We just got back from an amazing trip to Mexico to celebrate Dia de los Muertos! This was my very FIRST international trip (somewhat delayed due to all of Mama's surgeries...), and I had the BEST time ever! We started in Mexico City - after a super late flight. Dada was in Cuba, and meeting us in Mexico - so Mama flew with big brother and me by herself. We left at midnight - I've never been allowed to stay up that late, and I had a great time running all over the place...until about 5 minutes before we were supposed to board the plane when I finally fell asleep! Whoops! We met our friends, the Gonzalez family, who live in Mexico City - and they showed us so many amazing places. We played at a local park, visited the main square that had Alebrije (spirit animal) floats from a recent parade, and ate at many amazing restaurants. They served lots of rice and beans...my favorite foods! The Archaeological Museum was also super amazing - lots of old stuff that they dug up from the ground...mostly I liked the gold jewelery and the old bones. Since it was Dia de los Muertos, there were so many awesome skeletons around...and since I love skeletons, I was super excited every time I saw one.
All ready for Dia de los Muertos!
My favorite Alebrije (kitty cat with baby kitty cat hatching from egg; complete with wings and bird feet!)
The dragon/cat/serpent monster is getting Declan!
Making friends with Mr. Skeleton
Palace of Fine Arts
Diego Rivera mural
One of many ofrendas
Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera
More skeletons!
MY CHURROS!!!
Archaeological Museum
Templo Mayor Muesum in Mexico city - excavated pyramids!
After a few days in Mexico City, we traveled a bit South to San Andreas de Mixquic, a small indigenous town that really knows how to celebrate. This tiny town had about 100,000 visitors that night - and it was so much fun! There were stalls selling all kinds of crafts and foods - and I got a cool mask to wear. We got to walk in the local cemetery at midnight, with only candle light to guide us (along with everyone else). I wasn't spooked at all - it was really a special night. The decorations were so colorful, and the skeletons were not scary at all! I wish we had an awesome celebration like this back at home!
a HUGE Catrina
sugar skulls were everywhere
Big brother riding a REAL bull
cemetary at midnight
Dada is cheating at poker with the skeletons
With Aztec warriors
Next, we all traveled to Puebla, a small lovely town about 2 hours from Mexico City. We spent three nights in a lovely renovated old hotel building, right next to an amazing and active market. I purchased my favorite new animal - a textiled kitty cat that I have named "Frida"...after Frida Kahlo of course! Puebla had a huge parade for the holiday, complete with lots of skeletons and masks. The town square was active and lively, and there was a beautiful old cathedral that we visited as well.
One of many marigold displays
Such a lovely town with some of my favorite colors
The main cathedral in Puebla
Declan got to help knead the clay at the Talavera pottery factory
Frida Kahlo mural
Another beautiful courtyard ofrenda
This ofrenda was for a deceased writer - he's depicted here with a typewriter
The whole gang: Gonzalez family (Ernesto, Viviana, Gabriella, Olivia) and Mama, Dada, Declan, and me at our hotel in Puebla
All the Coco family!
Then, we finally said goodbye to our friends, and we headed to Zihuatanejo for 5 nights in Paradise! We rented a house RIGHT ON THE OCEAN! With an infinity pool, and my favorite part - hammocks! More beans and rice...I think that's all I ate this whole trip! We swam in the ocean every day - I kept saying that it felt like the 'cuzi - since the water was so warm. We had a memorable day of swimming with the dolphins - I wasn't afraid at all and gave them big hugs and kisses. I was too little, but Declan got to even hold onto them while they swam in the water! After the dolphins, we got to go save some baby sea turtles. There was this nice man who tries to help them by digging up the eggs and burying them behind a fence so the eggs don't get hurt. Then he digs them up 45 days later and sets the baby turtles free into the ocean! We got to help with this - i dug my very own holes and pulled out SO MANY turtles. Mama was pretty concerned that I was going to decapitate a few, but I was very gentle. Declan and Dada also got a ton of turtles - we ended up with about 600 of them!!!!
We enjoyed the lovely little fishing village, did a little shopping (Mama and Dada dragged us into a Tequileria!). Declan and Dada even did some snorkeling while I slept with Mama on the beach. Declan got to go on a jet ski too! I was super jealous, but contented myself with the boogie board. We loved it in Zihuatanejo so much that we can't wait to go back!
Zooming on a dolphin!!!
There were over 50 turtles in each hole!
I didn't decapitate any of them!
Over 600 baby turtles starting to wriggle in the sunlight
The release!
Go turtles go!
At the pool at our home for the week, overlooking the Pacific Ocean
The ladies
Boat ride!
Declan & Dada saw parts of a sunken boat, and even a large sunken statue under water
Mama and Declan go jet-skiing!
And Dada & declan did too...I can't wait until I'm old enough!
I tried boogie boarding instead...
digging a hole to China
Falling asleep while being buried in the sand
Matching Mama & Keevah rompers
A happy Mama at dinner
Looking for the "green dot" at sunset
It was warm even at night
After a late dinner and a long vacation - we both fell asleep in the stroller...
