“Are these flip flops water-able?” you ask, wanting to wear your flip flops into the pool.
On our way to Grandpa’s birthday dinner at Pastaria. You rode your balance bike down Los Gatos Creek trail to the restaurant. On the way you asked, “Do you think Papa will wear a dress for dinner?”
You were wearing open toe shoes. “My toes like the fresh air!”
“Time flies behind you when you’re not looking.”
“Mamma what color is a real unicorn?”
I am trying to teach you to go to sleep on your own, but you are not used to it and simply don’t like it. We usually cuddle and you fall asleep after stories. Tonight, you came out and told me “Turtle Taite wants a snack, a pretend snack,” pointing to your kitchen set.I got sucked in and even got a pretend snack. A few minutes later, turtle Taite was placed gingerly outside your closed-door, because he wanted to make sure of something or the other you said. 10 min. later, on the toilet, you told me “every Sunday in March, I will, with you all night long, okay? “Now this is just too funny for me to be annoyed and I agree. I know it’s the wrong thing for mommy to do, as it is not what we are trying to learn right now, but I am suckered in and it is too late. “Okay!” I smile nodding.
You leave the bathroom, and instead of going into your room where I am headed, you stand in the hallway door to mommy and daddy’s bedroom. “Remember? I’m going to cuddle with you all night long, it’s Sunday in March!” You tell me, with pleading eyes. So we go in.
“I promise not to kick.” A small pause before qualifying, “maybe just a half a kick.”
A few minutes later… “my toes are looking for a friend…”. Mommy trying not to giggle.
As I start to narrate a “once upon a time story” you intercept with “Tell me about a long time ago when adults use to hit the kids bottoms…” . Once, a long while ago, I had told you about spankings and you remembered and wanted to know about them now.
Now Taite, no more talking, you need to go to sleep. Think about nice thoughts and close your eyes. You can take a breath and count a number in between each breath. Then I hear:
“One” BIG HUGE BREATH. “Two” BIG HUGE BREATH. “Three” BIG HUGE BREATH. “Four” BIG HUGE BREATH.
Listening to the song, The Dinosaur stomp, we were chatting about the fact that dinosaurs are extinct. “They don’t exist anymore,” I said, asking “Where do you think they went?”
Thinking for a moment… “To see the princesses at disneyland.”
“I love you mommy” you said out of the blue, at skating today. No reason. Such warmth in my heart.
After skating with Abby and Katie, we had dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. It was prom night and you were fasxinated by the 20 “princesses” at the table next to us.
We flew to San Miguel de Allende to visit Oma and Opa for a week — it was a long journey but you were a good trooper. Especially given you were barely on the mend from bronchitis.
The first day, you woke up to receive a new doll from Opa. You were fascinated that it drinks from a bottle and actually pees.
Some highlights from the trip:
A Fiesta celebration which involved sneaking up on other children, or chasing them and cracking hollowed eggshells decorated and filled with confetti and gold dust on each other’s heads. You seem to be having fun, although I did notice once we were home a dozen or so small lesions on your head that must have been from getting whacked with egg shells! You never complained though.
Your very first pets… leaving the park there was a man selling all kinds of things including candies, drinks, plants, fish and turtles. Oma met your pleas, conceding to buy you a turtle, but insisting you had to have two not one. You promptly named them Haley and Kaylee. One is a girl and one is a boy, you affirm. When we left for home, at the airport in Queretaro, you sadly stated in a mature but sad little voice that the turtles could not come with us, but that Oma would send pictures of them everyday.
We ate out almost every night. One of the lovely dinners was at an Italian restaurant, Firenze. The desert was your favorite part, a delicious chocolate warm cake. We all laughed to see you pick up the plate and lick it!
We visited a school of the children that Oma teaches swimming to. We took cookies that Oma made, along with balloons. When we arrived the moms of the kids were putting on a snow white production in Spanish, and you followed along with interest, not knowing the words but nonetheless entertained. Afterwards we went upstairs and you handed out balloons and cookies to all of your new friends. When it was time to leave, you only wanted to hug the girls, however the boys lined up and even chased you to the door.
Thermal springs in caves, called Escondito, were a big attraction. We had to step down into the dark tunnel to enter the large dome shaped caves, with water temperature almost like our hot tub. You had been told we were going to go to the caves. Upon leaving, you exclaimed, “And there weren’t any bears!”
But by far, your very favorite was the waterside Park, Xote (“Chotey”). You loved going down the giant, twisting waterslides. It was a cool day, but the waters were warm-ish, and despite chattering teeth, we played for two hours. And there was a lovely warm spring pool too. Unfortunately, Oma caught your cold, as had I a few days earlier, and she waited patiently in the car. The kids waterslides were closed, but you did not mind going on the big ones. You learned what an echo is in the changeroom and delighted in yelling “Hellllllo” and “I loooove youuuuu!”. (It was a cool day and nobody there to mind us hooligan gringos).
During our bedtime routine one night, you told me, ”Let me tell you a turtle story,” and in your very little voice you told me about our day, as turtles. It was a brief story, only a few sentences, as you’re just so tired. “Sorry it was so short,” you apologize. Then you had a cough. “Now it’s time to be quiet and go to sleep,” I whisper. “But I JUST coughed!”
Returning home, we missed the connection to our second leg of the flight. We were initially rushing and desperate to catch it, so as to avoid a 5 hour delay at the airport. You sensed our distress and chimed in, “I have an idea. Next time if we miss our plane we can just use our arms to fly home!!”
This was a special trip. Your great-grandmother, Oma’s mother, passed away last year. With some money she left your Oma, she decided to bring us all for this visit, which was so generous and lovely. “Mama” (as you started calling me on this trip) and Oma and Dad, too, enjoyed a nice spa visit as well. It was a lovely, relaxing week (other than the germy cold-passing) of wonderful memories. See photos.
I just looked back at last Christmas and can’t believe how much you’ve changed in one year. This Christmas highlights:
“Papou” came from Toronto
Uncle Scott and Aunt Sarah came from Barnet.
We stayed at a Beachhouse vacation rental by Nana and Papa at LaSelva Beach for a week, from Dec 26.
Oma visited from San Miguel in January for your 4th birthday.
Everything happened so quickly, followed by your birthday, and now it’s time to catch up. More details of the holidays coming soon….
