'tis the season
With the opening days of december it is official, the Christmas season is upon us. Although here in the DR it starts a little earlier, with each day that passes in December i few more firecrackers go off, the lights in stores and homes are in full effect or in short: its beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Oliver's first. Amazingly there are already gifts under our ChristmasCactus.

This weekend was our staff Christmas party which was an increibly great time. Lots of eating, dancing, drinking and laughing. Some friends and i did a red carpet and interviewed people as they came in, the video footage is hysterical. Of course the greatest part of the party was getting some time to dance with Karli, who - as always - was the most beautiful one inthe room (this picture was taken by a friend wayne through the candle holder).
On an hour and a half of sleep i got up with the surfers and drove the three hours to Cabarete. They were chasing waves and i was planning to be ready on the beach when the wind came up. The wind came, it was late however and inconsistent. The little bit of sailing i did get in reaffirmed my desire to become a wave sailer however. Sometimes you have to show the dedication even when the conditions don't cooperate - or that is what i tell myself (and my wife - who is incredibly understanding). The short session did make the solo night bus ride home a long one.

The flu has torn through our house this week taking no prisoners.
Oliver has started smiling again though and continues to be a hilarious distraction. Lately he has been "trying on" different laughs, it is really something to see. If someone in the room is laughing he will start laughing, then he will stop and laugh again at a totally different pitch and with a different style. It is like his mother trying on clothes, stepping back looking at herself with the little face she makes then heading back to try on the next one. We our anxious to see which laugh he decides to go with, we'll keep you posted.

It is amazing what can happen in a year! This has been without a doubt the greatest year of my life. I am confident that it will never ever be topped. It can all be accredited to one person.

Thank you so much.

Karli and i celebrated a year with another incredible meal at the hotel atlantis, they gave us a private gazebo on the beach and food that has my mouth watering just typing this.

To all of the American friends and family in my life: Happy Thanksgiving.

Karli, the OPP and i returned to Las Terrenas for a Carol Morgan traditional turkey feast. The rumor was that seventy-one people participated and the food and drinks were amazing. Of course it was followed by a thrilling sunset game of five-hundred in the ocean and then a bonfire with guitars and s’mores under the stars. Not too difficult to find something to be thankful for! video

The rest of the weekend was spent in full relaxation mode which was a little different then a year previous.

As seen in the photos the weather a year later…was perfect. i have to admit it was a little hard to swallow after the stress all the rain put us and our guests through a year earlier. We talked about it a lot, then at 5:45 on Saturday out of nowhere a storm blew in that would have killed our wedding – especially because no one could have seen it coming. We wouldn’t change anything.

Oliver liked having the beach to himself; He put himself on a steady diet of sand (literally by the handful) and absolutely loved it when i buried him (video). He has three new teeth coming in, including two on the top – it is really going to change his gummy baby smile.

I have had a year to mentally compose a better way to thank all of the people that helped make the twenty-sixth of november two-thousand and six so incredible – i am still at a loss for words. The friends and family that made it here will never fathom what your presence means to Karli and me. We returned to the Villa Marcus on Saturday night (Karli had to give me my ring – for the third time), just being there sent a wave of emotion over me unlike anything Playa Bonita has ever seen.

It is incredibly fitting that our anniversary will be forever linked to the giving of thanks.

Upon returning to the capital we all needed long baths to get all that sand out of our hair!

Due to a scheduling or communication error we gained an extra day with Granny and Boppy. Truly, what was the loss for the medically needy in Lynden was our gain. We are lucky to be able to live and work overseas yet still be close enough for ten-day long (even if we stole one) visits! As is the usual case they came with two suitcases and left with one - leaving gifts a plenty - literally in every room of our house, we are all feeling very spoiled today (swinger video).
According to the weather network they are flying into 0 degrees celsius that feels like -4; it has to feel colder then that if you woke up in 26 degrees though doesn't it? With Oliver continuing to strengthen his, "i don't want to wear clothes" attitude, i truly am nervous for the festive season.
Oliver was terribly excited to open his first Christmas gift with mom (right) - he thought the box and the wrapping paper were awesome (he declined comment on the contents however).
Karli and i both took personal days last Friday enabling us to spend some time at a near by beach, sleeping in and enjoying the four extra hands that were eager to help out. Boca Chica is a great place especially when it is your "local."

Without stepping on next week's toes, Karli and i have begun the week long celebration of our anniversary. It is hard to believe how much can happen in a year! Everyday we are talking about what was going on and the emotions we had a year ago. Those of you who participated in Las Terrenas or from afar we want to renew our thanks to you.

The most difficult thing about being international teachers is being away from friends and family. That is an easy and obvious one. The benefit is when you do get to be close to your loved ones everyone seems to appreciate things just a little bit more. You will hear that a lot on this circuit; i am a believer.

Yup you guessed it, mom and dad are visiting. Ollie, Karli and i are fully enjoying being spoiled. Oliver loves his Granny and Boppy and again i am amazed by the intrinsic strength that family possess, how does he know?
Sure, the fact that he is the spitting image of Boppy might have something to do with it, but he most definitely knows.

