tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86235090350001033422011-11-27T17:42:04.158-06:00Our adventure of raising two young boys in Mexico, learning Spanish and living the life of Maňana.Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.comBlogger1061100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-52332790664609379372011-08-16T21:47:00.000-05:002011-08-16T21:47:52.431-05:00

As you can tell from my lack of posts, sometimes its hard to over come writer's block, or maybe it could be procrastination. Whatever it is, I'm hoping its over. I was chatting with some new friends a few weeks back who just moved to this area with their family. For those who are not familiar with the Lake Chapala area, it is a popular place for retirees. Not so popular for expats with young

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico20.2970595 -103.1888910000000120.284326 -103.20446500000001 20.309793 -103.17331700000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-76646549021130753922011-07-11T21:31:00.000-05:002011-07-11T21:31:46.035-05:00

My poor, poor blog. I've neglected you so. With the blink of an eye (okay maybe many, many blinks) five months has passed since I last shared my life with you. Needless to say, 2011 has been a busy year for this family. Brief update, my boys have finished school last week. Son #1 will be starting 3rd grade next year and Son #2 will begin his final year in Kindergarden. This is a good lead

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1Chapala Centro, Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico20.29013624374434 -103.1912942592773620.28167724374434 -103.19681375927736 20.298595243744337 -103.18577475927735tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-3754469769406689202011-02-04T06:10:00.000-06:002011-02-04T06:10:11.934-06:00

Last week, I went with my friends to the Mercado del Abastos in Guadalajara. The Abastos is a large(and I mean LARGE) wholesale and retail market. It spans for many, many blocks and is where you can find and buy all kinds of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, imported goods, dry goods, baking supplies, well you get the idea. Its like Costo but with way more stuff and way bigger. Well,

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-55504468453033142562010-12-23T20:37:00.000-06:002010-12-23T20:37:31.149-06:00

The 16th of December is the start of Posadas in all the villages and cities throughout Mexico. In each neighbourhood the residents get together to reenact the night Mary and Joseph wondered through Bethlehem looking for a place to spend the night. Often, a Mary and Joseph is chosen from the children living within each neighbourhood. They will go from house to house asking if they have room

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-34981056089759802672010-12-18T20:57:00.000-06:002010-12-18T20:57:54.886-06:00

Great hamburgers are hard to come by here in this part of Mexico, so we're always on the lookout for new places to try. Well, we finally stopped at this burger shack - TajOH Burgers. It really is a shack! Kind of reminds me of the burger place on hwy 400 heading up to cottage country in Ontario. Only this one is on the side of a major road just before you turn to go to the new Costco in

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-44332224639867378962010-12-06T16:51:00.000-06:002010-12-06T16:51:28.182-06:00

Each year during the last week of November and first week of December is the International Book Fair in Guadalajara.  It is the largest book fair in Latin America.  We went for the first time last year and had a blast!  So, we marked our calendars and returned this past Saturday. This year's theme for the children's program was "Los Monstruos son Puro Cuentos" or "Monsters are Pure Fiction".

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-30924408246879105982010-12-01T22:21:00.001-06:002010-12-01T22:36:09.080-06:00

Each year we go on a mini vacation with our good friends to celebrate our birthdays (we all have birthdays in December).  Last year we were in Cuyutlan and released baby turtles back into the ocean.  This year, our 3rd year celebrating together, we decided to get some history and culture instead of sun and sand.  We went to the colonial city of Guanajuato.  However, this post is not about

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-91693344686602844162010-11-02T16:32:00.000-06:002010-11-02T16:32:06.769-06:00

All last week my molar was bothering me.  It was sensitive to cold, hot and sweet foods.  It got worst on the weekend so Monday morning I finally called the dentist.  Yes I'm a procrastinator for some things.  I figured it would eventually go away, but it didn't.  My dentist in Chapala is getting to be quite popular.  It used to be that I only had to make an appointment 3 weeks in advance.  Now,

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-22728918431419973752010-08-23T18:54:00.000-05:002010-08-23T18:54:03.959-05:00

Today was the first day of school for the boys.  New books, pencils, crayons, backpacks, uniforms and whatever else the teachers need were purchased and hauled to school today.  Son #1 settled in quickly and reacquainted with old friends, barely noticed me and Son #2 leaving. Son #2 happily entered his school anxious to see his old friends and teachers yet still a little shy.  But what a

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-50068751917256513462010-07-12T21:02:00.000-05:002010-07-12T21:02:08.346-05:00

School officially ended last Friday and report cards were handed out. This was the first year of primary school for S#1 and he did exceptionally well. Of course that was not a surprise for us since he had shown us at an early age that he is a smart little guy. In his last semester, he scored a perfect 10 in all his subjects and ended the year with  a 9.8 average.  Good job my son. This was also

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-33889842781290206822010-06-28T11:51:00.001-05:002010-06-28T11:52:17.948-05:00

Nine and a half years ago, we chose this little village outside of Chapala for our Mexican home. We love being in the country with no neighbours, lots of trees and birds and insects. We have been enjoying our peaceful, country living up until a couple of months ago. It happened late on a Thursday night. Our internet went down. No big deal, it happens occasionally but Telmex is pretty good

