Blogging Break

So, I took a little blogging break this week.  I spent the time catching up on archiving it into a word doc so I can have a separate journal and blog.  I'll try to go back to blogging less often and mostly just about the good stuff.  While I maintain that I prefer the occasional negative blog, I also realize that I've had a really hard time here and, despite my best efforts, there was nothing good in my blog there for a while.

So this week was alright... just a continuation to the countdowns going on in my head.  This weekend has been nice.  This week was Posada.  From what I read, kids dress up like Joseph and Mary and go from door to door asking if there's room in the inn.  They're turned away until they reach the designated place where "there is room in the inn" and they have a party.  I think it's a neat tradition, but I didn't see any of it.

We spent the week watching outside our window as the DIF prepared for a party in the park.  DIF is social services.  Chad works for DIF outside of town but this is a different branch I guess, family and children services - the office is the red building on the bottom right side of the photo, our neighbor.  It's really kind of a pretty building with flowered vines growing up the side.  They, apparently, own the park too.

They took out the playground, built a big stage, put out chairs, strung colored christmas lights between the lamp posts and spent afternoons practicing their routines in the office courtyard.  We went to about an hour of the party on Thursday, but we missed the fun stuff.  We were there for some of the performances, but after we left for dinner and bedtime, they broke two pinatas, gave away stuff and had food.  It looked like fun, but it was nice to get out and enjoy some of the amusing performances too.  Again, they are not afraid to look silly.  There was a goofy looking reindeer and a snowman.  Chloe went to meet the reindeer and the snowman was like the clown at a rodeo as he tamed the crowds during the pinata fun.  We decided to get a pinata for christmas and I'd kind of like to make it a family tradition.  Maybe for Christmas Eve or something, though, in the states we'll probably have to make our own since they're hard to come by.  

Friday, Chad had the day off.  It was a nice and kinda lazy day.  We went to the mall.  While Everett and I did some grocery and Christmas shopping, Chad and Chloe played at the arcade.  Then the stars aligned so that we were all able to nap and then we went to a new restaurant in town.  I thought the food was good, Chad didn't.  The hot chocolate here is different, kind of cinnamony.  Chad didn't like it at first, but I really do!  The kids... well Everett was being a grouch because we didn't get our food until 7:00 and because we're all sick.  So Everett was being a monster and the little boy sitting behind us gave him a couple of little matchbox race cars.  I tried to give them back, but the boy gave Everett one of them again and his mom coached him on how to say in English "I give this to you."  How sweet is that??  On the way home, we stopped by the huge basillica there in town.  It's the big yellow and red building.

It was so ornate and pretty.  But then there were of course statues of Mary everywhere and two mummies entombed in the walls behind glass.  That's creepy!!  On the way out, there was a dark statue of Christ that gave me the heeby geebies.  The face looked like something from a haunted house.  Outside, there were some kids ringing the bell.  So I did too.  Apparently it wasn't ok because a lady standing there gave me a dirty look.  I was trying to be respectful of those worshiping, but apparently that qualified as failing miserably.  I didn't care too much though because it totally made my night!  I had to hang all of my weight on the rope... ah simple pleasures.

Yesterday we had a lazy morning and then we walked into town.  We were going to do some site seeing, but decided to save that for when Chad's parents get here so we'll have a camera (I won't have mine, but I'll be borrowing one) and won't duplicate sites.  So we tried and failed to mail our application for an apartment in B-town.  I'm really afraid we won't be able to get back in to the complex we were at before (we loved it there and it's super cheap and month to month).  We've got a month left, but it'll probably take that long to get our last landlord to answer a couple of questions about us.  I don't know what we'll do; I'll be bummed if we don't get in, but at least we have family and friends close enough that I'm not freaking out.  Anyway, Chad found a Gambit Xmen toy for "Everett's stocking" that he's excited about.  And we got a framed piece of artwork that I'm excited about.  It was cheap and by an artist that I really like.  We've tried to catch him several times, but again, people don't have set hours here.  He does this technique of painting twilight scenes that totally look like they're backlit and glowing.  It's hard to describe.  I chose one of a father and son walking under a bridge here in town.  The more I look at it, the more I love it.  We walked to get milk on the other side of town.  I forgot to get soy milk at the Mega the day before and it's kind of hard to find.  I don't think they have as many allergies here.  We had a long, hard core walk home carrying about 3 gallons of milk and a painting.  Man, Mexicans are tough!  Every time I pass a pregnant woman, I thank Heavenly Father that I'm not right now.  On the way back, we stopped by the park to let Chloe get on the stage and put on a show for us.  That was a lot of fun.  Everett and I sat on the steps that lead into the park and clapped for her.  We wouldn't have made it up the hill to the house if we hadn't taken that little rest.

It was a  nice weekend.  Another good part is that our room mates went to the beach.  I seriously considered for a few minutes going with them.  But even though it's been cold here, I'm really glad I didn't go.  It was nice to have the house to ourselves, relax a bit, and spend some time together as a family.  Mexico is much better now that Chad is more available and wanting to do stuff, plus we're kind of in the home stretch.

Today we're home sick from church.  The kids are being kind of clingy and we probably won't do anything.  I am excited though that I have a family conference call tonight that hopefully I'll actually remember when the time comes - for once!  And Saturday, Chad's parents will be here!!  WAHOO!!  I'm afraid the week might drag on and on because I'm just SO stinking excited!  I'll have to find ways to keep my mind off of it : )