you & i have a better time than most can dream

2012-01-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is always a busy one, and we made the most out of it this year! It included Posadas, Fiestas, concerts, gingerbread, countless piñatas, and lots of skype time with loved family and friends around the globe.

Some highlights of our time:

the editing on this one leaves much to be desired - my apologies. hey but at least it isn't months and months after the fact!

our vacation also included a trip to Guanjuato which was previously posted.

2012-01-01T23:47:00.000-08:00

We spent the first part of our December holiday doing a little exploring in Mexico. Despite living here for three years we have seen very little outside of Bahia Banderas (Karli travelled extensively in Mexico some moons ago). We decided to go to Guanajuato (as well as nearby Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende) which had received rave reviews from our friends - it did not disappoint.

Guanajuato is a gorgeous city nestled in a valley with colorful houses that cascade down the hillsides. It is extremely old and the mines that surround the city continue to pull out rich deposits of silver, which was the main reason the UNESCO world heritage site was settled. Many of the streets are not wide enough to allow for car traffic and instead wind in and around the homes and up the hillsides; those that do allow cars, are one lane and there is a complex network of tunnels that keep much of the traffic underground. With a thriving university campus there is a youthful pulse to the city and an abundance of art (Diego Rivera was born here), music, and great things to see, do, and of course eat. The family survived its first two overnight bus rides and i am thankful that the kids coped so well ... as i know it will lead to continued adventures (its in their blood).
In short, Guanajuato was a fantastic and rich trip that we highly recommend. (lonely planet)

Some of our adventures:

Our holiday was great and there is more great stuff to come (more traditionally Christmas) so stay tooned...

Much of this video could use some further explanation, we'd love to sit and share it with you:
(some explanations/memories)

(3:50) While walking into the main plaza in Dolores Hidalgo (the birth place of Mexican Independence) a funeral past with the mariachi's playing behind. It was truly beautiful. Karli made me promise to get a mariachi band for her funeral, so if I check out first .... you know.
The doors and the street art in Guanajuato were absolutely amazing (photo gallery)
(6:14) This long "poster" is a chronological history of the world...from Adam and Eve. It was absolutely fascinating and unlike anything I have ever heard of or seen before. It was tucked away in a room we easily could have missed at the mine and was a true surprise highlight of the trip.
(0:48) 2007 Scorpions world tour ticket ... nuff said.

2011-12-09T10:13:00.001-08:00

From December 1st through 12th our neighborhood gets pretty loud; we truly don't mind, indeed we feel thankful to live so close to such a beautiful and culturally rich celebration. Fiestas de Guadalupe:

also here

2011-12-05T11:22:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we did a swap with friends of ours who live just north of Vallarta. It was incredible, Karli and I have long been proponents of trading rather than getting new stuff when it comes to the kids...it seems the same invigorating energy that accompanies a new* toy works with adults too.

We had an amazing time; and spent hours chasing roosters, playing in the waves, on the beach, and in the hammocks.

(click images to see them larger)

Thank you thank you thank you ROEL for sharing your life with us for the weekend, we look forward to playing together soon...

In other, unrelated, and unsolicited news: best breakfasts in Sayulita - hands down.

* or new to me

2011-11-24T07:45:00.001-08:00

So its American Thanksgiving*. I have much to be thankful for. More than I could ever state. First and foremost, for Karli.

November is quite the month for Karli and I. We "met" in November, we were married in November thus we have lots to celebrate and have been doing so.

i am thankful that on our anniversary weekend away my wife wanted to cancel our dinner reservations at the "nice place" to go back to the incredible fish taco joint we happened upon the night before ... con champagne - que fancy.

* AKA thanksgiving to my American friends and family.

2011-11-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

If you are a lover of the variety of celebrations that take place at this time of year, and you have never been to Mexico for them, you really need to get that on your list. Around these parts these celebrations last weeks and they truly know how to do this time of year right. It involves the youngest children through to the very old - and indeed the long ago deceased; it involves celebration, dancing, spirituality, personal reflection and memories. It is one of the most photogenic and beautiful holidays that i have ever witnessed.

As has been said many times before: death, is Mexico's favorite toy. I was moved last year when a colleague of mine who has many years experience working in the country said to a group of newer teachers "Growing up where i did, i used to think that if i didn't smoke and wore my seatbelt in the car that death would never bother me, but Mexican's don't see it that way - they truly understand that its just another part of life." Living the last two years in the heart* of the local celebration I have seen this to be true; even just tonight I was moved to watch some skeleton clad teens dance in remembrance of loved ones, not as a part of a show - but because they were remembering. Nobel Prize-winning Mexican writer and poet Octavio Paz has famously quipped that Mexicans don't mind getting up close and personal with death; in fact, the Mexican "....chases after it [death], mocks it, courts it, hugs it, sleeps with it; it is his favorite plaything and his most lasting love." Ironically, the Day of the Dead in Mexico is a celebration of life, an acknowledgement of death as a fact, and a culmination, of life (taken: here).

Now, I do not claim to be an expert on dia de los muertos (but i'm fascinated and learning**), nor on Halloween (although I did try join a friend in trick or treating a couple days early in the hopes of scoring a little more candy one year) - but I can tell you quite simply that the cultural beauty that surrounds me is of a type that defies explanation, and that you should see one day.

Ok enough of fascinating and beautiful culture, what about the ongoing adventures of KOEm? No worries they have been real busy this week...

throwback:
Looks like I missed documenting last year?
First Mexican Fiesta (quite a trip to see the difference in the kids!)
Ella's First Pumpkin (2008)
Ollie's First Pumpkin (carving) (2007)
2006, otro

notes:
*Vallarta is by no means the "heart" nowhere even close! For that go to Pátzcuaro
** learning from 6 year olds at ASPV

2011-10-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

A wise man once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Well we definitely do our share of looking around and this blog has begun to serve as something that we can also look back at. Its amazing when you start to see correlations...

First watch this:

first and foremast thank you thank you thank you to Ms. Leza and Ms. Kenya for all your tireless work!

Now take a drive down memory lane with us and look at this. Pretty amazing and it feels like it was yesterday ... definitely not two years ago.

Summer 2011

2011-09-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

Well there really hasn't been too many posts here lately. Its not that we aren't having fun, it isn't that we don't have the footage, life just seems to be ... well ... busy.

So I still owe at least a summer 2010 and a spring 2011 post ... but in an effort to not fall further behind I present to you: Summer 2011!
Be fairly warned: this is by far the longest movie we've ever made, so long in fact YouTube won't play it. Which is a bummer because they did accept the HD version of this video (which is really nice), its their loss, because this was a fantastic summer - truly mind blowing. We were treated and spoiled and toured by great people through beautiful places and can only hope to one day repay the incredible generosity which we have received. We missed many and will hope to catch them on our next tour and as always you're welcome here with us.

The Ongoing Adventures of KOEm - Summer 2011 from markpicketts on Vimeo.

If you don't watch it or make it through it all we totally understand, in fact if you DO then we kinda think there must be something wrong with you too - must be why we get along.

In other, more recent, news: Karli is a Kinder Teacher, Ollie is a Kinder Student, and Ella comes here full time now too. We are thankful to go to, and return from, one location together each day. Vallarta is hot and wet in August and September but we are enjoying the pool, the house, the beach, and getting back into the swing of things while continuing our rigorous pursuit of having as much fun as we possibly can.

2011-05-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

so I thought as I am once again buried with cool images, great times, and wonderful stories that I would try and get away from the big big posts and post more regularly ... the little things.

This was Ollie's art show at work this morning:

more good stuff is coming so stay tuned...

2011-04-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

Ella Turns THREE!!!

It was a day filled with princesses, pizza, & chocolate cake - just what the birthday girl ordered. We all had an incredible time. We were so lucky to share it with great friends here in Vallarta and Granny & Boppy during their visit.

Ella is an incredible sweetheart of a little girl, kind, caring, a real beauty, and funny as anything. All of these great traits were on display.

Some history: birth announcement, 1st birthday (stills), 2nd birthday

2011-04-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

In February we were treated to a visit from Ian, Liz, and our new niece and cousin Anna (aka AnnaBot). It was a wonderful visit and we were lucky that they were here for some great events including Ella's first day of school, Ollie's second Trike-A-Thon, some birthdays, and lots of smiles, laughs, and fun.

A HUGE thank you to the people who made Oliver the highest sponsored rider in his

class (two years running*): Aba, Granny & Boppy, Ian & Liz, Geoffrey, GGB (GreatGrandmaBond), The Hugheses, John & Nina, Tia Amanda, and Tia Nancy. Thanks you for your incredible generosity. I am happy to let you know that thanks in large part to you, Givelod Manis a beautiful girl from Haiti will go to school and receive two meals a day for another year. Thank-You so much.

There is lots more footage from the days as they fly past me that i will try to share with you here as soon as possible.

* denotes father bragging

2011-02-21T09:26:00.001-08:00

So this morning as I put the finishing touches on his birthday video Ollie got a star of the week award from Pre-K (picture). Congrats Ollie, we're proud of you.

The real reason for the post is to mention what happened last Wednesday. Ollie had some friends over to celebrate his fifth birthday. Everything was going well and people were having fun but then an evil villain (the DarkShark) broke into our house and of all the low down dirty things....stole his birthday cake! Ollie and his friends went through a gauntlet of tests and before anyone realized turned themselves into SuperHeroes! They found the clues that led to the cake and a major crisis was averted. Enjoy:

In other, unrelated news...Ollie continues to work really hard twice a week in his art classes and I wanted to share some of the work he's produced in his dinosaur collection:

2011-02-03T18:43:00.001-08:00

So i know i always start this way, talking about how behind i am, but this one is particularly rough. I really have no idea what to say. I was almost done the summer video (in October) when my computer crashed. Sifting through so much great footage of time with family, friends, their new babies, weddings (on both sides of the continent) allowed me to relive a summer that was incredibly fun! As great as it was to go through these digital memories it involved an enormous amount of time and losing all this work was painful. I tried to re-start a couple of times but there was so much...I just felt buried.

I still want to re-do the summer video as well as to share some of our fall fun & adventures but i blinked, and months had passed. The number of images were growing - we continue to be blessed with a wonderful life - and now it is 2011. So i am using the whole holiday update bit to push the reset button with the hope that i will get to the videos from an epic summer and wonderful autumn one day.

So enough with my drivel (more below). This video is of our holiday season, disfrutalo:

(There are many stories that could be told about these images, and they are all valuable in my selphish opinion, here are a few more details then could fit in the captions)

The mariachi is a Mexican icon that few would fail to recognize. Our new house shares a wall

with a beautiful boutique hotel. The restaurant of this hotel has a band of mariachi that play monday thru Sunday. They are truly incredible musicians, and I hope that Ollie and Ella will remember the soundtrack to their bedtime stories in the future. I won't lie; it would be nice to see some variance to their setlist - but i have nothing to complain about. Its beautiful, its Mexican, and listening to their nightly gift is a major part of this incredible dream that is our life. Back to the icon piece though, they dress - differently then many people, Karli and I have become obsessed with mariachi doing regular things. (more mexicanisms)

Hard to believe but in November Karli and I celebrated 5 years of

wedded bliss. Of so many incredible things I have to be thankful for, she is definitely numero uno. Thanks babe. Also, thanks to Granny & Boppy who took care of the kids so we could have a wonderful long weekend to celebrate.

