Mexico Nuts - Living Outside the Box

Sports tournament...and continuing to lose my mind...

2011-11-11T22:48:00.004-06:00

Our church had a "Stake Primary" event, which meant that many different congretations in the area were expected to bring their children to an event for children between 3 and 12 years. We are the only ward/congregation that lives 1 hour away (the rest are located in Guadalajara) and it was like pulling teeth to get anyone to come to this event! Who was responsible for making it happen? Me.

Our first problem is that no one has cars. The few that do were either out of town or had car issues that prevented them from driving. Finally, a bishopric counselor volunteered to help, and we stuffed his vehicle and ours full for the hour drive to Guadalajara!

We managed to get 13 kids (and several parents) to the Stake Primary soccer and basketball tournament. They held the event 4 weeks in a row, and asked different wards to play on different days against other wards. The winning teams were asked to return the final week for a playoff.

Here are some of he peeps from our ward...

Two of our older boys (in the front right) getting ready play soccer.

Our family killing time while watching the long event...

Other kids busied themselves by swinging from hanging palm branches...

Ella was so excited and confident about playing soccer. She started the game, but just 2 minutes in she was kicked in the face by a soccer ball, and decided she was done for the day.

It is quite common to play soccer on basketball courts that double as soccer fields. Grass is a rare commodity in the city! This particular court was located behind one of the chapels, on church property.

I admit I was very grateful that our kids did not win either of their games. That way we weren't required to return for the play-offs for the tournament. It was hard enough to get them there the first time, and doing it just a week later would have made us lose more hair! They were not happy we weren't coming back, even just to watch the playoffs. But for real, people. I don't mean to be difficult...but can't you plan an activity that is easier?!

__________________

And guess what kinds of snacks the children devoured after their morning of sports?

Green oranges. And they were good!!

Summer lovin'...

2011-11-11T22:41:00.000-06:00

Ella found an old pin I bought my first summer in Skagway. Oh, the memories!

We often mind Maiya in odd places for an afternoon nap (in practice she refuses to take a nap, but these things do have a way of happening on rare occasion)...

Ethan in a very typical Mexican high chair. This is pretty much all I've seen around here! It is quite uncommon that they don't have a strap, so we grabbed a bungee cable from the car to keep him tied down. You never know when you might need a bungee cord!!

When in UT, I saw all of my siblings with the exception of Ben, who now lives in Tennessee!

We went hiking to American Fork Falls, if I remember correctly. A simple and beautiful hike!

I know I've mentioned our family's love of Jenga. That love goes well beyond just playing the game...

We celebrated my birthday with store-bought key lime pie :-) Now that is a birthday cake I like!

We decided to let Ella try out a gymnastics class, after about 2 years of her pleading. It is twice the price of ballet, but she is absolutely in love with it. Therefore, we dropped ballet, and now let her go to the gym twice a week. It is exactly 1 1/2 minutes from our house. Can't beat that!

Life is good...

2011-11-11T22:28:00.000-06:00

especially when they love each other!

Birthdays

2011-10-22T18:09:00.006-05:00

For Ethan's birthday this summer, we went to a friend's house to celebrate the birthday of Ella's classmate and friend who shares the same birthday!

It was a pool party!

It was 4th of July, and "too cold to swim" for half of the Mexican kids there. After all, it wasn't a completely sunny clear day (Ahem. It was probably 75 degrees, still).

Faces were made...

Fun was had by all...

Graduation from Kinder

2011-10-22T09:53:00.002-05:00

I recently posted about Ella's graduation from Kindergarten (yeah...I told you I was months and months behind)! You can find the post on my other blog!

Meanwhile, here are a few photos I didn't share there...

Here are the girls sitting on a ledge at the school. That is a gigantic moth on the wall between them!

Here is Ella's Spanish Kinder teacher:

Here are Maiya's teachers for her "Maternal" class (a.k.a. preschool)

And here are the girls with their friend, Pablo. Behind them is a gigantic, AMAZING cake that Pablo's mother made. She is an up-and-coming cake baker, and is quite the artist in soooo many ways (weaving, painting, drawing, etc). Cakes are her new thing, and she made this Alice in Wonderland cake at a special class in Guadalajara with a visiting specialist. Pretty cool cake, huh?

Father's Day

2011-09-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

If I'm talking about Father's Day, you can see how behind I am on posting!!

The girls came home from school with adorable gifts for Jared on Father's Day!

They each made a picture that the school then had printed on mugs, along with their photo on the other side.

Ella's picture is of her and her Daddy (I love Ella's red hair photos...they always make me smile!)

And since Maiya's a little young to draw her own pictures, her teachers had her make fingerprints with paint, and then they made the fingerprints into little mini-Daddy's (see Jared working on the computer, working out, listening to music, etc). What a cute idea!

These are definitely a keepsake!

Our serious student...

2011-09-25T23:16:00.000-05:00

Ella is a very serious student. She has to have everything PERFECT, which can make for some rough homework sessions, at times. Overall, she's better better at not throwing fits!!

In Mexico, the children write in cursive, not print. I tried to write a note to the teacher in pure cursive (you know, the "correct" way...so I didn't feel dumb), and realized I just couldn't do it very well. I generally use a sloppy mix of print/cursive/whatever.

Ella's cursive is officially better than mine (oh yeah, and 100% better than Jared's...because he doesn't write curisve)!

This is how they sleep...

2011-09-25T23:12:00.000-05:00

At our old house, Ella & Maiya shared a queen sized bed. We were a bit fearful Maiya might fall off the side, so we put up a portable bed rail. Maiya used it well (see below).

It was not unusual to sneak a peak at the kids sleeping like this...

And yes, during the hot season it was NOT unusual to find Ella stripping off all of her clothes, and sleeping on top of the sheets.

In our new home, the girls now have bunk beds which they LOVE. Luckly, their sleeping habits seem to be much more normal when they are not side by side!

A new blog

2011-09-17T22:00:00.003-05:00

Introducing our new blog: "Living Outside of the Box"

Yeah, you read that right. I have a new blog I've kinda been working on here and there (hence the lack of activity here). It's hosted on my own domain, and designed through Wordpress (which has a high learning curve, I might add)! It will be a more generic blog...for example, I probably won't talk about some of the personal church experiences and post a billion kid photos on it.

So, why another blog?

The truth is that I long to also share my thoughts & experiences with people that can relate to me. People that don't read it and think, "Oh...they're just showing off or bragging." There are many people out there, like us, who are expats...and as a whole we like to see what different opportunities and experiences that are available when living in different areas of the world.

The new blog will be my means of sharing our travel and day-to-day adventures living South of the Border! I would also like to share more of my personal feelings about what it means to me to be an expat, share the different "tools" we find especially helpful to maintain some of our comforts, and so on. I know I will post things that my family and some friends won't agree with...which is why my family and many of my friends still live in the US.

Some people have taken personal offense from things I have already written on my blog, when there is absolutely no reason to (why take offense when it isn't intended?!). I feel like I always have to edit what I want to write, to be certain not to "offend" people. But, I want to be honest with myself!! So, please be aware that if you don't like what I write...you don't have to read it!

You'll probably still see me pop up with updates here, as well...when I just can't help but share some random kid photos, etc. But I wouldn't bet on it too often.

So...please add this new blog to your feed: http://livingoutsideofthebox.com

I have about 4 months to catch up on bloggin...so if I can whoop myself into shape, there are many adventures I will be sharing soon!

If you care to know what we're up to, you can also follow our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-Outside-of-the-Box/173448679399838?sk=wall

Finally, I can share things that we're doing from day-to-day, within the context that we live in Mexico and enjoy each and every day!

Love,

Alisa

Trompo Magico Children's Museum

2011-07-03T23:40:00.010-05:00

"Guadalajara" is one of those amazing words that when spoken correctly, sounds nothing like how an American would say it. In general, locals refer to it as "Guad" spoken with a lovely hacking G (think hacking a loogie, and you're close to the right sound)! I think perhaps I will never say it right...and therefore have settled with my Gringo "Gwad"

Anyways...we have made some wonderful friends in Guadalajara! Earlier this year we attended the temple, and I met a Gringo senior missionary couple who had just started their mission, serving in the Guad temple. I got the wife's email address, and we became email buddies. On a whim, I asked her if perhaps she knew of any young couples that lived near the temple, who might be interested in babysitting for us, so we could more easily attend the temple regularly. She returned to me with an email address for Megan & Hugo, who are some of our new best friends!

Megan is from Washington, and her husband is from a small Portuguese speaking island off of the coast of Africa. They have three children, and our kids are all similar ages! We have officially probably spent 75% of our weekends with them for the past several months. We have been able to do a couple of temple swaps, where they watch our children as we attend the temple, and then we switch and watch their kids while they get to go to the temple.

While doing this switch last month, Jared and I exited the temple and I noticed a younger woman on the stairs with a kid, and my Gringo radar went off.!

We started a conversation with her and suddenly found ourselves making friends with Liesel and David, who live in Puerto Vallerta. They own a Segway tour in Puerto Vallerta and I have seen their business reviews on Trip Advisor (5 Stars!). Everyone LOVES them! Anyone for a trip to PV?!

Back to the story...

They were in Guad for a youth temple trip, but had brought their own car and had some time to kill before heading back to the coast. They asked advice on what cool things they could do in Guadalajara, in which we really had nothing to offer (heck...all we do is shop in Costco!!). They told us about a Children's Museum in the area ("really?! Oh--cool!"), and we agreed to go with them and our 6 kids in tow (remember, we had Megan & Hugo's kids, too!).

Liesel and David (Liesel is from UT and David is from Mexico City) led us through Guad like they were experts (they put us "locals" to shame!), and we found the Trompo Magico Children's Museum without too much trouble.

It was an amaaaazing find! I think it puts the Salt Lake City Children's Museum to shame (although I'm not dissing on that...it is awesome, too!)...but it is less than half the price, and much larger! Admission for kids and adults is $35 pesos (approx $3), and you can pay a bit more to do some super cool activities, if you choose. We stuck with the basic price, and were not disappointed.

They have many many different rooms (so many that they actually give you a map), and even have activities/rooms for older children, in addition to the younger. We stuck to just one of the giant rooms, and the kids stayed entertained for several hours (we had to drag them away in the end). They did their grocery shopping, played nurse, cooked in a kitchen, went fishing, could read books, build with giant blocks, and the list went on...

Ella with her shopping list of produce...

Dr. Ella...

The fishing hole...

By far the coolest section was the BUBBLE place. It was soooooo cool! This is the ceiling...

A fairly short line waited to go into the giant bubble maker. The large metal ring is lowered into the bubble pool below, and raised to form a giant bubble around the person standing there. The kids liked to pop it by touching it, or watch it expand by gently blowing on it.

Also VERY cool was the crazy wire contraption that even kids were allowed to operate. It made a huge bubble that would then fly above your head until it popped.

And of course, many many other opportunities for making bubbles!

They close this bubble section every hour for 10 minutes to clean up, and start the mess again!

Anyways, it was such a great fun-filled day! Jared thinks we should start hanging out at the temple more often...because we tend to meet the coolest people there :-)

I agree!

Ballet Class...

2011-07-03T23:26:00.001-05:00

Ella has been begging for ballet classes for approximately 2 years (since we last lived here). When I discovered 3 of her friends attend a local class, and that the cost is only $250 pesos/month (less than $25), I decided we should give it a try.

The first day of class she jumped into the class of 6-9 year olds, she proved she is a natural! She had good form, posture, and keeps her feet turned out like a pro! She is the smallest in her class (although another girl comes close), but she tries hard and really looks forward to class 2 times each week!

POP QUIZ: How do you say "ballet" in Spanish?

Everyone here seems to say it as: "Bah-lett"

I guess they didn't stick with the whole French thing...

Umm...okay!

Star Day

2011-06-12T23:05:00.003-05:00

The last quarter of school, every child is highlighted on their very own "Star Day." On this special day, the parents of the Star child are invited to come to class and do an activity with the children. Some parents may choose to play a movie, make some crafts, play some sports, etc.

Since my girls love to make beaded jewelry, I died some pasta noodles (super easy and cheap--food coloring and rubbing alcohol!), purchased some stretchy necklace cord, and we made noodle jewelry in both girls' classes.

All of the kids in both classes really seemed to enjoy it (even the boys, which I was a bit worried about)!

Here is Ella and her best bud, Alex (the only other classmate who has 2 Gringo parents). Alex has been living in Mexico for nearly 3 years, and is now fluent in English and Spanish.

The view of Ella's classroom. The kids all wear uniforms--a school polo shirt and navy bottoms of choice (skirt, shorts, pants, or even a dress).

It was kind of funny to see how the different children managed their noodles/beads. This beautiful little girl (with a Barbie doll Mom, I might add...) separated hers by color and type. She was the only one!

In Maiya's class the children tried very hard to bead the noodles. "No puedo," they exclaimed ("I can't"), as the teachers and I assured them they could! With a bit of help, all of the kids managed to walk away with at least una bulsera o collar (a bracelet or necklace).

