Christmas Day!

One of the best Christmas Days on record! Suuper relaxing and enjoyable. A great day of celebration. The kids opened presents all day long. They really got a chance to appreciate and enjoy all of their gifts. Some of the favorites include:

- The tricycle: Eva was excited about the bike but didn't unleash the fullness of her excitement right away. She had misunderstood and was expecting that Santa would still be there in the living room. So when she ran into the living room she exclaimed a bike! but went on to look around for Santa. After we explained the kids had a good ride in the kitchen. Eva driving and Micah on the back.
- The princess blowdryer: This was a big hit with both kids. At one point Eva was drying and styling Micah's hair. At bedtime she told me it would be great if Micah got a blue sparkly blowdryer.
- New outfits: When Micah saw his new outfit from Andrey & Jen, he gave it a great big hug! Eva wore her new dress most of the day.

We enjoyed an egg casserole for breakfast, accompanied by mimosas. Spent some fun time in the sunny back yard. Went for a walk. Eva rode her bike the whole time! Pulled by us, but pedalling all the same. Had some great leftovers. Enjoyed homemade eggnog. The kids went to bed early and the rest of us are either napping or chilling. I think it will be an early night!

Feast Day

We made the very excellent decision to feast today instead of tomorrow. No cooking on Christmas Day, just assembly. Sweet relax and enjoy, ahhh.

Had a terrific day again hanging out, cooking, and eating an amazingly delicious turkey dinner. We took a trip up to the Giant Jesus, as we call it... The Cristo de las Noas. Micah was quite impressed with the big guy. Said "Hi, Jesus!" a couple of times. So cute.

Santa has been here already... the stockings are stuffed, literally. He drank his milk and ate his two chocolates (we had no cookies). The new tricycle is parked in the living room. Looking forward to tomorrow morning!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Jen and Andrey are Here!

They arrived safe and sound, luggage intact. We had an awesome day of hanging out. It is SO great to see them. It has been almost exactly two years since we saw them last. The kids took to them super fast. We have laughed an awful lot already.

Daddy Doesn't Have To Go To Work For a Long Time Now

Andrew went to work for a few hours this morning to tie up loose ends. Now he's officially on vacation! It is so great to have him around. Eva was so excited to hear that Daddy doesn't have to go to work again for a long time. This afternoon they had some great Daddy-and-Eva-time. Micah and I had some great Nap Time. Worked out great! I also cooked up a bunch of food for Duna to have while she's boarding at the vet while we are gone. Hope it's enough- she has been eating up a storm.

Jen and Andrey are en route! We are praying for their safe arrival- ideally with luggage.

The kids have so many presents!! We have started giving them some already so it's not so overwhelming on Christmas morning. Also, since we are leaving only a few days after Christmas, it will give them more time to play before they have to leave their new toys behind. Today I gave them their hula hoops (pink for Eva and blue for Micah, naturally). They had quite a good time! Enjoyed them much more today than they would have in the midst of all the other goodies, I'm sure.

One of our Christmas traditions is to do a big jigsaw puzzle. Thought that Mom and I would do most of this one, but I got mAYbe 4 pieces, and my Dad did a very large portion of it!! Finished it in a little over a week. Took it apart to do it again with Alice in January.

Off to play some Monopoly!

The Countdown is On

So many countdowns are on right now. VERY exciting!

2 more sleeps 'til Jen & Andrey are here
3 more sleeps to Christmas dinner
4 more sleeps to Christmas Day
6 more sleeps to the arrival of the rest of our cool tour group
8 more sleeps to tour departure day

It's going to go by so fast, I know it. Must be certain to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate every moment.

Hopefully Micah will cooperate and not leave me in a sleep deprived fog... last night was horrible. What the heck? He's 14 months old and awake so darned much most nights. I wish I understood. Last night I was not feeling very loving and motherly. Mainly driven by not wanting to wake up the rest of the house.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

(care of the COF secretary, no idea to whom credit is due)

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,
not a creature was stirring ¡Caramba! ¿¿Qué pasa??
Los niños were tucked away in their camas,
some in long underwear, some in pijamas,
while hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado
in hopes that old Santa would feel obligado
to bring all the children, both Buenos y malos,
a nice batch of dulces and other regalos.

Outside in the yard there aroused such a grito,
that I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
I went to the window and looked out afuera.
¿And who in the world, do you think que era?
¡Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero
came dashing along like a crazy bombero!
And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,
were eight little burros approaching volados.

I watched as they came and this little hombre
was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre.
¡Ay, Pancho! ¡Ay, Pepe! ¡Ay, Cuca! ¡Ay, Beto!
¡Ay, Chato! ¡Ay, Chopo! ¡Maruca and Nieto!
Then standing erect with his hand on his pecho
he flew to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
he struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.

