Gymnastics Class

Emma is taking gymnastics class after school for an hour on Mondays and Wednesdays. She is really liking it and learning a lot of things! At first she was really timid and unsure of herself, but she's getting better each week. I even saw her practicing cartwheels in the den last night.

They warm up at first going around the gym walking, hopping, skipping, running

Then do some wall push-ups

Then some heel stretches

Poor Jack gets really bored

But he's a good sport about it

And likes to goof off with Dad

Arabesque?

It's a good time for the parents to get together and study on the bleachers. I guess I refused to study this day...but see everyone else? They're such good students.

Emma and friend Marcy

Front Rolls

Back Rolls

Hand stands

Trampoline Jumps

Back walk-overs

With bad lighting it was tough getting good action shots, but you get the idea. They actually do new things each week and she likes changing it up some. I'm glad she has an exercise outlet that's also fun for us to watch. Sojourn Academy also offers soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but we thought we would just stick to one thing for now. It's plenty for us to handle.

Amoxicilina

Starting last Wednesday, Emma was coming down with a cold. Not completely sure if it was a sinus infection that was getting worse and worse or just a cold. But all we knew is each day she had her ups and downs with how she felt. She never had swollen lymph nodes in her neck (which usually happens when she's sick) and she never had a fever, so we just thought we would give it time. On Monday night, Emma came into our room and said her ear was hurting...should have known. This is typical Emma sickness...having a sinus-type infection that turns into an ear infection. So what are we to do?

We knew there is a doctor at the language school two days a week and Tuesday was one of those days. Will woke up early and went up there to sign her up for an appointment only to find that his appointments were full. Now what? We thought we were going to have to go downtown to the Clinica Biblica for an appointment sometime that day...and Will and I both had huge tests.

We filled Emma with Tylenol and went to school to take our tests. When we got there, we were told by other students that there was a pharmacy up on the corner by school and in Costa Rica they sell a lot of prescription drugs over the counter. Okaaaay. So we skipped chapel and went up there to check it out. Here's how the conversation with the pharmacist went:

We walk in the door..."Tiene amoxicillin?"

"Si...un momento"

He walks to the back and brings back a box of Amoxicilina

"Por mi hija. Ella tiene siete anos y ella tiene ojo infection...verdad?"

"Si....Feaghdfiaohgagfnaighai" he says

"Como?" we ask

"Ghudfahbiufaduhaahbh" he says again just as mumbled and fast

Will and I stare at each other

"Bfdsiuahbfudahguidah" he says again but louder

"Uuuuuuhhhhhhhh" we say

He stares at us

I want to pee on myself

"He's saying they have a medicine that works better" says nice guy behind us

"Gracias nice guy"...."no gracias" to aggravating pharmacist

Let's be honest, the last thing we need right now is Emma having an allergic reaction to some herbal jungle medicine. The amoxicillin usually works, so we went with that.

It came in two boxes of a 5-day supply in powder form. So all we had to do was mix it with bottled water and kind of guess how much to give her (should have asked the pharmacist, but we were so nervous by the time we actually got the medicine that we just ran out the door). Total cost of over-the-counter antibiotic?

$6

She's feeling much better now, but Will is starting to feel weird

Childrens Museum

We had a long weekend which was so nice! We decided to take the kids to the Childrens Museum we've heard so much about. It was completely amazing! Probably the best one we've ever been to...not the fanciest, but the best for sure. Sorry there are so many pictures...but come on, it was awesome! Total cost? $8 for the 4 of us. We took a bus for $1 downtown, then took a taxi from the bus stop to the museum for $2 and then paid $8 to get in. Unbelievable. The Childrens Museum used to be a prison so it's absolutely huge but right next to the Red District in San Jose. That's right...brothels lined up one after the other with ladies lined up out the door for the choosing. I was completely disturbed.

But on to the fun...

Had to swing by the pet shop on the street first to see the cute puppies

And buy some coffee at the Central Market where they roasted the beans in front of us

And get some lunch at a local Soda...I about cried when we couldn't figure out how to order!

We got some type of fruit drink when what we really wanted was a Slurpie...how do you say Slurpie in Spanish??? We saw them there and everything, just couldn't figure out how to order them. Next time.

On to the museum!!!

Space center

Earthquake floor

Went to a section on the many uses of water. See the pictures? We use water for cooking, drinking, fishing, playing in the rain, and baptism. So funny that baptism is just a normal way of life...no one complaining in this country about religious stuff at the museum.

Why in the world was this their favorite thing at the musuem? They fought over who got to ride it and for how long...kids can be ridiculous.

Will and the goose having a talk

Remember...used to be a prison

A real train

Learning how bananas grow

Coffee plants

I'm getting ready to go home...but lots more to see

Kids shopping center...madness

This was the kid's favorite

They even had their own checkout girl who spoke English

Will had had enough...so he took a break sitting next to a pregnant girl

I think it would be a great idea for USA schools to come on a field trip down here for the Childrens Museum. It was so great and full of education! See what the teachers think about that and let me know.