Our new house defies description it is so beautiful, i really often think i am living in a dream. You should really come and see it.

In November Karli became an official Yogi. We are very very proud of her. It was an experience that has been life changing for her and indeed all of us. She was snapped up immediately and is now an instructor at Davanna Yoga just up the street. A huge thanks to Anna, Karli's fellow classmates, and all of her students.

The video is already very long, but really should be longer. We were very blessed to have visits from Granny, Bobby, Aba, Karl, Geoff, and Bryan this fall.

Fiestas de Guadalupe. The original clip (with the bells) goes on like that for four minutes! Living right behind the church we heard them from dawn long into the night, we were certainly not too sad when the celebration was done - but it was

beautifully rich in so many ways and we were treated to the street festival daily. I can honestly say I am looking forward to next year's festival - or at least the first few days of it.

Ollie continues to progress through school. I am so proud to say that his Spanish is very good (he regularly corrects his parents - no joke) and we are again blessed and thankful to have a wonderful group of teachers guiding him as he navigates through the treacherous waters of Pre-Kinder. He has produced some incredible things this year, loves going to school, and demonstrates new knowledge daily. Miss Katie, Miss Mary, and all the other caring teachers - we truly could never thank you enough.

Ella has worked hard at potty training, Yoga, in art classes, swimming and remains a kind, sweet, animal obsessed, ball of love & laughter. Who picks up her numbers, letters, all types of food (and lots of it), and relationships of all types staggeringly quick. She can melt you with a smile - and i have great fear for when she fully figures out how hopelessly wrapped around her finger we all all.

Both kids love to sleep together, although there isn't a whole lot of sleeping going on - but the giggling and stories they tell each other are some of the most hilarious moments in our day to day life. They are

definitely a dynamic duo who love, stick up for, and cover for each other all the time - Karli and i are in a great deal of trouble!

I started my winter holiday by jumping on the private plane (of one of my 7th graders) and flying to Baja, a land of incredible beauty for three days of kiting in the mecca of La Ventana. The wind didn't cooperate but I had some great mountain bikes through the desert and i don't think there was a better place on earth for watching the lunar eclipse on the solstice; actually flying the plane for 45 minutes was something I will never forget, nor was watching the full moonrise through the crowds as we flew over the sea of cortez. Despite not kiting for a minute, it was a great trip, and I hope to return with the family next year. Thank you to the Tron family for the invitation and opportunity.

We continue to enjoy the beauty (human, manmade & natural) of Puerto Vallarta. We go the beach a lot and have regular meetings with whales, dolphin, rays, turtles, crocodiles, beautiful birds, and much more.

So this is a lot longer than it was meant to be, but i suppose it is kinda my version of a holiday letter. We have so much to be thankful for and wish you and yours a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2011.

KOEm

(if you actually made it here you deserve a medal)

2010-08-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ollie is no longer in the youngest class at ASPV!!

and he is a little excited about it. (mom's sentiments)

What a difference a year makes: el año pasado

2010-08-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

In May we celebrated Mothers' Day. Ollie's class put on quite the show and then we hit the Mexican countryside with friends for a little adventure. It was a great time in honour of a fabulous and gorgeous mom who we could never thank for all that she does.
We are so incredibly lucky to have you able to focus completely on us - thank you.

Of course we have lots of mom's to thank including Mary, Delores, Laura, Nora, Kristy, and Evelyn - thank you all so much for all that you have done and continue to do for us.

Mothers' Day 2010 from markpicketts on Vimeo.

- on the nerdy side of things i have begun simultaneously posting these to youtube (account: markpicketts) for those that asked to see them on your phones, m.

2010-06-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

So as I get ready to leave here and start summer I am writing about April...at least I am consistent.

April was fantastic. We were lucky enough to have a visit from Granny & Boppy which is always a treat, did some camping, went to the boat access only community of Yelapa, played, laughed, celebrated Ella's 2nd, swam, kitesurfed, saw turtles, iguana, dolphin, pirates, rays, birds, fish, and were treated by the return of Uncle Foffy at the end of the month. We live a lucky life and are thankful for it everyday.

April 2010 from markpicketts on Vimeo.

Speaking of giving thanks, i just want to publicly thank my family for allowing me - and often joining me - to kite more than 50 times in a little over two months. My wife's patience, forgiveness, and being the hottest girl on the beach everyday is what makes me the luckiest kid on the playground - thank you. My favorite sessions were the ones when you're there...

lens: Rudo

2010-06-03T16:53:00.001-07:00

March was a busy month around these parts, first I traveled to San Antonio to train to become an official nerd, the title: Google Certified Teacher has been added to my resume and all kidding aside it was one of the most incredible professional development opportunities that I have ever been a part of. Of course everyone involved wanted to eat Mexican food at every meal...

From there the whole crew went to Rome, Georgia to celebrate the 90th birthday of Raymond Waters. It was great celebration befitting an incredible man. Ollie, Ella, and i were able to meet some family members we'd never met and Karli reconnected with people she hadn't seen since she was Ollie's age. I am consistently amazed at how family, regardless of previous contact or distance, seem to know they are family at the youngest age and this was no exception. See the video!

As the world cup draws closer and closer i am thankful to have returned to a futbol crazed nation and excited to cheer el Tri into the second round. The signs, spirit, and jerseys can be seen everywhere these days; these players truly bear the weight and pride of the entire nation... i for one can not wait! (more mexicanisms)

This blog has really evolved to become more of a video-journal and this post is no different. Highlighted in this clip are a long weekend camping, an enchanted wedding on a magical Mexican beach with old friends, and our road trip down to Manzanillo and Boca de Iguanas south of Vallarta.

disfruta:

March and April adventures... from markpicketts on Vimeo.

This pretty much brings you to Ella's 2nd with lots more to come, keeping up with this is a battle i continue to lose but i keep trying....

2010-05-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone of these starts out with an apology for the late posting, and this one is no different.

It's official, we have a two year old:

Ella Turns 2! from markpicketts on Vimeo.

looking back:

Here is her wonderful arrival
and was this really just a year ago??
birthday stills, semana santa video - this is the video that had her bday in it

Is it possible that with each day that passes time moves a little quicker?? because it is really feeling that way...

en serio, how else can you explain that this was in the fall:

2010-05-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

February.

Yes it was some three months ago but i find myself today writing about it.

It is likely the month that receives the most "bad press". I have often heard, and maybe even lamented about the blah's of February and how difficult it sometimes is to get through the shortest month of the year.

Well, it is difficult to feel that way any more. With four family birthdays in the month, Valentine's Day, and this year an (extended) visit to Boston, not to mention a trip to the zoo, Ollie's first field trip, and the general chaos of day-to-day life the month absolutely flew by.

Indeed, time seems to be flying these days (so fast that it takes a while for me to actually get to putting up some stuff here on this blog). Regardless of how late it is; its here now. Sometimes as i am feeling a little bogged down with footage i wonder if i should just forget it...then i look back and it is so much more than all worth while.

So i invite you to watch this:

February 2010 from markpicketts on Vimeo.

Then consider a couple previous posts, from Februaries gone by...

2010-04-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

So I spent the first couple days of my Spring Break finalizing some old footage and putting together more recent stuff. Of course the other 14 days i spent further digging myself in with more and more footage - ahhh good times.

Here are two little flicks:

1. Christmas Part Two

yup the hole is that deep. This takes off where this one left off, ready for Uncle Foffy's arrival just in time for Christmas Dinner. From there we had an incredible week with family in the surf town of Sayulita.

Winter Break 2010 (part 2) in Sayulita Mexico from markpicketts on Vimeo.

2. Raymond's 90th

so there is much to fill in (two months and three birthday's) between these two videos, but late march had us in Georgia to celebrate Raymond's 90th birthday. Friends and family came to Rome from all over the place, and the fiesta was a wonderful testament to an amazing man.

Raymond's 90th from markpicketts on Vimeo.

As I mentioned in this post there is a lot more footage that i will try and work on over the spring and get out to you. Start looking forward to three birthdays (four as of Thursday), more camping, the zoo, friends, friends, weddings, two weeks off and more friends...so stay tuned.

2010-03-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

Well February is a busy month around this family and 2010 has officially proven to be no exception. We have birthdays for Aba, Oliver, Karli and me, add to that Valentine's Day, an extended work trip to Boston, the arrival of almost wind to the Bahia de Banderas, the Olympics ... a great month really - but lets not forget another superstar award for Ollie for random acts of kindness on the school yard, a "bathtub" added to our apartment and nightly routine, all while Karli continues to defy the aging process by looking better and better with each day that passes.

There is a lot more footage from the month that will find its way here soon but this post is specific for a great event that was held here at the American School of Puerto Vallarta - last Friday, February 26th:

It was the annual Pre-School trike-A-thon. Ollie personally raised more than $3000 pesos ($300 dollars) to help build/re-build schools in Haiti; we could not be more proud of his effort or the generosity of his sponsors. The event was a blast and the group as a whole raised more than $2000 for the cause - not bad for kids still learning to tie their own shoes!

trike-A-thon from markpicketts on Vimeo.

2010-02-07T13:26:00.000-08:00

Life in new places is full of exciting and new stuff! Lots of firsts happening in Mexico and i am struggling to keep up with my documenting. I am slowly making my way through some amazing pictures of our week in Sayulita over the New Year, stay tuned.

Last Friday Ollie had his first real field trip! To go and see some Dolphin with Vallarta Adventures, moms and dads weren't allowed poolside and i have to admit i was pretty jealous of Ollie's experience. They got to meet some seals, some incredible birds, and shake hands with the Dolphin stars. It was a great morning and we appreciate all of the work that Miss. Jennifer did to put it together. Pictured are the two classes with the stars, Ollie's class, and the art project they did on the afternoon of the field trip.

So although i continue to work on our NewYear's highlights we did have an incredible weekend last weekend camping on a beach just north of Vallarta. It was the kids first experience camping and it was nothing short of amazing. Ollie was impressed with dad the firemaker and even said that he wanted to be one when he grew up, the roasted marshmallows were a hit, as was cowboy coffee and fire cooked breakfasts. Thankfully the kids both loved it and we hope to be experience the great outdoors with them a lot more! Of course the luckiness of camping barefoot in January was not lost on me. Enjoy:

Camping in January from markpicketts on Vimeo.

One last one, because I can't resist sharing a shot from Pajama Day:

2010-01-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday on a road trip to a new beach in the south we had some car trouble, we never did make it to the beach. We did have a 9 hour ordeal that had us meet (and appreciate) some wonderfully kind people. One of my favorite moments was asking the attendants at a gas station - in the middle of nowhere - if they knew where i could find a mechanic; there was literally no response whatsoever. Taking their silence as a no, i asked for a taco stand recommendation ... this response was a diatribe describing the wonders of the local cuisine. They love their food here (and so do i). Good times.

Pictured is Karli reveling in what very well could have been the greatest chile relleno ever made.