One of Maiya's best buds, Jimena:

Maiya's teacher helping some of the children glue noodles to a sun clip-art I printed out, just in case some of the kids wanted to do it, too!

A view of Maiya's classroom. This is the youngest group at the school, and some of these children are still in diapers!

Maiya's entire day is in Spanish. She is picking up a lot of the language, and her teachers tell us she seems to understand almost everything.

She has also mastered the Spanish roll of the tongue. It is ridiculous how she applies it, though. She rolls EVERYTHING, even when seemingly impossible.

These are some words she manages to roll (don't ask me how): could, would, hurt

You try it, see if you can pull it off!

When Maiya is playing pretend and talking to herself, she almost always talks in "Spanish." I must put it in quotes, because it is not true Spanish. Sure, I hear plenty of Spanish words, but she also sticks in Spanish-sounding gibberish, too. It is cute to hear her make up words, but have them sound Spanish instead of English.

Also, about 50 times a day Maiya gives us a Spanish translation for a word. If we are talking about a computer keyboard, for example, Maiya would say something like this:

"My teachers say ______" (insert a true Spanish, or made up Spanish-gibberish word).

I applaud her when she is correct, and when I know it is just Spanish-sounding gibberish, I just say, "Oh, Really?", to which she confidently says "Uh-huh!"

Overall, I am hearing both of the girls use much more Spanish, lately (even Ella)! They often respond with simple answers in Spanish...and I am discovering already that they are teaching me! I am so excited for them to be fully bilingual. What a huge blessing and benefit this will be to them in their lives!

Now if only I could manage to become bilingual this quickly, too! How jealous I am! Fortunately, I am understanding more and more, but I really lack the skills and knowledge to put the sentences together (I need to study more). The exciting part is that I now find myself thinking in Spanish...or at least challenging myself to figure out how to say a particular phrase in Spanish...which is a good first step!

Un Nuevo Techo...

2011-05-30T00:22:00.003-05:00

A new roof, that is...

Sometimes I find it amazing that we can be friends with people that we can barely communicate with!
One of the new families in our church ward has 3 children who are all close in age to our children. The parents, Maria and Luis, parents do not speak English, and so I do my best to put together my truly terrible Spanish in return. They live up at the very top of the hill in Chapala, which means that they climb up and down that hill to catch the bus. We give them rides to and from church whenever we are able.

We noticed there are a lot of needs that we would like to address. One of those needs was their "kitchen" area, which had a roof made from a tarp and some junk scraps of odd sorts thrown on top. The kitchen is really just an extension of their house (built brick-by-brick by themselves), and the walls are made from junk scraps, such as pieces of old screens or doors that perhaps other people threw out. It is humble.

Anyways...regarding the roof...the wife told us that during the rainy season the roof leaks and she cannot cook on the stove. We volunteered to help replace their roof, and made plans to go pick out the materials with them.

We were happily surprised when the ward leaders addressed this need in a meeting the day before the scheduled date. They volunteered to pay for the project--even better!

A few other young adults volunteered to help with the project, and they all met up with Jared and the family to take care of the job. As it turns out, the company that sold the roofing closed before they were able to deliver the materials. Ugh.

So, the first day of the project they did some other tasks. Here is Luis making a new foundation for their small wash basin to be moved outdoors, closer to the hose spout.

Yes, closer to the HOSE spout.

They do not have running water in their home.

Things like this make me realize how spoiled I am. Seriously...have you considered that people live without running water in their homes?!!

They are pretty lucky that their source of water is a hose in the front yard...at least it is close!

But...if this was you...

How would you wash your dishes? Or your clothes? Or your children? Or your hair? Or mop your floor?

Well, as it turns out...they don't do much of these

:::sigh:::

But we had to start somewhere....

And so...the roof was their biggest priority...

The second day Jared got the supplies delivered successfully, and they put the new metal roofing up. Luis ended up doing most of the manual labor to secure it to the roof.

The front yard (and home) consists of piles of what we would consider junk, but Jared said that Luis kept pulling supplies out of it, like a magic hat (although not nearly as cool-looking)!
The final result was a HUGE improvement!! Here is Jared with the family (on the right), and a young adult who helped (on the left).

Again, it is hard to know where to begin when addressing some of the basic needs that many of us take for granted.

1. Running water in our homes (needed for baths, sinks, toilets, etc)

2. A front yard that is not just dirt (which tracks into the house and makes it difficult to keep things clean)

3. Clean drinking water (many of these impoverished people buy sodas instead of filtered water!)

I have such a great desire to go into these homes, clean them to the bones, and help teach them how to keep things clean and organized. But in reality, where do you begin?

The Abastos...

2011-05-29T23:58:00.003-05:00

I didn't take any photos that do this justice...

But the place to shop for groceries in Guadalajara is at the Abastos. It is not easy to navigate, as it is block after block after block of specialty vendors. For example, you will pass a whole block or two that specializes in fresh spices (yay!), or fresh produce (a watermelon vendor, a mango vendor, etc). They have many many different things, but I admit we only made it a block or two in the hour that we had to spare one Saturday.

These vendors prefer to sell in bulk to smaller vendors who then resell the items throughout the area. Truck after truck would pull in to pick up some goods (perhaps even headed to the US? I wouldn't doubt it!).

We were overwhelming by the size of the place, and ended up giving Ella the camera so she would catch some photos (like the one above). Again, this photo doesn't do it justice. This is just one of the little streets that makes up a massive massive amount of blocks with soooo many vendors.

I love some of the photos Ella took....

One of my favorites in the batch is actually one I took of the girls standing in front of the GIANT basket of chilis!

The girls are show-stoppers. Everyone stops to take a look at such fair children (and fair parents)!

One our trip to the coast last month, we were getting out of the car to go into a restaurant, and Maiya said, out of nowhere, "I think they will say I'm beautiful!"

She is so used to people stopping to talk to her and "oooh" and "ahhh," and call her a little doll (in Spanish) that she is actually coming to expect it! It made me giggle...!!!

Church surprises...

2011-05-29T23:17:00.004-05:00

So, some of you may not know some of the latest turn of events in my life...so here goes. This is really more for journal purposes for me...so I won't blame you if you just browse through the highlights!

Some of the biggest challenges we have been given here have been church-related.

When we first arrived here, our tiny little ward had just lost its Gringo Bishop (he returned to the states), and a wonderful Mexican friend was put in as the new Bishop. He has been actively reorganizing the ward into a more functioning body, and we were almost immediately put to work.

Jared received the calling of Elder's Quorum President, which holds a lot of ward responsibility. I don't believe this ward has even had an Elder's Quorum President for 6 years! One of Jared's biggest struggles has been that all of the Elders in the ward are Spanish-speaking only (and Jared only knows a couple dozen Spanish words). Thankfully, the new High Priest Group Leader is bilingual, and he attends the Spanish-speaking Elder's Quorum lessons, while Jared attends the High Priest Group's lessons (in English). They have to work together to get things managed...and it is never easy.

Jared began attending Bishop's meetings, and warned me that they had a good calling in mind for me. I said, "as long as it's not Primary!" He said, "Oh no, it's WORSE than Primary!"

"What could be worse than Primary?"

So...my mind wandered for a couple of weeks, and finally they called me in. It turns out, the original calling they had in mind for me had been dismissed, and instead they called me to be...

Can you guess it?

Primary President.

Ouch.

Does Heavenly Father like to call your bluff, too?!

Thankfully, I have two wonderful counselors whom I adore! One if fully bilingual, and the other can communicate with me pretty well, but we don't catch it all (in either English or Spanish)!

I have discovered a few big challenges...

1. The previous Primary President was president for about 15 years, which means that things have been done one way for a very long time.

2. The children don't know any songs. And I mean any. (Not to mention the adults don't know the Primary songs, either!)

3. The children have major reverence issues. They have not been taught to stay in their chairs (they leave to go to the bathroom at any given moment both during classes and Sacrament meeting).

So, I have made some changes:

1. Music is a major part of class--we are teaching the best that we can!

2. We switched to having divided classes first and Sharing Time second (this has solved a problem regarding a lack of classrooms, and it has also thrown the kids off guard--which is good, considering they don't fall into all of their old habits)!

3. We switched the setup of the room so they can't exit as quickly--and we guard those doors like nobody's business!

4. We started a Nursery, which has been a total flop so far. We can't get the young children to leave the Mother's alone in class, which makes for a very noisy Sunday School and Relief Society. We called 2 Nursery leaders, who only do 1 hour each. One hasn't been to church (with her nursery age son) in probably 2 months. The other just got called, but one child has been gone for several weeks, and the other kids won't go to Nursery.

My Sunday responsibilites are:

1. I give the Sharing Time lesson once every 3 weeks (switching off with my counselors who also teach the 2 different Primary classes we have--Primary 3 and Primary 7).

2. I also give the nursery lesson, when there are actually children. This forces me to try to teach some very basic gospel principles in Spanish. Thank goodness I can access the English and Spanish manuals online, so I can compare the manuals and know exactly what is going on!

3. My first counselor and I also do Music Time for 20 minutes each week. It has been tough to teach the kids each and every song from scratch. Even "I am a Child of God" (or "Soy un Hijo de Dios") has been a big feat! They don't know the Birthday Song, the "Hello" song, or anything!!!!!!!!!!!! I play a cheapo keyboard that I bought at a garage sale for $10 years ago (they've only used CD's in the past) I got at a garage sale for $10 3 years ago). My counselor teaches them in Spanish, and I find it very difficult to memorize words in a different language! THANK GOODNESS for great counselors!

Another challenge came up immediately upon receiving the calling: The Stake Primary Presidency informed us that they were having a special event (in Guadalajara, where every other ward is located), and they wanted us to prepare a dance for the event. Each ward was asked to select a country (US was taken) and present a dance in a few months' time.

So, we set out to teach them a dance from Spain. And we quickly realized the task was impossible. Our 15 active primary children were never there at the same time (sometimes only 7 showed, or 10, or the dance teacher didn't show). That, and with our major reverence issues we have, they simply would not listen to the teacher.

We gave up, and decided we wouldn't go.

But then a new Stake Primary Presidency was called, and they came to visit us the week before the event. They were not happy that we were missing the event, and they insisted we prepare something.

So, we told them we could sing the Easter songs we had just done in Sacrament meeting just a few weeks earlier. They said, "It would be nice if you could sing a Mother's Day song, since it is also to celebrate Mother's Day". Haha. Yeah. As if we could teach them a new song THAT DAY, to sing THAT WEEKEND. Yeah--this--when our children don't know ANY songs (heck, they didn't even know those Easter songs, but luckily some of our children are old enough to read and can follow our flipcharts!).

So...go, we did. We stuffed all of the families we could into various cars (the majority of our ward membership doesn't have cars) and made the 1 hour drive to Guadalajara for the special event.

We got up to sing our Easter songs, and discovered that they keyboard they had next to the stage didn't work. "You will need to sing without music". HA!! AS IF these children could sing WITH the music?! HA!! But...the kids did the best they could (speak-singing), and they were proud of themselves, and we were proud of them for sticking it out.

And then we watched the other wards perform their elaborately choreographed numbers, and we oozed with jealously that their children were capable of listening to an adult long enough to learn how turn in a circle or rock their hips.

The other wards had full, sometimes elaborate, costumes, and at one point I turned to our Bishopric Counselor and commented, "I think our budget would allow us to buy one of those shirts in a couple of months"... haha!

Only 4 of the (perhaps) 7 wards in the Stake performed their dance number (so hey--we couldn't have been the only ones to skip out), and of course the music was BLASTED (Mexican-style). I was deaf by the time we left.

There were also some young adults helping that served all of the mothers a snack.

Cantelope with vanilla ice cream and a chocolate stick. Would would 'uv thunk? Not a bad treat!

I admit that every Saturday evening is a night for a mental breakdown as I prepare lessons and music, and wonder what the heck I am doing in this calling.

On the other hand...I look forward to the day when I will look back at these moments and laugh, and think "You remember when they called me to Primary President in a Spanish-Speaking ward, and I couldn't even speak Spanish?! Not to mention understand it all?! Hahaha!"

Ha. HA.

Right.

And so...the story of our survival continues...

More photos...

2011-05-29T23:04:00.002-05:00

Ella and Maiya enjoy having play dates as often as possible. One day when their friend, Alex, was over...we discovered them in the front gate "selling" beaded jewelry they had made. We thought it was cute, and didn't stop them. We live on a dead-end street with very little traffic. We were surprised when they actually managed to sell a few of their very unique creations! Business owners in training...

The house down the street from us has been under construction for at least 3 or 4 months, now. They've had to close down the street a few times to bring in the big concrete truck that dumps the concrete on the top of the house. Luckily, we've managed to see their cardboard signs announcing the closure, and we've parked on the other side of the construction and have walked to our house. We haven't been locked in (like some others in the neighborhood)!

