El Ciclopista

Santi and I went on a walk this morning along the bicycle path just behind my suegras' house. It's much improved since I first ran on it some 10 years ago, thanks to a city greening campaign over the past few years. Back then I'd get a little sketched out 10 minutes down the path and a little tired of the dog poo and trash. There's still a bit of that but also lots more walkers, runners, families out walking to the market, and yes, even some bicycles.

Old school play

Remember those hard metal playgrounds we grew up with? Well they are alive and well in Mexico. No safety obsessions and expensive moon turf here. Just good old teeth shattering monkey bars and chain link swings. And as you can see, just as fun as ever!

La Gloria del Mercado

Viva Mexico!

We made it to Mexico yesterday and are now settling in for a month of family time here.  I ate tamales for breakfast and remain convinced there is no more perfect food.  Pablo and Santi are playing in the jardin with Dada after a very exciting reunion in the airport.  Luva, my suegra (mother-in-law) is recovering after 6 weeks living with us and chasing after her grandchildren in DC.  All of you who still think Mexico is really hot can envy the cool spring-like weather I'm enjoying while Washington swelters.  If for no other reason, we may decide to make summers in Mexico an annual part of our lives simply to escape the growing heat in DC.  Hmm, climate change does bring its ironies, huh.

I'm also slowly realizing that I really have left my job and am going back to school in the fall.  (Read my blogpost about this transition here.)  Of course there will be plenty to comment on all that in good time, but for now, I'm just relishing in the fact that my email intake just dropped by 70% and no one needs me to be anywhere anytime soon.  Well...except my children, that is.  Who are very good at making me feel needed.

Big Brother Please Go Away

5:30am in Amtrak station and a creepy voice comes over the loudspeakers telling me that for my security there may be random searches of my belongings, that the police dogs I may see on the trains are working (and don't try to pet them), and that I should be on the lookout for suspicious behavior (which include people who appear nervous...uh, maybe because of the police dogs?!), and I should report it.

And so this is suppose to make me feel safer? Has anyone noticed we really are living with Big Brother?

Oh wait, I think I see someone who is "inappropriately dressed for crime", better go report him!

Little Gardener

Pablo with a carrot from our garden that he helped plant.

(and yes, he's wearing a Mexican beer sponsor race car shirt...so what.)

Two kids obviously leaves little time for blogging.  We are still alive and well.

Pablo last night at dinner: But mom, who fished this fish? Good question.

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July! We celebrated with homemade blueberry cobbler and vanilla ice cream. mmmm.... It was a nice treat after a long week.

Alberto had his citizenship test on Wednesday - passed with flying colors of course. Probably scored higher than I would have actually. I mean who remembers who wrote the Federalist Papers?! I'm not even sure I know what they are. Now he just has to go to the final ceremony and he'll be officially part gringo. Only took five years and a few thousand bucks. Not bad considering what some people go through. The funny thing is that he's opted for citizenship so that we have the flexibility to leave the US. As a resident he could only leave the country for six months at a time, and we'd like to be able to live with the kids in Mexico at some point.

And apparently we'd better have good documentation for our family relationships or you never know what will happen. Alberto was on the subway with Santiago the other day and an old white woman actually said to him: "Pretty baby. Must have cost you at least $30,000." ?!?!? Do people really say such things? When I carried Pablo around as a baby in Mexico, I did get funny looks sometimes - Pablo looked much more Mexican and just like Beto as a baby and Santiago looks much more gringo and like me -but Mexicans are far too polite to actually say anything. But here in the good ole US of A, freedom of speech has no bounds!

Anyway, enjoy the fireworks!

Two Arms, Two Boys

They're still small enough that I can hold them both with one big embrace, but I know those days are numbered. Pablo's legs are growing longer every day (he's even had growing pains in them over the past month). Santiago is no longer just a snuggly bumpkin but an active playing baby already. I'm back at work and the days are slipping past faster each week it seems. Thank goodness for photos and videos to capture a few moments in the lives of your children and remind you how they once were, and how quickly they change and grow.