Toys versus Clothes Pins

Husband and I have been debating how many toys Oldest Son and Youngest Son need in Mexico. On 1st Trip, about 30% of our available truck space was given to transporting toys.

I hope to take lots of books, games and a few more toys on 2nd Trip.

Husband sent me the following Text Message today:

"Next time u think more toys r needed in mexico know that the boys are playing w/clothes pins and having fun"

See Picture.

Since all their toys are already in Mexico, packed to go in next trip or given away ... kids really have been playing all kinds of games with these clothes pins that include bad guys, good guys, strategic positioning ... like first thing in the morning when they wake up ... kids really are not helping me "win" this debate for them.

On a more serious perspective: it really is an amazing example of the glory of a child's imagination and how ridiculously consumeristic we are.

We are still in the Good Ole USA

We are still here. It just takes time to get it all done.

Still no renters for American House. We have had several lookers but always come in 2nd!

Projected date of departure for Permanent Residence in Mexico: Saturday, 7/19, 5:30 am.

Journey Back to USA - Delays and Border Worries

Part 1 Was Very Good - 13 Hours
We left Saturday morning at 6:30 am (Nayarit time) and headed up the winding road towards Tepic. The clouds were literally right there - the kids thought this was very cool. We also saw vaqueros (Mexican cowboys) herding cattle down the road - also very cool.

We navigated through Guadalajara without too much stress and we arrived in Saltillo by 7:30pm. We chose the Hampton Inn right off 40 and the airport which was perfect since it required absolutely no detours. It only set us back $134 USD and included breakfast for 4.

Part 2 Was not So Great - 17.5 Hours (should have been 10 hours)
We were again on the road by 6:30 am (Central Time).

1st Set Back - Rain all the way from Saltillo to Laredo

2nd Set Back - We got caught at the Border in the line for International Bridge #1 for 2.5 hours! Then we realized at the actual crossing we really needed to turn in our FMT (180 day Tourist Visa) and our 180 day Car Permit in at Immigration before crossing bridge at same building in which we got them. We are on the bridge and no way to turn back. Now what?

We talk to US Border Person. He is not really too helpful. But we keep asking questions. Finally, he seems to think the 180 day part should make all okay. I am not so convinced. Husband and I have to decide whether to go back over border and start all over - definitely a 3 hour process. We decide to go on into Texas and I start researching on my iPhone web. It seems obvious we should have turned in the FMTs. The Car Permit also probably should have been turned in (and scraped off windshield) but there is conflicting information out there. Since neither are expired and we will be back within 2 weeks, we decide to deal with it when we cross then. The worst that should happen is we pay some fines and the best is we just go back over and use our FMTs and Car Permits as is. This all makes me very, very nervous.

3rd Set Back - We encounter multiple accidents causing a 4 hour delay. It was bad. One accident shut down entire highway for overturned 18 wheeler. Sidenote - We were behind a passenger bus from Mexico with Mexico plates - I thought this was serendipitous.

Humorous Highlights - We are serious car trippers so all three males maximized their equipment and emptied their bladders into an empty plastic soda bottle multiple times. Unfortunate for me I forgot and actually started to sip it ... oooh ... yuck ... quick spit it out! Kids just thought this was hilarious. Not so funny ...

Kids, School & First Shabbat

SCHOOL
Today was a big day. Oldest Son and Youngest Son visited their Mexican School for first time and we met with the Principal. All seem to go very well.

We presented the 170+ English books all our friends had donated for kid's Birthday Mitzvah. Principal was quite pleased and grateful.

We learned that the Principal will be holding special 2 week session July 14 - July 25 in the mornings for new kids and those whose first language is not Spanish. We did not know about this option. So. We will now leave Mexico in the morning and try to wrap up American Home ASAP and get back down here for kids to attend.

Principal not worried at all about Youngest Son and Kinder 3. She did talk a bit more about Oldest Son and his adjusting. She will pull him out of English each week along with another French Girl to provide extra help with Spanish.

We got our holiday listing, school supplies list (they will gather and provide for 250 Pesos) and directions for where to get uniforms.

Principal was quite dynamic. Apparently she started school 20 years ago and has built it to 3 Pre-Primaria grades and Grades 1-12. They are in construction right now for new building to hold Pre-Primaria. She is very attractive and mentioned being in Germany and traveling in USA while growing up.

Kids are very happy. They really like our Mexican Villa. They have played and played and played. They like their room and the pools and the ocean. Both reacted well to Mexican School visit. We all shared a huge platter of BBQ Fish today which had 3 whole fish (heads, bones, etc.), rice, vegetables and tortillas - scrumptious!

