another hot summer

Every summer I am always confronted with the same question. Why am I still living in Texas?

There were just two things that struck the Yankee right out of me that first summer we moved here- One, the unbearable heat, and two - seeing animals I've only ever seen in a public zoo eating grass in fenced backyards on my way to school everyday. Well, I got use to the farm animals - but two decades and kids later, I'm still singing the refrain from an adapted country western song - "why am I --- still living in Texas?"

The Texas heat is somewhat bitter-sweet to me. Sweet in that you can always count on sunshine to fall on your back - comfort and encourage you to finish writing that theology paper you need an A in. Bitter in that sometimes, the sunshine punches you in the face, making you feel like you can peel layers and layers of your skin off, and then some....

It's hot. And no matter how often I chant my disdain for the Texas heat, I still find myself outdoors, melting and enjoying the summers....

With toys scattered on the lawn, I can't help but join their quest to make the most out of the moment - albeit hotter than all the wood burning pizza ovens in Italy combined - we throw down an old bedsheet and indulge on nature's cooling weapons - watermelon!

Noah plunges his plastic fork into one and up comes a watermelon-"pop" which he quickly shows me with his one eye. [*Side note - Noah's eye is healing beautifully! Thank you for all your prayers and emails!!]



Our picnic turns into an obstacle course, as the kids find it hilarious to pass the box of blueberries up and down the slide to each other. They stop and take notice of the ants - unearthed by their barefeet, and then bring one to me. I slap Ava's hand and send the ant spiraling somewhere onto our food and then shout, "they're coming! hurry, hurry! they are going to bite you! Let's go inside!"

Shameful... I know. In one breath, they grab their blueberries and run upto the front doorstep and turn. Both had a disappointed look on their face - as if they were expecting to see armies of ants marching in rage, ready to strike, behind them in their shadows.

The so-called invasion on the other hand, was only threatening in my head. I wipe the sweat, the only deathly pandemic to this summer day - off of my brow and say, "Whew. That was close. We better go inside - where it's safe...."

healing

I don't understand it. My heart aches even when I try. There's a rainfall of guilt, and helplessness - watching him look at me - unintentionally with one eye.

Aaron said he didn't cry very much after he fell. Little did we know that 6 hours after stumbling from his own feet, his body would take care of the wound itself, and create a wickedly big purple patch over his right eye.

He showed off his ER bracelet when he got home. We played in his bed and made airplane "swooshing" noises until the batteries ran out. So we spooned and listened to the locusts flying into the window. Laying there, next to him, I couldn't help but cry.

I cried because I couldn't prevent it from happening. Nor could I snap my fingers and make it disappear. I cried because he has an orbital fracture. I cried because at 2, he can't tell me how he's really feeling. I cried for all the reasons why mothers do at a time like this... and more.

Your prayers for a healthy recovery are appreciated. In the meantime, we're all having a lot of chocolate ice cream ... which I am told by Noah, is indeed helping.

falling in love...with water

Summers have come and gone in the 7 years we've lived in our home where Aaron and I wouldn't swim in our backyard pool at all. The daily need to skim, brush, and maintain the pH balance and water level, quickly moved to the bottom of our chore list. And once Ava went mobile, a child-proof latch on the french doors sealed the deal permanently.

But the growing algae on the walls, crumbling tile, and over grown trees nearby caught our attention. Especially our finances. We spent the last 3 summers reviving our back yard - chopping down trees, replacing the filters and motors.... and most of all - our perception of how a pool is a blessed extension of our home.

Now that the kids are a bit older, it has become an extended playground for us all. At the first sight of heat waves disappearing, the kids grab their suits drying in the bathtub, and wait by the back door.

Noah calls the pool an "ocean" - which is exactly what it feels like sometimes when we get a glimpse of a dolphin jumping waves...

And if we're not throwing water balloons, playing "shark" or spinning in circles creating waves, we're dining by the pool for breakfast, lunch, or dinner...






Backyard maintenance is no longer a chore, but a family effort. Ava helps us skim the top of the pool while Noah waters the landscape. And the best part? Cleaning up toys has never become problem. Because they too - enjoy being left by the water.

Getting wet this summer - our tips
1. Whether you have a pool or not, there are several alternatives to integrating a wet playground for the kids. From hoses to sprinklers to inflatable pools - all offer kids a healthy way to enjoy the summer days.

2. Invite creativity into your pool/water playtime by imagining scenarios the kids love. We play "Da-Na, Da-Na" which is what we crescendo while trying to chase the kids both in and out of the pool.

3. Swimming builds strong appetites in kids - which I absolutely love. Leave it to nature to evoke their desire to choose and eat fresh fruits and salads all on their own...

4. It's easy to accumulate inflatables, tubes, and pool toys each summer - which clutters the real purpose of using the pool - to swim. Skip the extra plastic toys that are tempting to buy and ask your kids to use what they have [barring they can get wet] to swim or play with in the sandbox.

