So, Fiji.  I am enamored.  We are in Suva, the capital city.  It is on a bit of a peninsula, and a cool sea breeze blows all day long.  The light has a different quality here-- somehow things have more contrast, more clarity.  At first there was something about the light  that puzzled me, until I remembered that the sun  appears to be moving in a different direction than I am used to because we are below the equator.

We flew into Nadi, then took a smaller plane across the country.  The interior of Fiji is a continuous roll of mountains, starting out brown and  then becoming green and jungley.  Suva is ringed by more mountains, and slopes down to the harbor where huge ships and smaller fishing boats dock.  There are a lot of similarities to Belize-- Fiji is also a former British colony-- so the architecture feels very familiar.  Schools are built the same, the school children all wear uniforms, the trees and plants are the same.  It was quite disorienting driving from the airport, seeing so much that looked familiar, yet driving on the “wrong” side of the road.  Also, lots of men wear sulus-- which are basically wrap skirts.  Still getting used to that.

We are incredibly lucky to have a nice place to stay.  It is within a few blocks of  a lot of shops (including a store which  is like a Costco and a McDonalds… such a different world).  Also, we have hot water and AIR CONDITIONING.  Basically, this is a luxury resort for us.  It’s amazing how well you can cope with the heat and humidity when you know there is a nice cool bedroom you can retreat to.  And the heat and humidity  can be overwhelming-- it has been around 90-95 degrees daily, with similar humidity. We missed a few weeks of the semester, but it worked out the best for us, since Fiji was hit by a category 5 typhoon a few weeks ago.  Suva did not get a lot of damage comparatively, but there still was near 200 mile per hour winds, trees down, roofs off, and no electricity.  Parts of the country were completely flattened.  Here in Suva, you can see spaces where huge trees were knocked down, but other than that you would never know such a huge storm recently hit.  It would have been very, very scary to have been here during the typhoon with the 2 girls.  We are still dealing with rolling electricity and water outages, which can be frustrating, but since parts of the country still haven’t had electricity restored since the typhoon we can’t complain.

The University campus is really incredible.  It is quite large, and paths and bridges wind through huge, vine covered trees. Palms, oversize ferns and lots of really large bats flying around during the day make it seem like a prehistoric jungle.  The buildings are architecturally very interesting, with lots of tropical influences.

Daniel is one of only a few students in his class, and he is enjoying it, although he is working non-stop to make up for the 3 weeks he missed.   The semester is being held here in Fiji because there are a lot of industrial farms, and the class will go on field trips to visit.  I’m quite jealous Daniel will get to see so much of the country!

Internet here is very intermittent, and I've been slow to take out my nice camera because I'm mostly hauling around both girls and don't have an extra hand.  But I've got lots to share, so hopefully I'll be able to post again soon!

(I'm working with limited internet right now, sorry for a long post with no pictures.  I've been posting on Instagram a bit if you are desperate for pics....)

Bula!  (that’s hello)  We made it, we are in Fiji and it is glorious!  Before I get to the awesomeness that is Fiji, though, I have to document our trip here.  It was EPIC, in a very Homererian shipwreck-Cyclops-angry sirens way.

On Monday, we heard that our long-awaited Fiji visa was ready.   Since Daniel’s flight is part of his scholarship, we had to wait for the coordinators to source his flight, and then pray that the girls and I would be able to buy tickets  for the same itinerary.  On Thursday, Daniel was told they wanted to fly him out that  Sunday.  At about 10pm that night, Daniel was sent a flight itinerary, and we noticed the university was working with a travel agent to source the flight.  We quickly emailed and asked if we could work with the same Fijian travel agent to get flights for me and the girls.  At 1am Friday morning,  after multiple phone calls and emails to Fiji, we were successfully booked on the same flights Sunday.  And the itinerary was perfect: direct Belize to LA, and then overnight LA to Fiji.  About 24 hours travel time for us.   At this point, it was Friday in Belize and Saturday in Fiji.  Everything was set for Sunday….. Only no one had ever sent us a copy of our visa.  We spent Friday and Saturday trying to get in touch with someone to send it, but since it was the weekend, no one was in.  We decided there wasn’t much to do but cross our fingers and go.

