Trip Notes

Terrace Garden: The Troys Have a Huerta
March 2014

If you knew us in Houston, you know Patrick has a passion for gardening, and he's been teaching our sweet son a love for all things green here in Chile, too.

Our garden on the balcony started with an herb or two, then grew and grew -- literally. Now we've got a number of different kinds of chili peppers and tomatoes, a host of herbs, spinach, different kinds of lettuce and even some beets!


It's a lovely terrace to sit on and enjoy the sunsets, and now with the happy energy from our huerta, we enjoy it even more.

While typical terracotta or plastic pots can be a bit pricey in Chile, Patrick struck a deal with some of the vendors at the Vega and brings home new fruit boxes pretty regularly to add space and find homes for our growing garden. The lining of the box? He uses the big bags the veggies get delivered to the market in. (He even made a fertilizer from the throwaways of a salmon he bought from the fish monger!)

Patrick is devoted to his little garden, and our reward is lovely homegrown veggies and herbs to add to our meals and salads. It's a labor of love to wake every morning and water, and prune and pay attention to our little plants, as well as end the day with another round, but we've all gotten to enjoy the experience.

Trippie regularly waters and even has his own basil, dill and spinach that he got to start from seed and watch grow.


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Our Little Nibble is Getting Big!
January 2014

Trip is still in jardin (day school), but he's also been taking swimming classes and Spanish classes, and I have to brag a little: My son is a genius and a great athelete!

Could there be a cuter kid? Trippie on New Year's Eve 2013

We're heading into summer now in Chile (January 2014), well, actually we've already arrived -- it's hot! We got to do Christmas on the coast, and Trip was a very good boy, so Santa came and brought him presents.

Tough Stuff: On the beach in Constitución, Chile

It is so exciting and magical to spend Christmas with him, and we enjoyed putting up our tree, making Christmas decorations, finding Krmph our elf on a shelf every morning -- and especially Christmas morning and a stocking full of treats.

We wrote a letter to Santa, and he brought some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the States!

While being away from our extended family is hard, especially during the holidays, it was a really lovely Christmas in Chile, and we look forward to spending one soon with our loved ones.


Trippie Meets Santa Claus
 December 2013

While they may not call him Santa, jolly Saint Nick does travel to Chile on Christmas Eve to deliver presents to the good little boys and girls. Chileans call him Papa Noel, but he's the same magical man as we know in the US.

And Trippie got to meet Santa himself a couple of weeks before Christmas. When it was his turn to meet Santa, Trip was completely stunned. It may be the first time that my child didn't have anything to say, but I think he was just so happy to see Santa that he forgot to ask him for the presents he wanted. I love this photo because I think you can see his admiration for Santa in it. Wow!

Trippie meets Papa Noel

(Don't worry. Santa knew what Trippie wanted!)


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Happy Halloween
October 2013

Trip has been getting super excited to decorate our door for the different holidays, and he went all out for Halloween.

Trippie in his skeleton PJs in front of his Halloween decorations

Trick or treat!


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Trip Turns 4 
October 21, 2013

When we were visiting Texas in September, we got to have a fabulous birthday party with lots of our family and friends, and it was wonderful. Nonetheless, when the big day came, we were in Chile, and we wanted to celebrate Trippie's birthday -- again!

Trippie at jardin, celebrating his birthday with his classmates

So we had a sweet little party at Trip's jardin (day school) with all his friends there. We brought in jack-o'-latern cupcakes, sang happy birthday in English and Spanish and had a little dance party at school. Then when we got home, Trippie got to help make nunchuck pizza (French bread pizza in honor of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) for his special birthday dinner.

Big Boy Chef: Making nunchuck pizzas for his birthday

It's been a whirlwind four years -- two countries, two homes, two languages -- but the most wonderfully exciting and endearing in my life. Happy birthday, Trip. We love you more than you'll ever know.

We love you, Trip. Happy fourth birthday!

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Trippie Learns How to Ride a Bike ... and Other Things
2013

My handsome little boy

Our wonderfully loving grandparents will be happy with a little update on Trip. He is thriving, and his Spanish is amazingly fluent. Within weeks of him entering day school, or jardin as they say here, Trip started picking up the language -- and he hasn't stopped.

