Whoa, back up!

Gotta back up to New Year’s Day.  We went to a scrumptious brunch at the home of Laura and Javier.  The various New Year’s resolutions were impressive.  Jodi had the most ambitious one.  She plans on competing in a 1/2 Ironman competition in Cozumel this May.  Peggy plans on residing more in the present.  The part of Ed’s resolution that Peggy remembers is being a better husband and grandfather.   Peggy doesn’t really think he needs improvement but she is certainly not opposed to him trying!

For once, Peggy remembered her camera but as usual, she forgot to take many pictures of our good friends.  She did get a picture of the delicious food with, Laura’s legs thrown in!

Ed and Steve.

Sally, Bob and Lynn.

Later in the day we re-convened at Bob and Lynn’s house for the Giants/Dallas football game.  We liked the game but REALLY liked the pizza al pastor style – pizza with shaved pork from a rotisserie and pineapple with the requisite onions and cilantro.

Three Kings Day

On the 12th day of Christmas, called Three Kings Day in Mexico, there is more than a little excitement for children here.  They get presents!  Santa is all well and good but the Three Kings who brought presents to baby Jesus are even better.

Last night we were invited to a Three Kings Day celebration at the home and restaurant owned by native Cozumelenos , Aida and Ramon Rivera, Edwin’s parents.  We brought a top for our Edwin and Marianna’s 4 year old daughter.  It is amazing to us how, no matter a person’s age, tops are fascinating.  Abril loved it!

Beside presents, the other tradition involves buying one or two of the thousands of cakes produced by bakeries for this day.  Inside each of these cakes is at least one little toy baby.  If you happen to end up with a piece that contains the baby, it becomes your “gift” aka responsibility to make or buy tamales for the next big celebration on February 2nd.  Since Peggy got one of those pieces, we have a built-in invitation to the February 2nd fiesta.  Oh and by the way, bring the tamales! We’d better find out where to buy some, rather than try to make them.

Christmas 2011 Part II

I spent the week of December 21st with the Galyons in Broomfield.  This was the first Christmas day I had spent with them in over 10 years!  I apologize in advance for all of the pics but I was just so excited to have posing subjects! 

Both the Hirsts and Galyons had elves who were sent by Santa to keep track of the kids for the holiday season.  The one below, Sparkle,  must have had a pretty rambunctious basketball game the night I got there, as he seems to be resting in the netting.

Sparkle hid candy canes on Christmas Eve before heading back to the North Pole. The search for the canes lasted for several days and ended when Alex, Aubrey and I were home together. I was upstairs putting Aubrey to bed when I heard absolute quiet from downstairs.

Gaga: Alex, are you okay?

Alex: I’m fine.

Gaga: What are you doing?

Alex: I just found a candy cane.

Gaga: Oh, good. Where is it?

Alex: At the top of the tree. The broom isn’t working!

Needless to say, I swooped a bewildered Aubrey up and went flying downstairs before the heavily laden tree was toppled. From a normal 5 year old this wouldn’t be so surprising but from Alex it was a shocker.

Both Alex and Aubrey LOVED having their pictures taken.  After each set of pics, they would come charging back to me to see how they looked. 

 

Dressed up for the annual extended Galyon family Christmas Eve movie – The Muppets. 

Aubrey’s elf dress.

Alex said grace for Christmas dinner.  She thanked God for sending Jesus and his blessings.  Even her heathen Gaga was touched!

Aubrey’s “smile” is really more of a pained look associated with “what’s this in my mouth”.

Eric and Alex constructed the most amazing marble structure.

Aubrey on the move!

Jamie worked at a Halloween costume store and was able to stock up the kids with some great costumes.  Alex, aka Ariel, is amazed that her tower is still standing with her destructo sister around.

Kids and Christmas, what a great combination!  I loved my time with all of the kids AND their parents.  Wonderful to hear Aubrey call out “GAGA, GAGA, GAGA” when she saw me and to have Alex jump up in my arms.  The only thing that was missing was Papa!

Christmas Part I

Peggy’s great adventure this Christmas started with a little 19 passenger airplane  to Cancun.  It was just a few minutes after we boarded the prop that it was in the air.  The views were spectacular!  

 

From Cancun, I flew directly to Dallas.  We got right into the Christmas festivities the next day at the school that Ellie and Charlie attend.  Each of their classes had a Christmas party.

Charlie’s girlfriend is to the left.  She is about 1/2 his size but he looks to her for a little help now and again.  At the party, he sat down next to her on the floor, put his feet on her lap and asked for help.  She knew exactly what was needed and took off his shoes.

Lots of props reside at the school for some great imaginative play.  African safari anyone?

Always construction work that needs to be done!

Keanan gets some extra Mommy time while the older kids are at school.  He reminds me of Thomas the Train sometimes – his head stays stationary while his wide eyes follow Adrienne everywhere.