Sunday  morning around 5am (after I got about 2 hours sleep-- seriously, where do allll those odds and ends in a house come from?  Impossible to be “finished” packing)  we set out for the airport.  The trip was uneventful  until about 5 minutes from the airport, when Lu projectile vomited all over me and herself.  No problem, I’d packed a few changes in the carry on.   At the (automatic) check in, we perplexed the kiosk since I was traveling on my US passport, the girls on Belize, and Daniel on his British passport.   When an agent came over, she asked to see Daniel’s ESTA waiver.  UMMM….. Oops.  I had completely forgotten about that.  Since he is British he doesn’t need a visa to travel through the States, but a few years ago they started requiring an online check and small fee that has to be done before travel.  Thank goodness for technology, cause I got out my computer and credit card, hooked up to airport wireless, and 15 minutes later, we were good to go (although my hands were shaking so much I could hardly type).  They ticketed us all the way through Fiji without asking about a visa!

Our flight to LA was great, Lu slept most of the way and Miss M was enthralled by the seat back tv.  This was my first time to the LA airport, and I was quite surprised after we cleared customs and immigration to exit right on the street.  After a bit of confused wandering around (hauling 2 carry-ons, 3 backpacks, and 2 toddlers) we were informed that we had to go up a level and to departures to go through security again.  Ok, no problem.  We got to security, and were informed that our boarding passes that were issued in Belize were not acceptable, and we had to re-check in at the Fiji air counter.  Which didn’t open till 6pm.  It was 1 pm.  We entertained the idea of trying to go somewhere, but we were tired and everything was confusing, so we settled in, getting the babies some pinkberry yogurt and raiding the 7-eleven-- the only 2 food places in the departure terminal. We got on the internet and were relieved to see an email from  the Fiji university stating that we didn’t need a copy of our visa, we were in immigration’s system

6pm arrived with much relief, as at that point I was doing laps around the terminal with 2 very squirrely 2 -year -olds.  We were first in line to have our boarding passes reissued….. And then, oh so casually from the gate agent, can we see your visas, please?  (here it’s important to note we were flying in on one-way tickets, as we will transfer to Samoa in June for another year and a half).  We got out the computer and showed them the university email, stating we did not need a copy of the visa.  We showed them the scholarship letter, the university acceptance letter, anything we had. NO DICE.  These (very polite) people were not going to budge.  They required a signed and stamped letter from Fiji immigration with our full names stating we have visas.   Right in front of us, the supervisor called down to baggage and asked them to remove our luggage from the cue. (it was 6pm, the flight was scheduled to leave at 10... I mean, give us a chance….)  Trying very hard not to panic, we got the computer out, and miraculously were able to call Fiji and the coordinator answered.  He was confused at the opposition, but agreed to email a copy of the visa.  5 minutes later, we triumphantly walked the computer over to the supervisors.  And, NOPE.  The letter stated that  those who hold Daniel’s type of scholarship are allowed in without visas, but the gate agents determined that it did not cover myself or the girls (we are dependents on his study permit).  So we called Fiji again. The coordinator promised to call immigration, and get them to write something out with my and the girl’s names on it.  Then we waited.  The gate agents set up a bit of a corral with those barrier things and brought us chairs.  At this point, the girls were manic, running and throwing toys and generally being over- tired over- stimulated toddlers.  Daniel and I called Fiji every 30 minutes, and kept being told “20 more minutes.”

Then Fiji stopped answering (they are still having electricity rationing from the hurricane that hit 3 weeks ago).  At this point it was 8pm, and the gate agents were not budging.  OK, back up plan.  What if we bought ongoing tickets to Samoa?  Fiji grants a 4 month tourist visa on entrance , so we could get tickets to Samoa for May, and then just change the dates when we got to Fiji (the semester ends mid-June).  We asked the agents.  “OK," they said, "can we please see your Samoa visas?”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

We actually have applied for Samoa visas, but did not have it yet, and anyways, why the heck would they need to see our Samoa visas when we would be flying there 4 months  from now? How is it not enough that we have proof we are leaving Fiji?  It was approaching 8:30, the counter closed at 9, and Daniel at this point was ready to scrap the whole thing and go back to Belize.  I asked him to please go back and talk to one supervisor who was sympathetic, and find out if there is any flight we can buy that will  fulfill their requirements and be less than the $1,200 US per person  that the unneeded return ticket to Belize would cost.  And LO, he had an idea.  Buy ongoing tickets to Samoa, then further tickets to Western Samoa, which is a US territory and therefore we do not need / already have visas for.

And so, with very shaking fingers, using the last 9% charge on my computer, we bought those magical tickets to Western Samoa , showed the confirmation email to the agents, and they printed out our boarding passes.   We went straight through security and boarded at 9:45 pm.   The girls slept the entire 11 hour flight.

