Visitors

Camping Friends Checking Out the Beach on Day 1

In our year living in Mexico (July 2008 - July 2009), we were fortunate to have many visitors - special time with special people in our lives.

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We were able to replicate that experience last week. Two couples, I will call them our "Camping Friends" stayed a week in the same place we are in now and we were able to show them bits and pieces of Mexico. While Camping Friends have children, they were able to go SOB for an adult vacation.

We had a great time with them.

Here is a glimpse from Camping Friend #1 Husband thanking us: " ... for showing the path less traveled - the taco stands, raw tuna, Tu Pollo, the pie lady, Sienna and fish on a stick at the beach, surfing, Latcho and Andrea, etc."

And another email we just got from Camping Friend #2 Wife: "I want to go back to Mexico. Very crazy week. Very much like in Mexico. Plumbers saying they will come and do not. And, when they finally got here, they even spoke Spanish. Spent 48 hours with plumbers, inspectors and atmos trying to figure out gas leak mess. Trying to board dogs, but petsmart phones at location I want are down until next week...ugh......all this hassle and no waves to go with it!"

Mexico is a frame of mind. It is a way of thinking. It honestly thrills me that our Camping Friends took a part of the "path less traveled" and the "things do not go as expected" paradigm with them back to the USA.

Mexico is way more than geography. Mexico can change you. Or maybe it is just the concept of exploring other ways of approaching life that is the change agent. I do believe that tolerance is the real goal and living abroad for even a small part of my life has made a difference. So sharing that experience with people important to our lives and the lives of our children is significant.

Special time with special people in our lives ... this is what really defines our lives where ever we are ... who ever we are ...

Guest Blogger: Youngest Son - A Poem

Mexico

by: Youngest Son

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Mexico Mexico is the best

You can swim in the water

But you better put sun screen on every day

Or else you'll burn up that day

Note: Oldest Son and Youngest Son are keeping a journal this summer. Youngest Son asked to write a poem today.

Boys Are Boys ... Where ever they are ...

A Cheap Mega Plastic Power Rangers Ball
Two Cardboard Boxes

A Rectangle Play Area
An 8 Year Old in Ben 10 PJs

A 10 Year Old excited about the Recent NBA Playoffs ...

"You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again."

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Emile

Los Piojos for Oldest Son

Well the adventure continues for Oldest Son. He has his first case of piojos ... lice.

Wednesday: The Nayarit schools announced that they will close school on Friday - 3 weeks earlier than planned! Husband checked with kids' Mexico school to see if Oldest Son and Youngest Son could attend for last two days. Yes.

Thursday: Kids went to school and had a great day. Oldest Son was excited about high marks on a math test. Youngest Son brought home a great picture he had drawn about his summer: Oldest Son surfing, Youngest Son hanging on to Oldest Son, a flattering depiction of me wearing a bikini (which I never do!) and Husband colored in with a sunburn all over. Ummmm, there must be some kind of deeper meaning to these artistic choices by Youngest Son. Something to ponder.

Friday (today): Parties all day long at school. Youngest Son came home covered in dirt from playing outside. Oldest Son came home with lice. Well, to be technically correct, we only found the eggs. We have treated Oldest Son's scalp and are hoping no hatchlings reveal themselves tomorrow. We have switched all the linens and quarantined the stuffed animals. Husband, Youngest Son and I are piojos free so far.

Saturday: We will see ...

Oldest Son Gets Stitches

BEFORE

Oldest Son continues what appears to be a tradition of sorts. He has taken our family further into the Mexico Health Care Experience. (Remember http://movingkidstomexico.blogspot.com/2008/12/chanukah-6th-night-day-of-family-lore.html)

As you can see from the BEFORE picture above, Oldest Son fell and busted open his chin this afternoon.

Husband and I began the very common parental decision discussion: does he need stitches or not? We decide he probably does.

Husband and I then have the uncommon parental decision of how to handle in Mexico. While we have been to the Mexican doctors many times, we are a little more conscientious due mostly to the risk of infection and some to the cosmetic considerations. We call Other American Family to see if they have a doctor suggestion. We end up with 2 choices: (1) go to large tourist town hospital or (2) go to local small coastal village doctor who only speaks Spanish and seems reputable. We call local doctor. He is there and says he can handle it. Note it is 5:30pm.

Husband, Oldest Son, Youngest Son and I walk to get Other American Family's car and head out.

Doctor is ready for us when we arrive. He is very friendly and welcoming. His office is pretty much like other small Mexico village doctor offices: small, sparse and dark. Doctor is dressed plainly. Husband and Oldest Son translate Doctor's Spanish for me. Youngest Son is eager to watch the "show."

Doctor lets us know after first examination that Oldest Son will probably need a couple stitches. Doctor indicates he will use a topical anesthetic. Hmmmm.

Doctor starts cleansing. I am most concerned about infection so his aggressive attack on cleaning puts me at ease. His assistant is a young Mexican girl - sweet but definitely not a nurse. She opens package after package of sterile gauze for the doctor to use. There are several squirts of the topical anesthetic.

Doctor then advises us that a just proper bandage will probably be enough and demonstrates (no stitches.) We decide that we want him to do the stitches so he gladly does as we request.

Doctor starts but the topical is not enough anesthetic. Assistant is off to get the needle. Several injections later Doctor is ready again. Oldest Son's body language shows he is relieved that the stronger anesthetic is used. There seems to be a good bit of blood. Doctor puts in 2-3 stitches, has us look to see if we want another one in the middle. This time Husband and I agree with Doctor that the additional stitch is not necessary.

Whew. Oldest Son was our usual stoic, brave soul. No complaints. No tears.

