After 6 years

My last trip to Missouri was in October 2009 when my oldest was three and the middle one was only 6 months old. That’s insane!!!!!! But really it was necessary on so many accounts. First of all I think I needed the isolation from the states to help with the culture adjustments. I still remember the day I read Leslies blog when she said she hadn’t been back to the states for over five years and that she didn’t really miss it all that much anymore. I remember thinking I want that, I’m sick of comparing, I’m ready to be “at home” in Mexico. It’s not like I planned it really but I do remember reading that and thinking that. Then when my middle child was less than two years old number three popped out. (She really did just pop out, labor was less than four hours).  I had my hands full with little ones and the time just flew by. I started working, and really vacations time and money are two things that just don’t line up to often. About year four after my last visit I was just too nervous to try to travel alone with all three girls. The time I went before honestly it was a nightmare with a three year old and a six month old. Then there was the whole Canada fiasco. We were thinking maybe we should get there first and then it will be easier to visit.

 Ok so that is the end of all my excuses. I always feel like I have to give them because when I tell people I haven’t visited my family in six years I get dagger eyes from them. Once someone was giving a prophetic word to me about Lily and they said that she will do missions, but that it would be short term missions and that her heart and home would always be in Mexico with her mom and dad”. Then they added, “Unlike yours which flew the coop and never looked back.” It made me laugh because I hadn’t even told them yet how long it had been. 

So, the last couple months have been filled with a crazy roller coaster of emotions. God has shown me many images and I’ve had countless dreams about things that will go on while I’m there. So many things that right now seem impossible. I can’t quite figure out the logistics of how theywill happen. But over and over He has proven to be right when he speaks to me in this way so I have believed. Also fear has entered about being in the airport and going through customs with less than a two hour layover and three kids. Later I get excited because someone sets up a date where I will get to see them and hug them. And I remember how excited I am to see all the people I love and who have supported me in all this time. Then I remember that I hardly even go to the grocery store with all three girls and without my husband. Oh crap Im going to a different country with them and without him, WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!! My sister then sends me a message about her vacation time and I start to relax and think about morning chatting over coffee and spiritual discussions. This makes me start thinking about how most of my family lives in the country and my girls are such city kids and I’ll have to be on top of them the whole time. So basically this is how I have been for a couple months now. Really this is just a small peak inside the insanity.

But guess what my Father God doesn’t want this insanity going on inside my head. He wants peace, patience, and good thoughts. He reminded me of that this weekend in our prayer service. I received word after word form people I hadn’t discussed any of this with. And of course He spoke directly to me covering me with a blanket of His love. He reminded me that he is so much bigger than all that other stuff. He reminded me that if He can stop a freaking hurricane from blowing up Mexico then he can help us get through customs without stress. He reminded me that I have given and continue to give my girls and their safety to Him on a daily basis. He gave me peace in my heart that even as I now write all those things above I laugh at them. I know that they are nothing compared to my Daddy in heaven. That the entire time the Holy Spirit will be there giving me, and my girls, His wisdom and His knowledge. And even now as I write he tells me he wants to heal people even in the airport. That this can be a mission trip and it makes me so happy and calm.

Now we get to the fun part. Now I am planning without fear. I am overly excited. I have gifts for my friends and family members. I have checked our suit cases to be sure we have enough. We are in the process of getting our consent letter printed and notarized. And the tickets have been ready for quite some time now. So here is and image of what we will look like in just 4 weeks and three days. My girls are going to be baffled by all that we see and do. SO EXCITING!!!!!!!

                                                                                         

Discipline, What does it really mean?

Today I am going to write about raising children. Yikes this is a heavy subject. I have felt inspired to write about this for various reasons. One of which is that my position in the church makes it necessary. My husband and I are in charge of the Pastoral Ministries in our church. Somehow God managed to implant the churches mission vision and DNA into our hearts long before we ever came to SOZO. The Holy Spirit is amazing in that way. That being said the things I’m going to write about are nothing new as far as biblical principles but they are often times ignored. Also they are often times spoken of without the aspect of grace (through which we have been saved and not through works). So soon I will be writing a counseling manual for those in our church who will be giving counseling to young families. My idea is to get some of my thoughts out here first to help me organize things. Hope you all enjoy and learn and grow in your walk of being a mother. As I have said over and over these principles apply to all moms Christian or not. They are laws written into the fabric of existence that no men can separate from. So if you are not a Christian (like many of my friends and family) read on and see if this helps you with any issues you may have with your kidos. In writing about this just like any other topic I write about I have to admit I am far from considering myself perfect or that I move in these principles 100% every day. But what I can tell you is that I try and I have seen the fruits of each one in the lives of my children. I know I’m biased but really my kidos are amazing!!!!! And to be honest I’m not the only one who notices. But really I can’t take a lot of credit for it. Ill speak more about this a bit later. 

I’m going to base this blog on Proverbs 23:12-26.  Normally I place the verses at the end but this time I’m going to put them here and discuss each one in detail. 

12. Apply your heart to discipline
And your ears to words of knowledge.

Ok mamas this verse is for you not your kidos. If we expect to discipline our children we have to discipline ourselves first. We have to be the example for our little ones, someone they can look up to. For those of you who do not have children and are not ready for this step, please wait. Our children learn by mimicking words and actions. Many times they don’t understand the meanings or implications of such words and actions but they understand that they "work" to accomplish something. Also we have to resign ourselves to be strong and stick to our words. This involves much discipline on a mom part. Many days it is just easier to clean the whole hose by yourself but if you have taught your children that they should be a part of that process it needs to be constant. How can we grow in our discipline? Well for me seeing results is what has helped me stay steady in discipline. The days when my girls come home and clean up without me saying so or yelling or acting crazy (yes this happens sometimes to), I know they are getting it and that I have been showing a good example. 

Now about the words of knowledge, recently there have been videos out about how everyone, including people you don’t know, wants to give you advice on child rearing. Ugg this is so true and especially here in Mexico. And lo and behold what am I doing in this very blog. The honest truth is that you can’t receive the ideas of everyone and think you can apply them all. First you have to decide what your principle beliefs are. If your faith is in God you don’t need to rub eggs on your sick baby or tie strings around their fingers. If you agree about the basic laws which God wove into creation then seek them and you will find your answers. This does not go to say that you shouldn’t seek help. Many times as mothers we run out of options and don’t know which way to turn. This can be a very dangerous situation. What this means is to seek words of knowledge. Look at the children in your life; are any of them how you hope to see your child someday? If so, seek out that mom. If you are in a church, seek out your leaders. And if you don’t like what you see in their kids, then simply seek out Gods advice. Read in your bible about what it says and let the Holy Spirit give you the words of Knowledge you need. You are never ever alone as mom. And if you feel alone please seek a knowledgeable voice for your life. There are tons of blogs, Facebook pages, ext. that can help to guide you. Just be sure to always filter what you are told through the bible and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If you dont have those two things to filter I’m afraid there will be some things that are just plain trial and error. 

