Sunday Spesh...Tico Style!

Most Sundays Jeff, Gentry, and I can be found at Don and Mello Wilcox's house enjoying a delicious "spesh" with some of our favorite people in the world.  It is a tradition we love because of the food, but also because of the people there.  On average there are 8 boys aging from 4 months to 9 years.  It's so fun to eat good food, mingle with good people, and watch the craziness unfold with all the boys running around.  Obviously we won't be making it to spesh's anytime soon, so we must invent our own Sunday spesh...Tico Style.  Here's what went down!

Our property manager that we have gotten to know so well over the last couple of weeks invited us to come to BBQ on the river with friends she has from Nicaragua.  So we packed up in her tiny car, stopped by the store "Maxi Pali" (closest thing to Wal-Mart we are gonna get here) and headed about 10 minutes down the road into the forest and up a river.  Yes you read right I said 10 minutes!  We are so close to the beach and the forest!  It's kinda crazy!  

We had so much fun from fishing, to jumping in the river, cooking, and hanging out.  Although hanging out when you don't know the language is a different experience! I figure the more we are around the more we will learn it and soon enough we will be conversing with our Tico friends just like we do with our American friends!  Everyone was so kind even though we couldn't really speak, they tried to include us and teach us, and made Gentry feel apart of all the other kids.  Putting all the fun aside, it was a sweet experience to watch the kids try to help Gentry, speak with him and include since he was the only little gringo out there.  He was definitely shy and hesitant at first but finally warmed up and became one of the boys :)  

All of us piled into Kathia's tiny little car!  Don't look mom, you will be stressed out we aren't buckled in!  Don't worry we were packed so tight no one was flying out of the car I promise!!

 I actually feel a little guilty even posting these pics cause I know driving with 7 in a car meant for 5 would been horribly looked down upon in the States, and everyone would be wondering if I was even a fit mother for that cute curly head, but here...it's the Tico way!  So I don't feel judged or even like a bad mom, I feel like we are learning to fit in :)

Gabriel, Gentry, and Jeff

At Spesh's in the States, we drink orange juice, occasionally followed by a sonic.  At Spesh's in Jaco we drink coconut juice, maybe followed by an Imperial!

We started with fishing.

                                             

 

They only caught tadpoles :)

                                                

Then a couple of rounds of shooting were in order.  

G is getting pretty good!

                                            

Katherine wanted to touch the tadpoles.  She of course screamed as soon as she did :)

My dad would call this "the water hole"

Gentry jumping off the very slick branch, into the not very deep water, with rocks and sticks everywhere...They had a blast!!

At Spesh's in the States, there are usually 8 boys and 3 girls in utero , and 1 unknown on the way.  In Jaco there are 9 boys and 3 little girls sprinkled in the mix but none of them attempted the not very safe boy made diving board!

This little guy nearly gave me a heart attack all afternoon!  He kept doing back flips off the branch!  Luckily he pulled it off every time!

After a while I had to walk away because these boys started jumping off together, backwards, sideways, front flips, back flips, and every possible move that would advise your boys not to do.  Boys are boys no matter where you are I guess!!

                                             

This face explains everything I was thinking every single time one of the boys went off the branch, especially the boy in the background doing the back flip!

So instead of chocolate chip pancakes and omelets we had gallos (a piece of steak set in a corn tortilla) and chirulitos (a chip somewhat equivalent to hot Cheetos).   Instead of a game of soccer or football on the side of the Wilcox's house, we had a round of shooting bb guns and fishing;  instead of running and screaming through the kitchen where boys could have a hot plate of food spilled on them, the boys were running and jumping off an unsafe branch into shallow water; and instead of catching up with old friends, we were attempting to make new ones in a language still new to us.  Overall I would say we had our first successful Sunday spesh in Jaco!  We miss our normal Sunday spesh crowd of friends, and of course Donnie's delish spesh creations, but we are hopeful to make and find new traditions here, and I think we might be on our way to doing so.  Miss you spesh crowd and can't wait to be with you again!!