Getting his face painted like a pirate at a birthday party

The obligatory pasta face photo (in picturesque Concon)

He's so fluent these days that sometimes he serves as our interpreter on the streets of Chile, and other times he's disappointed with our pronunciation (as is our lovely Spanish teacher).

Going on his first roller coaster with Daddy

Going for a ride in Lightening McQueen (and very happy about it!)

Lately, Trip loves blocks, leggos, dinosaurs and of course, cars, but anything gross is top on his list, too. He's a great singer, and loves to do it LOUDLY, and he's always enthusiastic to play at the park. To top it off, he's better at Angry Birds than most adults (translation: me).

Cars, blocks, dinos and grapes make Trippie happy

Mr. Cool getting ready to head out on his bike (and in his Chilean soccer uniform)

Trippie Has Started School
August 2012

It's official: Trip Troy is the smarted two-year-old on the planet. Our little genius has started day school, and he's picking up Spanish left and right.

Trip on his way to his first day of school!

Just this week, he learned his colors in Spanish, but he could already count in it. He's starting to use it in conversation and certainly understands that there is more than one language to describe things, which I think is a pretty hard concept!

Ready to learn!

His school, which they call "jardin" here (for kinderGARDEN), is just around the corner from our house, and we walk there in the morning. We've started with just the mornings for now, and I think it's was a wise decision. He's totally tuckered out in the afternoons and usually sleeps the time away... something I worry he won't do if he's there with schoolmates.

I haven't yet gotten his first piece of art, but Patrick says that's all I'm in it for... to put his artwork on my office wall. (The truth is, I am pretty excited about that, but I'm just so happy he's making friends and            learning Spanish.)

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Christmas in Santiago
December 2011

We celebrated our first Christmas in Chile (2011), and we decided to do it at our apartment in Santiago. We bought a tree, decorated it and Santa managed to find us!

Mama decorating the tree.

Our sweet little boy is getting huge!

Although we were a bit lonely, and missing our family and friends, we had a nice day and truly tried to celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus. I really wanted Trip to "get it" this year. So leading up to the holiday, we read our books about Christmas and had a "Night Before Christmas" interactive ap on the iPad, that Trip really loved.

Trip made the star, and I traced his hands and feet and made
some sweet little ornaments that will be nice to have years from now.

While I don't know that he knew that Santa was coming, he appreciated his visit. Now, Trip calls all old men with beards Santa, including Noah (of the arc).

Lining up his new dinosaurs.

Playing his new drum.

His construction hat and tools, tent and digger trucks.

A nice part about the mail taking forever to get to us is that we've had an extended Christmas with little gifts and cards coming in the mail over a couple of weeks. It's been nice to spread it out, and we always look forward to letters... hint, hint.

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Trip's New Room
November 2011

We decided not to move the crib, and give a big boy bed a try when we got here. While it's a bit harder to get him down at night because he's not hemmed in, he's pretty comfortable in it. We've just taken the mattress off the box springs; so that if he falls, he's not falling far.

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Getting Settled in Chile
November 2011

Chowing on a grilled cheese sandwich

Thankfully, Trip is not picky, and he's been loving all the food here. He is a big fan of pasta and pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches, and so are Chileans it seems. The pasta here is really fantastic, always homemade and fresh, and the fruits and veggies are yummy and taste like they've been just plucked from the garden.

He did get a bit of a cold this week, but all the mothers reassured me that it was simply allergy season with all the spring blooms and that all the kids have it. He seems to be doing better, and we were spared from our first trip to the pediatrician in South America. (I'd rather go for a get-to-know-you than a sick call on my first visit, but I guess I'll do what I have to.)

While we have travelers insurance right now, the company is working to get us the full coverage by the start of December, which is a month early, and we are thankful.

Happy about his fruit plate

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Halloween in Chile
October 2011

Our sweet Trippie dressed as Super Man and even learned to say, "Trick or treat!" He was too cute, and excited to receive some cookies for his effort.

Super boy to the rescue!

So happy!

Happy Halloween!

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All About Trip
October 2011

Our little boy, Trip, just turned two years old, and he's taking to Santiago like a fish to water. He is learning Spanish, and loves to use his new words with people we meet, especially since everyone oooohs and aaahs over him for it.

Trip's new guitar! 

I'm planning on using this section of our blog for the uber-Trip fans... grandmas and aunties and others who just want to hear about little Trip and his adventures.

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