Dunn is ONE!

Then...March, 2011

NOW! March 18, 2012

Dunn is ONE! We celebrated "catracho" style at El Picacho yesterday on St. Patty's day. The day was all planned out, the party goers were ready, and we were set for Dunn's first birthday party. We had just picked up the Cookie Monster cupcakes at a delectable bakery, when Colin accidentally dropped ALL 65 of them on the sidewalk right outside of our car. Yep. That's right. All 65 of them. There were only 2 or 3 survivors. 

A survivor

Pobrecito

All 65 of the monsters--the fall actually helped them look a little more "monsterish", eh?

The next little mishap was due to a "lost in translation" moment. I reserved our spot in the park thinking it was one place...and of course, it turned out to be somewhere completely different. SO, after walking around in the wrong place looking like a bunch of dumb gringos, we found our reserved park: a private, beautiful playground (enough to hold like 200 kiddos) with a bounty of picnic tables and perfect spot for the pinata. We arrived just in time to enjoy the last hour of our reservation.

The birthday man--I hung pictures from his first day until now for folks to see  his growth over the year

First cupcake

Loving the pinata (we're gonna have to keep this tradition!)

The plate was more fun than the food!

Friends, food, gifts, and pinata were enjoyed by all in that quick bit of time! And after the car nap, Dunn enjoyed playing with all his new toys! What a good first birthday!

Dunnivan's First Pinata

Pinatas are common party games here in Honduras, and so we went on a little hunt to find the perfect pinata for Dunnivan's first birthday party coming up next weekend (March 18). There's a street just a five-minute drive away that is loaded with all kinds of choices, and so we found a little shop tucked in the middle of the fanfare. Upon entering, we were met with a police officer (Colin said he had a "good feeling" about him, but usually cops around here are folks you want to avoid...most people just don't trust them). As it happens, we were entering his home, and his daughter was the creator of these festive pinatas. She showed us her best work (which wasn't all that different than what we'd seen on the street), and we knew we were going to buy almost immediately. It not longer was about the product, but the relationship (and maybe because her dad was a cop...). We were so attracted to this little home, complete with the working station in the front, the China cabinet close at hand, and the kitchen (with a rooster crowing in the background) just a step farther. We walked away happily with our first son's "Cookie Monster" pinata. It was well-worth the 100 lempiras (about $5). Now to teach Dunnivan about Cookie Monster...(Mommy does a great imitation).

The shop that caught our attention (also the front door to their home)

The competition across the street

The overly excited buyer with said policeman in background...and one confused baby 

Fuegos

By now, you've probably heard something about the fires that have recently affected Honduras. There was the terrible prison fire just about 1 1/2 hours from here that killed over 350 prisoners...Then, a couple of weekends ago, one of the busiest marketplaces in Tegucigalpa was burned down by some gang members. It's been grim of late for these Honduran families. But Hondurans are resilient people. And they forget the horrors of one day because new ones will be there tomorrow.

Why do I mention these fires? Well, it's March--the beginning of "scheduled" fires up on the mountainsides. Many farmers believe that by burning the ground (a very old practice) their crops will have a fresh start in the rainy season (which begins somewhere in early May or June). SO, the fires have begun. I'm not sure all the fires we see are farmers' fires, but regardless, it is NOT one of the things I will miss. It grieves us every year when it begins as we look at the loss (both of the vegetation and what happens when fires get out of control)...and then it floods our homes and school with constant ash and smoke. I wish they believed that there were other ways to get the land ready for the planting season, but change is hard...and for some who have lived all their days on the edge of poverty, these predictable practices are what they look forward to every year.