SHABBAT
We also had our first Shabbat tonight. We had all the important components:

Candles - We used candles selected by Oldest Son and Youngest Son at Mega and we had to blow them out since not exactly quick burning

Kiddish - Nectar de Mango juice worked

Challah - Fruit loops wrapped in kitchen towel

Prayers and Family - We always have these

Shabbat Meal - Chicken, Mango, Cucumbers, Queso Manchego, Plantains, Homemade Tortillas & Salsa

The perfect first Mexican Shabbat.

The Towels, Symbolism and Simpler Life

Work Colleagues gave me these really great Beach Towels (huge & soft) for our Mexico Life. So, I loaded the 4 towels for the trip. We typically travel with special blankets but I decided that our Simpler Life allowed for using the Towels as these blankets.

Since Tuesday, the Towels have been used as:

• Blankets for car trip
• Picnic blanket to sit on for our breakfast in Mega (big Target supermarket) parking lot
• Beach towels for swimming
• Play prop on porch (blue towel for good guys and pink for bad guys) for boys to play set up their action figures (Star Wars, Animals, Pirate Ships)
• Floor mat in living area
• Wash Them
• Couch covers for the kind of itchy couches (see above picture)

The multiple uses just strikes me as humorous and quite symbolic. One of our goals is to live more simply this year and when we return in a year. We have found 6 uses for a towel - how great is that?

Day 3 - We Get Our Mexico Villa!

View from Master Bedroom Balcony towards the West.

View from 1st Floor Patio. There is an endless pool straight ahead. The kids spent 30 minutes in that tree today.

Our place is FABULOUS. We are in a gated community with a couple guards patrolling the area along the villas and the beach. There are 3, 4 and 5 bedroom split level Villas. We have a 3 bedroom with 2 car garage. There is an open kitchen, living and dining that all overlook the view of the ocean since our whole back "wall" has sliding glass doors.

How did I get this life? I am so fortunate.

Day 2 Including Policia Encounter #2

Well our 2nd day proved to be just as interesting as the first. We started the day off with another police encounter.

Policia
So let me say up front we had the exact experience that is thought of as just an overblown myth. We were trying to navigate out of Monterrey (we only took 1 wrong turn this time). A policeman waves us over. Apparently we were driving in the left lane which is only for passing (although were passing people at the time.) Policeman indicates it will be a ticket. Husband, in a tactful way, ask if we can "take care of here" instead of going downtown. Policemen smiles and says yes for $120. We gladly hand over the USDs. We just wanted out of Monterrey and to be on our way. ADDENDUM: As I told this story to Realtor Guy and Mexican Villa Owner this morning - they just laughed and shook their heads. We had been taken! At the most we should have paid $30.

Journey to Guadalajara
The drive to Guadalajara was very, very interesting. We started going on a very straight road with desert landscape and mountains looming. The "forest" of trees that looked like strange palm trees was eerie. We had a couple of security checks by Mexican law enforcement with machine guns in hand but they just waived us through. Then we hit lush valleys with winding roads, lots of agriculture and quaint towns. The drive was just beautiful.

We played a game with the kids: "Find something interesting to the family" and you get 1 point if 3 out of 4 family members agree with you. My most interesting sight was a man plowing with 2 mules and an old fashioned hand plow. Wow. We did see many tractors but to see someone still plowing manually was incredible.

Guadalajara
We did learn some things about driving in a large Mexican city while in Monterrey:
- Signage will not tell you how to transfer from one highway to another
- Do not veer off on any side streets
- Study all available maps even though it will not tell you what to do exactly
- Make sure you know what the next major cities are on your path - the signs will probably list those cities and you can use to navigate
- Be ready to make a move at any time - signs are infrequent and often right when you need to turn, change lanes, etc.

And the good news is we got through Guadalajara without making any wrong turns!!! It was still tense but at least we did not get lost.

Bad, Bad, Bad
So while we did a good job navigating, we did a terrible job with timing. We thought we had 3 hours left to our destination on the Pacific Coast and we only had 1 1/2 hours of day light left. Our problem was there were no hotels close by (and we did not want to go into Guadalajara) and none on the way. We decided to continue forward even though we both know not to travel at night in Mexico.

We started on an expressway that allowed quick travel. Total toll way costs ended up being $50. I did start a text conversation with Best Friend so someone on this earth would know where we were if we disappeared! I diligently kept her updated on our whereabouts.

It got dark. Ugh.

Now we are on 2 lane highway with mostly Truckers who can only go 25 MPH uphill. Although, we did get behind a farm truck loaded full of chickens too. Going was slow. We were back to winding, hilly roads. Agonizing. Really. Signs sparse so hard to gage where we are since it is taking way longer than 3 hours.