13. Do not withhold discipline from the child;
If you [a]swat him with a reed-like rod [applied with godly wisdom], he will not die.

Here is the kicker. I know there are so many people out there today that want to say that spanking children is bad and will ruin them. But that is simply not the case. The version I am using is the amplified bible. I love this version because it returns to the original translation and writes out complete thoughts about certain words that just don’t translate. When you learn more than one language, you find that often times a word cannot be translated with just one word. You need a thought or a phrase to explain the word. Here they have placed in parenthesis around, applied with Godly wisdom. Wow this is so important. Later I will be talking more about anger but it has to enter in this part also. Spanking should never be done in anger. Children are born into a sinful nature once again due to laws set out since Adam and Eve. The thing is whoever thinks that children are innocent and don’t do intentionally do wrong, has either not had children or do not speak to their children. There is an amazing live stand up by Bill Cosby where he talks about exactly that. Here is the link for some good laughs. Bill Cosby Himself truthfulness of children

Child instincts are naturally not positive because they only think of themselves and what they want. This is not something bad it’s just natural. But they need to be taught and instructed on how not to be this way. Children are the best manipulators you will ever meet, and if you don’t believe this about your child you are most likely the victim of said manipulation. I am not saying you should spank your child for everything they do wrong but there are times in which it is needed. There are many situations where a time out is sufficient and in this you need to know your children and decide according to their personalities.

14. You shall [b]swat him with the reed-like rod
And rescue his life from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

This sounds so extreme, right? Save him from hell!!!! Well yeah in reality that’s what you will be doing. Children have to be taught that people are not to be manipulated, that the world is not only about them and that they should love other people.  How can they love other people? Love is an action it is a verb. They also need to learn obedience. Many of the world wide problems today are because people think they should always get to do what they want and not what they are told.  Clearly any environment is better when creativity and grace enter. But there has to be a balance. Learning to submit to leadership and guidance is such a hard lesson. It makes it even harder if children were never taught to do so when young. Although it may seem harsh right now while your child is five years old think about how they will be able to keep a job if they refuse to submit to a boss. Thinking of the most recent reasons my children received a spanking was because they were treating their siblings in a manner that is not acceptable or because they refused to clean their room. Was I angry and flying off the handle when I spanked them? Of course not!  As a mom you have to be sure that discipline happens before you reach your limit. This enters into the mommy discipline that I spoke of earlier. If you feel your tempeture rising take a deep breath calm down then apply discipline to the child. 

15. My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will also be glad;

16. Yes, my heart will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.

This verse gives me rest and peace. It’s so true. Like I said before the results of self-discipline are what encourages you to keep it up. In the same way that our Father God looks at us and is glad, we can look at our children and be glad. This is not a prideful gladness because we know that really God is raising our children but a gladness knowing that my child will have successful relationships and a pure heart as an adult. A fullness that is worth every effort you have put forth. My kids teach me so much day after day. At times their wisdom throws me for a loop and I love to learn from them. 

17. Do not let your heart envy sinners [who live godless lives and have no hope of salvation],
But [continue to] live in the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord day by day.
Sometimes my girls notice that other moms are not as strict or do not expect as much out of their children as I do. They have asked me before, why does so and sos mom let them act that way. Many times this has been a great teaching moment. I ask my girls how it made them feel when said child acted the way they did. How did it affect the activity or play that was going on? Should we cause that kind of feelings for other people? The thing is kids that throw fits and act out many times is due to lack of identity and love (which will be in another post). Discipline is an act of love. It gives children security and helps them have order in their world. By living a disciplined life and thinking of others we honor God because he loves those "others" as much as he loves you. His love is an unconditional love. So I help my girls to understand that is why I discipline them. I do it out of love, and so far they understand and accept this with great understanding. 

18. Surely there is a future [and a reward],
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.

Ahhh there is that peace again. In the midst of the turmoil of being a mommy we can rest in the promises God has given us. There will be a reward. Somedays we don’t see it, but others it is so evident. Again the fruits of your labor should be shining through every once in a while to give you this glimmer of hope for the future. And of course once they are grown and have their own children they will be a daily example of your efforts and of the love God has towards them. I love how it says your expectation will not be cut off. Because those who have received promises brought to completion from God know that He always goes the extra mile. Your expectations fall very short of what God has for your children. His dreams and goals for them are HUGE!!! Your children have a life purpose so much bigger than you can even imagine. We should be their launching ground. At our church we speak of parents building a platform that can serve as a roof for their children until the children can then build even higher. We want them to excide what we have accomplished in life and in Christ.
19Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way [of the Lord].
 20Do not associate with heavy drinkers of wine,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
 21For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And the drowsiness [of overindulgence] will clothe one with rags.

 Here we have to talk about the constant education and teaching that we need to be giving to our children. Since the age of two or three my girls have had a piggy bank which they save money all year long. Each Easter they are allowed to open their banks and spend their money however they wish. My husband and I give them ideas and make suggestions when they ask for them but otherwise we allow them to buy what they want and we never add to what they have. If they don’t have enough then they have to find something else. My oldest daughter is now 9 and you would be amazed at how wise her spending decisions are. We cannot just give, give, give and give to our children. When we do this we are teaching them that they can always get what they want. That even if they don’t have enough resources it will be given to them. Often times I look around and wish that my girls could have all the fun stuff I had as a kid. But also I know that because of all that stuff I had my mom went into debt. And I never thought I had enough. I got arrested for stealing at 15 years old and it wasn’t the first time I had stolen. The point is that going into debt to give your children everything you always or never had will not help them. My girls are happy yet sometimes they notice that other kids have things they don’t. But they also take care of the things that they have. They appreciate each and every gift in a special way. They have learned to make toys out of recycled items and how to appreciate those toys even more because they made them. I know I have a lot to learn here because often times my flesh sneaks in and gets envious of those moms who do give everything to their children. It’s a constant fight between my spirit and flesh but when I feel I’m not sure I remember to seek out the knowledge of God.
22Listen to your father, who sired you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
 How can we teach this part to our children? This is only taught but example. You cannot tell your children to respect you then speak badly about your mother... or mother in law (ouch). You cannot say listen to your father and then ignore any advice given by your own... or by your husband (your children’s father). Ok I guess you can do that but I promise you your children will notice the double standard and follow your actions and not your words.
23Buy truth, and do not sell it;
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Ok so I have to admit this verse through me for a loop at first. I had to do some cross referencing about the words buy and sell. Because at first I thought well selling the truth would be a good idea right? If you do cross reference checking on the word used for buy in this verses it was often translated as seek, look for, search, or find. Ok so we need to be looking for the truth. This goes along with what we said before. It’s ok not to know everything and to seek out knowledgeable advice. And the word used for sell in other verses is used for gaining profit, for personal gain, or loving your own life more than Christ. Wow that is pretty powerful. We should not do all of this for our own personal gain. We need to do this for the love of Christ and for the betterment of our children. Child rearing should never turn into a selfish accomplishment. It’s something no one can do correctly without the guidance of our Father and to be honest this should be a relief. In this way we can also fall back on the Grace He has for us through Christ when we screw it up, which we will all do more than once. 