The missionaries are a big part of our life here. We do a lot with/for them, and they do a lot with/for us (translations, etc)! We feed them usually once a week, and we've made very good friends with them. It is always sad when a missionary is transferred...but we've always liked the "new" ones, too!

Ella likes to take photos, when she is given the rare opportunity to control the camera. She caught this one of Jared, and it deserves to be shared! Sorry, Love!

The other night I went into the kids' room to shut the garden doors. I decided to steal a peak at the cute kids, and was in giggling hysterics when I realized Ella looked like this:

That is a toy that she got from a school pinata (it's one of the those perfume poof/rings things that I've never understood)! She was totally OUT!! And I had to take a photo!

Edible Baby...

2011-05-29T21:28:00.002-05:00

I don't know why the word "edible" has always come to mind when talking about my kiddos. But that is definitely the word that I use with this one, since he is just so cute I could eat him up!! He is almost 11 months old. How does time fly so quickly?

When fingers aren't good enough...

My baby poops on the potty...

2011-05-23T19:38:00.004-05:00

No, really. He does.

Doesn't yours?

I don't mean to brag...
but...
wait...
Well, I guess I DO mean to brag...

Because, let's face it, if YOUR baby pooped on the potty, wouldn't you be bragging, too?

Ethan has been using the potty since he was just a few months old, and he is quite happy doing it! And I am quite happy that I rarely have to wipe a poopy bum!

As it turns out, there is a growing community of people who practice "Elimination Communication", which is the art of learning to read your child's cues, and communicating with them when it is appropriate to use the potty. "EC" people refuse to call it potty-training. But let's get real...it basically is. When your child is young, you hold them over a potty, make a hissing sound when they pee (or a grunt sound when they poop), and they learn to make the association of where/when to go to the bathroom. They know the sounds, they know the positions, and they go without a fight.

After learning that my Brother-in-Law's sister does EC, I got curious one day, and looked it up online. After watching a video of a mother EC her 3 DAY old baby...I decided it was worth a try. I took Ethan over to the potty, and sat down. He peed and pooped almost immediately!

Uh. SWEET. That was one less diaper for me to change!

So...it became a fun challenge. Sometimes it required a longer wait sitting on the potty with him, and sometimes he'd go almost immediately. I discovered he would typically do his business right after a feeding. So, I would nurse him, and take him to the bathroom.

Now, there are some EC fanatics that don't put their babies in diapers, and let them run around naked, etc...until they are fully "diaper free" (without the need for one at all)! I am classified as a "part time EC'er"...which works just great for us. It means that I practice it regularly, but don't insist on every drop landing in the potty. He was in diapers all day, but I offered him the potty after every feeding (at least). If he went on the potty--great! One less diaper change!

But I didn't stress about it, and he still peed in his diaper regularly. However, we generally "caught" all of his poops on the potty. He would sit in his own little mini baby potty, which he seemed to like (Ella is sitting behind him to hold him up--he was probably only 4 months old in this picture).

Nowadays, we just use the adult potty (no extra washing!). Now, you're probably wondering how you hold a baby over an adult potty. There are several different ways. This is one (also demonstrated by Ella...who probably was only allowed to do it this one time):
You sit on the potty (clothes on, silly!) with your back agains the lid. There is just enough room between your legs to hold a baby over the potty, and balance them quite comfortably! Another option is straddling the toilet the other direction, and holding the baby over (it works great until they get active enough to kick the seat). Boys are a little tricker to "direct" than girls...but still a breeze once you figure it out!

So...back in the days when I was preparing to have my first baby...I wandered across a website about EC. I didn't give it the time of day. I saw a hippie looking Mom holding her baby over a bowl, and I laughed, pointed it out to a co-worker, and moved on. Seriously...who wants to walk around with a naked baby and a bowl all the time? Oh...how misinformed and judgemental I was! Now, 6 years later, here I am--having become one of those hippies! ;)

At 10 1/2 months old now, he is doing pretty great. He happily pees when offered a toilet, and he always makes an effort to poop, as well (sometimes he doesn't need to--but he knows to check!). We do not have to hang out on the potty for a long time. We sit, he does his business, and we are done. Many of his diapers in-between these potty moments are turning up completely dry, too...which is pretty sweet! It means that he is learning to "hold" it between being offered the potty! And did I mention that when a baby poops on the potty, there is almost no cleanup?!

Who would have thought pooping could be so cool?!

After he poops...I let him watch it swirl down the toilet drain, so both of us can cheer on his super-power baby abilities.

You should try it ;)

The end.

Pics of the Month

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Maiya...looking older, and acting older, too!

The girls have discovered that some of their crayons work for body coloring. Ella exited the bathroom the other day with this butterfly she created.

Poor baby boy...

The after-effects of being dressed like a girl over and over and over again...

The girls had birthday party withdrawal (could it be that their school classes went a full week without a piñata? It seems hard to believe...). They decided to make their own piñata.

Jared helped them string it over our clothes line...and they were in business! It was cute to hear them singing what they knew of the traditional Mexican piñata song.

Spike

Ethan likes computers, too. We start 'em young...

Easter

2011-05-07T13:07:00.005-05:00

For several months, Ella's school has been collecting mandatory Easter Eggs from each family. We were required to bring 1 cereal box, wrapped candies, and at least 30 empty eggs per child. Mind you...these are not pin-hole-blown empty eggs. Instead, you tap off the top of the egg, empty its contents, and then bleach the inside clean. Since we do not eat eggs, I opted to go to a local pasteleria (bakery) and ask for some empty, clean eggs in my broken Spanish. The lady said she would have them ready in 2 days, and when Jared returned to pick them up, she only charged him about $2 for 70 empty eggs. And she did all the cleaning and hard work! Sweet!

The teachers painted and the kids helped decorate and make their cereal boxes into Easter "baskets". The kids also painted the eggs, the teachers filled them with candy, and then they sealed them with tissue paper over the open tops. I admit at first I thought it was a time-consuming and silly tradition (why not just fill plastic eggs?!), but seeing it in action...I thought it was pretty neat to have real eggs. The only way to get the candy out was to break the real shells open! Kind of fun!

The Kindergarten and Pre-K kids took a field trip (in the parents' cars) to our friend's (Martha & Mark's) house on the lake for the big Easter egg hunt! They let the youngest classes into the property first. It was an egg-free-for-all!

There were many many eggs, and all of the kids got at least half a box full. Here is Maiya with Ella's best buddy, Alex.

Below is Maiya sitting with her teachers and classmates, eating their bagged lunch. All of the other kids finished their meals and went to play on the swing/activity set. Maiya instead sat and sat and ate and ate and ate potato chips. I had to explain to her teachers that potato chips are a rare treat for her, which is why she didn't want to get up (that, and she plays at this house quite often--so it was not quite as "new" for her)!

Ella ate Nutella sandwhiches with her classmates. And funky lime-flavored crispy rings that I have yet to real pin down. They're yummy---but so, totally, and completely Mexican.

Me and two wonderful ladies. Martha, on the left, is the sweetest--she takes care of us, going above and beyond to watch our kids, take us to dinner, etc (and it was her house we were at). In the middle is Heather, Ella's English teacher. Heather is from Colorado, but moved here 18 or so years ago. She speaks Spanish fluently, but assures me she didn't speak a lick when she came. There is hope!

It was Heather's birthday, so the kids had a surprise party for her! Martha is a fantastic cake maker, and made Heather this cute "cupcake" cake!

The next day was Saturday, and the girls and I dyed hardboiled eggs (please excuse Maiya...she doesn't really like to wear clothes).

On Easter Sunday we talked a lot about Christ and the resurrection, and watched "The Testaments" movie. Then the girls did a little Easter Egg hunt in the house, and we embarked on my family's Easter tradition--rolling and breaking up the hardboiled eggs.

Once the eggs were sufficiently beaten up, we peeled them, popped them on the stove with some white sauce, and served the "egg stuff" over toasted bread. The girls don't care for it (yet)...but it was a Yummy treat for me and Jared!

Also, I should mention that I have no idea if Mexicans do the "Easter Bunny." I'm guessing not. However, down here they have "Semana Santa" for several days before Easter. The week prior to Easter is their Holy Week (no school), and starting on Maundy Thursday they publicly reenact the biblical stories about Christ each day--his trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. We did not go watch these productions in the town squares this year...but I look forward to attending in the future! It is a very "real" reminder of what Easter is truly about!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

Beach trip to Melaque, Mexico

2011-05-01T20:02:00.007-05:00

In our married life (8 years this week), Jared and I have never stayed in a hotel for more than 2 nights, and never been on a vacation where we have truly just relaxed on our own schedule! This means that work was kept to a bare minimum (my sister asked me, "That means you did a little work, right? Okay--just checking---just wanted to make sure you were still my sister!")!

Pretty odd that we have never accomplished this, considering the amount of traveling we have always done (moving each 6 months for the past 8 years!).

3 nights without packing a suitcase was pretty cool. Hey--a small step for us...but a good step!

Instead of staying at the cheapest place we could find (the normal route), we instead found a place that we would enjoy spending 3 nights at. It was right on the beach, had a pool, separate bedroom, and was spacious enough with a full kitchen and beautiful ocean view.

The beach was beautiful, but the waves right in front of our hotel were not recommended for swimming. We had to walk down the beach quite a ways to find calmer water. Whoops.

Our bedroom suite is on the 2nd story above the pool, and had a great view of the ocean. Loud crashing waves were a bit hard to get used to the first night, but by the 2nd and 3rd night...they were like music to our ears!

Here is Jared and the kids trying to run away from the fierce waves!

We arrived Monday morning, and on Tuesday we packed up and went to a beach 20 minutes North, Boca de Iguanas. We scoped it out on our last trip in 2008, and decided to return to it since it was more secluded and had a flatter beach with shallow water (safer for kids playing). It was a great choice!! And we were the whitest people on the beach, as always...(but I admit--we are in the States, too!)

Ella ate some sand, I'm sure.

This is where I hid out most of the day, trying to avoid the sun (like Mother, like Daughter!). Somehow I still managed to get burned. Ugh. Ethan was unscathed, and slept in his portable little tent under our shaded beach canopy. A good investment, to say the least!

Maiya was a bit scared of the waves, so she opted for floating on the sand.

The beautiful beach....

An inner-tube vendor who had a brilliant way of displaying his wares....

We caught the Melaque street market on Wednesday. We saw a Barbie stall with handmade clothes...and tried to distract the girls while still taking this photo....

The wide, but quaint streets for Melaque. Nice shopping area, too...and REAL American ice cream (a rarity--ice cream down here is icy, not creamy).

I still don't know what the name of this meat is. I've never bothered to ask--because I steer clear of it! (My friends, Lourdes, just told me it is Tacos al Pastor!)

A blow fish lamp (it lights up with a bulb inside)! I stepped on one of these on the aforementioned trip in 2008. Ouch!

I took a photo of a random stranger who was getting a fruit nieve or smoothie topped with chili. Everything. Is. Always. Topped. With. Chili.

The aftermath of our trip.

Lessons learned:

SPF 30 doesn't cut it

Re-apply sunscreen a minimum of every hour (not every 2 1/2)

Buy more protective swimsuit covers (found some 2nd hand ones at the street market....Maiya is modeling below)

We packed African Quinoa Soup for the trip, so we only had to eat out once on the coast (okay--we didn't have to--it was by choice!). We stopped for lunch on each 5 hour drive to and from the beach. I was actually very excited to see a Burger King in Colima on the drive there. There is something *happy* about the predictability of American menus (as sad as I am to admit it!).

On the drive back, someone recommended we take a more direct route back to the Guadalajara area (3 hours tops, they said). Haha!! Well, it is was a windy mountain road, and while beautiful, it had Ella moaning, and Maiya throwing up all over. Maiya never complains--she simply informs us afterwards (or before, if she's fast). Poor kid.

We stopped at a nice restaurant in Autlan, on the drive back. Ella was beyond wearing shirts (for 3 days)...ouch...so she just had to cover up to walk into the restaurant and hide in a corner chair.

Jared's lunch on the drive back home was a hamburguesa. You never know what topping

s you're going to get here. This one included sprouts and jalepenos.

I ordered a sope, and a few other dishes for the kids that weren't available. They kept trying to recommend the more expensive meat dishes, and I clearly said several times, "No Carne" (no meat!). Well, instead of bringing out my sope, they brought me out a plate of steak strips. I looked at it with complete confusion. While trying to talk to the waiter about if this was supposed to be my sope (obviously not), Jared decided he would eat my meal too, and solve the problem. I assumed they wouldn't bring out my sope, then...and so I ate the side dish to the meat, that was pico-de-gallo with cactus (WOW-YUM!). Low and behold, they still brought out my mushroom sope I had ordered.

They also brought us a pitcher of fruit water (very common here), instead of the natural water we thought we had been clear about. All in all, the mistaken orders (or trick orders, possibly) cost more than our entire meal would have cost--therefore more than doubling our cost for lunch. Oh well--you win some--you lose some!

Speaking of interesting food...we kept seeing these being sold on the road side during the drive back. It is called Pitaya, or in China is known as Dragon Fruit. A friend recommended it, so we picked up some this weekend.