5. Keep a large plastic or metal container by the door filled with clean towels, sunscreen, and their outdoor toys. Having it all in one place and ready to go eases the burden on you to rush and find everything when the kids have already beaten you outdoors - and it gives the kids a sense of responsibility to swimming - let them retrieve items on their own and drop off used towels, suits and toys in the bucket on their way to bathtime!

happy birthday aaron!

Aaron celebrated his 32nd birthday last Friday and the kids helped me bake his favorite - double layered butter cream cake with buttercream frosting! The mixer is a lot of fun, and as soon as Ava figured out the speed she preferred, the batter was whipped to perfection - which is our secret tip for baking smooth spongy cakes.

And Daddy agrees. Happy Birthday Aaron!

Promises

The annual family beach vacation we started last year, faced many obstacles this year. Aaron and I deliberated back and forth whether or not this was something we should forego and pick back up when the kids are older. My parents and sister were traveling out of the country, work was piling up, and the need to save now - more than ever - were all working against the dream.

The recent adventure to PV would have sufficed our need to bury 40 toes in the sand - except our family is really a bigger one - and extends into my own. There is something very nostalgic about family traditions. When I was young, we'd spend almost every weekend with our cousins - I can still smell Coney Island - hear the chatter of aunts and uncles coming in and out of Bebe's kitchen - and see my Bobo jan, over a century old, sitting in the backyard and watching all the grand [and great-grand] kids play baseball with tennis rackets. Many of my fond memories of childhood reside in those years - where weekend reunions with extended family were as common as the regular work week.

On shoestring budgets - each family came together to raise their kids as they were raised by generations before them. By the age of 10, all of that stopped, and my parents' obligation to save prevailed over childhood memories ever since.

Before using a lesson my Mom instilled - which was to refrain from making promises or plans - because "you never know what's going to happen tomorrow," I promised Ava we'd all go to the beach. No one forshadowed the recession. Aaron losing his job... or Dad's extended stay in Kabul. But I made the risky promise anyway - not accepting - how fast next summer would really come...

So when my bid for a new project was accepted, and the thought of saving it felt right and responsible, I decided that saving my promise to Ava - was even moreso.



The day after we returned from PV, Ava asked if she was going to go to the beach with Humzah. She recounted the van we rented...flying a kite with "uncle greg" and other memorable souvenirs from last year's trip. Enough said - the trip was back on! The night before we left, I stayed up all morning to make goody bags and tshirts for each child... All the while, thinking, how this was going to be our family tradition -
for our children to grow up and remember - together.





















We enjoyed a wonderful week in Seacrest, Florida - the beaches of South Walton are truly maginificient in every way - making it one of the top family destinations in the US.



The karma from the gesture brought us unexpectedly to an Andante Penthouse where for one week, it was our home... where from the doors of my master bedroom, I stepped onto the beach... family gathered around the kitchen for gourmet meals prepared by chef Masaud, and children camped out in their bunkroom.













The Andante afterall, is a "smart house" where it took us 3 days alone to master the remote control. Everything is automated - from lights to curtains and fireplaces to thermostats - what we loved about this experience - was that it was 2 vacations in 1. Close the sliding doors, and your senses would deny that it's even summer. The decor, amenities and layout make you feel like you're in a Manhattan high-rise. Open them, and your senses will flood you with what summers are all about...













As we watched the waves crest and fall, underneath the sunset, we thanked the beach for being a gracious host to our families... and then listened.

"The beauty you see in your children... and your family... and for life...
Is as natural and clear as my body.
As infinite as the horizon you see here.
Forget not, that you are as much apart of me, as I am to you...



... and I will see you next summer!"

Bienvenidos Summer!

Once the flu bug left us, we naturally caught the next best thing - the vacation bug. And when a "last-minute" deal popped up in my email on Tuesday, we were packed and ready to go by Friday to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for the weekend. Yes. All 4 of us!



Ava and Noah were so excited to board a plane together for the first time. They held their own passports and tickets - and looked like pros. As they stepped across the threshold of AeroMexico, the flight attendant greeted them and asked if they wanted to see the pilots. They did, and Ava, amazed by all the buttons, half-waved a hello - and later declared that she wanted to be a pilot so she could "fly Mommy." [Smile] The airline accomodated our family perfectly - between the 4 us, we had 6 seats to spread out into...

To color...



Take a nap...



a really long one...



And even enjoy some alone time looking cool while surfing through their backpacks stocked with personalized treats [notepad, color pencils, crayons, stickers, etch n' sketch, playing cards, small cars, trains, cookies, apple juice boxes]...



After settling into our room at the all-inclusive Marival resort, we got branded with our bracelets and headed downstairs to the pool for a night swim. It was everything you'd expect from an all-inclusive resort - a modern lobby with open ocean views greeting you, non-English speaking employees challenging you with your high school Spanish, and buffets with too many mysterious choices. By morning, we woke up to a completely different view - mountains in the distance... embraced by clouds and a stretch of city life drawn along the ocean's curve. With suits on and pails swinging in our hands, we dashed to the beach to welcome summer '09!



