Summer Adventures, Part 1

This is the summer of family, parties and taking care of business north of the border.
And as always our plans are not definate due to flying standby. We are hopeful to get to where we need to be within two days of when we plan to be there. So, Alex, Trace and I are first going to Houston for 2 1/2 weeks.  Ozzy is flying to Houston to get the kids and then they all are flying to Pennsylvania.  I will be meeting them in either PA or Annapolis, MD for four days.  Then Ozzy flies to Park City while I fly the kids to South Carolina.   I then fly with the kids to Park City while Ozzy flies back to Sayulita. The kids and I will make it back to Sayulita around August 20, I drop them and leave the next day to come back to the states to work.

So the summer started with me flying the kids to Houston to my sisters house so she could take care of them while I worked.  Ozzy was to be super super busy working in Mexico but that project is on Mexico time so I think he just walked around wondering what to do since he has not been away from the kids at his own house EVER!  8 years of having to constantly be there for little ones and now...nothing.  It has been a big time of realization for us both.  I have been commuting to Houston from ATL and realized that I would much rather commute once a month like I have been doing.  I also learned how much I am away from my kids and how much I am missing.

Off we go... on our first adventure.  PVR - IAH

Alex and Trace in the PVR airport.  

Goofing around with a statue

Easy, breezy, plenty of seats, flight was on time, kids were great.  My first thought was, oh shit, this means that our other six flights are going to be a nightmare.  At this point, we will see.  They are still in Houston.  I loved flying with them, teaching them airport and airplane etiquette. I deal with so many shitty kids on the airplane. Rude and inconsiderate,  can't look you in the eye, can't put down their electronic devise long enough to speak to you when you ask them a question, etc.,  but I see exactly where they get it from when I try to talk to the parents.  I could go on and on but this isn't about that...I want to teach my children everything that those kids are not.  So we had our first lesson and it went well.  They were awesome.  They hadn't been in the USA for two years so I was curious to see their reaction.  They were amazed at how big the buildings in the city were when we were on approach and the carpet in the airport got them a little excited.  Besides that it was like wearing an old shoe.  They are so resilient and present.

And then they get to Robins. A nice , big, clean, cool house, as in air conditioning.  A flat screen TV, swimming pool, scooters, skate boards, games, guitars, a piano, a horse, a short order cook (Robin), an uncle (Mike) who Trace loves and who spoils them and their cousins, Brittany and Rebecca. Rebecca was gone for a week and has a new boyfriend , so she was otherwise occupied.  She did teach them to play guitar though.  Brittany spent tons of time with them and they all fell in love with each other.  I am thinking that they are never going to want to come home.  They went out to a real restaurant, who knows how many times, a pro baseball game, learned to fish, they saw their first movie in a movie theatre.  Actually Alex saw one in Mexico.  They went shopping with Robin and Mike, who like to spoil them.  Trace wakes up at 7 every morning to hang out with the dogs and Robin, they even take morning walks together, while sleeping beauty sleeps in, until 10 sometimes. They have no problem shipping me off to work. Actually one day Robin told them they were going to the airport  to pick me up and Trace said, "again?"

They had a wonderful time in Houston, fell in love with the whole family.  They had so much fun and were so comfortable there.  They did not want to leave.   Alex told Robin that she wants to stay with them and that we can come and visit her there if we want. Nice.

Robin's horse Oliver was immediately drawn to Trace.

Alex playing guitar

Trace playing guitar

Lovin the pool

Whee, look at me

They brought out all the toys

Out to dinner.  The restaurant gave the kids pizza dough to play with.  Trace thought it would be fun to throw it at Alex but he missed.  Instead it landed on someone else's table.  OOPS!

"Aw, now this is the life",  quoted by Trace

First movie, Despicable Me 2, 3D

Dragon goggles, bought by uncle Mike

Alex and Nestle, one of Robin's three dogs

Cousin Brittany, Trace and Alex

Next obstacle is getting Ozzy to Houston to pick up the kids to fly them to Pennsylvania to his step dads 80th birthday week celebration with the WHOLE family.
Of course he doesn't have his VISA so he has to run through last minute hoops to get out of the country, Dillon decides he want an overnight play date with the strays of Sayulita so Ozzy spends time looking for him, time he could spend getting ready to leave, and I have to figure out what airline and what flights look best to get him to Houston.  If he doesn't make this celebration he is dead meat....