This visit is particularly special, of course as any new parent would say having a son really changed my relationship with my parents and gave me a new appreciation for all that they have done (and continue to do) for me; that said this visit feels more peerlike then the relationship i have known for the last thirty years. Mom and dad are visiting our home, and we are taking our turn at spoiling them (a little) too!

They arrived on Friday and we showed them our new home, and then caught up over dinner and some Euchre. We went to the beach Saturday morning and enjoyed the sun and sand, Oliver showed off his new bathing a suit at Boca Chica (see the video of him and his friend mia here). We returned to the house for more feasting from our grill.

On Sunday we took Oliver to his first Licey game, he was impressed with los tigres 6-4 victory but was disappointed with the 3 runs they gave up in the 8^th and 9^th. We walked in to see two Azucareros get thrown out, then in the next minute a foul ball landed within 6 feet of us - a little overwhelming but he didn't seem to be upset. The volume of these games is something that defies explanation and truly needs to be experienced. He loved the game and it will definitley not be our last visit to Estadio Quisqueya.

So its Friday, its virtually next weekend and i haven’t written a word about last weekend, sometimes life seems to move a little quickly…
Well last weekend was a three-day, which gave me one more day to write about and one less day to get it done; no excuses. A year ago at this time Karli and i decided we needed to take a break from wedding planning and stress and head to the southwest of the island for a weekend of relaxation – the calm before the storm, last weekend we tooka major step towards making this an annual event.

The southwest of the Dominican Republic is unlike any place i have ever seen. It is incredibly gorgeous and refreshingly underdeveloped for this island. Kilometer after kilometer of desolate rock beaches and cliffs that just drop off into shimmering blue water, it truly eludes definition. The highway is likely the most gorgeous stretch of highway that i have ever driven. i am anxious to compare it to California number one but as for roads that i have driven only the sea to sky in B.C., the Cabot trail out east and a road that circumnavigates Majorca come close to comparing.

It became obvious to me in writing the paragraph above that this is a situation where i should let the photos do the talking, they are so much clearer then i, enjoy:

The hotel we stayed at (coralsol) was in a truly magical location, small cabañas up on a hill over a pebble beach - seriously from a dream. The highlight had to be the high reef out front that created a natural pool of calm sea water that was continuously refresed by the waves crashing over. Just writing this makes me want to go back today!




Here Is Karli enjoying her book on the beach with the green hills and our little cabaña behind her (right). Check out this little video to see the importance of WIFI.








WOW i just realized i hadn't put a picture of the OPP in, here he is enjoying the sunrise.






So on Saturday night, under the full moon we dragged our mattress out to sleep in its light over the water, it was absolutely incredible.





The only complaint anyone could really have about the southwest is its Xtreme heat, luckily coral sol has a pool that is fed by the frigid river water rolling down the hills, it has great coverage by the trees and is a great place to spend the hottest hours of the day.

Karli and Ollie basking in the morning sun

Yesterday was the worst post ever - i hate it. So i changed its title to the worst post ever - nuff said.
Anyway, today you get to see the worlds' cutest Egyptian.

special thanks to Uncle Jordan and Aunt Anne for the costume direct from Cairo; to Granny and Boppy for fast shipping and to Jeff, Kathryn, Aidan and Mia for delivery.

Halloween is celebrated here with the PTO's biggest fundraiser, the Halloween Frolic. It is essentially a carnival, lots of inflatable rides, slides, candy and a tonne of hyper kids whacked-out on sugar. The major difference from home is all the white clad nannies chasing around the kids while their parents chat on thier cell phones. Yeah it is a stereotype but there was lots of it going on. Oliver unsurprisingly was amazing, he did appear a little shellshocked for much of the evening but when i reflected on the evening i realized this was more people (far far more) then he had ever before seen, or knew existed on this planet. He likely thought there was Mommy, Daddy, Myra, family and some people who come over now and then...all of a sudden...he sees that the world is a bigger place. No tears and he absorbed it all, he fell asleep before his head hit the pack and play. (right: what is he thinking?)
He woke up as cute as he had gone to bed (below), still wearing his costume. In a press release he stated, "halloween is good, i approve and we will continue to celebrate this holiday."

the worst post ever…

I am trying to write this email with the positivity i had over the weekend; unfortunately things have happened to me at work over the last forty-eight hours that have left me feeling sick, stressed and angry – but i am not going to get into these things, i am a firm believer that proliferating negative energy gets us nowhere.

The weekend was fantastic, the kind of weekend that makes me incredibly thankful. Friday was a great relaxed night with family and close friends; laughing, talking, gossiping and generally having a good time. I traded a Saturday afternoon Kiteboarding session for the Sunday morning wake-up with Ollie and was rewarded with good wind and some nice rides. We then returned home to get ready for the Macky’s Halloween party (a perennial favorite). It was a booty shaking good time with unique and interesting costumes, great grooves all topped off with sancocho. Somehow i have never been able to get over that me and my two left feet get to go home with the best dancer at the party – forever. Dumbluck.

