First week in Mexico

I really thought I'd keep up with my blog better while we're down here.  Without internet in our house I'm not very good at taking the time it takes to upload pics, and write post.  It's also nice to live unplugged for a while.  Although I really hate to see our time here slipping by without having it documented for posterity sake.   I love looking back at past trips.  

So here is a quick run down.  

Last Sunday morning we crossed the U.S/ Mex. border and drove on the fancy new divided highway down through Ensenada.   After that the highway went back to single lane but much of it has been widened, making it quite a bit safer down through the mountains.  With a cliff on one side and the wall of a mountain on the other it's really nice to have a lane a bit wider than our van.  

We arrived at our familiar little town a little past noon, drove down the same dusty street that I first rode down 12 years ago and arrived at the same little house we rented last year.  

Every time something changes, every trip is different, but some things don’t change.   The sun is still shining, and the red dust still clings to our shoes.  Roosters are crowing and dogs are barking.  A mournful love song accompanied by a tuba comes from an unknown radio.  A car passes advertising something blasted from a loud speaker mounted to it’s roof.   In the air lingers the familiar, not unpleasant, scents that tells us we’re back in our other home.   My fruit bowl is now full if avocados, key limes, and tomatoes.  On my kitchen counter is a stack of fresh tortillas bought at the little store on the corner.    The kids suck on their chili and tamarind candies, and I hang laundry.   We smile at familiar faces and hug old friends.  It’s good to be here.  So much stays the same and yet so much has changed since we first started coming here.

  

We have a nice little fenced in yard which is great for keeping the roaming big nasty looking dogs away from playing kids.

We resumed our school work Monday morning...although we're not likely to look back on this month and say "wow, we sure accomplished a lot of book work".  Our goal is not to get too behind in our curriculum while we're gone...but we're here to experience and learn in other ways.  

We made it out to see our kids Monday evening.   It was only the youngest 5 at home.   Minerva and their mom were still out working in the fields and Alvaro was somewhere roaming around.  Apparently he's gone quite a bit, which makes me wonder what he's up to. 

It was so good to see them again.  It was also kind of sad, and a bit discouraging, and a big dose of reality.   They were all sick with nasty coughs, no longer in school, and fending for themselves all day. They did have food in their house though which was a good sign.  They now have two field workers in the family (Minerva works now) which is better for income...worse for education and a future.  

Sweet Louisa wasn't feeling well at all.  We visited later in the week and she seemed quite a bit better, back to her smiley self.  What hadn't changed was the same filthy clothes with pants nearly up to her knees.   It's seriously so hard to find the balance between  wanting to "mother" them and not wanting to step on any toes or wound any pride.   We're planning on  picking them up Sunday although we aren't yet sure if we'll bring them back to our house or out for tacos and some playing at a park somewhere.  We'll see what the weather does.  It's been cool, windy, and a bit damp the last couple days.   

Cece loved the baby. 

"hola mijo'

The pics are kind of in a strange order.   This is the inside of our casa.   It's fully furnished and was nice and ready for us.   Our friends even stalked it with some toys for the kids.  

I love these flowers.   

Well,  I really need to go back home and put Cece down for a nap...I'm kind of tempted to take on myself.   Morning comes super early here it seems....thanks to the  two hour time change and roosters.    It seems I have also caught the cold "our" kids have and it  has sapped what energy reserves I had left. I'll try not to let another week go by without some updates and pics.