we went to the childrens event at 2pm today at the colmada milka and santa was there.

at first we didn’t know what we were supposed to do because of our lack of spanish skills.

there was a guy with big speakers in the back of his truck and he had his caribbean christmas music pumping and he kept talking to the kids on a microphone.

then everyone started chanting for santa – about 40 or so babies and kids (the island is smaller than my hometown island). SANTA! SANTA!

and then santa appeared.

rudder was very excited to see santa and was clapping – at first. he has this new thing with clapping. if he knows there is going to be clapping (on a toy or live song), he will put his hands together before the actual clapping happens. i think he thought the music was live or something because after every song, he put his hands together.

and then we took him up to see the man in charge. he was ok at first, but i think we should have let him get a good look before i just plopped him down. it probably didn’t help that santa was speaking spanish to him in addition to being a stranger and looking weird (he had white makeup paint over his eyebrows).

look at that face!

his comfort level dropped as the seconds ticked by.

so he was saved by me before a big freak out happened and we stepped back to take a good look at santa. then santa wanted to shake his hand, and i tell santa, “he does high fives.” rudder gives a smile and a high five. i think rudder totally redeemed himself and is back on the good list.

then some sandwiches were passed around. i tried rudder’s and can not identify what was in it. white bread with some sort of spread with a little bite. he seemed to like it.

and he also scored a big cheesy puff and a cup of juice.

and then there were more announcements and music, etc.

adults with babies started lining up and then someone informed us (in english) that babies were supposed to go up to see santa. i see all these parents coming back from santa with toys, so i ask the english speaking guy if it costs something (not that i really cared) as these were real toys, not just a bag of cheap candy and a candy cane like my childhood experience.

i saw a girl go by with a brand new cabbage patch doll. they even had toys for new born babies.

then rudder starts seeing these young kids with new toys in boxes and of course starts pointing(yes readers, they start that young!). so we get in line and santa’s helper takes a look at rudder. i plop him on the stage, and this time he was not shy – i mean, come on, santa was handing him a shiny new toy AND a bag of cheap candy. he practically ran.

he was a happy camper.

and he played with it all the way home, even in the dinghy – he is usually standing at the front waiting for spray, or the in back “driving.

and then he found the wafers in his bag of treats from santa.

’til then.

hopefully this photo heavy post will make up for it.

ah well. we’ve been busy:

picking and eating carambola (starfruit).

dancing with mocko jumbies at jump-up (sorry, crap photo, they move too fast).

dinghy riding around the anchorages in puerto rico.

bathing in the cockpit with cookie monster in ensenada honda in culebra.

carrying mom’s water bottle with a goggles strap.

playing with the best toy from auntie kiki.

practicing “sticking up his dukes” for when he meets uncle john and his grumpa again. and has also acquired several muscle tees after mom cut the sleeves off most of his t-shirts.

drilling at our mooring in pela.

acting like cookie monster – and growing teeth (9 total now, including two top molars!).

eating snacks at flamenco beach.

swimming with dad at flamenco beach.

checking out the tanks at flamenco beach with mom.

reading lots of books with dad and shaggy (rudder’s favorite thing to do, especially when teething).

going snorkeling with the turtles and barracuda at culebrita.

hiking to the culebrita lighthouse and geocaching.

trying to get a good family self-portrait up at the culebrita lighthouse since it has amazing lighting.

getting back rides from dad.

making tortillas from scratch with our new (6 months ago) press.

rudder eating black olives from his fingers like his mom used to – okay, she still does.

making our christmas tree out of a hanging fruit basket we were about to throw away. like that storage on the inside??

buying new $40 kicks from journey in fajardo since we haven’t gotten our boxes with our tennis shoes from tucson yet.

running around in his new t-shirt-turned-muscle tee. he thinks it’s pretty funny. mostly because he loves ketchup, and knows there is ketchup on his shirt.

so yeah, we’ve been busy.

internet is always spotty when we are here (in salt river in st. croix, not in culebra – 3G is amazing in culebra)and if there is no wind, the batteries don’t get charged…..when the batteries don’t get charged, no computer!

we have been in puerto rico since early december and the christmas winds have been around, meaning there has not been a lack of wind this month. which i am mostly grateful for since we get to run the fridge.

yes, we have a fridge. and it’s awesome. it makes ice. and freezes otter pops for teething toddlers.

and you can put magnets on it! i was giddy about this discovery.

there were a few days where i was wishing for the wind to at least mellow out since it makes for really wet and crazy dinghy rides.

oh yeah, the title of the blog.

rudder has not seen santa yet this year. i’m bummed.

we are in ensenada honda (an anchorage near isla de culebra) near the town of dewey. there is a christmas gift thing for the kids today at 2pm, so i’m hoping some form of santa claus will be there. i had a few opportunities when we were in st. croix, but one i forgot about because we were doing this:

and the other was at the botanical gardens, and i didn’t see santa anywhere.

so that’s what we have been up to the past three weeks. pretty fun stuff. we plan to be back in st.croix before january 7th to watch the crucian christmas adult parade.

though i could stay here forever.

it will be a nice laid back christmas. i have plans to make some sushi tonight and possibly a pumpkin spice cake (because s/v willow has an oven!) today or tomorrow.

oh, and bacon wrapped water chestnuts! these were a favorite of my brother john at christmas and one of the things that he would make. i felt i needed something to remind me of home other than the canned smoked salmon (which we do not eat at holidays).

no pierogis this year….the dough has never held up in this weather, and with only three of us eating them, seems like too much work!

merry christmas.

’til then.

Tagged: christmas, culebra, Culebrita, culebrita lighthouse, ensenada honda, fajardo, flamenco beach, geocaching, living aboard, puerto rico, sailboat, santa, snorkelling, spanish virgin islands, teething ]]> http://nowhereslowhandmade.com/2011/12/24/no-santa-2/feed/ 0 nowhereslow IMG_20111127_082738.jpg IMG_20111125_201457.jpg IMG_20111206_124444.jpg IMG_20111206_123707.jpg IMG_20111209_144707.jpg IMG_20111215_085013.jpg IMG_20111212_173715.jpg IMG_20111215_163924.jpg IMGP9502.JPG IMGP9506.JPG IMGP9507.JPG IMGP9540.JPG IMGP9586.JPG IMG_20111213_151019.jpg IMGP9566.JPG IMGP9567.JPG IMGP9577.JPG IMGP9579.JPG IMGP9548.JPG IMGP9552.JPG IMGP9562.JPG IMGP9608.JPG IMGP9627.JPG IMGP9591.JPG IMGP9488.JPG IMG_20111127_160728.jpg IMG_20111204_155235.jpg http://nowhereslowhandmade.com/2011/10/29/san-juan/ http://nowhereslowhandmade.com/2011/10/29/san-juan/#comments Sun, 30 Oct 2011 04:13:44 +0000 nowhereslow https://nowhereslow.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/san-juan/ ]]> In san juan for the night.  These pics have nothing to do with me being in san juan.  Just found them on our other phone and laughing about how small dude used to be.  He is now walking all over the place.

’til then.