Sock monsters exist all over the world.....

Hello! How are you all doing? I hear that the weather is cold and icky back home....perhaps you should pack your things and come to visit us in Saba!!! It is never below 24 here and the sun shines basically every day.....I really love the weather and I don't know how I will ever adjust back to the Canadian climate!
We have had a pretty good week down here in Saba....on Friday night we were invited to a beach party/bonfire with our new friends, Marylynn and Meno.....they are the parents of Monty's new friend, Helke, they are a dutch family. Anyway they have 4 boys ! Helke is the youngest and the rest are mid to late teenagers, very nice fellows.....so we got invited to a Christmas tree burning bonfire....it was a blast...our other friends, Joke and Gys (another Dutch family) came as well and they brought their son Jim, who is Christian's best friend. So we had an amazing time....it really felt like home going to a social gathering with other families...we definitely need to do that more! The beach wasn't there yet but it was still very fun.....the beach here is called a wandering beach because it comes and goes....the locals say that it usually comes back around midmarch sometime....so right now the shore is all rocks and there is no sand, the waves are quite big as well....but apparently soon, there will be a sandy (black volcanic sand....can't wait to see it) beach again and the waves will settle and it will be nice and calm and a great place to swim/snorkel.....in the meantime we have been swimming down at the harbour. And in the pool when we get invited by our friends! We may buy a membership once the weather gets hotter...there is a beautiful hotel on a cliff not far from here (you could google it, it is called Willards of Saba) and they sell pool and tennis memberships to students...the combined membership is pretty pricey but the pool membership is $200 a semester....so probably equivalent to the Cari complex in town....right now it is winter here and so there is always a fairly cool breeze blowing through. So Joe and I thought that once "summer" arrives and the weather is much hotter (apparently it can get very very warm!) then it would be nice to have access to a pool anytime we want to go.....you can go to alot of the hotel pools if you go and buy a snack or you can go to willards for $10/day per person so we figure that the membership will be the most economical way to go! Now I know you are thinking why don't you just go the beach when it is hot out?? Well the main reason for that is that the beach is a wandering beach and isn't always there....but also it is down down down a very steep road which I am a little afraid of at this point so I am not sure that I would want to drive all the way down there every time we want to go for a quick dip....Willards is about 3 minutes away (although it's driveway is straight up in the air!! so that will be a little crazy too) You really have to see the roads here to truly appreciate what I am saying....you know those very steep roads in downtown halifax? well they are like a flat section here! in some places you are sure that your car is going to tip over because it is so steep....luckily I am adjusting and most of the roads don't seem as scary to me anymore!
So the weekend was great. Monty had Helke over for most of it. Christian went to Jim's birthday party at the park and then swimming with his family on Sunday....so lots of great things going on....Oh and Monty started guitar lessons on Saturday morning and really enjoyed it...I am looking into signing them up for boxing as well...havent decided for sure as dont want to have too many activities going on.
Monty has been suffering from bouts of homesickness.....it is hitting him mostly at bedtime....so he is missing his family and friends and his hockey team.....adjustments and change are not Monty's strengths so this has been tough on him....sometimes I feel so bad for him, but I know that this is also a good learning experience for him...what is it about us parents that we don't want our kids to be hurting? Hurt is a normal part of life and a growing opportunity (as we know) and so we should be ok with it, but when he is sobbing heartfelt, real sobs about missing his family and wanting to go and see them, my heart just aches for him....and I want to run out and buy him a ticket home to see everyone...but I don't....I just listen, and offer comfort and an opportunity to talk about those he misses.....
Christian on the other hand, says that he is staying in Saba forever....he loves it here....he was homesick initially but he has fit in so well that he feels very at home.....
Joe is still enjoying med school....has block exams again this week (they have them every 3 weeks or so.....quite a pace here!) he doesn't have time to miss anyone or anything so he just keeps his nose to the grindstone!
