December 17, 2007 Temp: 34C Steps: 11300

Monday seems to be a day of chores and rest for us. I think the boys do tire us out. Even just the endless chatter. Oliver insists on playing concentration these days (only because he always wins) and that is hard on my old brain. After chores were done we came up to the pool to laze around. Jennifer had to go to the Embassy for certification of her name for school papers. Here’s a lesson to be learned – most of Jenn’s documentation (degree etc) includes her middle name but when she last renewed her passport she only did it with her first name, not even a middle initial. When you watch these things in action you realize just how much money grabbing goes on because everything had to be notarized. I never include my middle name on my passport application but maybe next time I should. Anyway, turns out Gone was sick, so they called for us to pick the boys up around 2:30. When we got there, Nick had just woken up and wasn’t thrilled about having to walk 20 minutes in the heat to the bus stop. (Gone gets them by taxi but we always walk). Bribery works pretty good and the rest of the whining I just ignore. Picked up some deep fried bananas before we caught the bus so came home for a little taste treat and then up to the pool. The noodles are wonderful – the boys will play with them for ages in the water. After swimming, we dropped the boys home, went out for a little walk and stopped for dinner at a newly moved, renovated classy Italian restaurant. The kind where the waiter drops the napkin onto your lap….. There were guys hovering just to do anything and everything for you. Tom had a spicy spaghetti dish with olives, mixed mushrooms, smoked ham in a black pepper sauce. He said it’s the best he’s ever had. I had a pesto spaghetti and it also was very good. We even splurged and got a carafe of Shiraz wine. The whole bill came to about $35. That’s expensive for here!! Stopped at Jenn’s on the way home as we had some copies made of the Santa pics. The boys wanted to take the pic to school and of course I want the original. When we had the pic done, the cost was $15 unless you had a membership card in this, that or the other. I told them all I had was a mall tourist discount card so they accepted that and I got it for half price – hooray!!