Then huffing and puffing, at last in our sala,
with soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,
he filled the stockings with lovely regalos,
for none of the children had been very malos.
Then chuckling aloud and seeming contento,
he turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.
And I heard him exclaim and this is verdad,
¡Merry Christmas to all and to all Feliz Navidad!

A Great Start to the Week!

Last week Eva was pretty defiant, clingy, and grumpy. She had the sniffles and one late-ish night and there was no pleasing her. Tough for all of us. She seems to be over whatever it was that was putting her off because we have had two great days and counting. With the exception of the three consecutive 2am head-kicking mountain climbs into the middle position in our bed, immediately followed by the declaration "I have to go pee" (parental accompaniment required).

Today I got to sleep in until just before Andrew left for work, and Eva slept in 'til almost 8:30! This is unheard of. Especially since at one point Micah had the corn popper going in the office outside her room. We did a few things around the house this morning, I taught Eva the expression "sticks to your ribs" as we had a hearty oatmeal breakfast, wrapped her gift to her gymnastics teacher, she read for a while with her Nana, Micah puttered around happily until his naptime. After lunch we went to the mall to get a picture with Santa. I've posted what may possibly be the lowest quality "Photo with Santa". But I don't care, I just wanted the momento.

Weather Update

It's still unseasonably warm (I had to stick a leg out from under the covers briefly last night) but cool enough today to have our newwww heater on. Micah thinks it's very neat-o. So do I, but for different reasons.

It's almost 8 and Eva is still sleeping. This is unusual. Micah is pumped up. He had a tantrum when Andrew left. Sometimes I feel like that too. ;)

Droopy Tree

Here they start selling live trees very early, in my opinion. And I think they only get one shipment. So the tree we buy on the first weekend of December has been cut for weeks already. It comes with a stand (in the form of crossed pieces of wood) already nailed to the bottom. And I suppose the trunk is sealed. Neither this tree nor last year's tree drank any water at all. Last year's tree lasted not bad 'til after Christmas Day. This year's tree is in rough shape. Extremely brittle and somewhat droopy. Micah fell into it this morning and now there's a Micah-shaped depression in the tree. Mom & I have commissioned the guys to drill holes or cut notches or something into the trunk to encourage it to perk up.

Last night we had a hilarious time playing Catch Phrase. We laughed a LOT. In fact, I came out from putting Micah to sleep very annoyed because all the ruckus from the kitchen was keeping him awake.

The weather has been unseasonably warm so far! No complaints! Today is a little bit cooler, however. We have someone here right now installing the propane heater to keep us comfy during cold snaps.

It's been a very good weekend so far!

Posada

Friday night it was Andrew's office Christmas party. They rented a party zone a block away from our house. The "party zone", as I term it, is basically a normal lot, fenced in with a high wall. Inside, instead of a house there is a beautiful grassed area with a pool, a covered cooking area, an indoor room, and bathrooms. It is an oasis. I met the people who live right next door and they are not so high on it, as you can imagine.

The party went really well. They had a karaoke contest to for great prizes. Lots of yummy refreshments. His office staff seemed to have a great time!

Andrew had originally wanted to take them to the new ice rink. I guess the general consensus was that they'd rather just go somewhere and hang out with some drinks than do a special event like that. At the party, one lady came up to us and told me she was never going skating because just last weekend a little girl had her fingers cut off (urban legend? Can you have your fingers severed by someone gliding over them? I'm thinking it a lot more force would be required. Mona, maybe you can clear that up for our loyal readers). I guess there have been a lot of injuries since the ice rink opened. Not too surprising, actually, considering that skating is a novelty rather than a staple in the recreational life of Mexico. They probably don't have much experience in ice rink safety.

The Latest

The season has kicked up a notch... my parents are now here!! Unfortunately they are sans luggage, but they had 3 flights with tight connections so I'm sure they'll show up tonight. It actually worked out well because the bags were very heavy and big, and now they will be delivered. So nobody has to carry them!

Micah is quite the monkey!! Yesterday Eva and I were cooking together. Micah pushed a kitchen chair over to the stove and climbed up onto it to join us!! I think Eva was 2 or 2-1/2 by the time she figured out about moving furniture around to reach stuff. Amazing how an older sibling can accelerate development and discovery. Micah has also started letting us know that he wants to go potty. Not all the time, mind you, but a few times a day. More often when we are out, which is interesting. I put some cotton training pants on him (which look SOO cute). I thought he might get the feel for how comfortable undies can be, as long as they're not wet. Not sure it made much of an impression on him. Anyway, I am hoping that Micah will be out of diapers much sooner than Eva was. Just think of the monetary and environmental savings! Eva wore diapers for 3 years, approximately 4 packs of $15 diapers per month works out to $60 per month and $720 per year!! If Micah is out of diapers by 18 months we could save about $1,000. That's pretty good motivation.

