Mexico!

Last week we took the kids for a weeklong vacation to Sayulita, MX to visit our friends the Baumgartners who have been living there for over a year. It was an adventure! The kids did very well traveling and adapting to their new environment. Unfortunately, Samantha was in the process of getting sick the day that we left which made for a tough day of travel. Poor thing vomited in the airport in Dallas and as we were landed in MX. The second time it was all over her pink blankie which is her prized possession and it made her so sad. She threw up twice more during the next two days and her aim got better every time! By the end of Day #2 she looked much better but of course Henry started getting sick. He never threw up (thank God!) but he had another prolific runny nose and cough and not much in the way of energy. His appetite never suffered and we were so proud of all of the new foods he tried: papaya, mango, coconut, tacos of many flavors. Samantha wasn't quite as adventurous but she still did fairly well. Nutella on toast is now a frequently requested snack!

We had rain on the first day that we arrived but for the rest of the week the weather was amazing, high 80s/low 90s and very sunny. Our expectations for entertainment were low...we just wanted a low key vacation with lots of beach time. And it was. The beach was 2 blocks from the house we rented and the plaza (center of town) was another 2. The food was very reasonable and we quickly found some go to restaurants. The kids had a great time at the beach but the waves could be rough at high tide. We were very grateful that our house had a pool that was in the shade. The kids spent HOURS swimming in it, naked baby style of course. Samantha was swimming from side to side without assistance by the end of the week. Henry is still asking if we can go swimming in the pool.

We also just loved our time with the Baumgartners. Pete and Gretchen are kindred spirits and we enjoyed talking with them about life with kids, traveling and surfing. Maggie (7) is such a sweet girl and was so helpful to us in taking care of our kids. She and Samantha had a sleepover one night much to Samantha's delight. She is very into fairies right now (an understatement!) and has made her own fairy house out of household and discarded objects on the street. Jack (3.5) is also precious and has the best smile. His facial expressions are so sweet. He and Gretchen stopped by to visit us almost everyday after his school. He is a great swimmer for his age and I think watching him really motivated Samantha.

It was a great trip overall and we would not hesitate to go back. It was a fairly easy place to travel with small children despite the abundance of tile floors and lack of handrails on stairs. :) Having friends with children there obviously was a huge help to us. We will miss you guys! Hope our paths cross again soon!