(reposted from: http://sites.google.com/site/betadepuertovallarata/mexicanisms)

2010-01-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

I am simply blown away with the amount of footage the holidays brings. I am a little overwhelmed to be honest, but i have a lot of good stuff that i want to share.

This is early December here in Vallarta; A staff Posada, Ollie's Christmas concert, some Vallarta, a trip to a jungle beach, a couple piñatas*, Noche Buena, Christmas morning, and lots of just goofin around:

Early December in Mexico from markpicketts on Vimeo.

.... there is much much more to come...

* notice how quickly Ollie goes from barely touching the piñata to really givin'er!

2009-11-30T09:03:00.000-08:00

So its true. Living my life is officially taking all my time; leaving me unable to fully document it...at least not in a timely fashion.

November was kicked off with a Halloween visit from "Uncle Foffy" who made the journey laden with the finest of TraderJoe's wares, which we enjoy and appreciate every day. We also had a visit from Granny & Boppy before celebrating our 4th year of wedded bliss and American Thanksgiving with our new friends here in Vallarta.

Throughout all of it we have laughed, loved and continue to feel like the most blessed people on the planet.

Here is some images from our month:

Geoffrey, Granny, Boppy & Halloween from markpicketts on Vimeo.

The end of November brought visits from our past: Ecua-peeps. Ollie and i helped launch Nutmeg for her return voyage to the Bay Area. Then visited with John, Olivia, Ceci, and pending as they celebrated an extended dia de gracias in one of our favorites: Sayulita.
This incredible day was launched into unforgettable when our sunset cocktails were interupted by news of sea turtle hatchings about 20 meters from our seat. We endured the walk and watched as these little ones made their run for the sea (footage). Modern odds are stacked against these tortugas and it was a pretty amazing thing to witness; especially when Ollie (unprompted) carved a road into the sea to help the little tortugas (meanwhile mom used all of her strength in holding Ella back).

As we head into December it is difficult for me to comprehend how fast time is passing...and (unlike me) it shows no sign of slowing...
We hope that this finds you and yours well and look forward to being in touch over the holiday season.

2009-10-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Its October here in Vallarta (unlike wherever you are), and although the leaves are not changing the weather is...and for the better! Less heat, less rain, really wonderful and the old guard here tells us it is just going to continue to get better - very exciting. I am still anxiously awaiting the wind but need to be patient until January, until then we are still really enjoying the family trips to the different (and amazing) local beaches (details, stories and pictures).

This year Ollie is really excited for Halloween ; and why wouldn't he be? A chance to dress up, to eat junk food, combined with a visit from Uncle Foffy has the whole house pumped for this weekend.

All the more reason for me to hurry up and post some images from the 3rd Annual Picketts Pumpkin Carving Party!

3rd Annual Pumpkin Carving Party from markpicketts on Vimeo.

Here is some history:

2008
2007
2006, 2006 (otro)

wow, i really like looking at those but it makes me feel OLD!

2009-10-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

Although there was a plethora of reasons for our relocation to Mexico, near the top of the list was being closer to our California family. Toronto-PV and Toronto-DR is really a wash but the difference from San Francisco is massive. We have not been disappointed and last week were spoiled with the second visit from Kristy this year. Ollie and Ella hammed it up in the pool with Aba non stop and both show new tricks in the water daily.
Another Sunday passed and another beach this week: Los Muertos - Sayulita.

Kristy's Visit 09.09 from markpicketts on Vimeo.

Monday mornings ASPV has a very cool flag ceremony in the elementary school. This week Ollie was recognized by his teacher. I know i am bias but i thought it was pretty cute:

Flag Ceremony Final Version from markpicketts on Vimeo.

2009-09-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you have to hit reset...this is one of those times. I created this blog as a place to share memories with friends and family - and although i have a ton of footage left to share from the summer and from our first six weeks here in Vallarta the backlog was getting a little heavy.

I kept wanting to finish a video and post it before moving on - chronologically like...it may seem weird but its just the way that my brain works; but we are in Mexico now the things we are seeing, smelling, experiencing, and lets not forget tasting are happening now.

So i am hitting the reset button.

This is us, last weekend:

Last Weekend in September.m4v from markpicketts on Vimeo.

Some explanations:

We could have left that CD on repeat Friday night - he would have sung us through until monday...
Cirque-de-Backyardigans...an experience that truly defies explanation
Playa Camarones y Chilaquiles (the list is growing)
fun in the rain and some new swimming skills

I really will try and share some of the great stuff that is now backlogged but not at the cost of falling further behind.

in other news i think i am officially done with YouTube; been wanting to go to Vimeo for more than a year now but resisted and resisted but no mas!

If you subscribed in YouTube, please redo so in Vimeo (if you still want)

img from: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/reset_button090324.jpg

2009-09-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

So just shy of October, i am posting for some good times in June and the start of July.

There are lots more coming soon but for those of your living in "real time"; please know that Mexico is fantastic! The four of us have never been more happy. We have a house, friends, jobs which we are loving, and then there's the food....

We go to a new beach every Sunday and have a new love: chilaquiles. I am tracking these beach adventures (and will get them posted - with pics - here soon enough).

So 'nuff talk...

2009-09-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

IronIan's Triathalon...

yeah its a cheezy name but trust me he has had worse and when you beat his time i will consider your thoughts on the issue.

ironman from markpicketts on Vimeo.

2009-08-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well it is been awhile since i have written here; and it isn't like nothing has been happening. Perhaps in a later post (or more likely posts) i will have a moment to reflect on selling 95% of our posessions, leaving our home & the friends that remain like family in the Dominican after five years, blasting through Canada, then California, before driving to Puerto Vallarta, with a brief stop in Cali, Colombia, meeting new friends, starting a new job, and beginning to get settled in our new home.

However, if that happens it will be on another day.

Today is Oliver's first day of school, and although we have no idea how it is going it was a memorable celebratory morning - that i simply had to document

2009-06-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here is my last email as the Academic Technology Director to the staff at CMS:

From: Mark Picketts
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 4:56 PM
To: All Users
Subject: the secret is out....

I can’t hide it anymore.

The real reason for the academic technology successes over the past couple years has been revealed:

We have loved our time in the DR and will miss you more than you could imagine. Our CMS family are always welcomed wherever we are.

Follow us at: http://karliandmark.blogspot.com/ and please stay in touch

con amor,

Karli, Oliver, Ella y mark

Mayra has been a part of our family for the past three years and she will be missed by all of us, the only thing keeping us going is the thought of a reunion with her in Canada or San Francisco soon. Some Mayra moments:

2009-06-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

It finally happened: Karli wrote her second blog post!!

Well truth be told we both had to give speeches of adios on Friday to the wonderful people that have been the core of our Dominican family for the past five years. Karli proved why she is a writing teacher and i ... well i was sobbing mess (partly because i had to follow this speech):

When Jack hired Mark and I at the Boston fair 5 years ago, we weren’t really even sure we were a couple at the time. We obviously convinced Jack that we were worth hiring as teachers and I guess we must have seemed stable enough at the time to take a chance on our fledgling relationship but we were literally defining our relationship in the elevator on the way to our interview. We thought, well what the heck, lets just go and see what happens and in the mean time we can learn to kite surf, take in the beaches and even learn how to dance merengue. I am forever grateful to God, the Universe, and Jack who hired us both that snowy weekend in Boston, which gave our little relationship experiment a chance to grow.

So we moved here together- but separate, a couple kind of – boyfriend and girlfriend but not ready to live together. But when Mark got here he really hated his apartment and it was just so below his standard, which was really saying something at the time and he came over to my apartment one weekend and just kind of never left. And a couple of months later we got engaged on Pico Duarte, we got married in Las Terrenas and then had our first Dominican baby here in the city. Originally we were only going to stay 2 years but after giving birth to Oliver we realized we were part of something really wonderful here where everyone has this wonderful love and respect for children. There is not one of you out there that doesn’t ask about our kids every ingle time we see you and you really do mean it. I can’t imagine after your true and genuine happiness for our happiness, having kids anywhere else.

So we became part of the greater CMS family. Now when I say CMS family I don’t mean that in a “one big happy family” way. No, this is a real family. Supportive, caring, even a little dysfunctional at times but always there for you. This family has its nurturing mothers who care for us along the way and its funny, spirited aunties who keep us laughing and having fun. And certainly there is more than one crazy uncle in the group who you just can’t wait to see what they are going to do next. And just like in any family there are many ups and downs but what makes family so great – is that they are there through all of it.

I want to thank this CMS family for supporting both Mark and I in our many ups and downs- through different houses and jobs, marriage and kids. It is harder than I thought it would be to leave this island because I realized I am leaving my first “home” I created with my new nuclear family and extended family. I am finding I have so much more of an emotional attachment to things and memories and places here than I thought. But I have to remember that the things are just things, the memories I take with me where ever I go and the places…well one day I’ll be back with my husband and my 2 Dominican children so that they can see what a great family we came from.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Truth: she doesn't even know i am posting this.
her first post here

(like every post here, i have so much to put up here and am hopelessly behind...but i will try and get it up here soon, but life is kinda hectic these days)

2009-05-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

We are well into the season of lasts here in the Dominican...
We remain busy enjoying the last days of the la vida buena in the DR. Last week was Aba's final visit to Santo Domingo and as with all of her previous visits it was nothing short of incredible:

We are really looking forward to being so much closer to you next year Aba.

2009-04-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

Lots of posts this month already and even more running around in my head. Here is a little show about our Spring Break. We were joined in Cabarete by Jeff, Deb, April, and Eric and had a wonderful, relaxing, and hilarious week.
It was our last time in Cabarete this year, and although i know that i will be back at Nanny Estates. It's the first time in years that i have left not sure when exactly i would be back. It is one of the most incredible places on the planet, and the people there are even more incredible!

Well, enjoy:

Ipo, i am not ignoring your comment. I am working on something to fill you in re: next year. It's a work in progress, but for now:

Way down here you need a reason to move

Feel a fool running your stateside games

Lose your load, leave your mind behind, baby james

Oh, Mexico

It sounds so simple I just got to go

~ J. Taylor

2009-04-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Its amazing how fast five years can go by when you throw a wedding and a couple of kids in there...but pass it has

From 5 year

2009-04-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

OK, i feel horrible that the other post with pictures was really only up for a day, i hope that people will look at that and also the movie from yesterday.

but here are some more pictures of Miss Ella on her first Birthday:

From Ella turns One

Here is some old guy, when he wasn't so old:

From Ella turns One

Here a future Homecoming Queen smiles for the camera:

From Ella turns One

2009-04-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

wow, two posts in a day. Of course the footage in this post IS from January...

more pics and some video from the princess' first will be coming very very soon

2009-04-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

We continue on here; living in the sun
We laugh, we dance, we sing - we have fun
It's almost over, are time in the DR virtually done...
and in the blink of an eye...look who turned one!

2009-02-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

It is scary for me to believe, but somehow Oliver has been with us for three years already. He has accomplished so much and added more to our lives then we could have ever imagined.
We had a small party for him at a local pizza place and this year he definitely knew it was his birthday. We all had a lot of fun and thank everyone who came or sent their love from afar. Enjoy:

Here are some posts that really amazed me from not too long ago:

February 16th 2007 - here
February 16th 2008 - here

2009-02-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

Our travels this winter break were not nearly what they have been previously (2007: 1, 2, 3). In fact, no flights at all and we only drove about three and a half hours - to Cabarete. We stayed there for three weeks and although we missed friends and family terribly having a special group come from California helped us to survive.