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-9267861561051234032010-06-15T20:33:00.000-05:002010-06-15T20:33:30.952-05:00

A few weeks back they ladies in my dance class wanted to try some authentic Chinese food for lunch. They asked if it was okay with me, and of course I answered in the affirmative. So, the ladies collected money from everyone and I went into menu planning mode. Today, they all came with their children to comida (lunch). Its been a long time since I had that many people at my house, around 20

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-21004985053475906202010-06-14T20:42:00.000-05:002010-06-14T20:42:50.817-05:00

I used to be like most people and dreaded Mondays. Mondays used to mean the start of the work week and it was five more days before the weekend. Well, now I love Mondays! I look forward to Mondays because it is the start of a brand new week. The boys go back to school after a fun filled weekend. Dance classes start again and of course, the Tianguis in Chapala is on Mondays. I love strolling

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-25858603359032590432010-05-20T20:40:00.000-05:002010-05-20T20:40:03.782-05:00

I've been going to a dance class for exercise since the new year. It is a lot of fun and I have never been in better physical condition than I am now. This post is not about the dance class. I will write about that when I remember to take my camera to class. No, this post is about the ladies in the class. Until today, I've never spoken much with the ladies other than "buenos dias" and "hasta

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-56141868014426459012010-05-05T06:09:00.001-05:002010-05-05T06:14:18.440-05:00

We're home, yeah! Yesterday afternoon, I had an interesting conversation with my friend from the Chinese takeout at Soriana. As you know from my previous post, she is expecting her first child this fall. So naturally, the topics of conversation have been about children and then it moved onto children in China. She told me that her nephew goes to boarding school and returns home Friday

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-83169837835294856842010-04-26T10:42:00.000-05:002010-04-26T10:42:57.055-05:00

Those of you who are Canadian would know that a "Loonie" is what we affectionately refer our one dollar coin as. For everyone else, that is your bit of Canadian trivia for today! In Toronto, there are a lot of dollar stores. Stores that sell mostly junk. However, there is one particular chain called "Dollarama" that seems to carry items of a bit higher quality. I LOVE Dollarama! My kids

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-9612846356941321512010-04-17T22:24:00.000-05:002010-04-17T22:24:44.610-05:00

I've made it through our first week in Toronto. The boys are having a great time with the grandparents. Dear husband is busy meeting with his clients. Me, I'm going through cooking withdrawal. To combat that, I've borrowed a lot of cookbooks from the library. Mostly on baking breads and cakes and such. Lots of wonderful new recipes but no equipment to test them out. You'll have to wait a

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-19497282001382917022010-04-02T14:57:00.000-06:002010-04-02T14:57:30.507-06:00

Its Easter week vacation here in Mexico. The kids have two weeks of vacation. I've survived the first week, let see what happens next week. We try to avoid going into Chapala on Sundays and Holidays. The traffic is incredible with all the Tapatios visiting. Tapatios are what the fine folks from Guadalajara call themselves. Well, we didn't listen to our own rule today and went into Chapala

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-80272030558112057892010-03-30T17:02:00.000-06:002010-03-30T17:02:46.219-06:00

I was only eight years old when my family moved to Canada. At that time, I only spoke Cantonese. I don't recall what it was like when school started and I didn't understand what the teacher was saying. I do remember trying to cheat off the boy next to me during a spelling test, LOL! Sometimes I wonder what it is like to live in a foreign country and not being able to communicate with the

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-29211966484855467092010-03-20T21:04:00.000-06:002010-03-20T21:04:07.580-06:00

Let me start off by saying that I've given birth to two boys naturally. That is without any drugs of any kind. I am blessed with having very short labour and quick deliveries. Son # 2 was born in 2 1/2 hours from my first contraction. I didn't even make it to the hospital. Delivered him in my Mom's house with the aid of my Mom, darling husband and two very nice paramedics. I think my Mom

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-8868243930966394512010-03-13T18:24:00.000-06:002010-03-13T18:24:00.476-06:00

Last week, I went to Toronto to celebrate my Mom's Birthday. It was her 91st. I don't normally go up to Toronto for her birthday, I know, bad daughter. But I am always in Toronto in April and also in the fall and then I do spend quite a bit of time with her then. Anyways, it is Chinese tradition to have an extra special celebration on a woman's X1st birthday, i.e. 61st, 71st, 81st, 91st,

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-18405669614654580502010-02-24T11:30:00.002-06:002010-02-24T11:39:52.146-06:00

Son #2 is in First Kinder. He goes to a bilingual school in Chapala and only knew a few words in Spanish prior to starting school. I'm proud to say after 6 months of schooling, he is completely fluent in SPANGLISH! Its kind of funny sometimes to hear him speak Spanglish because he is able to transition from one language to the other without missing a beat. Meanwhile, dear husband and I are

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-46084516884242813412010-02-14T08:47:00.003-06:002010-02-14T10:13:25.730-06:00

We're very fortunate to have made some Chinese friends here in Chapala. So, today, we're celebrating with them and pigging out on some traditional Chinese food.Here is a site that talks about the characteristics of people born in under the sign of the tiger.

