Tropical Storm Andres

Well, the first named storm of the season is heading towards La Manzanilla. I’ve been in contact with a few people in La Man but the fact remains we are here in Denver and our house in Mexico is all alone and very likely getting wet. That lovely 12 x 12 opening that is the back of our house is probably seeing lots of rain and water rushing in as I type.


After the storm passes we’ll just have to rely on the kindness of others to go over and check on the house and report back to us. I’ve received emails telling me the electricity is currently out….old time year-rounder’s have generators for these types of occasions.

Next year we need to stay through at least part of a rainy season.

Signed, Nervously awaiting news….

Hellooooo From Denver!

Yikes, what a couple of weeks. We left La Manzanilla on a Wednesday, arrived Denver on Saturday...after a 12, 12, 9 and 6 hour driving day...moved out of our 2400 sq ft house into a 650 sq ft house, went to a fundraising event and closed in the big house all in a week. And of course, I'm still working!

I'm just now recovering from the whole thing and getting my US legs.

Lyle, after begging for months, is enrolled in a karate class. He also has gymnastics once a week, nice activities for an energetic 5-year-old.

We left La Manzanilla two months before school is due to end. Not sure if Lyle is actually going to “graduate” from Kindergarten but we ran out of time at the end and will have to deal with it in September when we get back.

I think I’m going to go ahead and keep blogging over the summer, what started as a promotional thing for La Manzanilla has turned into blogging about being a mom. So I guess it doesn’t matter where we are living, I’m always a mom.

Next week- Sea World- that's right on a plane taking a trip!

Play time…

It’s been nearly 3 weeks and still no school in La Manzanilla, Jalisco!

Thank goodness we live across the street from a family that has lots of kids coming and going. Lyle spends a good part of his school-free day playing with the neighbor kids.

I spend a good part of my day refereeing fighting- “No pelando!” (no fighting) is something I yell out more than a few times a day.

I’ve also discovered that it’s important to always have jicama and cucumbers on hand and a bag of corn for popcorn. You have no idea how much Mexican kids love jicama and cumbers with lime and chili and/or popcorn. Around 3 pm everyday they start asking for “comida?” “do you have anything to eat?” I take out a pitcher of water, glasses and some slices of cucumber and jicama or a big bowl of popcorn and all is good.

Yesterday they were playing “shoveling” and they played for nearly an hour. That's a big pile of sand they are rearranging. Ah, to be a kid again.

Blogging and Playdates.

American Mommy and her family have decided to brave the swine flu come to La Manzanilla. I have really enjoyed meeting her family and, as luck would have it fellow blogger Steve has recently arrived in Mexico and was able to meet us for dinner.

Because we all blog about our lives and families and felt like these were old friends. Such a strange thing to have happen over the internet….although now that I think about it isn’t that how it works for Match.com?

American Mommy’s youngest son and Lyle are really two peas in a pod and they hit it off immediately, when I saw the box of army figurines and the Star Wars Clones Wars movie belonging to AM’s youngest I knew they would be fast friends.

Yesterday, in the afternoon we went over to have a playdate. The boys headed off to watch a movie, I pulled out a book and sat down on the couch, American Mommy’s hubby offered me a glass wine, American Mommy had a conference call after which we chatted about travel adventures with kids in Mexico. Pretty darn similar to our playdates in Denver with parents I’ve know for years.

Tonight we are going a jungle tour together….If you don’t hear from me again it’s because I fell overboard and have been devoured by a Croc!

FM3 at last!

After 2 phone calls to the Manzanillo immigration office, 3 trips to the office, mailing Lyle’s birth certificate back to the US to get an apostil, having the birth certificate and apostil translated, and two months later…..We are now legal!

Yeah, happy dance.

Only problem, when we started the process we lived at one address, we’ve since moved. Supposedly you have to notify the office within 30 days of a move and show them the last bill from your old address and the new bill from you new address. If the two bills are more then 30 days apart they can fine you up to 50 pesos a day per person.

We are still thinking about how to handle this issue. For now we are just celebrating our new status!

Holy Guacamole, there are lots of people here!

Holy week is upon us and the beach and town are full of Mexican visitors.

This is our first Holy Week and I have to admit given what we've heard about it (from the gringos who all left last week) we've been expecting the worse, loud music, drunks and noise.


It hasn't been bad at all, I like the music and it stops by 11:00. It's nice to see so many Mexican families here having a good time.

Top photo is regular day at the beach. Bottom photo is yesterday.

Freedom for a 5-year-old

Lyle: “Mom, can I go across the street and see if the kids can play”
Me: “Yes”

Lyle: “Mom, can I take the plastic bottles to recycling, by myself- (two blocks)”
Me: “Yes”

Lyle: “Mom, can I ride my bike to Juan’s house”- (two-blocks including a street to cross)
Me: “No, but you can walk”
Lyle: “Ahhh, why can’t I ride my bike?”
Me: “Because you still don’t get the hang of stopping and if a car was coming you might be able to stop or get out of the way.”
Lyle: “Ahhh, I’ll stop, I promise.”
Me: “You can walk or you can stay home.”
Lyle: Just a little petulant. “Fine, I’ll walk.”

Lyle: “Mom, can I go to Chona’s and by a bag of Doritos?” (5 blocks)
Me: “No, that’s too far to go by yourself.”
Lyle: “Ahhh, no it isn’t.” Explaining in detail the route.
Both: “Discussion” ensues ending with Lyle not going to the store by himself.

Freedom is limited to 2 blocks, by foot.