His Life. My Life. Our Life. It's Hecho en Mexico.: 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Tis' the Joy of Doing Good!

Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to be part of a wonderful experience. It was a day we organized to help celebrate the holidays with forgotten children who’ve never met their parents or who’ve been left behind as young babies and toddlers. This year, we did it a little different. I knew in my heart I wanted to do something special.

I, along with a few close friends, approached a local school here in Hermosillo for children with special needs who come from impoverished families. We asked if they would allow us to organize a ‘Posada’ for their students, the director was thrilled at the idea, and so the planning begun….
WHERECentro de Atencion Multiple Estatal #16 (C.A.M.E.)(It’s a government funded school.)
WHEN
Wednesday December 17, 2008
It was a beautiful day. I am overwhelmed with joy and emotion as I replay the events in my mind and remember the happiness I saw in so many innocent faces.

9:00am
I sought out a ‘clown’ who was kind enough to offer his time – at no cost – and put on a show for the children. No matter what the disability was, everyone enjoyed the music, the dancing and the magic! The kids were thrilled and participated with so much enthusiasm.

10:00am
It was time to hit the piñata and gather candy, with 3 piñatas donated, there was plenty to go around!

11:00am
It was time for McDONALD's!

11:30am
We were able to collect gifts for every single child in the room. Wrapping such a quantity was not fun – but seeing the joy when their names were called out made up for it!

12:00pm
We were presented with a few gifts the students made themselves as they thanked us for our kindness and wished us lots of happiness as we did them!
Then it was time to dance!

I am fortunate enough to have some good contacts here in the city who graciously agreed to donate 100 happy meals! What was so beautiful about this moment was upon arrival of the food, the kids faces lit up like never before. According to the director, most of these children have never had McDonald’s in their lives, and to be able to share this with them meant the world. It also made me see how much we take things (that are so small and meaningless in our lives), for granted. My kids ask for McDonald’s, and off we go. They don’t finish their fries – oh well, we throw them out. These kids, on the other hand, took pleasure in every single bite, every french fry was savored and every mouthful was taken with so much appreciation. Nothing was left to be wasted!

These kids are disabled. Not only do they have the misfortune of going through life always feeling different than others, but they also come from very poor families. In Canada, we are lucky to have a system that takes good care of everyone. Though there are those who live in poverty, it’s nothing compared to other parts of the world. Here in Mexico, the difference between the classes is enormous, and sadly, that means the poor are truly underprivileged and living in conditions that are beyond belief.

My only wish for 2009 is that with the economic disaster that has taken the world by storm – we don’t forget the people who’ve been living in these conditions… all their lives.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!

Wishing You All a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Parenting 101

IF THE SHOE FITS Sometimes, we try too hard to control everything around us, with good intentions of course!
What do you do when your three year old son wants to commit the ultimate fashion 'faux-pas' according to your ‘I-will-never-allow-my-kids-to-wear-this’ rule?

Little C turned three in September and he already thinks he’s earned the greatest ability any child seeks, the ability to make decisions on his own and firmly stand his ground when his mami says no. It actually started way earlier, but now, it’s more serious than ever.

Great! Cute? I suppose not.

Let’s rewind to happier times when my sweet little boy was just that…sweet and little.

He always use to hold my hand and walk proudly through the parking lot at the mall. He use to give me kisses in the morning and after school without ever worrying his little amigos would see his dire need to get some sweet love from his mami before parting ways.

And now……

He doesn’t want to hold my hand anymore because he is a ‘big boy’ and though he still gives me his morning and afternoon kiss at school, it is with great caution.

Little C has found his strength and has discovered he actually has the right to have his own opinion. I no longer hold the reigns. It started full force when he turned three, but, recently I realized how serious the situation has gotten.

We went shopping a few weeks ago and ended up in Liverpool (a local department store) and were looking at shoes for Mimi (what else!). When all of a sudden, from across the way, I saw my son with a huge smile on his face, running across the aisle (what seemed like a blur and in slow motion) with something ‘flashing’ in his itty bitty hands. I looked down (continue visual thinking in slow motion please) and much to my EVER SHOCKING DISMAY saw the most hideous things in his hand. A pair of black velcro runners with Spiderman all over them and blinking…no… FLASHING red lights in the rubber soles below. I nearly dropped to the ground (slight exaggeration but it goes well with the story) and yelled "NOOOOOOO" as he came running towards me.

Conversation follows...
Lil C - “Mami, can you buy me deese shooz!”
Me – “Oh babe, aren’t they…um… ‘c..c.cute!?’…HOW ABOUT these cool Hi-top Converse over here? Or these awesome Pumas? They’re really nice too!”
Lil C – “No mami, I want deese shooz, Spiderman…look..cool, wit dee lights!”