Ozzy made it to Houston with no problem. It wasn't easy planning his travels but after we made a plan it went well.  He spent the night at Robins had dinner out and time spent with the family.  He said that Trace totally broke down because he was so sad to leave his cousins.  They were off to Hobby at 5am.

Thank you so much Mike, Robin, Brittany and Rebecca for taking such good care of my ninos.  They love you guys so much and had such a wonderful time with you. I am so glad they were able to spend time with you all.


Next up...Part 2, Grandpa Art's 80th Birthday celebration

Flip Flop Blow Out

We have had so many flip flops blow out over the past year that I can't even count them.  Usually I'll add some Gorilla Glue, wait overnight and we are good to go for a few more weeks.  This time my "Flippy" came apart for the second time in Puerto Vallarta, away from my repair kit.  The ever handy "Safety Pin" to the rescue.  Yep, I "Macgyver'd" this one back together and was able to finish my day of running around.  Got to love on the spot repairs that actually work!  You too will have this happen so remember this one.

Love the "Safety Pin"!

Graduation Day At Escuela del Mundo

A few weeks ago, Escuela del Mundo celebrated the end of the school year with a graduation ceremony and a performance for parents, family and friends.  The graduation focused on two age groups.  Kids who are moving from "Casa de Niños" up to first grade were recognized as well as kids who were leaving the school now that they had completed the highest grade offered there.

Trace was part of the group that was moving to the first grade.  Yep, our little guy is going to the "big school" now with his sister.   Grades 1-3 are all in the same room with the same teacher so they will be together all the time.  I would really like to see them separate during the day while they are at school and learn and grow on their own.  Alex will continue to do this and I hope Trace, once he is comfortable, will do this as well.  This type of setting is typical of a Montessori approach from what I understand.

The day began with a ceremony for the graduates.  They were presented a small plant to represent growth and then a small wish written on a piece of paper was burned and the ashes placed in the plant.  The school Director, Julie, who apparently has a soft spot for Trace, said a few words to recognize Trace and his accomplishments.  Some of the older grads were barely holding back tears as the reality of the fact that they were actually leaving the only school they have ever known began to set in.  Some of them have been at Escuela del Mundo since the very beginning, seven years ago.

Trace is recognized with other graduates.

Please note that the kids don't usually wear "toga" type attire on a daily basis.  The performance during the afternoon festivities required the kids to be dressed up.

The impending rain held off and it was soon time for the performance.  Each level at the school had it's own performance and at the end the whole school came together with parents and friends for a united celebration.

Blessings

Alex becomes the "lizard"

Alex gives her part of the ceremony

Please excuse my interpretation of the details of the presentation.  Much of it was lost on my limitations that still exist with Spanish.  From what I could tell, each student or groups of students was given a food or animal to represent in Mexican culture.  Alex was a lizard.  Trace was a coyote.  Then the students either gave a small verbal presentation about their given subject, tried to mimic it's movements or both.  Trace and his buddy, Bo, became "coyotes" while Alex approached the microphone walking like a "lizard" to give her part of the presentation.

Trace's class waits their turn to perform

Amigas-Adesha, Alex and Luna

The amount of effort some of the parents and friends of the school was beyond impressive.  Costumes, music, sets were all designed and built on a very small budget relying on creativity and talent rather than the ability to go out and buy what they needed.  The results were fantastic!

Waiting and watching Workshop II perform

Workshop II girls perform

Eventually, it was time for the Dragon!!  How "a dragon" fits into all this is really a mystery to me and I will have to do some studying or at least ask some questions.  At the very least, it united all the kids as they lined up behind the monster holding hands as one group.  Parents, family and friends joined in as well uniting the school community in one common chain as the dragon made it's way around the campus.