We have a wonderful babysitter who is the maid for the people who live below us; she, like so many people here in the Dominican absolutely LOVES Oliver. We have to fight her to pay her for her services and on Friday she wanted to make sure it was okay that she slept with Oliver. Karli made a comment about how in places of the world that would be a really weird request (i.e. the Neverland Ranch); here however there is a definite love and acceptance of children and babies unlike what is seen in the first world. I never walk the OPP anywhere without hearing “dios bendiga” (god bless him), if he is fussy at the bank or the insurance office i don’t get “that look” instead a teller on a break (or while working) will come and want to play with him, in fact they will do this even if he is not fussy (he’s rarely fussy)!

You should see him in his walker that is on loan from his friend Sofia, he loves it – listen to how he is imitating his mom’s voice in this clip.

Seriously, if you saw something this cute how could you help but say dios bendiga?

Mister October...

Although the leaves don't change colours and fall here in the D.R. autumn is definitely upon us. October on the islands (like at home) is really marked by baseball. Sure Dominicans go nuts for the World Series - especially when it features their countrymen - but October also marks the beginning of their national league - which is something every baseball fan should experience. I am not even what one would call a baseball fan but even i get into it. The games are electric and every game, no, every pitch is treated like it is the one that could win their team the championship. Team flags, hats and bracelets are for sale at every stop light and the majority of cars represent their team's colours proudly.

Working where we work, we teach the grandchildren of team owners and are often afforded free tickets to games (not to mention a new hat - thanks Cynthia!). Of course we can purchase bleacher tickets for $1.50 or the best seats in the house right behind the plate for $15. The price of admission is well worth the experience! This weekend a friend was given an executive box and six tickets right behind home plate. By the 5^th inning we were all occupying the seats about ten rows up from the field. This move was much to the delight to our students at home watching our "gringos on parade" antics with every pitch - on local television. Incredible seats like these however really make the game a lot more interesting as we could see every pitch well enough to make the umpire's call. We were also completely surrounded by major league scouts reminding us that we really could be watching some of the stars of tomorrow.

As for teams there are six teams in the league; but for our family there is only one Los Tigres del Licey. This team is one of the two teams representing the capital and one of the two traditionally dominant teams in the country.

Ollie and i had a great weekend while Karli/mom slaved away in academia – continuing to work towards her masters. She enjoyed her class and learned a lot. Our weekend however was filled with swims, wandering through the colonial zone and listening to international music that was in town as part of a cultural festival. We really love her and are proud of the work she is doing - but we wouldn't trade her though.

Change; they say it comes to all and whoever “they” are – they’re right. This weekend i returned to Cabarete, a small wind/kite-surfing mecca on the north coast of the DR. This place was my home for a debaucherous year before i headed to Ecuador and whenever i have returned there since it has really been a trip. This weekend perhaps a little more then previous – you see when there is no wind i have a tendency to think to much.

I think of the whirlwind of change that i see; Cabarete has gone from a somewhat hidden beach town to a booming vacation hot spot. i walked the beach that was the start of my daily commute for that year, this time carrying my son. Then, i passed palm groves, horses and nothing, now, it is littered by hotels and “luxury condos,” on literally every step of the walk. The town is definitely booming, why didn’t i invest? There are still remnants of a crew there; most of us now with kids – waking up to play parent long before we would have left the TikiBar a few short years ago. Change.
Of course life is all about balance and there are many things that stay the same: the pizza and scene at Lax, the music and hilarity of the SankyPankies at Onno’s, a sunrise to yourself on BozoBeach, bread from Dick’s and the great wave just before Nanny’s point – i would love to know the total number of hours i have logged on that wave (video of Ollies first session on this great wave!).

An overnight in Cabarete: a great reason to be thankful that we live in the DR.
Well i am likely writing this blog for myself and the people that do check it out don’t care about my random thoughts but want to check on the star of the show…yes he is doing fine and changing everyday. He is still all about standing but can break down into a commando crawl when he needs to storm the beaches.

Even though he doesn't get to see him too regularly Boppy is still his hero, and although he won't recieve any pressure from his parents he was already going through the Queens' Med class calendar and has been practicing regular check-ups on all of his stuffed animal friends. I have to say if you could put DKP in a diaper and a big white "c" pillow they would look identical. GreatGrandpa Raymond of course is also happy to hear that his first GreatGrandson is enamored with the medical profession.

Bath time is still one of his (and dad's) favorite time of the day. We have our little rubber squeaky octopus friends, our washcloth puppets and songs that we sing - goodtimes (what change?). Recently we have discovered the joy of splashing (see video) and the not-so-joyous act eating the suds.

OK, i think i have overdone the pictures already but i had to show you this one, this weekend was also the introduction of Mangoes to the OPP. You can clearly see he, like both his mother and father HATED them!