It was with much trepidation we approached the immigration agent at the international airport in Fiji, because the LA gate agents had regaled us with stories of travelers without proof of visas being locked in a room and than deported. “Do you have a visa,” the agent asked without looking up at us.  “Yes….,” we tentatively  said.  She waived us past.  Stunned, I (stupidly) said, “um, do you need to see it?”  “Nope.”  And we walked on by.


So now the girls and I have one-way tickets to Western Samoa, and a horror of the LA international airport that will take a loooooong time to fade.

Well we are still here, waiting for a visa.  We hope to be traveling before the end of the month, but we aren't really in charge of anything at this point, so we don't know for sure.

In the mean time, we are having a bit of a summer vacation in February.  Daniel already started leave and is home, which the girls are just loving.  We are mostly living out of our suitcases, and I have time to thoughtfully pack, store, and get rid of stuff.  We are only bringing 4 suitcases with us, and I'm being very choosy about what stays behind in storage.  Things don't store easily here, between heat, bugs, and moisture.  My brother-in-law will be staying in our house, so our furniture can stay here, and everything else has been winnowed down to a couple dozen tupperware boxes.  I'm looking forward to not being tied down by stuff!

Miss M and Lu like nothing better than being outside, especially if they can help their daddy with chores.  Their daddy is looking forward to the day that he can send them out to do chores on their own....

The girls are growing and changing moment by moment.  Ms M has already outgrown the next up size in shoes that I had planned to take with us.  She's speaking in full sentences, and likes to bust out with random reminders in quiet moments, like "We don't eat soap!"  Truth.  Lu is a perpetual motion machine, and is in trouble the moment my back is turned.  Her favored method currently is dragging a chair over to reach anything out-of-bounds up high-- door latches, the top shelves of the bookcase, the back of the counter.  She is impervious to any method of discipline, which does not bode well for our future.  Both girls are able to count to 10 in English and Spanish, which sounds impressive but actually is because I count at them all the time ("I'll give you to the count of 3 to come over here!!!" ) so mostly reflects on their naughtiness :)  For two-year-olds they are pretty mellow though.  We aren't struggling with temper tantrums, knock on wood.  Crossed fingers for our upcoming looooong flights!

Ah, where to start.

So life for the last 6 months has been rather insane, in both good and bad ways.

1. Lu is officially ours!!  After two years, we have finally finished the adoption process.

2. We are moving to the South Pacific for about two years.

Aaaand the back story.

About a year ago we saw an add in the local paper for a scholarship opportunity for Belizeans.  Daniel hadn't really been considering a Master's degree, but this scholarship was too good to pass up.  So we thought, eh, let's just try.  Can't hurt.  We sent in the application, and then heard nothing for 6 months, so we thought he didn't get it.

[Aside:  the scholarship is to promote inter- Caribbean relationships, and somehow the South Pacific got included because ??.  When applying for the scholarship, there were only 2 schools offering the degree Daniel wanted.  He applied for a school in the Caribbean, but when applying online was required to checkbox a second choice school.  The only other school offering the degree he wants is in the South Pacific.... and we can see where this is going.]

At the end of July, Daniel got the amazing, out of the blue news that he won the scholarship!  So exciting.  And then we read it again, and saw he had been accepted to the University of the South Pacific..... and then much Google-ing commenced.  We learned that the agriculture campus is in Samoa, and Samoa is really really far away (Samoa actually exists in the future!  There is about a 20 hour time difference from Belize).

Once we got over the excitement, we realized we had a ton of work and stress to go through.  Although Lu had been with us for a year and a half, she was still a foster child, and we needed to get her adoption done.  With Miss M, that process took a year and a half.  With Lu, we had under 6 months before we were expected to be on the other side of the world.



Well, we did it.  As of last friday, Lu is officially ours.  The story is long (and I will probably write about it just to give others an idea what the Belize adoption process is like). I wish there was more excitement but honestly every single step has been a huge fight and so much stress that thinking about it still makes me nauseous.  But we did it.   Daniel's semester is scheduled to start next week, and we will be a tiny bit late, but we are officially, legally all a family and can leave the country together for the first time since we started to foster in 2012.