24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise child will have joy in him.

25Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who gave birth to you rejoice [in your wise and godly choices].

 So first off as a daughter still one my favorite things are to call and tell my parents of my recent personal accomplishments. I know my mom will be reading this blog and will feel a since of pride that she has done a work well done. I know my parents were not perfect the same that I am not perfect. But they deserve my respect for what they did accomplish and for the things I did learn from them.  Quite honestly we went through some pretty hard times as a family but I look at all my siblings and can see that my father can be glad and my mother can rejoice. In this same way peace enters in during the most frustrating moments of being a mommy. I can give it to God and know that someday and really in small pieces every day I will receive this promise in completion.
26My son, give me your heart
And let your eyes delight in my ways,

This verse reflects something I mentioned briefly before. All of this is possible when you truly give it all up to God. It says give me your heart. What is in your heart? My heart is full to the brim with my husband and my girls. So both of them I have to give to God. This is something I have done over and over and over again. My flesh always wants to return them into my control and my wisdom. But then the Spirit helps me to remember that I am not capable. But in Christ I can do all things. This means that I need to give my decisions, my self-discipline, and my actions up to Him. When we truly do this life goes so much smother. There is no guilt because I know Jesus covers all my sins and already forgave me for this current screw up. I can once again say ok Lord I give them to you, help me make the right choices. 

Entering the age of friends and sleepovers

Over the past few months we have been blessed to get to know a few more families who have kids the age of our girls. Awhile back I started doing English Playdate with one of my students children. They have been close aquantainces for over a year but thanks to these classes are even closer now. Then another student who actually works with me in the hospital started bringing her kids to the play date. And our pastor has three little girls who are the same age as my youngest two.

This has been a whole new experience for me as a mommy.

I always loved having a ton of kids around all the time growing up and knew someday I wanted to give my girls the same experience. I have three sisters and one brother and we basically all were allowed to invite a friend or two over on the weekends. You can only imagine our house when we all did, and it did happen. Last weekend we got our first taste of having friends over who had kids and it was a blast. They have three boys, 13, 6, and 2. Seriously the cutest little boys ever and really good kids as well. We put our brand new kiddy pool up on the roof (any of you not from Mexico roofs here are just flat and most of them have barriers or walls so you cant fall off). Us parents grilled, drank a few beers and just hung out while the kids had a blast in the pool. Then this weekend we baby sat for the couple that has three little girls (4yr old, and twins that are 2). They stayed the night and it was so fun to watch them all play. They did great and Issac and I were not as wore out as everyone expected. Actually it didnt seem like that much more work. Thankfully my hubby is an awesome papi and helped me out a lot, I was far from alone with the six kids. And now next weekend my girls are going to stay the night with the other couple who has an 7 yr old girl and a 6 year old boy. Seems to me that we have entered into a new phase of parenting. I mean my girls have stayed whole weeks with grandma, nights with our good friends but they are like an Aunt and Uncle to them, and even once with the same friends where they are going next weekend, but still I feel like this is going to be happening more often. Im actually good with it as long as my husband keeps up the awesomeness that is him. We actually make a great team and I love when that is put to work. Plus this means sending our kids for sleepovers and rest time or date night for us.

Funny thing is I feel like all this is so "normal." Why is that funny you might ask. Well even after five years and feeling that I have reached the "official acceptance phase." of my so called culture shock, I still have my moments. Just last week I drove home crying over the fact that a coworker basically had to slap me in the face to get me to accept something that is just so deep in the culture here that its not changing tomorrow or in the next few years for that matter. (the coworker was being helpful but it was a hard blow for me.) Anyway the point is after going through those random reminders that I'm not where I grew up and that things and people are way different here, its nice to be reminded that some things are still "normal."

Three cheers from good friends, spring, and changes.

How about any of you parents out there, do you agree that this is sort of a new phase in our lives as parents. I think another point to add is that the baby is now potty trained so life is already a lot different and smother. Hope to hear from you, I am really trying to do better on my blogging and now that I gave up a lot of my teaching hours to my hubby I will be able to do just that. So those who were dedicated followers before I hope I didn't lose you and those who are new please stay tuned.

Love letter to my girls

So an old friend of the family created this really cute site for moms. I haven't had as much time as Id like to read on it but what I have had time for I have loved. I felt so  privileged when she asked me to write a love letter to my girls for her to post during her Feb postings. So here is the link. I think that lots of  my mommy readers will really enjoy this encouraging page.

http://bestlife4moms.weebly.com/3/post/2012/02/love-letters-from-mom-amanda-s-mexico-feb-23-2012.html?

Experiencing IMS in the city

Yesterday was my first real experience with the free public health system here in the city. Let me tell you its much worse here than in the small town of Tepatitlan. For my job I have to have a carta justificante when I miss work for an illness. And the letter must come from the IMS not from a private doctor. So although it was obvious that my girls had the pox and I couldn't bring them to the daycare I still had to go to the IMS clinic. I was there from 9-12 waiting. Basically they didn't explain everything to me well and even with my probing questions they were reluctant to fill me in on the whole process. By the grace of God the director of our day care showed up (hoping to get vaccinated against the pox) and she got the full information for me. Here is how it works. We are part of the evening shift appointments. People can start showing up at any time for these slots. The appointments don't actually start until 2pm. But if you wait till then to go there may be so many people already that you wont get an appointment that day. But we were there at 15 min till 9am and the lady seriously thought I would wait from then until 2pm. That is virtually impossible with three kids. Not only that by the time I got fed up and left at 1200 there were only two people there for the evening shift appointments. So I'm thinking if we ever do have to get something from that doctor again (for work, or day care) then we will show up at like one and have to wait until 3 or 330 for our appointment.  During the time we waited we managed to see the dentist who spoke English to my girls and confirmed we have no cavities. YEAH for that one. We will be visiting the dentist in another 6months for the fluoride application. The only thing I felt was missing there was education. Maybe they didn't do it because I still had my work uniform on. Usually the IMS clinic is better about educating the patient. The dentist is not as full and basically you just show up and they check you out. They actually came over to me and asked me if I wanted the check up from them while I waited for the other office.  We almost got the babies flu vaccine but I gave up waiting before that happened. I'm kinda pinching myself for that one. But after three hours there with three girls I was done and so were the girls. We ended up going through the ER and getting Tylenol and my letter from there. I have since lost that letter which I'm also kicking myself for. We also ended up getting an Antibiotic because the oldest on has infections in lesions. The whole experience was pretty horrible and I'm pretty sure we will never use the doctor there unless its absolutely necessary. I'm still glad we have Seguro in case we ever need hospitalization because there is no way we can afford a private hospital. And also the ER was pretty quick and we got free care and medication. Right now the girls are playing well and so far the baby hasn't shown any signs of contracting it from them. I hope if she is going to get it that she gets it soon. I feel like Im leaving something out of the informative part of this post so as always if there are any questions Id be happy to answer them.