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-74702043270892966802010-02-04T12:19:00.003-06:002010-02-04T12:33:26.276-06:00

I'm ashamed to admit that I don't know how to cook rice in a pot on the stove. Yes, its true. I have rice cooker dependency issues. But can you blame me? With its 4 step process: measure, wash, add water and press start. Who would want to make rice any other way?Apparently, I want to torture myself because I bought these cute little clay pots at the market a while back.With the weather being

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-4714769902180078362010-02-01T20:44:00.003-06:002010-02-01T21:02:02.227-06:00

Yesterday was the most peculiar day weather wise. We met friends for lunch at the Chapala Malecon. The restaurant sits just at the water's edge and we have a beautiful view of the lake and the malecon. Do I have photos to share, of course not! I'm still not used to having my camera with me all the time, but I'm going to ask my friend for copies of their photos and will update this post when I

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-46897214834880110052010-01-27T11:31:00.002-06:002010-01-27T11:48:49.236-06:00

As I've posted before, I don't like some of the school projects given to my children. Its really project for parents because at 3 and 6 years old, they are not capable of completing some of these assignments. So, this week, we have two projects due. Son #2 (3 years old) must hand in a poster depicting a value we wish to share with others. A value such as not fighting with your friends at

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-57104964917463673652010-01-25T12:03:00.003-06:002010-01-25T12:25:34.704-06:00

Having lived most of my life in Toronto, the idea of growing my own bananas was very exotic. I had visions of picking a banana off my tree in the morning for breakfast or selecting a few for when I'm in the mood for baking with bananas. Even, cutting off banana leaves to use in one of my asian recipes.Well, reality is, I still have to buy bananas at the market most of the time. When my plants

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-85085926104905239082010-01-12T11:40:00.004-06:002010-01-12T12:09:11.924-06:00

My family had a fresh produce store in Chinatown when I was growing up. So, everyday after school, I would go to the store to help out and we also have our dinner there. Even though we lived in another part of town, I grew up mainly in Chinatown around chinese people. When we bought our first house, I told my husband-to-be that I want to move as far away from a chinese community as possible

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-3280409207648394562010-01-03T10:41:00.003-06:002010-01-03T10:55:25.803-06:00

Other than eating a lot of sweets, we had a chance to go to the beach, stroll the malecon in Chapala, join the Christmas shoppers getting last minute gifts but most importantly, we spent time together with friends and family here in Mexico.My two monkeys.Christmas Murals by son #2's Kindergarden class.The Nutcracker even Tchaikovsky would have been proud of the hard work these children put into

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-83903284552198113012009-12-19T08:26:00.003-06:002009-12-19T20:00:21.505-06:00

The Mexican's may not celebrate Halloween, but they have Posadas. Starting from the 16th of December all the villages and cities begin celebrating Christmas with Posadas. This is an reenactment of Mary and Joseph going through Bethlehem looking for a place to spend the night. As you know in the story, all the town's inns are full and they end up staying in a manger because of a kind

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-40065506704224450962009-12-10T11:35:00.003-06:002009-12-10T11:50:07.675-06:00

Last weekend, we took the boys to the "Feria Internacional del Libros". It is the largest book expo in Latin America. It was the first time for us and it was enormous.These two photos do not do justice to how big this expo was. There was an international area, a national area, a university area, a youth and children area as well as theaters, presentations and lectures. Here is a link to the

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-28280293558828244352009-12-09T10:07:00.001-06:002009-12-09T10:09:24.127-06:00

Saw this from a facebook friend and thought I would share here with you all.

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-63882683848917274462009-12-03T00:01:00.000-06:002009-12-02T21:30:12.928-06:00

A little over a year ago, we finally met the father of S#1's friend, here to be known as FoF1oS1 (see if you can figure out what that stands for). During a conversation between the two fathers, it was discovered that we had a lot in common including the following:1) we both have 2 sons2) our first sons have birthdays in October3) our second sons have birthdays in September4) all four of us (

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-90026169788954098152009-12-01T20:04:00.004-06:002009-12-01T20:09:10.791-06:00

Well, its my birthday today. We celebrated on the weekend by going to the beach, but that's for another post. Today, however, the boys got cake!Mmmm, Pastel de Tres Leches!

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-5525813109692119042009-11-24T20:54:00.004-06:002009-11-27T04:20:29.831-06:00

When we built this house, we had no plans of having children EVER. That meant the house was not designed with children in mind. Now we're renovating to adjust for our change of plans - happy changes - but still. I HATE home renovations. It disrupts my life and OMG, the dust! Anyways, what was quoted to us as a 7 day project have turned into 3 1/2 weeks of work. A fellow blogger recently

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-122083792070087022009-11-18T09:33:00.000-06:002009-11-19T12:53:08.013-06:00

Friday was an adventure. On my way to pick up son number 2 (SN2) from school, my car started veering right as I was driving. Okay, what's wrong, I'm thinking to myself. A little ways pass San Nicolas, I pulled over and discovered that somehow, there is a puncture in my front right tire.Its for these situations that we bought a cellphone when son number 1 started school. We only have one car

