Max's Birthday (longer)

Payaso

So it was Max's 4th birthday this last weekend.

We had a big piñata for him at Fun House. A Piñata in Guatemala is what we call the birthday party itself. Fun House is one of many children's party venues in the city. It's a pretty good idea actually.

Girls from Kerube

They have indoor (and some outdoor) play areas where the kids can run around. They have a menu of things that you an choose from like bounce houses, clowns, magicians, piñatas, lunches, etc. etc. and your own personal party MC that moves things along and takes care of problems.

The kids go crazy for the piñata...joke's on them, it's sugar free candy.

Imagine if Chuck E. Cheese just focused on only doing kid's parties and the whole restaurant was booked just for your party. Probably the easiest big party we will ever have...

Los Tigres: Max y Parker

It looks like some generic banquet hall or something from the picture above, but it was pretty cool. I have to say that I actually had a good time, something I can't honestly say that about any other kid's party I've been to.

Spider Senses Failed him...

Before I forget...just a quick story about Max that I've been meaning to tell. I drive him to school every morning. Although it is a short drive, there is often a lot of traffic. We sit and traffic and listen to my iPod, trying out different music. I'll put something new on and ask him if he likes it. If he does, I'll find some more music similar to it.

Gabi

One day we were listening to something, I can't remember what, and I asked him after a minute or so if he liked it. He said, in all seriousness, "it's ok...but, Dad, can we listen to Zeppelin."

I shed a proud fatherly tear.

Natalia

His current favorites: White Stripes, Led Zeppelin, Mule, Eisley, Black Eyed Peas, and, of course, the rock classic WeeSing: Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies. We're (and by "We" I mean just me really) working hard to push against the toddler's tendency to listen to the same damn CD over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

A general update on our prospects here in Guate. We are here until at least November of this year...for certain. After that we are not 100% sure, but it seems more and more likely that we will be able to stay here until the Summer of 2008. More as it develops.

Look this way

Max's Birthday

Laughs
Originally uploaded by gerardlopez2001.

Max's birthday was today. His big birthday party was on Saturday. I'm putting this picture up as a placeholder. Go ahead and click it and it will carry you to the flickr site where the rest of the pictures are. I'll come back and add the rest of the pictures to the blog when I'm not so tired.

Paul en Pana

Paul en Pana
Originally uploaded by gerardlopez2001.

My Stepfather-in-law is visiting this week. We took a day trip out to Lake Atitlan and Panajachel today.

After all the excitement of having a virus last week...I still don't know what virus I had...or even if I had one! I ran my computer through 4 anti-virus scans (Zone alarm, Norton, AVast and PC-ilin) and through several Anti-spyware programs and didn't find anything. Also, no complaints from anyone passing anything along either...weird.

More later, including a trip to Copan, Honduras.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras
Originally uploaded by gerardlopez2001.

...or Trick or Treat...

Seems I've gone and infected half the people I know with an unidentified virus.

How embarassing...

It is, in so many ways, like contracting an STD and having to call everyone you've dated for that last couple of years...not like I would know anything about that...

Anyway, if you are here as a result of getting said virus, a thousand apologies.

I don't know what happened. I've got a firewall, I've got updated anti-virus software and I scan attachments and files regularly...

It's triply embarrassing since I'm supposed to be a computer guy....

I'll keep the blog a little more updated for the next couple of days as I try and track down the virus and find a cure.