They are a cactus fruit and have spiky peels that you remove to eat the stringy fruit inside. It is a seriously weird texture--even Ella compared it to eating brains (without me saying to her--but that is EXACTLY the image that comes to mind!). Little stringy worm-like fruit with no large core, just tiny, crunchy seeds. Wild!

But not too bad. The girls enjoyed it, too!

All in all--a nice break :) The girls return to school this Monday, and we are looking forward to our "vacation" from them! Haha!!

Fashion Diva...

2011-04-21T00:33:00.000-05:00

The girls are constantly wanting to put on "shows" for us.

I think Ella might already be a pre-teen! Ahhh!

How to occupy children at a birthday party....

2011-04-20T23:52:00.003-05:00

Ella had her 6th birthday party last month. I was not about to invite 100+ people over (Mexican style), and instead allowed Ella to choose 5 friends to invite to our house.

Parents don't just drop off their children at parties here, and instead the parents stay for the entire duration! So, it is a fun challenge to try to figure out how to keep children occupied so that parents can visit. A lot of hosts here rent jump houses, but I wasn't about to go find out how much those cost.

So, instead I came up with mix of a treasure hunt and a list of games to play! I had "treasure hunt" clues in a jar ("Sleep tight, Ella!"--the bed "Brr....it's cold in here!"--the fridge), and each clue led to a note that told them a game to play. When they were done with the game, they would choose a new clue, and find a new game!

Luckily, one friend's older sibling showed up, and she headed up the treasure hunt/game...it was hands-free for me!

The kids did races with balloons between their legs....

and games like telephone...

Blindman's Bluff...

And they raced to see who could wrap a mummy the fastest!

The final clue led them to the piñata hiding in the closet.

And after all that was said and done, we unveiled a bunch of balloons for the kids to play with. Ella's friends immediately decided to stomp on them and pop them, which left her in tears. That was not what she had in mind.

Otherwise, a very successful party!

Whew...how do people handle huge parties...5 families was enough for me!

The Circus...

2011-04-20T23:33:00.002-05:00

I attended my first circus since my childhood (Mom---did I ever go to a circus? I'm thinking maybe...), and it was quite the experience! This flat empty property became a large circus arena almost overnight. I asked Jared how in the world they could set up these tents, and he suggested they still use elephants (as in the Dumbo movie)....

It was a Mexican ghetto circus...and not a cheap one! We went with some friends from church.

This is Ella with a friend from church (His Dad is a Gringo and Mom is Mexican...she is my first counselor in the Primary).

When deciding to name our boy Ethan, we contemplated how many Ethans there are in the US. It is a very popular name...and I like names to be a bit different, albeit not crazy unique. We finally decided that since we were going to be in Mexico, Ethan would probably be the only Ethan around---no problem!

So, guess what Ella's friend's name is?

Yes, it's Ethan.

:::sigh::: So, there are 2 Ethan's in a ward with less than 20 kids :)

The highlight of the circus was the "Chino Imperial" acrobatic group. In fact, they were pretty much the only highlight (except for the lion trainer...but I feared for his life!). In the below photo the acrobat is about to flip through the top ring. Amazing!

There were also some trashy clowns telling potty jokes (in Spanish, but we could get the gist via their actions), and a few horse and camels doing some trained shows. And that was about it.

Overall, I think I would only attend a circus like this maybe once ever 5 years or so (just so my children can say they've been to a circus before). Not too fantastic as a whole, although I could watch the Chinese acrobats all day!

Birthday Cake

2011-04-20T23:12:00.001-05:00

How to make a swirly/colorful birthday cake!

Mix the batter, divide it into bowls, and dye them different colors.

Pour them into the pan

Don't forget some fun swirlies at the end....

And bake! When the cake is cut into, you will see all of the colors!

Labor...

2011-04-20T23:08:00.000-05:00

I'm constantly amazed by how much work is being done on the Ajijic Malecon each day. They are painting and fixing up the concrete walls, sweeping the cobblestone (daily), watering the lawns, and now redoing some of the cobblestone. Of course, it is all done by hand with a wheelbarrow, shovel, and hand-mixed concrete. I'm always amazed by the art of laying cobblestone! Can you imagine filling a whole road with rocks?!

Poor boy...

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But don't tell him that. He's still happy as can be!

Ella was mad about something...perhaps my insistence that she remove the girls clothes after the photos!

Rafting....

2011-04-20T22:56:00.000-05:00

We purchased a raft from Costco last month, and have enjoyed taking the girls out onto the lake. We pack up the raft in the back of our van, drive down the street and turn the corner, and load it into the lake!

Jared does most of the rowing. I am a pathetic rower (I have found 2 separate paddles simultaneously is very difficult)!

The girls jump out and are allowed to hang on to the side of the raft to swim or float in intertubes.

Even Ethan seems to enjoy the ride!

The lake has to be very calm to actually row somewhere.
We once took the kids out and Jared rowed in place for about an hour until we called it quits!
Hey, it's not a fancy boat...but it's water-worthy!!

Scrumptious!

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I could eat this baby.

Actually, I could eat all of these kiddos some days!

Spring Parade

2011-04-10T17:10:00.002-05:00

Ella and Maiya's school had a Spring parade for the parents in March. Like all school events, the parents went all out for decorating the kids bikes and dressing them in costumes:

In comparison, we always look like half-put-together...

The girls rode their scooters and wore some princess dresses.

Here is Ella with her best bud, Alex, who is the only other American in her class. Alex has lived here for 2 1/2 years and is also fluent in Spanish!

Piñatas

2011-04-10T16:56:00.003-05:00

I have posted before on this blog to show you my piñata creations. For Ella's birthday, I began to wonder if my pinata creations could possibly match up to the piñatas that are made in Mexico. Before embarking on this difficult task, I decided I should check out the prices of piñatas first.

I was surprised to learn they run between $40 and $45 pesos (yeah, about $4). Hmm...the reason I made my own pinatas in the US was because the pinatas were about $20 each (for cardboard you're just going to beat up?! Give me a break!). In this case, I gave in and let Ella have her pick of the local fare:

She decided she wanted Strawberry Shortcake who was hiding the back room, in need of repair. Her hair and clothes were spotted and bleached from the sun, and she needed some new crepe and tissue paper. I wish this photo showed her condition better. She was sad.

We took her home and did some surgery until she looked like this:

The kids happily beat her to a pulp for Ella's small birthday party (5 friends only).

Happy 6th Birthday, Ella!

Jenga

2011-04-10T16:50:00.002-05:00

For this past Christmas we gave the girls a Jenga game. Can I just say it is an extremely age-appropriate game which we all enjoy playing together?

How not to drive...

2011-04-10T16:46:00.002-05:00

Maneuvering down narrow village streets can be tricky. In downtown Ajijic, most of the electric poles next to the street look like this...

El Templo

2011-04-10T16:44:00.003-05:00

Through the generosity of friends watching our children, we were able to go to the temple in Guadalajara last month. A High Councilman's wife watched Ethan in Guadalajara, while the girls were picked up from school by our good friends in Ajijic. It was crazy to figure out the baby swap with the High Councilman's wife, because our Spanish-speaking friend who was going to go with us cancelled at the last moment...and we were left to make do with what little communication we could articulate between the two of us. Traffic in Guadalajara is nuts--and resulted in a very long day (6 to 8 million people can do that to you). Overall, Etha

n ended up being without us for nearly 6 hours (fyi--he refuses a bottle). We are hoping to locate someone to babysit him closer to the temple, so he only has to be away from us for 2 or 3 hours!

KFC in Mexico

2011-04-10T16:36:00.003-05:00

Would you like some Jalapeño with your mashed potatoes?

Chapala Carnival

2011-04-10T15:58:00.005-05:00

We went to the "Chapala Carnaval" (yes, it is spelled that way) last month. We arrived in the late evening just before dark, and found the whole park nearly empty. Vendors were just beginning to set up for the night. One vendor told us the crowds would start around 8pm, and continue until 3am or so. Until the crowds began to arrive, wWe scoped out the animals, got some food, and prepared ourselves for the festivities and mariachi noise!

An almost perfect family picture.... :::sigh:::

The toppings on the table at a burger/hot dog joint:

The rides at the Carnaval weren't nearly as cheap as I remembered from two years ago. This ride was $3, so we just watched the other kids get into these giant balls and roll around on the water. Pretty cool "ride," in my opinion! Most other rides were $10-$15 pesos apiece ($1-$1.50 USD). Yikes!

We have started to give the girls a small allowance. They have a chart they fill out daily--and they get 1/2 a peso for each item they do right that day (clean up, talk nice, don't hit, listen, take a bath, etc). They have a hard time hitting all of those goals, but they love the chart and the bribery does work in shaping up their behavior throughout the day. The money doesn't add up really fast--but every week they might earn $1 to $1.50 or so. They saved up their money for a few weeks to go on rides, and then we also chipped in so they could enjoy some activities.

Their giant bounce-houses are awesome. They usually include multiple levels of trampolines and balls. As always, our children are show-stoppers when we walk around places like this. Hard to hide their pale skin and bright hair!

Maiya really enjoyed driving the ghetto bus.

And let me tell you...it was SOOOO ghetto :)

For the first time ever we let Jared do one of the carnival games to try to win a stuffed animal. He popped a balloon and we thought he had won. But, alas, no reward. I guess we were wrong, and we didn't know the rules. Language barriers!

The highlight of the night was watching the Ballet Folklorico from Guadalajara. They did a small show with traditional Mexican dancing, and all of the kids were glued for quite some time! We saw the performance at night, so it was hard to get a photo. Here's a photo I found online of the dancing with their beautiful and colorful dresses:

I don't have the patience to let my video upload for the predicted 349 hours, so instead I will just link to a video of one of their performances that is already online, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGCBo3UsO30&feature=related

Overall, we had a fun (albeit expensive) night out with the kids!!

Are we moving?

2011-04-03T22:44:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month, Ella asked us when we were moving again. We asked her what she meant, and she clarified by stating, "Well, we always move. We're travelers!" Children are so adaptive! We had to explain to her that although we have moved at least once every 6 months throughout the 6 years of her life, from now on we are staying put! You should have seen her surprise to finally understand that when we said we were moving to Mexico to live, we meant that we were moving to Mexico for GOOD!

It is a great feeling to know that we are finally putting down roots. Indeed, it is the first time in our married life (8 years in May!) that we have no plans to move again! Sure, we'll be moving rental homes...but not leaving this area!

Pyramids of Paralta

2011-03-27T18:25:00.003-05:00

When driving to San Miguel Allende with Jared's parents, we kept seeing blue signs along the highway, announcing upcoming pyramids. We thought the pyramids must be coming up really soon, and at every exit would chastise Jared for not being willing to turn off (this never happens in our car, normally, of course).

After 20 or 30 minutes, and miles and miles (and even more kilometers), we finally saw the definite exit for the pyramids. We took the exit, and then went much further than expected looking for more pyramid signs. We stopped a few times to ask people on the roadside where the pyramid was. One looked at me like I couldn't speak a lick of Spanish (seriously...my Spanish isn't that bad...is it?!), and the other two sent us back in the direction we came. Finally, on our return to the freeway, we finally saw the sign we were looking for. It was well posted on the return, but the arrow had been removed from original direction we came from. Relief!

We paid the small fee, and started the short hike to the pyramid.

A grounds keeper began following us around, trying to give me a tour in Spanish, and I tried to translate what I could understand for the group.

This "pyramid" really was more like 2 pyramids. There were two separate structures, and they were quite large in size.

I caught that there were 22 pyramids in the area...And that they found heads in jars...and...well...that was about it! Surely there was more...but this is what I remember, now!

The lower part (lighter) on the steps seemed to be new construction, although it was a pity they covered up the very old stairs. There was obviously a barrier in front of the stairs, but the "guide" insisted we climb up to take a photo.

The larger pyramid was a giant structure with a huge inner courtyard and multiple levels. This was one of the "hallway" entries to get inside. We didn't have to climb far to get to on this one, as most of it was still underground, and hadn't been fully excavated.

The guide also took us to an area where he bounced a small rock off of a big rock. He had us listen to the sound of the small rock impacting 2 different rocks. They had very different sounds, and one sounded almost hollow. Why? Well...it was our turn to guess. We decided it was because one large rock was detached, and one wasn't?....There was a perfect indentation of the small rock in the big rock. So maybe they used it for food preparation? Hmm....I guess we'll never know! Never made it past that language barrier for this particular question...

I took photos of the Spanish informations signs, so that I could return home and look up more info. To learn more about the Paralta Pyramids...go here!

When the tour was done, we tipped him for his time, and he returned to his real job!

Para mi familia...

2011-03-27T17:59:00.003-05:00

If you're going to have metal work over your doors or windows...you might as well do it in song...

Lessons on Botanas

2011-03-27T17:41:00.004-05:00

I still just smile with joy when I see the typical appetizers at parties: Celery, Jicima, Popcorn, and Potato Chips drenched in chili and lime juice...