So YAY.  BUT WAIT.  In a new and exciting (HAHAHA) twist we learned this week that we probably will be going to Fiji instead of Samoa.  Turns out no one thought to mention that the first semester of classes for Daniel's degree are held in a different country (which means different visas and different, you know, plane tickets).  Fortunately (notice the sarcasm indicated by italics) even though Daniel's semester is starting in 5 days, due to the phenomenon that can only be classified as "island time," we did not have plane tickets or accommodations lined up for Samoa.  This, surprisingly, doesn't really bother me, which gives you an idea of how incredibly stressful the last few months have been. Small potatoes compared to adoption in this country with a time deadline. Dealing with four separate tropical countries (Belize, Trinidad where the scholarship is based, Fiji, and Samoa) is a whole new experience of laid back island time, but it will get figured out.  We will get there. We will find somewhere to stay.



The goats have mostly been sold, my car is sold, we have not been able to catch the guinea hens so I guess they are staying. We are slowly packing up and trying to figure out what to bring with us in our 4 suitcases.  4 suitcases for 4 people for the next two years.  (It's a good thing capsule wardrobes are so popular right now).

In summary: We are going somewhere in the South Pacific!  At some point in the future!  And we are incredibly excited!

This summer was rough.  Normally the rains start in August, but this year they were late, which means temperatures were out of control.  An article in the paper said this September was the hottest on record for Belize since 1857.

The problem with the heat is that the girls and I just can't escape it.  Our house is so tiny, all of us in one room all day long.  By 9am it is too hot to be outside, so we bounce around the (un air-conditioned) 12X20 ft downstairs, everyone getting a little crazier each day.  Everything edible/throwable/breakable has migrated to above 3 1/2 ft and yet the house still looks like a hurricane has hit it approximately 10 minutes after the girls wake up.  Once a week or so we journey out into the world, for a playdate or a visit to see Daddy at school.  Nowhere is air-conditioned, there is no escape from the 90 degree heat, so these trips (with the in/out of the car carseat wrestling matches, the inevitable toddler faceplants, and the dreaded car seat naps) wipe me out for the rest of the day.   Coping mechanisms have been lots of iced tea (for me) and Disney movies (for them).  Ms M now knows most of the words to the songs from Annie, the Lion King, and Mary Poppins.... which actually I feel is quite an accomplishment for a 2 year old.

I've been reflecting on this summer, though, and I decided I want to remember the good things.  The funny toddler sayings, their weird little quirks.  I have a pretty poor memory, so by writing down the good things and ignoring most of the bad things (AHEM potty training) in a few years I will look back at these toddler years with happiness.  Hopefully.

So on to my babies.  Since Ms M turned 2, her language has exploded.  Every day she tries out new words and phrases, and often Daniel and I turn to each other, puzzled as to where she heard her newest expression.  Her face and expressions are so animated, that even when she is just babbling in baby talk people often ask me what she is saying, convinced maybe she is speaking some other language.  She is quite, quite certain that there are monkeys in the fridge, and points that out to us several times a day.  She belts out show tunes and nursery rhymes, and dances with total freedom.  It's a joy to watch.  She is gentle with babies, but not with her sister.  She takes my face in both hands every night, and gives me a run down of her day in baby babble, often ending with, "monkeys upstairs?"  She talks to herself in third person, saying, "Look Emma, look!,"  She still hasn't figured out the logic of names, and calls pretty much everyone (including Daniel and I) "Tio." (Spanish for uncle).  Lu she has nicknamed Isa.  She is a night owl and a morning grump.

Lu is up, awake, and smiling by 6:30 every morning.  She talks a lot, mostly about her favorite things: flowers, balls, and the cat.  The cat she loves with much physical affection, and the cat really does not reciprocate. She is an independent miss, not really affectionate, but she likes to lean against me when I am sitting on the floor.  She is always dirty, even minutes after a bath.  She eats everything (even non edible things) with gusto.  She is absolutely fearless. When she falls she never cries, just picks herself up and barrels onwards.  She likes to spin in circles until she falls down and walk around the house with her eyes closed.  When you ask for a kiss, she shuts her eyes tight, sucks in her bottom lip, and turns her face up to yours.... which looks like a beaver.  She is obsessed with giving fist bumps, and will circle the room at family gatherings giving bump after bump.  She sits on her sister whenever she gets a chance (revenge I think for all the times her sister sat on her as a baby).  She has the longest eyelashes I have ever seen on a baby.  

So that is us, at the end of the summer.  Hanging on, looking forward to rainy days and cool nights.

summer summary

Summer, mostly over, and everything a blur of hot humid days.  Here is what we are up to...