Proxima nivel de Español

I woke up to Lily fussing and my first thoughts went like this, "Quien es...Oh es Lily." By now she stopped fussing and I thought. "Ahhh que bueno esta bien." Then I thought, "what the heck why did I just think that in Spanish." And I began trying to decide if Im upset about this or not. Not sure I like the idea that my first thoughts in the morning are Spanish. I know that is kind of a good thing but well I need English to be my first thoughts so Im sure to teach the girls well. ........ ¿Right?


Curious to some thoughts here. What do you guys think. I am extreamly paranoid that Im going to some day let the English thing slip. It is very important to me that the girls have two first languages. I want English to be a first language. I want it to be special to them. And not something they have to learn but something they know. Sometimes I catch myself speaking in Spanish at home and I get very upset with myself. Is it possible for me to maintain this strictness about English at home and still grow in my Spanish. 


Again thoughts and comments are expected on this post. 


Thanks in advance. 

Feliz Navidad y Año Nuevo

This year we were pretty busy through the Christmas season. I think I will always remember this year as the year of Posadas. Iv been in Mexico for four Christmas´s now and this year was the first time I ever saw people sing the Posada at a party. And the funny thing is I saw it twice in one day. We had two work parties one was on a Thursday and is when we had Pozole and they handed out the gifts from the hospital. The director of the hospital thought it was funny that they had a gringa their eating pozole with the rest of them. Seriously how can anyone not like pozole. I sometimes wonder what the heck is wrong with the gringas these people have meet. I received an awesome purse from work. One of the first weeks of Christmas I had told my husband  I wanted a purse for Christmas. The purse I had was a year old and I was ready for something new. Then a few days later at work they handed me a catalog and told me I could pick out a purse that was 790p Thats like 75usd, I have never owned a purse worth that much. I was super excited. The first one I picked was exactly that much but they were out of it. The other one I picked was 890p. So I paid 100p for a purse that was like 85usd. Its red and supper cute. When I first saw it I thought it was a little big but it has pull strings on the side that you can use to make it smaller. Anyway that was my perfect gift. Then on Friday they had the posada which included tacos. Some of us stood upstairs (inside) and others stood downstairs in the garden. This is hard to explain if you havent seen the hospital but more or less the hospital is set up like one of those hotels that is open in the middle, and where the pool usually is we have a beautiful garden and fountain. Anyway we (or they) sang all the way through the posada. They had one of the doctors dressed up as Joseph and one of the nurses who is about 7 or 8 months pregnant be Mary. One of the workers also brought a guitar. It was a lot of fun. Later everyone was wanting pictures with Mary so Joseph made a sign that said 10p for a foto with Mary. Everyone got quite a kick out of that. lol I left their right as the Mariachi showed up. I had to head over to the girls school for the posada there. I helped the teachers get everything set up and got me and the girls dressed up just in time. Once everyone arived we sang the Posada their. The kids loved it. I feel like its such a great way to remember what happened and why we celebrate Christmas as Christians. Then the kids broke like four piñatas. Thanks to all the christmas piñatas and birthday piñatas from this week we seriously had a bucket of candy. Issac and I had to bring bags of it to share at work in order to get rid of some of it. After all the fun of the piñatas we ate tamales. They had regular mole tamales for the kids but for the adults they had these amazing ones that were warped in banana leaves. This was also a first for me and if you have not had them you should find some. Seriously amazing. We were invited to another posada where they actually go house to house but we got so busy with just normal stuff here at home that we missed it. I really hope we get invited again next year because it sounds like so much fun. As far as Christmas we had to switch things up a bit this year because Issac and I didnt have a day off together. He had Sat off and since I get off earlier than him we decided Santa would visit that day during the girls nap. We ended up laying them down a bit later than expected because Issac had to help a friend with a flodded shop. But all went well. Instead of sleeping the girls ended up laying in bed playing but it gave Santa plenty of time to fill stockings and put out presents. We were so blessed this last year that we were able to find barbies and princess toys for 1/2 off. We pulled out all the stuff and got right to work. We had found an xbox on sale in October so that was Issacs present. We all were very happy with what we received and honestly although we spent less than 1000p (actually this was given to us by my mom thankfully) we had a wonderful Christmas. Issac and I have decided that from now on no matter how much money we have we will only buy the girls one "big" toy (the barbies) and a couple smaller things that dont cost much. We really want to be carefull not to make Christmas be only a day that they wait for just to get gifts. We buy them the things they want and need through out the year when they are good girls so this works out great for us.

We also got to go to a Christmas/Birthday party at church. Issac had to work that day so it was a bit difficult with the girls. But they had so much fun it was worth it. We had tacos, and cake. The follwoing sunday the girls received their gifts from their classes. Joslins teacher went above and beyond and made little houseshoes for each kid. They are so cute.  Christmas morning instead of a service they did skits. One of my favorite stories is of the candy maker and the candy cane. Every year (including this year) I print copies of the story and had it out with candy canes. That was actually our gift for the girls teachers, and we had no idea they would be doing the skit. I was able to leave the baby in the nursery and sit with the big girls and watch and explain the skits. It was a great day for us. And then after we came home Papi got off work early because there were no calls.

New Years was spent here at the apartment with Issacs mom. We all barely made it to midnight and when we did we randomly ate our grapes. But if its true that what you are doing on New Years represents your coming year Im happy with that. I love nothing more than hanging out here at home with my husband. Sure we like going out from time to time but we as well as our girls are quite home bodies. Oh I almost forgot that day we opened our time capsule from last year and redid it for the coming year. We also wrote out our resolutions. Alanas was so cute she wants to do her Dance stretches more at home. For Joslin we want her using English more easily. For lily it was for her to start walking, which she has done this week. lol Mine is to speak better in past and future in Spanish and to try and start my Yoga again. Issac wants to get some schooling which was his goal last year but with all the changes of jobs and such we just never got to it. His new job offers school aid so Im hoping he can get started this year some time, even if it is at the end of the year. Issacs moms was to finish her computer class well. We also talked about our favorite things from the past year. The funniest of these is that Alana said Lilys favorite thing over the past year was her milk. lol

Well that was my Christmas and New Years in a nut shell. Now I want to take some time to read about yours.

