Sayulita: Days 4-6

Day 4 might've been my favorite day of our Sayulita, Mexico vacation. We started the day bright and early with breakfast at our rented airbnb home, then headed into town by golf cart to meet a fishing guide we'd hired to take us out on the water that morning.

Fishing is an activity our whole family enjoys doing together. We typically fish in North American lakes and rivers; what an amazing opportunity to experience off-shore fishing in the ocean! Andi hired a local fishing captain named Regis to take our family fishing. I'd highly recommend him as he spoke fluent English which made it easy to communicate.

We started our fishing adventure by boating over to Punta Mita, a nearby resort town. The plan was to catch our bait, then return to waters somewhere between the two cities to fish. Our 20-minute boat ride to Punta Mita was a fast and bumpy one. Andi and I held on tight to Tory and Aden on our laps. Half-way there, Tory motioned her tummy was upset and I worried she'd be sea sick but thankfully she never was.

In Punta Mita, we trolled along near the marina. First mate, Pepe, threw out a large net and immediately pulled in thousands of sardines. In the net, he mistakenly caught a puffer fish to Tory's delight. She couldn't believe we saw a fish she remembered learning about in one of her favorite television shows, Wild Kratts.

After we'd collected enough sardines for bait, we motored out to a spot farther away from shore. The high-rolling waves rocked our boat from side to side, and this is the point where my tummy didn't feel so great. While Andi and Tory threw lines into the water, I sat with Aden on my lap and tried to keep my breakfast down. Ugh.

 

 

"The wifey doesn't fish?" Regis asked Andi.

Oh, no, the wife does, I wanted to say ... she's focusing on not throwing up!

Andi did the majority of fishing that morning, and caught a few trigger fish and red snappers. Each time Pepe caught a fish, he'd hand his rod to Tory and let her reel it in. Aden was more interested in scooping up sardines in the bait bucket. He wasn't afraid to hold onto Pepe's leg for stability when he needed it.

 

A few hours into our fishing adventure, Regis moved the boat to a different location (and calmer water!) and suddenly my stomach started feeling better. We traded another fishing boat some cold beers for squid cut into pieces, and continued to fish a bit longer. By now, it was about 1:00pm and the sun began to beat down on us. We decided to wrap up our fishing adventure and grab lunch in town before we had two hungry kids on our hands. 

  

For lunch, we stopped at Il Itacate for some of the best tacos in town. Andi ordered shrimp and arrachera tacos with fresh guacamole and salsas to share. The kids weren't as impressed, but Andi and I though the food was delicious.

After lunch, we headed back to our rented house and more specifically, back to the pool, where we spent the rest of the day. 

Chopina, the housekeeper, came by the house later that afternoon to prepare dinner for us. We asked her to grill the fresh red snapper we'd caught earlier that morning, but the grill ran out of propane. Chopina fried the whole fish instead, and when she presented it at the table for dinner I was sure the kids would be turned off to eating fish forever! Parenting is never short of surprises though, and Tory and Aden gobbled up two fish each. They loved it!

Most of our first visit to Sayulita was spent eating at various restaurants and exploring the city's beaches ... so this visit we felt more than comfortable hanging around our beautiful rented home to swim and relax the rest of our vacation.

Things I'll remember from this trip:

Our view from "Sayulita House" -

 

Whiskers The Cat, who will remain in the kids' hearts forever -

These two: so happy, easy-to-please (with ice cream) and always up for adventure -

The friendliness and charm of Sayulita -

The beaches -

and, the awesome time we spent together as a family -

Sayulita, Mexico: Day 3

Oh, man! I should've made more of an effort to write down the details of our vacation in Sayulita, Mexico last month. I've likely forgotten all the little gems of conversation by now, but recording what I do remember is important to me as time will only erase my memories further.

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Day 3 in Sayulita began the way most mornings did during our trip. Andi, Aden and I woke up with sun around 6:00am as sleepy-head Tory snoozed until around 9:00am. I completed my workout first thing to beat the afternoon heat while Andi and Aden laid in bed and watched a Stinky and Dirty cartoon on the iPad. We'd never seen that show before Andi streamed it on Amazon Prime during our trip, and it quickly became a favorite of Aden's.