And don't think for a minute the kids don't go for this...!

Even I am acquiring a taste for it!

However, no amount of toppings will have me asking for hot dogs. Apparently any topping goes, here... jalapeños, tomatoes, mayonnaise, sour cream...you dream it, they probably eat it!

Another party down... this time with mini-soccer games for the birthday boy, and

the boys each took home a sports jersey, whereas the girls got a headband!

6 1/2 hours later...we left "early"...

Guanajuato - "Place of the Frogs"

2011-03-20T22:19:00.010-05:00

Let me give you a word of advice: Don't blog about a big trip nearly 2 months after you've taken it. You won't remember a thing!

Alas, our trip to Guanajuato in January was awesome!

FYI: Guanajuato is pronounced somewhat like: Goo-ahn-ah-hoo-ah-toe.

We were forewarned not to drive in Guanajuato, and to take a bus or taxis around town. Understood--but first we had to get to our hotel! So, we plugged in the address in our GPS, and it looked like it would be easy enough to get to.

Guanajuato is comprised of very few streets for a city of its size. It is built in a mountain valley, and we saw homes where the residents park on the roof of their home, and lived underneath (on the hillside). Most people there don't own or drive cars, and instead catch a lift to the nearest street, and hike up staircase after staircase to get to their home on the mountain side. Between many of the houses you will find miniature "alley staircases" with staircases wide enough for only one person...and these staircases lead up to many levels of homes.

As were drove into town, we found ourselves driving through tunnels in the underground of Guanajuato. Supposedly, there are 9 miles of tunnels winding underneath the city. These tunnels are the old riverbeds of the Guanajuato River. From 1963 to 1966, the tunnels were converted into streets, and it is now a maze of dark, rustic (awesome) tunnels!

Not only that, but there are also underground bus stops in these tunnels! Some of the tunnels are very small, and I began to question whether the city buses could maneuver through them...but alas, they were tunnel pros!

We followed our GPS faithfully, until we realized we were on the road to nowhere. We kept going through the same tunnels, and seeing the same tour guides on the street sides trying to wave us down and commit us to a tour the next day. When we found ourselves in a tunnel, we felt like throwing in the towel and giving up. We had no orientation below ground, and none of the streets in Guanajuato were straight!

We passed through sections of the tunnel that opened up into homes that were overhanging the tunnels!

After passing the same tour guide several times (making it painfully clear that the GPS wasn't getting us there--and we were literally going in circles...or squiggles), we finally picked up the tour guide (who didn't speak a LICK of English), and gave him a good tip to help us find our hotel (and I mean a really good tip. We were so happy to park our car after 1 1/2 hours of trying to find the hotel)!!

We stayed at El Hogar de Carmelita, a "hostel" owned by Carmen (below, on the right), who was a very pleasant host! It was not a Hostel by US standards...it was actually more of a bed-and-breakfast with a "homey" flair (is that a proper thing to say? It looks very questionable...). I found a few reviews online, and they raved about Carmen and her cooking...and boy, they were

right!

Here is Carmen and her helper, Martha, who made delicious Mexican breakfasts for us . A great one was Huevos de la Presa, which is eggs on a tortilla with beans and amazing red sauce (which is good on virtually any MX dish). Carmen told me how to make the sauce, and I recently tried, but failed miserably. I emailed her to ask what was wrong...and she said I needed 20 tomatillos, not 2. Whoops! Huevos de la Presa reminds of the Huevos Rancheros dish that is popular in Sante Fe! If I was to eat eggs...I'd prefer to eat them this way!

The Breakfast Club...

It was a holiday weekend, and Carmen's grandchildren were visiting. The girls were smitten with each other, and pulled out toys to play with. Both our girls and her granddaughters ran back and forth to me to ask for translations--it was cute! Maiya even graced us with a short "show" which was absolutely adorable!

The next day we started the "15 minute" walk (ha!) into town. After only a few minutes, Maiya decided she couldn't walk ANY more. We gave in, and took the rickety, fast-moving city bus to Jardin Union (Union Square)...it was only 50 cents...and a great choice!

We found a tour guide who spoke English, and coughed up the big bucks to have him drive us around for half the day (the English-speaking price was significantly more than the Spanish price...but it was worth it)!

Teatro Juarez was the first stop...and it was quite stunning...

We managed to embark on a tour in one of the coolest cities without checking our camera battery in advance--and it died immediately after taking this photo. Grrr...

Oh well, you had to pay an extra $3 USD to be allowed to take photos in this theatre. So, instead I've borrowed a photo someone posted online (sorry--and thanks!). Teatro Juarez began its construction in 1872 and it was completed in 1903. It is neoclassical style, and the inside has amazing painted "wallpaper" with "gold" details. The guidebook calls it "Mauresque"...whatever the heck that is! (Oh...just checked...I think it should be called "Moor-esque" instead!)

It is not used any more for public events, but it is a lovely building perfectly preserved with original furnishings.

Next, our guide took us to the Museo De Las Momias (The Mummy Museum)! Our guide explained a lot of details (he talked very fast, and used waaaay too many dates and names. We were overwhelmed with too much information!). Another website I found explains the ludicrous history of the museum here:

The Guanajuato mummies were discovered in the cemetery of Guanajuato, a city northwest of Mexico City (near Léon). They are accidental modern mummies and were literally "dug up" between the years 1865 and 1958 when a local law required relatives to pay a kind of grave tax. You could pay the tax once (170 pesos) and be done with it; this option may have appealed to wealthier individuals. But you were also allowed to pay a yearly fee (50 pesos); this would have appealed to less wealthy families. However, if the relatives could not pay this yearly tax for three years, the body (which had, by the way, become accidentally mummified) was dug up from the cemetery and (if the fee still wasn't paid) placed on display in El museo de las momias. [Of course, what if the person's family had moved from town--or what if the person was the last person from their family? Well, it didn't matter; the law was the law!]

Fortunately, in 1958, the law was changed. Although no new bodies have been exhumed, the museum still displays the original mummies.

According to an article in the Arizona Republic (November 1, 2005), the mummies began attracting tourists in the early 1900s, "when cemetery workers began charging people a few pesos to enter the ossuary building where bones and mummies were stored. But business really took off after the 1970 movie Santo Versus the Mummies of Guanajuato, starring masked wrestler Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta."

NOTE: The first mummy was found on June 9, 1865; the man's name was Dr. Remigio Leroy. The museum opened in 1894.

Supposedly, the dry climate and unique soil conditions caused the bodies to dry out before they could decompose--thus the natural "mummification."

When they started the tours in the early days, visitors could walk right into the room and touch the mummies. After tourists began taking home souvenirs ("a little pinky here, a little finger nail there") they decided to encase all of the mummies in glass. Good idea!

Surprisingly, the girls were not weirded out by this place.

We also went to the Monumento al Pipila (The Pipila Monument). What Mexican town is complete without their Mexican Independence statue in honor of their local hero? (I'm telling you--it is a STAPLE!).

This monument is on the mountainside, overlooking town. It gave us a wonderful birdseye view of this tangled town:

The orange cathedral in the center (Our Lady Guadalupe) is the one we took a family photo with (above). It is in Plaza de la Paz, one of the city's oldest plazas.

Next, our guide took us to a property of a wealthy mine owner from way back when. I can't even find information on it now...but it was quite the property with themed gardens as far as the eye could see. Once upon a time it housed hundreds upon hundreds of slaves. When the slaves had children, they took them away and put them in orphanages, until they were of age to become slaves and "pay back their keep." Ugh.

But...back to the amazing property. One of the roofs had wild cactus growing on the roof...

Ella threw a big fit, and hid way behind us on the whole tour--pouting.

Thus the photo without her (and Ethan strapped to my front). I'm pretty sure Maiya was picking her nose.

(oops--this is from the day before in San Miguel...but I had to post it since it is a fairly decent family photo--and that is a rarity!)

After the tour ran over several hours more than expected (and I can't feel bad--because we paid him very good money!), we had him drop us off at Mercado Hidalgo (Hidalgo Market). This building dates back to 1909, and had a ton of handcrafts as well as market-type items.

We found ourselves unable to resist some "Talavera" pottery from Hidalgo...which we had just passed through the day before (but Jared would not stop). This Talavera pottery is note quite the same as the Talavera pottery from Puebla, which is muy expensive!. You can read more about the difference here. Anyhow...we picked up two beautiful large fruit bowls for $100 pesos each...just over $8.

Alas, Guanajuato wore us out, and we were pooped at the end of the day! The next morning we packed up the car, and Carmen laughed about our "muchas cosas" (many things!). I explained to her that Americanos tend to overpack! :)

We then started the drive home...passing through Leon (famous for its leather products...particularly shoes). As we were passing through town, I read in the guidebook that the Guajajuato State Fair was taking place right then (In case you didn't know...Mexico is divided into 31 states, in a similar fashion to the US). After a bit of begging, Jared finally turned the car around (that is a feat in and of itself), and we made our way to the State Fair grounds. For about 80 cents we had entry into a fantastic State Fair that put the Utah State Fair to shame (I admit UT's State Fair is the only one I've ever been to)!

Mexicans love to cook, and there were outdoor booths with huge stacks of pots and pans for $6 on up!

They also had shoe booth after shoe booth (and other leather goods), and many other things to feast your eyes (and wallet) on. We were well-behaved, and instead did a lot of walking, got lunch and let the girls go on a few rides.

That was enough for us...and we drove home, arrived that evening, and crashed.

In our beds, that is! :-)

San Miguel Allende

2011-03-13T23:57:00.008-05:00

Jared's parents came to visit us at the end of January, and I have been procrastinated blogging about our adventures! It is very overwhelming to even think about!

One of the main highlights on the trip was to San Miguel de Allende, about 5 hours away from Ajijic (where we live). San Miguel is very popular with expats, and has a very large Gringo population.

We arrived in the evening, and immediately set out on the city to see the beautiful chapel, the Parish of San Miguel, lit up at night. It has a neo-gothic facade, and is apparently one of the most photographed chapel in Mexico---for a very good reason!

My online research led us to the Hotel Posada de las Monjas to spend the night. It was affordable and comfortable, as well as a maze of a hotel! The attendant showed me several different rooms, and we winded in and out of hallways, and up and down staircases! One could easily get lost!

This hotel is a retired monastery (for nuns), and I could almost envision nuns walking around in their habits, finding peace and solitude within the walls of this hotel, although they were located in the middle of this busy city. The hotel front:

As with all buildings in Mexico...you never know what is lurking behind the wall or gate. We drove into an inner parking garage, and entered the sprawling grounds of the hotel:

The girls enjoyed all of those stairs...

The rooms from the top floor had unbelievable views of the city (particularly at night), but we settled for rooms close to the parking, so as not to require us dragging our suitcases up 5 or so staircases!

The city of San Miguel de Allende is best-known for its chapels of many colors and flavors.

The next day we went to quite a few of these chapels...

And found a local indoor market of Mexican crafts...

And food...

Every Mexican town (of any size) has a main plaza with a chapel. This is a view of the corner of the main plaza, with its well-trimmed trees, and bustling social center!

An American man offered to take a photo of us together, and after talking for just a minute or two...Jared's Dad discovered that this stranger knew his uncle from Montana! It is such a small world!

Ethan had the best seat in the house...

Ella paused from her whining to fake a smile for us! (Or maybe it was the Grandma influence?!)

San Miguel de Allende is such a beautiful town--with a very colorful colonial style. It is mind-boggling to think that this town exists in the heart of Mexico--and yet is SO different from other cities we have visited!

We passed a cool house with a tunnel running through it...

And managed a smooch at the viewpoint of the city...

And caught the girls half-smiling, half-fighting...as usual!

I don't have the energy to write all about the history of the town...and besides, I think a general photo tour is the better, anyways! If you want to know more, click here!

It was a great town to visit...but our heart remains in Ajijic. The other Gringos can have San Miguel de Allende...we'll keep Lake Chapala!

Birthday Parties...

2011-03-11T23:03:00.009-06:00

Birthday parties in Mexico are extremely exhausting!

To start the year off, Maiya got invited to a classmate's 3rd birthday party. Birthday parties here are a family event--and it is expected that the whole family attends (not just the child who receives the invitation).

The party invitation said 12:00 pm, and I was so embarrassed to arrive 45 minutes late!

However, when we pulled up to the party we discovered elaborate birthday decor, and a clubhouse full of fancy tables and servers--and no guests.

Wait a second...you are asking, "but weren't you 45 minutes late?"

YES...but we were the first to arrive. We began to creep back towards our car (hoping we hadn't been spotted), and just then a friend of ours arrived--so we entered the party with her.

She explained that if the invitation says 12:00 pm, then they intend that you arrive around 1-3 pm (or later, as we discovered). I asked her how long the party would last, and she said, "Oh, probably not too long...maybe just until 5 or 6?". WHAT?...a 5 hour party?!!!