FIL Feria Internacional de Libros

So here in Guad they hold an International book fair every year. This is the first year we have been able to go. When I mentioned at work that I wanted to go with my girls I was told about how they have an area you can leave your kids so you can go look around. Right away I mentioned that my girls would be so sad if I did such a thing. My girls love books. And even in the states I refused to leave my kids with people I don't know. I just cant see how that would be a good idea no matter where you are. The entrance fee was only 20p and the kids were all free. We all had a blast. We made it to the FIL on the second to last day and actually during the last two hours. Most of the books were way to expensive to actually buy but the girls thought it was so cool to see so many books and in different shapes and sizes. Every time there was a place provided they sat to "read." (Only the 5 yr old can really read, lol) They had a couple activities and the girls loved them. We did buy a few books, one of the stands had all the classics for only $25pesos so we bought quite a few of those and some activity books for the girls. On the way to our truck we stopped for tacos and they were sooooo yummy. Anyway this was a lot of fun and I hope we can experience it some more next year and go more than once.

My baby is ONE

I have to tell you I am so glad my baby days are over. Lily is so freaking cute that people just melt when they see her. She actually bats her eyes at people at just the right moment. Even as mommy its hard for me to not fall apart when she does it. On the day of her birthday we went with some really good friends of ours to the park and just hung out. It was so much fun.  I'm going to post a couple pics. Then later in the week we had her party at school.  I wanted to put a video on that showed the cake but I cant get it to work. Dang it!!!! It was a cute butterfly cake that I made.  We had a lot of fun at the party. I had the kids make coffee filter butterflies, we broke a butterfly piñata and ate a butterfly cake and butterfly topped cupcakes. Thanks to a care package I received ages ago I was able to throw the cupcake toppers together in no time and thanks to a different care package I was able to make cupcake holders out of parchment paper. Let me just tell you really quick how easy this was. All you have to do is cut 4inch x4 inch squares from the paper, Then find a jar or bottle that fits just right into your 1/4 cup measuring cup. IF you want better looking cups you need to round the corners off your squares. Center one or a few of the papers, (this depends on how much room you have, the bottle I used fit pretty tight and I could only do one at a time)  over the top of your measuring cup. Make sure when you push the bottle into the cup that it is going to be very tight. If the bottle you have is a bit loose in the measuring cup use a lot of pieces of paper. And whoa-la you have cup cake holders. As for making a butterfly cake all you have to do is make a round cake and cut it in four pieces then rotate the pieces until it looks like a butterfly. I used a cupcake for the head and put a pipe cleaner for the antennae.  I had also made really cute butterfly invitations.

¿The Normal Life?

The other night I was talking to my husband and I said, "I actually have time to blog now and I feel like I don't have anything to write about."
He says, "Amanda you have tons to write about you live in Mexico."
"Yes but everything seems so normal to me now." I responded.
He looks at me, almost exacerbated,"Then write about that." (somewhere in here I'm thinking oh gee how boring), he continues, "I remember when you first started reading blogs and when you saw that Leslie from Motherhood in Mexico said something to that effect, it gave you hope. That is why you write is to give those other people hope about their life here. I think you need to write about how you feel that your life is normal."

So here is that post.

I'm a mother of three beautiful girls, who every morning wake up at 630. I get them dressed, brush their hair, make a quick breakfast they can eat in the truck and rush them out the door. When I drop them off at school their is almost always something I forgot to put in a book bag, and if not at least one aviso (message) for me to give to a teacher or caregiver. I then zoom off (well not really my truck is a bit broken and I cant go over 30mph) to the hospital. I park and chat with the garage attendant if I have time then run inside to work. On the way in I say buenos dias to everyone I pass even if they are in the middle of a conversation (I guess Im still getting use to that part). After finding out where I'm working for the day I go and care for patients. At the end of my day I'm watching the clock because I'm anxious to get my girls and go home with them. As soon as I can I run out to my truck, of course saying adios to everyone I pass and from time to time stopping to chat. Their is no real running in and out of places here. I pick up my girls, the older two are always running to me for hugs and the baby loves her teacher so much I have to pry her from her arms. I listen to any report from the teachers and we are off. I talk to the older girls about their day on the way home and when I get home I read their report books and check for home work. They do their homework while the baby plays. Then I have Alana do an English website while Joslin watches and repeats. At aruond 530 the baby takes small nap with her milk while I cook dinner. By the time dinner is ready papi is home, and is welcomed by lots of hugs and kisses all around. We eat dinner around 6pm and then the girls get to play and talk with papi about their day. Bath time at 730 and off to bed for the girls. My husband and I then either spend some time alone doing our own thing or doing something together. Traffic and driving here in the city feels a lot like St. Louis, I have Wal Mart (which I cant stand anymore) Sams (which I love) close by and fresh fruits, veggies, and meat on every corner. We have a doctor that we really like. He only costs us 30p a visit, and he is wonderful with my girls. I have figured out how to keep the bugs out of my house. And I actually like the idea of black widows better than brown recluse. (black widows stay home and are usually in a place out of reach for my kids, brown recluse hide in your close and bed).

On days off my girls wake up and crawl in bed with us for a little snuggle time then want to eat. After eating we clean the house, let them do crafts, maybe walk to the park, or play games. We go to church from 11-130 I help in the nursery and my husband helps with translation. We have friends who come over for Sat night collage football, and my girls are happy and healthy. To me this all seems like what I would have been doing in the states. Although I must say Im ALOT more laid back than I would have been if we stayed their. My digestive system is healthier because Im less stressed, and I am able to brush off things much easier than before. Some of this my have come with age (no Im not old) but I know it came a lot faster because of Mexico.

I barely notice anymore that when I'm a pedestrian I don't have the right away, and that I have to teach my kids to run across the street instead of walk. I barely notice that my tissue goes in the trash can and I have to empty that can every day if not twice a day. And what were the other things that were different living here than in the states. I just read a blog this morning that talked about them all and seriously I cant repeat it if I wanted to.

Yesterday we shopped for food for Thanksgiving and for the babys birthday. Lily is turning one this coming weekend. I still have to finish her whole scrap book and baby book and make all the decorations and invitations. This should be a pretty fun week.

