Mrs. Sunshine decided she wanted chickens . . . So guess who got stuck building the coop? This was the first chicken coop I have ever built and like most men that I know – I didn’t bother reading any silly design specs. After all if you had designs, can you really call it a… Read More DIY Chicken Coop
We originally started homeschooling our 3 children when we went to Ecuador for three months in 2013. Our kids are not anywhere close to fluent in Spanish (much like their parents). Inclusion into a local school there was out of the question, because we knew we would only be in Ecuador for 3-6 months. Thus,… Read More Why Homeschool?
When we first arrived in Manta, we went to the Supermaxi. This is a supermarket similar to a Walmart (although not near as big). Going to the grocery store here was a ‘fun’ experience. Our first trip was on a Friday night (Strike #1). We were there with all 3 kids after they had been… Read More Shopping in Manta, Ecuador
Tuesday we made our first trip to the orphanage. I literally had to fight back the tears as we first walked through for a tour, and honestly I can’t even tell you why. There are 21 kids ranging from eight months all the way up to fifteen years of age. There is a family of… Read More Shekinah Orphanage
We have had a busy last couple weeks. On the weekends, we have tried to get out of the house and go on mini adventures. One Sunday we (or should I say Mike) decided that once low tide hit we would make the trek up the coast line from our condo to Murcielago Beach. This… Read More Beach Adventures
After our Saturday afternoon of bocce ball, the kids played in the sand, while we sat and visited some more. As evening settled in, we walked over to the area where the Supermaxi is. There is a gentleman (Juan) who makes homemade ice cream. It was so so good! He has a ton of flavors… Read More September Saturday in Ecuador
One of our objectives in coming to Ecuador was to become involved with one of the local orphanages. Mike had found out about one of the orphanages on the website www.mantaexpatsonline.com. It is run by Al and his wife, Linda, as a free informational site to help people who are new in the area. They also… Read More The Manta Gringos
When we decided to travel to Manta, it became clear to us that homeschool was our best option. The main concern I had with homeschooling was “Am I really qualified and patient enough to handle this?” (Oddly enough, I started out in Elementary Ed in college and moved into Accounting later on). The second was… Read More Adventures in Homeschooling (Part 2)
Well, we are two weeks into our stay in Manta and we just completed our second week of homeschool. I remember a time (pre-kid) where I thought of homeschooling with slightly negative connotations. I had this idea that the only kids who home-schooled were ones who were socially inept or their parents were hover-parents who… Read More Adventures in Homeschooling (Part 1)
Life in Manta thus far has been pretty amazing. However, there have been some unexpected challenges. We had actually been planning to live in a different condo than the one we are currently in, but the owner was pulling some crazy antics with our real estate agent. A few days before we left the States,… Read More Life in Manta, Ecuador