The Dragon

Trace receives his diploma

Eventually all the students had their chance in the spotlight and it was time to pass out diplomas.  Trace and his fellow graduates received their diplomas and stood infront of the audience to be recognized.  At this time, all teachers, workshop leaders, school volunteers etc were recognized as well.  Without the many "friends of the school" volunteering their time, skills and talents to the children the school would be certainly less colorful for everyone.

So, here ends our first year at Escuela del Mundo.  EdM has provided our kids a safe and supportive place to grow and learn as we live here and we are lucky to have become part of such a great community of parents and staff.  Our world here in Mexico is so much bigger because of our enrollment at the school, an extension of our family.  EdM is a school started by and is run by parents, Mexican parents, who admittedly are learning as they go.  Families coming from other learning situations need to understand this.  What started as a homeschooling group seven years ago has turned into a fantastic alternative/compliment to other offerings in the area.  Never have we felt like we were an outsider.  Even from day one.  This does not mean that this year was without it's challenges.  We saw a few families/friends move on to other schools because of a staff member issue at one of the school's levels.  Something that took time for the administration to deal with and was hard to see.  Fortunately this created a catalyst for growth. Next year we will see new staff at the school who have a different level of training and new energy to help our kids thrive.   A higher level of staff training and appropriate equipment have been purchased so the school's desire to follow a Montessori path can be strengthened.

The start of the new school year is only about a month away.  Summer break is short here in Mexico.  We will absolutely be returning to Escuela del Mundo in August eager to see old friends and new faces.

Trace's 6th Birthday Party

Trace wanted a Zombie Party theme for his 6th birthday.  I am not one for planing elaborate, creative birthday parties so I was thinking great, what to do.  I did research and everything was way over my head, as in way too much work and detail.  I had to tone this down by like 98%.  We have a beach here called Playa De Los Muertos,  he beach of the dead,  because the local graveyard sits at the entrance.  We will have our party there.  Perfect!  I even thought of having a scavenger hunt in the graveyard and maybe having friends dress up and pop out but we thought it would be disrespectful to the dead and anger locals.  We can still have the party and Playa de los Muertos and have Zombie like food, a Zombie pinata let the kids run around the beach. Perfect, now do we have a big party or small?  Trace wanted small, he is not one for large groups and receiving much attention. So small it is.

We had the party on Friday, June 7 because I had to leave for work the next day.  It also happened to be right in the middle of the Sayulita swell.  Ozzy was concerned that Playa de Los Muertos would get washed out because of the swell, so we asked around on Sayulita People and found out that not only did it get washed out the day before but also because parties aren't allowed on the beach.  I am thinking, what?, this is Mexico, who is not up for a part on a beach?  I spent a lot of brain energy on this party.  I wanted Trace to be happy with the Zombie theme that he wanted.  As parents, don't we always want the best for our children or at least want them to be happy with their birthday party?  I finally threw in the towel and accepted my inability to throw a theme creative party.  So this is what I did instead:

1) We still had the party on the beach, we just moved it to the North Beach just down the hill from our house.  I was happier there because we could watch the surfers ripping up the swell.

2) We brought down saw horses with a piece of wood for a table and used an Iron Man table cloth from last years party.  I made pizza, hot dogs, fruit salad, jamaica juice (a local favorite), wine, beer and water.

3) Trace invited friends from school, boys only, except of course Alex.

There was a cool painted rock right there on the beach and the kids made up a  Zombie game that they played

This game must have been catch the princess

Trace, Bo and Mateo playing in the surf

4)  We brought out the pinata.  I think this is always the all time favorite part of birthday parties here.
The kids and I did our best trying to make a Zombie pinata but in the staggering humidity it never dried so I had to go on a search for a Zombie pinata, with no luck.  So I bought a pinata that was Dora's backback and if you turned it upside down it had the shape of a Zombie's head.  So I spray painted it purple and grey and Alex made a nose and mouth that we taped to it with eyes that we somehow came up with.  We filled it with candy, giant lolipops and chocolate.  Big mistake on the chocolate,   I didn't think about the melting factor.  The one problem with the pinata, except how ugly it was, was that it had to be hung upside down.  Nobody even cared.