As i sit here more than a month after the vacation so many moments jump to my mind as being incredible, i just could never share them all here. One of my favorite moments of the entire time however was about fifteen seconds in duration (overhearing a conversation between Karli and Rick):

Rick: So do you body surf?
Karli: Well i just float around and laugh a lot.
Rick: Sounds like fun; and a good way to live life.

A great final Christmas in the Dominican Republic.

2009-02-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

The original vision of this blog was that it would be a place for us to share our adventures, thoughts and general goings on with you. I have done the majority of the postings but few loyal readers of this blog could ever forget this post by Karli.

Well today is another historic day. With great pride I present you with....

Oliver's first post:

"the ocean"

So now the proud father will give you a little play-by-play. So i was on morning duty Saturday and with the monstress happily entertaining herself Ollie brought me his paints saying, "I want this." He started the work by combining blue and green in the middle of the page. I told him it was beautiful and that it looked like the ocean. He then brought me the brown paint telling me it was for sand. He added the sun then the pink fish y VOILA!

We are awaiting a call from la louvre.

On Sunday we went to the botanical gardens where our now famous artist was mobbed by adoring fans:

you aren't going to believe me but i really had nothing to do with this - you trying being the cute little blond boy 'round here!

2009-01-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

I am writing this behind the mountain of pictures and videos that ARE the festive season. I am doing my best...which isn't that good. Well anywhoooo these are some pictures from Early December, getting ready for Christmas, a visit from Granny and Boppy, and general goofing off, enjoy:

We Christmas-ed in Cabarete this year; that is coming soon.

2008-12-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

some pics from cabarete:

lots waiting to be made into a video, but in case you can't wait

here

2008-12-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

Well after going three months without a long weekend we were hit with two of them in November. The first one was "Dia de la Constitucion" which we celebrated on the 10th of November and then we celebrated our anniversary on the 26th of November by taking off the next two working days.

Enjoy...

The first one was spent in Cabrera on the north coast and the second brought us back to a place for beginning: Las Terrenas.

Also want to welcome Spencer Vernon Keith Lancaster to the world of BrantfordBoys. We have been excitedly waiting for you. Nikki you are an absolute goddess - congratulations all.

2008-11-14T05:02:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2008

Truth be told this is actually a collection of shots mostly from the month of October.
Ollie playing the role of adorable tyrant, Ella as Sweetness and Karli as the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Enjoy:

2008-10-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving Canucks...

Here is the video that brings you up to...the first week in August - ouch.

2008-09-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

Last post: June 16
Today's date: September 16

ouch...

but seriously, where can i even think of beginning? we've been to California, Toronto, Kingston, Brantford, Cabarete and are now well back into the swing of things here in Santo Domingo. As i look through the pictures to pick a couple to put here the kids look so different then they do today...life has a tendency to move pretty quickly i guess...

Well here is part one of the summer: California.

If things continue at the same rate part deux should be out...December 16th

2008-06-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

4 years of backgammon, 4 years of kitesurfing, 4 years of bowling, 3 kids brought into this world...
cost = 390 pesos.
that is a bargain (12-13 us dollars)

Goodtimes.

Worst part of being an international teachers is saying good-bye to the people who become your family wherever it is you are. We are losing a lot of wonderful "family" members this year, its tough, but perhaps toughest on those staying put?

To the people moving on from CMS, good luck, drop us a line every once in a while and we'll catch you on the flip side.
KOEm

2008-05-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

That is right the waterproof camera we bought on January 3rd died last Saturday May 17th. It passed due to water intake despite being waterproof. I emailed Olympus on Monday and am still hoping to hear from them soon.
I will keep you posted.
As you can imagine i am pretty much crushed as i generally go nowhere without my camera.

Sure was lucky (for you) that this happened to occur on the week that Granny and Boppy were visiting. Those of you who have met them know that there would be no shortage of photos during this week - especially with a new grand-daughter to meet. We had a great time relaxing and being together and are thankful that the end of the year is drawing near and we will not have to wait too long to hang out some more.

Granny & Boppy: Spring Visit 2008

For those of you anxiously awaiting something worth reading Karli has informed me that she is finalizing a blog post in her mind these days and now just has to have a couple minutes to get it written down (finding this time was somehow easier b.k. (before kids)).

tombstone from: http://www.bigoo.ws/generator/tombstone-note-generator.aspx

2008-05-14T05:04:00.000-07:00

It has been more then three weeks since i have posted here ... i could say i have been busy, which i have been (two kids is wonderful but also lots of work). Of course anyone who read the previous post knows why it has taken twenty-two days to write something here; how can i possibly follow that? Hopefully Karli will share more of her thoughts and her literary gift with us here in the near future.

Until then i am going to give up writing and stick to what i know (which isn't much)

In addition to wonderful visits from both Kristy and Geoff we were also visited by Pulitzer prize winner Junot Diaz - he was absolutely incredible to be around and one of the most incredible speakers i have ever heard (you can hear some of his talk here)

2008-04-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

Its happened, its finally happened!! After months (actually years) of prodding and poking I actually got Karli to post a blog entry, it is of course incredible and puts me to shame, but of course you would have expected that. Without further ado:

Since I can’t manage to tear myself away from my new baby girl long enough to write you all an email, I thought I would finally write a blog entry. I apologize profusely for not telling each and every one of you our news personally but I hope you understand. I will do my best to email soon but until then know that we are all happy and healthy. If you watch Mark’s video that he has here then that speaks for itself really.

One of the reasons I love knowing another language is seeing the bridge between words and understanding them a little bit better from a different perspective. In Spanish, an infant can be called a criatura which literally means creature. Of course at first I was a little offended, people calling my beautiful baby a creature but now I am starting to see the truth of it. I can understand this as I watch my little 5 day old creature here, Ella Mackenzie Picketts. At times she seems totally out of this world as she snarfs and burrows and claws at the air and at other times she reminds me of little creatures that I know;

she is like a kitty cat as she stretches her stiff little legs and arms when I take the blanket off of her
sometimes she is like a chipmunk as she squeaks and clicks when she wants to be fed - - and other times she is like a puppy dog with her wrinkles of extra skin around her knees and butt
or a basset hound covered in soft fur on her head which I go to kiss a hundred times a day
or a bird as she wriggles and squirms to be fed, mouth open wide as a homing device for my breast. But one thing is for certain, she couldn’t be one of us humans. So small, so innocent and perfect.

When you think about the word criatura a little more…

I wonder if it came from criar which means to raise or better yet, to create
And is there also a connection to crecer which means to grow
And then there is also creer which is my favorite – to dream

So wherever we have kidnapped this little creature from, I am so glad that she is here. And be it to raise, create, grow or dream…she is all these things to me. To my lovely wrapped bundle , “As I raise you here with me, let us create a world in which you may grow in to become the you that you want to be – may your dreams be the limits of your soul.”

Recent Videos: Picketts 4.0 Release - Masters' Champion

2008-04-20T05:16:00.001-07:00

The official release video:

We are all completely in love with Ella and really can't wait for her to meet you in person. Have no fear however...Kristy got me a FlipVideo for my birthday so there will not be a shortage of video here.

2008-04-18T09:31:00.001-07:00

Big Brother...

so much footage, and it grows everyday...

stay tuned and have a great weekend

2008-04-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

Picketts 4.0 officially released!
Ella Mackenzie Picketts
April 15, 2008 - 7:44 am
Clinica Abel Gonzalez
Special thanks to: Tamara Frankenburg, Jacobo, Juan Carlos Toral, Thom & Pam Pelliccia, to name only a few...

lots more needed here but this will do to get you started...

relaxing with dad

Ella - age 5 minutes (she doesn't look a second over 4)

Picketts 4.0 - the much anticipated release.

More will come soon, as you can likely imagine i have a little bit of footage from this event, so stay tuned.

2008-04-03T12:14:00.001-07:00

phew! I really didn't think i was going to get this post finished in time - but it is here and its going up.

I didn't want the release of Picketts 4.0 to happen before an incredible spring break we had with Jeff, Debbie, April and Eric in Cabarete was duly documented. It was relaxing super fun and so great to be together.

As for life back in the capital we had some contractions last Friday which vaulted us into "full ready mode," the bags are packed and the cell phones are never far away. That said we are enjoying the last days with the three of us, full nights of sleep, and watching the excitement in Oliver build around his baby sister. Karli's belly gets lots of kisses each night before bed.
I am slammed at work and trying to get ahead before the arrival - how does it feel like i am falling further behind?

2008-03-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

some more random footage from the last couple of weeks. 4 more working days until Semana Santa! i think i can i think i can i think i can...

2008-03-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

Mom left Ollie and i for a weekend with the girls. I nice quiet boys weekend at home? Not for these two. He was jarred from sleep at 3:30 in the morning, thrown into a truck and then driven three hours to the best surf break on the north coast. There he watched the Master of the Ocean competition (cool video on the site, i tried to get some footage of the surfing but just don't have the zoom). After a breakfast we checked into the hotel, i almost went down while putting Ollie in for his nap; in the end however it was simple, if i wasn't going to kite why was i putting us both through this ordeal. It took one second on the water to feel on top of the world again. Had a nice long session on the reef while Abel and Ollie napped and had a short session on Sunday.
This kid is amazing to put up with me, i am so lucky.

2008-02-28T03:59:00.000-08:00

long overdue but what can i say - February is a busy month in our family. Since Ollie's celebration the Hughes came for a visit (pic), there has been a full lunar eclipse, i have been down south into true Dominicana on a mind-blowing solo kitesurfing adventure, we pulled one over on Karli for a baby shower, i got older, so did Karli, and independence day was celebrated - not bad really. Does kinda leave you wanting a nap though.

And i have more good news. Karli has promised to write about Ollie's birthday here on this blog! When i started this i wanted it to be a family collaboration of thoughts, images and writing and this is the first step in that direction. There is no doubt her re-count of such a great day will force you to wonder why you ever read any of my drivel, but until she gets it written here are some moving images to keep you entertained.

2008-02-15T10:25:00.000-08:00

as promised:

so gorgeous...

2008-02-14T04:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

I love my wife more then i could possibly express to you - and i love that she is gullible and always ripe for the surprising - got her good this morning with this painting.

This video started out as an attempt to thank the Great Grand Parents who (as always) were very generous over the festive season. We were able to re-do Ollie's room - and Diego-a-size it. He loves it, and we will let you all know how the big boy bed goes. In the end, the video ended up as some random videos from around the house, enjoy:

Can you believe he will be 2 on Saturday?!?! It is absolutely mind-blowing and i guess time just does fly when you are having fun. We would love for you to come to his fiesta which will be nice and mellow, poolside:

Karli making valentines for Ollie's class.
I know that i owe you all belly shots, and i have taken them - i just don't have the files here - stay tuned.

