'nuff saida HUGE welcome to Ollie's two new friends Jack Russell Dilworth (26th) and Benjamin Campbell Bradley (29th). We are really hoping to meet these guys during our time in Canada this summer.
ally can’t be argued that the new focus of the internet and blogs seems to be video. It’s everywhere and why not really? I have been talking a lot about it on my professional blog, but here it explodes into my personal one as well. Why? because i don’t have many stills from this weekend. 
with a special Friday afternoon ultimate session that led to some pool time and then an impromptu fiesta at our house; great fun with great people. Saturday was to be my first ever time playing spades, what it ended up being was a confirmation of something that i knew; something that had been looming right in front of me for weeks. Oliver is a little boy. It is great and with each step he is more amazing but the days of bringing him to a party and then setting up his pack-and-play in a spare room are gone. He’s too smart for that, he knows where he is and what he wants which is amazing but at the same time it is another change. Needless to say our spades night was a little shorter then expect
ed, we’ll win next time though (for the record: he was jovial and the life of the party and never complained, he just wasn’t going to sleep). (see the baby in the cupboard video) Sunday was spent lounging before going to help out at the SpringFest activities at the school. It really is qu
ite an event with loud music and more kids on a sugar rush then you will see anywhere outside of Halloween. It is a good event and it earns a bunch of money that is largely spent on tech stuff for the school, so i am in full support! This marks three weeks in a row without wind: yes, i am counting. That said this is the last week before we get to go to Las Terrenas for a week, i think i can i think i can. If it stays windy all week up there this little drought will be well worth it!
highlight was hosting twenty people for a sushi roll. We are admitted sushi addicts, but rolling your own really can’t be beat. In the end there was fifty or more rolls prepared and cut leaving all of us in a complete food coma and despite our best efforts there was still more then we could finish for lunch the next day! I am not kidding; the picture shows one of three tables. This has been an event that we had been trying to get together for months and we hope the next one will be sooner!
s i couldn’t help but reflect at some of the days i have scene: walking in a Galway parade while on rugby tour in highschool, breakfast and lunch at the Toucan before heading to the Wellington for a little Gerry O while at Queen’s, even in Bahrain - St. Paddy’s has always treated me well. A comedic friend of mine here in Santo Domingo was going on the other day about how funny it would
be if the world treated all national holidays like we do St. Paddy’s Day; that is pretend we are Irish. It was a great little bit - one that i am sure he will eventually take to a stage somewhere. This year the wonder of St. Paddy’s continued with the second annual Colmado Crawl. As the colmado (a convenience store, they sell everything including beer and often have a group sitting around chatting and playing dominoes) culture here is incredibly strong friends invented the event last year. It combines a photo scavenger hunt with a crawl – jenius. Olive
r somehow made it behind the counter in most of the stops and continues to amaze at how calm he is being passed from stranger to stranger. This year’s shirts simply said, “tiene suerte (got luck)?” below the shamrock emblazoned with the Dominican flag. The pictures were amazing but somehow the ones ending up on this blog all seemed to have one thing (lil'man) in common…it seems to me that the only question that remains is: is it live to ride or ride to live?
It’s is true, despite Boppy’s insistence that Oliver would be a baby until h e was eighteen months old; his first haircut transformed him instantaneously from a baby into a little boy. Yes, it was necessary and maybe even overdue but it is still a reminder of how incredible (and how fast) each second flying by is.
ay test driving and think we will purchase our new truck this week. It is a two thousand Blazer and although i have been up late going over all of my hypocrisy surrounding it, that fact is: we simply need the clearance of an SUV here. We still drive less then ten kilometers Monday thru Friday, and our new car (despite its V6) will be an improvement on ga
s usage and the environment then the our 4 Runner with its four cylinders is now. Have i convinced you? i don’t think i would be typing this if i was a hundred percent convinced…must be the driver that lives within my head. I am going to be so sad to sell our car, i really do love her, but it is time to go. Becoming a father has vaulted the importance of airbags and reliability over the rugged toughness and adventure that “coach” has provided these last two years. Beyond this, we have both accepted new positions at CMS
that will keep us here a little longer so a newer vehicle just makes sense. Karli will be the writing specialist for the elementary school and i will be the Academic Technology Director. They are both incredible opportunities for us and we are very thankful.
