Eva and Mimi

So I didn't have enough foresight to take pictures in the house.  These were taken right before we left for school.  

Taken just because he comes along every morning to do the drop off.

Remember back when I told you we got to take the turtle home because Eva was a good girl at school.  Well before that she was able to take Mickey Mouse home for good behavior.  She loved that.  But what I think she loved more was taking Minnie Mouse home.  Mind you though they don't call her Minnie here, they call her Mimi.  My friend went looking for a pinata that was Minnie Mouse and people didn't know what she wanted.  Eventually though they figured out what she meant was "Mimi."  I am not sure what the history behind that is.  So, every since school started the mouse family is what my kids love.  In fact, one day we went to that same friend's birthday party with the minnie mouse pinata and Elijah decided he was going to take the flattened head home. (Flattened because it was a used pinata, of course.) Well, that head lived at our house for two weeks, until he could forget about it long enough for me to throw it out.  Not only did it live at my house, Elijah had to sleep with that scary flattened head every night.  I would try to hide it but every night before he would let me shut his door, he would scan his bed, see mimi missing and ask, "Mimi?Mimi?"  It was the strangest thing ever.  Because of the new found love to these character, they will be the theme for Halloween this year, as well as what I will be looking for for Christmas.  Crazy kids, I tell you!

Baking with Papa

This pose was Elijah's idea.  And Eva, such a little model.  

Do these guys have matching smiles or what?

Can these kids be any cuter!?!  They were being goof balls tonight and I guess goof ball children need more sugar or something because Matthew thought it would be a good idea to make them some cookies.  He's the baker around this house and he has lots of willing participants to eat cookie dough.  It must be a "gringo" American thing because I still don't get all the rage on eating raw cookie dough, but these kids love the stuff.  I kept laughing because after every ingredient that went into the bowel Elijah kept asking "ya, papa?"  like, can I eat the dough now?  He still doesn't quite get it that you need dough before you can eat cookie dough.  Oh, and don't let these faces fool you.  They can be stinkers too.

Mexico Part 23: Avenida Chapultepec take II

With the wake of the Panamerican games coming to Guadalajara, they made this cool 3D sign that says Guadalajara 2011.

The girls, Monste, Vanessa, Dany and I, at Yogurtland

So I finally got to see the real Avenida Chapultepec night experience and it didn't disappoint.  Of course it doesn't hurt when you are in good company.  Last Saturday, we went and checked out what the nightlife downtown has to offer.  There are a lot of little vendors and you can find lots of crafts, jewelry, hair stuff, and knit/crochet goodness.  I LOVED it.  I have found this new love of earrings.  I never thought I could wear anything that wasn't real gold or silver but a friend of mine here told me that all I had to do was add clear nail polish to earrings and viola!  I can wear whatever I want.  It is so great!  Needless to say I am having fun buying and wearing all sorts of fun earrings.  Why is it that the simple things in life bring me such happiness.  Another thing that brought me happiness that night was going to Yogurtland.  As far as I know we don't have one of these in Oregon, but my friend, Vanessa kept talking up Yogurtland and I was not disappointed.  This place seriously has some of the BEST yogurt I have ever tasted and it seems like Mexicans really like their yogurt because they have a ton of different yogurt places all over the city.  I got a little bit of pistachio yogurt and apple cinnamon something or other and as I was finishing up I was sad I hadn't bought more.  This is not the last time I visit Avenida Chapultepec.  Maybe next time I will even bring the fam with me.  I am starting to feel a little guilty that I am seeing all of these things without them.

Avenida Chapultepec has performers that put on quite the show.

Only in Mexico can you find a Yorkie puppy being sold for 450 pesos (about $33).  If Matthew and River wouldn't have killed me, I maybe, would have considered.

Sunday Sweets

Some of the cool people there.  Vanessa is the beautiful brunette on the bottom right.

Her Lola, and my Eli.  Can you tell he LOVES her baking?!?  

I have a sweet friend here, Vanessa, that has some mad skills in the baking department.  For fun, which I can't understand since I am NOT a baker, she likes to make what she calls Sunday Sweets.  It is the coolest tradition.  And, she's kind enough to invite my little family over for some good company and yummy treats.  So far, we have enjoyed cookies, cinnamon rolls, and pumpkin bars.  Can't wait to see and taste, of course, what's baking in her oven next.

Mexico Part 22: Tianguis

Beads anyone?

They cut the fruit fancy to make it more tempting.

This gives you an idea how many stands and people there can be at a tiangis.  Depending on the time of day they are more crowded than others.  They do cram a lot of stands in one area.

You buy by the kilo.  I am still trying to learn the metric system.  I should have paid more attention while I was teaching my third graders.

The nice thing about the tianguis is you only have to buy what you need.  If you only want a quarter of the head of lettuce they will cut you a piece.  No more waste here.

These are the tlacoyos.  They don't look super amazing but add to the top of them some crema (mexican sour cream), salsa, nopales (cactus), beans and a freshly squeezed orange juice on the side and you are good to go!

Finally, my post about the tianguis.  All around the city at any given day there are these tianguis.  They are open markets and depending on the size of the tianguis you can find anything you might be looking for.  This isn't normally the tianguis that I go too, but I took pictures here because I was able to go for pleasure and not have to get the weekly list of goodies.

What do I love about the tianguis?

1.  Fresh fruits and vegetables.  I have stopped buying from the store because they are much more fresh.  They can last you two to three times longer than the ones bought from the store.  The selection is pretty large.  You can almost find everything you might be looking for.  They also seem to have fresh berries all year which is nice as well as your mangos, papayas, jicamas, tunas, whatever your little heart desires.
2.  Fresh eggs.  No more store bought eggs for me.  They eggs aren't refrigerated from the tiangis but they are usually never refrigerated around these parts.  But, when you crack a tiangis egg they seem to crack easier which I always thought meant fresher.  Not to mention that they are cheaper too.  The only thing that isn't good is Elijah with the eggs.  He thinks they are balls so on Mondays (which is the day I go to the tiangis) I have to watch my eggs like a hawk.
3.  The people.  I LOVE the people and I think they like me too.  What's not to like right?  They are super nice and they seem to ask about me when I don't come.  Which really doesn't happen often but it is nice when they realize I didn't come one week.  A familiar face makes shopping so personal and a much more pleasant experience.
4.  Tlacoyos and sopes.  They are our Monday breakfast.  They are a stuffed tortilla kind of and I LOVE them too.  Elijah and I are spoiled.  We can be stuffed with a total of 40 pesos (which is $3) and you can't beat that!

So, if any of you ever get the chance to visit me here, guaranteed you will be going to the tianguis with me to experience this great thing about Mexico.