This post is for all of you out their who may be struggling with the idea of raising your family here, or who have just moved and need some hope. It took me three years to get to this point. Dont push it, take things one day at a time or how people love to say here poco a poco. Adopt that phrase and do your best to live it. You can do it and you can be happy here. One thing is for sure though you need a supportive spouse who loves you enough to love on you when its hard and encourage you when you get frustrated. Believe me my hubby is far from perfect and has screwed up pretty badly in the past but this is one thing that he has done so well.

I think thats it for now.

Halloween 2011

Well Halloween ended up being quite exciting this year. And I dont even have pictures of the best part. First me and the girls made pumpkin piñatas for a party with the Vaca family, and then we went "trick or treating" at a friends house. I was still a little bummed about the girls not getting to go "real" trick or treating. Well Halloween night I had totally forgotten about Halloween because we celebrated early. And we kept hearing some kids chanting something. For the longest time I couldn't figure out what it was. The finally I made it out they were saying "Quiermos Halloween" over and over. Then it dawned on me that they were prob trick or treating. I ran out of the house so fast it scared my girls and then I saw them....

THE FIRST TRICK OR TREATERS IN 3 YEARS!!!!!!!!

I was at first excited then I realized they were a block past my house. I debated screaming, "Quiero Halloween" really loud and then I figured I would just prove everyone right that gringas are locas. So I went in and explained to my girls what happened. My 5 year old could tell I was really sad that we missed them and said, "Mom maybe they will come back, and if they do we can give them our candy from the party." So we put their candy on a plate and waited......

Then they came in at least three more groups. We gave out all our candy including what I had from before to give the girls as treats. But the girls loved it and were not even sad about giving away their candy. I told them that for sure next year we will be going through the neighborhood chanting right along with the other children. Im already so excited for next year I just cant even tell you. So here are some pics from the piñata and party.

Sorry I had to delete the pics off my blog, I have decided to keep my blog public no matter how many hateful comments I get. If I made my blog private it would defeat the purpose so instead I will just delete the pictures and refrain from using names in attempt to keep things safe for us. 

Missing HR

So I think its safe for me to explain a few things that happened to us over the last few months. First I want to say to all of you who are thinking of getting a job down here. Always remember if there are not benefits and they are paying you cash that you will be getting pushed around quite a bit. We got hired on to a place some time ago and at the beginning we were told they would help me with my work permit and that we would be getting all the benifits (seguro, infonavit, a savings, ext.). After quite a while we realized this wasn't going to happen. On top of all that the lady who was in charge of the administration had it out for me, and she happend to also be the "HR" person. As you can imagine we were in quite a bind. I dont really want to go into to much more detail on that subject just because Im so spent on it and just done with the whole thing.

The good news is that a week ago I started as a nurse at a hospital and have my work permit. Actually it turns out I didnt really even need a permit. My FM2 is familiar so all I had to do was notify them that I am working. It was the same type of thing as for when we move.

Right now Im just getting to know the place and how things work. The idea is that I will help them to get their Joint Commission Certification. It is a great hospital but when it comes to JCI we have a long road ahead of us. Im excited to be back in the hospital, and if you have been reading my blog long you know how much I missed nursing. I actually get off work at a decent time now and I hope to get some more blogging and reading in.

We have recently meet some new friends who we are quickly growing close to. He is here to go to Medical School and his girl friend is here with him. The greatest thing is that my husband and I both get along with them so well. And of course they adore my girls. lol Its nice to because we know they are not going anywhere for a few years.

Last night we celebrated Halloween and I plan to blog about that also. But in case I dont get a chance you can check out Jackies blog http://thevacafamily.blogspot.com/2011/10/twas-night-before-halloween.html

I do have some more pics, and if you check out her page that is my middle one in her undies. She really was dressed up for a little while but she is just and undies girl and when you live somewhere that isnt cold why not let them run around half naked if they want. lol

More to come. I hope soon.

Mixed Emotions

I have so much to catch up about my life recently but today Im going to write about the crazyness going on in my head and heart regarding the holiday today.

Let me tell you for about five years this was a very bad day for me. My husband had to leave me (his 8mo prego wife) on July 3rd. Obviously that year I was quite bitter about hearing our Anthom and Pledge. The following year he was still waiting for his appointment and I moved to Mexico the end of June the follwoing year. My first 4th of July in Mexico needless to say I was still quite upset about the idea. I still sang the Antem and recited the Pledge to my daughter who was now 2 yrs old and living in Mexico. My second year here I still had the bitterness but it was weakened a bit by homesickness. I still hadnt been able to visit my family at that point and the holiday reminded me of times we would get together. Last year there was little bitterness and a lot of homesickness. I again as I do every year did crafts with my girls and Im pretty sure we ate hotdogs. Well here we are again five years later.

This year I am missing the fair, the fireworks, the greesed pigs, mud vollyball (yes Im from MO), concerts, and my family. For the last week or so I was surprised at how unangry I was. And how I didnt want to laugh at every comment put on face book about our great nation. I really thought that all the bitterness was gone until this morning. I sat in my kitchen reciting the Pledge to my girls, and it just felt wrong. I felt like I was lying to them, like I was out right telling them a bold faced lie. As I repeated UNDER GOD or JUSTICE FOR ALL I keept thinking about the false ideas so many Mexicans have of the US. These notions are one huge pet peve of mine and Im am so worried my girls will end up with them. I dont want them to have this AMERICAN DREAM that everything there is better, and that anything can be done there. Its not true and so many people here are raised with it. And then here I am feeding it to them myself just because its Independance Day in a country Im not even living.

Of course I will still have them practice the Pledge again and make a flag when we get home tonight. And I will smile and act like Im happy about it. But to be honest it feels yucky! Why will I do it anyway...  Im not sure. I think mainly so when they do go visit the states they still feel slightly at home, that they fit in, that they dont get stared down or looked at badly for no knowing it when they go to a baseball game.

Some patriatism ehh, only so my kids will fit in later in life.

So... this is more than three years after the initial verdict. Im sure it will get better in a few more years but as for now,  Im not quite there yet.

Kids say the darndest things: La batalla de Puebla

As most of you well know 5 de Mayo is not the Independence nor Revolution day here in Mexico but is a celebration of a big win. La Batalla de Puebla is celebrated mainly in Puebla and in a few other areas but not here. Alana got the day off school but that was about it. She did come home yesterday with a color page of a guy with a gun and canon that said la Batlla de Puebla on it. On the way home from school I asked "So Alana what is that picture about."
"Well this guy is a war hero." Says Alana
"What happened in that war" I ask
" The Mexicans didnt want people in their desert so they tried to kill them."
"Oh my!" I exclaim holding back my laughter. " And then what happened"
" Well the people just walked away." Saying it with a look and tone as if I should have already known this.
"I see."