2008-02-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

part three finally!

of course since Canada we have had a bunch of stuff going on including a long weekend in Cabarete, back to school, birthday parties, end of semester, hours of pool time, ...and we are all excited around the growing belly!
more pictures will come soon.

2008-01-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

The long awaited release of Christmas part deux has come: Christmas in California. Click below to see the release which includes Ollie's first nudes! Thanks to our whole California based support crew for the fantastic times.

The final episode of the Christmas trilogy will be out soon, until then keep fit and have fun!

2007-12-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007 Version 1.0
edicion: la republica dominicana

disfurta

2007-12-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

December is upon us, i know this because it seems we are busy every night! Concerts, plays, parties, the works - it is great to be so busy, but at times exhausting. Lots has happened since i was here last, most notably a visit from Kristi, Kristen and Geoff that will be documented when i can get to the pics from our time in Cabarete (they're in Cali). We are excited to only have one more week of work before seeing family and hope to see you as well over our break.

This is the best time of year here; weather is gorgeous and not too hot, it is comfortable to go outside to run, walk or even a little ultimate (of course never forget your Cheerios or Wynnee):

"left? right? they work better this way"

2007-11-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

Granny and Boppy were here for their annual fall visit and it was truly wonderful to see them, as usual they spoiled us entirely and gave Karli and i twenty-four hours just the two of us.
The jury is still out as to whether or not Ollie realized we were gone.

The slick baby blue shirt in this video was worn by me thirty years ago! Looks good on him doesn't it.

Geoff and Kristen arrived to Cabarete yesterday and the word is that the relaxing has begun. Kristy's plane should be hitting the ground any second now and we will be eating together tonight.

We are truly spoiled.

2007-11-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

i am falling behind so some of these may be coming rather quickly, try not to miss any as they are some of my better jobs.

in other news: if you know of a way for me to make money making movies of my son, please let me know - i like it more then working.

2007-11-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have great photos and clips of pumpkins becoming jack-o-lanterns, Karli's extremely successful Author's Cafe at school and the OPP being...well himself - it would be ignorant however to post these. The Dominican Republic is hurting right now; after a week of natural power the likes of which i have never seen, we hope that all of the island who have suffered such tremendous loss will find a way to persevere and carry on.

this is a better video then i could make with my limited pictures.

Thankfully our house, family and friends are fine but we will be reaching out to try and help those who were not so fortunate.

You had to know i would give you a little sumtin':

2007-10-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

you won't believe it but its true, these were all just single takes.

If you didn't watch the video i am not telling you...

-despite the confusion that the video may portray we won't know the sex of number two for another eight weeks.

forgot about this one (taken on a friend's camera last week some time).

2007-10-08T06:09:00.000-07:00

happy holidays...

Today is Canadian Thanksgiving, i find myself missing Canada, more this year then i ever remember in any of my previous years abroad. Lots of reasons i am sure. Starting with the family and the friends that we have there and the turning of summer to autumn.

This weekend i went shopping with Oliver, the worst part of living in a country that doesn't have a harvest celebration such as Thanksgiving (October or November) is that ... and i swear this is true - we were listening to Silent Night and other carols while we shopped! Now i am no Grinch, but October 6th?? No lie, the odd house has their lights up and i even heard a firecracker in the distance ensuring that Christmas must be right around the corner.

2007-10-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

well this post has been mulling around in my head for a week now but here it goes.

So last weekend we were invited to a child's third birthday party, it is exciting to meet people who live outside of our tight little international teachers world and we gratefully accepted. Then i found out it was at McDonald's. Now i remember with excitement Thursday nights of my childhood, when dad had late office and mom took us to MickeyD's after our piano lessons, those were the good ol'days. However, as i aged and read the likes of Naomi Klein and her like-minded friends i grew to think differently towards everyone's favorite redheaded clown; and the machine that Ronald represents. I don't eat there, and whenever i do i regret it. Then came along the likes of Super Size Me and Fast Food Nation - books and films i love. When i traveled i loved that i could find a McD's anywhere in the world and be guaranteed a free, clean bathroom without having to spend a dime.
All this considered, i wasn't thrilled at the idea of taking Oliver to McDonald's. However my beliefs are my beliefs, he will develop his own in his life. We won't make a habit of going; yet, we already live overseas, without a TV...what can i say, i don't want him to be the weird kid - not for my beliefs anyway.

Seeing the child marketing machine that is McDonald's from another lens was a heck of a trip; but at the end of the day - and i do mean this...you really can't beat their soft ice cream cones:

2007-09-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

last weekend was a long one here in the DR so we went to Cabarete. The weather was wonderful, the ocean was super flat and Saturday was windy. We stayed with friends right on the water and enjoyed hanging out, kayaking and relaxing. I really do love it there, even when there isn't wind.
Our days started with a trip to the bakery to get pastries and coffee before coming back for breakfast and then the relaxing began...pausing only to cook and prepare food before the relaxing resumed, la vida buena.
Work is still killing me but it really is amazing how a little time in the sand and on the water can give you the necessary perspective on life.
pics: (left) Aidan introduces the OPP to the wonderful worlds of cars, (above) Ollie discovers that the only thing better then one sun bed is ten sun beds! (below) a long weekend can really wear a guy out.

2007-09-21T10:51:00.001-07:00

My Camera is on the fritz...but the real excuse is simply work - it has been killing me! - apologies

Here is a picture of the OPP on his first day of school, yup lots to get you caught up on ...but today i don't have the the time; apologies. Let me just say these few statements:
mom cried more then niño on day one (to be expected), his teachers say he is doing wonderfully, he is learning Spanish, meeting new friends and is so happy to see me when I get him on my lunch it washes away the hesitation that i had.

I am so incredibly behind here i could never get you caught up. Here is July in Cali:

From there we went to Cabarete for three incredible weeks of family, surf, sand and of course wind, we treated our nanny and her son to a couple of days there. Incredible to believe that as someone who has lived their entire life on this island it was her first time to the beach. She doesn't like sun, the ocean or pools and has simply never had the opportunity - it felt good to give her and her son the experience (even though they still think we are weird). It was stark reminder of how lucky we are...

here are some shots:

Our school is doing a celebrity read campaign and our favorite monkey was invited to participate:

2007-07-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

well, its official summer is underway, gracias a dios.
I am in the airport returning from a conference in Washington D.C., and thought i would take a minute and write about our summer thus far:
We have all read or heard stories told about incredible feats done under the highest stress; our summer started in such a way. No Karli didn’t lift a car above her head to free a trapped husband underneath (again); but through a whirlwind of indescribable activities and incredible fortune we packed luggage for the three of us for our six weeks off of the island in…seven minutes.
As much time as i am given i will never be able to thank Sr. Sanchez for his help – thank-you.
As an opening omen, i was scared for what this dubious beginning meant for our summer. Thankfully, it has been far different from where it began. Ian and Liz are officially wed; the entire day was incredible, fun and gorgeous – like them. It was outside at a summer camp, really relaxed and as the natural light filtered through the deciduous forest onto them they were married at the head of the campfire. Truly breathtaking – i was lucky they are so relaxed – because the first thing we discovered neglected in the packing mayhem: the shirt I was going to wear to the wedding. The party started right away, the speeches were great and then just as the party was about to kick into high gear…the power went out. Done. Not with this crew; each of Liz’s two younger brothers (both percussion students) picked up drums, the guy behind the small kit on stage followed suit. The forty-five minute drum circle dance that ensued honestly left me speechless and is one of my all-time wedding highlights.
Ian and Liz went honeymooning on Sunday but we stayed on the Huron’s shores to celebrate Fathers’ Day with Boppy, Granny, Jeff, Deb, April and Eric. We were having so much fun we actually stayed until Wednesday. A, E, D & J had the idea and the time off so we got the cousins together and watched them play, laugh and slide for three days – it was really magical. i sailed three times which were my first Canadian kitesurfing experiences – really fun too with a lot of good people. Someone told me last night that kiting is the fastest growing sport in the world right now…I am scared what that will do to the crowds. From there we went back to Brantford and saw some people and were spoiled by Evelyn and her never ending arsenal of sweets and foods. We tried to buy Manu Chao tickets, but the sold out show was demanding a 300% increase on tickets even after the show started. We took what would have been one ticket at those rates and got an incredible dinner before heading back to B-ford. Ian and Liz returned Friday in time for a family celebration, in honor of Grandma’s NINTIETH birthday! She is as young, beautiful and frisky as ever, sometimes Ollie has trouble keeping up to her but he has 88+ years to practice! We played lots of Frisbee golf, swam, went to the sand dunes on Lake Erie, laughed, talked and hung out with Ian and Liz unsure of when our paths would cross next; but looking forward to the day it happens.
Flying to DC for the conference i am currently returning from really cut it to our time in Canada and has made short visits with family and with friends; it has made seeing some of them simply impossible. 2 new children of friends, 1 more arriving in the fall, 2 stags and a wedding all missed
I guess this is the life i have chosen but, sometimes it really sucks.

Returning to Canada i got to see the new Dufferin – now located at Howland and was duly impressed with the neighborhood that Jeff and Greg are calling home. Friday with hopes of beating long weekend cottage bound traffic we left early, finding out quickly that it was a national day of protest for Canada’s indigenous and that traffic would be slow, it was, but the conversation wasn’t and before too long we arrived at Bobby’s Cottage for some hilarious extremity through bocce, croquet, cranium, poker and taco eating. Bobby has the Moosehead belt for this year, but Karli is already practicing. We returned on the 1st in time to see some fireworks and spent Monday golfing and then poolside with family, before beginning to contemplate how we were going to transport our ever expanding bags to San Francisco, thankfully we had more then seven minutes to pack!

no music as i don't have mp3s on this machine, but this video has some great images from our first few weeks of summer:

2007-06-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

its June, summer is so close i can taste it. Right now we are experiencing the storm before the calm - we are swamped - this video is horrible and i keep debating whether no post would be better then a bad one...

we are travelling until the 23rd of July and things kick off with Ian's wedding, we hope to see you while we are in North America.

2007-06-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

i'm sick, i have a cold. One thing that really isn't great about living in the Caribbean is that whenever you get a cold...it's like having a "summer cold" - i for one HATE summer colds. Karli went away with the girls last weekend leaving Ollie and i to play like kids, we had a blast.

i just saw the type-o, the handle was under his chin, but i didn't save the file to make changes...oh well.

I even managed to win some money hosting a poker night on Saturday before the cold hit Sunday afternoon. One more weekend and then we are homeward bound!

Check out these babes!!hubba hubba

2007-05-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers' Day!
so it may be two weeks later but living away from home does have its advantages...like two mothers' days. To be honest this year Karli actually celebrated Mexican, North American and Dominican - not bad really. As i watch the video from last year it is tough to imagine how far we've come in twelve months - it sure is a great ride though.
This weekend we had a visitor from the past; our school hosted an international school sports tournament and we got to host a great friend from our Ecuador days - Daniel. It meant little sleep and it was so great to see him - especially happy and doing so well. We hadn't seen him since the last time CMS hosted which was two years ago - Karli and i have had quite a few changes since then. So there was lots to catch up on; the stories, laughs and memories never seemed to cease. We were so busy chatting and catching up - including me chastasing him for not bringing any fotos of Venezuela and friends there - that i don't have one foto to prove he was here. It was a great visit Dan! Let's not wait two more years to do it again.
So you thought you escaped with out picture or movie...no such luck. We did head to the beach on Saturday while poor Daniel coached in the sun, it was a new beach for us: Palenque - tranquillo and very Dominican. Great spot with fresh fish and an incredible drive to get to. The OPP loved the dogs, young Dominicans who played so amazingly and gently with him, the sand and the water but the highlight was the float suit i bought for him Saturday morning. RoboCop - look out!