Arrival
The plan is to stay in Other American Family's Mexico home till we can meet to get keys to our place the next morning. We finally arrive 4 1/2 hours after Guadalajara (which is 3 hours after sundown.)

Cerveza. Yes I definitely have one and Husband has one with a shot of Tequila in it!

Policia Escort for 1st Night in Mexico

Yes, you read the Title correctly. But I will start at the beginning ...

We left American Home this morning under some stress and tense moments but did get on the road with all packed and happy kids.

Husband very nervous about border crossing. No Problemo! We literally hit the green light (random car check trigger) and we were over in 5 minutes at most.

GLITCH #1
We miss the turn to complete Immigration and Car Registration (that is right after border crossing.) We drive around and around and around for 30 minutes. Finally we find a place that looks right. Husband leaves us in a parking lot and sets out on foot. Kids have good time playing in dirt and rocks. Husband returns. Wrong place. This is place for Mexican Cars.

We return to border get to proper location. We get through steps 1, 2, 3, 4 in about 45 minutes. We pay $100 in immigration fees and leave a $300 credit card deposit to guarantee we will bring car back into USA.

On the road to Monterrey!

Glitch #2
I get on phone and make reservation at hotel recommended by friend and AAA travel book. Friendly Hotel Person gives me "clear" driving directions. It is kinda pricey but we are excited to be in Mexico so why not? Drive goes very smoothly. We enter Monterrey, make 1st designated turn but end up in the mountain, literally. Turn around, make another bad turn. Get on right road. We are about 45 minutes being lost now. Going fine until we are supposed to turn on Major Highway. Here are highlights:

• End up at airport (20 minutes wrong way)
• Complete race car turn on Major Highway (scary) - I think this is when bike rack broke
• After many failed attempts, I figure out we did not need long distance code of 01 when calling in the city - Versus when I had called hours earlier and used the 01
• Talk with Friendly Hotel Person off and on for about an hour trying figure where the h-ll we are
• Husband yells at Friendly Hotel Person and hangs up on her - you know it is bad when I am the calm one
• End up in apartment complex parking lot and can not get out without race car maneuvering
• Find nice Police Person and thrust phone to him to talk to Friendly Hotel Person
• Follow Police Person to hotel which includes taking us up a ramp the wrong way with his lights flashing
• Arrive sheepishly at hotel to face Friendly Hotel Person

We have been lost for 3 hours. All this driving done with the Pop-up Camper on back.

I think this qualifies for a memorable first day in our year abroad.

P.S. Hotel is spectacular

Getting Outta Here!

Okay. We are packing up the Expedition. We are taking toys, clothes, 4 boxes of books to donate to kid's Mexican School and electronics.

And our Pop-up! For the non-camper out there - it is like a "box" you attach behind your vehicle that literally pops up into a RV with 2 double beds, table, sink and stove. Our new Villa will have a 2 car garage. We can store the Pop-up there and then take excursions around Mexico. Yes, Yes, Yes - we will only camp in safe RV parks. I have heard lots of concern on our decision to camp in Mexico.

Husband is finalizing Mexican Automobile Insurance online right at 10 pm tonight. $400 and some change per year. Effective 10 am July 1, 2008.

Here is the paperwork Husband has gathered:
- 2 copies of Mexican Insurance Contract (in Spanish, no page numbers)
- 2 copies of Bank Letter showing car paid off
- 3 copies of Car Registration
- 3 copies of Car Title
- 3 copies of Bank Letter showing Pop-up Camper paid off
- Pop-up Camper registration and 3 copies of Camper Registration
- 1 copy of each of our passports
- 3 copies of Husband Driver's Licence
- 3 copies of my Driver's License
- 3 copies of lease for Mexican Villa
- 3 copies of preliminary Mexico Car Registration (done online) to help move us along at border

Next time I post, I hope to be in a hotel in Monterrey - 1/2 way there!

Dedicated to Pa

This post is a little different. It is inspired by watching Youngest Son and Pa (my Grandfather) playing a serious game of Poker (5 Card Stud) this afternoon. Pa played exactly as he had played with my mother, then me and now my son. Youngest Son could not have been happier.

My Crazy Granny (see March 31 Post) got married at 15, had two kids at 16 and 17, divorced at 21, married to Pa at 23. So Pa is really my step-grandfather but to me he is the real deal. My childhood was stereotypical dysfunctional. Pa was always there to do whatever was needed for Brother and me (and the other kids too.)