Ellie and Charlie are more like twins than regular siblings.  They always seem to be dreaming up play scenarios.  When Damian came home one evening, they were kitties.  Damian didn’t miss a beat and put saucers of milk on the floor for them to slurp.

As usual, I had a difficult time taking pictures of Ellie.  She is a study in motion.  Like her cousin Cody, several of the pictures I attempt turn out to be pretty background photos with no little body!  Finally, I captured one of Ellie’s death defying jumps.

Gracie, the family dog, has been amazing to me.  She has had quite a roller coaster ride of a life.  From being abandoned to becoming the princess of the household and now to being  just one of the crowd.  She is my buddy!

Is it a see-saw or a boat?

Adrienne and her men!

See what I mean about Ellie’s launches?

Keanan, like Gracie, is happiest when he is with his pack.

Ellie is mailing some last minute instructions to Santa.

Adrienne really got to me with this handmade Christmas present.  Now really, could any grandma keep the tears back with a present like this?

My visit with the Hirsts for the week leading up to Christmas created some lasting memories .  Adrienne made sure to keep the true meaning of Christmas in the foreground.  Each day Adrienne thought of a “random act of kindness” for the kids.  One day it was leaving toys at a playground for some lucky kids to find.  Another day, they took treats to the library, the fire station and the police station.  Adrienne fashioned a tee shirt for Damian complete with train tracks drawn on the back.  She included little wooden train engines that the kids can use to drive over the tracks.  A massage shirt!  Like Gracie and Keanan, I was happy to be part of the pack!

Cozumel Radio Online

We told you about Cozumel Radio Online/Cozumel Radio.net in a previous post. While Peggy’s been gone, Ed thought it was a good idea to record a Christmas/New Year’s greeting and put it on the air. The owner of station came over and recorded two greetings: one for the kids and kiddos and one for Cedaredge friends. Each greeting airs about every hour and will continue to January 1. Fun for the kids, grandkids and Peggy to hear Papa’s voice wishing them a Merry Christmas. Hopefully Cedaredge friends and the Hamburger Group hear them, too. If not, Feliz Navidad and Feliz Anno Nuevo.

Pulpo and Arturo

While Peggy is gone, Pulpo, our friend and contractor, and his son, Arturo are doing some work at the house. It’s good that Peggy’s away, as any type of work creates so much of a mess. Dust and concrete chips everywhere. Even in the coffee maker! First, he built a new shelf in the kitchen and then tiled it and the existing one. Never enough storage room. On the new shelf we’re thinking about storing plates and bowls. Then he built and tiled 3 small shelves in the dining room to hold such things as the internet modem, telephone, Skype and cell phones, etc. He put in 3/4 inch holes in the back of each shelf for wires, cables, and electrical connections. Works well. Now, he’s building a new stand on the roof for our tenaco (250 gallon water tank). The old one’s concrete and rebar were rotting. He’s also moving it a bit so there’s more room on the roof. He’s making it “Wilma proof” by making it larger and stronger. After that’s done, he’ll do some minor roof surface repair. Finally, he’ll start on the bathroom counter. That’ll be big! Ed has cut out the wall tile where the counter top and shelves will connect to the wall. The counter and shelves will be tiled with small (1”) bright blue tiles. All of this work was supposed to have been completed before Peggy returned, but this is Mexico! Manana! Start late, work slow, but, it’ll get done- eventually! It’ll take several weeks. We’ll keep you posted on the progress.

The Eco Divers Show

I think we told you that shortly after arriving, we checked in at Eco Divers. No Jorge! Word was he had left for Mexico City and was teaching there. On one of my walks I passed by Eco and there was Jorgito! I stopped and after a couple of beers, I got the whole story. Seems that years ago Jorge taught in the public schoosl. Over the years his mother has kept his teaching status in place. So, this summer, his mother called and said that he had a job teaching at a Mexico City school. What she also told him was that if he taught for only a few years (maybe 2 or 3) he would qualify for a pension when he reached retirement age (60?).  By keeping his status active and “lending” it to his relatives who taught school, he received credit toward a retirement benefit. Amazing. For a guy who never gave it much thought, he now thinks about it a lot. The monthly benefit will be about a $1,000 US ! More than enough to live comfortably here since he now owns his condo. We told some of you that story, no? Well, Jorge bought a condo about 6 years ago. Didn’t like it, so he gave it back after about a year. Then, he stayed in the condo, waiting to be asked to leave or evicted. Never happened! Mexico has “squatters rights”. Seems that if you live at a place 5 years, never being asked to leave, and you then pay the back taxes and file some paperwork- it’s yours! And, so now he owns it free and clear. So, along with the pension, his life appears to be set. Why him? Aztec/Mayan gods must be smiling upon him.