“Biker’s Diploma!”

At the beginning of this month I posted about getting what I’m calling my “Driver’s Diploma!”

Another member of our family became confident on his set of wheels just this week! 😊

After searching off and on for several years and after selling DJ’s RadioFlyer tricycle at the end of September (the one I’d brought in pieces spread throughout our luggage in 2016) for almost twice the $35 (dollars) I’d paid for it in SC, late last month (and just in time for his b-day!) I finally found him a second-hand bike in very good shape and for the very reasonable price of roughly $20 (dollars) – a combo that, sadly, is not so easy to come by here. Second-hand merchandise tends to be quite expensive here, especially when compared to SC “yard sale” prices.

All that to say, we’ve been very happy with this find! 😊

After four outings to the park, DJ – very happily – took off on his own this past Wednesday!

💙💙💙

Thanksgiving Traditions!

Thanksgiving Day: One of my favorite holidays! 🤎

In the southern hemisphere, it tends to fall on a regular workday when we have classes to attend and/or teach and a school year to wrap up. All become aspects that help us focus on the essence of the celebration!

In the evening we had to take our now-traditional walk, half a block up and four blocks over, to the little “mom and pop” ice-cream shop that has become an important part of our family’s traditional celebration of Thanksgiving Day.

The purple flowers on the jacarandá tree that we usually photograph on our way weren’t at their peak this year, but we tried for a few snapshots anyway. It was E’s idea to get the flowers with the moon in the background...

We’ve enjoyed watching the horneros rebuild their nest this spring!

DJ also enjoys taking (and editing) pictures with my cellphone:

And I love all the angles in this shot!

Since E’s regular classes had been cancelled for the afternoon, she had accompanied me to school that morning in order to help me teach elementary EFL classes.

This is what can happen when your teen gets ahold of your cellphone while you’re at the wheel: 😄

(She’s one of my favorite people!)

As I commented (on fb!) to John Mark: Dr. Troutman might just have been right when he tried to assure this desperately sleep-deprived mom that a colicky baby turns into a wonderful teen... 😉

SO much to be thankful for!

#ThanksgivingSeason

When a student brings you fresh mulberries from her family’s garden (and you already have an array of seasonal fruit from the open market on hand), why not serve fruit salad over ice-cream (from your favorite “mom and pop” shop) – and call it supper? 😄

That’s exactly what we did earlier this week... 😉

#CelebratingThanksgivingInSummerWeather

Culture!

Multiple cultural experiences this week...

The Lord of the Rings by Johan de Meij, performed by Montevideo’s Symphonic Band at the Teatro Solís on Wednesday evening!

The Tempest by William Shakespeare, performed by the Classic Players and shared via livestream by Bob Jones University yesterday evening! (E & DJ found out today that their cousin Marcos was the stunt double for the jester!) 🤡😉

📷: screenshots from bju web

(And we’d rather not talk about the rather painful sports event on Tuesday evening...) 🤐

But at least there was pop to enjoy...

“Driver’s Diploma!”

After originally getting my driver’s license in the Great State of Ohio (decades ago!) 😄

...and driving for over two decades in the Sovereign State of South Carolina (with all the crazy drivers there!) 😆

...and even having some experience driving in six countries (on three continents!) 😜

Finally this afternoon I received my Uruguayan Driver’s License!

It was a process 🙃 involving, of course, red tape and multiple visits to the municipality.

I had to...

...take the written (computerized) test,

...put in 15 class hours of “Driver’s Ed” (a big “thank you!” to “🚘ter’s Academy” for his patience!) 😁

...and then take the actual driving test.

So this little plastic card ranks up there with a diploma or something along those lines... 😉

Edited to add: 

The process was at least somewhat complicated by the pandemic (due to limited postal service, etcetera).

“Revalidating” a document internationally now requires the country of origin to “apostille” the document, thus certifying it as genuine. However, the interruption of international mail caused by the current pandemic complicated that aspect, so it was easier (and cheaper!) to start at Square 1. (Plus, I frankly was not confident that the DMV would be up to the challenge of validating a document internationally, pandemic or no...) 🙃

When it came down to the actual driving test (and the instructor found out that I’d already had a driver’s license elsewhere for years), all I had to do was drive around and through the park. Grace! 😉

“Happy Birthday, JM!”

The challenges of the now-infamous pandemic couldn’t keep us from celebrating our favorite man...

Celebrating as a family on Birthday Eve...

Celebrating with friends on his actual birthday...