Doctor writes down the antibiotic and something for pain. He instructs us to keep area dry for couple days, no ocean swimming and come back on Monday (no particular time.) Doctor also says to eat no fat or pork and drink no sodas. Hmmmm.

Husband and I are comfortable that Doctor did a good job and Oldest Son will be alright. We think we made the right series of decisions.

Doctor Cost: $650 pesos which included all the supplies he used (about $46 USD).

AFTER

Shabbat Shalom

I love that Reform Judaism is portable and tolerant. We embraced both of these attributes this Shabbat evening.
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Our Shabbat preparations started with a bus ride. Husband, Oldest Son, Youngest Son and I caught the local bus on the nearby road. Our 30 pesos took all 4 of us on a 30 minute ride to Mega. We purchased items for our Shabbat dinner. We took a taxi back for 190 pesos in order to transport our 4 boxes of groceries and make a quick stop at our favorite bakery.
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It was time ...

Oldest Son lit the candles. My Chanukah present this year was this clever Shabbat Candle Travel Holder. It folds to a ball (see the hinge) and then opens to hold the lights of Shabbat. There are scenes of Israel on the outside.

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We recited the Blessing Over the Candles:

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Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

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asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu

Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us

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l'had'lik neir shel Shabbat. (Amein)

to light the lights of Shabbat. (Amen)

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Then ...

Traditional: Kiddush is recited while holding then drinking fruit of the vine (a cup of wine or grape juice)

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In Mexico: Well - we embrace the spirit that moves us and customs around us ...

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We recited the Kiddush:

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Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha-olam

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
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borei p'ri hagafen (Amein)

Who creates the fruit of the vine (Amen)

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Finally ...

Traditional: We lift the Challah loaf and recite the Ha-Motzi. The challah is then ripped into pieces or sliced and passed around the table, so that each person may have a piece. The family meal may then begin.
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In Mexico: Youngest Son lifts the Totopos ...
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We sang the Ha-Motzi Song:
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Hamotzi lechem min haaretz,

We give thanks to God for bread.

Our voices rise in song together as our joyful prayer is said,

“Baruch atah adonai, eloheinu melech haolam,

hamotzi lechem min haaretz. Amen.”

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(Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe

who brings forth bread from the earth. Amen.)

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The Family Meal ...

Traditional: Brisket or Chicken, Vegetable

In Mexico: We made Sopas - Muy Bien!

Guest Blogger: Oldest Son - Going Back to MX School

Heading out from our Villa

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Yesterday, I went to school at Colegio --- with my friend Other Oldest Son. I was nervous because I didn't know if my Mexican friends would remember me. But when I got there, everything was fine.
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First I went to Spanish Class where we read a story called "La Fantasma de Canterville." Then, the Spanish Teacher had me write a reflection in Spanish (see below!). I enjoyed Spanish Class because we got to read an interesting story.
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Afterwards, I went to English Class. In English Class, we had had a spelling competition but no one won. Each student said one letter of the word but it seemed like most kids had not studied. We had to translate from English to Spanish.
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It was fun coming back to Colegio and seeing all my friends.


My brother, Youngest Son, also went back yesterday. When he arrived, his friends happily chased him around the school singing a song that included his name!
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He did this excellent work below. He also sold his Silly Bandz for pesos and used the pesos to buy Oreos, 2 Ice Creams, Pie and Bolita (frozen juice.) He ate all of it after school in 10 minutes except the Oreos!

Busy First Few Days

We have been very busy settling in the past few days. We have already done so much!

On Thursday, Other American Family (Other Mom, Other Dad, 3 Boys) and our family picked up USA Friends (2 Dads and Son) from Cruise Ship. We caravanned to the Zip Lines. So fun. Above you can see Oldest Son jumping into river after we did all the Zip Lines. The 6 Boys had a great time swimming and playing on the large boulders.

Then we went back into town. The 6 Boys then opted to swim in the ocean. You can see where 6 Boys have hastily abandoned shoes for the sand and surf.

On Friday, we finally were able to move into our small villa (2 bedroom w/ kitchen) in a "resorty kinda of place" for the month. The view above is from our balcony and shows the haze of the rainy season approaching. I was able to get a really, really reasonable deal for this low season month! Husband has been busy setting up Skype lines and computers and cables and internet so we can work remote this month.

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We are right next door to where Other American Family lives. So on Saturday, Youngest Son spent 5 hours building sand fort with Other Youngest Son (age 6) and Other Middle Son (age 8) while Oldest Son alternated body surfing and pool play with Other Oldest Son (age 10.) Husband went to Mega to stock our kitchen - it was the usual spotty experience - some stuff there and some stuff not so much.

And this Sunday morning, the crabs were moving about in multitudes as happens every year as the rainy season starts. Youngest Son carefully shows his morning catch. We do, of course, practice catch and release.

I have not written about our Friday night yet - quite the night - next post!

Back - June 1, 2010 to July 8, 2010

We arrived South of the Border on June 1, 2010. Husband, Oldest Son, Youngest Son and American Mommy in Mexico are back but only for a short time. We will be here until July 8th. We are back in the same Pacific Coast area.

Happy.

I will work remote just like before (when we lived here July 2008 through July 2009) but no commuting. I worked most of today. However as I sat in front of 3 computers, I had a great view of the ocean and palm trees and a lovely coastal breeze. Not bad work conditions.

Happy.

Oldest Son and Youngest Son took sailing lessons in local marina today. They were able to man their own boats. Very cool.

Happy.

We had tacos and flan and cerveza at Tacos on the Street.

Happy.

About to go to sleep to the sound of rolling waves and bats chirping and geckos singing.

Happy.