PDA

During Will’s therapy today my husband came in to see what was going on.  Will ran over and pushed me into my husband.  We thought he wanted us to hug him.  So we did.  Then he tried to push and turn us around.  We weren’t sure what he wanted, so we didn’t really cooperate.  Then he pushed our faces together.  He wanted us to kiss each other.  Delightful!  Joan got to see us kiss.  But he wasn’t satisfied with just one.  Later he ran to get his dad and made him play Sequence for Kids with us.  It was exciting because he usually doesn’t request both of us to play with him.  Will was weird and cute at the same time.

My Children Are No Longer Pet Deprived (Although, petting them could be a problem)

A couple of months ago, my husband bought bees online, in a fit of madness. Once he ordered the bees, he needed a hive and assorted bee gear. So, he ordered that as well. Four hundred dollars later, he and Lizzy put the hive together and painted it. He informed me that he was lucky to get the bees because there is a shortage. He picked them up the day after we got back from Mexico.

He planned on putting them in the woods behind our house but it’s not sunny enough. So he decided to put them on the roof because he thought our neighbors might freak out if we put a beehive in the front yard.

My mom and I watched him put the bees in the hive on the roof. I was worried that if he got stung he’d fall off the roof on the wrong side – the side that had a two story fall onto stone pavers rather than fall onto the deck. I worried needlessly. He didn’t get stung; although he looked very attractive in his bee mask and gloves.

The biggest problem now is that my parents are freaking out that I don’t have an EpiPen because we are both allergic to bees.

Thoughts about Americans

Sometimes the tone deafness of Americans is shocking.  While I think our country has much to be proud of, I think many people lack global awareness.  Much of that is due to the size of our country, educational gaps and lack of travel outside of the US.  The stereotype of an “ugly American” is at least partially based in reality.

While my husband and I were on our way into a close town in Mexico; several of the people in the same car started talking about how much they loved seeing how people lived in other countries.  It sounded almost as if they felt they were on an anthropology tour of Mexico.  Then someone said it was so quaint how Mexicans managed to live without washing machines yet had such bright white clothing.  

They said this in front of the driver and guide who probably lived in the town they were discussing.  I think they could have said the same thing in a non-offensive way.  (Well, except maybe the washing machine thing.  Seriously, most of the houses had satellite TV, I think they probably had a washing machine and bleach, as well.)  I don’t believe it even crossed any of their minds that they were being offensive, dismissive and a stereotypical American.  And come on, it was a tourist town not necessarily real “Mexico” anyway.  And would a small poverty stricken town be more authentic than a bustling Mexico City?

Pictures

The ocean in front of the hotel.

The view from my balcony.

View from the roof of the hotel.

Some ruins at Coba.

View from the top of the pyramid at Coba.

A Mayan ball court at Coba.  You can see the stone circle just above the slanted wall in the middle if you squint.

Typical Mayan building.  We saw a lot of homes made from sticks and topped with a thatched roof.

I thought I'd put up a picture of Lizzy at her reading recital in her green and white striped felt hat, while wearing Jake's outgrown suit.

Mexico

I use to say that hotel points were the only benefit to my husband’s near constant travel.  I’ve now found an additional benefit . . . a “business” trip to Mexico.  We left on Wednesday and returned on Sunday.  It was pretty sweet even though I came back with hives.

Highlights:  I had breakfast on our balcony overlooking the ocean every morning.  We went snorkeling in the ocean.  On Friday, we went to the Coba Ruins and snorkeling in a cenote.  Snorkeling in the cenote was actually the highlight of the trip for me!  The water was delightful.  I didn’t have to worry about getting a sunburn and our guide showed us some special sand to use as an exfoliate.  My skin felt quite nice until I developed hives a day later. 

That night we went into Playa del Carmen and I bought Mexican wrestling masks because honestly, what else could I possibly buy.  I tried on all the masks in two stores before I decided on two and of course Lizzy and Jake wanted the same one so I told them they could wrestle for it.  I made the driver bargain with the shopkeepers in Spanish because I lack bargaining skills.  Really.  When we have garage sales I undercut myself and when people ask me for prices I start saying everything is free.  I figured that if I tried to bargain with anyone in Mexico I’d end up paying more than the original price. 

On Saturday, we went to the Muyil Ruins and on a Float Tour.  (This is actually when my arms and neck developed blisters.  Now that my neck is starting to peel I’m telling everyone that I caught an exotic Mexican disease.)  Then we had a cooking lesson at the hotel.

I think I’m now ruined for personal travel because the office manager was there to arrange everything and I admit that I am lazy enough to really enjoy that.  

But any trip would not be complete without an autism component.  I mentioned to one of the other spouses that Will has autism and she told me she was in the middle of trying to get her son a diagnosis.  They live in Zurich so I couldn’t give her as much advice as I would like but I think she appreciated not feeling alone, since disabilities aren’t the sort of thing most people bring up with strangers especially when they are in the process of getting a diagnosis.

Grandma

My mom came to Boston to baby sit my kids while I was in Mexico and I tried to cram in some quintessential experiences into a couple of days. I took her to the Minute Man Memorial. We walked the Freedom Trail, bought cannolis at Mike’s Pastries and some gelato in the North End. Then today we took her to lunch at Legal Seafood before she flew back home.

Mommy Dating

I started dating again. This time it’s different. By different, I mean there’s no kissing and I’m not dating men. I read an article in the paper over a year ago about “mommy dating.” Although, I’d never call it that I have to admit that there are some similarities. I’ve found the older you get the harder it is to make friends. I’m pretty lucky that I’ve found some wonderful ones here.


In high school I tended to be oblivious and naïve. That’s a dangerous combination and I’m grateful I grew up in Utah because if there’s one place on earth that is a little safer for those of us who were born with gullible tattooed on our foreheads that is the place! Needless to say, my high school experience was just fine and if I was significantly sillier than the average person I will also say I probably had more fun as well. But oblivious, naïve, pure and silly does not attract guys so there was little dating. But it all worked out because I was attracted to bright and nice guys and I married a good one.

Since the article explained a few things to me, I’m obviously still oblivious about social games, but I can’t imagine being as obsessive and worried as the women in the article. “It’s not you it’s me” whatever! Maybe it’s easier for me because I already belong to a club. And moms of kids with special needs tend to be pretty inclusive.