Somewhere over the raibow. . .

Every now and then I'll have a day that is so perfect, so comfortable, so full of the perfect mix of relaxation and fun that I'll completely forget I'm in Mexico.

Yesterday was one of those fabulous days. I dropped the kids off at school, and then picked up a few friends and their kids (thank you 8-passenger Expedition) for a trip to the tianguis market. Normally we just grab produce and run, but today we shopped around. I tried on a pair of knock-off 7-for-all-mankind jeans (super cute, but too short :p ), browed the jewelery stands, ate the yummiest food, and bought Sullivan an AWESOME little army-fatigue outfit. It was like being in a really dirty, stinky, American mall. LOVE THAT!

I dropped our friends all at their respective houses before picking the kids up from school. We changed into playclothes and went to our modern, exciting, clean, interactive kids' museum with another group of friends. After an hour or two we headed back home where the cleaning girl was finishing up the house. (Did I mention it was a WONDERFUL day?) She brought her younger brother, who turned out to be the perfect friend. He played great with Guthrie AND Adeline for hours on end. Guthrie kept looking at him with this huge smile and saying, "Vamos a ser amigos!" (We're going to be friends!)

I took a long, slow, hot shower and then took my time blow-drying my hair and applying makeup. I got to wear one of the few outfits in my closet that would be inappropriately dressy for crayons and diaper changes.

When I was ready for the evening, I rocked Sullivan and put him to sleep - then kissed the kids goodbye and headed out for our date. We picked up Jimmy, Cuper, Michael, Stacey, and Cindy and headed out to La Vaca Argentina. Our evening was filled with humerous conversation, the best steak I've ever tasted (seriously - EVER!), and a round of "Happy Birthday" for Jimmy. We stayed at our table for over 3 hours just enjoying the company.

We walked out of this fabulous restaurant onto the quaint, quiet street to breathe the beautiful night air - and I couldn't help but forget that I was in a "foreign" place. It felt so right, and so "home!"

The valet pulled our car around, and we all climbed in with our full stomachs and happy hearts. As Kyle pulled into the street to drive home, I glanced in the rearview mirror to check for traffic and received my harsh tug back into reality. The rearview mirrors that USED to guide us safely on our way - were now nothing more than a shell that used to house them and the wires that used to position them.

WELCOME (back) to Mexico, Hanna! We hope you enjoyed your vacation.

LOL!

Yes, they'll be fixed by the valet. Yes, I used some swear words. Yes, this happens all the time. No, I don't know how we got through 2 years without it happening before now. Yes, it could have been worse.

So, now that I'm safely grounded again, I'll get back to my normal life.

Another sad note: We went to Kyle's softball game today and halfway through Sullivan fell off the bottom step of the bleachers (the only step I was letting him stand on, much to his dismay) and hit his browbone in just such a way as to split it wide open. :( The poor baby cried so hard and was bleeding profusely. I took one look and knew he needed stitches.

We got so lucky because a woman ran to help us and said that her friend had some Dermabond glue and lived really close. Kyle left the game, and we all piled into her van for the ride. Everyone was so great and within 20 minutes of the accident we had it cleaned, disinfected, and glued back together. When it was all done the friend gave Sullivan a sucker and the little guy completely forgot about being hurt. I feel so grateful that sweet angel came to our aid. I can hardly stand the thought of taking Sullivan to the hospital for stitches. We're going to pick up some Dermabond to keep in Kyle's bag of tricks, so if this ever happens again - we'll be prepared.