Well, dial up internet has made it more than frustrating to update my blog, but my how time flies. We had several parties this month with some fun traditions, so here are a few photos to share. Above, is our 5 year old daughter, Olivia, with her rainbow cake made with much love (and frustration!) by Mom!
The cake recipe called for replacing the egg, oil, and water of a box mix with clear "gaseosa," or what we like to call soda. It smelled so sweet that I thought to put it in the fridge before any of our local infestations got ahold of it! Not to mention, it seemed to be getting stickier everyday due to the humid climate. When it came time to frost it, the top layer broke apart in my hands...sigh. After piecing it together and frosting it, it did look pretty cool, especially when we cut it.
It was a hit at the party, but I would definitely recommend this recipe for dry or temperate climates only!
Orang Fanta, a favorite among kids here - what party wouldn't be complete with little five year olds donning orange bigotes! (mustaches)
A few of Olivia's Tico friends, enjoying some salchichas, also known as hot dogs to us gringos!
In tipical latino fashion, no party is complete without a piñata! Once the kids start chanting it's name, there is no waiting til later. The biggest challenge, as seen in most AFV shows, is making sure no one gets hit with the stick. I always hate it when one piece of candy falls. Kids scatter for it, ignoring the person with the palo, or stick, meanwhile the person continues swinging. It is enough to give any Mom a heart attack!
So here is my sweet friend, Zaidy, at her baby shower. We had two showers to go to this month and neither went according to plan. Zaidy's water broke the day before her shower, however the public hospital sent her back home (lovely socialized medicine at it's best!) and she was able to attend her shower. Shirley had her baby the day before her shower, so it was postponed a week later. A costa Rican baby shower is actually called a tea. Most serve a plate of postres, dry filo dough with some little bit of filling in them, arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), and coffee. Zaidy displayed all her clothes on her belly - not sure if that is a traditional thing here, but it was very cute, as well as was her helper!
Costa Ricans have very small houses and with the high humidity and mold, they do not save anything from previous pregnancies to reuse if the have more children. Everything is borrowed or given away, including cribs, bedding, and clothes. The nice thing about this is that a Mom gets a shower with every baby! For the giver, it is nice because little thought is given to nursery designs, color schemes, etc. They are always grateful for whatever they receive - being that they often have so little to begin with.
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