March 31, 2013

Puerto Rico Day Two - At the Beach

Hola!

This morning Jonny woke up bright and early and ready to get going.  He and James ate their breakfast on the balcony and watched the waves come in which was the perfect way to start the day.  Jon wanted to get moving right away so he and I went down to play some beach volleyball.  We had a lot of fun and even though just hitting the ball was a challenge for him Jon was cheerfully persistent.  Will and James joined us for a bit too and I'm hoping to play a real game with David and Jacob before we leave.

Beach Volleyball
Jon tries to serve


After volleyball Will decided to go in and James, Jon and I went for a long walk down the beach.  Jon changed into his swimsuit which was fortunate because for him, "walk on the beach" means running in and out of the waves.  That was fine with me because it gave me an excuse to play in the waves too.  :-)

Jon running from the waves
Running down to the point
James chasing after Jon
James and Jon
Playing with the waves

   It was a long walk down the beach and the dark clouds on the horizon were pretty obvious but still we didn't turn around until it began to rain.  Though it was just a light sprinkle we were pretty wet by the time we got back.  When we did, we found the rain had given Jacob and David a different idea and they went off to swim in the ocean.  While they were off swimming James and Camille ran out to do some food shopping and Will and Jon went off to play in their room which gave me the opportunity to sit on the balcony and read.  I cannot describe how peaceful and relaxing it was to sit and enjoy the cool ocean breeze. 


Ominous clouds
Jacob and David swimming on our beach
Horse rider on the beach

  We were hoping to see San Juan today but the timing didn't work out so instead we drove to a beach in Luquillo, the next town over.  We were trying to find a beach with snorkeling but we had some trouble with the directions (the street signs here are hard to find!) so we ended up one beach over.  The water was too choppy for snorkeling anyway but we had a great time playing in the waves.  And I beat Jacob and David in a water contest!


My silly brothers
Will in the water
  At one point Will was in almost up to his neck but when I tried to help me told me "Don't worry, I can manage.  I have an adult attitude."  When I questioned him he explained, "An adult attitude is when you jump up in high waves when they occur.  I'm practicing to be an adult."  A few minutes later when he had just gone through a high wave Will added "I almost feel like an adult now"  Not quite yet, my love.

Will
David and Jon playing
James enjoying a swim

   After a couple hours in the water (I had to drag Will out) we were all exhausted so we decided to grab dinner at one of the fifty beach side kiosks in Luquillo.  I was hoping that this would mean a quick meal like the one we had yesterday but alas it was two hours before we were able to leave.  The empanadas were amazing but the rest of the food, while still good, was not worth the long wait.  On the bright side the boys were extra cuddly because they were tired and I got tons of hugs and kisses while we waited.


Waiting for dinner

  Today had a number of small frustrations and it was longer than we intended but did have a wonderful time enjoying the ocean.  And tomorrow we get to explore the rain forest!  I hoping that will go just a little bit smoother...

Adios!

March 30, 2013

Puerto Rico Day One - Arrival

Hola! 

  We have just begun our mini vacation to Puerto Rico and so far we love it! 

Our trip began at 3:30 this morning since we had to catch an early flight.  Will and Jon were so excited that not only did they have a hard time falling asleep but they both woke up in the middle of the night asking if it was time to go.  My hope was that they would sleep in the car on the way to the airport but a combination of excitement and the noise in the car made that impossible. 

  We are traveling with two of my brothers, Jacob and David, as well as with Camille, my mother in law.  Apparently we all get a little silly when we are tired because we were laughing the whole way down.  We did, however, run into a little car trouble.   Because of the number of people in our party we had borrowed a friend’s car to transport us to the airport.  On the highway one of the windshield wipers came loose and moved up just a bit.  Perhaps not thinking clearly I decided to turn the wipers on and off so that it would settle back into the correct position.  Unfortunately, in one swipe, the first wiper blade came loose, caught the other blade and ripped it completely off the car sending it flying up and over the car.  I confess that our moods were such that we all burst into gales of laughter.  (And yes, we will replace his wiper blades)


Jon in his bathrobe wandering the airport with daddy.

Will, David and Jon watching the sun rise
Jon on the airplane
Saying goodbye to Boston
   Our flight was uneventful and when we arrived in San Juan we were greeted by a light drizzle.  We took the coast road to our hotel so that we could admire the beautiful beaches and for lunch we stopped at one of the dozens of roadside stands along the way.  Some were no bigger than a hot dog cart but all of them were frying food over an open fire.  We don't speak any Spanish and the cashier didn't speak English so we had to order our food through the international method of pointing and smiling.  I couldn't tell you what we ate (aside from empanadas) but we all enjoyed it.  Jon ordered a shish kabob of chicken and what I think were fried plantains but my favorite was a kind of deep fried bread.  It was much more adventurous than my usual fare but it was all delicious!

San Juan through the clouds
Lunch at a roadside diner
The boys fell asleep once they found a comfortable pillow
  Once we reached our vacation apartment it didn't take us long to check out the beach outside our door.  I was wearing a new beach dress and as we walked over Jon told me "Mommy, you look beautiful!  I really like your black dress."  He knows how to make my day.  :-)

  It was too cold to swim in the ocean but we had a great time swimming in a couple of the many pools in the condo complex.  It was great to watch the boys play with their uncles in the water, they were all having so much fun.  Even when their lips turned blue no one wanted to get out! 
  
  Will and Jon seem to have lost some of the swimming skills they had learned in Germany but I think they will pick them back up in no time.  Jon did have a close encounter when he went in too deep but he was able to keep himself afloat until I got there.  He was less than a foot out of reach and it was only a few seconds but it was one of those moments that feels like it will last forever.  That was the end of swimming for Jon and as I was holding him afterwards he told me "You should have saved me sooner"

Our room
Will and Jon play in their room








The view from our balcony
Our beach
Playing in the ocean
Enjoying the pool
 It is an early night for all of us tonight and hopefully we will wake up rested and ready for an adventure tomorrow!

Adios!