The 3 year old birthday girl greeted us, as did her well-dressed mother (who was also celebrating her birthday--although no one sang to her or gave her gifts that I know of!). Both of them sported several birthday outfits throughout the day!

There were so many tables set up without guests to fill them, and I worried out loud, "Wow, I hope people show up...it would be embarrassing if they had a bad turnout!" Little did I know that people would be showing up for the next 5 hours...until there were hundreds of people!

So, how do you keep children entertained for such a long period of time?

You hire face painters!

You hire a team of performers to do a Dora & Diego show...

And you have 3 gigantic life-size piñatas for the children to demolish:

You have an adorable child walking around in full pirate costume, saying "Arrrr" at anyone who looks at him...

You hire a crew to set up tents for crafts, games, etc....

You hire a 9 piece mariachi band to play for an hour (estimated to cost about $500)...

And you cater dinner for all of the attendees (we had birria, a Guadalajara specialty dish of lamb with a special sauce...quite good, actually...although I just stick to the sauce and rice!!)

Of course, a party this large means that there are a LOT of gifts. A gift table isn't sufficient for a party this size...you need to build a box and stack all of the presents inside, until it spills over!

The party took place on a beautiful property that had a swimming pool. No, it was not a swimming party...and one of my first thoughts was that if ANY child would fall into the pool, it would be Maiya. She is the most accident-prone child you have ever seen!

Sweet? YES!

Clumsy? YES!

So, when the mariachis were playing in full force, the kids escaped the noise with Jared. They were gone quite awhile, and I finally left the crowd to go hunt them down. Walking out of the clubhouse, I discovered Maiya poolside with Jared--soaking wet. It turns out that Maiya chased a balloon into the pool while Jared had his back turned. Another parent saw her fall in, pointed to Jared, and he was close enough to pull her out immediately.

Needless to say, we left immediately, and missed the tamales (so sad!) that were just arriving around 7pm...and the party went on for many more hours!

***Disclaimer: This was not a normal Birthday party. Most Mexican parties do have cake, often a meal, lots of guests, a piñata or two, and a rented jump house to keep the kids entertained. This was an extra-ordinary party, and the most elaborate party our Mexican friends had attended!***

We have been to 2 additional parties since arriving, and each one is fun, but exhausting!

My hard working husband...

2011-02-28T22:46:00.001-06:00

When Jared and I were dating, I *knew* he was the one after he spent about half a day in front of my house alone, trying to unclog the gutter that ran underneath the driveway. (okay--I'm sure I knew before this, but it just solidified it!)

His parents say he has always been this way, and it is true--If you give him an outdoor project, he will not be done until he is DONE. And he is a perfectionist:

The weeds growing over the side of our wall BEFORE:

Jared purchased some clippers, and WA-LAH! The wall AFTER:

P.S. Jared would like to clarify that these "weeds" are more like "trees", but highly annoying, because they drop weird spiky seed pods onto our driveway. They grow in the empty lot next door, and are wild. While we would be happy to keep a beautiful tree hanging over the wall, "noxious weeds," such as this, must go!

Thanks, Honey!

The freedom to earn a living...

2011-02-28T22:36:00.000-06:00

One of the many things I love about Mexico is that you are free to make a living and feed your family. Let's say you can't find a job. Are you going to sit at home and get welfare? No--you get off your rear, and get out on the streets--and make money to feed your family that day!

You can find just about anything being sold on the street sides. At most traffic light intersections in Guadalara, you can get an assortment of goodies and services. It is very normal to stop at a red light, and have some young men (or old men) start washing your windshield with a rag and then squeegie it spotlessly clean. Even if you ask them not to, they will often do it anyways.

They must assume it is better to do the work anyways, and hope that you will find their service worthy of paying for. If they sit back and don't do anything they are guaranteed to not earn any money.

Other streetside finds might include: Candy, fruit drinks, ice cream, tupperwares, flowers, sunglasses, windshield wipers (we've literally had ours replaced while at a red light!), and the list goes on!

How about a Valentine for your honey?

Or a newspaper?

Or let's say you want to go relax on the malecon for the evening in Ajijic, but you need to make a bit of extra money? Why not pack the trampoline, set it up in the public park, and put up a sign that offers 15 minutes of jumping for $10 pesos? Now you are in business!

In Mexico, you will find many streetside setups where an entire family is contributing to the family business. Below, these ladies are weaving some fabulous tote bags that we used to purchase for our store. I just wish we still had an excuse to buy more and support all of these entrepreneurs!

MEGA of Mexico...

2011-02-28T22:07:00.001-06:00

How did I miss this the last time we lived in Mexico? It is scattered all across Guadalajara!

We finally had a bit of spare time in Guadlajara without child #1 and #2 (yay for school!), so we "rushed" in to see what Mega was all about. It seemed to me to be the most "American" style grocery store I have seen here--it's Mega big!

Step #1: Park underneath. Get your cart, and put it on the flat escalator to go up to the store on the 2nd floor:

Step #2: Browse the largest oil section I have ever seen in my life. Mexicans looove their oil...!

Step #3: Choose your favorite hot sauce. You are not short of choices...that is, unless you are looking for American-style salsa. Tough luck!

Step #4: Purchase a few odds and ends you have not found elsewhere in Mexico, as well as a nice fan (which we have been SO appreciate of, with temps rising up to 90 degrees lately--ahhh!). Pay, and then go DOWN the escalator with the shopping cart. Jared's not holding on this cart with the groceries, and Ethan. No, our child was not in mortal danger. This escalator is constructed with grooves that lock your cart into place, so it doesn't move during transit. Genius!

Why NOT to shop at Super Lake in Ajijic...

2011-02-28T21:51:00.000-06:00

The Americans frequent a grocery store called "Super Lake" in Ajijic. I have only been there once before, and decided I should check it out again, so that I can know what they have. They bring in more imported items than the other stores in the area, and therefore their prices can be a little crazy.

For example, in Mexico they have VERY limited cereal brands. But Super Lake carries MANY American cereal brands, at a whooping $99 pesos each (generally, it is safe to assume that the US equivalent is 10% of the MX Pesos...although the exchange rate is a bit better). $9 for a box of cereal? I think not...

How about $170 pesos (~$17) for a small jar of yeast? (Thank you, Marilyn--for bringing me a giant bag of yeast from Costco when you visited us last month!)

Peanut butter is no longer the rarity it used to be. However, you can only find it in small jars (except for at 1 of the 3 Costcos in Guadalajara), for $53.90 pesos (~$5.39). I'll stick to Costco (I'm also very thankful that Jared has given up his peanut butter and jelly obsession for now. He seems to just be hooked to toast with jelly right now!).

And last, but not least...Jared's past time of sneaking chocolate chips won't pass here (sorry for the "misappearing" chocolate chips this past year, Mom & Dad!). $78.90 pesos ($7.89) for a normal sized bag of chocolate chips? No chocolate chip cookies here!

I will stick to Costco, Walmart (yes, I'm ashamed), and the local markets. Oh, and my other new love...MEGA. More on that later :-)

El Dentista

2011-02-28T21:44:00.000-06:00

We made our way back to Ajijic Dental for a fast and delightful cleaning. Kinda cool that we can say it was "delightful"...because ultrasonic (water) cleanings REALLY ARE!

Ella was excited that she got her teeth officially cleaned for the first time. We all passed the cleaning with flying colors, and no recommendations! Whew!

Cost per cleaning? $300 pesos (about $25)

SWEET!

2011-02-28T21:32:00.000-06:00

Remember when I said I would share with you some of my tried-and-true favorite vegan recipes? Chances are no one cares, and the people who have asked for this in the past no longer read the blog...but, oh well! I have found it helpful to look up my recipes online when I am out and about, and can't find it!

Do you want to know how many photos I've taken of vegan recipes in the past 9 months? A lot! But I haven't posted that many. Maybe I'll reform myself? Or maybe not...

This one is from 1,000 Vegan Recipes, a cookbook I dream about, but don't actually own! Why? I don't know...

Coconut-Peanut Chickpeas and Vegetables

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp hot or mild curry powder
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
3 cups cooked or 2 (15.5 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 cups fresh baby spinach
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crushed unsalted roasted peanuts, for garnish. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the peanut butter and gradually stir in the coconut milk until well blended. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and spinach, stirring to wilt the spinach, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until how and the flavors are well blended, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the peanuts.

My changes? I like to add a lot more peanut butter. Seriously--who doesn't like more peanut butter?
Also, Jared won't eat food with crunchy nuts in it. I absolutely LOVE nuts in things. Darn.

And for those of you who can't buy or handle cooking too many fresh things (::clearing throat:: You know which sister you are....), I'd like you to know that a package of frozen spinach works just as well. (However, fresh is amazing--so you can buy a pre-washed bag of it to throw in, if you must)!! This is a seriously delicious recipe that I happily enjoy as leftovers for several days!

Garbage Day...

2011-02-16T00:16:00.000-06:00

You may have to enlarge this photo (by clicking on it) to see the detail. But this is how the garbage pickup works in Mexico...

The garbage men pick up the bags and heave them into the open door on the side of the truck. No fancy-schmancy garbage can picker-upper like you get in the States. When labor is cheap...they don't find ways around it!

Drunk Driving?

2011-02-16T00:12:00.001-06:00

How's this for encouraging drinking while on the road...?

Check out this DRIVE THROUGH liquor store!

:::shaking head:::

A Brother to Sisters...

2011-02-16T00:10:00.000-06:00

Poor kid! Little does he know this is just the beginning of the torturing...

When I don't make it to the markets...

2011-02-16T00:03:00.001-06:00

1st Choice? Jocotepec Market

2nd Choice? Chapala Market

3rd Choice? Ajijic Market

But I can't make it to one of the 3 major weekly open markets, a shop like this is the next best option...

So many choices...so little time...!

The Ajijic Pier

2011-02-13T23:52:00.003-06:00

When we were in Ajijic the winter of 2008/2009, we visited the Ajijic pier...and discovered that there wasn't much worth talking about.

The remains of whatever used to be there were under water (the lake has been at a record high level in recent years), and we noticed park benches peaking out from the flooded areas.

Sandbags lined the waterside.

When were returned this year, we were so pleased to discover that they had turned this pathetic water-drowned park into a BEAUTIFUL pier for walking!

Smooth stroller paths are always to be appreciated (especially when compared to the cobblestone streets which aren't worth the stroller effort)!

I thought it was a hoot to see the young men playing soccer on the basketball court...

But then it occurred to me that the court is built to double as both a soccer field and basketball court. Enlarge the photo and you will see how the goal/post is built to function as both!

The trouble with being right next to the lake, however, is that the players seem to spend a good deal of time trying to fish their stray balls out of the water. They have a long pole with a net attached...but when the ball is still out of their reach they resort to throwing rocks just past the ball to make waves, and bring it back to shore. It works!

This place makes me at peace...

The Chapala Pier...

2011-02-13T23:42:00.000-06:00

We love to take walks along the Chapala pier. They have great smooth paths for pushing strollers, and it is always bustling with people who are also just out to enjoy the view and good weather!

They have some playgrounds, which the girls enjoy. You would never see a slide like this in the US (metal with short sides), or a metal swing such as these! We have started to see some plastic slides, but these metal slides are the norm, and go up even in new parks!

I love seeing the men pushing around their handcarts of helados (ice creams), or just relaxing while they people-watch.

A day at the Cine!

2011-02-13T23:29:00.000-06:00

Last month the school had a field trip to the movie theater! Imagine a theatre full of children ages pre-K through 3rd grade...it was a bit of a zoo! Children Maiya's age were required to have a parent attend with them...and it was my pleasure!

Here's the crowd getting situated. Everyone received a cup of popcorn and a fruit drink. Guess what they put on their popcorn in Mexico?

You guessed it...CHILI!!!!

::Shaking head:::

Children's movies are dubbed over in Spanish (and adult movies are left in English, with Spanish subtitles).

After enjoying "Megamente" in Spanish ("Megamind"), Maiya was totally and completely pooped.

The house...

2011-02-07T12:04:00.002-06:00

Our rental house here is dreamy! It has so many features that we absolutely love. I will have to take photos of more details in the future...but here is the general style of it.

The living room/dining room has a big boveda ceiling (brickwork that is in a big dome shape...so it is a high roof!).

These large glass doors on 2 of the walls, making it bright and airy!

These doors on the right are pocket doors, and open ALL the way into the walls, leaving the glass entirely hidden behind the walls. We can have the screen closed our open, too.

The bedroom door can be seen across the patio, and it also has nice big windows and doors that open. The 2 bedrooms (the kids share one) are big and roomy.

Most importantly, each room has skylights that keep everything bright and cheery. There is absolutely no need for turning on lights anywhere during the day, as there are skylights in the bathroom, closet, hallways, etc!

AND...every day is absolutely, stunningly, BEAUTIFUL.

A different kind of sprinker...

2011-02-07T11:59:00.001-06:00

Have a smaller yard? Why bother with hoses and sprinklers? Here is an attachment that turns your spout INTO a sprinkler...for real!

Mexican Parking...