The video and the big picture seem like overkill; eventually i will have to axe one of them, I'd appreaciate any suggestions you have.

2007-05-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers' Day! We are so fortunate to have incredible mother's and grandmother's and are thankful for them everyday. We really missed you this weekend, and hope to see you in a month's time.

T-minus thirty days...
yup its one of my favorite times of year, time for all you non-teachers to begin hating us...again - summer is around the corner. Twice a month you get to laugh at us (PayDay), but this is our time.

Actually the end of the year is always bittersweet for international teachers because it carries with it a set of "see you laters" that are not easy to go through.

This weekend we went to Las Terrenas to celebrate a truly great friendship that has spanned five years, continents and countless adventures more amazing then many ever know. As always lessons were learned, laughs were shared and hugs and smiles were abound; RD we're gonna miss you when your gone.

2007-04-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

so with each week that passes, it gets harder and harder to get caught up, yet with time i feel an increased desire to give each wonderful weekend its due.

three weekends ago
sometimes life is about riding things out, i felt horrible that things around me felt a little off-kilter this week - why did it have to be when Boppy and Granny are visiting? It just felt like i had a million things going on in every aspect of my life. A weekend with them at Boca Chica seemed to sort things out and although the mountain at work still lies in front of me, i think i will be able to manage. I really do love the Hamaca at Boca Chica; mom and dad have been there i think five times and whenever they are there, i am - for some stretch of their vacation as well. I am always trying to ensure that Granny and Boppy get some relaxing time to go with their Oliver time to go with their Karli and mark time, and i really think they scored on all levels this trip. After putting down O, i return to the beach to swim with mom and dad on Saturday to see Boppy in a rare state...vegging; book closed, on sun bed staring up at the inPictures can be seen here.

two weekends ago
a long weekend here in the Dominican and we returned to Cabarete: to Nanny's Estates. We were lucky to find a place there when some previous plans fell through, but the vacation was the stuff dreams are made of - well kiter's dreams anyway. I averaged more then five hours of kiting a day in two or three sessions. Did some of the best riding of my life, really charging. The downside was my wife's first use of the term kite widow. Which is undoubtedly not a great thing. Of course she did follow this by signing herself up for a lesson - she's the best.
This was also the first trip in our new car, a 1999 Blazer. She's a dream, comfortable, smooth and powerful. Of course by overheating on the way home it had me missing our 4runner more then ever. I got it back from the shop today, and am confident good times are ahead.

last weekend
Finally after a stretch of six weekends out of the city we stayed in town and it was really nice. Thursday we tried to get to Spiderman3 but the lines were like nothing i have ever seen before. Friday i played nine holes at the niner - the greatest golf course in the world. Saturday was Cinco de Mayo, an ultimate tournament that i organized, by all accounts it was a success. The highlight was Karli playing incredibly and winning the "Dark Horse" award. She came prancing in to the house announcing her award and swearing that she would return to the field, a place i have been trying to get her for three years. Success.

So its lame, its rushed, but it has me somewhat up to date...which is better then where i was yesterday.

2007-04-20T07:54:00.001-07:00

back to back?

yup but it is worth it! Look what Karli captured, Ollie with Raymond and Winney

click to see the video

2007-04-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

granny and boppy arrived on Friday and the spoiling began immediately...well that is lie actually - it began right after he woke up from his nap. They were on a plane at six in the morning and arrived at our apartment at quarter to two, not bad really, of course i rewarded them by throwing them in the car for a little more then three hours so we could go to Cabarete.

A return to Cabarete and to Nanny Estates, which has to be one of my favorite places in the world. Mom and dad hadn't been there since i lived in Cabarete working at ISS, so they were flabbergasted by the changes that continue to go on (the last affordable nice hotel for families was closed a week ago for ... yup you guessed it, luxury condos). If you can't beat 'em join 'em.

The kiting was beyond epic (video coming soon). Saturday i kited from noon until five thirty, and Sunday i got on the water at eleven and left exhausted at two forty-five. Simply stated this weekend was as good as Cabarete (one of the best places in the world to kite) gets, and with four extra hands and eyes wanting to watch and care for Oliver, i had to take full advantage.

The OPP got his first pair of havianas escalating him to full beach bum status. Daddy is oh so proud. OK so i may have jumped the gun but he'll grow into them.

We ate in, we went to sleep early and the weekend was fantastic.

how you doin?
in a surprise unannounced realease Ollie broke out blue steel at Sunday's breakfast, no one expected to see it until this years baby fashion awards...

2007-04-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

last year i had more then three hundred photos from my spring break; this year...thirty one.

wha' happened? Is Las Terrenas somehow less beautiful? Certainly not. Is Oliver getting uncute? not at all, if anything he is more cute then he was a year ago, this teetering around on two feet is really something to behold. Maybe i am just lazy, but anyone who has known me for longer then a year will assuredly tell you that this is not a new trait. I guess, to steal a phrase from my younger and much wiser brother, i was too busy living my life to consider documenting it.

CopOut? perhaps, but that is my story and i am sticking to it.

So i apologize to all of you non-teachers for going on about my week holiday, but you definitely have your time to laugh at me - every payday. We headed back to Las Terrenas arguably the most beautiful place on earth for the better part of the week sharing a house with our friends the Dungans. They have a 3 year old Aidan, and Mia who will turn one tomorrow. Within minutes of our arrival we had created an outdoor play pen which was a huge hit and the relaxation began, our biggest responsibilities were to figure out what we would prepare for dinner each night. Ahhh the good life. Would it be grilled pork tenderloin, or fish bought off of the boat? Life is full of tough decisions like these.
Jeff and i prayed for wind every day but really were only heard once. We had a couple of light days and one shutout but there was one day that was as good as LT gets, with huge fun rollers on the outside for our kiting pleasure. At times (while being shutout) i questioned being a kitesurfer; there i stood on a gorgeous secluded beach, perfect weather ... cursing the fact that there wasn't any wind. One millisecond of sailing erased those thoughts...until the next shutout. There isn't a whole lot to write here; reading, playing, napping, relaxing. It really was wonderful; so wonderful that both couples passed on the opportunity to head into town for a night knowing that the food, ambiance and company we had couldn't be topped. With each day more people arrived at the sleepy little beach town and by Thursday it was booming; luckily we were driving against traffic on our way out of there.
We went to Cabarete where i scored another monster session before retreating to the hills of the Blue Moon for incredible food and ... yup more relaxing. I sat on Cabarete beach enduring another incredibly painful shutout (and yes questioning the whole sport) on Good Friday before spending Saturday and Sunday getting ready for the final push of the '06-'07 school year. Santo Domingo is a wonderful city when so many of the people are out of town, quiet and no traffic!

As for Ollie he spent the week mastering "the walking", it is amazing how few times the kid has actually fallen (touch wood), the unlevel beach is always a challenge.

His mom continues to get more beautiful, which simply doesn't seem possible, but somehow is true.

Granny and Boppy arrive on Friday and the excitement can only be described as electric.

Ben now has a blog of his own!

2007-03-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

Giant Steps...

'nuff said

a HUGE welcome to Ollie's two new friends Jack Russell Dilworth (26th) and Benjamin Campbell Bradley (29th). We are really hoping to meet these guys during our time in Canada this summer.

We are off to Las Terrenas for the week early tomorrow morning, so take care and pray for wind.

2007-03-26T09:28:00.001-07:00

Well it really can’t be argued that the new focus of the internet and blogs seems to be video. It’s everywhere and why not really? I have been talking a lot about it on my professional blog, but here it explodes into my personal one as well. Why? because i don’t have many stills from this weekend.
Pretty relaxing weekend all in all, starting out with a special Friday afternoon ultimate session that led to some pool time and then an impromptu fiesta at our house; great fun with great people. Saturday was to be my first ever time playing spades, what it ended up being was a confirmation of something that i knew; something that had been looming right in front of me for weeks. Oliver is a little boy. It is great and with each step he is more amazing but the days of bringing him to a party and then setting up his pack-and-play in a spare room are gone. He’s too smart for that, he knows where he is and what he wants which is amazing but at the same time it is another change. Needless to say our spades night was a little shorter then expected, we’ll win next time though (for the record: he was jovial and the life of the party and never complained, he just wasn’t going to sleep). (see the baby in the cupboard video) Sunday was spent lounging before going to help out at the SpringFest activities at the school. It really is quite an event with loud music and more kids on a sugar rush then you will see anywhere outside of Halloween. It is a good event and it earns a bunch of money that is largely spent on tech stuff for the school, so i am in full support! This marks three weeks in a row without wind: yes, i am counting. That said this is the last week before we get to go to Las Terrenas for a week, i think i can i think i can. If it stays windy all week up there this little drought will be well worth it!
The OPP was laughing so hard while waiting for Karli to come down on our way out for the evening. He continued until she arrived and then kept it up long enough for me to go back to the apartment and get the camera to capture it. Good Times.
The OPP hits the big time (err at least YouTube).

2007-03-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

We had a really busy week between work and social stuff last week. The highlight was hosting twenty people for a sushi roll. We are admitted sushi addicts, but rolling your own really can’t be beat. In the end there was fifty or more rolls prepared and cut leaving all of us in a complete food coma and despite our best efforts there was still more then we could finish for lunch the next day! I am not kidding; the picture shows one of three tables. This has been an event that we had been trying to get together for months and we hope the next one will be sooner!

Then there was the seventeenth of March. What a great day this is. As Oliver and i went to the orchid festival at the botanical gardens i couldn’t help but reflect at some of the days i have scene: walking in a Galway parade while on rugby tour in highschool, breakfast and lunch at the Toucan before heading to the Wellington for a little Gerry O while at Queen’s, even in Bahrain - St. Paddy’s has always treated me well. A comedic friend of mine here in Santo Domingo was going on the other day about how funny it would be if the world treated all national holidays like we do St. Paddy’s Day; that is pretend we are Irish. It was a great little bit - one that i am sure he will eventually take to a stage somewhere.

This year the wonder of St. Paddy’s continued with the second annual Colmado Crawl. As the colmado (a convenience store, they sell everything including beer and often have a group sitting around chatting and playing dominoes) culture here is incredibly strong friends invented the event last year. It combines a photo scavenger hunt with a crawl – jenius. Oliver somehow made it behind the counter in most of the stops and continues to amaze at how calm he is being passed from stranger to stranger. This year’s shirts simply said, “tiene suerte (got luck)?” below the shamrock emblazoned with the Dominican flag. The pictures were amazing but somehow the ones ending up on this blog all seemed to have one thing (lil'man) in common…it seems to me that the only question that remains is: is it live to ride or ride to live?