I am a little lonesome for home at certain times....for example, our church Cornerstone just opened their new sanctuary and I felt so sad that we couldn't be there for the first service on sunday.....now you have to understand...this moment was 4 years in the making and we were all so excited to have a new church...so when my friends all were going on Sunday so excited, it made me sad to realize how far away I am from home.....also I miss being able to just pick up the phone and have 2 hour conversations with beloved friends....like Tina or Jackie, Sheri or Elisa, Julie,Lisa or Karen etc.....2 hour conversations in the caribbean mean that we don't have groceries that month!!!! so i really try to limit my phone calls and talk more through email....but I miss the voices, the laughing so hard my belly hurts conversations.....I am going to look into vonage again so that I may be able to make those long calls...they just may be essential to my ongoing happiness!!!! I am meeting some very nice people here, at our church and in our community.....but it does take a while to build those deep friendships that you just can't replace....
So my exciting news is that my mom and my aunt Bee are coming down this weekend to Saba for a week long visit. we are all really excited to see them! We love having visitors (hint hint) We are really looking forward to showing them around our home and community.....my one wish is that we all had the week off to spend with them....but it is probably ok.....mom and Bee are probably looking forward to sleeping in and quiet mornings having tea outside in the sun....so they may be thankful that we take off for the morning! we will have afternoons and evenings to explore away !! So I have asked my mom to bring down some things that we are missing down here....some are kind of small and may seem pidly but are things that we cant get here (unless we take another day trip to st maarten!) So mom is bringing flea medicine for the dog (I think he has fleas! ick) and nice hair accessories for me (as the pony tail is my new everyday style so need some variety) Also Joe needs pics and a capo for his guitar, we wanted some sidewalk chalk for the boys (we have a huge driveway which begs to be drawn on!), and some homeschooling curriculum for Monty (want to make sure that he is keeping up with canadian system) and most importantly socks! SOCKS! Do you know how hard it is to buy socks here and if you do happen to find them how expensive they are???? I had to buy some not to long ago because apparently there is a sock monster in Saba as well (you know the monster that only eats one sock and leaves you without a match??) So monty has about 7 socks with no mates?? Why can't the monster eat them in pairs I ask? would that be too much trouble? Sock monster? are you listening?? Anyway I bought Christian 6 pairs and Monty a 5 pair pack and it came to about $28 US!!!!! And they weren't fancy brand name socks by the way....just good old fashioned white socks (yes white....it was all they had so they won't be white for long!) Anyway the sock monster has been relentless around here so we had no choice in the matter....so I have asked my mother to please stock up on the socks and bring them with her so that the sock monster can continue to feast......
So I told you about our guinea pigs right? Well they are still cute as ever......the boys just love them.....but one of them keeps getting fatter and fatter and fatter....now I like to think it is all the grass and fresh veggies that we keep piling in the cage (please let it be the veggies!) but I have come to the conclusion that we bought a pregnant pig....so now we are thinking what are we going to do???? we are hoping that there are more people like us out there who may want a guinea pig for a pet.....speaking of pets....Monty's friend Helke has the sweetest baby tortoises....they are about the size of a tennis ball or smaller.....he is trying to give 2 to monty and he wants them.....so Monty has been working on Joe all week....the familyhas offered to take them back when we leave.....they are very tiny right now so have to be kept indoors for the first year or so and then they can go outside when they are less vulnerable.....personally I think it is a great idea....Joe is not so sure.....he thinks we have enough pets! Enough pets??? never.....(the boys and I love pets so we would have a whole petting zoo....luckily Joe puts his foot down once in a while.....) So I am thinking that before long we may have 2 more family members , oh and + however many babies a guinea pig has! (please let it be 1!!)
Anyway friends,I better get back to my Monday off!!!! Lots of sunshine to be enjoyed and maybe a little laundry and house work to do before the kids get home! Oh and people have mentioned that they haven't been able to comment on the blog without signing up....I didn't realize that ....so if you don't want to sign up maybe you could send me an email from time to time letting me know that you are reading?? Have a wonderful week all of you!!! God Bless!