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-78231406059620581472009-11-17T11:48:00.002-06:002009-11-17T11:58:32.723-06:00

That's what greeted us this morning. Its unusual to have silence in the mornings. The ducks would normally be quacking to let us know that they are hungry and want out of their cage. I didn't pay much attention because I was in a rush to get the boys off to school.I came home around 10:30. Husband walks out to greet me with a funny smile. You know the kind of smile that means either 1) he's

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-76181814548399152232009-11-11T12:57:00.003-06:002009-11-11T13:14:23.603-06:00

Picked up my FM2 today! I'm good to stay in Mexico for another year!Two weeks ago, I submitted my paper work to the immigration folks who come to Chapala on Wednesday. Today, I went back to hopefully pick up my renewed FM2 booklet. It was the speediest event I've ever experienced! I mean I've been doing this annually for about 9 years now and I have never gotten in and out so quick. I

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-87208708088192450032009-11-06T13:06:00.001-06:002009-11-06T13:06:00.509-06:00

One day, son #1 asked where did butter come from. Instead of just explaining it to him, I thought it would be fun to "show" him how its done.Making butter is really simple. You need:500 ml of whipping cream (the real stuff)1 marble washed and cleaned1 liter container with a tight fitting lid - EXTREMELY important that the lid be tight fitting. You can guess how I found this out.As many kids as

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-4591300416039846732009-11-04T09:32:00.000-06:002009-11-04T09:32:00.249-06:00

That's what the boys named our ducks. They didn't go for A L'Orange and Peking, I guess they're not gourmets!Anyways, we allow the ducks to free range in the garden throughout the day. At night we secure them in their cage, more for their safety than for keeping them in. The ducks likes to visit us at the kitchen door to let us know that they are hungry, quite loudly as a matter of fact. Here

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-16886024389264616762009-11-02T09:06:00.002-06:002009-11-02T09:29:05.882-06:00

When we drive to Guadalajara, we take the road that goes through Santa Cruz de Soledad. This road takes us out to the Chapala-Guad highway outside of Ixtlahuacan (hope I spelled that right). Just as we exit Santa Cruz, there is a house on the north side with a large sign advertising "Vende Carnes de Rana", mmm frog meat. It brings back memories of my childhood in Hong Kong. The grandmother of

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-70442017093897337072009-10-29T12:21:00.005-06:002010-12-07T06:58:08.781-06:00

UPDATE: These procedures no longer apply as of May 1, 2010. The Immigration department changed their process as well as their online forms. We're living in Mexico on what is known as a FM3. You have to renew this annually. It must be done no earlier than 30 days before your current year's expiration date. And if you're even one day late, you'll be charged a hefty fine. The process usually

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-88987298306581242992009-10-28T16:25:00.001-06:002009-10-28T16:25:00.430-06:00

About eight years ago, I bought a bag of orchids from a man on the side of the road. To my surprise, in the bag were about 20 plants. With the help of my husband and father-in-law, we "planted" them throughout the garden. Planting involved tying them with wires to trees, planters and/or rocks.We didn't get any blooms the first couple of years and now I get to admire these beauties a couple of

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-42922480514511361442009-10-24T22:01:00.003-05:002009-10-26T10:47:27.285-06:00

Our oldest son turned six on Saturday. We decided to spend the day at the beach.Father and SonWheeeeeeeeeeEnjoying some calamariOur traditional birthday donut

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-36442551509929088662009-10-22T19:29:00.005-05:002009-10-22T20:08:29.571-05:00

Ever since I made Lobsy for son number 2, son number 1 has been asking for a toy too. I'm not really into knitting toys, I find sewing all the little pieces to be too much work to be enjoyable. So I'm very particular as to what I will make. Anyways, all that went out the window when I saw "Zozo" in the fall issue of Knitty. I saw all the small parts and still convinced myself that it'll be

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-87789811648353093182009-10-19T11:01:00.003-05:002009-10-19T11:29:46.428-05:00

Monday is market day in Chapala. The tiangius is a street market where you can literally buy everything from pots, pans, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, fresh flowers, cheese, clothing, pirate DVDs and CDs, furniture, well you get the idea.I've been eyeing these guys every week and this week I gave in and bought them.Meet Patito Uno and Patito Dos. I'm waiting for the boys to come home and give

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-14976836117728570222009-10-14T17:54:00.002-05:002009-10-14T19:26:45.217-05:00

The boys enjoying some ice-cream at Lick's.Mmmm, lobster. It was a 2 pounder and oh so good!Our day at the Ontario Science Center celebrating their 40th birthday.Spending time with my 90 year old mother.A sushi boat!

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-77028177228296470852009-10-13T18:52:00.003-05:002009-10-13T18:57:12.150-05:00

I've have 3 hours of sleep in the last 36 hours. Incredibly, the little one is still full of energy even though he's only had 5 hours of sleep. As I typed the previous sentence, he just passed out on the bed in the middle of a song. I'll post more when I've recovered.