Friday marked the first time i was invited to a Dominican’s first birthday. i have witnessed these extravaganzas from afar in the park but Maria Matilde’s birthday allowed me to take part. Complete with dancing, entertainers, food, a full bar, jumping castles, yeah 
It has to be said, somehow through some unknown action in a previous life i continue to be surrounded by incredible people. There is a tonne that could be written here but all i am going to say is that Tuesday was a holiday, Karli was with her mom and i was out kitesurfing; 
or more accurately, sitting on the beach waiting for wind. i get home before Karli but somehow the house is completely decorated for a birthday celebration, there are two freshly baked cakes on the table, a bottle of wine, a note giving simple instructions for heating the lasagna and garlic bread that sat ready and waiting in the fridge and a DVD. Being left speechless doesn’t happen too often but …
bearing more gifts then Santa Claus - we are continually spoiled (not to be confused as a complaint!!); of course the real gift for us is having Aba here to play with us.Friday we headed to Cabarete and like is true in so many aspects of life: an integral part of the adventure was the journey. After a record setting departure from the city and getting way ahead of the long-weekend traffic ... we had a flat. This wasn’t just a flat, the tire was absolutely destroyed. I am amazed at how incredibly efficient the Dominican AAA is; before i had the truck to a complete stop we had two motoconchos there offering help. "No worries it is just a flat," this would be true if the piece that is used to lower the spare from underneath the truck was there, which of course it wasn’t. By this point a woman has come out from her brightly coloured wooden house and is playing and singing with Oliver and taking Karli, Kristy and O to look at the river that runs behind her house. So now we are surrounded by men who are jabbering on in Dominican (a very loose relative of Spanish), i obviously have no way of getting my spare down, i have two gringas and a baby with me and a car full of gear. You could see how this situation could be stressful, maybe even scary…but it isn’t. The vast majority of Dominicans i know or have met are caring, helpful and wonderful people. In just a couple minutes Karli and her new best friend are in one of the guys car going to buy a tire, Oliver is “driving” the truck (see pic) and Kristy is taking photos while we catch up. In minutes th
ey return with a new tire, which the Dominican AAA won’t let me near, it is on in a flash and we are on our way pretty quickly (all things considered). Did we give these people money? Some of them yes, some of them no – none of them very much; were they doing this for money? some of them yes,some of them no. We debated after driving away the standard protocol for this situation. I paid them because they helped me and i was thankful, i didn’t know how else to express my gratification. I hope i did not set a horrible precedent.
So arriving a little later then we wanted it was dinner on the beach before a relatively early night. Saturday was a great day for Oliver and i. We went to watch the sunrise and surfers at encuentro; there was no waves so we just played in the sand, i had a coffee and we hung out before going back to get the girls for breakfast followed by some bodysurfing for me then i joined him for a morning nap. When we got up it was lightly raining (perfect napping weather!) and we celebrated by riding jaguars (video), marching around the pool and then going swimming in the rain. We ate early and put Ollie to bed. Karli and i went to listen to a DJ who was spinning on the beach as part of the Master of the Ocean event. He was phenomenal and the rain that was keeping the people away was just not fair. We called some friends who trekked through wind and the rain and met up with us (yup we have great friends), by the time we all made it to the dance floor there was a new DJ who was not on the same level as the first. Put lets put things in perspective here: dancing with the waves crashing behind you surrounded by good people, does it get better?
Actually yes it does.
Dancing with the waves behind you while all the other people are under the tent watching you thinking that you must be insane; just you and your beautiful (and great dancing) wife bouncing around in the rain like fools – now that’s better.
There was 
a trade-off however, in order to keep Karli dancing i had to give up my turn for a sleep-in on Sunday. No worries. A repeat of the day before with coffee and pastries at the surf break, this time though the waves were enormous and we were able to watch the surfers involved in the competition. The waves were a little messy with lots of close-outs and plenty of bails but i couldn’t help but think: Ollie is a year old hanging out at the surf break for sunrise, the last time in Cabarete he was left at the KiteSchool so his dad could get his fix. Look out - this kid is going to be good (of course only if he chooses too - his weekend change table is pictured). Sunday tested my patience. I sat on the beach kite ready, mentally psyched and waited for the wind that the internet said would arrive early. I was tested to my limit after a full three hours of waiting i was rewarded with some incredible wind and great waves. Sailed for more then two hours without a second’s break and the rush was big enough to carry me all the way through the long drive home. As i was packing up i heard one of the guys who lives on kite beach come in claiming: “this is as good as Cabarete gets”
I know this entry has too many words and not enough pictures, i will add more when i get my hands on Aba’s camera.
yes its my birthday but i have passed the age where that is cool, now i am just old.
through the last year has officially failed. Despite all of them, Oliver is one year old. Of course every step has been more incredible then the one before it but i am constantly worrying that i am going to miss something or not totally remember a sound or a stage as we fly forward at "ludicrous speed." Great friends of ours just announced their pregnancy and when i reflect at my life over the past twenty-one months, the emotions, the events, i sometimes feel like i have been living at an amusement park: not quite sick but with an extra hit of adrenaline coursing through my veins non-stop. (wow, where'd that stream of concsiousness come from?) and yes for the record – i love amusement parks.
year of his life and had lots of our friends over for a feast of epic proportions. It was a wonderful day. i couldn't help but remember that it was February and we were hosting a pool party (yeah i know i rub that in too much), however i sincerely hope that Oliver will also enjoy the thrills of a tobogganing party as well. Of course especially on days like this we really miss having our families here; i smiled on the inside however as the day was dominated by "adults" launching themselves into the water to catch footballs and Frisbees knowing that Oliver's uncles would be proud (scene video here).
another weekend has come and gone. 