My upside down, er, Zombie pinata

Ozzy holding the Pinata while the kids get lined up to take shots

Trace up to bat

The pinata is broken and the kids scramble like crazy for candy.  Trace usually stands back,  I think he is afraid of all the other kids and then is upset that he didn't get anything.  This time he jumped right in there.  He is finally learning that you have to be aggressive in this country to get what you want.

4) I broke out some bubbles which were a huge hit

They made up a game that the bubbles were bad guys and they used the bubble sticks to pop the bad guys

5)  I made a Red Velvet cake, (blood) with whipped cream and crushed Oreo cookies.  It was really good.

Everyone sang the Mexican Birthday song to him.  He and Bo were the only full blooded gringos so it was only natural for the kids to sing the Mexican song.

Giving some love to my little Zombie

The parents watching in awe at the amazing swell

And thus made a successful birthday.  The kids had a ball running around the beach together, making up games, the moms had a wonderful time resting and chilling on the beach and chatting away, not having to worry about their children, I was happy that it all came together and that no one cared about how "ghetto" it was, and most importantly the birthday boy had a fantastic time, he didn't even notice that there wasn't really anything to do with Zombies except the games they made up.

A happy Traceman

Sayulita Swell

Amazing, awesome, huge, beautiful, loud, crushing, exhilarating, energetic, inspiring, scary, challenging. These are only some of the words to describe the swell that blessed Sayulita and much of the pacific coast last week. (That would have been the first week of June.)  Sayulita has not seen a swell like this for a very long time. The word on the street was that surfers from all over were flying in to get a piece of it. I wish I could fly around and chase swells, instead of fly around and serve drinks. If it was always like this I would never have learned to surf, just too big and scary. Ozzy and I went out the first day and had little success. You had to be in the right spot and we were not willing to go up against the pros that were out for that spot. Plus we hadn't surfed for a couple of months so the strength and confidence were a bit weak. Though I did a beautiful pearl, and somehow got turned around just in time to see my nine foot board coming down on top of me being pushed even harder by a very large wave. I managed to get my hands over my head, while still holding on to my paddle, then I went for a nice ride in the washing machine, for what felt like a while. After trying to find air a few times and thinking when is this wave going to pass over me, how big was it and is there another just behind it, I finally broke through and found some air. Whew! It didn't stop me though. I went back out looking for more but just wasn't "feeling it" so we left. For me, surfing is like skiing. Some days you rip and some days you just are not on your game. The conditions play a huge role as well as confidence level and your strength and energy that day. But when you are like these guys, I imagine none of that matters, you rip everyday, every wave and you love it!

The guys who were out were just psyched. This is what they live for and it was so much fun watching them.

This one cracks me up.  I bet he lost his pants!

The beach was full of locals, tourists, exaughsted surfers, wanna be rippers and children with their eyes glued to the surf.

Thank you surf gods!!!

I loved watching it! I could see the waves forming at the point and hear the waves banging and crashing so loud at my house. I literally sat there in awe with a smile.

The ocean calmed a bit and gave us a beautiful sunset

From all the surfers and admirers, muchas gracias

The Life of a Flight Attendant

1) This is only a glimpse into the life of a Flight Attendant
2) Everything written here is "for the most part"


I am on another bender. And I am not talking an alcohol bender I am talking work bender. This time it is 30 days. This was not planned, it never is, who in their right mind would do this to themselves. This time is was because I need to have most of August off to visit family and take care of business in the states, so therefore I have to manipulate my schedule months in advance to make that work and then pray it does, and I once again got screwed on my schedule. Actually I didn't get screwed, I just didn't hold off 4th of July week. Personally I don't care about having it off. We don't celebrate the 4th in Mexico, That was going to be my week off to recoup. I knew it would be a cold day in hell to hold that off at a mere 17 years so I am not surprised. We are all working so hard right now, our schedules are full with no time to breathe. Summer sucks for people who work in the biz. I also got screwed on my August schedule so more manipulation will be in the works. Actually once again I didn't get screwed I just didn't get the pre plotted days off I asked for so that I can do everything I have to do in August. So the 30 days was not a waste and it was a good thing I planned 3 months in advance manipulating my schedule to hopefully get off the needed time in August. 17 years did not get me the days off that I need but it did give me lots of practice on how to work the system.