Eva seems to have had a boost of confidence from her gymnastics recital. I love it!

Sewing Girl

When my parents came in October they brought me a sewing machine. I finally found time, energy and focus to try it out! I am a sewing beginner so I needed to read the instructions and a book that a friend lent me, so I needed to have some concentration power, and by the time I have a few moments to myself my brain is drained.

So I did some experimenting with stitches on a scrap and then converted the extremely ugly "knotted bean bag socks" into 6 lovely "real" bean bags. Andrew and I had quite a bit of fun winging them at each other last night. And maybe soon we'll be able to pick up some extra cash juggling at intersections.

One of Eva's gymnastics classmate's mom is expecting a baby in the next couple of months. My next project will be a pouch sling for her. Good thing I have lots of fabric, because it might take a few attempts to get the size right. :)

I really like my sewing machine!!! It feels good.

Christmas Pageant

Eva with teacher Bertha
doing her routine
with classmate Rachel

Today was Eva's gymnastics Christmas pageant. When I first found out about it I wasn't sure she would even participate... the associated costs were not cheap. But was it ever worth it! It was a very meaningful day.

The recital was at a gorgeous theatre downtown. Reminded me of the Walker Theatre in Winnipeg. The lighting, set, costumes and correography were very good. The sound tech needed a little more practice. Eva and three other little girls did a demo and routine right at the beginning of the show. I thought my face would split in half I was smiling so hard. Then tears started to well up! Who knew I'd get so emotional?

Eva did really well and was sooo cute. She was the youngest performer and, I think, absolutely adorable. I had told her where we would be sitting so she was looking for us. But of course it was too dark where we were. So she calls out, "Mommy, I can't see you." She did the routine quite well but was concentrating too hard to smile. The rest of the show was very enjoyable, and it was less than 2 hours long. Some of the kids had impressive skill! The costumes were all beautiful. Micah enjoyed about an hour then Andrew took him home.

At the end all of the gymnasts came out for their bows, then they dropped balloons on them. Eva's teacher gave her a pillow she had made and on which she had embroidered "Eva". So sweet! Rosemary and Lisa came to watch and gave Eva a bag of treats. Between bites Eva chattered all the way home about the pageant and what had happened backstage during the show, and when we got home she "did my hair", putting it in piggy tails with the special ribbons and glitter gel. The day made a big impact on her.

Mexican Adventure- the Notfun Kind

What a day. The kids and I were stepping out the door for a walk and there were a couple of guys in uniforms fiddling with something at the front of my house. One of them informed me that they were cutting off my power because I had failed to pay my electric bill!!! What? I pay every bill after I receive it! I had no bills pending payment. I dashed to the office and checked the file. Sure enough, the last bill paid was October. NO! I've seen the mailman deliver bills, and while some will tuck them into our front gate or under the windshield wiper, some just toss them in the driveway. One good blast of wind and... Adios bill. I must add that while it feels good to cast blame, I am fully aware that the electric company is quick to cut the power and I should have been paying better attention. I do keep track of our bills on the calendar, but I dropped the ball this month.

So, a good part of the day was spent in the quest to get our power back. I drove down to the place and got in line to the machine. Waited a few minutes, then asked someone in line whether I just had to pay at the machine. He told me I had to wait in another line first, then come to this line. So I grabbed number #91 and watched while they served #84. It wasn't going very quickly at first but got better fast. The kids were great. Very understanding. Eva declared she had to pee but assured me she could wait a little bit, and did (yay Eva!). The first procedure was easy, and we were told that the power would be back on by 1:00 or 1:30. The lady said that if it wasn't on by 2 I could call the Abastos street office, and gave me the number. Perfect. By the time we got back to the machine line most of the people had dissipated. Eva got to help feed in the cash, which she loved and is getting very good at. The final step was paying the $10 dollar reconnection fee. We got sent back into the office area where people were quietly working, but the desk of the lady we had to see was empty. We were told she'd be back right away. "Right away" turned into 20 minutes. The lady turned out to be the one we had seen in the bathroom 15 minutes earlier. I guess she had a big job to do in there! But finally, everything was taken care of.

The next part of the day was awesome. We met Andrew for lunch. The food and the company were delicious. The kids had a blast playing on the little structure in the restaurant. Micah was a maniac at the table. Overturning everything he could reach and rocking his high chair in a most dangerous manner.

