Week 3 in Cuba Updates

Friday, May 15

I've been really busy this week.
What is going on: I am applying to college for my master's degree (online), applying for a scholarship, looking in to part-time child care for Giovanni, finalizing a contract with a Property Manager for leasing our house in Tampa, and arranging a small job at the college to pay for the classes. Plus I've been taking Giovanni to swim lessons everyday!

I'm working on everything now to have a plan for the next few months. I want to get my degree and/or work.

I applied for a college scholarship. It is being offered by the Guantanamo Spouse's Club here. I figured, why not? Might as well try and have the expense come from someone else's pocket if I can. It required 3 letters of recommendation from coworkers, a 3-page essay and college transcripts, etc. So I've been preparing it all in a rush because the deadline is today (Friday 5/15). I only had a week to get it all finished and submitted. I finished my 3 page essay last night. I'm submitting it today.

Giovanni has been a handful. He's going crazy in circles at the house and its driving me crazy. So I want to put him in day care 2 days a week so he gets some interaction and hands-on fun with other little kids. I think poor Luli is done with him too. Gio keeps trying to ride her like a horse and she hates it. hahaha.

Lease contract: We've been going back and forth with setting up the lease contract with the prop. manager for our house in Tampa. She's really good and came highly recommended. But its a hassle trying to get all the required paperwork from Cuba. The contract is about 15 pages, and we need to get in reviewed and notarized to make sure our behind is covered in case anything happens. We took it to the legal department here at the base. He reviewed it and gave us some pointers for revisions. So its been back and forth with the prop management to make the change requests, etc.

All of this has been additionally challenging because we don't have our stuff! The huge shipment arrives next month. Since we don't have a printer, I have to go through Henry to print it all at his office. But he's super busy too trying to learn his new role and play catch-up to what was left from the previous guy. So all my paperwork takes longer than expected. You don't realize how essential a phone and a printer can be until you don't have it.

I am going to accept a job as a test proctor at the college. That basically means I'll be in a computer lab, overseeing students who come in to take tests. I just make sure they don't cheat. I was asked to do this because I have my degree. It will be just 3 days a week, 10 hours total. Nothing big. But when I start my Master's I can study in there so it will be like a work/study job.

Giovanni's swim lessons have been going alright. He enjoys the water. But as soon as one of the Jamaican lifeguards grab him for a swim, to teach him how to kick, we have to plug our ears because he screams so loud. Poor guys who have to hear him screaming over and over again! But I'm told all the babies act that way the first session. Then, later they get used to the guys and they don't cry anymore.
We (the mommies) are in the water with them, but we stay on one side, and one at a time the babies all go for a little swim around the pool. It's cute. But very torturous for the babies. hahaha.
Anyway, Giovanni now goes under the water and wiggles his way over to me!! He doesn't choke on the water anymore. So there is improvement. Classes are 2 weeks. Next week they are done.

Giovanni has also been eating a lot of mangoes lately. Our neighbors have a mango tree in their front yard. We picked a bunch and now, Giovanni goes to the refrigerator, opens the door, and pulls out a mango all by himself. He eats the skin and all..hahaha. He does this about 2 or 3 times a day! I have to tell him "no more mangoes!"

Well, gotta go, Giovanni's patience is up.

..............

Sunday May 17

Our car finally arrived!! Yippee! We confirmed we have the only Honda Ridgeline on the base. It is so nice to at least have that here.
The rest of our household goods won't arrive until early June. Until then we are waiting patiently.

It is raining here today. I think the first day since we have been here that it rains more than 5 minutes. It's kinda nice. But gloomy and ugly outside.

Henry's "work" day on Friday was a fishing trip in the afternoon with some of his coworkers. Lucky him. But they didn't catch anything. haha. He came back that night with a bag of leftover beer and chips. I said that is what they caught. haha. Too bad. I guess every few weeks that is what his coworkers do for work out of the office.

Yesterday, Saturday, Henry and I competed in a Sailing Regatta! As it turns out, it was only us and 2 other sailboats competing - and they were our neighbors. Teams of 2 each. How funny. We said it was a neighborhood competition. Apparently all the boat lovers live on the same street. The race was entertaining. Each one of our boats flipped over at one point. Ours flipped over last, towards the end...when we were in the lead and about to win...NO!!! We ended up in 3rd place..but it was fun and funny.