Costa Rican Family Adventure: Typical school week

Well, I guess it is now official....we loved our year in Costa Rica so much that we are turning it into a two year adventure! With the exception of our oldest, this new life suits all of us just perfectly and we are beginning to hear requests to either stay here permanently or to at least continue to travel. Dominic, our oldest, still desires to return to his high school in the states for his senior year next year and we have assured him that he can. Secretly, I hope this year turns out even better for him as he should be now settled in and into the Pura Vida routine and that maybe he will desire to finish out here...but, we will see. With the newly acquired International Bachelorette (IB) designation at the school, it is kinda hard to pass up an IB International World School Diploma for a regular old California State Diploma (cause we all know what that means). But, it will be up to him and time will tell.

Our wonderful neighbors, the Gammons, are moving back to Florida (sob!) in a few days and started a home school on-line program a few weeks ago and a few of our kids have been very interested in the concept of this (I personally think they just like the idea of doing school in their PJ's and not having to wear a uniform!). Dominic and Zack will get to try this out soon as they will both take World History on-line to keep up with the requirements of the high school back in the states. History/Social Studies here at La Paz is taught in Spanish and is place-based and mostly about Costa Rica and the Latin American countries. Cool in itself, but not cool enough to qualify as World History per the state of California.

In the car this morning on the way to the first day back, we all talked about how different this year feels compared to this time last year. Last year, we were new, still figuring it all out and had only met a handful of friends in the weeks before school started. We were all new, in a new land, and attending a new school....this year, Dominic's class (11th) is the highest grade at the high school and thus the upper classmen of the colegio (what they call high school here), and Marissa's class (5th) is the highest grade at her campus and both are excited to be leaders and the oldest. William is excited to be in a 2nd-3rd grade blended class (especially cause it is with Ms. Kelly...the wife of Marissa's teacher last year....we have all been saying that we are going form one Dodge to the next and so excited to still be in the magic of the Dodge family teaching circle). Zack's class lost several of his favorite friends this past year, so he is excited to meet the new students and get back to playing some soccer (along with acquiring some advancement in some video game he wants to conquer this year).

I find myself personally slipping seamlessly back into my volunteer ways as I will be co-coordinating the new La Paz Community Council (a hybrid of the American version of the PTA) after helping to form the group last year. After preparing a much needed Welcome Packet for the new families, it gave me the honor to get to know many new families even before they arrived and helped them with a few questions, logistics, and details of moving a whole family to a new country. It has helped my own second year feel like home, familiar and welcoming. And of course, I will keep up with my yoga classes (with the exciting addition of an aerial yoga class in Tamarindo!), tennis lessons, and I hope I can keep up with "Mary's boot camp" class (as we call our little work out down at the bridge) even after she leaves for Florida.

Kurt just headed back to the states early yesterday morning after United has cut their flights into Liberia to one flight in on Saturdays and one flight out on Sundays per week....yep...just two flight a week to choose from...such a bummer. But, he was here for our little vacation last week and now he is back working hard on the launch of his new business, Dedicated Capital. I just love the title, cause out of all the people I know, Kurt is by far the most DEDICATED husband, father and provided I have ever met. Go Kurt Go!

So, I can't pass up an opportunity to show a picture of the kids from last year and this year....who do you think has grown/changed the most? Just love their adventurous spirit (not to mention their newly acquired Spanish speaking skills.....they are now my translators!). Go kids go!

Many of you have been asking about our regular days and because the kids are in school, we have lots of regular days like we did back home. Days when the kids don't want to go anywhere or do anything and days when they do homework or projects. But, for us an average school week looks like this these days....

First Day of School 2012....Will (1st), Zack (8th), Marissa (4th) and Dominic (10th)....Marissa is holding up the last Harry Potter book as she spent her summer reading this series and was very proud to have finished it!

The South Campus (grades 6-12) open for it's second year with plans for grades K-5 to come over next year with the hopeful addition of a second quad area (I say hopeful because they are still trying to raise the funds)

The courtyard at the South Campus (all native plantings).....

Monday....school from 8:00-3:00...we generally wake up the big boys at 6:30am to hit the showers, get the two little ones up by 7:00am, and leave by 7:45. School is about 5 minutes away by car. I drop off the big boys first at the south campus (grades 6-12) and then double back and drop off Marissa and Will at the north campus (preschool-5th grade). I come back home and have a cup of coffee and get Maria set up. She comes and cleans on Mondays and is included in our rental agreement. Marcos and Michael are also around a lot to fix things, put out fires (literally!), change light bulbs, etc. and are also part of our property management team. Great group at "Precious Places of Paradise" who we rented our house thru. William and Marissa have an all-school Morning Meeting in the outside palapa from 8:30-9:00am each day. I meet Dominic down at school from 12:30-1:50 for his LEEP period and work together on documenting his progress with his LEEP internship. Both Marissa and William have PE this day. After school the big boys take the school bus from the south campus to the north campus and workout in the "Jungle Gym" weight room while William attends gymnastics in the outdoor palapa and Marissa plays indoor soccer in the gymnasium. I pick them all up around 4:00 and they generally head straight home to jump in the pool and cool off from the hot day.