It is scary how quickly that seems to happen these days. It marked the passing of the fifty-first week of Oliver’s life; his birthday is virtually upon us (also scary and hard to believe). It marked the beginning of yet another masters’ class for Karli – she may be the hardest working person on the planet. Studying, teaching, mothering…there really is no end. It gave Ollie and me lots of time together which is always enjoyed; walking, swimming and just generally hanging out. He discovered the joys of the pot cupboard (below), and we turned his box of diapers into a jet plane – so yeah i guess you could say we had fun 
– sometimes i worry i have too much fun. Even with Karli slaving away in masters’ class i was able to find some baby coverage and get in some kiting on Sunday which was just incredible. Long long cruising sessions with just Jeff and me on the water, wasn’t even its normal gusty self – truly the stuff of dreams. i am starting to get a better feel for the new kite and the lift it has when i get it clicking properly can be a little scary (in a very good way). The highlight of this weekend however may not even have been that; armed with information from friends currently in Bangkok and Brazil,
Karli and i have set out with a new vigor to spend as much time as possible in the park. i run there in the morning and we go for family walks regularly, this weekend however we found a new spot to set down our blanket and watch the sunset on Friday – the place is so good we went back for the show on Sunday. i think it may become a regular deal (i will have to take my camera this week).
Finally for those of you who saw my parenting tips video ("the nose"), this week's video is in that vein (it is really dark), but click here to learn how to feed your baby while keeping their hands clean (very useful).
e incredible cold at home resounds like a sweet melody around my eardrum i am forced to smile … just a little. 
ous four team flag football tournament to put us in the mood for the big game. It was really great a tonne of laughs and after a quick dip we went to watch the game on two projected screens with more incredible food then you could possibly imagine. My heart was with the osos in the game but i was happy to see Peyton and Dungy get one (class acts); if i had have bet it would have been on the ponies. Next year will be the Lions year… Hard to believe Oliver is almost one, you are invited to his birthday (see invite here).
A busy weekend like that can sure you leave you exhausted:
How you can do it, i will never know? You are – simply stated – better then me. Karli spent the last four days celebrating her friend’s wedding in the British Virgin Islands. She had a, very well-deserved, blast. This gave Ollie and me a weekend solo, a long weekend at that (Monday was a holiday here in the D.R.); never to be one to spend a long weekend at home 
i bull headedly surged on, back to the beach – Cabarete. I figure getting the OPP around the best kiters in the world should help to get me some free gear when he turns pro (his first lesson on maintenance at right). Of course it was worth it, morning sunrises, lounging by the pool even got a short session of kiting in, but "relaxing" it was not. Being “on” all the time with no 
one to pass off to was exhausting to say the least.
Saturday after my session we played a little disk golf and let a couple of his tias take care of him – this is what happens, beads and silk for el rey.
Sunday the wind teased but didn’t come through and Monday i spent the vast majority of the day trying to sort out our truck. Needless to say with a car battery and jumper cables in one hand and an eleven month old in the other we finally got it all to work out. Needless to say we were very happy to have Karli come back Monday night; happ
y that she had a great weekend, but far happier that she had returned to us.
(i have to be honest here i know this post is a little rough, I have been trying all week to get to it but just haven’t had the time – you will hear why in next week’s post)
This is the face that Oliver was making after three straight days with dad (no one blames him!):
The other side of the sunrise...
he time the sun came up. Those days are gone, and sometimes i wonder how i ever survived them. Don’t get me wrong, they were fantastic and hilarious but things change. Mornings are full of smiles and laughs now and when they happen to come on a secret beach that you have all to yourself there really isn’t much to complain about.
This weekend was incredible; special in so many different ways. Of course the most difficult thing that Karli, Oliver and i deal with is living so far away from our family and friends. The upside to that is that you have a tendency to bond quickly and solidly to the people that you are with, 
creating intense and fast friendships. This is bittersweet because the nature of these friends is that too soon they (or you) will move on to new adventures in new places. This of course ensures a great network of tight friends spanning the globe – but it can also be hard. This is the time of year when teachers decide who will stay and who will go. Conversations are dominated with questi
ons of the future or the sad realization that the friends you have seen daily for years will be on the other side of the world sooner then you wanted.
este es nuestra vida. 
Live it, that’s all you can do – strive to get the most out of everyday with the people who are here now and worry about tomorrow when it is here. That’s what this weekend was about.
ny – but c
an you ever do it enough? Saturday we went and explored some river fed pools (see the video and turn up the volume so you don't miss the squeal!) that we had to ourselves before spending the
afternoon between naps on the beach. The other guests had left leaving the hotel totally to us for Saturday night to play games relax and enjoy the good life before going up to a feast that made 
the huge dinner from the night before look like a snack. Fresh lobster, fish, sweet potatoes, salads, … the plates kept coming and coming – it was honestly too much! Sunday was more beach and pool time before loading up for the drive home. Ollie continues to amaze with what he will put up and we remain the luckiest people i know.some explaining may be necessary for this one:
the ice cube was too slippery to pick up, so yogababy went to it.
