Our days right now go like this. We have about an hour to get the kids dressed and walk out the door for school. I take them, drop Ouest off, and then Lowe and me spend a couple of hours wandering up to the beach, swimming, and wandering back. It’s probably about a twelve block walk and with Lowe in tow can take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour. We just go at his pace as we’re not in any hurry.
Ali takes that time to straighten things up from the morning, keep the house running, and get some quiet alone time. Lowe and I stumble in around 10:30 ready for lunch and play time with Ali. Well, I don’t get play time with Ali, but Lowe does. He naps around noon.
I pick Ouest up at one and we walk over to a taco stand by the market to pick up an asada quesadilla (meaning a taco with melted cheese on a big flour tortilla, not an Applebee’s appetizer). Sometimes she gets horchata. Everyone knows her now and calls her by name. Nobody asks my name.
Back at home Ouest eats and we go in her room to play. We’re all usually deep into some Chutes and Ladders fun when Lowe wakes up and Ouest lets out a disappointed, “Ooooooohhhhh. Me no want Lowe to get up.”
Then it’s five hours of play, feeding, and general home with two young kids craziness until seven o’clock sharp when Ali and I walk out of the kids’ rooms and breathe deeply.
That’s it. That’s our days.
Today was the end of week two for Ouest’s school and you can see just how well it has been going by the picture down below. I’m so proud and so happy for her every day that I pick her up, because it seems like every day is more fun for her. She never complains about school, and just genuinely seems to be soaking it up. And in just two weeks we can already see big changes in her. Not monumental stuff, but still, things that seem to happen only because she’s in school. She colors in the lines now, she writes a whole bunch of letters perfectly and even throws a few together for simple words, she sings songs in Spanish, she is getting closer and closer to saying the alphabet in Spanish, she says, “Hasta mañana!” to her friends when she’s leaving, and, and, and, the list goes on.
7 Comments on “Typical Day”
Your natural life with the kids in Mexico, is a charming, nostalgic, or even prescriptive dairy for those with youngsters, or those who just want to take it on a slower more conscious path. I found your scribblings via sailing but am most charmed by your kid raising taking boat life in stride. Sorry for the impertinence, but who is Ali? May be none of my business. xo Jon
Ali would refer to Pat’s better looking and more charming better half.
uh, diary… 🙂
Pat, That last picture of Oeste and school friend is the best. We loved it. Patricia y Bruce
Agree with Patricia and Bruce, . . . the photo of Ouest and school firend is worth a thousand words. GREAT parenting! Two thumbs up.
Ouest in her school uniform… cutest. thing. ever! I know I keep commenting that but I just can’t get over how sweet it all is.
Hi there.
It was Mahnamahna, where I saw a link to your beautiful and unique website I’m reading for days now.
And I am so glad I followed. Therefore I would like to say Thank you.
Y muchos saludos desde Panama, donde estoy ahora.
Alex
PS: I lived in Zihuatanejo for 7 years and had bad luck. Very bad luck.