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-43200269055216601012009-10-08T00:10:00.002-05:002009-10-08T00:28:19.722-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we took the boys to the Ontario Science Center (OSC) in Toronto. It was their 40th birthday celebration. Both my husband and I recall visiting the OSC in our youthful days. Its been at least a couple of decades since our last visit. A lot of changes have taken place. There are a lot more hands on and multimedia exhibits. one of my favourite and also the boys is the

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-9653900497655853852009-09-24T19:05:00.003-05:002009-09-29T23:58:03.717-05:00

We're in Toronto for our semi-annual visit. The weather has been slightly overcast and a few days of drizzles, but overall not too bad. Its mild enough that we can still wear shorts.There are a couple of reasons we visit Toronto, first, family and second hubby's work. Since moving to Mexico, I've been dreading these visits. Mainly because I've grown accustomed to my routine and slower paced

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-68720414890897277522009-09-16T12:53:00.002-05:002009-09-16T13:00:19.328-05:00

Its a holiday today and both boys are home from school. What is it with children, that on school days you can't drag them out of bed without them complaining about how tired they are. Yet, today, both boys got up before the sun was out and calling out to us "Is it morning yet?" I tried "No, its still dark outside." Five minutes later, "Is it morning now?" followed by two bodies climbing into

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-15877535226417692582009-09-15T09:28:00.005-05:002009-09-15T10:22:59.519-05:00

Sorry to keep you in suspense for a week. So, we waited for our turn to take the road test. Did I mention that there are two types of driver's licenses? One for driving a car and one for trucks of any kind (from a pickup to a large commercial truck). So, we decided to go for the Chofer (or truck) class license. We felt it was more flexible and was only 90 pesos more for a 4 year license.Our

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-25889963535402971182009-09-07T20:30:00.002-05:002009-09-07T21:49:49.625-05:00

So, today, Q and I went to get our "Mexican Driver's License". Its like deja vu. You see, Q and I got our first driver's license in Canada together 20-some years ago when we were sixteen. Back then, we did the whole driver's ed and Saturday morning driving lessons thing. This time around, we were only armed with the test questions and our bad driving habits.We arrived at 9:45am armed with our

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-71083877771362464702009-08-28T11:14:00.006-05:002009-09-03T11:40:14.532-05:00

We are going to try and get our Mexican Driver's License. The process is pretty simple. Pass a 20 questions multiple choice test on the computer, pass a driving test, fill in the paper work, and pay your fees. The driving test and paper work will not be a problem, however, the questions will be a challenge since its in Spanish. The good news is that the government provides us with the

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-25243405902635095982009-08-28T09:14:00.003-05:002009-08-28T09:57:33.350-05:00

I can't believe its Friday already. Well, we all survived the first week of school. M loves being in grade one, seeing all his friends again. He says grade one is pretty easy. Let's hope he continues with this thought.L is improving daily. He still cries when I drop him off but at least I'm not. The teachers are really nice and tells me that he is participating in the activities more and

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-82232335838304682932009-08-23T12:33:00.004-05:002009-08-24T11:11:29.942-05:00

Today, I'm sending off both my boys to school. M starts grade one. He'll be going to primary school at Loyola or what he refers to as the "Big Kids School". I worry that he'll spend his break playing instead of eating his lunch. I worry that he'll not pay attention to the teacher and not write down his homework assignments.L starts first Kinder, he is 3 years old. He is my shy boy and has

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-48053666623495851672009-08-23T11:50:00.000-05:002009-08-23T11:50:00.376-05:00

It was Sunday morning in Puerto Vallarta. We can hear this chop, chop sound outside. We paid no attention to it, I mean it was around 8:00am and we're on vacation. Finally at around 8:30, I pulled back the curtains to the balcony, and, THERE IS A MAN CLIMBING UP A PALM TREE RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR BALCONY! It was quite a sight He climbed this palm tree using nothing but two ropes made into loops

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-66155184258024535632009-08-20T08:08:00.000-05:002009-08-20T08:08:00.295-05:00

Here's M with this weeks joke for your enjoyment!

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-30172825086858999112009-08-16T20:30:00.005-05:002009-08-17T20:55:58.243-05:00

"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.Wouldn't you like to get away?Sometimes you want to goWhere everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came."These are the lyrics to the theme song of an old TV show Cheers. Often I feel that I've found that place here in Chapala.Soriana, a Mexican supermarket

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-47397249695363742902009-08-14T09:46:00.000-05:002009-08-14T09:46:00.549-05:00

We spent a few days in Puerto Vallarta. I was a bit anxious about being in PV in August, I'm not a big fan of hot and humid, but the weather was beautiful. We were told that we came at a good time, the weather cooled down a bit.Once again, we stayed at the Plaza Pelicanos Grand, we were there in June. I love the location. Its close to downtown with many shops and restaurants around. Its also

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-71574489012864079692009-08-13T10:45:00.001-05:002009-08-13T11:38:32.680-05:00

My son is in the jokes stage of his life. Everyday he tells me many, many jokes. So, I thought I would share the joy!

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-44893235278629034902009-08-08T11:08:00.000-05:002009-08-08T11:08:00.465-05:00

17 years ago today, I married my high school sweetheart.We're on our way to Puerto Vallarta to celebrate with our boys of course.Have a great weekend!

