Christmas in Mexico

Avi declared, as we headed to Puerto Vallarta and the first flight on our journey back home, that we would have Christmas in Mexico from now on.  It seems a very Jewish thing to do and Leeor and I were cracking up about it while we were there.  It seems many Bay Area families with young children find themselves flying south for the yuletide.  It's really not a bad idea . . .

***

The yoga retreat where we stayed, Mar de Jade, is tucked into a corner between sea and jungle in a little town called Chacala, about 90 min north of Puerto Vallarta.  It's so lush, lovely and nurturing that I burst into tears upon our departure.  I also happened to be holed up in our room, decidedly my least favorite spot on the property, waiting for some clean clothes, and missed precious time on the beach with my littles.

Now that we are home and I spent the better part of an afternoon cleaning out the fridge, unpacking and making a gallon of granola, I feel okay.  Don't get me wrong, I miss Chacala, but Berkeley isn't so terrible.

***

This is my second attempt to write this post.  I'm using Leeor's computer now, which causes typos and  curses while I sit on our new couch, sort of luxuriously.

It was super hard to go back to work last week, especially because Avi was home and it was strange for the kids and nanny Ilse,, too.  Plus Avi was still sick with his vay-cay virus, and I had the mama guilt pretty hard.  Which lead me to leave early to take him to the doctor Thursday.  Our sweet boy.

 We had a few little excursions during our Mar de Jade stay.  Completely optional; but we've never been good at "doing nothing," even while on vacation in the chillest spot ever.  So we went on a big hike with a couple of other families.  Which ended up being both gorgeous and challenging, because it was the hottest day of the week and Avi fell ill and and Lilit fell asleep.  Meaning we each carried a kid over a mile.

 Another found us at a local market.  Lilit again asleep on my shouder, we paused for Pacifico before embarking on a search for goggles for Avi and tchochkies for Leeor and me.

 There was always the option of fresh cocos.

 Or ice cream, depending on your age and preference.  Avi prefers chocolate, of course.

 Our lovely little boat waiting to ferry us back to the hotel post-hike.

 And the famed Colibri cafe, which serves one flavor each day of homemade ice cream.

 Avi quickly deflated his floatie in preparation for the flight home.

 I just love him in his hand-me-down swim gear!

 And Lilit in what she coined, "the new deep," her happy place in a stream that fed into the Pacific, which was too "huge, and made big, roaring sounds," as she paraphrased one of her favorite Lulu the Ladybug Girl books.

 Beautiful, lush, Mar de Jade.

 And the darling old man I asked permission to photograph at the market.  Once he finally understood me, I daresay he posed.

 Sunset after tantalizing sunset!

 Nightswimming.

 Hiking beauties.

 Oh, Lilit. Miss independent!

 Our crew post hike, wiped and my boy feeling feverish on such a hot day.

 The rest of us somehow escaped that virus and managed to enjoy our ice cream.

 Lilit was good at napping on the go.  And I pined for the ergo, which never makes it into our plans anymore.

 My favorite sunset; our last night at Mar de Jade.

 We had plans to get a family of four photo, but it just never happened.  Two out of four ain't bad!

 Lilit with her first Shirley Temple.  Which she loved.

 Our room.

 And then we blasted off and spent a funny night in Salt Lake City, where we holed up in a fancy hotel room, ordered room service while it snowed outside.

 We enjoyed the fancy bedding and also the heating system and we arrived underdressed for snow.

***

The vacation seems to grow more grand in retrospect.  My mosquito bites have healed.  It's been nearly one week since we got home.  Our vacation tucked away inside, Avi's long locks a memory in these photos as he got quite the hair cut this afternoon.

And I was taking to my neighbor about the Sunday night blues (which I don't have, because I'm lucky enough to have Mondays off) and post-vacation blues.  Believe me, Mar de Jade was the best kind of luxury for me.  Meals prepared, yoga classes waiting, sea and sand and hammocks swaying in the breeze.

But I slept terribly the whole time.  As in, WTF is wrong with me I'm on vacation why do I have insomnia kind of thing.  I still don't quite understand it, and Leeor surely did not share this particular misery.

But 2013 has a lot on the horizon.  And while in Mexico, even though I couldn't sleep soundly at night, I at least went to bed early.  Was completely unplugged.  Ate well and plentifully.  Took savasananaps.  Snuggled my kids with abandon, even when Lilit asked me if I had "trabajo" one day.

Vacation was sooo good.  It's supposed to be.

Real life isn't so bad.

I just wish it were a little warmer.  I could have gotten used to wearing my bathing suit under my clothes every day.  I'm just saying . . .