2011-02-07T11:57:00.000-06:00

why not?

Nieve...

2011-02-07T11:55:00.000-06:00

A good friend of mine treated me to Nieves the other day (Nieve=snow). They put fruit juice in a big container which is then shaken/rotated in a big rustic barrel full of salt and ice. I really still don't understand how that could make something turn into nieve...but I love it!

So...introducing what I would call FROZEN LEMONADE (quite possibly the best frozen dessert in existance)! I used to crave these when going to "Worlds of Fun" in Kansas City, but I was rarely willing to pay the price tag. Here? $2.50 and under for a cup!

Oh, but don't forget your toppings! Pour some more lemon juice on, and don't forget your CHILI powder!

Yes, seriously. They put chili powder on their FROZEN LEMONADE.

:::shaking head:::

This is what a true Mexican nieve looks like. Mine had only a dash of chili powder so I could try it (not terrible, but not preferable, either!)

A Mother's Worst Nightmare...

2011-02-07T11:48:00.000-06:00

Or at least one of them!

Guess what we found in Ethan's little tent that he sleeps/plays in sometimes?

Luckily:

#1. It was dead (why? I have no idea!)
#2. He wasn't sleeping in it (no, he now regularly sleeps in a bed that is off the ground)
#3. We are now checking the tent more thoroughly before letting him play or sleep in it!
#4. It is the only one we've seen here, so far!

Babying the Baby...

2011-02-07T11:27:00.000-06:00

Ella and Maiya treat Ethan like he is a doll. It is absolutely terrifying for me, sometimes! But other times it has its sweet moments...

Shopping for School Supplies

2011-01-23T23:37:00.000-06:00

The school here gave us a list of school supplies needed for each girl. So, we went school supply shopping...Mexican style!

We entered a local Papeleria, which essentially sells any thing: cards, ribbons, gift bags, glue, notebooks, sewing supplies, etc. Really...it is a mix of anything and everything!

Close to the Ajijic Plaza is Papeleria Hidalgo, with a very nice couple who has owned the business for over 20 years. It shows, because there are so many things hidden in every nook and cranny (and perhaps some are as old as the store?)! I

We handed them the school supply list, and let them try to knock off as many items as they could. It was a good 30-45 minute wait, but we enjoyed browsing and relaxing on the front stoop...until we walked away with nearly $100 worth of school supplies (and there are still some items we missed!)! Ouch! :-)

Mexican PO

2011-01-19T23:33:00.000-06:00

The Mexican postal system is known to be lousy and unreliable. If you have something important, you send it via DHL or Fedex. However, people do use local PO boxes to avoid the unreliability of having an envelope delivered to your home.

Since we're in this for the long haul, we went to the PO downtown to get our own box. The letter carriers drive old motorcycles, which they park in the front entry. Go up the stairs and you find yourself in a humble post office.

The manager was on the phone as he helped me fill out some very basic paperwork and pay the $300 pesos per year fee. I know he was the manager because I was told to come back to get a PO box while he was there...since he is the only one authorized to open a new box.

Although I didn't understand what he was saying as he talked on the phone, it was very clear that he was on a personal call, and just chatting. Just one of the many things you wouldn't see in the US!

Here are the PO boxes...I love the fact that some of the boxes don't have front doors anymore, but they still have mail inside of them! That's trust! I guess they assume no one else wants their bills...

The supermercado...

2011-01-19T23:20:00.002-06:00

They love their cactus...

Personally, I find it a bit gooey when cooked up...but I have been told by my Mexican friends that you can wash the gooeyness off.
Maybe I'll have to try that sometime (or maybe not?!)!

One funny thing...they actually peel all of their onions before putting them on display. You know how in the US all of the onion layers are left on? Not so, here...I guess they like to see exactly what they are getting!

I also went into Walmart one day, and discovered a massive and eager group gathered around the oranges. Turns out there was a GREAT deal, and people were walking away with bags upon bags full. I joined in the fun once I realized that the oranges were about 4 cents a piece! WOWEE!

The only downside is that they have very thin peels, which are surprisingly very difficult to peel. However, they make excellent juice (if I can only get myself a juicer...)!

Joco Market...

2011-01-19T23:17:00.000-06:00

Hats, anyone?

And for those fish eaters out there...please note that the gentleman here sets up a table of ice that the fresh fish sit on. The buckets below catch the necessary drippings...

UGH...I have to hold my nose!

How to massacre mangoes...

2011-01-19T23:15:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows me know that I LOVE produce. I would choose fresh fruit over candy or desserts any day!
Our first week back in town, we visited the Jocotepec market, which is my favorite in the area (there are 5 each week within a 20 minute drive). There was a fruit stand set up, and I just couldn't resist the temptation...could you?

(can you see this? I think it is a cup full of shredded radish, carrot, zucchini, jicima, and perhaps squash? I have no idea what the yellow stuff is on top! You should see how the kids gobble this stuff up!)

I was dying to get a big cup of MANGOS, one of my favorite fruits that I have only had fresh a handful of times (I used to buy frozen mangoes from the Candian Superstore in Whitehorse).

I told the gal working which fruit I wanted, and she grabbed the cup and began to pick up a heaping spoonful of chili powder to put on it. "Oh! No! No chili!" She looked at me funny...silly Gringo...and proceeded to put spoonfuls of something white on the fruit, instead. I thought, "hmm...coconut? Okay...I'm willing to try that..." Then, before I realized it, she had grabbed a lemon, and was squeezing lemon juice all over my perfect mangoes. UGH. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE lemons...but on my MANGOES?!

She handed me the cup, and I paid my $20 pesos. I took a bite, and LOW AND BEHOLD...that white stuff was actually large granulated SALT...and the mix of salt and lemon made for a VERY salty/sour cup of once-perfect Mangoes. At least it wasn't chili powder...

I will know better next time :-)

Large load coming through...

2011-01-19T23:05:00.001-06:00

Remember when I posted the photo of Pregnancy parking at the Walmart in Mexico several years ago? Well...this one was new to me. Pregnant women get to use the special checkout aisle at the Walmart, too!

We're BACK!

2011-01-19T22:54:00.006-06:00

Well, it's ABOUT TIME!! Nearly 2 years since our departure from Mexico in 2009, we are finally back "home"! We drove for 2 long days to the border of Texas/Mexico, where we spent the night in Del Rio. The last leg of the trip (in Mexico) took 1 1/2 days, and we couldn't have been happier to be done driving! Here is a map of our route through Saltillo and San Luis Potosi.

For those of you would like a better frame of reference...The "A" flag is where we now reside! We can now officially call ourselves Expats, and we happily join the American/Canadian retirees in the Lake Chapala area. Of course--we Gringos are still a minority, and the Mexican population and culture is alive and well in this area! Time to learn Spanish (and FAST)!!

The moment we crossed the border from Del Rio (your typical American city) to the Mexican border town of Ciudad Acuna, the streets and construction immediately changed to typical Mexican style. It is amazing how 1 mile difference is a HUGE difference when you are talking about this international border. Different language, different customs, and different culture! We were bubbling with excitement!

We booked it South of the border without stopping for several hours. Finally, we pulled over to get gas, and a Mexican girl offered us her warm "taquitos" at our window while the attendant pumped our gas (have I mentioned they pump the gas for you, here?). Assuming they'd be like American taquitos, we purchased 5 for $20 pesos. They turned out to be mini soft tacos, instead. 2 had a mix of beef and potatoes, and the other 3 were a VERY spicy mix of beans and jalepeno. It hit the spot, and the girls were soon begging for more, so we took a break on the side of the road to refuel and get the baby out of the car seat.

We spent the night in San Luis Potosi at a hotel we stayed at back in 2009 when we left Mexico. All went well, and we pulled into our rental home in Ajijic (on Lake Chapala) the next day!

But not without seeing some great views and "trees" along the way!

Just go Google yourself...

2010-12-04T00:28:00.002-06:00

Okay...have we all been guilty of googling ourselves, to see what comes up--right?

(or is it just me?)

I find it rather entertaining. For example, a man called a few days ago to order a wood watch, and remarked that he had read a newspaper article about us moving to Mexico. I said, "Oh, are you from Peachtree City?" "No...but Google is an amazing thing!" He was from Washington, and was probably just googling our business to make sure it was legit!

Anyhow...I don't recommend just googling yourself...that's old school. I recommend you should GOOGLE MAP yourself!

Here is our van in Mexico (and our rental house behind):

Jared getting out of the car in Skagway...(In case you were wondering, you can virtually "drive" down the street and see him in the process of getting out. Yes...it's sooo exciting!)

And the van, yet again, in Skagway! There used to actually be a photo of me taken from the alleyway to the right of this photo. Unfortunately, they removed it. Must have been what I was wearing...

So...can YOU find yourself on Google Maps?

Have you ever SEEN the Google car?!! I have! I have!

Cool Birthday parties

2010-11-15T17:25:00.002-06:00

One thing Utahns are good at--throwing amazing birthday parties. I will never be as cool as them.

Here are some of the goodies from Ella's last themed b-day party she attended (Lava Girl):

Adoring Sisters

2010-11-15T17:19:00.001-06:00

Have I mentioned how much these girls adore their brother? Well, they do!

And sometimes...Ethan actually appreciates it!

Pumpkins & Candy with Photos

2010-11-15T17:10:00.001-06:00

On Halloween weekend, Ella asked me in ALL SERIOUSNESS:
"Is it a law to have a lot of candy when it's Halloween? It's not? I thought it was!": )
We had the opportunity to carve pumpkins this year.Maiya drew this pumpkin face all by herself, and Papa helped cut it out.

I LOOOVE this happy pumpkin face!

Ella did 2 pumpkins (the back side of my Dad's, as well as one of her own):

I think they were both still grossed out by the pumpking innards...

And I love the precious photos of them interacting while I was trying to take a nice photo of them:

Thanksgiving Point Shindig...

2010-11-11T22:37:00.002-06:00

We took the girls to the Cornbelly's Corn Maze at Thanksgiving Point this year. It was a lot of fun, and the weather was just right!

I seriously need to build one of these in our backyard. Who'd guess that water, tubes, and floating duckies could keep kids entertained for so long?
Okay--dumb question. Of course they would!

So...put some duckies in the half cut pipe, use the water pump to pump a stream of water in it, and watch it float to the other side. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat again.

This was Jared's idea...

And they lasted about 5 minutes in the corn maze. Perfect!

The baby boy...

2010-11-11T22:25:00.001-06:00

The much anticipated photos...

Ethan is now 4 months old, and growing like a weed!

Here are some photos from the past month!

He is a super happy baby. It's rare for him to be grumpy, and he just makes me happy happy happy!

Particularly when he poops/pees on the potty!

Yup--you read that right. He really does.
On a regular basis.

Photos to come...

Ella's Firsts...

2010-10-30T13:11:00.001-05:00

Getting caught up, here...Ella had her first day of Kindergarten back in August...

She also played soccer for the first time...

This photo makes her look very serious and athletic, but I will admit that she was definitely the least fierce on the team.Quite unlike her Mommy...(but perhaps that is a good thing?!)

Also, Ella's first bike was stolen. Dang it. That makes me mad!
Oh well...I told her not to leave the bike out! I hope the lesson has been ingrained...

Sisters!

2010-10-26T13:46:00.001-05:00

I can only hope and pray that they will always be best friends!

I know, I know...

2010-10-26T13:42:00.003-05:00

I know that I have a habit of appearing, and disappearing (such as last month when I posted a billion posts in a few days' time, and then disappeared for another month)...but this is as good as it is going to get, right now!

I am happy to say that business has been going well, and Jared and I have been staying busy. Our Flower Jewelry Wholesale Biz has slowed down (because we were marketing specifically to Alaska, and now that season is over), but we're hoping to begin marketing to other locates before the end of the year (i.e. Hawaii, Florida, etc). We're also rebuilding our catalog and tweaking and adding new items. Exciting!

The Wood Watches Rep business has been booming! Because of this, we think we will be ready to move to Mexico in January. Yes, I did say MOVE. In case you haven't been following this blog for long...Jared and I took the girls down to Mexico in the winter of 2008/09, and we fell in love with Lake Chapala, Jalisco (Mexico is divided into states, just like the US). This is central, near Guadalajara, and is located about 5 hours inland from Puerto Vallarta. It is located in the mountains in a beautiful setting with gorgeous weather (no heaters or A/C needed), and a simple village life that we love. Just thinking about it makes me smile!

:::sigh:::

So, we have about 2 months left in Utah, visiting with my parents who have been so gracious to let us live in their home with our noisy three children.

This summer has been almost surreal. I guess it is because I haven't experienced a non-Alaskan summer since 2001, and Jared hasn't since 1999. It was weird to know that each day the weather would be much the same (dry and warm or HOT!), and the sun would be shining! We decided to try to live it up, and enjoy some beautiful weather and activities!

We bought a Season Pass to Seven Peaks Water Park & Trafalga. We showed up at Seven Peaks on Labor Day to pick up our ID cards that get us into both parks. The water park was packed, so despite the girls' pleading, we told them we would return the next day to go to the water park. Instead, we went miniature golfing!

