Sarah's Back

We missed her!

Playing With The Water Spicket

Playing In The Dust

Smiling For The Camera

Hanging at Tia Meche's

We spent most of the day in Babispe with Tia Meche and her family...

Would You Like Some Pretend Cake?

Stephen The Waiter Handing Out Pecans

Little Monkey #1

Little Monkey #2

Pecans For Sale!

I'll Drive Papa Just Help Me With The Pedals

Helping With The Gasoline Business

Not Sure If I Was Really Hungry
Or If These Tacos Were Just Really Good

Based On My Face I Think I Was Really Hungry

Back To Nana's -Or -
Trying To Take A Photo As The Kids Destroy The Chips

The Best Mexican Beer

The store closest to Nana's house seemed to not carry any Mexican beer. Instead, they offered me Bud Light, complete with a "Made In U.S.A." stamp on it. Funny, down here I see a lot more Bud Light than Corona.

"The Best Mexican Beer"

That's For Big Girls

Sarah, whenever she likes or wants to do something:

That's for big girls. Not for boys. For big gowols.

Tan!

Sarah has a word that she uses to say something is all done - tan-tan. It's a Spanish slang word of Mama's. Sarah actually cutely mispronounces it as "tom-tom".

So today Stephen was helpfully sharing some cucumber slices at Tia Meche's house and when the slices were gone, he declared ...

Stephen: Tan!

Papa: Ya se acabaron todos? (They're all gone?)

Stephen: Nods head, moves eyebrows to indicate "Yes".

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are enjoying Thanksgiving in Mexico this year. Mama cooked a big turkey in Nana's wood stove all day yesterday, but that's about as far as the traditional food goes this time. Our next big meal will be Christmas with Grandma & Grandpa.

Lights Out

Almost forgot, it's a regular occurrence in Bacerac for the electricity to unexpectedly go off for hours at a time. It happens to the water, too. They both were out today for several hours.

Sarah Bathroom

Stephen the Charmer

That Smile! "Eeeee!"
(Cheese)

Gimme Five! Again! Now You! Again!
OK Now You! And You! Again! Again!

Stephen loves to give five. But once is not enough. He likes to give five a half dozen times. He also likes to give kisses by the bunches.

One time, he was very excited about something while Mama was holding him and he gave five to Papa, then quickly spun around 180 degrees to give five the other way.

Mama: There's nobody there Stephen!

Stephen: (Cued with hand in air, ready to give five)

Mama and Papa: (Laughing)

Stephen at Nana's

Eating Breakfast All By Himself

The Escape Artist

Pulling The Bar Off The Gate Latch

Hey I'll Be Right Back, OK?

Stephen loves to go out in the street. So much so that he figured out how to open the complicated, multi-step latch to Nana's front gate. He took off his shoe and threw it through the bars of the fence to have an excuse, then cracked the code of opening the latch. Pretty good for 15 months! But sorry, there are way too many cars that go by there.

Nana's Pictures

Sarah: Why are there so many pictures on the wall? (In Nana's kitchen)

Nana: Pues para verse bonito (To look nice).

Sarah: But the pictures are falling. It no look nice!

(Adults laugh)

Missing Sarah

Sarah went to visit her Tia Meche and Ivett, Jose and Daira in down the street in Babispe, and she has been there for TWO WHOLE DAYS! We sure miss her! She stopped over here at Nana's yesterday for a couple of hours but cried so sadly when it was time for everyone to leave, that Mama gave her permission to go back with her aunts.

Not You Stupid Beagle

Sarah (laughing): I'm not you stupid beagle! Linus says that.

Papa: Sarah, do you mean, I'm not your Sweet Baboo?

Sarah: I'm not your Sweet Baboo! I'm not your Sweet Baboo! I'm not your Sweet Baboo! (singing/rapping) I'm not your Sweet Baboo! I'm not your Sweet Baboo! I'm not your Sweet Baboo!

In other news, Mama thinks that Peanuts is a bad influence on Sarah (because Lucy is mean and says and does not nice things).

Mama's Mini Science Documentary

Thousands of these little ants were carrying tiny shreds of tree leaves all in a line outside Nana's house. It was fascinating to watch and Mama decided to try to photograph it a bit.

Hangin' With Papa

Watching the Mexican Independence March
From Nana's Porch

Hanging Out At Tio Guero's Reception Counter
And Playing With Tools

Stephen Wearing Himself Out

Climbing Up On Stuff at Nana's

Until He Lies Down on the Floor & Falls Asleep

Nana Moves Him to the Bed, Then
Bounces Him Back to Sleep

Nana Rocking Stephen

Nana Rocking Stephen and Singing Him Ricky Ran

Stephen Chasing Papa in Circles

Stephen Chasing Papa in Circles Through Nana's House in Bacerac

Stephen Sleeping

Stephen usually sleeps light as a feather. If he is asleep in the bedroom, I never want to go in there because just turning the doorknob, or breathing, is enough to wake him up. But today after running around at Nana's house for hours, laughing and playing, he was so tired that he slept on the bed with the lights on and several people talking loudly right over him for the better part of an hour.

To Nana's House

Thank You Papa For Momentarily Releasing Me
From My Carseat Prison!

Me, Too!

