Summer Vacation, here we come!

Today begins our summer vacation whirlwind! (This is a GOOD kind of whirlwind, not that crappy tornado kind that ruins vacations!)

We are heading to our annual summer mini-vaca about 45 minutes north of PV! This year, we'll be staying at Villa la Estancia which looks like it will do.

(Either you know me enough to know that the comment "it will do" was purely sarcastic OR you think I am a total snob!)

We are super excited and can't wait to be lounging in the pool! Our first vacation in the area when Soph was only 4 months old was a bit more challenging as she was too little to handle the heat and humidity of summer. Last year was much more fun as she became quite the little fish in the pool, and we were also able to enjoy ourselves a bit more! This year, we're expecting full-on fun - she is super psyched for vacation, and so are we!

We'll be back on Thursday afternoon and have 24 hours to do laundry and repack, then it is off to Wisconsin on Friday for a full month of family fun beginning with a trip to the Milwaukee zoo with the Uncles and Gram and Gramps! Obviously, trying to pack for two consecutive trips (with different weather) has been a challenge! This is what our bedroom looked like yesterday! (Where in the world is Waldo . . . I mean, Sophia!)


She did a great job of playing amidst the mess while we packed!


This won't be the first summer trip to the states - I was so fortunate to visit Minneapolis in June for Raphaela's bridal shower and then last weekend for her wedding! Lots of photos to post from those events, but you'll have to wait until we're de-vacationed! Happy Summer!

White Wonderland

Sophia is learning to open everything.

Things she can now open that are helpful:

Playdough Containers
Yogurt Cartons
Doors


Things she can now open that are the opposite of helpful:

Powder

Rockin' and Rollin' . . . or not!

Most of you know that we enrolled Sophia in her first "school" back in February. (See here for the story of her first day.) This May, they invited all the parents to their first Music Festival - a supposed demonstration by all the musically-talented children of what they had learned in the past few months! I must admit, the school has an extremely talented music teacher who is a gift to the youngsters, and as excited as they were pre-concert, things quickly changed once they had an audience!


(Of course, being that I am all American and punctual, we were among the first parents there! I must remember showing up 20 minutes late actually means right on time. Nearly 10 years, and I still haven't gotten the hang of that!)

Both the older and younger groups were quite lively, clapping, laughing and dancing around the garden!



But as soon as Sophia's group emerged, they sat in their chairs, stone-cold, no smiles cracked, no funny facial expressions, no clapping, no singing. Nothing. Stares. Four whole songs they sat there like that - these lively rambuctious creatures who normally won't sit still for 8 seconds much less 8 minutes. At one point they were given instruments, and again, they listlessly banged on them (still with stone-cold stares) while their teachers sang away happily (and a little embarrassed) to the songs!




Nevertheless, they received a huge applause from all of the in-love-with-their-two-year-old-parents, and of course the second they were done, they ran for their parents and watched another group perform.


And then ... suddenly, they all came to life! Jumping and dancing and shrieking - most likely making up for the eight torturous moments of silence they had endured earlier!


I suppose Sophia wanted to set the bar low so that if she cracks a smile in her next performance we'll see it as a grand improvement! Smart girl.

May Celebrations!

Seems like every summer I am playing catch-up to update the blog! Perhaps that happens because every spring is known to us as wedding bonanza, and while I'd love to have time to post photos, eat dinner, sleep and go to the bathroom, let's be honest. Our business just doesn't allow for it! There are a few May days, however, that can't go by without recognition!

First, Pablo and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on May 9th! Yippee for us! Only we were working - our anniversary happened to be squished in between May 8th and May 10th weddings so there wasn't much time for celebrating! He didn't, however, forget to bring me roses (as he has done every year thus far)!

Second, my third Mother's Day fell on May 10th (while we were at a wedding), so while I didn't actually get to spend it with my daughter OR my mom, lots of summer days are coming in which I get to make up for it! (And we did take off on the 11th, so I got to spend the day lazing around, reading books with Soph and recovering from the busy early May weeks!)

And last but not least, Sophia turned two years old on May 12th! Her real birthday fell midweek so we only celebrated a bit - she ate breakfast with dad and opened her birthday gift from grandma and grandpa Crawford and then her bff Melany (daughter of one of our employees) came over and we made sugar cookie ice cream sandwiches.

The following weekend, we held Sophia's second birthday party at our house and invited her friends - most of whom are adult friends of the family and her grandma and grandpa Vargas - along with her BFF's Melany, Junior and Eduardo. (She does have lots of little friends at school, but this was more of a "family" party, and these are the people we consider family here in Mexico!)

While Soph took her nap, we decorated the house with balloons and readied for a complete Backyardigans celebration! Sophia's nanny Lorena even brought her a Tasha pinata that we hung on the balcony! When she woke from her nap, she was a little dazed and confused, but soon warmed up to the new and colorful decor!



What followed was lots of fun - lots of chocolate-dipped pretzels, Backyardigan-mask wearing, burgers and dogs, fruit kabobs, presents galore (she got 3 baby dolls - her favorittte!) and cupcakes for dessert! And while we had been practicing blowing out the candles for days, she became camera shy and turned all serious on us. I eventually blew them out; not a moment hesitation once that was done, however, and she was digging right into the cupcake! After cupcakes, we headed downstairs for the breaking of the pinata; the kids (and a few adults) filled their pockets with goodies and then we all headed back upstairs to chill. I mean chill. It was hot; we were tired. Everyone couched while Soph sat around and played with her new toys. A perfect day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIA! WE LOVE YOU!

Go here for A reminder of Sophia's first birthday party!