So. Here I was. Standing in the middle of the store as my world came crashing down. This is when I realized, the awful moment of truth, I can no longer force my son to make decisions he doesn’t agree with. I know he’s only three, but whether he’s 3 or 13 or 30, he is his own person and I am just his mother who’s supposed to listen and support his decisions. Oooh..tough one…isn’t it!?

Anyway, the store didn’t have the shoes in his size. He was disappointed and I was beyond thrilled. We left, and he was sad. This goes back to the story of his birthday party we celebrated two months ago. C wanted a Spiderman piñata, and I wanted Diego. So, I was able to convince him Diego was the dude! My sis made me feel bad. Should I have let him make the decision on his own without my input? Or, not!? I don’t know….

(I totally dig Spiderman, however the party room we rented looked like a jungle, so I thought it would be way cool to have a 'Diego' piñata rather than Spidey hanging from the vines amongst the tigers and lions and bears....oh my!?)

So, back to the shoes….

Two weeks ago, not only was Cristian awarded star child of the week for his behavior and enthusiasm at school, he was also asked to carry the Mexican flag in honour of the national anthem that is celebrated every Monday. He was totally proud of his accomplishment and cunningly used that moment as a tool to ask for 'something he really wanted'.

To be honest, there’s no guide or manual to this. No matter what your degree or the lack thereof, parenting is an entirely different major. You just have to hope every decision you make, every piece of advice you offer, every tear you dry, every smile you return, every explanation you give and every SHOE YOU BUY, is done with, love, understanding, respect and the best of intentions.

We need to learn to pick our battles.

So, that being said, I bought him the shoes. I searched the city and drove around the world. We finally found his size, and as per his request, left the store with his ‘old’ Addidas runners in the box and his 'new' flashy Spidey’s on his feet. Yep, they’re bright alright….and we nearly stopped traffic crossing the street…..

NOTE: I've convinced him these are 'special shoes' and should only be worn at school. Oddly enough, he fell for it. Point for mom!!

THE END!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Geopathic Stress - Fact or Fiction?

People are more aware now than ever of their health. Naturopaths, Homeopaths and any other non-mainstream practice is becoming more and more part of the norm. As hard as we try to exercise daily and eat healthy, there are some natural effects which can be extremely harmful to the immune system and over which we have no control, such as Geopathic Stress (GS).

Ok. For those of you who have NO IDEA what this is, here’s a brief explanation….
If you think of the earth as a giant electro-magnet, GS occurs when waves of radiation seep from the earth’s core and cut across other natural electromagnetic phenomena such as flowing underground streams, mineral concentrations or fault lines. The negative earth rays become harmful as they rise up through buildings affecting the body’s natural biorhythm and causing something commonly known as ‘Sick Building Syndrome’. The impact on health can be dramatic ranging from insomnia and irritability to serious psychological and physical illness.

TWO YEARS AGO
We relocated to La Paloma. That’s where this story begins. We moved in September and by November I was diagnosed with poor circulation in my leg. I was pregnant with Mia at the time, so clearly this was caused by my pregnancy. Shortly after, I developed a blood clot; hence the daily injections of blood thinners began. Once Mia was born, I figured all would be resolved and my health would kick back to the way it used to be. Well, in the following months, leading to this summer, I’ve had, chronic throat infections, Vertigo, several serious stomach infections, restless sleep, severe mood swings and the list can go on….and on….and on…..

APRIL 2008
My mom came to visit us in April to help me through my slump and lift my spirits. She, along with Asuzena, was convinced the house was haunted. She was certain she heard faint whispering voices uttering a few words one night, as she attempted to sleep in the guest house upstairs. For those of you who know my mom, she has a sixth sense for things like this, so sometimes, it’s hard NOT to believe her. Then, Asuzena would always complain of seeing shadows, and feeling ‘heaviness’ on her legs every time she entered the master bedroom. I laughed. Ghosts! Shmosts! No such thing. All is well, everything is fine!
Then, how do you explain my constant ailing immune system, the kids constantly sick, Cristian always throwing up, waking several times at night crying?
SUMMER 2008
I spent most of the summer in TO. It was nice to be away from the ‘sickness’ and in our other home in Markham, where the air seemed fresh and the mood was always cheery. We were in Toronto for almost 3 months and I didn’t get sick once! NOT ONCE! The kids were also great!

BACK TO MEXICO
We returned to Mexico thrilled to be home! After my rejuvenating visit, I decided things would be better and hoped my health would be brighter! I continued Yoga and even went to see a very well known naturist in the city named Dr. Navarro. I’ve been taking my kids to see a naturopath, and all has been well, so I decided to give it a try myself.