We got home a little after 2 and naturally the power was still out. I called the number for 45 minutes and mostly got busy signals. Sometimes I actually got a ring, but nobody actually answered. I called the place where I had paid the bill and I she could/would suggest was driving down to the Abastos outlet. Said the offices were open until 3:30. At 3pm I bundled the kids into the van and took off for the outlet. Do you think I could find it?? Gahhhh. At 3:25 I called Andrew to see if anyone at his office knew where it was. He put his HR manager on and she said she'd make a call. By the time we got home from gymnastics we had beautiful power!!!! Whoohooooo! Thank you Cuquis!!!!!!! People around the office told Andrew that even though CFE says they'll put the power back on within a couple of hours, they never do. One guy in Andrew's office had his power out for 3 days! I am SO glad for the help. I will NOT make the same mistake twice. I will be supervigilant about our bills from now on.

Losing Hope....

... that we'll ever have an uneventful, restful night around here. The norm is weird happenings in the night. If it's not one thing, it's another. Last night, not only was Micah up 3 times, including one time when he was extremely restless, Eva was up once to go to the bathroom (which do I appreciate; much better than a wet bed) and woke up screaming and crying about wanting me (who was in Micah's room, grateful he was asleep), and wanting to shower. This, of course, woke Micah up again. The good news is that the kids and I 'slept in' til about 7, which was amazing. Poor Andrew was late for work yet again, though. I just want to feel rested. I would love to have the energy to really accomplish things and spend energetic focussed time with my kids, instead of just trying to get through the days.

Luggage Delivered and Intact

Andrew's second bag was delivered last night around midnight and everything was there. The bag didn't fare quite as well; its inaugural journey may have been its last.

Eva favorite items were her undies and we all got some great, cute and comfortable clothes. It was an early Christmas around here this morning! I suppose we could have saved the stuff for Christmas, but winter is so short here we need to get all the wear we can out of the heavier items he brought back for us. Plus the kids needed new socks. Micah had been wearing the same pair for 3 days already ;)

Micah has been weird the last few days. Poor appetite, cranky, kind of needy. Not super obviously teething but that's the only explanation I can fathom at this time. Hopefully it clears up. I'm ready to strongly "encourage" him to quit waking up at night but he is not amenable to that idea whatsoever right now. Poor kid.

Daddy's Home!

Andrew arrived safe and sound last night- WHOOHOO! It is awesome having him back. Eva wandered into the kitchen just after he walked in the door, and the look on her face was the purest of joy.

The rest of the night was crazy. Eva didn't get back to sleep for hours. She had woken up about an hour before Andrew got home. The neighbor's dog chased the tlacuache under Andrew's car and was barking his head off in our carport. His owners seemed to be scared to get him for some reason and just stood in the front street calling him for about 30 minutes. I didn't want to open the door in case the rodent zipped into the house in an effort to escape his pursuer. Finally another neighbor came and helped. Eva and I had some special time looking out the window and talking about what was going on.

Micah woke up around midnight and was very needy. Sounded like he was coming down with something. Both kids were shy with Andrew after a week without him, so they both wanted me. We brought them both into bed hoping that would take care of their need, but then they wanted to play. Gahhh! Finally Micah agreed to go back in his bed, then Eva wanted me to lay down with her. Things were getting quiet. Breathing was getting heavy and even. THEN THE PHONE RANG!! And not only did the phone ring, but our machine picked it up then proceded to produce a very loud busy signal for a very long time (naturally no message was left). Andrew took care of it, but since he doesn't usually check that machine, he didn't really know what to do. The machine narrowly escaped with its life.

Naturally this morning the kids- Eva in particular- were a mess. But we did have a pretty good day. We started it with a couple of ventis (Starbucks large size). Then we bought a very nice Christmas tree. One of Andrew's missing bags was delivered. Hopefully the hockey bag full of Christmas presents arrives tomorrow! I went for a snooze and Andrew had his hands full. At one point both kids were crying and carrying on. I was impressed with how he kept his cool. I would have helped but I was paralyzed with tiredness. Finally they went out to the trampoline, and I dropped off into blissful dreamland. Once I got up we trimmed the tree and ordered in chinese food. I couldn't find a number for the new place we wanted to order from so I called another place. I felt like I had just arrived here... they couldn't understand my spanish!! What an exercise in frustration. But we got our food, on time and as ordered. It wasn't bad.

The kids went to bed a little early and Andrew just dropped off in front of the tv. I have lots of things I could do but I think I'll just sit down, eat some Smarties, and read in front of the tv. Hope you are all having a wonderful first Advent Sunday!

Decorating Time

Phase One has gone extremely well! I got all of our non-tree decorations up (except the outdoor lights, which require another adult to protect the children from the foul language- are we the only family that loses it when putting up outdoor lights?) and had fun doing it! Eva mostly just enjoyed the Santa Gear, and dressed up Rocking Horse so he is nice and warm.

Andrew's on his way home!!! Currently enjoying Four Hour Stopover Number One. Can't WAIT to see him again!

