"California is a fine place to live- if you happen to be an orange"-Fred Allen

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Out and about

Since we arrived here in San Diego in late May we've been slowly adjusting to our new surroundings. At first the very fact that so many people were speaking English everywhere was overwhelming. In Bariloche we would tune right in to ANYONE speaking English nearby so when we first got here it was a cacophany.
The girls have quickly adapted to their schools here. The year round schedule made it possible for Chloe to catch up to her class and she will graduate fifth grade on time even though she only just started her grade in March. Naomi and Phoebe however will have to keep going in their respective grades in September. In Naomi's class, another little girl just moved here from Japan one week before us, and she will probably be in Naomi's class in the fall as well. This school is full of kids from all over the world and the U.S. It's like a little UN every time we go into the school- I hear Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, and other languages I don't recognize. Unfortunately, we are at the school a lot. Due to California's severe fiscal problems there are hardly any buses so we drive them everyday. This will become more complicated in September when Chloe starts middle school and we have to drive her to a different location.
We've been exploring San Diego each weekend and it seems this city is full of things to do and places to go. We haven't even made it to the beach yet!
Phoebe and Naomi posing outside our new home in San Diego.


Phoebe admiring a sculptor's work in the Spanish Village.


Uncle Rob and the girls hanging around a sculptor's studio in the Spanish Village.


Mike enjoying the scenery in Balboa park.


We posed together at the Spanish village in Balboa park. A stranger offered to take our photo in front of the beautiful cacti display.... She directed us left, then right, then crouching ... 6 mintues later we got the picture, but no cacti. :)


Mike :) -At The New Children's Museum downtown... We went on their free Sunday event, and we all had fun!


Chloe with bubbles...


Chloe on a crazy contraption at the Children's Museum.


Here's Naomi on the same contraption.


Phoebe won free tickets to the San Diego County Fair through her school, so we all went. Apparently this is one of the various "pieces of California" the Governator is trying to sell so there were people everywhere with petitions trying to "save" the fairgrounds.


Here are the girls in the garden at the fair wearing some super cool glasses they picked up at the booth run by buddhists.
The fair was great and I'm looking forward to returning next year when it's owned by " Pepsi"!!

The Jaguar Child pg8

The Jaguar Child pg8

Posted using ShareThis

The Gross House, pg3

The Gross House, pg3

Posted using ShareThis

Monday, June 29, 2009

The Jaguar Child, pg7

The Jaguar Child, pg7

Posted using ShareThis

The Gross House, pg2

The Gross House, pg2

Posted using ShareThis

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Goodbye Bariloche!!

I've been avoiding writing this post for four weeks, because I knew it would make me cry. On May 12th we boarded a plane, with 20 pieces of luggage, three kids, and our cat and left our wonderful home in the Andes to San Diego, California. There were many valid reasons... family, work, continually struggling with the language (those "foriegner moments" that just never stop for expats). But what it came down to and what was really evident when we arrived here in San Diego is that we are really needed here.
Our time in Bariloche is something we all will cherish for the rest of our lives. Argentina is a beautiful country with kind and wonderful people that we all miss every day. Below are some photos of some of the people who will always be in our hearts.


Naomi's best friend Kuana, who decided to run out of the photo at the last minute...


Kalea, Naomi, Chole, Tor, and Phoebe... Not pictured are Kalea and Tor's parents, Jill and Peter who just moved to Bariloche from Alaska.


Phoebe and her best friend Valen.


Chloe and her best friend Priscila.


Our good friend Betina suprised us at the airport....


Naomi and Fabi, her teacher in the jardin and her friend




With Vero on the last day of school. She was the girls Spanish tutor before school started and Chloe's fourth grade teacher.



At the Airport with our wonderful friend and Spanish teacher, Betina.

Monday, June 15, 2009

The Storm, pg3

The Storm, pg3

Posted using ShareThis