And this is how much of the weekend was spent, on the beach or in the pool, we enjoyed the whirlwind of faces and languages all around us. Noah, who stood out like a gem with his blue eyes, received a lot of attention. And big sister Ava, doning her Grandpa's cap, held his hand everywhere we went to keep him from going astray.





Mornings were cloudy, which we preferred instead of the summer's heat that followed us from Texas by noontime. We dined at their restaurants each night, thanks to advance reservations Aaron made before we arrived, and the mediterranean cuisine at the Amalfi was our favorite. Even Noah's, who zoomed towards the tiramasu...



The kids both got a kick out of the palm trees - singing Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! Here, both of them huddle underneath one, as the clouds began to tremble and then sprinkle some welcoming rain...



Day 3 - instructions were simple: repeat day 2. Only this time, it was also Father's Day! We ordered room service, watched Spanish cartoons, walked on the beach looking for sea shells, and ate divinely.





Our photoshoot on the beach ran short, as the nightfall came faster than I could get the kids to stand still...[mental note - start early!] We were scheduled to depart on Monday - but as to no suprise to any of us, AeroMexico broke down before arriving to PV. After amusing the kids for 5 hours in the airport, we were bused back to our hotel for another night. We were upgraded to a family suite - and of course, none of us wanted to leave this time...



Visiting Mexico and the beach gave the kids many unique moments to pause and enjoy - like the rushing sounds of waves or the discovery of jelly fish and crabs washed up along the shore - a definite change from their routine backyard pool time at home. And as expected, Aaron and I learned a lot about traveling with our kids - which we have been looking forward to do for many years... Hasta Luego y besos Mexico!



Traveling to Mexico with Toddlers: Our Tips
1. It's a good idea to experience a "trial run" with the kiddos prior to spending a fortune on a trip half way around the world. Look for a last minute deal online - many places offer discounted airfares and hotel stays just for children.

2. Arrive at the airport early to coordinate seating arrangements - it's definitely worth it!

3. Pack a special bag for each child filled with familiar toys - including a new one! Ava and Noah liked carrying their own backpacks, which was very helpful in organizing activities they each enjoy.

4. Be sure to ask customs to stamp your passports upon entering the country. Many won't do it unless you ask. After extensively traveling around the world myself, the pages of my passport are the longest lasting souvenirs I've collected so far.

5. After picking up your luggage - head straight outside. The hotel transfer buses and taxis are all there. We were unfortunately misguided from the terminal by two "salespeople" who told us they were our transfers to the hotel. Once they got our attention, they tried to sell us excursion packages. Same goes for your hotel. Many partner with timeshare developments, and they will try to buy your time with gift certificates. We got one [a massage on the beach] just for complaining about the harrasment.

6. The airports are a bit scary when you are only 3 feet tall. Losing sight of them has happened often, cracking every nerve we've had. To avoid the stress of the experience, plan ahead by delegating who will watch the kids while the other handles the traveling protocols. At times, our kids even decided that for us, when one or both wanted "Mommy" or "Daddy" at the time...

7. Routines don't avail to much when you are far from home. Leave these and your guilt behind at home. As long as you keep to a "routine" of items [meals, naptimes, playtime, getting ready for bed] it doesn't matter what time it says on your wrist. The importance is having a familiar structure - and both you and your kids will enjoy many adventures traveling offers families.

8. Learn the language before you go - this is no doubt the best age to learn another language. Ava impressed the hotel boutique clerk by reciting 1-15 in Spanish. But we laughed the hardest when Ava cheered at the TV our first night back, "Yeah, it's not in Spanish!"

bye-bye flu... and don't come back!

Sneezing, coughing, congested and achy - and at the mercy of over-priced over-the-counter medicine to bring us back to life, the big, bad, bully flu got to us all. After day 3, Aaron and the kids made it back out into civilization, and I spent the next 8 indoors with clorox and lysol sprays in hand, determined to zap all the bacteria bullying me around. Sure, the extra rest can be nice, but seriously, so is consciousness. After day 11 of the siege, I realized this unexpected detour in my health was more of an awakening of much more... I spent a lot of time thinking about stress, and how like viruses, they hibernate in our bodies and multiply without our knowledge...

Which reminds me of this wonderful book, Bye-Bye Big Bad Bully Bug, written by one of our favorite authors, Ed Emberley, where the little bugs grow fearful of the unfamiliar and then build their confidence as they learn more about the big bug and how their strength lies not in their size, but in their character. It's such a silly but wonderful way to teach kids about bullies and how we don't have to sit back and be eaten alive by our "big problems."

Having this flu was more about my mind and body working together - to get stronger - and "stomp" those "bad bugs" or stressors out.

Taking the time to routinely slow down and reflect on where we are in life may be the best way to maintain good health - but then again... your husband making chicken soup and feeding you in bed isn't so bad once in awhile either...[smile].