The kids and I went through the new Starbucks drivethrough first thing this morning. I meant to bring my camera. It is a very esthetically pleasing building! My mocha, unfortunately, was a little disappointing. Probably because I made the mistake of ordering light milk. I got flustered. I was stopped a little short of the ordering speaker and couldn't discern much of what she was saying. I caught that she was asking what kind of milk I wanted and I figured hmm, maybe I should get light. Won't make the same mistake next time! I also ordered the "apple and cinnamon donut" in vain hope that it might be an apple jack. No dice, but the donuts were actually super delicious. Not worth $1.50 of course, but delicious anyway.

Fame

Andrew's Dad is part of a quartet, The Watchmen Four (http://www.watchmenfour.com/ Al is in the middle, with the red tie). They sound awesome and their busy schedule shows it. Way to go, Big Al! We're so proud of you!

Tlacuache

I think I know what our rodent friend is! A Tlacuache. I believe the english word is possum. Interesting fact: they carry their young in a pouch.

So there we have it.

One More Sleep!

Andrew comes home tomorrow!! Whoohoo!!!

Today we have gymboree and 'nastics so the day should go by nicely. One of THREE Torreon Starbucks is supposed to be open today too so that could be a fun diversion (for me, of course) if we need it at any point. The timing is perfect because I'm out of beans as of this morning. Tomorrow the big exciting thing is that I want to start decorating for Christmas. Hopefully the kids find it exciting as well. Sunday we're going to go as a whole family to get our Christmas tree and then decorate it.

Eva told her gymnastics class that when her Daddy came home she would get presents and it would be Christmas!! So cute. I straightened her out so she wouldn't be disappointed. Told her that Daddy would bring her and Micah a present because he missed them and wanted to share something of where he'd been, but that Christmas wouldn't be until after Nana & Papa and Andrey & Jen were here. She was ok with that. I think there'll be lots of exciting things to keep her going over the next couple of months.

Chick Flick night was fun yesterday. The kids kept me hopping again but there were no wet beds and they were kind enough to let me doze for an hour or so after they wanted to get up. Right now they're having fun with the slide... Perfect!

From Chronic to Terminal

Good news and bad news. The good news is that Duna is much more herself the last couple of days. Lots more energy, bright eyes, tail up. It's great to see! The bad news is that she feels better because she's now on meds to control pain from bone cancer.

The vet is 80% sure of his diagnosis. From what he's said and what I've read, Duna's life expectancy is a year or two, and treatment may include chemo and amputation! The cancer is in her leg for sure and we don't know if/where it's spread. She has a weird, growing bump on her muzzle and the vet suspects the osteosarcoma may be the cause.

Right now I'm just so happy to see her more "herself" and am kind of in holding pattern until the diagnosis is certain and a course of action is determined. My poor little bubu.

Kicked It Up a Notch

As of this morning, Micah is in a whole new gear. He woke up goofy and bubbling over with energy. He has been "dashing" everywhere he goes. Eva is also actually quite full of energy as well. Good thing the weather is perfect for walking, we have a trampoline, Gymboree classes, and now a Little Tikes little slide, currently installed in the living room and getting good use!

Today while Micah was sleeping, Eva and I did a fun craft. We made Christmas trees with squares of tissue paper, unsharpened pencils, and glue. You know the craft I mean? I think she did amazingly well! I didn't help her one bit.

Tonite I'm having some friends over for Chick Flick Night. What a great way to pass the time when hubby's not around!

Thief!!

I am a thief, twice over.

I don't generally put items under the cart, but this day I put 2L of coke underneath and forgot about it. The cashier and the bagger also did not notice and so I left the store with it. I resolved to pay for it next time I was at that store.

Yesterday I was at that store. I told the cashier I had not paid for a 2L coke the last time I was there and that I wanted to pay for it now. She said nothing, so once she told me my total I asked if she had charged me for the coke. She informed me that she "could not do that" (my interpretation: "that seems like too much work").

When I got out to the car I found an unpaid for pack of wipes in Micah's lap. Great, now I have to fight to pay for two stolen items.

I have two ideas for how to resolve this situation: (1) Next time I'm there, select and pay for a coke and a pack of wipes, then give them back to the cashier for restocking. Risk being told I "can't do that". (2) Next time I'm there, select and pay for a coke and a pack of wipes, then give them to someone in need.

What would you do?

Change and Receipt

I wish I could understand why all cashiers pile my change and receipts in my palm in the most impossible manner. I must be doing something wrong. I cannot discern a graceful way to untangle it without fumbling silver and bills everywhere. Does this make sense: paper money, then receipt, then silver carefully placed in my hand. Even when I'm not juggling two kids, I make a mess trying to pour the change into my change section, and separating the receipt from the paper money before I stash the cash in my wallet. It takes me as long to perform this operation as it does to make the purchase itself.