FIRST APPOINTMENT
After my blood was drawn and a pee sample taken, I was called into his office. Dr. Navarro. A short little man, scrawny but seemingly strong, with a kind face and a heck of an office. I felt as though I was in a meeting with the Mad Scientist. Gadgets strewn all around and books covered the walls. I sat nervously waiting to get my results. Surely, they couldn’t be that bad! I mean, I’m very active, I eat healthy, most of the time, and I’m always trying to stay focused and positive about life – even though my mom believed my house was haunted!

So, he sat, and reviewed my results….

RESULTS
- Blood is toxic
- Poor Circulation
- Possible chance of Thrombosis
- Lacking nutrients
- Lactose Intolerant
- Allergic to Corn
- Allergic to Wheat
MY REACTION
“Toxic blood? Why? What does that mean? Possible chance of thrombosis….again? Are you kidding me? Lacking nutrients? Sure, I weigh just over 100lbs, but I’m 5ft tall…what’d you expect? Lactose intolerant? Ya, I kinda figured. Corn? I already knew that. Allergic to wheat? NO PASTA? NO PIZZA? NO CAKE? NO GOOD! NO LIFE! NO SHIT!"
I wanted to cry….

DISCUSSION
Dr. Navarro proceeded to walk around me with some metallic wand type thingy.

The following words brought shivers up my spine…… “You don’t sleep well at night. All the nutrients you are taking in are being sucked out of you. You need to change the location of your bed… your room is full of sickness!”

I nearly gagged. This man has never met me before and knows NOTHING about me. He continued to explain that my room could possibly be in a Geopathic Stress Zone, hence the reason why I’ve been sick so often. Hence the poor circulation and the blood clot. After a long discussion and some acupuncture in my ears (to help treat my constant aching stomach), I left feeling overwhelmed.

I did cry.

POST APPOINTMENT
I called Hilda (one of my Mexican BFFs – Brenda is the other) and shared my experience. Her response?
“Maryann, you have to move. He said the same thing to Claudia, and look what happened to her.”
(Note: Claudia was a friend who passed away 3 weeks ago from Cancer. She suffered for two years and lost her battle in her hometown, Saltillo. She leaves behind a husband and an adorable 3 year old boy – very devastating.) She too had been to see Dr. Navarro… and he told her the same thing....

PRESENT DAY
We moved!

We’re in a beautiful new neighbourhood called La Jolla. We’re way up in the mountains now and have a beautiful view of the city. So hopefully, any Geopathic Stress waves that may be out there, won’t find me here! The house is gorgeous and the best part is, we have all our own furniture now! We’ve been here almost a month, and I've been feeling incredible. I’ve been continuing Yoga and Pilates daily and seeing the naturopath as much as I need to. I’ve also given up eating dairy, and carbs (bread, pasta etc…) and feeling great as a result of it.

Some may believe, others may not. If you follow Feng Shui this is all related. Negative energy is all around us. Constantly. We just need to find an approach to prevent it from affecting us in a way that might cause harm.

I laughed at my mom, and made fun of Asuzena…… though there were no ghosts in the house, there undoubtedly was something transparent that seeped through the concrete walls and founds its way towards me……of that, I am a believer.

MORAL OF THE STORY
Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there!
Anything is possible. Better to be safe…than sorry!

THE END

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Where in the World Are the Perri's?

HOLY SH#T! I’ve been writing my blog since we moved (over four years ago) and it’s never taken me this long to update an entry. Here’s a summary of what’s been going on....

AprilSick. Between, the kids, Vince and I, we were passing around some serious stuff. Colds, stomach viruses, chronic constipation (Cristian), you name it we had it. So there’s my excuse for not writing the month of April. Although, the month did start off nicely with an unexpected visit by mom who decided to spend nine fun-filled days with her favorite little people (Yes folks that also included me!) Of course, the fun was cut short when the sudden bout of sicknesses began during my mom’s visit.

May/ June/ JulyAs the end of the school year was fast approaching, and our trip to Toronto was nearing, I was busy planning & packing…planning & packing! Cristian’s school festival was the evening before we headed to Toronto for my nephew’s baptism. So, aside from the nerves I had for my son’s first onstage choreographed performance, I was also stressed about our 12 hour travel the following morning. Needless to say, the concert went better than I ever imagined as my son strutted his stuff in the most bizarre costume (I still, till this day, have NO IDEA what he was supposed to be!?) It was a cross between Pinocchio, a Dutch native dancer and a Russian?!? Whatever he was, he looked super cute and danced his little heart out on that stage. I was sitting front row and was so proud to see my little dude busting moves I didn’t know he was capable of doing! He was the leader of his group and all his classmates were following his tiny feet as he concentrated on the choreography. He made it look effortless!!