2007-03-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

update...
I may have jumped the gun on that previous post, we have not purchased the Blazer, i am cherishing every moment in Coach though as i know my time with her is limited.
My Heritage - celebrity look alike - very cool little applet.
See Karli, Oliver, or me.
of coures i am using this in my class, and my students are loving it!

2007-03-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

Goodbye hockey hair…
It’s is true, despite Boppy’s insistence that Oliver would be a baby until h e was eighteen months old; his first haircut transformed him instantaneously from a baby into a little boy. Yes, it was necessary and maybe even overdue but it is still a reminder of how incredible (and how fast) each second flying by is.
A windless weekend kept us around the capital; it did bring in some money through a poker game which went out three-hundred fold in the shape of a new car. That’s right we spent another day test driving and think we will purchase our new truck this week. It is a two thousand Blazer and although i have been up late going over all of my hypocrisy surrounding it, that fact is: we simply need the clearance of an SUV here. We still drive less then ten kilometers Monday thru Friday, and our new car (despite its V6) will be an improvement on gas usage and the environment then the our 4 Runner with its four cylinders is now. Have i convinced you? i don’t think i would be typing this if i was a hundred percent convinced…must be the driver that lives within my head. I am going to be so sad to sell our car, i really do love her, but it is time to go. Becoming a father has vaulted the importance of airbags and reliability over the rugged toughness and adventure that “coach” has provided these last two years. Beyond this, we have both accepted new positions at CMS that will keep us here a little longer so a newer vehicle just makes sense. Karli will be the writing specialist for the elementary school and i will be the Academic Technology Director. They are both incredible opportunities for us and we are very thankful.
We will sell her soon and she will continue to enrich someone’s life; hopefully she’ll come to visit. You think i am acting but these tears are real.
A weekend around the house was really nice and relaxing: lots of reading, lots of swimming, lots of playing and just generally kicking back; enjoying being with each other, hope yours was wonderful.

2007-03-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

birthdays, ecua-friends, chicken pox, wind and more…
wow it amazes me that another weekend has come and gone, every time i sit down to write these entries i am blown away about how lucky we are. It really feels like every weekend is an adventure, and seriously: would we wouldn’t want it any other way?
Friday marked the first time i was invited to a Dominican’s first birthday. i have witnessed these extravaganzas from afar in the park but Maria Matilde’s birthday allowed me to take part. Complete with dancing, entertainers, food, a full bar, jumping castles, yeah i Oliver really was in heaven (scene).
Saturday Salinas was nukin’ and jefe and i were there. Some super long cruising and carving sessions. i could go into the details but it would likely not make sense to the vast majority of the people reading this, if you want details email me.
Sunday we got together with a visiting friend from our days in Ecuador. It was so great to hear about what was going on in my beloved Ecuador. i worry so much for it; its jungle, its beaches, its cloud forests, its volcanoes, it…incredible diversity - i just wish it wasn’t marred with oil and the greedy eyes that accompany it. i won’t get into that, as the vast majority of you have heard my soapbox rants too many times before. A huge reason for our friends visit was so Oliver could meet her son Mateo, the day before they were to play for the first time ‘Teo goes and gets chicken pox; it was so sad, we did get to hang out but the kids had to be kept apart from each other which was too bad cause it was obvious that they wanted to play (more standing his refusal to step for the camera continues, luckily i am diligent and patient).
So this is a pretty bland post, sorry i am swamped at the moment; but wanted to share a little while i can.

professional blog

2007-03-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

baby steps...
yup it is happening. He waited until Aba was around to break out step number one and is now testing the waters all the time. Unfortunately he thwarted my attempt to get it on tape yesterday so all i have is him standing - or is he doing squats? Certainly these are exciting times.

2007-03-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

with friends like these…
It has to be said, somehow through some unknown action in a previous life i continue to be surrounded by incredible people. There is a tonne that could be written here but all i am going to say is that Tuesday was a holiday, Karli was with her mom and i was out kitesurfing; or more accurately, sitting on the beach waiting for wind. i get home before Karli but somehow the house is completely decorated for a birthday celebration, there are two freshly baked cakes on the table, a bottle of wine, a note giving simple instructions for heating the lasagna and garlic bread that sat ready and waiting in the fridge and a DVD. Being left speechless doesn’t happen too often but …

2007-02-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

Thursday Aba (aka. Kristy) arrived and Karli, Oliver and i couldn’t have been happier. Like always she came bearing more gifts then Santa Claus - we are continually spoiled (not to be confused as a complaint!!); of course the real gift for us is having Aba here to play with us.

Friday we headed to Cabarete and like is true in so many aspects of life: an integral part of the adventure was the journey. After a record setting departure from the city and getting way ahead of the long-weekend traffic ... we had a flat. This wasn’t just a flat, the tire was absolutely destroyed. I am amazed at how incredibly efficient the Dominican AAA is; before i had the truck to a complete stop we had two motoconchos there offering help. "No worries it is just a flat," this would be true if the piece that is used to lower the spare from underneath the truck was there, which of course it wasn’t. By this point a woman has come out from her brightly coloured wooden house and is playing and singing with Oliver and taking Karli, Kristy and O to look at the river that runs behind her house. So now we are surrounded by men who are jabbering on in Dominican (a very loose relative of Spanish), i obviously have no way of getting my spare down, i have two gringas and a baby with me and a car full of gear. You could see how this situation could be stressful, maybe even scary…but it isn’t. The vast majority of Dominicans i know or have met are caring, helpful and wonderful people. In just a couple minutes Karli and her new best friend are in one of the guys car going to buy a tire, Oliver is “driving” the truck (see pic) and Kristy is taking photos while we catch up. In minutes they return with a new tire, which the Dominican AAA won’t let me near, it is on in a flash and we are on our way pretty quickly (all things considered). Did we give these people money? Some of them yes, some of them no – none of them very much; were they doing this for money? some of them yes,some of them no. We debated after driving away the standard protocol for this situation. I paid them because they helped me and i was thankful, i didn’t know how else to express my gratification. I hope i did not set a horrible precedent.
So arriving a little later then we wanted it was dinner on the beach before a relatively early night. Saturday was a great day for Oliver and i. We went to watch the sunrise and surfers at encuentro; there was no waves so we just played in the sand, i had a coffee and we hung out before going back to get the girls for breakfast followed by some bodysurfing for me then i joined him for a morning nap. When we got up it was lightly raining (perfect napping weather!) and we celebrated by riding jaguars (video), marching around the pool and then going swimming in the rain. We ate early and put Ollie to bed. Karli and i went to listen to a DJ who was spinning on the beach as part of the Master of the Ocean event. He was phenomenal and the rain that was keeping the people away was just not fair. We called some friends who trekked through wind and the rain and met up with us (yup we have great friends), by the time we all made it to the dance floor there was a new DJ who was not on the same level as the first. Put lets put things in perspective here: dancing with the waves crashing behind you surrounded by good people, does it get better?
Actually yes it does.
Dancing with the waves behind you while all the other people are under the tent watching you thinking that you must be insane; just you and your beautiful (and great dancing) wife bouncing around in the rain like fools – now that’s better.
There was a trade-off however, in order to keep Karli dancing i had to give up my turn for a sleep-in on Sunday. No worries. A repeat of the day before with coffee and pastries at the surf break, this time though the waves were enormous and we were able to watch the surfers involved in the competition. The waves were a little messy with lots of close-outs and plenty of bails but i couldn’t help but think: Ollie is a year old hanging out at the surf break for sunrise, the last time in Cabarete he was left at the KiteSchool so his dad could get his fix. Look out - this kid is going to be good (of course only if he chooses too - his weekend change table is pictured). Sunday tested my patience. I sat on the beach kite ready, mentally psyched and waited for the wind that the internet said would arrive early. I was tested to my limit after a full three hours of waiting i was rewarded with some incredible wind and great waves. Sailed for more then two hours without a second’s break and the rush was big enough to carry me all the way through the long drive home. As i was packing up i heard one of the guys who lives on kite beach come in claiming: “this is as good as Cabarete gets”

Lesson learned: patience is rewarded.

I know this entry has too many words and not enough pictures, i will add more when i get my hands on Aba’s camera.

yes its my birthday but i have passed the age where that is cool, now i am just old.

2007-02-19T06:01:00.000-08:00

so every attempt that i have made at hitting "pause" through the last year has officially failed. Despite all of them, Oliver is one year old. Of course every step has been more incredible then the one before it but i am constantly worrying that i am going to miss something or not totally remember a sound or a stage as we fly forward at "ludicrous speed." Great friends of ours just announced their pregnancy and when i reflect at my life over the past twenty-one months, the emotions, the events, i sometimes feel like i have been living at an amusement park: not quite sick but with an extra hit of adrenaline coursing through my veins non-stop. (wow, where'd that stream of concsiousness come from?) and yes for the record – i love amusement parks.
So Ollie is one; this morning we opened presents with him in bed and contemplated whether or not we could still refer to him as "baby" or "the baby." What is the half-life of "the baby?" Sorry O but you are our baby.
Saturday we hosted a BBQ at our pool to celebrate the first year of his life and had lots of our friends over for a feast of epic proportions. It was a wonderful day. i couldn't help but remember that it was February and we were hosting a pool party (yeah i know i rub that in too much), however i sincerely hope that Oliver will also enjoy the thrills of a tobogganing party as well. Of course especially on days like this we really miss having our families here; i smiled on the inside however as the day was dominated by "adults" launching themselves into the water to catch footballs and Frisbees knowing that Oliver's uncles would be proud (scene video here).
There are too many pictures to go here so there is a little slideshow you can view it here. i put the pictures up at a relatively low resolution, if you would like to have any of these at high resolution please contact me.
Do you think Oliver is going to be a DJ? he's already got the form down (video) and don't miss the little move he throws at the end of this clip (thank god he dances like his mom and not his dad!)
Time for a first haircut?

2007-02-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

another weekend has come and gone.
It is scary how quickly that seems to happen these days. It marked the passing of the fifty-first week of Oliver’s life; his birthday is virtually upon us (also scary and hard to believe). It marked the beginning of yet another masters’ class for Karli – she may be the hardest working person on the planet. Studying, teaching, mothering…there really is no end. It gave Ollie and me lots of time together which is always enjoyed; walking, swimming and just generally hanging out. He discovered the joys of the pot cupboard (below), and we turned his box of diapers into a jet plane – so yeah i guess you could say we had fun – sometimes i worry i have too much fun. Even with Karli slaving away in masters’ class i was able to find some baby coverage and get in some kiting on Sunday which was just incredible. Long long cruising sessions with just Jeff and me on the water, wasn’t even its normal gusty self – truly the stuff of dreams. i am starting to get a better feel for the new kite and the lift it has when i get it clicking properly can be a little scary (in a very good way). The highlight of this weekend however may not even have been that; armed with information from friends currently in Bangkok and Brazil, Karli and i have set out with a new vigor to spend as much time as possible in the park. i run there in the morning and we go for family walks regularly, this weekend however we found a new spot to set down our blanket and watch the sunset on Friday – the place is so good we went back for the show on Sunday. i think it may become a regular deal (i will have to take my camera this week).

