So many great things happened today it is amazing. Ileana picked us up at 9:45, and we went to the passport bureau. We met Marta there, and didn't have to wait too long before going into a cubicle and getting Noah's picture taken. The passport official entered all the appropriate information in the computer system, Jerry and I signed, and I think that was it. I'm sure we were there less than an hour. We had brought school work and snacks along with us, in case it was a long wait, but we barely did any school work, and didn't even touch the snacks. We had been told the bureau was something like the DMV on steroids, and there was some truth to that since it was very crowded, and we would have been hard pressed to figure out which line to even start in, had it not been for Ileana and Marta. Regardless, I think it was still a good idea to bring the school work and the snacks.
We would need to come back later to pick up the completed passport, so we headed out to get another photo of him for the U.S. visa, which is the next thing on our list. We went to a new mall called the City Mall. When we were on our first trip here in August, the mall was not fully completed, but now it is open and very nice looking indeed. We found a Quick Photo, which lived up to its name. No waiting in line, and the photos were done twenty minutes later. So awesome. While we were hanging out at the mall, I was able to connect with the U.S. Embassy by phone and made an appointment for Monday at 10:00 to deliver our I-600 and the rest of the packet of information. See what I mean -- this day just keeps getting better and better! After that, we stopped at KFC for lunch and a little bit of playtime and cartoon watching. By 2, the passport was ready! And it is the cutest little passport photo too!
God has been so amazing for us this week. The way the week started, with the national registry on strike and no idea when it would end, I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I am so happy with how much has transpired. And the fact that we have our appointment at the Embassy on Monday is just awesome.
The Spanish family that is here at the hotel is leaving for home tomorrow! They had been waiting to get paperwork out of the registry too, but have been able to get everything done, and are now ready to fly. They have been here three weeks in total for this trip. I am incredibly happy for them. Our kids have been playing so nicely together on this trip: running around on the terrace, playing hide and seek in all the obvious places, visiting the fish in the fountain (mama, papa, baby). It has been absolutely adorable to watch them. And to the four of them, it didn't matter that our two older boys speak very little Spanish, that she speaks no English, and that Noah doesn't speak at all. They could just play play play with no barriers at all. So sweet.
Noah let me in a little bit more tonight, actually more than just a little bit, I think. Jerry was changing his diaper and was getting him ready for bed, and I went in and sat next to Noah on the bed where Jerry was changing him. After the fresh diaper was on, I reached for Noah's socks to try to help out a little. Noah got a playful look in his eye, and somehow we started wrestling and giggling. I started kissing him real loud and he started laughing even louder, and then somehow we started growling at each other, first one then the other, back and forth, back and forth. That probably went on for nearly five minutes. My voice was starting to get hoarse, but there was no way I was going to stop for anything! Ok, then eventually I had to stop as it was getting close to bedtime, and it didn't seem fair to wind up the kid right before handing him over to Jerry to settle down and get to sleep. I could have tried to put him to bed myself, but I thought I didn't want to push it too far and get him crying at me again. Better to stop while I was ahead. But boy was it fun!
Ok, now after all this good news, I can share the funny stuff. Apparently Thursday night is the night for concerts around here. Erik woke me up in the middle of the night last night saying he could hear loud music that scared him. Sure enough, it was the same loud concert music as last week! Maybe not the same songs, but definitely the same guy, the same loud volume, and the same distorted sound. And now tonight, we've got it going again. Jerry just said, "I've been listening to this music, and it is really bad!" Yeah, no kidding!!!! I don't remember it starting this early last Friday, but maybe it did. It is just super funny to me. I wonder if they'll sing "My Way" again. Maybe it sounds a whole lot better up close, but I have a hard time believing that that could be true!