While taking a shower the other day, I was giggling and smiling, while singing “DOODOO, DOO, DOO, DOOOOOOO……….I’M LOVING IT”. You know, the McDonald’s song. I kept thinking what a perfect song for how I am feeling these days: happy and simple.
Since my last post, we have had a fun-filled month and a half. Here are a few of the events:
* We witnessed a monkey getting electricuted, fall off the electrical wires into the ditch, rescued, then brought back to life through CPR by a worker on the property. It was truly amazing to witness, and a great outcome. * Billy got a ticket from the Transit Police for not carrying his Texas Driver’s License while driving (had the Passport, though). Went straight to the attorney’s office and he wrote a letter. Glad we met him when we got into town. * Saw a huge palm tree (next to our house) get struck by lightning and catch fire. We watched it burn to the ground. Luckily, it was raining and didn’t spread * One of my favorite memories happened the other day, when I walked around to see where the kids were (they are always helping the grounds crew), and I heard laughing. Their Costa Rican “abuelo” (grandfather) was wheeling them around in a wheelbarrow yelling “taxi, taxi”. They were having the best time and laughing hysterically. * We almost got stuck in a flood. We were at a friend’s restaurant down the way when it started pouring down rain. We decided to wait there until the rain subsided a bit. Bad idea. As were we driving home, we were watching locals walking/swimming the streets with the water thigh-high on men. * Kids went to a Rainforest Camp with friends and had a great time. Billy and I walked down the way and spent some time together, drinking coffee in a restaurant, over-looking the ocean, and listening to the SILENCE. No noice, very quiet. 🙂 * At the beach, all the kiddos stood up on the surfboard. My youngest actually had the longest ride. The boys loved it so much, they put their allowance money together and bought their own. Actually, my sweet dad was here visiting, and wanted to go in thirds on the board. Thanks Dad!We have met many english-speaking families, mostly from the states (2 from Texas). As we were first running into them, it was surprising and new. As we continued to be introduced to their friends and running into others, it became “our new life” that we are continually getting settled into. We have become friends with many, and truly cherish our times together. We share stories about our past, live in the present, and share dreams for the future. We cook for one another, invite eachother out to dinner, or show up where we think they are hanging out. Our kids play and laugh, and can’t wait until the next time we spend time together. The Gringo community is growing here in Quepos/Manuel Antonio, and we are all here for a reason. I thought The Toomey’s would be the only family getting away from the “hustle and bustle”, when in fact, there are about 20 other families who had the exact same idea. It’s a very cool and comforting feeling. Lifetime friendships, for sure.
Through our day-to-day experiences while living here, I have learned so much about myself, my kiddos and about life. I will start with myself.
MYSELF —
I had my first yoga class this morning. I’ve talked about going to yoga for years, but had never made the time or wanted to spend the money to go. Instead, I had a gym membership where I would run on the treadmill, lift weights and take classes. That is where I justified spending my money for exercising. Here in Quepos, there is one tiny gym in town. So small, that my husband who used to work out once or twice daily at the gym in the states, has already canceled his membership. With the beauty and natural resources here in Costa Rica, why drive to a gym when you have a huge gym outdoors? Before I get out of bed in the morning, I do situps. I then put on my running shoes, in case it’s happens to be one of the 3 days a week I decide to run. On those days, Billy watches the kids, I grab my i-pod and set out for my 1-1/2 mile run. I run on the main road where there are 18-wheelers, tourist busses, motorcycles, bicycles and walkers. The gorgeous mountains are to my right, and the smiles of everyone passing me, makes me smile too. One of my favorite memories, was the other day when Billy had set up “stations” around our house. With two barstools, he made a “dip” station for triceps. With the sofa and a chair, he made a “push-up” station for arms, chest and abdominal. And for a “really, really hard” station, he was doing pull-ups on a bamboo tree. I only did one of those. Geez louiz, that was hard. Back to yoga….it was wonderful. I had met an english-speaking family the other day at the Feria (Farmer’s Market) through a mutual friends, and really enjoyed talking to them. The wife recently started teaching yoga, which made me happy to try it out. Wow……..what a blessing, as the class was great! I like being around her, along with working out my entire body (mind and soul). The gorgeous view of the ocean made it even better. As I’m typing, I am super sore, but already excited for the next class.
