Adventure Mama MD

So excited to have my friend come visit us in Costa Rica! It's so good to see someone from home and I'm so excited to have more visitors coming next week! Started with a girls day with manicures, smoothies, lunch and ice cream with Eloise and Sanaa while Jamie and Everett had a wonderful "Son Day" (it was Sunday).  Everett was very excited about the pun.   Then, we went zip lining!  A lot of scared faces but all of us were brave.  Everett had a guide go with him but Eloise went by herself.  We had 8 zip line runs and only got stuck a few times!!  In between zip lines, we went to the waterfalls and jumped about 10 feet into a 20 foot deep waterfall.  The kids were scared at first but loved it by the end.  I have some brave kiddos!!! Then this morning, we went horseback riding at 7 am at Manzanillo beach.  The beaches here at Santa Teresa are beautiful but the beauty at Manzanillo was beyond stunning and we were the only ones at the beach. ...

 We have landed in our current home base in Costa Rica!  We are settling in to life here.   We have a lovely home on a hill just 5 minutes walk to the beach.  I've got a golf (my favorite!) and the kids have gotten into a routine of Spanish classes, beach time, swimming, and school work.  There is a lot more down time than I imagined and probably way more iPad time than I would like, but we do the best we can. Spanish classes are going well and we have a wonderful teacher.   Both kids took surfing lesson and did amazing!  But it seems more like Everett's thing than Eloise's thing. Definitely not my thing (injured myself the first time I got up).   I think boogie boarding is more of my jam.   And, yes, I got stung by a scorpion.  Luckily Jamie was here to kill the scorpion after I screamed bloody murder (not from the sting but once I realized what had stung me, I lost my mind a little bit).  Then, I proceeded to l...

The second part of our trip is Easter Island or known locally as Rapa Nui.  I have learned a lot about the Moai on the island.  We have had a wonderful tour guide Kava that has taught us so much about the island. Okay, he has taught me a lot. The kids have whined. And complained. And been miserable.  So, maybe in hindsight not the best place to take kids. More of an adult trip.   But, the truth is I am not sad we are here.  I feel so grateful to experience this island.  The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming. They want to educate about their island. They are so proud of the island and it's history, which according to me is really interesting (it is super boring according to my kids).  I feel incredibly safe here.  I also felt incredibly safe in Eco Camp in Torres del Paine and in Punta Arenas.  I didn't quite know what to expect of Chile, but it has met and exceeded expectations.   Another great part of travel is tryi...

I rang in the new year at the end of the world with my sister and kids. I met new friends that I’ll never see again but were my friends for a few days.    I learned about their lives.    They learned about mine (probably way too much but I’ll never see them again so who cares and I needed to talk). My kids and I were shown such kindness and graciousness.    They spilled juice, they broke a ceramic spoon, they were exuberant.  They were not only tolerated but given grace.    People were excited to talk to my kids.    My kids made new friends.    Every guide and many other guests knew the name of Everett’s pet bunny-Holiday.   My sister watched my kids when I took a much needed day trip by myself to the French Valley.    My feet felt unsteady at first.    But by the end of the hike, they were on steady ground.    Not sure if they will stay there, but they will always get back there....