Hugging and Kissing and Being Calm

Luis was deep into Wii Sports world and I was deep into Facebook world when I decided it was time to write another post. I was thinking about what to write when I heard those familiar shoes walking with a familiar pace. "Hi mommy" he said. "Are you coming for a "snuggie" (our cheesy name for cuddle)?" I said. He touched my new "Peace" necklace from Mexico City and he asked, "What does this symbol mean?" I told him it means peace and asked him what "peace" meant to him. He said, "Peace means hugging and kissing and being calm".

I thought about how the world would be a much better place if we did more "hugging and kissing and being calm". I love his answers. They are always better than mine.

AVATAR and NDD

I came across an interesting article from Richard Louv, author of The Last Child in the Woods. It was an open letter to James Cameron regarding Avatar. Here is the link:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/people-in-nature/201001/open-letter-james-cameron

I had the privilege to meet Richard Louv and hear him talk in Springfield, Missouri a couple of years ago. I also had the privilege to experience James Cameron's Avatar on the IMAX screen. What a great combination. Richard Louv coined the term Nature Deficit Disorder "in an effort to heal the broken bond between our young and nature".

An interviewer asks James Cameron: "What is 'Avatar' saying?

He answered: "It asks the questions about our relationship with each other, from culture to culture, and our relationship with the natural world at a time of nature-deficit disorder."

It was interesting to actually hear it from James Cameron after all of the many interpretations out there about this movie. It was more than a movie it was an experience. I can't wait to see it again :)

Making Pools

My inspiration for this blog came from a recent trip to the dog beach. It was "leashes off" season so the dogs could be "free" to roam, run, make friends and make a mess. As I sat there watching all the variety of dogs and their owners I couldn't help but notice that the energy the owners had seemed to transfer to their dogs. Some of the dog owners followed their dogs every move yelling with a very obvious anxiety. What if my dog poops here? What if she walks on that person's towel? What if they go into the water and track mud into the car? What if he fights with the other dogs? The dogs with these "helicopter" owners were the ones wrecking havoc and eventually had to be contained and leashed. Others were much more laid back and friendly. Their dogs walked around sniffing other dogs, exploring the water and wagging their tails.

Then I wondered, does this apply to children? I have noticed lately that the more I let go of these mostly unnecessary fears and stopped listening to those "what if" voices, I have been able to enjoy my son so much more. That day at the dog beach I decided to walk over to Luis and see what he was up to. He said mommy, "I am making pools".

I hope that I can remember what he said that day the next time those voices are telling me, "He is going to make a mess".

Is he making a mess or is he "making pools"?

Our Mexico City Trip

For my first blog post I thought I would back track a little bit and talk about our trip to Mexico City in December 2009. This was my 3rd time in Mexico City and Luis' 2nd time. The last time we went he was only 6 months old. It was great to watch him experience the city this time and interact with Jose's family. We stayed with Jose's mom at her condo. Even though we were grateful for the opportunity to stay with her and to be close to her we decided to stay in a hotel next time. This will afford us the freedom to spend time with the rest of Jose's family a little more. The first time I went was very overwhelming. It is, according to Jose's mom, the largest city in the world. Of course Jose and his mom went back and forth on whether that was true. Either way, in the end and especially in the Mexican culture, mom will always be right. The second time I was able to bring my mom and my sister Bethany. Having their company made the second trip much less stressful. By the 3rd time, I am an expert Mexico City traveler. No more time in the hospital with a stomach infection and no more freaking out every time we get in the car. The city is wonderful and rich and full of life. However, despite my mother in law's attempts to persuade us otherwise, we could never live there.


One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the Mexico City Children's Museum. We could have spent a whole week in that place. Luis had a blast. There were a few other places that I will need to check with Jose on the names. We enjoyed getting to experience the Christmas traditions of Jose's family. Overall, it was a good trip. Some drama with Jose's mom and sister but that is expected now so I just sit on the sidelines and watch and sometimes laugh. We were glad to be home and ready to start a new year.