Just the highlights of this week:
- (last) Saturday: had breakfast with MH's colleague. The Boy at two bowls of fruit, 2 waffles, and a banana yogurty shake. Then we went to the Marine Corps 4th of July party. The Boy at a hotdog, hamburger, and potato salad (we had the same but that isn't as impressive). The Girl slept through everything even the band.
- (last) Sunday: Attempted to take a hike behind the house. Once we got the backpacks on and the kids lubed in suntan lotion, we were ready for a rest. We only went out for about 25 minutes because the first hill was too steep for us to enjoy the rest of the hike. MH and I started to feel sick and dizzy in the late evening.
- Monday: I couldn't bring The Girl back to her bed after I fed her at 2am because the walls were moving. In the morning we both realized that something was terribly wrong. Unfortunately, we had just watched Into The Wild so we thought the worst was coming. MH told me about a party at the Ambassador's house later in the week so I had to drag myself down to the shopping district to buy something appropriate. The only shop that was open between 1 pm and 3:30 pm was Benetton. I seriously insulted the saleswoman by telling her I needed something "fancy." She held up a skirt that looked like it had been run over by a truck and said, "This is fancy." I decided to try on pants. To punish me for my rudeness, she brought me pants sooooo small that I literally couldn't get one leg into them. Felt like I was a giant.
- Tuesday: MH and I were still feeling pretty terrible. Everything we ate went right through us - even crackers. MH had two saltenas (great idea - Bolivian hotpockets on a bad stomach) at an office birthday party and then had to run out during Happy Birthday. I wasn't having any better luck at home - staff cleaning our room... had to run to the kids' bathroom. At bathtime, MH noticed something in the kids' toilet (remember my friend I brought back from Madagascar?) Called the nurse and had to schedule appointment for me for Wednesday. Didn't get much sleep - even my hypnosis couldn't help me relax.
- Wednesday: Nurse says I could have something living in my intestines... or maybe just in our toilet. We won't know for sure even after I finish doing my samples. The Boy's stomach catches up to ours. He has diarrhea 8 times. The Cook makes BBQ chicken and spicy roasted vegetables. Oh and pumpkin pie. Best thing I have ever eaten. We're all sick (except The Girl) afterwards.
- Thursday: More of the same. We're all sick. Chicken soup for dinner. Instead of rice or pasta it had quinoa. Best thing I have ever eaten. All sick afterwards.
- Friday: Happy 4th of July. Embassy closed for holiday. Send taxi driver to lab with poop sample. Pay him 40 cents extra. Decide not to go to Ambassador thing with MH because I haven't been able to go out to buy shoes and he heard it would be pretty boring for me. Play "American" music for The Boy. He now loves Blue Grass and dancing with his broom/guitar. Spend 40 minutes watching Bolivian news to see if we can see MH in the crowd at the Ambassador's. Spend about 30 minutes talking about eating the last two pieces of pumpkin pie. Discover The Cook and The Nanny ate the pumpkin pie for lunch. I go to bed mad. MH eats tortilla chips and salsa. Can't understand why his stomach hurts.
- Saturday: Wake up at 1 am to BOOM BOOM BOOM of Karaoke Bar soundtrack. Continues for 2 hours. Sleep in (and are sick after breakfast) and find The Boy in his crib in only a diaper. Apparently he didn't like his pjs. Hotdogs and pasta salad for lunch to celebrate America's "Special Day." The Boy didn't know it was a day late. He was excited all the same. Sick again. The Boy spent the morning talking through the grate between our hallway and bathroom. Thought it was hysterical that I could hear him through the wall. MH went to market to buy cd player, phone, and vacuum. Cab driver on the way home had The Backstreet Boys blaring. How did MH know it was TBB? The Girl is getting on a better sleep schedule. Actually slept for 2 hours this afternoon. Went to another American's for a picnic. The Boy wanted a hotdog after they ran out so he followed a little kid eating a hotdog around. Hope that they had as good a time with us as we did with them. Taxi that arrived to bring us home didn't have seatbelts. MH plays with the new vacuum while we take turns complaining about our stomachs and heads but still plan to go out to eat for breakfast. Obviously we have not learned our lesson.
