There are lots of things I miss about Brookline - Indian food is high on the list. But what I miss most though are the school drop-offs and pick-ups. 

Here in Merida, we drive about 5 miles to school and then drop the kids off from our cars into the arms of a waiting staff member who is greeting them at the door (a rainy day dream in Brookline, I know).  My errands are all done via car because of the heat.  Playgrounds are too hot during the day.  There isn’t the much of the opportunity for spontaneous gatherings like in Brookline.

In Brookline, we walk to school less than a quarter mile. Along the way, we run into friends doing the exact same thing.  After we accomplish dropping off the kids, parents get to chat, complain, crow, gossip and giggle. We arrange playdates, coffee, bbqs, bday parties, camp dates and pto volunteers on the fly.  The same thing happens in the afternoon when we gather to pick them up.  There’s always the possibility of an instant playdate after school - just walk to Pierce Park or Emerson Park and there’s bound to be a bunch of friends their too. The girls get a playdate and mommy does too.

I’ve made a couple great friends here that you would all like, but I  certainly miss running to school or the post office or KooKoos and being guaranteed to see my fellow Brookline mommies Kristin or Stacey or Deb or Kathy or Eileen or Jenn or Jen or Blanka or Martha or Liz or Ellen or Michele or Laura or Janet or Elie or Jackie or Suzanne or Beth or Silvia or Cass or Karen or Meredith or Ina!

In the words of Joni Mitchell “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone”.  Lucky for me, it’s not gone, just on hiatus!

This morning I woke up with the feeling that the bed was spinning.  I got up and couldn’t walk a straight line.  It was as if someone had spun me 20 times and pointed me towards a pinata.  We called the Otorrinolaringolista (Ear Nose & Throat doctor) that H had seen earlier in the month and happily got an appointment for this morning.  He did all sorts of crazy tests to try to replicate the dizziness/vertigo in the office.  My eyes were not reacting strangely when opened, but I couldn’t walk straight at all with my eyes closed. My hearing is also a bit off.  We are assuming that perhaps my flights to Florida this week (2 fights each way, so 8 takeoffs and landings) may have aggravated something in my inner ear.

He gave me some meds and suggested rest, no driving, small meals (for nauseau) and limited movement for the next three days. He sent me to the lab for blood tests and urinalysis (luckily they had an early am appointment so I went straight from bed because the blood tests required an 8 hour fast).  On Tuesday I have to go see some other doctor for some hearing tests.

Very strange, I feel fine otherwise.  I can type, READ (click for my reading list), etc - but movement is not fun!

Burger King in Merida delivers.  I PROMISE I have not used this service!

Octopus (en espanol = Pulpo).

“Are you crazy? I’m NOT eating that!”

“So if I eat this tiny piece, you’ll give me 5 pesos?” (50 cents)

“Here goes!”

“Hmm. Not so Awful.”

“On second thought - yuck!”

“Pay Up!”

(Campeche, August 2008)

Once you’ve watched a movie in the VIP theatre, it’s hard to go back to a normal theatre!

No different than the US, the elementary schools here have a problem here with the spread of lice.  Thankfully we have been spared!  Our school decided that to help avoid the spread, they are now requiring that girls wear their hair tied back at school.

Apparently, there was a loophole though - short hair doesn’t have to be tied back.  Which is why the girls requested that I take them to the salon on Monday to go from this…

  BEFORE

to this…

 AFTER!

We found a very cool restaurant last night.  It’s a Yucatecan and LEBANESE place called Alberto’s Continental at 57 & 64 in Centro.  Parts of the building date from the 1700’s, with Mayan stones much more ancient. It’s got amazing indoor and outdoor space decorated in a beautiful hodgepodge of antiques.

Because we still eat like Gringo’s (before 8pm), we had the whole place to ourselves which actually made it seem even more magical.

I didn’t have my camera, pictures above are from their site: http://www.albertoscontinental.com/Pictures.html

What do they do at school?  H is in Tercero (3rd grade).  J is in Kinder Tres (Equivalent of Kindergarten in USA)

English - H = Both have it for about 2 hours a day/10 hours a week.  The rest of their day is primarily in Spanish.

Computers - J doesn’t have computer class.  H has it 1/wk for 2 hours. Often the class in in Spanish, but they are working on software related to learning English (Note: Mom not thrilled that some of the software seems to be Disney & Spongebob based).  Apparently depending on what year they are (school is through 6th grade), they work with and teach the kids Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc..

Gym - 2/wk for 1 hour for both girls

Movement - H has Wushu 2/wk for 1 hour, J has Dance 1/wk for 1 hour and another hour of structured outside time as well. (The kids also have recess every day.)

Espanol - 1/wk.  H for 3 hours, J for 1.5 hours

Natural Sciences - 1/wk. H for 3 hours,  J for 1 hour

Social Studies - 1/wk. H for 2 hours, J for 1 hour

Math - H has it 1/wk for 3 hours, J has it 2/wk 4 hours total

Art Elective (H has it once a week for 90 min - every four weeks they choose a new one between Theatre, Sculpture, Painting, Robotics, socially mixed with an even amount of kids from all the upper grade classes.  For the next four weeks, she choose painting due to space issues, but really can’t wait for sculpture.)

I wish you could all see the school, it is a very cool modern bright funky place!

This morning H told us that her teacher asked her why she is always late.  We bring both girls every morning by 8am, same time as last year.  Lots of other families are dropping off their kids the same time as us.  So of course we questioned H as to whether or not she’s going straight to class, stopping to talk, pitstop en el bano, etc.  Nope, Nope, Nope she claimed.

So Hubby took the girls to school and got them there before 8am so H would have time to walk upstairs.  When I picked her up, she handed me a note that said “Our class starts at 7:30am.”  Que????????????????????

I waited until the dismissal rush was over and called school.  No one had ever informed us that start times are staggered and change depending on what grade you are in!  H starts at 7:30am and J starts at 7:50am.  For two full weeks, we have been bringing our kids to school late.  40 minutes a day missed in educating their minds times 10 days = 400 minutes of brainpower gone!

Worse - I shudder to think how much extra brainpower we’ll all be losing getting up a half hour earlier every day.  No one in my family does well without sleep - least of all me.  4 family members times 30 minutes less sleep time 5 days a week is 600 minutes or 10 HOURS less sleep per week for my family.

Look out Mexico - this ain’t gonna be pretty.