I need to go on an observation mission to see how other women do it.

Flying Solo

I guess Andrew is on his final flight to Winnipeg about now. He flew out of Torreon at 12:05 which was a nice change from the usual 6:45am departure. The kids and I dropped him off. Eva cried off and on for a while afterward. Broke my heart. I told her we all have to be strong and brave for only 7 more sleeps. The knowledge that a present is forthcoming is what will keep her going, I think. ;)

Andrew going away was particularly tough this time. Andrew's relationship with the kids has really deepened and become very rich lately. I love seeing him with them, and the looks on their faces when they're with him. And the squeals of delight when he comes home from work!! Amazing.

This afternoon the kids and I joined about 50 other Circle of Friends members for a Thanksgiving Dinner. It was a great time. I didn't get to do as much visiting as I would have liked, but I did fit quite a bit in, considering I was in charge of two little people. They did really great. I met a few new people which was fun. The food was amazing, as usual. The kids went to bed no problem and I'm enjoying a bit of 'laxin time now. Ahhhhh.

Winter is Here!

Today we awoke to single digit temps. Once the sun was up it was very pleasant, but I wore my sweater all day long. Eva of course chose a halter top and sandals when we went to Micah's class. Everyone else was wearing sweaters and one baby even had a tuque on but there was Eva dressed for the beach. She claimed she wasn't cold and definitely would not accept a jacket or sweater of any kind, but the goose bumps on her arms told a different story.

Rodent

Recently we've had a better look at our rodent friend, who appears to enjoy lemons. A couple of weeks ago we heard him munching downed lemons outside our bedroom window. The other day Andrew caught him mid-stride in our driveway. Definitely not a rat. But definitely some sort of rodent. Quite large. We're thinking maybe a possum? But don't know much about them things. Anybody out there have ideas?

Organizing Fool

I'm actually making headway in the organizing/decluttering department! It feels do-able. I gotta say, it is definitely a lot easier to aspire to organization in my current life situation than it was pre-Mexico and pre-Stay at Home Mom. There are so many options in Canada; life is just forcibly simpler here in many ways.

We're not accumulating the same way we might in Winnipeg. Also we have fewer activities available to us, so that means less to organize. For instance, we just stuck all our sporting gear in the storage room and done! Organized.

Now that I am a Stay at Home Mom, my life is very focussed. I know for sure what is most important to me, and it has become easier to decide what stays and what goes, because I now have a very good idea of whether I will ever use it. One other thing that makes organizing easier here is that there are really just two seasons- HOT, and not as hot. In Winnipeg, we needed 4 seasons worth of clothes, work and casual, plus clothes for all our various activities. Now I pretty much just need hot weather casual clothes and a couple of sweaters. No need to keep much in the way of winter clothing, because it will be out of style by the time we need it again anyway. Our wardrobes have been whittled down nicely. I'd like to mention that we've both come to the conclusion that it's absolutely worth it to spend the money on a good quality piece of clothing that fits great and feels great. Now only if we had time and opportunity for more than the mad dash into Old Navy! I have such a love/hate relationship with that store. I mean, I can almost always find lots of items that fit and look good for all of us. However, they only last for a season for a variety of reasons. Also, and importantly, Gap has been involved in more than one child labour/sweatshop scandal.

I'm big into plastic bins right now. Ok, they're not very environmentally friendly, but the big advantage is that goods are more likely to be found and used when needed. Which I think is a positive impact on the environment. My environment, anyway. Less consumption because I'm not re-buying stuff I already have, and easy to locate and give away items I no longer want or need.

Ah yes, one other very important factor in my increased organization. My housekeeper takes anything, and I mean anything, that I am done with. This takes care of my previously largest obstacle to organization. Redistribution. I don't like to throw out anything that's still 'perfectly good', but never seemed to have the time or energy to take it to a redistribution point or points. So it just piled up. Now, every week I have a couple of things that Licha takes home with her. It's an excellent arrangement for both of us, I think. This week she's getting a video camera and a Zip drive (remember those?).

Weekend Report

Saturday was fun but kind of tough, Sunday was all 'round good!

A mistake we tend to make on weekends is to focus a little too much on relaxing, and therefore lose all semblance of routine, and forget to eat. Which means that everyone gets very grumpy, we have meltdowns and there's lots of butting of heads. Saturday it didn't help that we overstimulated the kids at a new restaurant that has one of those games zones that gives out tickets you can put toward poor quality toys. We came out with our heads spinning. I got to sleep in Saturday morning which was incredible. In the afternoon we checked out an "eco-park" we've never been to and it was really nice. The ice rink in the new mall is open now so we had a look and priced it out ($7 per hour including skates). Looking forward to hitting the ice with Eva!

