April 2009 Arrived in Buenos Aires

Well, we are finally here! The kids start school tomorrow so we need to get things unpacked and ready for school. We had to go buy some school uniforms before tomorrow so we had a driver (remis) drive us around all day. The only thing in our house is peanut butter that Grady brought down on a previous trip. I had brought some baking ingredients in our luggage so our first "meal" was a spoonful of peanut butter with chocolate chips or peanut butter chips in it :) I think I got groceries everyday for the first two weeks. The hardest thing to do here is find out what is what on the shelves of the grocery store. The eggs and milk are not in the refrigerated sections, but the Coke and Fanta are. Go figure! Reading labels in spanish and trying to decide what the product is was not easy. We had lots of cereal, eggs and toast that first week. The kids adapted to the school very quickly and have not shed a tear about leaving J.B. Stephens Elementary in Greenfield. Now their mother, on the other hand, has had a difficult time. A friend of ours from the school came and got me one day to show me where to buy transformers for our appliances, lamps, etc. Another day I went with our relocation lady to buy a parking meter card, find the notary office for a special paper we have to have to take the kids out of the country, try to get a cell phone (which I still don't have), and some other things. I also have attended my first BAIN (Buenos Aires International Newcomers) meeting and have been chosen to be the Hospitality board member. Not sure what all that entails, but I am sure I will find out quickly.
The kids rode the bus for the first 8 days of school. The week after we got here it was Easter holiday then the next week was spring break. Not sure if that was a good thing or bad. Anyway, it's over and done with and all has been fine. Grady now takes them to school in the morning on the way to work and then I walk to the school in the afternoon and get them. We have a driver (remis) bring us home. It works out well. When Grady travels, which is pretty often, I get the car so that makes things a lot easier around here. I have full days when I do have the car so I try to get a lot done in one day. That is nearly impossible here in this country because NO ONE does anything quickly! Pathetic really. I am having to learn patience!