The girls are growing so fast I could probably chart the differences day by day.  Ms M went though a shoe size in a week!  They drink about a half a gallon of cow's milk a day (thank goodness we have a cow) so that could have something to do with it.  They are in the language explosion stage and I love it.  Lu is already starting on a few words at 1 1/2 years old, but Miss M is in the accelerated growth stage of language.  A few months ago she was trying out one word at a time, and now she turns to Lu and says quite clearly, "go away now."  They have 15 minute periods scattered throughout the day of actually liking each other.  The rest of the day I mostly feel like a referee for angry territorial cats.  There is a lot of shrieking in this house.

I spent quite a lot of time this summer making cheese.  We were only milking 3 goats, but that was enough for about 5 pounds of cheese a week! I did a fun cheese swap with some facebook friends in San Pedro-- I sent cheese (by plane!  I felt very sophisticated... this is what my life has become) in exchange for some organic cocoa powder and a whole pile of fabric, most of which Miss M has claimed for "pretty dresses."  Most of my cheese I sell locally, since I am actually one of the few people in the entire country who makes and sells goat cheese.   That is not something I ever expected to be known for...

We've also aquired some new creatures, namely a pair of fluffy dwarf bunnies

and a goat named Snow who was raised in a kitchen (NOT mine) and thinks she is human.

 She sleeps on our doorstep each night and faithfully follows Daniel around the farm each morning. Whenever I open the door she walks right into the house with an attitude of absolute entitlement. She's pretty gentle with the girls, but will buck them over if they bother her too much.  So basically she fits right into the toddler mafia at this house.

The best and easiest from-scratch staple recipes

Daniel and I will be married 7 years this August, which means I've been cooking daily meals (and most everything else we eat) almost completely from scratch for that long.  And I still don't like to cook.  My goal in cooking always is to get the absolute best results with the least amount of effort. Over the years I've narrowed down my recipes to a few staples that I make over and over again.  Most of these staples  I make at least once a week, and all of them are made completely from scratch with easy-to-get ingredients.  Here is a list of my favorites:

White Sandwich Bread:  I messed about with Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day for a while, and though the bread tasted nice and came together quickly, I could never produce consistent results.  All I want is a nice sandwich bread, nothing fancy.  This recipe makes 2 loaves of bread; I make it once a week and done. The bread is soft but not crumbly, perfect for sandwiches.  I use margarine instead of butter-- the bread stays fresh a bit longer that way.

Flour Tortillas: I like this recipe because it uses milk instead of large amounts of oil or shortening (most flour tortillas in Belize are made with lard, shortening or oil), and the tortillas have a really nice flavor.  I usually double it, this recipe as is only makes 8 very small tortillas.

Chocolate Chip Cookies:  Yes, this is a STAPLE.  This recipe was posted 1 month ago and I have already made it 3 times (double batches :)  These are the perfect chocolate chip cookies.  Every recipe I have tried from her blog (Smitten Kitchen) has come out great, I'm a big fan.

Pickled Cabbage Salad: This has been a great way to get more vegetables in our diet.  I make up a big bowl on Saturday after grabbing the ingredients at the market, and stick it in the fridge.  It just gets better the longer it stays in the fridge... we usually eat it all before then but I have had batches still fresh after 2 weeks.  The girls love to crunch on cabbage pieces. I modified it a bit-- I use half apple cider vinegar and half white vinegar, and I usually only add onions and peppers with the cabbage to make things a bit easier.

Greek Fake Lentil Soup: This soup is simple to make, I always have the ingredients on hand, and it tastes really good and is filling.

Beans: There is a batch in the crock pot right now.


And bonus-- my favorite pizza dough recipe, given to me by a friend:

Add 1 cup warm water to 1 tablespoon yeast, let proof.  Mix in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar.  Start with 2 cups flour, add up to 1/2 cup more flour as needed (you can also add more water if needed) and 1 tablespoon garlic powder.  Mix till it makes a ball, no need to knead.   You can use this right away but it tastes better if you let it rise a few hours.  Makes 1 pizza.

Caye Caulker with babies and toddlers

*pictures stolen from my sister's instagram :)

We just got back from a few days in Caye Caulker with my family, and it was so, so good.  This is my second trip to Caye Caulker with babies in tow, and I'm convinced it is the best beach in Belize for babies.  Adults, too, actually.

