jungle love

We are getting ready to head down to Belize to buy our almost-two-acre-slice-of-heaven. It's been a much longer process than we anticipated - so getting to this point has been really exciting. We first fell in love w/ Belize back in 2004. Our unexpected pregnancy interrupted a lengthy Southeast Asia trip we had planned, so we revised our plans to earlier in the pregnancy for a location closer to home. Basically, we accidentally found Belize (or it found us). Fate brought us to a tiny jungly corner near Guatemala, and once we were there, we realized we'd been looking for this place all our lives without even knowing it. Lush jungles, huge iguanas, amazingly kind people, and a type of spirtual existence uncommon in the great US of A. We knew we wanted to figure out a way to create a life for ourselves there, but didn't really know what that meant (and still don't). However, we knew finding a place to live is a logical first step. We decided to trek back during my maternity leave (what else is maternity leave for, if not for dragging a baby to Central America?) We met a taxi driver (while getting a ride) who agreed to assist us. So, slowly, slowly, the transaction has moved along from surveyors to land managers to registrars to some sort of governmental process which finally resulted in the land being ready to SELL. And to US!

We are looking forward to going down and finalizing the sale, planting a pineapple bush on our jungle paradise, and toasting our adventure with cold beer under Central American skies.

My kid is hilarious

My kid was basically mute until about a week ago. At 20 months, her MD was a bit worried but we figured once she got going she'd never stop. As expected, the words now tumble out of her mouth with tourette-like passion and she is basically out of control. Her dad sweetly taught her to say "I love mama" on Mother's Day, and she was preening with joy at her ability - screeching naked around the house screaming "I love mama, I love mama", which brought tears to my eyes until, all of a sudden, the babble sounded different, and I realized she was now yelling "I love bagels, I love bagels"....me too, kid, me too...

brand spanking new

I work full-time with the homeless, I am a full-time mom, (alright, do those 4 days in day-care count against me.....?) and am working hard to get the hell out of America and move to the jungle in Belize.

Between juggling people sleeping in cars, a child who rarely sleeps, and everything else that makes my life mine (or less mine), I found a deep desire to write. Welcome to my cast of characters.