Behind Our House

there is a mountain, and twice a week

we round up our 6-pack of dogs and head out for a hike.

7 minutes into our uphill trek, we turn around and see this:

Pic of a flower that Lu took:

18 minutes into our hike and we reach the first river crossing.

A few weeks ago we had to turn back because

the river had grown too much to cross.

But the rains are gone now, 

and the mountain is full of yellow and purple flowers.

At 35 minutes, we reach our destination:

 And back down we go.

I love our mountain walks.

They keep me sane.

We mostly walk in silence,

with some distance between us.

The silence is so good for both of us.

Sometimes there's also laughter

or discussion.

Sometimes there's even math practice

or science review.

Other times there is sharing of feelings.

 But there is always one foot in front of the other.

 So simple. So powerful.

The Haircut

Here I am with my 11yo boy. 11 years and one week, that is. He's almost as tall as me, and his shoes are already bigger than mine. Last week we took a trip to the colonial town, Antigua, as part of Lu's birthday week celebration. And one of the main events planned for the trip was a haircut.

Now, Lu's had haircuts during these 11 years, 

of course, but never short. And he was set on it.

So, here's the last pic of me with my long-haired boy.

If he grows it long again, it will probably be when he has a beard.

For then, no one will mistake him for a girl.

And though he's loved his long hair sometimes,

he hasn't liked being teased for it,

which was often the case.

So, off we went to the salon.

I was too scared to cut it myself.

And I needed a trim too.

 

 Take a closer look at mama's face.

You can see that Lu has a huge smile.

 He loves it.

Listening to Marimba music.

 

 Famous arch on every other Guatemalan postcard.

(the lake we live on, is on all the other ones. lol)

In the back are the stored religious floats for Easter Week
processions that Antigua is famous for.

 Old colonial church.

And this -

"The Drunk"

A common sight on the streets of Guatemala.

We had a blast.

Birthday Week

One of the things I love about homeschool is that we can decide when to take a vacation. Instead of one long vacation, we like to take a week here a there throughout the year for special occasions like the town fair, or when friends and family are visiting. Lu's birthday week is one of the weeks we take off. For Birthday Week, we do something fun each day that we don't normally do.

This Bday Week started with our traditional Bday morning:

a wake-up serenade in bed of "Las Mañanitas"

and opening gifts.

You could definitely say that this year's presents were mono-thematic.

Herb Grinder and Spatula Knife

 Almond Essence and Chocolate Chips

 

Chef Hat and Kitchen Knife

An Apron

custom embroidered "Jungle Chef"

from Lu's honorary grandpa

 Spring Form Pan

 Professional Chef Suit

from honorary aunt and uncle

 Fancy Cooking Instruments

Lu wanted to try out his new stuff 

and decided to make dinner for everyone - 

which in our house means volunteers, interns, and close neighbors.

 

The rest of birthday week has included making and selling brownies (he sold them ALL), going to play ping-pong, eating french fries, and making a kite. Next up, we're going to the city for two days. We'll eat sushi, go site-seeing, and get our hair styled at a for-real salon - something we don't have out here in the bush. Lu is getting his hair cut short. It's always been long. (mama sad)

 My baby boy is 11 years old!