At the Gas Station

A Cool, Pointy Mountain

A Photo That Does Absolutely Zero Justice To
The Awesomeness of La Cruz del Diablo Mountain Pass,
As Seen From Below

Bacerac, Founded in 1645, Like Almost 400 Years Ago!

Thank You Tio Froy for so kindly lending us your new pickup truck for the journey. After 6.5 very long hours, we finally arrived!

Warming Up To The Idea of Being in Nana's Kitchen

Stephen Potty

Stephen has been making his effort to go peepeepoopoo in the bathroom. He had me take him and put him on the toilet, where he made visible effort and did some poopoo there. He works hard, there is no question. Still in diapers at all times, though.

Sarah and Marlenne

Marlenne: Maaaaa!! Ven! Sarah me esta pegando! (Mom, come, Sarah's hitting me!)

Sarah and Marlenne under the covers in Tia Evis' bed, watching Dora cartoons, while Sarah kicks Marlenne with her tiny 3-year-old legs.

Later...

Mama: Sarita, te va a cuidar tu Tia Marlenne.

Sarah: No! No quiero que me cuide Marlenne!

Wha? ...

Flashback to:

Sarah: No te quiero Marlenne. Marlenne, no te quiero. Nope. (Shaking head, repeats, sometimes laughing, sometimes looking very serious)

Marlenne: Comic frowny sad face

Swings

There's a nice little park right by Tia Evis' house with swings, jungle gyms and a slide. (That slide is probably the slide that taught Sarah to fear slides, and to go down on her tummy instead of seated.)

In the first mini-episode above, the kids somewhat enjoy swinging, although suffering from poor pushing from Papa, who is too busy trying to film. (They were much happier-looking just moments later with more dedicated pushing). 

In the second mini-episode, Sarah sees a doggie in the first moment and dismounts to investigate.

Stephen in A.P.

Hanging out in PJs and Sarah's jacket outside Tia Evis' house

while Mama gets some much-deserved sleep.

"Wow-wow!" Looking at some doggies across the street.

Round parts of a bracelet - "Ball!"

"Down"

Hangin' with Tio Ivan

Tes!

Marlenne was playing with Ramoncito and helping him jump off of pieces of luggage. Heard from the next room:

Marlenne: Uno, dos,

Ramoncito: TES!!! (Very loud and gleeful)

Marlenne: Uno, dos,

Ramoncito: TES!!!

Ramoncito

So Stephen is now Ramoncito for the duration of his visit to Mexico. I don't want Nana to hear anyone call him anything but Ramoncito. Just like I don't want Grandma and Grandpa to hear him called anything but "Stephen" or "Stever". It just wouldn't be right. It's more important for Nana though. The good thing is that the little guy answers to both names and seems to understand both English and Spanish pretty well, even if he is still hardly talking. And that he is as cute as all get-out.

Stephen's Orange Ball

Stephen loves to play ball. He went to the store with Tia Evis and came back with a mandarin orange that he was gleefully clutching and tossing around while saying "Ball! Ball!" He played with it until it got too mushy to even want to peel and eat.

In A.P.

Sarah and Stephen love being in A.P. Especially Sarah. They give her all of the candy, sweetened drinks and junk food as she likes, let her watch TV all day, and let her do whatever she wants without correcting or disciplining her in any way. I'm concerned about her character, although I am sure that long-term affects should be minimal (I hope). However, the short-term affects are that she doesn't want to listen and has a fit when we turn off the TV or cut off her candy supply. It gets awkward because the other adults there all seem to think we are too mean and strict, and when we take steps to enforce any kind of discipline we quickly lose favor with everyone (adult and kid). :/

Stephen: AAAAAHHH!

Stephen is learning not to yell. He tends to ask for things by shouting "AAAAAH!" and then pointing at something when we look at it. It is frustrating for both Mama and Papa so Papa has taken steps to try to teach him to ask more quietly.

Papa: "Stephen, please talk more softly. Habla bajito. Say 'Aah' and we will give you what you need. Say 'Ah". (Waits)

Stephen: Aah!

Papa: Good job Stephen!

(Stephen smiles gleefully, Papa gives him whatever he was asking for)

(Note: We went through a similar training process with Sarah in that unfortunate period before Papa started maintaining this blog. [Aside: That training process continues]).

Sarah and Spanish

Sarah, who started out speaking Spanish as her first language, is now speaking English as her stronger language. In recent days and weeks, as the visit to Nana has approached, we (read: Papa) have been trying to get her to practice her Spanish.

Papa: Sarita, vamos a visitar a Nana, necesitas hablar en espanol.

Sarah: Why?

Papa: Porque Nana no habla ingles, solo habla espanol.

Sarah: Why?

Papa: Se dice, por que? Porque ella vive en Mexico, un lugar donde todos hablan espanol, como Grandma y Grandpa, que viven en un lugar donde todos hablan ingles. Pero nosotros hablamos las dos idiomas para poder hablar con todos. Si le hablas ingles a Nana, no te va a entender, y le vas a hacer sentir mal.

Sarah: Why?

Papa: Porque (blah blah blah) ...

Sarah: Why?

Etc, etc.

When we arrived in A.P, Sarah is still talking a lot to everyone in English, although she is starting to remember more and more to use her Spanish words, and Papa and others are still reminding her to speak in Spanish.