So there you have it folks 5de Mayo was when the Mexicans didn't want other people in their desert and when they tried to kill those people they just walked away.

I love children.

April photo update!!!

I love this time of year. To me it represents love. The main reason of course is due to Pascua and the resurrection of Christ. It is amazing to think that God could love me this much. The next reason is because our anniversary is in April. And lastly of course there is spring and the coming of new life and what that means. With that brief description here is the update.
We have been doing activities for Easter to help the girls remember the real reason for Easter. Here are some of those photos.

Also we got to go to a passover dinner at church. It was very interesting and enlightening. We learned about the Jewish traditions and the meanings behind them. The pastor also tied in the relation that most of these traditions have to Christ. I had hoped the church would have pics up on the web page of that night but they dont as of now. One tid bit that I was happy to take away is that during the dinner the Jews eat a boiled egg. They do this because the egg represents the hardness of Pharaohs heart. I liked this because I often get asked down here why we do eggs. I never was sure and I usually answer that I think it has to do with new life, spring, and or fertility. But this answer always came up short for me because we are basically saying that a dead egg is a sign of fertility. So I plan for this idea to be more incorpirated into our Easter learning in the following years. And to be honest I have always left passover out of the teaching I do with the girls. I usually just talk to them about the resurrection but considering the passover was the last celebration Jesus had I feel my pastor is right in including it in the teaching.

For our anniversary this year we actually had a baby sitter which was so nice. We got our girls to bed then got all dressed up and headed out for the night. (well really only a few hours but its more than we have had for a long time) We went to a Tango Restaurant. The food was unbelievably good and the entertainment was so much fun. Every "fancy" restaurant Iv been to so far in Guadalajara was missing out a lot food wise. The decor and service is usually great but the food is mediocre. I had filet miñon and Issac had a steak and I cant say Iv had a better one since Iv been in the states. On top of that the prices were reasonable, sure there were plates that were 2-300p but total we spent less than 500p and we were not even trying to limit ourselves. Below are some pics. The pictures of the dancers didnt turn out all that great but you get the idea. They were great and now I want to learn Tango!!!

Then we got to go to Jackies house from the blog "The Vaca Family" and dye eggs. Shes such a good blogger she prob already has the pics up from that day. ;) We had so much fun and the girls loved it.

And then of course there was Easter morning. My cousin had sent me a box of Easter stuff but thanks to Mexico shutting down on Thursday I wasn't able to get it. Alana had once again asked if the bunny could bring her a flash light. I really wasn't planning on that happening but Waldos had the cute little lanterns. For those of you who live in or near a city if you can find a Waldos they tend to have at least a few things for America Holidays year round. The girls spent much of Easter morning in their closets with their lanterns. ;)

Wow so are you on overload!?!?! I could have broke this post up but its all within the same few weeks and we have had a blast.

Dia del niños

This is one of the things I love about Mexico. And this year since Alana is in school I´m finally experiencing the full extent of it. This Friday the kids are putting on a circus show for the parents. This is kind of a culmination of last day before spring break and the start of Dia Del Niños celebration. I'm really excited about it and for sure pictures to come. Today Alana came home with a coloring book titled Estos son mis derechos. These are my rights. And here they are:

Si tenemos alguna discapacidad es uestro derecho recibir atención adecuada a nuestras necesidades
If I have a disability it is my right to receive attention according to my necessities.
Todas las niñas y los niños tenemos derecho a ser tratados con amor y respeto.
All boys and girls have the right to be treated with love and respect.
Es derecho de todas las niñas y los niños el tener una familia.
It is a right for all boys and girls to have a family.
Todas las niñas y los niños tenemos derecho a jugar
All boys and girls have a right to play.
Niñas y niños tenemos derecho a alimentarnos sanamente.
Boys and girls have the right to healthy food or meals.
Tenemos derecho a expresarnos libremente y a que se nos tome a cuenta.
We have the right to express ourselves and be heard.
Es nuestro derecho recibir educación gratuita.
Its our right to receive free education.
Tenemos derecho a ser tratados con igualdad.
We have the right to be treated equally. (this one has a picture of kids from all nationalities and one kid holding a globe, I love it)
Niñas y niños tenemos drecho a la salud.
Girls and boys have a right to good health.
Tenemos derecho a profesar la religion que nos inculquen nuestros padres.
We have the right to profess the religion that our parents instill in us. (And here in Mexico this even goes for Christianity in schools. There is not a big uproar when the name of Christ is mentioned)
niñas y niños tenemos derecho a un medio abiente saludable.
Girls and boys have the right to a healthy environment.
Tenemos derecho a reunirnos libremente y a participar en lo que nos interese.
We have the right to get together freely and to participate in what interests us.
Todas las niñas y los niños tenemos drecho a un nombre y una nacionalidad.
All boys and girls have the right to a name and nationality.

The coloring booklet was given out by the CEDHJ the Comision Estatal de derchos humanos Jalisco. And if your spanish is good or your just interested here is their web site. http://www.cedhj.org.mx/

Spring

In Mexico one of the many ways spring is celebrated is by children dressing up like Animals. I was a bit slow at learning this but next year my girls will be cute woodland creatures. Let me tell you how I figured this one out. A couple Sundays ago my husband let me know that the girls were suppose to dress up in a costume for the following Sunday. The following Sunday happened to be the day we were "graduating" from our class and I assumed it had something to do with this. The Friday before I had seen some kids outside a tienda dressed like a lady bug and a bunny. I thought to myself oh how cute they must be celebrating spring. But was I bright enough at this point to connect the two events before church. The answer is NO, so we ended up dressing Alana like Arial and Joslin like Tinkerbell. To be honest we didn't have animal costumes anyway, and Alana did have another princess in her class who I knows parents are both Mexican. This made me feel a little better as the reality of it hit me during the service when I saw a bunch of woodland characters running around. Ether way my girls looked supper cute and everyone kept saying "ohhh que linda" as we walked by. I wonder how many of them were thinking, "I guess she didnt understand." lol The good thing is I can laugh about it and plan to get animal costumes for next year. ;) Here is a pic of my Spring mermaid and fairy. Oh and an updated pic of mi puerqito.

Sorry I had to delete the pics off my blog, I have decided to keep my blog public no matter how many hateful comments I get. If I made my blog private it would defeat the purpose so instead I will just delete the pictures and refrain from using names in attempt to keep things safe for us. 

Casa Jugar

Hey everyone I hope all is going well.