William and Dominic enjoying the swings on the North Campus (grades preschool-5)

Tuesday...school from 8:00-3:00...Dominic is now "working" on the Gamefisher II fishing boat for his internship thru school and goes to the boat that is docked just in front of Brastillio's Restaurant and about 3 minutes away by car from 6:30am-noon. SOON, I hope he will have a bike for this trip. I then walk down to the hotel Bahia del Sol and attend a yoga class from 9-10:30am. Argentina comes on this day and helps around the house and cooks us dinner.....she is amazing and I want to bring her home with us! She does cleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking, etc. all for $20/per day. She also has four kids and rides a bus for 1 hour to get here and then walks from the bus stop to our house for another 30 minutes. I pick her up or drop her off at the bus stop whenever I can. Dominic then comes home from fishing and jumps in the pool, eats lunch, and heads back to school by 12:50 for his last two classes (math and science). Zack and Will both have PE today. After school the big boys take the bus over to the north campus and play basketball in the gym from 3-5:00, William does ballet from 3-4:00 in the outdoor palapa while Marissa assists the ballet teacher, then Marissa does her dance class (part Pilate's, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, etc.) from 4-5:00 while Will plays on the playground...and if it rains in the afternoon William is known for running in the rain during this time and many a Tuesday I have taken him home sopping wet and happy as a clam.

William and Marissa in ballet class....

The Gamefisher II is on the right (Dominic is on board doing maintenance)...

Wednesday...school from 8:00-3:00...Zack, Dominic and Marissa all have PE today and I meet with Dominic from 1:30-3:00 for LEEP then the big boys take the bus over after school and work out again while Marissa has her gymnastics class and then BATON twirling class. Can't believe that we came all the way to Costa Rica to find a baton twirling class!!...she is soooo happy about this. The gal who teaches the class was a majorette at Southern Georgia where it is still really big. William has started having play dates on this day as he does not have an after school activity.

Marissa and Sienna practicing tossing and catching their batons

Sienna and Marissa twirling!

Marissa twirling away.....

Thursday...school from 8:00-3:00...on this day Dominic and William have PE. I mention these days cause the kids have to remember to bring their gym shoes (if they don't already have them on) and their PE shirt or uniforms. The two little ones wear a PE shirt only (green t-shirt with school logo) and the big boys also have black shorts with school logo. The south campus (or colegio/high school) has showers for after PE as the kids are generally soaked with sweat from hiking, running in the hills, soccer, etc. The teachers were much appreciative of this addition this year as no one wants to have teenagers in their classroom after PE without showers! I do yoga again this day from 9-10:30am and Argentina comes to help and cook again. She makes the house smell soooo good in the afternoons. After school, the big boys again take the bus over to the north campus where they have indoor soccer from 3-5 in the gym, William has Hip Hop class from 3-4 in the palapa while Marissa attends homework club with her teacher, then her dance class again from 4-5:00.

William (in back in green shirt) hip hopping away....

The gym where the kids have PE or after school activities....

Zack (in green shirt under net second from left), Dominic (with shooting sleeve on) and friends playing basketball....

Friday...On this day Zack and Marissa have PE (each kid has it 3 times per week) and both little kids have library this day (remember to bring library books back!). They both have to check out a Spanish and an English book each week and are asked to alternate between the books each night. Mostly we have been reading Dr. Seuss books in Spanish...kinda fun! Dominic gets out at noon on this day and he is either on the fishing boat making repairs or we work on his blog. He is keeping a blog of his LEEP internship to keep track and document his experiences...

(www.dominicscostaricanleep.blogspot.com)

This helps with his monthly check-in with his advisor and the monthly presentation he makes to his peer LEEP group. LEEP stands for Lifelong Educational Experiential Program. We decided to name his blog "Dominic's LEEP thru the Oceans of Costa Rica". After school, the big boys usually scatter to friends houses while Marissa and William have been attending a fantastic 2 hour art class. They have painted on canvas, done paper mache, painted picture frames and made tissue flowers so far. I am sure that some of you will end up with one of these projects as a holiday or birthday present (that is, if you come down to visit...no bribery intended!).

Saturday and Sunday...I have to say that these two days have become our favorite days because for the first time since we can remember, we have no games, no practices, no recitals, no rehearsals, etc. on the weekends. This is our time to explore, be lazy, go to the beach, go swimming, etc. So incredibly nice to be able to choose what we want to do and not have it chosen for us. I would say that going to Lola's or Tamarindo/Nogui's restaurant are our current favorite things to do on the weekend.