Ecuador Part Two

Just a few more pictures and items from Ecuador.

Gifts from my mother in law: My mother in law made a few choice items for my baby. One I took back to the USA with me, and one I hid so that she *thought* I took it, but by the time she discovered it, it would be too late. This is the one I took. It's ok. She said I could hold the baby's "hair stuff in it". Ummmm, thanks?

Anyway, it has little pockets on it and it's a caterpillar. Obviously. My mother in law's house was FULL of things like this. I hate junk like that. I mean, I know that they don't have tons of money (neither do we for that matter) but at least I don't make stuff just for the sake of having something on the walls. But nevertheless, like I said, I really didn't mind it, and it was easy to carry, so I took it with me.

However, the second item was not so lucky. It was conveyed to me that I should put my kid's diapers in it. Again, thanks? Here is a choice picture of it:


I don't know how to describe it's hideousness. You know how in my last post I tried to describe to you about how no one listens to me? Well, it's like that with these "gifts" too. No one bothered to ask if we would have room for them. No one asked if we even wanted them. It was just assumed that we would take them.

It was huge, firstly. Also it was heavy. Also, I think she's under the impression that I use cloth diapers, because this is a classic cloth diaper caddy. I hated everything about it the first time I saw it, and I was going to be forced to take it. Marcelo said, "my mom worked hard on it, you have to take it." UUUUGHHH!! I'm sure these last few paragraphs make me a horrible person, but I really REALLY hated everything about it.

Moving on. My mother in law is a very unique person. Her birthday was on the 18th of June and everyone got her something. Marcelo and I brought this great new set of silverware, and her other kids got her clothes and shoes and fun things like that. However, my mother in law is a CONTROL FREAK, and she had no idea that the party was happening. Here is the look on her face when she found out what was going on:

SHE IS TICKED!! She's pretending to smile, but she's seriously annoyed. Those things on her lap are her presents, but she wouldn't touch them or look at them for like 30 min. She was just going on and on about how she didn't know, and she should've known, and why didn't anyone say anything? and why didn't she know, and SHE SHOULD'VE BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE SURPRISE PARTY THEY WERE THROWING FOR HER, DANGIT!!! She was really REALLY ticked off.

So Here are a few group shots from that same "party night. I like how these pictures also show a little more fully my in-laws house:















So the picture on the left has 3 of the 4 siblings (Leo wasn't there yet) and the parents. Marcelo. Lety, Cesar and Vicente (My father in law on the far right) And of course my mother in law, not smiling. And then the picture on the right has everyone in it. (except me who is taking the picture) The little boy in front and the boy in the back with the black hat are the kids of Anita (seated) from her first husband (He died in a sad motorcycle accident a few years ago) In yellow is Leo, Marcelo's older brother and married to Anita. Anita is currently pregnant (after a serious ectopic pregnancy scare/surgery and miscarriage 18 months ago) and they are hoping everything goes well. Jan 6th is her due date, so that will be exciting.

So that is a great family shot. Here is one of my favorite pictures from the whole trip: My father in law and my baby:















AGGGGHHHHH!! That shirt makes me laugh every time I see it!! My father in law is so soft-spoken, so kind-hearted, so peaceful so it makes the shirt hilarious on every level. Plus the fact that it's pink. AWESOME! My father in law is one of my favorite people on this earth. I really love the look that Evi is giving while he holds her. And she took to him SO quickly. I think she just knows and can sense his kindness. She would cry when he left and wanted to walk outside to see him leave. Honestly, my father in law is amazing. As much as my mother in law annoys me, my father in law makes me happy.

Next: my baby loved LOVED their cat "Chiqui!" (pronounced Chee-kee) Chiqui is a boy, and they starve him. I'm not kidding. I was told by Marcelo that you "HAVE" to starve them so that they will run around the house and catch and kill the spiders and roaches and mice. That is all well in theory, but when you have no more mice or roaches or spiders because the cat ate them all, then what? I just know that cat cried all the time, and I hated it, so I would sneak him food whenever I could.


My child LOVED him. She would chase him around the house and he quickly learned that being close to the baby got his face smacked or his tail pulled. He was a great sport about it, and never scratched her. I will say that the animals in that house are VERY well behaved. . . they have to be or they don't get any food!!

Here is a video of Evy "demanding" the cat come down and play with her:



And finally, this little "stroller" was purchased by my in laws and generally liked by my child. It was liked by her until she saw me sitting down watching her ride in it and she wanted to be held by me. Until then, however, she had a great time:


Oh, that red outfit is actually a set of PJ's that used to have long sleeves. I had to cut them off. It was very difficult trying to find the balance between not over heating my child and protecting her skin from the malaria/dengue carrying mosquitoes. We figured that this was a good option for these PJ's.

Well that's it!! All my pictures from Ecuador. I wish that I had more. I'm just not a picture girl!! Oh well, maybe next time.