Sunday was Andrew's turn to sleep in. He and Micah had lots of fun at home while Eva and I met a friend and her kids at Denny's. I think I'm pretty much done with Denny's. I love their french toast but I have had one too many poor service experiences. Plus I have heard of at least 2 people who got sick after eating there.

Micah and I napped, then went to the grocery store while Andrew and Eva built a gigantic fort in the living room. They had a great time! Then, I took Eva to a BBQ while Micah and Andrew watched the Seahawks win. When we got home, Micah was sleeping on Andrew's chest. I missed hanging out with Andrew, but it was really nice to have some special one-on-one time with each of the kids.

Another noteable is that I managed to get all the laundry done this weekend!

I have noticed that Micah rejects a lot of wheat products. For instance, pasta. And toast. There is celiac in the family so perhaps that is the root? Makes me wonder too gluten consumption could be the cause of his frequent waking. He is so often restless at night and maybe it's because of a tummyache? I am strongly considering putting him on a gluten free diet to see what happens. Wondering if I would need to go gluten free too (oh please no! I love my carbs).

Longer Stretches

Looks like things are finally changing in the sleep department! Micah is sleeping heavier and longer stretches at night! Two nights ago he slept from 7:30pm-5:00am! Last night he was up only once, at 4am, then not 'til after 7. Eva filled the gap though, getting me up at 2am a couple of times and finally climbing in with us at 3am. It was a weird night. We actually went to bed early for once, which was very fortunate. A couple of hours in, Andrew freaked out and put the light on, convinced that there was a cockroach in the bed. Not entirely out of the realm of possibility, since last Saturday I saw one on the guest bed pillow (I'll change the case before you get here, Mom & Dad), right beside where I nurse Micah at night- gahhh! Anyway I just figured that Andrew's mind was playing tricks based on that incident, and refused to be distracted from my rest by the idea of bugs in the bed. To clarify for those of you who will actually be in our house in a few weeks... we see cockroaches in the house probably as often as you find spiders in your house. Gross, but not enough to panic about. And they don't come around during winter, as I recall. So no need to get yourself all worked up, if you were.

Oh, so the other weird thing about the night was a bad dream that the van got stolen. Very "dark"-feeling night. I prayed while I was feeding Micah at 4am and slept nice and heavy 'til almost 7. I didn't even hear Andrew's alarm.

Late last week we ran out of coffee beans. There is an import store here carries Starbucks beans but they were all out! And the Starbucks opening in Torreon isn't ready yet. Now, there might be good coffee beans available elsewhere in Torreon, but I tried buying some grocery store beans once and the coffee was almost undrinkable. So we were in a bit of a pickle. But joy of joys! On Tuesday at Bible Study, what should greet me but my friend Meg with.... a bag of Starbucks breakfast blend!! She made my week! And Andrew's too.

Oh, back to Micah and his sleep. This longer stretches thing is a mixed blessing. He seems to have dropped one of his naps since he's sleeping better at night.

Zac Attack

We are into spur-of-the-moment trips right now, I guess. This weekend we did a quick overnighter to Zacatecas. I love it more every time I go there!

We learned an important lesson: pack the night before. Trying to pack, even for overnight, around two little ones is an exercise in frustration. Add to that a little girl's wet bed and the very last of the good coffee beans (with no replacements in sight!) and you have a recipe for short tempers. That said, we got on the road at a decent hour and didn't forget anything.

We spent the afternoon walking around the centro. We had lunch at an Italian place with a great patio and service, but just ok food. We were disappointed to find that the waters didn't start dancing in the fountain at the Enrique Estrada park until 5pm. But, we enjoyed some time playing chase, climbing trees, and splashing in a fountain. This park always reminds me of the guy from C.H.I.P.s. Apparently Eric Estrada was very popular here and got a spot on a Mexican soap opera. But his spanish was so terrible they had to kill him off.

Eva has changed in a number of ways very recently. First of all, her pants are suddenly floods (not that it stops her from wearing them). Secondly, she is maturing. During the car ride she didn't need to be "entertained" quite the same as she used to. And we had some very special time with her on Saturday night. She and Andrew went out to get some food while I put Micah to bed. Usually the kids go to bed at the same time, but Eva had napped in the afternoon so we figured she wouldn't be tired at her usual bedtime. They found an awesome restaurant, called La Cantera Musical, right across the street. Definitely recommended. Then the three of us just sat in the sitting area outside our room and ate and hung out. We weren't "taking care of her" anymore... we were hanging out with her. A subtle but important shift.

Sunday morning we went to the Emporio for brunch and MMMMmmmmmmm did we enjoy ourselves. Great service, great ambiance, great coffee! The buffet was very good, the pancakes were fluffy, and the omelet was outstanding. Can't wait to get back there.

