One Family's Journey: Packing List Update

By Notorious MLE -
Remember back when I talked about what we we're going to pack? Seems like so long ago now! Well now that we're here I thought I'd do an update on what was great and what I wished we had or hadn't brought... here goes!

Stuff that has been wonderful:

1) The stroller: So wonderful I wrote a whole post touting it's wonders earlier this week. We have a Maclaren and I'm really impressed by how well it handles Colombia's crazy streets.
2) Ergo Carrier: Just SO great! In small towns people will give you weird looks. In Lebrija people kept stopping my husband to ask if the baby was okay. "Can he breathe?" It is worth it though to be able to walk around in places where the crossing the street is problematic i.e. large parts of Colombia
3) Blocks: A friend gave us a case of foam blocks for Elian for Christmas. They are so wonderful for many reasons, including. 1) They are suitable for the bath. 2) They are light and don't add too much weight to the suitcase. 3) Nothing bad happens if he throws or falls on them. Here's a link to the blocks she got him. As my friend said they are also useful for the plane "Foam blocks=more fun for Elian and less lawsuits for you" Thanks Dahlia!
4) Board books=Endless fun and easy distraction for restaurants so parents can eat in peace. Also reading=good. Not that he reads them.. yet!
5) Portable Changer: This thing is just so much awesome that I can't even get over it. I want to buy stock in this product alone, it is so helpful! We will probably get a second one to keep in our car when we get home. Ours is from Target. You can check out a similar one here.
6) Friends and family helped us make videos of both our house and my niece and nephew demonstrating how to use a carseat. Elian likes to watch both of them.
7) Adoption-related books: There is nothing like re-reading the books while watching your child in action. We have the "Temper-tantrums" page bookmarked!

Stuff I wish we'd brought:
1) Those bibs that are like little painters smocks. Elian is so dirty all the time and the bib selection here is not great.
2) Baby spoons & utensils: Same reason as above. I also would've brought more than one sippy cup.
3) More than one book to read: After Elian goes to bed at night we can't really leave the house. I can only watch so much SonyCanal and I already finished the one fun book I brought.

Side Note: Just to be clear all of these items were presents or purchased by us. We did not receive any of these items from the companies linked to above.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks a lot for this update! Just in time for us :)
January 14, 2010 at 4:35 AM
Jane King said…
Are you in Bogota? If so, there is a bookstore in Unicentro that carries books IN ENGLISH! It's a major store.....
January 14, 2010 at 6:07 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Muisca Indigenous Names, from Hunza (Tunja)

By -
In response to this week’s posts on names, I have received several e-mails asking about the names of famous Colombians and their stories and about Indigenous names. I plan to spend the next three days sharing some of them. Also, I will continue to post more in the future and you will be able to find them all by clicking on the NAMES link the LABELS section to the right of the blog. Name: AQUIMÍN ( pronounced: ah key MEAN) or AQUIMINZAQUE (pronounced: ah key mean ZAH kay) When the Spanish arrived on the plains of Bogotá, 1536, they found a great nation. In fact, it was the third largest group of indigenous inhabitants in America. They called themselves the Muiscas , which meant ‘the people’. Their language was called Chibcha . The Muiscas were not a united group, but rather a collection of city states. The majority of the power was held by two main cities – what today are called Bogotá and Tunja (in Boyacá). These two cities were mortal enemies and each enlisted the loy
Read more

Popular Colombian Names

By -
Recently, I was asked to write a post on Colombian names, and popular Colombian names. I had a hard time finding a list, but eventually I did find one. According to I.N.E. - Instituto Nacional de Estadística, -- unfortunately, when I found this it doesn't say the year -- the most common Colombian boys names across all ages are: 1 JUAN CARLOS 2 CARLOS ALBERTO 3 ALEXANDER 4 ANDRES FELIPE 5 LUIS FERNANDO 6 DIEGO FERNANDO 7 JHON JAIRO 8 CARLOS ANDRES 9 ALEJANDRO 10 JUAN DAVID The girls are: 1 SANDRA MILENA 2 LUZ MARINA 3 CAROLINA 4 PAULA ANDREA 5 CLAUDIA PATRICIA 6 MARIA EUGENIA 7 PAOLA ANDREA 8 DANIELA 9 LILIANA 10 MARTHA CECILIA Just as here, names go through ebb and flow. Fourteen years ago when we were married, I attended several baby baptisms and met numerous friends of my husband. At the time, it seemed like everyone was naming their kid Juan CAMILO (boy) or Maria CAMILA (girl). I met dozens of them. Then, about 7 years later, I heard tons of SANTIAGO, JULIAN, SEBASTIAN and FE
Read more

La Madremonte

By -
Image
The myth of the Madremonte (Mother Mountain), and I do say myth though many campesinos in Colombia believe in her today, has it's roots in the indigenous cultures of Colombia and is known throughout much of Colombia including Antioquia, Caldas, Arauca, Caqueta, Amazonas, Guainia, and perhaps more departments. The Madremonte looks like a large woman. She has large, bony hands, large teeth and Betty Davis Eyes -- which on closer examination glow. Her body is covered in leaves and moss. Her hair is a tangled mess of plants and moss which often covers her face. She lives in the mountains and jungles, (in Antioquia and Caldas she lives in swamps where streams are born. People who claim to have seen her, usually report to have done so near thickets and bushes in jungle like areas. Others report having heard her bloodcurdling screams and groans on stormy nights. She rules the winds, the rains, and all the vegetation, and her role is to protect nature. She punishes those who invad
Read more