Finally for those of you who saw my parenting tips video ("the nose"), this week's video is in that vein (it is really dark), but click here to learn how to feed your baby while keeping their hands clean (very useful).

2007-02-07T04:39:00.000-08:00

As news of the incredible cold at home resounds like a sweet melody around my eardrum i am forced to smile … just a little.
Yes, you are right i do miss the snow. Yes, you are right i do miss the seasons. However, watching the SuperBowl in flipflops and boardshorts has its perks as well.
As winner of the fantasy football season i hosted a poker night on Friday thanks to a very co-operative wife and sleepy baby it was a resounding success (winning some money never hurts either).
Saturday i went kitesurfing and really shouldn’t have. The time on the water was great and nothing beats cruising across the flat water in Salinas but i just should not have gone. It was part of the reason i had to get rid of tickets to see Tiesto on Saturday night, a decision that i am still regretting. On the way home however we stopped at a fruit stand, one of a thousand we passed and for two dollars i got six mangoes, a bunch of bananas and some great avocado - not too bad really.
SuperBowl Sunday started out with a morning walk with O-towne and then playing in a hilarious four team flag football tournament to put us in the mood for the big game. It was really great a tonne of laughs and after a quick dip we went to watch the game on two projected screens with more incredible food then you could possibly imagine. My heart was with the osos in the game but i was happy to see Peyton and Dungy get one (class acts); if i had have bet it would have been on the ponies. Next year will be the Lions year…

Hard to believe Oliver is almost one, you are invited to his birthday (see invite here).

A busy weekend like that can sure you leave you exhausted:

2007-02-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

single parents everywhere, i look to you in complete awe...
How you can do it, i will never know? You are – simply stated – better then me. Karli spent the last four days celebrating her friend’s wedding in the British Virgin Islands. She had a, very well-deserved, blast. This gave Ollie and me a weekend solo, a long weekend at that (Monday was a holiday here in the D.R.); never to be one to spend a long weekend at home i bull headedly surged on, back to the beach – Cabarete. I figure getting the OPP around the best kiters in the world should help to get me some free gear when he turns pro (his first lesson on maintenance at right).

Of course it was worth it, morning sunrises, lounging by the pool even got a short session of kiting in, but "relaxing" it was not. Being “on” all the time with no one to pass off to was exhausting to say the least.

Saturday after my session we played a little disk golf and let a couple of his tias take care of him – this is what happens, beads and silk for el rey.

Sunday the wind teased but didn’t come through and Monday i spent the vast majority of the day trying to sort out our truck. Needless to say with a car battery and jumper cables in one hand and an eleven month old in the other we finally got it all to work out. Needless to say we were very happy to have Karli come back Monday night; happy that she had a great weekend, but far happier that she had returned to us.

(i have to be honest here i know this post is a little rough, I have been trying all week to get to it but just haven’t had the time – you will hear why in next week’s post)

This is the face that Oliver was making after three straight days with dad (no one blames him!):

2007-01-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

The other side of the sunrise...

A major impact that Oliver has had on my life is re-introducing me to the morning. There was a time – not too long ago – when the only way that i saw the morning was by not having made it to bed by the time the sun came up. Those days are gone, and sometimes i wonder how i ever survived them. Don’t get me wrong, they were fantastic and hilarious but things change. Mornings are full of smiles and laughs now and when they happen to come on a secret beach that you have all to yourself there really isn’t much to complain about.

This weekend was incredible; special in so many different ways. Of course the most difficult thing that Karli, Oliver and i deal with is living so far away from our family and friends. The upside to that is that you have a tendency to bond quickly and solidly to the people that you are with, creating intense and fast friendships. This is bittersweet because the nature of these friends is that too soon they (or you) will move on to new adventures in new places. This of course ensures a great network of tight friends spanning the globe – but it can also be hard. This is the time of year when teachers decide who will stay and who will go. Conversations are dominated with questions of the future or the sad realization that the friends you have seen daily for years will be on the other side of the world sooner then you wanted.
este es nuestra vida.
Live it, that’s all you can do – strive to get the most out of everyday with the people who are here now and worry about tomorrow when it is here. That’s what this weekend was about.

We were on the highway shortly after 3:00 and had swum in the ocean before a fish dinner on Friday. Hearing the waves crash while lying out on your porch is something i do more then many – but can you ever do it enough? Saturday we went and explored some river fed pools (see the video and turn up the volume so you don't miss the squeal!) that we had to ourselves before spending the afternoon between naps on the beach. The other guests had left leaving the hotel totally to us for Saturday night to play games relax and enjoy the good life before going up to a feast that made the huge dinner from the night before look like a snack. Fresh lobster, fish, sweet potatoes, salads, … the plates kept coming and coming – it was honestly too much! Sunday was more beach and pool time before loading up for the drive home. Ollie continues to amaze with what he will put up and we remain the luckiest people i know.

some explaining may be necessary for this one:

the ice cube was too slippery to pick up, so yogababy went to it.

2007-01-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

One step closer to becoming a Master of the Universe…

It was a long a difficult week but Karli finished yet another Masters class. Oliver and i got to spend a lot of time together solo which is always great; he is still hilarious walking (with very little assistance) and talking (in his own tongue) non-stop. He certainly keeps you moving but there is really nothing i would rather be doing.

We got back into routine well and i am constantly thankful for the lives that we are leading.

Friday was a great dinner hosted by incredible friends giving us time to catch up as to the highlights of an active festive season. Saturday was busy running errands watching a little bit of football – just having some guy time, before heading out for a hilarious birthday party. i realized while at the birthday party that once again i am surrounded by incredible people. Really positive and all hilarious, i don’t know how i have gotten so lucky in my life but with this new crew of teachers it seems the good times will keep on for awhile.
I coerced a couple of friends to watch Oliver for the afternoon Sunday so i could squeak out and get a little kiting session in. The wind was blowing harder then i have ever seen it (gusting up to thirty-five miles per hour) but the vast majority of the day was very sailable and it felt great to be back on the water. We are developing into a little crew out at Salinas, at first it was just us teachers (two) but now we can have six or eight easily. As far as flat water sailing goes there isn’t a better spot on the island and it is the only real option as a day trip from Santo Domingo. It was my first day on my new sail and she performed wonderfully, i would have liked something smaller but was amazed at the de-power. Most importantly Ollie was his happy and charming self for the sitters, leaving them as an option for future windy Sundays.

The month long health kick/detox is in full form and has been successful so far; in fact it has me re-impassioned with cooking and i have been inventing lots of new gems – which i am anxious to share. Come for a visit.

2007-01-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

mmvii

Seriously did you ever think we would make it here? i have to be honest; i had my doubts, but congratulations to us.

A three week long Christmas vacation is a real highlight to being a teacher and it afforded us the opportunity to celebrate Ollie’s first Christmas with both sides of our family; a real feat considering that they are more than 3500 kilometres apart. It was a wonderful break and although we would have loved more time to see all the people we missed and spend more time with our friends and family, i have to admit it was nice to return to our own bed.

Now that Santa guy is only supposed to deliver gifts to the nice kids not the naughty ones right? If that is true how come we left with two suitcases and came back with four?

What did we do for three weeks? Well i hope you are sitting down…I can’t give you a play by play cause neither of us have time for that. What i can say is that we enjoyed family, friends, sites and sounds in SanFran, Brantford, Toronto and even places as exotic as Coburg to their fullest. The list of people we need to thank for their hospitality, friendship or just company is incredible - we are so lucky to have such a wonderful group of friends and family that we get to see a couple times of year.

To the friends and family we didn’t get to see, for our part we are so sorry and we really hope to see you either here in the beautiful Dominican or the next time we are in your neck of the woods.

Whether we saw you or not look for me on the big screen in The Good Shepherd (wedding scene about 15 minutes from the end), it is my debut and the Oscar buzz is deafening!

As usual our camera was going crazy and i have put together a little slideshow (link here), but for now here is Olver with some guy you might recognize:

2006-12-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

'tis the season
With the opening days of december it is official, the Christmas season is upon us. Although here in the DR it starts a little earlier, with each day that passes in December i few more firecrackers go off, the lights in stores and homes are in full effect or in short: its beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Oliver's first. Amazingly there are already gifts under our ChristmasCactus.

This weekend was our staff Christmas party which was an increibly great time. Lots of eating, dancing, drinking and laughing. Some friends and i did a red carpet and interviewed people as they came in, the video footage is hysterical. Of course the greatest part of the party was getting some time to dance with Karli, who - as always - was the most beautiful one inthe room (this picture was taken by a friend wayne through the candle holder).
On an hour and a half of sleep i got up with the surfers and drove the three hours to Cabarete. They were chasing waves and i was planning to be ready on the beach when the wind came up. The wind came, it was late however and inconsistent. The little bit of sailing i did get in reaffirmed my desire to become a wave sailer however. Sometimes you have to show the dedication even when the conditions don't cooperate - or that is what i tell myself (and my wife - who is incredibly understanding). The short session did make the solo night bus ride home a long one.

The flu has torn through our house this week taking no prisoners.
Oliver has started smiling again though and continues to be a hilarious distraction. Lately he has been "trying on" different laughs, it is really something to see. If someone in the room is laughing he will start laughing, then he will stop and laugh again at a totally different pitch and with a different style. It is like his mother trying on clothes, stepping back looking at herself with the little face she makes then heading back to try on the next one. We our anxious to see which laugh he decides to go with, we'll keep you posted.

2006-11-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

It is amazing what can happen in a year! This has been without a doubt the greatest year of my life. I am confident that it will never ever be topped. It can all be accredited to one person.

Thank you so much.

Karli and i celebrated a year with another incredible meal at the hotel atlantis, they gave us a private gazebo on the beach and food that has my mouth watering just typing this.

To all of the American friends and family in my life: Happy Thanksgiving.

Karli, the OPP and i returned to Las Terrenas for a Carol Morgan traditional turkey feast. The rumor was that seventy-one people participated and the food and drinks were amazing. Of course it was followed by a thrilling sunset game of five-hundred in the ocean and then a bonfire with guitars and s’mores under the stars. Not too difficult to find something to be thankful for! video

The rest of the weekend was spent in full relaxation mode which was a little different then a year previous.

As seen in the photos the weather a year later…was perfect. i have to admit it was a little hard to swallow after the stress all the rain put us and our guests through a year earlier. We talked about it a lot, then at 5:45 on Saturday out of nowhere a storm blew in that would have killed our wedding – especially because no one could have seen it coming. We wouldn’t change anything.

Oliver liked having the beach to himself; He put himself on a steady diet of sand (literally by the handful) and absolutely loved it when i buried him (video). He has three new teeth coming in, including two on the top – it is really going to change his gummy baby smile.

I have had a year to mentally compose a better way to thank all of the people that helped make the twenty-sixth of november two-thousand and six so incredible – i am still at a loss for words. The friends and family that made it here will never fathom what your presence means to Karli and me. We returned to the Villa Marcus on Saturday night (Karli had to give me my ring – for the third time), just being there sent a wave of emotion over me unlike anything Playa Bonita has ever seen.

It is incredibly fitting that our anniversary will be forever linked to the giving of thanks.

Upon returning to the capital we all needed long baths to get all that sand out of our hair!