Today Jake turned 7 and the day began as a total disaster. Michele had woken up early to make pancakes for Jake’s birthday. Kate then woke up screaming and yelling that she hated school, hated Argentina and wanted to go home. Jake accompanied his sister by refusing to leave his room, telling us that he was scared of school and didn’t understand why he needed to learn how to read and write. Kate corrected course after 20 or so minutes of wailing like a banshee, but Jake was not to be deterred. He complained the entire way to school and then gave Michele a sobbing, tearful goodbye at the school’s entranceway as if he was being marched off to the gulag.
Living abroad has been a wonderful experience for our family and something that, on the whole, we are glad to be doing. It is not, however, for the faint of heart. The good days are good, but the tough days can be very tough. Hoping this evening will be better.
El Perro Negro 
Tomorrow will be a better day!!!
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good luck tonight . . . if Jake was a few years older you could tell him the story about traffic cones in Pennsylvania Avenue and working for Rob Bassin & Associates and why the character building exercises you are undertaking now are, while no doubt very challenging, so worthwhile . . . thinking of you guys and jealous of your sense of adventure and impressed by your honesty
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Hey, maybe the kid was born to be a gaucho. Don’t cramp his style with school! (um, Michelle doesn’t read this blog, does she?)
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Just to let you all know, Jake just told me, “…this was the best birthday ever”.
School ended up going well. He loved bringing his chocolate and peanut butter (something Argentine’s know nothing about) cupcakes for his class. He loved his pizza dinner and his candle in his “dolce de leche con brownie ice cream”. We opened his presents from his uncles/aunts and he watched his favorite TV show in english on Netflix. He felt special and ended up enjoying turning 7. However, Ted’s right, this isn’t for the faint of heart. 🙂
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We love you Jakers!
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