What makes Caye Caulker special is the area known as the split.  The water here is extremely shallow-- it starts at about 6 inches deep- and the waves are buffered by the reef that surrounds the caye.  Combine this with bathtub warm water, and you have the perfect baby swimming spot.  The girls could have stayed in the water all day.

The lee side of the island doesn't have a nice big cleared area to swim in, but you can find some relatively seaweed free spots if you look around the docks.  This side of the island is blocked from the wind, so there are virtually no waves.  Palm trees grow right to the water's edge, so I was able to sit in a shady part of the water while the girls played.

This time around I think we hit on a pretty good combo of transportation and accommodation.  Last time we took the water taxi from Belize City to the Caye, which is cheaper but takes a few hours.  It was pretty draining. This time we drove to the municipal airport, parked there, and took a literally 10 minute flight to the island.  I was afraid the babies would be scared of the loud engines-- some of the planes are very small and can be loud-- but Lu was so relaxed she fell asleep.  Miss M alternated between looking out of the window and waving to other passengers. Flying from the municipal airport is significantly cheaper than from the international airport-- about half as expensive.   So much better then wrestling a toddler on a speedboat for 45 minutes!  (My fellow Belizean blogger Laurie has Tropic Air discount codes on her flights to Belize page, email her for a 10% off code.  Maya Air also flies the same route, and is a bit cheaper.)

We stayed at Costa Maya, right near the split, and it took us about a minute to walk down to the swimming area each morning.   I wanted a place with a little kitchen and this hotel was great-- clean and quiet, with nice big modern rooms.  I would definitely stay here again.  We've stayed in nice places farther down the island, but it is such a production to haul babies and gear to the water that we hardly ended up swimming-- which rather defeats the purpose of going to the beach. This time I could leave everything in the hotel room, not worry about extra diapers or even towels, and hop back and forth easily.   There are a couple of similarly priced hotels right next to Costa Maya that we also looked at,  Barefoot Caribe (looked nice but right across from a rather noisy restaurant) and Blue Wave guest house (no kitchenette).

Next time we go I'd love to hit the slow season in September and October.  Prices are a lot cheaper and there are way less tourists.  We will be back!

I'm linking to everything for those who are interested, these are my own opinions-- no one asked me to review or is compensating me :) 

 Nana came to visit a few weeks ago, bringing tutus and fairy wings and lots and lots of chocolate.

We went to visit friends who live deep in the jungle, where a family of howler monkeys came to observe us as the babies splashed in the jungle stream.

Mom was convinced the monkeys would pee on her head, but she escaped unscathed.  Our friends say they are fascinated by children, and come to watch every time the kids swim.

On the farm, it's baby goat time.

In one of the crazier things that has ever happened in our goat experience, we discovered a brand new baby goat deep in an ant nest tunnel.  The mama goat delivered a set of twins on a leaf cutter ant nest, which is a nice clear sandy mound and must have seemed like a good choice.... until one of the babies fell into a hole.

Fortunately we found him quickly, but we had a crazy time getting him out.  The tunnels can go 10-15 feet down, and the little guy was stuck in a bend about a foot from the surface.  The good news was that part of the nest was abandoned by the ants, so they didn't swarm and kill him.  The bad news was other unsavory things like to move into abandoned nests.  This fact didn't occur to me until I had both arms past the elbows squeezed in the tunnel trying to basically deliver a baby goat out a small dirt hole, and Daniel warned me not to put my hands all the way under the goat.  That was the point when I really got motivated.  It was a tight squeeze getting him out, but we managed with only a few scrapes and he is just fine.

His twin sister is 1/3 his size, and the tiniest baby goat we have ever had.

Which makes her the perfect size for the girls to play with.  And by play I mean practice being "gentle" while repeatedly pointing out "EARS!!!"  A baby goat with long ears is very exciting when you have just discovered ears.

Finally, Lu's teeth have started to come in... but only the canines on the top, not the front teeth.

We love her adorable baby vampire look :)

River Walk

Saturday afternoon we took a walk down to the river.  One of the workers on the farm has built a fish trap, which is a complete work of art.  The concept is that when the river level rises- as it does frequently during the rainy season- the fish are forced into the chute of the trap.  The worker has been catching fish with it for months now.  The entire thing is build without a single nail or screw.

One of the nearby resorts got permission to build a large deck near the river beach.  They bring guests for fancy picnics.  The babies love it for running around; it has a more square footage then our entire downstairs and nothing to bang into or trip over.  Perfection.