Homeschooling. I was in the mindset to homeschool my children, but didn’t know what to expect. The TOOMEY TREEFROGS are awesome! We start school every morning with ME, “School has started. Good morning everyone.” and KIDS, “Good morning, Mrs. T”. From that moment on, until school ends 2 1/2 hours later, they are all eyes on me. They listen to every word that comes out of my mouth. They raise hand for ideas and questions. They say they like my swimsuit that day, or my hair looks good (which it never does), or even says “Thanks for teaching us. It’s really fun.” I actually enjoy having the 2 roles, and making sure they learn what they want to learn, and learn it well. The other day was Columbus Day in the states, so we decided to research Christopher Columbus. We learned that on his 4th voyage he explored the lands of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Oh my, how excited my kids were that he was here in Costa Rica! We read excerpts from his journal throughout his voyage. All in all, God has blessed all of us with this amazing opportunity of a “different” kind of learning. And loving it, is always a plus. Not to mention, their individual learning styles are being met. I loved the other day, when my 1st grader said, “Mom, I want to learn multiplication”. I busted out the flashcards I use with the older two, and he sat there for 1 hour learning with me the 0’s, 1’s, 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s. The funny thing is, he already knew most of them, and I had no clue!! He had watched the older 2 during school, and picked it up. THEN, my kindergartner a couple of days ago asked to learn multiplication. She now knows her 0’s and 1’s. So cute!
One thing I’ve learned about myself is that I LIKE SIMPLICITY. I like living on clothes that fit in one suitcase. I like going to the grocery store and having a choice of 2 kinds of beers, 2 kinds of ice cream, 1 ketchup and 5 kinds of tortillas. I like having a “gym” in bamboo trees, on busy roads, and with barstools. I like wearing makeup once every 3 months. I like that the property management wants to include your daughter in their employee birthday fiesta. I like hanging with people you just meet, that would do anything for you at anytime, like bringing car parts back from the states, or driving 30 minutes with you to take care of a transit ticket. I have never lived a simple lifestyle, but I love it. It’s me. Whether we stay here or move back next summer, I will always carry the simplicity with me. How lucky I am to be so young and have experienced it.
MY KIDDOS —
Everyone loves their kids, and thinks they are amazing. Well, I’m no different. Aside from being their teacher, and seeing how smart they are, I love being around them and seeing their minds, dreams and visions grow daily. My 4th grader has a 105-page daily journal so far about her experiences here in Costa Rica. She could write a book with her details and honesty. My 3rd grader always plays the “what would you rather me do?” game, saying stuff like, “when I’m older, would you rather me 1) buy an existing hotel and restaurant and change the food in the restaurant, or 2) buy it, tear it down and build my own restaurant, how I really want it.” An entrepeneur in the making. My 1st grader has learned to control his emotions. He was the most challenging before we left, crying when feeling every emotion: happy, sad, hurt, and scared. That lil’ boy has taught me so much about control, it’s amazing. The other kids now ask him how he “changed” and how he controls his emotions. What an example. My kindergartner is the youngest, and has the youngest attitude for sure. That being said, she loves to spend as much with me as she can. She’s my little helper, that loves to cook, clean, do dishes and laundry by herself……….without asking. She loves to surprise me with her good deeds, but also likes to throw the “momma is so proud of me” attitude in the other kids’ faces. All of my kiddos are speaking spanish, on different levels. My older 2 are fully engaged in spanish-speaking conversations, and my younger 2 can understand some, and speak some, but aren’t as confident quite yet. They are all teaching me words I do not know after 6 years of spanish classes. It makes me so proud to watch their little minds in action — so willing to learn something foreign and new, and truly enjoying it.