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-19099597793542826102009-08-05T19:58:00.003-05:002009-08-05T20:30:37.660-05:00

Prior to moving to Mexico, my experience with Mexican food was limited to the menu at Taco Bell. Needless to say I was poorly informed. Its been eight years since moving to paradise and my knowledge of Mexican food has vastly improved. However, one of our favourite food is TACOS. The real Mexican Taco, that is. Today, I share with you our other favourite Taco eatery, Tacos El Tios.Tacos El

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-54309934917511104882009-07-26T20:29:00.006-05:002009-07-27T20:58:19.736-05:00

The last day of school, the teachers organized a visit to the local movie theater for a private viewing of Ice Age 3 for the children in kindergarden. Since them, M has been asking about various dinosaurs and if they are real and where do they live, etc. We are entering the 3rd week (of 6) of summer vacation and I'm not sure how many more questions I can handle before I send him out searching

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-61066005623413473982009-07-20T17:19:00.004-05:002009-07-22T17:21:22.277-05:00

Here in Mexico, summer vacation started last week. It was interesting having M home all day. The two boys go through cycles of playing really well together to screaming and crying at each other, followed by "Mommmmmmmmmmieeeeeeeee". So it was really nice of our friends to invite us to their home for Sunday lunch.At their house, we had some pretty amazing pazole. Pazole, is both the name of

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-35476351206212814132009-07-13T20:31:00.003-05:002009-07-13T21:00:15.648-05:00

Our nightly routine is that the boys take their baths followed by quiet reading time by themselves and then a story from Dad. Tonight, M found one of my Thai Cookbook and was reading and I mean reading each recipe (I know this 'cause he was reading out loud). He would read each recipe's title and if it interested him then he would read out the ingredients. This went on for about half an

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-74379159511489620792009-07-04T21:32:00.002-05:002009-07-08T22:16:59.035-05:00

It seems like it was just yesterday that I lay my eyes on this beautiful baby boy for the first time.And it was last Friday that I watched my boy graduate. I felt such a sense of pride for what he has achieved so far. He's learned his ABC's and 123's, well, maybe more than that. So, let me present to you, the graduating class of 2009.In case you're wondering which one is mine, he's the Chinese

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-8966705187721137222009-07-02T10:58:00.000-05:002009-07-02T10:58:00.177-05:00

What is it about feet that fascinates a two year old? A couple of weeks ago, I started to let my younger son take pictures with my digital camera. A thousand photos later, I'm intrigued by his view of life. Its been fun viewing all his photos and today I present to you, feet.

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-88163116349866084602009-06-27T10:53:00.005-05:002009-06-29T22:44:22.486-05:00

Last Friday, M's class went to the Guadalajara Zoo. At least one parent was required to go, so we made it a family trip day, and so did some of the other parents. Its great to see how parents will take time off from work to go on a field trip with their children.Anyways, we love the Guadalajara Zoo because there are lots of animals to see yet the park is not so large that you spend more time

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-77291332577034231932009-06-19T16:20:00.004-05:002009-06-19T16:32:51.766-05:00

I usually don't knit toys, but this one captured my heart and I had to make it. Well, also, my little guy saw it and said "Mommy, can you make me a lobsy?" Now how can I say no to that!The pattern is free and can be found on Petite Purls. Its an online webzine that "offer exquisitely crafted, fashion forward, quality knitting patterns accompanied by beautiful photography". This is their first

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-12826723333115606752009-06-14T16:49:00.003-05:002009-06-14T16:55:57.529-05:00

This is what happens when you leave a 2 year old unsupervised with some paint.I'm pretty proud of this little artist. He did not miss a spot on his legs, feet, arms or hands. He was COMPLETELY COVERED with paint, but not a spot of paint on his face.I'm glad they invented washable paints.

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-43838482835816054762009-06-10T01:36:00.005-05:002009-06-11T21:15:40.261-05:00

We had a fantastic time in Puerto Vallarta (PV). So much fun that the little guy decided that the hotel was his new home and did not want to leave. Actually, neither did my older son.I've never been to PV at this time of the year. The weather was perfect. It was warm but not crazy hot and humid. The breeze coming off the ocean was wonderful.I've just finished doing all the laundry, and will

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-2728345791676173942009-06-04T12:00:00.003-05:002009-06-04T17:17:05.174-05:00

That's what my 2 year old son told me this morning. Our conversation went something like this."Snake eyes?""Yes, Mommy, do you want to play craps be me?", he asked with his bag of dice and poker chips."Now, who taught you this game?""Daddy"Okay. Someone is in BIG trouble.Just like with our first son, we started teaching our youngest child various card games. One of his favourite game right now

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-55614765854335183342009-06-02T20:58:00.003-05:002009-06-02T21:04:25.596-05:00

Saturday afternoon, we met some friends for lunch at the Malecon. However, prior to that we strolled the boardwalk and enjoyed another sunny day here in paradise.Here are the boys enjoying a Mexican snack. Its kind of like shrimp chips without the shrimp flavour and comes in different shapes. Miguel is getting to be more Mexican everyday. He had his with a squeeze of lime juice and covered