An Aside:

I call miniature golfing "Goony Golfing", which is the name of the park I used to go golfing at as a child in Topeka, Kansas. It was seriously awesome (at least when I was a child!), and I have fond memories of characters such as the big T-Rex who lifted his bone to reveal the hole:

Back to my story...

We skipped the busy water park, and went to Trafalga in Orem, Utah, instead. They have a nice course (although not nearly as cool as the dinosaur, ghouls and other crazy characters found at Goony Golf!).

We had a great time, and girls practiced their skills. This is a funny photo of Maiya golfing, because it makes it look as if she actually golfed. But her idea of golfing was a one-handed drag of the putter (?), and then picking up the ball to put it in the hole.

On second glance...maybe Maiya does have the ball hidden in her hand?!

Ella is ready to go on miniature golf tour...

The next day, after Ella got out from school, we held to our promise and drove the girls out to Seven Peaks Water Park for an afternoon of water and fun! When we arrived, there wasn't a soul there. AWESOME! A crowd-less park!

Well, awesome until we realized that the park was CLOSED.

And not just for the day...for the SEASON. Yup--you got it. Labor Day was the last day.

Classic.

So...we took the girls to a new outdoor "water park" in Spanish Fork (free!) where they ran around and seemed quite satisfied.

We also took them (on another day) to go raspberry picking at a local Berry Picking farm in Mapleton, Utah. We managed to down 2 1/2 pounds of berries by the next day.

My favorite part was seeing how much made it into the girls' buckets. Ella collected more than I thought she would...but Maiya didn't get ANY. That is because EVERY single berry she picked went into her mouth. Gotta love that girl!.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The summer is now over, and we are quickly moving into Winter. Not without some fun Fall weather, however. Last weekend it was dreary, cold, and rainy. The clouds were low on the mountains, and I almost felt transported back to Alaska. Well...ALMOST.

That is, if I could have ignored the construction, traffic, and overall nicety of the neighborhood here (Alaska is much more modest, to say the least).

But I must admit...it was a fantastic summer, and I do not regret leaving Alaska one bit!

Bloglines is Closing

2010-09-20T12:25:00.003-05:00

For all those of you who may use Bloglines, you may have heard the news that it is closing permanently. So sad!! Bloglines has been my program of choice, to follow all the blogs I enjoy reading. It notifies me when there is a new post, and is has a reading pane, so I don't have to visit everyones' blog individually...saving me lots and lots of time!

Well, good news! I have found a great alternative to Bloglines (its perhaps even BETTER!): Google Reader. Click below for instructions on how to export your Bloglines list into Google Reader:

How to Export Blog List from Bloglines

How to import Bloglines list into Google Reader

Happy Blog Reading!!

Saying goodbye...

2010-09-19T20:11:00.000-05:00

It's sold!!

Grand Coulee Dam Viewpoint

2010-09-19T20:10:00.000-05:00

Jared decided to wait the arrival of some extraterrestrials...

When they didn't arrive, he instead hoisted some of the kids to the top of the structure.

And when the little kids started begging to go up, too...Jared decided to get his hand-dandy work ladder out of the van for them.

I shot this photo of Jared's legs dangling just moments before he decided to JUMP OFF the building.

:::shaking head:::

I don't even know what to say to that...

...except that I hope my children surive their youth with an example like that.

Family Reunion 2010

2010-09-19T20:04:00.000-05:00

During the days, we went to a local park on the lake that is just above the dam. The girls enjoyed playing with their cousins in the water, and I got to do a lot of reading!

Uncle Chris took us out on his boat. After taking off and getting a fair distance from the docks, his engine started acting funny, and then cut out. He had me a bit worried when he began looking at the docks, seemingly calculating the swimming distance. But alas, he started it again, and we went back. I think he was running low on fuel....

We drove up above Coulee City for a nice view of the dam at a distance!

There is a very odd structure at the lookout, and the grandkids all posed with the grandparents for a photo. Of course, our children were the only difficult ones for this photo shoot!

Grand Coulee Dam Family Vacation

2010-09-19T19:59:00.000-05:00

In mid-August, Jared's parents came for a visit, and took Ella home to Washington with them. That means we had 1 1/2 weeks of quiet in the house, because Maiya had no one to fight with!!

We then packed up the van, and enjoyed a full-days' drive up to Washington, where we met up with Ella once again.

Maiya helped to entertain Ethan in the car...

Next, we took a short drive up to the Grand Coulee Dam area. We enjoyed a family reunion at a lovely house that we rented for the weekend. We took a free tour of the dam...

The whole crew (minus Ethan...who was sleeping in his car seat)...

Day 30 - My Dream for the Future

2010-09-19T19:35:00.002-05:00

I dream that someday I will be the person I want to be...

I will work less, play more.

I will criticize less, love more.

I will shy away less, and step forward more.

I will lecture less, inspire more.

I will begrudge less, forgive more.

I will doubt less, trust more.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Thanks for reading, folks. Sorry it took a lot longer than 30 days...

Day 29 - My hopes,dreams and plans for the next 365 days

2010-09-19T19:16:00.003-05:00

I hope to:

Be more patient with my children, and find more time to play with them.

Make new friends, yet keep the old.

Get back to my pre-baby fitness level.

I dream to:

Move to Mexico and start a new full-time life (as opposed to living in places seasonally) for the first time EVER in my married life!!

Travel and see new places in Mexico, and learn more about the Mexican culture.

I Plan to:

Continue growing my sales rep business, and attain even more accounts.

Pay off all my debts.

Learn Spanish.

Expand my wholesale business (flower jewelry)

Build a food storage

Begin saving for a home to buy with cash in the next 5 years

Day 28 - What's in my Handbag/Purse?

2010-09-19T19:08:00.002-05:00

I've never been much of one to carry a purse. Ugh. I hate them. I have one smallish travel-style purse (given to me by my parents over 8 years ago!), and if I go out with it...you will find my wallet, Vaseline, toothpicks (for Jared), and perhaps a random assortment of things I've forgotten to clear out (napkins, receipts, etc).

I also have a diaper bag (a beautiful Vera Bradley bag

my Mom gave me 5 years ago), and it has been very well used (i.e. It has seen better days!). Of course, if I'm out with the diaper bag, it carries the baby essentials...wipes, diapers, and a change of clothes. And my wallet, and likely Jared's wallet.

But the MOST IMPORTANT thing to have in the diaper bag is DEFINITELY Vaseline. I might have a breakdown if I leave the house without it.

Yeah, I know...I'm addicted.

Day 27 - My Worst Habit

2010-09-19T19:02:00.002-05:00

A few funny habits I have...

#1 - I type things on my fingers. I've learned to do it so that you can't see my fingers moving, but the muscles are being used, and I type uncontrollably at times. I used to type numbers and conversations. Now, I find myself simply typing myself messages. The typical messages I type to myself are: "What the heck?" "Are you kidding me?" Seriously...I have no idea why and how...but when I catch myself typing, I usually discover that I am typing this to myself. WEIRD.

#2 - I play with my hair. I finger through my hair strand by strand, looking for the "crinkly" hairs...the super-curly ones. I used to pull them out, but I've stopped that. Now, if I pull a hair out, it is only because I have been playing with that super curly one for too long! Again, I can't stop myself from playing with my hair strands.

#3 - Every since we left Georgia this Spring, I have been obsessed with ice. I blamed it on the pregnancy, but I still haven't gotten over the craving. I was chewing ice all the time, and I began to worry about the health of my teeth. So, now I only allow myself to suck on ice, instead of chewing it. If you see me reaching into a glass of water to get my ice--I am sorry. I just can't help it.

Day 25 & 26 - My Day & Week in Great Detail

2010-09-19T18:32:00.003-05:00

Let me sum up my daily life without wasting much of your precious time...

Up at 7:40

Send Ella off to the bus

Feed Baby

Get on computer--catch up on emails

Baby down for nap

Answer emails and go to work on the computer

11:30am

Feed Baby

Feed Ella & Maiya

Baby down for a nap

Again--back on the computer--working. Finding new accounts, emailing existing accounts, working on the website, packing jewelry orders, etc.

Baby down for a nap

3:30pm

Feed Baby

Start thinking about dinner (If I'm lucky, I'll make it now so I don't have to worry about it later)

Back to work

Baby down for a nap

7:00pm

Feed Baby

Eat Dinner

Chase Ella & Maiya around the neighborhood. Try to make them eat dinner.

Bathe the girls

Brush their teeth

Wrestle them to bed

Baby down for a nap
9:45pm

Feed Baby

Go on an hour walk with Jared, if I'm lucky

Come home

Crash

Repeat

Anyhow--life is a daily struggle of balancing kids at home with work at home. Some days they fit well together, and other days it is a struggle!

Day 24 - Where I Live

2010-09-19T18:32:00.000-05:00

Where DON'T I live?

Alaska...Utah...Washington...Georgia...Mexico...

Day 23 - A Youtube Video

2010-09-19T18:16:00.001-05:00

The Mom Song

What else can I say? She said it all...in less than 3 minutes!

Day 22 - A Website

2010-09-19T17:54:00.003-05:00

My first inclination is to write about MY website:Northstar-Treasures.com

Jared and I were just reflecting on this business website yesterday. It has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2005 (shortly after we started our business), when it had no official shopping cart, and I used Paypal buttons for everything. I've redesigned it at least 3 times since then...changing programs along the way. Several years ago I settled on X-Cart, by far my favorite shopping cart software I've found! To get it to do what I've wanted it to do, I've had to learn a lot about web design. However, don't ask me to tell you what I've done...because I'm sure I won't remember! I've begun to save little notes to myself about how to change things...and I revisit those notes when I have to alter the design, setup, etc. I also use their user forums a lot to solve problems with the site. I've learned how to do use Photoshop, and I enjoy making graphics for the site. It is not perfect (for example, I redesigned the header years ago, and it is a bit fuzzy. I know how to fix it--I have just never gone back to do it. Some fixes aren't worth my time!). I am also blessed to have the best website host alive. Marv Conn at magicangelhosting.com is literally an angel, popping out of nowhere when I create trouble--and always knowing how to fix it! A good website isn't any good without a good host!

Anyhow--it is my pride and joy--truly a blood, sweat, and tears effort over the years!!

Day 21 - A Recipe

2010-09-08T18:04:00.003-05:00

I've been sharing a bunch of recipes, lately.

I wasn't sure if today's was worth sharing...but since I just made it, and the Journal entry today requires a recipe, I guess I will share it after all. I didn't take a photo, but this is from my vegan friends' blog:

I found the recipe online. I think the reason I wasn't oohing and aahing over this, was perhaps because I don't have very "spicy" curry on hand. I love spice. Hmm...maybe I'll go add some spice to it before everyone gets home from work....

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 T hot or mild curry powder

2 T creamy peanut butter

1 (13.5 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

3 cups cooked or 2 (15.5 ounce) cans

chickpeas-drained/rinsed

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

3 cups fresh baby spinach

salt & freshly ground black pepper

crushed unsalted roasted peanuts, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil, add onion and

bell pepper, cover, and cook until soft--about 10

minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder, stirring

until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add the peanut butter and gradually stir in the

coconut milk until well blended. Add the

chickpeas, tomatoes, and spinach, stirring to wilt

the spinach, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and

pepper to taste.

3. Simmer until hot and the flavors are well

blended, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately, over rice!

Day 20 - A Hobby of Mine

2010-09-08T00:07:00.002-05:00

Whoa. I would never in my life have thought that this would be a hard thing to pinpoint. After all, when growing up I had a TON of hobbies. Theatre, Dance, Soccer, Scrapbooking, Volunteering, the list went on. But now...in a life full of diaper changes, baby feedings, bathing kiddos, and making food...I find it hard to fit anything else in (besides work--which doesn't count as a "hobby").

But I suppose one thing that MAY count as a hobby is that I love learning about new ecologically/economically friendly things to do. I love learning about what can be improved upon, why, and then making the change. For example...I switched to cloth diapering, a more vegan-ish diet, recycling, making reusable trash liners & baby wipes, etc. I think it's fun, and I feel so fulfilled when I do!! And I am also toying with the idea of making my own lotions and laundry detergents, and I am looking forward to the day when I can garden and compost!

And I guess that brings up another "hobby"...cooking. I've never considered myself much of a cook. I take after my mom in the fact that I use recipes as an "inspiration" rather than a rule book. Sometimes this works to my advantage, and sometimes it doesn't. I love searching for new recipes, and finding a winner. Even when I make a "loser"...at least I tried!! I follow a lot of vegan and vegetarian blogs, and if a recipe interests me, I save into my electronic cookbook (hosted by Midwest Living Magazine's website!). I *star* the recipes I have tried and liked. The ones that aren't starred are recipes I'm interested in trying. If they turn out well, I star them. If they don't, I delete them!

Whew. I came up with something after all. Sorry my "30 days" has turned into more like 60+ days!