Our trip to TO the following day was something I won’t discuss. It was in the past, and let’s just say it’s better left there. Now…move on……
We spent nine lovely weeks in Toronto, enjoyed our house and spent lots of quality time with friends and family. It was great being with my sister almost daily and having the kids around their cousins and close friends.

We made the trip back to Hermosillo on Sunday July 20th and I have to say, it was probably the best Perri family voyage ever! The kids were amazingly behaved and though Mimi had a few feisty moments, Cristian was like a little man the entire way. He ate peanuts, watched movies and even had a nap!
My little traveler!

So, here we are. We’ve been back for over a month and so much has happened since. That alone is an entirely different story and requires a whole other entry, but the result of the ‘happenings’ have made us look for a new house and MOVE!! Yep, we’re in process of moving to another house in a beautiful community called La Jolla!! We’re super excited and can’t wait. (Pics soon to follow.)
I’d also love to post some new pictures of the kids, but my camera, along with all the cables, are packed and ready to go….you’ll have to wait another few weeks!

So, between packing, taking care of the kids and my new job….OH….that’s right, did I mention I have a new job? I’m working for a school called Corporate Languages and giving classes to two very well known entrepreneurs in the city. One is the General Director and franchise owner of McDonalds in the State we live in and the other is the governors nephew and a well-known shrimp exporter around the world. He asked if I'd be interested in exporting shrimp to Canada. I pondered the idea for a bit and even came up with a great business name for myself.... 'The Little Shrimp'!

Good one...eh!
Perri family - Out!
Here's a sneak peak of C&M...
Cristian & Mia at Joey's baptism.

Mimi & C visiting the farm!

Mia playing in the pool at nona's house!

Friday, March 14, 2008

What a Kidtastrophe

There’s been major development in the Perri household. Whoever said it doesn’t happen overnight clearly has no idea what they’re talking about because it can and it does! Overnight, my daughter decided to walk on her own at only 10 months old. Her first real “Look-mom-I’m-walking-around- the kitchen-all-by-myself!” steps were taken in Toronto the evening I had all the girls over for dinner Monday January 28th. She looked super cute; I have to admit. And to witness such a tiny thing walk around showing off her newfound liberation is definitely a sight worth seeing, especially when she’s waddling about in her mini-falda (mini skirt)!

Only problem is, she doesn’t know how to sit up nor stand up on her own yet. So, every time she falls, mommy has to run to her rescue. She lies on the floor with her little face in her hands and sobs, until I pick her up and console her.
“There there Mimi!” (pat pat on the back) and off she goes again.

*This is how it all started. We wrapped her with a
towel and helped her walk around solo. Like a leash!
Hey! It obviously worked!

She’s a TOTAL independent woman!

The kidastrophe in our household doesn’t stop there. On Tuesday February 19th, Cristian also decided to take a few new steps. Only his steps were UPWARDS rather than forward. He decided to practice his latest hiking skills and ‘climb’ his way OUT of his crib and into HIS newfound freedom.

Even as I type this I feel I am all over the map…being incoherent. Part of the reason is because I feel drunk. No, not due to excessive consumption of alcohol (I wish) more like a shortage in consumption of SLEEP. So there you have it. Cristian has officially decided he is no longer a ‘baby’ and has boycotted sleeping past 6am. He now sleeps in a toddler bed, a NASCAR sports car is underway!

As for the night time routine, it’s like starting all over again. Only this time I HAVE TO LAY NEXT TO HIM….in his TODDLER BED. Can you picture that? Remember, the mattress is only about 4 feet long and I’m 5 feet….so I DO fit…when my knees are bent. We snuggle, until he falls asleep. I have to be honest though, I don’t mind it so much, especially in the mornings when he walks into my room and starts singing “Paree looys!” (good morning) the way I use to do to him! As for putting him down at night, holding him and watching him snooze off to dreamland has been nice too. Ugh! I almost sound like the freakish mom from the book ‘Love You Forever’ by Robert Munsch. (For those of you who’ve read it, I know it’s a bit creepy, but c’mon, there’s an underlying truth to that story only moms can relate.)

AND THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE!

YEAH!

Anyway, back to this kidtastrophy. It’s all good. Really. And frankly, I’m a little overjoyed. It’s cool to see my babes ‘stepping up’ to the plate and challenging themselves this way. Now if only I could keep up with them…. I SO need a vacation. Anyone want to join me?

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A Mexican Piñata

One thing I'll miss for sure when we move back to TO will be going to piñatas (birthday parties). Here's Cristian at a piñata we went to last weekend for his little friend Natalia!!

"Dale dale Cristian!!"
...and then he walks away so calmly after beating the shit out of the piñata!