Most of you know about the childrens home Issacs Aunt runs in Monclova, and for those of you who dont Im adding information on this note. I wanted to help Tia Betty (Issacs Aunt) get the word out about some changes they have going on. Really this is a good thing, the government is putting more restrictions and safety requirements on the homes but they also are not helping to pay for these upgrades. Homes like Casa Jugar are run on prayers and the love of people. So please read below and if there is anything you can do please contact me and Ill get you set up with them.
I have personally spent a lot of time there and know that the children are well taken care of and loved.

First, a brief description of our ministry.

We are a non-profit organization with over ten years in this ministry.

Our lord Jesus Christ called us to share the gospel and help children victims of abuse, neglecting, abandonment, extreme poverty, violation, etc in our city. We are aware of the need those children and their families have to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and have him as their savior. Our ministry is based on that principal. We provide them with housing, food, clothing, proper education, family values, among other basic needs.

The enforcement of these requirements is based on several different issues and disasters found in different foster homes, like fires, lack of good service and illegal actions, such as fake adoptions.

By law, we must have a “Feasibility license” which is issued once we’ve covered all of the following:



Be legally Constituted
Have Internal Regulations
Have a license from the civil protection department
Have a license from the health department
Have a primary care physician
Have a nurse
Have a psychologist
Have a social worker
Assistants
Cook
Driver
Maintenance personnel
Equipped doctor’s office
Dormitories
Dining room
Administration office
Recreation area
Rest area
Insurance



The secretary of the civil protection department visited us and among other things, these were some of her safety concerns:



Electrical wiring and system repair
Relocation of butane tank with a chain link fence
Chain link fence around the water cistern



With the blessing of The Lord our God we’ve been able to slowly meet part of these requirements. Here’s a few:

We have created new internal regulations and statutes that have been legally written by an attorney. (cost: $5,000 pesos). these regulations were sent to the main office in capitol city Saltillo.



Our constitution has also gone under several changes based on the new requirements. (Cost: $7,000 pesos)This charter will be presented at the Public Property Records Office.



The license that the civil protection department issues are based on a certification a supervisor gives. There has to be a contingency plan, first aid training, evacuation route, fire extinguisher training, etc.

The cost for this certification is $13,500 pesos. The Lord has shown us His favor, since the certified person we found is Christian. Him and his wife came to see our home and told us they would do it and we would only have to pay for the paperwork and other expenses, such as evacuation and extinguisher signs. It would be about $4,000 pesos approximately. They will also give us a good deal on the fire extinguishers we need.



We were also able to find a doctor and a psychologist that are voluntarily helping. We still need a nurse, a social worker and a secretary.



There’s also a person who is helping as the chief of maintenance and he is doing some plumbing and electrical repairs. There’s still a lot to do when it comes to maintenance:

Chain link fence around the cistern and butane tanks
Replacement of old piping ($4,000 pesos aprox.)
Install conduit for the electrical wiring underground and rid of the old obsolete wire
Drywall (sheetrock) exposed areas in different locations and replace old drywall
Build a nurse’s station
Replace broken water gauges
Replace light switches and set them at a certain height
Fix basketball court
Fix soccer field



We believe all these requirements can be met because we can see that God is helping us in so many different ways. We invite you to help us mainly with your prayers, but also with labor or an offering according to your hearts. Our desire is to continue doing this work, witnessing the gospel not only to the kids, but also to their families.

I have not received instruction from our God to give up and not continue with casa hogar; things have not been easy since the beginning of the year, and even though we grow tired and feel week we press on. The facilities we are in are very old, this used to be a seminary school back in the 50’s so you can imagine how much work is yet to be done. Our furniture as well is not that new, but our main focus is not to give and have fancy things for the kids, but to give the love, warmth and care only found in our Lord that they so desperately need.

God gave us this ministry back in the year 2000 through His word in 2nd Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need you will abound in every good work”



Once again, thank you for all your love, support and prayers

May our Lord bless you abundantly!

Inrolling in government school in Mexico

Ok guys Im taking the lazy way out on this one. A good friend who has been here much longer than I wrote a wonderful and informative post on getting your child inrolled in school here. So instead of rewriting something that has been so well stated here is a link to her blog.

http://www.motherhoodinmexico.com/2011/02/important-information-for-moms-dads-in.html

Childhood Immunizations Mexico

Here we go for round two of Mexican Immunization. Let me tell you I'm learning so much right now from the nurses in my class so I will filly you in also. First off ALL BABIES no matter what income get free immunizations. Thank God for this one because we dont have seguro this time around and also dont have the money for the full price ones through the private doctor. I also found out that ANY pregnant women has the right to receive free health care with he seguro.
Speaking of which, as a side note, we are relying on the nurses check ups along with her immunizations now because the private pediatrician was just to expensive. His appointments were 500p a piece which isn't bad in American standards but were not rollen in the money. I'm pretty sure he thought we were though because he at one point prescribed us a cream that was 500p for our babies face. I started putting regular baby lotion on it and that cleared up the problem.
Ok back to Immunizations. Because it is a new place and all my husband brought Lily in for her shots. I was very proud of him for doing it because he really cant handle seeing the girls get stuck. Anyway he went in at 7am and he said everyone was very helpful. The did initially tell him that they dont start immunizations till 830 and that there was no separate place for him to be if he didn't have seguro insurance. All he needed was the babies birth certificate which he had. He saw that there was already someone else there waiting and thought it best to just wait. Its a good thing he did also because by 8am when they actually did start taking people there where at least five people behind him in line. Issac said the nurses were very nice and willing to answer any questions he had. They were either out of the Immunization cards or they just assumed Issac forgot his. He didn't think anything of them putting the information on a piece of paper so he didn't ask. We are to bring her back in on the 17th for another one so we will get the card then. I'm not sure what that one is for because he didn't ask (that's a man for you, lol). Normally here in Mexico at the time of birth they give the tuberculin vaccine and the hepatitis B vaccine. But in the private hospitals they give you the choice, because if your baby gets these vaccines there they will be very pricey. We turned them down in the hospital so at her 2month shots she got the tuberculosis vaccine in her arm, the pentavalent which is a 5 antigen combo putting together our DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and pertussis) with Hib (which causes meningitis and pneumonia) and Hep B in her left leg, and the neumococica (prevent pneumonia), and her Hepatitis B in her right leg. The still get the last two vaccines mentioned with the pentavalent due to the different trains for those infections. I found a cool abstract herehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12349263 in case you want to read more about the pentavalent being given in Mexico.
So now I have the big nasty pussing wound to look forward to on her arm in a couple weeks. Yuck I hate the TB vaccine so much. I suppose that's all the info I have on this subject for now more to come after the 17th. Maybe Ill go this time so I can have a more detailed description. Actually he did a great job and did come home and give me as much info as he could knowing I wanted to post it all. ;)