So I was thinking, how am I doing this, what is wrong with me? And I came to realize that if it wasn't for the people I work with I couldn't do it. Flight attendants are a very special group of people. And when I say special I mean in every way. Use your imagination here. But I love that specialness. It keeps this job entertaining and it keeps me from going absolutely crazy.

We are a different breed, we understand each other, we have our own language and we are each others psychiatrists, which is called jumpseat therapy. Every time we do a trip it is with different people. Sometimes you know people on your trip but more often than not you have never seen them and won't see them again for many years. Especially in very large bases. But you have this connection with them so you feel you can tell them what is going on in your life, good, bad or indifferent. The thing is that you don't even know their name. Yes, you were introduced in briefing and you have their name on a piece of paper in your pocket but you have to look at it to remember, if it is even important. You spend three days with these people, you are a team, your lives are in each others hands, you connect right off the bat like you are long lost friends, everything about you is out there and thrown on the table, you eat together, drink and party together, sometimes do things that you would never do with people you knew, laugh together, sometimes sleep together, as in share a room, and yes, what you originally thought as well. They know where you live, know about your family, kids, good and bad in your life, you travel the world together. And even after all this you sometimes still don't know their name unless you refer back to the piece of paper in your pocket. The best part is that you are with people that understand your world and when the trip is over you say bye, great flying with you, if it was, I hope we can do it again. You don't exchange phone numbers or email addresses, oh wait, that is not done anymore anyway, you don't Facebook. That person is walking away with your deepest, darkest secrets and they will never be told because the second you walk off that airplane they will be forgotten. You were able to vent, bitch, complain, brag all for free and they aren't going to hold it over your head, throw it back in your face and you don't have to worry about them telling anyone. No one judges you either, because we are all crazy and we have heard of or experienced some wild shit in our career so it would be hypocritical to judge. You dont have to worry about anyone stabing you in the back or throwing you under the bus. I see that so often with people who claim to be good friends and think what the hell? This is probably the main reason I have only a very few close friends. Why would you want close friends who hurt you when you can have work partners who have your back, listen to your problems, travel with you, don't have expectations of you, don't gossip about you and don't want your phone number.
(Actually I have been thrown under the bus. I used to be on a dedicated crew who flew the San Diego Chargers to away games for two years. We spent a lot of time together, which was the problem. I did nothing wrong, the guy just wanted my position on the list so he tried to get me fired. He just ended up looking like an ass hole in the end).

This is the biggest family that we all have, that we don't know, that we may never see again, but this is our family when we are away from home and I am grateful for them.

I only have two more days left on my bender and then I can go home to the family I know and love and miss so much, the family where we know each others name.

And I may have to go on a small alcohol bender to erase the month of June from my mind.

Laughs

Alex recently went to the birthday party of one of her good friends from school.  It was an "all girl" event (with one little brother) and it was just perfect.  A trip on Nuevo Vallarta for a kids movie followed by some ice cream...on a school night.  Simple, fun and memorable...the way it should be.

It takes a village

(Written on May 18)

I just got off the bus at the airport.  This last week and yesterday especially I was ready to go to the US to work, not because I wanted to go to the US and work I just wanted  life to be a little easier and convenient for a minute. 

I wanted a dishwasher
I wanted the power to work and not trip over extension cords that we rigged up.
I wanted to car to be fixed and I wanted to know when it would be fixed
I wanted to call an exterminator to spray around the outside of our house to kill the ticks
I wanted cell phones to work
I wanted to not have maggots
I wanted air conditioning but could not because of the power problem
I wanted Ozzy to find a shop

Then I realized that it is not Mexico that I wanted to get away from, it is the fact that this is life and sometimes when it rains, it pours and it felt like it was hailing, with no car, power, air, communication and lots of creepy craw lies including a scorpion. And there was no time to surf because we had so much going on.

