winding it up in mexico

Blog 4 February 2008
We spent the last few days alternating between the swimming pool in Coba and the beach in Tulum. But today, our last day, we didn’t do any water event. It is hard to be sure but I think that a few times throughout the day when Johari has signed ‘water’ she has meant that she wanted to go to the swimming pool or the beach. We did go out to see some peccaries (a furry pig-like animal).
The other day when we were at the pool I was trying to teach Johari to blow bubbles in the water. At first she was opening up to get a scoop of water in her mouth, but as she inspected and touched my bubble blowing she started to get it a little more. It is a blowing process not a scooping process. We can practice more in the bathtub when we get back home.
Words are coming more quickly. Verbal ones and signing ones. And it seems like the Signing Time DVDs help with both of these categories. It is very cool to see her ability to communicate increase.
Johari and I talked a bit about cow’s milk versus mama’s milk the other day. That was about the extent of it with experiences of each one. So now a couple of times when she has a cup of milk she says and signs ‘cow’ and signs ‘milk’. We can start talking about where things come from and how things are related.
We had lunch at Zamas, a nice restaurant on the beach, yesterday for my dad’s birthday. There we found a handmade doll for Johari. The doll is a mama doll and has a baby doll. But the best part is that the mama doll has nyo-nyo’s aka breasts. But not only does this mama doll have breasts but she has snaps for nipples. And the baby doll has the other part of the snap as a mouth. Snap on nursing!!!! The mama also has hands that snap together to hug her baby. The PERFECT doll for Johari. But sometimes it seems she prefers to give the baby her own nyo-nyo’s rather than snapping it on to the mama doll.
Just before we were leaving Zamas, I noticed these guys behind us kept having this bright green drink. I inquired about it. It was a Chaya licuado. Chaya is a local green that is supposed to have great health benefits. So I had to try it out for myself. Just water and chaya greens. First Johari wanted to try it and she really liked it! What a surprise. Then I got some sips in. It was mild and almost citrus-y. I thought it would be strong greens flavor but it was pleasant and refreshing. Anybody know of some chaya growing in the Seattle area. :)
I woke up the other morning thinking about India. Imagining getting to India and spending some time there. We have been watching parts of the movie “Monsoon Wedding” in the mornings to help with me being able to comb out Johari’s hair. (By the way, her hair is back to needing product and attention. The humidity when we arrived has subsided.) Sometimes the distraction works so that she doesn’t notice the combing much and sometimes it doesn’t. So images of India have been in my mind and it is a place that I have wanted to get to eventually. Hopefully Johari and I will be able to check it out one day.
Johari figured out the shadow thing the other night. So it is not so scary anymore and she can make her own shadow creatures.