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-31163912956781411072009-05-29T01:28:00.000-05:002009-05-29T01:28:00.460-05:00

About 4 years ago, an evil minded critter decided to crawl into our car's venting system as his final resting place. His last breath was taken in the comfort of our Subaru Impreza. A couple of days later, we noticed an unfamiliar odor in the car. We tried spraying the car with odor neutralizer. No use. Ignoring it only made it worst the next day. Armed with nothing more than my absolute

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-7452239912243862722009-05-27T22:02:00.003-05:002009-05-27T22:05:11.602-05:00

Its been a hectic weekend. I'll post on what we did later, but come on over to my food blog for some yummy Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins.From Food

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-63911680846408801012009-05-21T08:09:00.001-05:002009-05-21T08:09:00.432-05:00

That's what my son told me the other day when I made some Bratwurst for dinner. It was Bratwurst from scratch using my new toy, the kitchenaid food grinder and sausage stuffer attachment.I've posted the Bratwurst recipe on my food blog. Go have a look, but don't do it on an empty stomach.

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-79174883768736797262009-05-18T20:16:00.004-05:002009-05-19T05:16:47.578-05:00

In preparation for the 2011 PanAm games, the government have been spending alot of money on improvements to the malecon.Its been one of favourite things to do on Friday afternoons. We'll pack our favourite snack and head of to the Malecon. There is a beautiful boardwalk lined with palm trees (pictured above), benches for resting and people watching, restaurants, ice-cream stands, tour boat

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-29168449672734942002009-05-14T08:47:00.006-05:002009-05-15T19:47:51.221-05:00

If you've been reading the Life section or the Food section of the Toronto Star (or most newspapers), you should have come across the 100km trend. Basically, its an idea that encourages us to eat food grown locally. It helps your local farmers, reduce carbon footprints and is better for you because the food is fresher.We're pretty fortunate living here in Mexico, because most of the produce,

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-84350042546575119012009-05-13T23:20:00.002-05:002009-05-13T23:31:32.237-05:00

Q taking care of the boys.When Q asked me what I wanted to do for Mother's Day, I told him, "nothing". When you're a stay at home Mom, like I am, everyday is Mother's Day, because, the kids are always running to Mom for something.So, I told him I want to do nothing, which included doing nothing with the kids for at least a couple of hours. I just wanted some quiet "Mom" time.And I got it!

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-58480219279189192302009-05-07T19:49:00.007-05:002009-05-09T08:29:33.227-05:00

I enjoy knitting. I started to knit again about six years ago. It started with a blanket for my then unborn child. Then, socks, sweaters, scarfs, hats, mittens and dishcloths.Dishcloths are great in that you can test out a stitch pattern and you end up with something useful.I picked up some Bernet Handicrafter Cotton while in Toronto and this is what I made today.The stitch pattern comes from

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-90255041059995629382009-05-06T21:46:00.006-05:002009-05-07T19:49:29.643-05:00

Our family LOVE Tacos. Not the Taco Bell kind or the ground beef with lettuce and cheese in a hard corn shell kind, but true authentic Mexican Tacos. Until we moved to Mexico, we didn't even know what we were missing. Tacos here are meat on a fresh corn tortilla, dressed with chopped onions, cilantro and salsa with a squeeze of lime juice.A few months back, we had heard about a new taco place

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-58118553649232111112009-05-03T14:21:00.002-05:002009-05-03T14:25:28.634-05:00

After being away for four weeks, I didn't expect to find much in the vegetable garden. But look what we got to eat today for lunch!

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-12954057398022297172009-05-03T12:57:00.001-05:002009-05-03T12:59:22.494-05:00

Need I say more?

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-34161482112169334972009-04-29T10:35:00.002-05:002009-04-29T10:45:18.816-05:00

I haven't really felt warm in Toronto. Even today, its beautiful and sunny outside and yet I'm inside with a sweater on top of my flannel shirt. As I've explained to my mother-in-law, although its sunny, there is a slight breeze and that breeze is cold air. So, while I've been in Toronto, I knitted a vest. Its kept me warm without making me feel hot and the pattern was super easy. It was

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-46957964321274565262009-04-24T15:24:00.003-05:002009-04-24T15:43:48.057-05:00

So, the boys and I have been sick the whole week. Cough, cough, sniffle, sniffle. I usually don't cook anything different for when they're feeling sick. However, since we're staying at my in-laws, my MIL, made Congee.Of course, the go to comfort food for asians. So, I wrote up the recipe for a Basic White Congee.My boys don't particularly care for it. For them comfort food is meat wrapped

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-82521651723431979522009-04-20T00:14:00.003-05:002009-04-22T23:06:07.424-05:00

I try not to stereotype my boys. I don't insist certain toys or colours to be for "girls" or "boys". Okay, I admit to convincing "L" that purple crocs were nicer than the pink pair. That was sort of a compromise when we went shoe shopping. Yet, I am amazed at how my sons will gravitate towards the typical boy toys and games. And how they'll wrestle with each other, even though we don't watch

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-41912218438680935052009-04-17T08:23:00.006-05:002009-04-18T07:47:12.287-05:00

"M" loves books and he loves science. So when I saw this book on Science Experiments, well, I just had to buy it. He's been reading it everyday in Toronto and asks me if we can do this or that experiment EVERYDAY! If you know "M", you know that he'll just keep talking until you give in.Today we did this experiment because it only involved paper and water. So here goes my first video clip on

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-46612030352942221212009-04-16T12:03:00.001-05:002009-04-16T12:05:19.206-05:00

I love making pizza and its a good thing the boys love to eat pizza. Here is my recipe for a basic pizza dough and in less than a couple of hours you'll be enjoying some too.