So enough about what I want and am missing and what brings me to the reason for this post. This country of Mexico and its people.  As I was sitting on the bus able to do nothing but watch and think of all the help we received this last week from local Mexicans.

1) Our neighbor Juan Paul came over on his own to help Ozzy try to figure out why we had no power.  He called his friend who suggested we turn off power to the whole house until our electrician, Armondo could come take a look.  When Ozzy called Armondo he was next door working on a neighbors house and said that he would be right over. He came, found the problem, went to town to buy a part came back fixed it and done.  All of this in the time of less than an hour. No calling the electric company, waiting for someone to come take a look at the problem anywhere from 10-4 sometime in the next two days.

2) The car... We took the car to our awesome mechanic, Abel.  He called around to look for a part.  Land Rover in Guadalahaura could not get the part for a month and it was going to cost 12,000 pesos.  So Abel found a part for 6,000 pesos and we would have in in a day or two.  When the part arrived, it was the wrong part so Abel had a part custom made.  It took all day and many trips back and forth to his welder to make this part work and fit perfectly.  We had the car back when he said we would, he guarantees the part and he said that he owed us 1000 pesos.  We told him to keep it.

3) Many locals have offered to help Ozzy find a shop.  If they don't know of something then they know someone to ask. 

4) I had a horrible ear infection and needed to see Dr.  Richard.  In order to see Dr. Richard all you need to do is go to his office and if you do not see him or his wife then knock on the door to their house and you will be seen. No appointments, no paperwork to fill out, usually no waiting, no 1st, 2nd, or 3rd nurses before you have to wait to see the doctor.  And he has most of the medication right there.  So I had Dr.  Richard look at my ears,  he gave my three different medicines and it cost $50 us.

5) We finally got the car back.  The kids were at a birthday party where there was no cell service so I didn't know when to pick them up.  The parents said around 8:30 and when they got into town they would call.  It gets to be nine and I haven't heard from them so I go to get in the car and it is dead. Shit.  I have to walk to town and look for them.  I am down there for about an hour.  I sit in the plaza, go to Virginia's, no kids,  (she and her two boys were at the party also and I asked her to make sure my kids were okay) go back to the plaza, nothing!!  Finally I see Ozzy walk up.  A different parent called Ozzy to let him know they were back and at Virginia's.  When Ozzy went to call me to tell me, all of his minutes were gone (he butt dialed someone and it used all of the minutes he bought the day before) and Virginia got cut off from phone service due to a discrepancy with her bill. No one could call me so Ozzy had to walk down also to tell me where they were.   So we got the kids and took a cab home. This morning Ozzy asked Julio, the house gardner, to jump us and he happily did, just in time to get me to the bus stop to get to the airport.

So, to get to my point.  The local Mexicans here are always happy to help, it is what they do, and many times without being asked,  they see that someone is in need and they step up.  They are never too busy or put out.  They do not have attitudes or look down at you. It appears to me that they never feel like anyone is better than anyone else. It is so refreshing especially coming from Park City. Life is slower paced, they live for today and the now. For the most part they seem happy, not stressed or burned out.  They seem to always be with family, whether it is working, playing or chilling at home.

After that bus ride I realized once again why I love it here. Living here can definitely be a love hate relationship but what I have experienced in the last week and being on the bus with 3 generations of a happy Mexican family watching people work together, watching the Mexican way of life roll by I thought, why would I want to leave? It is so much more my speed in so many ways.

Once you get used to it you realize that life here is easier.  Some stuff you have to wait for but some stuff happens now and you never really know which one you are going to get and because it takes a village and this place is definitely a village.  We see it, live it, experience it, contribute to it.  I don't know how we ever lived without it.

I have to say that I know that no matter where you live it takes a village and I have witnessed many villages.  I just especially like mine.