Cat meets Boy, Boy meets Dog

These past few weeks, Juani has really become alert. He is constantly observing everything in site, reaching out with desire to, not just touch, but eat everything at arms length.
He is completely mezmerized with both Octubre and Brownie so we decided it was high time he meet the rest of his immediate family in the up close and personal sense of things.

"Octi, meet Juani..."

"Juani, meet Brownie..."

Thought ya'll might enjoy this...

1st of many...

These days have been loaded with one exciting adventure after another! I have been getting lots and lots of work which means I have less and less time, but which also means I am no longer worried about how we will swing our trip in December.
Juan has become increasingly more bratty these days and spends what seems like hours screaming at the top of his lungs, reminding me, yet again of his aunt Amber, who, as a child, repeatedly turned heads with her blood curdling scream. Everyone seems to think it is because he is teething, though I think it is because he is mentally more developed than he is physically and is easily frustrated that he can't just get up, walk over, and pick up whatever he darned well feels like it. That and he is testing my patience. haha.
Claudio celebrated his first Father's day this year, and Juan and I woke up early to decorate the dining room with cards and banners. We bought him a new winter coat that he just loved and then he spent the day making us a BBQ.
Then Juani got his first package in the mail!!! Thank you Auntie Kim! He just could wait to show off his new cuddly jammies along with his insane gymnastic skills!

blah blah blah

Over night it seems, Juan has become a chatter box. He goos, gahs and blahs all day long. He does this, not only all day long but at the top of his lungs as if he were screaming so the whole world will hear. I must admit, while it is a bit embarrassing at times to have to shhh him through my giggles as not to interrupt the nice couple dining next to us, it is down right adorable. I will give you all just one guess and one guess only as to where he gets his motor mouth from...

So he is officially 4 months old now and weighs every bit of 16-17 pounds. He is long and strong and let me tell you, he loves loves loves getting his bath time on.

Though those photos will have to wait until next week! Hey I got to do something to keep you coming back with anticipation right?

Super Kiddo!

Claudio's brother, Daniel, turned the big 50 this past week and his wife, my sister in law, "threw the house out the window," which is Argentine for, had a heck of a party! She put together a surprise party at a ranch just outside of the city, fibbing that she needed him to accompany her to a work event. When they arrived, all of his friends and family were waiting for to surprise him...
It turned out to be a beautiful sunny day full of horses and BBQ. I can't say much for the company as I tremendously dislike all of my brother in law's friends...Not because I am a snob...ok maybe a little bit, but I just feel like they are a classless bunch, full of small minds and closed thoughts, telling jokes that only they laugh at.
Other than that, it was a lovely lovely day.
I got to zip around on one of the mares, nice to be in the saddle again, even if it was for only a split second. Meanwhile, Juani did a bit of his own flying...
These days have been full of smiling advances with little Juan. He goo's and gah's all day long...sometimes at a notch or two above what we would call an "inside voice" but it is so darn cute that people all around smile and comment on how beautiful he is. (proud mama)
I decided it was time to get back to some work, and well, like all things in this world, all I had to do was tell the universe I was ready to make some money, to work my bum off, and sure enough, three or so jobs landed on my doorstep. We will see which turns out to be the most lucrative, but I am pretty excited about it.

Other really amazing news is: Spanish in Rosario, the business I began a few years back, has been chosen to go in one of the most prestigious travel guides in all the industry of tourism; Lonely Planet! I am so proud, it is like watching my first child graduate high school!

Ok folks, well here is one more beautiful photo to tide you over until the next time I find a moment to sit down and type...

A day at the farm

Today was a fantastic and adventurous day for us. Juan not only got to play with a puppy his own size, but he also had his first encounter with sheep and horses!
A few weeks ago a very inspiring friend of mine, Carolina, came for lunch. She told me of a new non-profit organization she had stumbled upon and thought it might interest me.
She was right.
It is called La Asociacion de Ayudar Acebal, (the association of help in Acebal. Acebal is the small town about an hour away from Rosario)
So today we took a ride sharing taxi that cost approximately 5 dollars each way, an hour there, and an hour back, as curiosity was getting the best of me and I had to see it for myself.
This amazing organization is a purely heart driven program for children with other abilities. Children that were born into a such a small country bumpkin town that they are considered lost causes, monsters, and wastes of time, hence the lack of resources for both them and their families. Recognizing the need for said resources, a young single mother named Fernanda has freely dedicated her life to helping this neglected sector of society. She dropped out of veterinary school to take care of her parents farm, raising free range farm animals for sale, and procuring what will surely be her masterpiece. Her instrument being a horse, or rather 9 to be exact. She is practicing equine therapy. Something that most Argentinians have never heard of.

Between 5 and 20 children are dropped off or picked up daily around 2pm. Each day is something new for them, a learning experience, a bonding experience that will last a lifetime.
Yesterday they learned to make homemade bread, the day before that they collected wood for the outdoor wood burning pizza oven. Today we worked hard to weed an over grown garden where they plan to seed winter veggies. But on most days, they ride horses. Yes, children with missing limbs, down syndrome, mental retardation and other such disabilities have found their love in horses and it is this that has allowed them to move forward in other areas of their life.

Fernanda works Monday to Sunday, taking care of the farm, taking care of these lovely faces as if they were her own flesh and blood, and she asks for absolutely nothing in return. She receives no government funding, and very very little private donations. Everything she does is from her own pocket. This is where I come in.
I have vowed that the way I will help her most will be to build her a website where she can receive not only monetary donations but communicate with people that are interested in helping her cause be it oral support, physical support, financial support, or merely inspiring programs like her own. I hope to develop a program where we receive students that want to learn Spanish and live on a farm while doing so, paying for their room and board with their labor. I hope to launch a donate now button on my own website, as well as associate her with a network of other farms around the world that are doing something similar...If I receive even one donation, it will be more than worth it.
So spread the word to the world and send those interested and inspired my way.
In the mean time, here are some photos to oohh and awwh over.

This little baby was born on Friday but for some reason her mother abandoned her so they are feeding her with a bottle...A little hard work never hurt anyone...