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-50650217843616270722009-04-11T15:56:00.002-05:002009-04-11T16:02:39.708-05:00

No baking while I'm in Toronto, mainly because we're staying with the in-laws and I hate cooking in other people's kitchens and I don't have all my toys, I mean tools. This reminded me of an episode of Nigella Bites where she is on vacation with her family and she mentions that she never travels without her cooking tools, then promptly whips out of her tote bag a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer!Anyways,

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-4135820715685483142009-04-07T09:42:00.004-05:002009-04-09T07:46:05.786-05:00

We've been in Toronto for four days now and we've had 2 days of rain, one extemely windy day and well this is what I see when I look outside the window today.That's not a lot of snow if you're use to Toronto weather, however, we left this and I'm freezing my butt off!

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-88927193382352221952009-04-03T09:51:00.005-06:002009-04-05T08:49:05.715-05:00

We travel to Toronto a couple of times each year. With a family of four, I'm always on the lookout for deals. Usually, Continental has the best fares to Toronto. If I can get tickets for under $600 CAD each, that's a pretty decent fare. This year, I felt I won the lottery when I got us 4 tickets for $1,900 CAD total with Mexicana.This is our first flight with Mexicana, so here are my

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-60101394152195860532009-04-03T07:10:00.002-06:002009-04-03T07:19:52.773-06:00

We're in Toronto for our annual visit. Yesterday was spent traveling so we're all pretty exhausted. Well, at least I am, the boys were up early and were playing with the grandparents at 6:30am.We flew with Mexicana for the first time and I'll post about our experience tomorrow.Its not as cold as I thought here, but I'm glad I packed a sweater.

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-31375514987752462662009-03-31T20:59:00.002-06:002009-03-31T21:09:43.484-06:00

Those are baby mangoes growing on one of our mango trees. Its kind of exciting since this is the first year that this tree is bearing fruit. The tree is only about 4 feet tall.I've been testing another blog host template over at wordpress so I've decided to separate my baking posts.Come on over to Life in Mexico and see what's cooking.BTW, let me know how you like the layout in the comments.

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-84832840076217329902009-03-29T20:26:00.003-06:002009-03-29T21:00:28.252-06:00

In most parts of Mexico, Sundays are time reserved to spend with families. Most people work six days a week and Sundays are the only time they have off. While you may find many people at the mall, there are usually more people out enjoying the sunshine and fresh air outdoors. We are very fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful climate in the world and we too take advantage of spending

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-27428976575153510142009-03-28T10:28:00.005-06:002009-03-28T11:00:07.172-06:00

Every year in March M's school has a science fair. This year the theme for Kindergarten is plants. For the last two months, the kids have been taking care of plants in class they grew from seed. Also, they made a very nice garden outside with different types for plants brought from home. We contributed two little tomato plants. For the fair the 3rd Kinder class had to make posters explaining

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-64743374685586692112009-03-25T19:31:00.005-06:002009-03-27T00:42:39.230-06:00

I have hair clippers and I'm not afraid to use them.I cut the boys' hair when they are young. M started going to the hair dresser with Q a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, L won't let anyone near him so forget about a hair dresser getting right in his face. I have a pair of hair shears and I usually give him a trim and try to shape around his ears as neatly as I can manage while he wiggles

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-56629302798642394782009-03-25T10:25:00.001-06:002009-03-25T19:31:52.559-06:00

Something that I miss about living in Mexico are Chinese Bakeries. There is something so different about chinese breads and pastries that you just don't find it anywhere else. That is, until I discovered this recipe for making that oh so familiar buttery, light and fluffy tasting bread. I've been using this recipe for several months now, making plain butter buns, char-siew (BBQ pork) filled

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-73739791068570921112009-03-23T14:26:00.007-06:002009-03-23T20:42:25.863-06:00

For the past several years we've been trying to grow vegetables. Living so far south and high in altitude, I haven't really figured out optimal growing time for some plants. Especially plants that don't normally grow here. This season, we're having some success. We went to the patch yesterday morning and found some goodies were ready for picking. Specifically, some sweet yellow cherry

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8623509035000103342.post-7523830638108893012009-03-19T21:14:00.003-06:002009-03-20T09:56:04.898-06:00

Like learning Spanish, I've had to learn to drive the Mexican way. I've had my driver's license since I was sixteen (and that's a lot of years). I remember taking driver's ed in high school and learning to signal before turning, checking my blind spots and all those things that you really don't do after you've passed the road test. So, today, I thought I would share with you somethings that one

Bettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495901928995901627noreply@blogger.com2