Onto unfamiliar sicknesses with the kids. During the past 3 months here, we’ve been to more doctor office visits than the last 3 years in the states. With all the kiddos combined, we’ve had 3 swimmer’s ears, 2 dengue fevers, and 3 staph infections. We’ve come to realize that our bodies need to adjust to this rainforest climate, and we WILL contract their local sicknesses while living here. Dengue fever can be serious, but it’s alot like the flu in the states, and is worse in adults than in kids. My kids had high fever for a couple of days, one had diarrhea, headaches, and an upset stomach. The other a minor upset stomach. The only reason we knew it was dengue fever is because we had blood work done, and the white blood cell count was low. Other than that, we would have never known. As for the staph infections, they are quite annoying. With all of my kids sleeping in the same bed and sharing the same towels, it spread quite rapidly and was hard to keep under control. We are finally healing the last 2 red sores. During these sickly times, my kids stayed positive and never complained. They understood they would be fine and it would soon pass. What troopers.
One last note about my kids. This moving experience has made me realize that my kids will be JUST FINE wherever they are in life. They have learned to “take the bull by the horns” as well as “go with the flow” whenever necessary. There are days when the kids need to speak spanish to ask for what they want. And there are days when we tell them we were going to the beach, and the rain prevents it. Living here, you learn to adapt, be patient, be understanding, but also ask for what you want. What a great way to live life.
ABOUT LIFE —
Life can get stagnant doing the same thing day in day out. I know it did for me. Dreams get smaller, patience gets tested, and life gets boring. Little things seem to matter, when in fact, they don’t matter at all. Our car is a good example. It’s a 1986 Jeep Cherokee that is definitely a fixer-upper. Billy has worked on it since the day we bought it. It has always run, but not very well. This car would have lasted 1 week with our family in the states, and we would have gotten rid of it. Either it wouldn’t have been “safe” enough, too unreliable, or the “look” would’ve been uncomfortable to drive. Here in Costa Rica, we are so thankful to even have a vehicle. A couple of times, we have looked forward to going somewhere, only to have a change of plans because Billy found something wrong with the car. One lesson my kids have learned very quickly is plans do change. All you can do is figure out what the problem is, try your best to solve it, and realize………….there is always tomorrow. Don’t stress, it is what it is. This tico lifestyle has rubbed off and our stress is very minimal. When we are driving down the road and see a 3-person family on a bicycle (with groceries), we are very thankful for our 1986 car. And thankful for my hubby’s mechanic skills. 🙂
Even though this simple lifestyle is treating me well and we are all happy, there is still more I’d like to do here. I want to find a church. I want to volunteer within the community, and find my niche of how I can help others. Those opportunities will present themselves when the time is right, so for now, I will be patient and keep enjoying our very lucky life here. I will continue to look forward to the times I run into locals and friends on the streets, on the bus, or at the local grocery store, give them a hug, say “buenas” (which is a local “hello”), have a conversation, then walk away with a smiling heart. As our life here is being established and falling into place, I pray we continue to open our hearts and minds to the endless opportunities. I pray we allow God to walk alongside us, every step of the way. Life is alot sweeter when He does.
DOODOO DOO DOO DOOOOOOO…..I’M LOVING IT!
Tiffany
It is so wonderful that you can share your experiences with your friends through your blog. We can all learn from your revelation in your life adventure. In reading your and Billy’s blog, it does make me want to see life differently. Thanks Toomeys…love, martha
Pura Vida!
Wonderful post, Tiffany! I so envy your new lifestyle and always look forward to living vicariously through your next post. I’m so glad you all are enjoying home schooling. I can only imagine some of the challenges with 4, but it is so worth while when you get to see them learning…and ENJOYING it! We may steal the morning Pledge of Allegiance from you. As hard as it is to believe with my political fervor, it never crossed my mind to start the mornings that way. DOH! And, don’t forget to send me the volcano lesson!
Keep the posts coming, they are terrific!
P.S. – I like the new layout with pictures – what can I say, I’m simple.
Love it- Makes me want to pack up and do the same! Love the updates- Keep them coming!
Hey girl! Great to catch up with you guys… what an amazing experience you and Billy have made not only for your children, but for yourselves as well.
I love that it has turned out exactly how you guys imagined it.
Until we skype again,
Chris
Hi Tiffany,
I just sat and read through all of your blogs… So neat to see how far you’ve come in your growth just since you’ve been there. I am so envious of your opportunity and so excited for your children. What a wonderful gift you are giving them! Can’t wait to hear more as the months progress…
Tiffany – I love it! I am so happy for you and so proud of you!