a bottle of milk. She also often asked for them throughout the day. We began prepping her a few months before her birthday that 3 year olds don’t drink bottles. So on her birthday, she said she was still two, because she still wanted to drink bottles. But, she has done great, she hasn’t had a bottle since she turned three. We told her we gave the bottles to her cousin Espe.

opening presents…