Pa lied about his age to join the Navy for WW II. He never finished high school. He became a truck driver haul'in cattle mostly. I remember riding with him from Fort Worth to Dallas when I was about 11 years old. Pa happily handed over his paycheck to Crazy Granny and never questioned how she was using it to help us kids.

Pa loves the story (he told me tonight) of when I was 1 year old. I would only sit in his lap and then proceed to pee on his leg. He has a picture of me sitting on that leg on his dresser to this day.

A saw my Brother become a hero the day he took care of Pa in the hospital as Pa almost died of emphysema complications. Brother took control and made sure all was right with Pa's care. I was thankful for both Brother and Pa that day.

Pa is a simple man with a heart of gold. He loves all of us kids as if his very own blood was coursing though our veins. How fortunate I am to have had him touch my life.

Winding Down and Gearing Up

Winding Down

Youngest Son earned Gold Belt in martial arts this morning. Check.

Oldest Son played in his baseball playoff game today. Check.

Youngest Son played last T-Ball game today. Had T-Ball celebration. Said good-byes. Arranged for trophies to be delivered to missing players. Husband finished coaching duties. Check.

Had special dinner with special friends last night. Check - with mucho sadness.

Gearing Up

Latest logistical plan:

• Get as much done as possible with American Home by June 30
• Drive to Mexico July 1 - July 2 with loaded car and pop-up attached
• Kids visit school July 4
• Head back the American Home July 6 - July 7
• Complete American Home stuff (packing, moving stuff to storage, indoor painting, major pool repair, rehanging window treatments, re-finish kitchen cabinets, re-finish swing set, etc.)
• Husband get Hep A & B shots - round 2
• Drive to Mexico July 17 - July 19 with loaded car (maybe stop at Sea World??)
• START LIVING IN MEXICO!!!!!!!

Oh and it would be nice to actually rent our American Home somewhere along the way too.

Mexican Consulate - Car Going to Mexico

Husband went to Mexican Consulate today as instructed by Mexico web site. His goal was to complete the paper work needed to take our car into Mexico. Arrived at 6:45 am. At 10:00 am he is informed that there us really nothing else he can do until we get to the border (other than what he has already done on website registration.)

No learning here. Husband did what website told him. Just one of those Mexico things.

First Official Showing of House

We finally got the call. Potential renters want to see our house at 12:oo. We got the call at 11:15.

Oh my gosh. The house is a wreck of course. Not only are there drop clothes and painting stuff everywhere - there is just the mess of living in every available space.

We shift into super high gear. I am on a conference call and have another at 11:30. Multi-tasking is my freak'in first, middle and last name. Thank goodness for wireless so I can move around while talking and picking up!

Husband takes direction well and we actually have things somewhat okay by 12:00. Not perfect but respectable.

Husband: "We have learned a lesson from this."
Me: "What?"
Husband: "We need to have House ready at all times."
Me: Dirty Look to Husband
Husband: "I know, I know."

Footnote: I had told him this exact same "lesson" 2 weeks ago ...

UHAUL is Us

Today is one of those "there is a pit in my stomach" days. We have the big ole Uhaul truck and we are moving all our furniture and many boxes to storage. This is one of those big move forward steps. My 15 year-old second cousin is helping to make some extra summer money.

Nervous. Excited. Relieved. Lots of emotions.

Neighbor stopped to say she knew someone who may want to rent out house. Oh please.

Shots - Hep A & B and Spanish Camp

NEW LEARNING: Hep A & B Shots

About 1 month ago we started asking what shots if any we needed to live in Mexico for 1 year. Our pediatrician looked into it for the kids and they are good. We will not be in a high risk area for malaria and their other immunizations cover everything else.

However, it is suggested that Husband and I get Hep A & B shots. So we make appointments. Husband goes this morning and guess what? Hep A & B is a SERIES of shots! We will both be able to get 1st ones here with current insurance (which will end soon.) We will have to get rest in Mexico. Ugh. We have to have 2nd set in 1 month and 3rd one in 6 months. I guess we will just work it out.

GOOD NEWS: Spanish Camp

The kids started Spanish Camp this week. They have Spanish Immersion from 9-12 every day for 2 weeks! Oldest Son's class has Spanish spoken most of the time. He says he understands and did not seem stressed at all. I feel Happy. Happy. Happy.

Youngest Son's class is more for beginners so English and Spanish is more mixed. He too seems to be doing well though. He came home today and told Husband Spanish names for all rooms.

Both kids have been doing the Rosetta Stone software every day as well. I am probably more anxious than needed on the Spanish skills but just want to make sure we do all we can before they start school.