We got home and had a few days to recover. We had three days of school, and then it was Thanksgiving break! We had our annual friends-giving, and Gee & Grandpa even came this year. I liked the turkey and pretty much nothing else, except for I always have room for dessert. Now, I'm all ready for Santa to come soon!
All our friends and family for Thanksgiving
Dada was jogging when we took the pretty photos, so here's him with his sous vide Turkey!
The Great Pumpkin is coming! It's coming! It's coming! ...but not to it's coming to Mexico instead of Napa! We are going to Mexico to celebrate Dia de los Muertos next week. I've been learning all about Mexican culture. We have put up an Altar and an "ofrenda" in our house, and I can't wait to see all the traditions in person. All of that is for next blog post, but we still have had a busy month doing all our normal Fall & Halloween things here.
Our newly installed Altar or "family wall" - Each row represents one generation. Keevah and I are in the middle in the second-to-last row - with all our cousins alongside us. The dude at the tippy-top is my maternal great-great-great-great--great-grandfather, Benjamin Colton.
Me and Keevah with Miss Laura in front of our Altar for Dia de los Muertos
We started the month with a quick trip to Atlanta for Mama's annual ENT Academy meeting. We spent the weekend with Dada's childhood friend, Mr. Noah and his family. Dada and Mr. Noah met when they were about my age and have been bestest of friends since then! He has a little boy, Benjamin, and hopefully we will be friends forever too! I got to see Olympic Park, with the cool fountains and Ferris Wheel too. We had a bit of a crazy departure, spending all day at the airport due to TWO separate engine failures (one of which occurred upon takeoff!!!), and eventually returning to Mama's hotel to spend an extra night in Atlanta! Dada couldn't compliment me enough cause I was so brave and so patient the whole day!
Noah, Emily, Mama and Dada; then Olivia, Elizabeth, Benjamin, and Me
Me and Benjamin (age 7) recreating a photo of Dada and Mr. Noah from over 30 years ago!
Dada & Mr. Noah circa 1986
Me with Dada, and Mr. Noah with Benjamin
Olympic Park in Atlanta
With Mama and Auntie Kristi (she's ENT too!) at Olympic Park
The restaurant in Atlanta had a putting green!
At dinner with Mama, Dada and Mama's colleagues
Thomas Jefferson!
While I was in Atlanta with Mama and Dada, Keevah Nyx spent the weekend with Gee & Grandpa. She loved the park - all set up with tons of bouncy houses!
Keevah and Gee at Smedberg Park (family relative on Gee's side)
Bouncy House fun!
Pumpkin castle!
Feeding the duckies with Grandpa (or Papa, since Keevah refuses to call him Grandpa!)
Keevah with Pinky Bear. Mama got Pinky as a gift when she was one DAY old!
We returned from Atlanta just in time to get organized for Mama's toga party. We threw the party to celebrate the end of her Breast Cancer journey, and have been planning for many months! Everything was perfect - the twinkle lights in the trees, the Greek columns, yummy Greek food, awesome costumes, music, and so many of our friends and family. Everyone had to include something in their costume to promote breast cancer awareness. I spent the night tending to our roaring firepit, and running around with my friend Haines (until we eventually crashed to watch a movie).
Mama as the Greek Goddess Aceso - Goddess of the Healing Process
My whole family (with our little pink items on our costumes as a nod to Breast Cancer awareness)
Mama with Gee
Granddad & Boppy
Hercules!!!
Nyx - Goddess of Night, who gives birth to the Dawn
Mama with more friends - including some who flew in from Minneapolis
Mama with Dr. Steve and Dr. Lois - her ENT partners
Mama's hospital colleagues
So many great friends!
Dada with Dr. Jessy; I couldn't leave the party to go to bed, so I fell asleep right in the middle of the action
Though we aren't going to be in the US for Halloween, there was Trick or Treating at BOTH my school (called Trunk or Treat because everyone decorated their car trunks!) and in the shops in downtown Napa. So, we got to get all dressed up in costume after all! I went as Harry Potter (again!), and Sissy went as the Great Pumpkin. She's wearing a costume that Gee made for Mama when Mama was about 5 years old! It still looks great, and Keevah loved it!
Downtown Napa
Uncle Ben & Mama circa 1982
Napa Riverfront
With Gee & Grandpa
At Mt. George's (my school) Trunk or Treat evening
Cute little pumpkin
Harry Potter mixing potions
It's hard to eat a donut with NO hands!
Keevah found her old costume and had to try it on! It fit shockingly well...just a bit short!
Keevah Halloween 2016
This weekend, Gee & Grandpa are in Napa since Mama is on call and Dada is in Havana for a "boys trip". We got to carve pumpkins with them! I started with a ridiculously complicated skeleton holding a sword, and eventually settled on the classic jack-o-lantern! Keevah wanted a kitty cat, so Mama carved one for her...complete with a spooky spider!
Keevah Nyx refused to touch the "guts"!
Grandpa was a good supervisor!
Old school jack-o-lantern
My classic jack-o-lantern
Mama made a kitty for Keevah
Finally - we have been loving our leaf piles in the back yard!
