Alex' 7th Birthday

Alex recently had her 7th birthday and it was pretty much all she could talk about for a month. We had some kiddos and parents over for burgers, dogs, cake and some good old fashion piñata smashing.

It was great to finally play host to some of the folks we have made friends with over the past year. We tried to keep things rather small but the amount of work involved is still crazy. It amazes me that for the most part kids can always find a way to entertain themselves. We don't have a pool or even room to run and kids were playing, laughing and having a good time during the evening.

I pretty much just took orders from Ashley since she had the plan and knew exactly what she and Alex wanted to do for the evening's festivities. She busted her butt organizing, shopping and planning. All in all, smiles all around for the special evening. Next up, Ashley's birthday next month.

Everything Flows Downstream

The long anticipated summer rains have finally arrived and brought with them flooded streets, washed out roads and a beach that is virtually unrecognizable from just a few weeks ago.

The river in town is finally flowing and bringing with it all the debris, trash and everything else that may ended up in the riverbed in Sayulita and points upstream..
The amount of trash and natural debris was staggering but I'm sure this happens every summer. A sad way to see our beach. Fortunately, once the flow of material had come and gone, clean up began. Garbage started get picked up, debris was raked up, piles of branches and tree limbs began to be stacked.

We've mostly stayed out of the water lately. Other beaches we have visited near us are in similar condition but not quite to the extent Sayulita's beach was in at the beginning of last week. By the end of this week I would guess that the beach will be back to normal. A big swell is expected next weekend for the highly anticipated first really big forecasted surf of the summer.

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

When school is in I just can't forget that ad that showed the sour faced kids and the parents dancing from aisle to aisle shopping for school supplies. Soon the kids will be busy all day long and the parents will be FREEEEE! Well, I can't remember what store chain put the ad out but it still cracks me up.

Today was Alex and Trace's first day back at school. This year they are attending Escuela del Mundo which is just down the road in San Pancho. It is a Montessori school and they will receive instruction in Spanish 90-95% of the time. It is a non-profit school so they are always looking for outside funding (as well as our tuition payments). The kids are very excited this year and the first day went well. I'm sure we will post tons of stuff about school in the months to come as we settle into a new routine and learn about the community that the kids' new school is a part of.

If you would have told me a year ago.....

If you would have told us a year ago that by August of 2012 we would have done or would be doing the following:

Ashley: Living in Mexico year round
Ozzy: Living in Mexico year round

Ashley: Surfing and actually catching waves and loving it
Ozzy: Surfing, catching waves loving it and geeking out on SUP gear and technique

A: Would already be on my second surf board
O: Would be hoping my wife would go to work so I could use her "second surf board".

A: Put my children in a public kindergarten in Mexico and hear them say "we love school"
O: Actually, not all that surprised

A: Survive public kindergarten, not the school itself but the fact that we were"so very lost in translation" most of the year
O: Yep, I agree

A: Listening to my kids speak Spanish to friends or each other
O: Ask my kids translate what someone said in Spanish for me

A: Watch my daughter sing solo in her second kindergarten graduation "in Spanish" in Mexico, as the only tall blondie, and do an excellent job
O: See any member of my family, other than my mother, sing at all

A: Finally, gain what we think is, respect, from the "power moms" at school, thanks to Ozzy
O: Finally make some progress with the very, very local families parents at the school

A: Make Ozzy do all of the translating because I am just not picking up on this language, and admitting that he is doing a wonderful job
O: Surprised that I translate for my wife in any language

A: Say that I am so glad that the first year of school is over, but I would not do anything different
O: Say how proud I am of my kids who went into a difficult situation at a school where they didn't speak the language, get bullied, be totally confused only to come out on the end of it with friends, the affection of many of the school parents, teachers and totally survive an experience that will make them stronger people in the long run.

A: Learn how to groom my dog, clip his nails and stave off bacterial infections with a shampoo after each ocean outing. Also make the perfect diet of dog food, veggies, rice, eggs and the occasional special treats to make him so happy
O: Glad that Ashley has taken up dog grooming as a second career, wonder why our dog eats better than our family and wonder why I don't get more "occasional special treats to make "me" so happy".

A: Sweep five times a day, thank goodness my house is small
O: Sweep five times a week and wonder why we can't get a robotic floor sweeper.

A: Eat fresh caught yellowfin tuna for the cost of a Big Mac
O: Eat fresh caught yellowfin tuna for the cost of good beer in a restaurant

A: Kill two scorpions
O: Not having killed my kids after 10 months

A: Have no TV or major news outlet
O: Have no TV or desire to watch(other than a football game once in a while)

A: Work out of Atlanta
O: Have a legal business and work in Mexico

A: Been to Jamaica, Panama City, Panama, San Jose, Puerto Rico, Lagos, Nigeria and Sao Paulo, Brazil
O: Been to San Blas, Chacala and all the places along the travel route through Mexico

A: Wash dishes all day long
O: Wash dishes all day long...with some sweeping in between

O: That I would pick up our kids from school in board shorts, no shoes, no shirt and not find the cops waiting outside

A: Watch for whales as I sip my morning coffee
O: Watch the surf so I can report via Skype to other surfers who are looking for morning, local waves...while drinking coffee

A: Meet some of the most friendly, welcoming, non-judgemental, awesome people that I have ever met
O: Yep

A: Realize that almost everything is about to break therefore it is fixable. We have become very good at either fixing things or jimmy rigging things. The thought of, "we'll just throw it away and buy another" just isn't a thought here. I shouldn't say "we". I say Ozzy, this or that is broken, you need to fix it. And he usually does, this ranges from toilets to expensive English imported cars.
O: Make a huge effort to use every last drop, leftover, supply since restocking some things just isn't easy

A: Shower with only the cold water turned on and wish the water was colder
Y: Yep

A: Be home schooling almost everyday
O: Yep

I say I have done all of this but I have to hand over all of the credit to Ozzy. I have done and dealt with a lot of it but he deals with the brunt of it each and every day.

And finally....

Have no regrets

Ozzy's Yacht Arrives!

Our Yacht arrived in Sayulita recently and dropped anchor for the afternoon. I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea about us so I paddled out from the beach and sent the "Ozzy" and crew away. I'm not even sure why they thought we needed a pick up. Hard to find good help these days.