After brunch we checked out the Museo Rafael Coronel. When we were in Zac a year and a half ago, my parents took Eva to a bunch of museums that they all enjoyed, but we didn't get to any. So we were excited to see this one, "the mask museum". Tons of masks, and some marionettes (sp?) and other miscellaneous artwork. All displayed in a gorgeous restored ex-convent. The $20 pesos ($2) was worth it just to walk the grounds.

We dropped in on our homestay family and they invited us for lunch. We had a really enjoyable time eating with them and catching up.

Micah had some impressive staying power on the way home. He cried/fussed for approximately 3 of the 4 hour trip. Slept for an hour which was sweet relief to Andrew who had trouble tuning him out. Until just this weekend, Micah has been VERY good about the carseat, but I guess he didn't get enough exercise this weekend or was annoyed at the number of cheerios he was sitting on. He wanted out!

Overall, a really great weekend. We feel so blessed to live so near to a city like this that makes us feel so relaxed and transported to another time.

General Update

What's going on right now?

- Eva and I are emerging from our colds, finally. It's been two weeks!
- The kitchen is finished and was presented on Sunday. Did I post about this already? Haven't got great photos yet but once we do I'll post some. They like it. They weren't as thrilled about it as I hoped, but it does get used every day. Maybe it will grow on them.
- Still not getting good sleeps. If it's not one thing, it's another. I must note that Micah now generally sleeps straight through from 7pm until about 5 minutes after I get into bed. That's a major quality-of-life improvement. But after that wakeup he is up at least 2 more times and sometimes every hour until 5 or 6 when he's up for the day. The good news is that a tooth that he has been working on for weeks is either through or will be any minute, and maybe? that will make a difference. Of course, we still have molars and eye teeth to contend with, but I'm not going to worry about that. What will be will be. He has had similar sleeping patterns as Eva though, and teething didn't seem to bother her as much after about a year. We will see!
- We're thinking of taking an ovenight trip to Zacatecas this weekend. After the 10 hours on the road two weeks ago, 4 hours should be a cakewalk ;)
- I got my new contacts today! A couple of weeks ago, to my horror, I found myself with a ripped left contact and no backups. Finding out it was a three week delivery time added to the horror. My glasses are about 5 years old and I don't feel overly stylish or attractive in them. My prescription is still fine so I haven't been able to bring myself to spend the money on glasses when I mostly wear contacts anyway.
- 50 sleeps to NerdFiesta!

PB

Found some peanut butter with no trans fats! It's got added sugar and it has palm oil, but at least it doesn't have any hydrogenated contents!

Hydrogenated Oils

It's hard to find good peanut butter here in Mexico. When we were in the US last spring, we got some Smuckers natural peanut butter, which I believe had only peanuts and salt. That said, when we were in Canada I bought one that only had peanuts and maybe salt, and the Smuckers one was significantly more spreadable.

But I digress.

Someone here mentioned that she had seen some pb targeted at diabetics and that it only had a couple of ingredients. So I picked some up. I was pleased to see that it only had two ingredients. And it tastes good. But the second ingredient, behind peanuts, is a bunch of hydrogenated oils. I can never remember which ones are the good ones, so I looked it up. Now, I've only read one article so far and I'm sure there's much more to learn about this, but I am frightened. The author likened the consumption of hydrogenated oils to cigarette smoking- won't kill you right away, but it will eventually. And make you fat in the process.

"In short, trans fats are poisons, just like arsenic or cyanide. They interfere with the metabolic processes of life by taking the place of a natural substance that performs a critical function. And that is the definition of a poison." http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/PartiallyHydrogenatedOils.html

Most of our meals consist of foods in as close to their natural state as possible (as much as we can in this world of GM, hormone- and antibiotic- infused). However we have serious snacking weaknesses. Andrew- chips. Dana- chocolate. Both- gummies. And our kids have inherited our love of all things snack. It's scary! It's hard to find "good" packaged foods here! But organic is making headway in the grocery stores. And I think that one of two extremes must be in effect with regard to the meat, poultry and produce here in Mexico. On the one hand, I think it's entirely possible that the farmers here don't have the financial resources for lots of chemicals and drugs and therefore domestic food is safer. On the other hand, it seems like Mexicans love their chemicals- for sure in the domestic and janitorial spheres. My cleaning lady still shakes her head while she's using my microfibre cloths with only water to clean even the dirtiest surface. Andrew kind of misses the "clean smell", but I can't even walk past the detergent aisle in the grocery store without getting a headache anymore.

Height

Oops. I must have forgotten to finish this blog.

I just wanted to note that Micah is taller now at 12 months (30.5") than Eva was at 19 months (30").

Chinny Chin

Today Andrew told Eva it was time to get into her carseat. Her reply? "No! Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!"