Whiskers the Cat eventually made his way into the house as we got rolling for the day. The house cat ate his breakfast in the kitchen and then wandered the house to find Aden wherever he was. I'm not really a cat person so my experience with them is limited, but I was so surprised how affectionate this cat was toward Aden. Whiskers let Aden lay his head on his belly and seemed perfectly content to snuggle.

 
Andi made breakfast for all of us (eggs and a vegetable hash), and we sat outside and enjoyed the warm air. The house we rented for the week had a peaceful view of Sayulita and the rolling hills surrounding it.  One of our favorite features of this house was the huge sliding doors that opened the living room to the patio and pool. It made the house feel like an extension of the outdoors with warm, gentle breezes blowing through constantly.

Later when the housekeeper arrived, we learned the chickens on the property laid a half-dozen eggs every day. She brought us some for our breakfast the next day. I thought this was so neat! I'd love to have fresh eggs outside my doorstep every morning if someone else did the work of caring for the chickens.

After breakfast, we hopped in our golf cart to drive to the beach. The central part of Sayulita was a 10-minute golf cart ride from our rented house, and we all enjoyed the ride down there. A baby horsse not more than a week or two old was in the pasture on the way, so we stopped to watch it for a few minutes. Further down the dirt road, there were a herd of bulls sparring with one another.

Andi and I decided to take the kids to "secret beach" -- a beach we'd discovered during our last visit to Sayulita. We remembered this beach being secluded and much calmer water than the main beach in town. It was also the place Tory tried a coconut for the first time two year prior, and we hoped there would be a stand to buy one again.

This time, "secret beach" wasn't so secret. We approached the sand to find many groups of locals camped out under sun awnings and umbrellas. Andi heard prior to our trip that many Mexicans have vacation during Holy Week (Easter was two days prior) so that made sense. No worries though -- we found a spot on the sand and set up our beach blanket.

 

The four of us played in the sand and the ocean until we were hot and hungry. Most beach-goers around us made an entire day of it by packing picnic lunches, coolers, music, and even bringing potty chairs for kids. We opted for more of a "play and go" style.

After the beach, we cruised into Sayulita's town center for popsicles. Andi promised the kids "ice cream everyday!" during vacation, so we had to make good on his promise. We all decided to try a different flavor than the day before -- Aden and Tory picked "nilla" (vanilla), Andi chose cookies and cream and I got strawberry sorbet. They melted faster than we could eat them in the warm Mexican sun.

  
When we returned to our Sayulita house, Chopina (the housekeeper) was making dinner in the kitchen. We hired her to cook for us several of the nights we visited for something different. Of course we could've cooked our own dinner (and we did several evenings), but it's fun to have a local cook something more authentic. On this night, Chopina made fried chicken, tons of fresh salsas and guacamole, beans and mixed veggies. In hindsight, we probably should have specified more "healthy" options but I have to admit, her fried chicken was really good.

And, who can beat that view! Dining out with kids (our kids, at least) is stressful and not enjoyable. This is a much better way for our family to eat on vacation.

We wrapped up dinner just as the sun began to set on the day. Tory, Aden, Andi and I scurried up to the rooftop patio to watch the sun go down. Tory made a wish as it dropped past the horizon, and it was a "pinch me I'm in paradise" moment of happiness.

More to come of our time in Sayulita ...

Sayulita, Mexico: Day 2

Our family spent Easter at our Wisconsin lake cabin last year, and it was cold and dreary. This year, we woke up to warm sunshine in Sayulita, Mexico. Andi, Tory, Aden and I celebrated our holiday a few weeks ago since we planned to be here on Easter Day, so our Sunday started as it normally would on vacation.

I thought I might be a little sad my kids weren't experiencing the typical Easter morning traditions I grew up with as a child, but honestly I wasn't. Holidays don't have to fit in a box; they can be whatever you want them to be. What's important to me is my kids are loved, our family is together and they know the meaning of the holiday which we discussed for many weeks before our trip.

On Sunday Andi, Aden and I woke up around 6:00am, and enjoyed a slow start to our morning. We watched the sun rise from our vantage point high on the Sayulita hillside, and began to familarize ourselves with our surroundings. It was dark when we'd arrived at our rented house the night before, so the three of us had fun exploring its various rooms and the gated property. It's a three-bedroom, five-bathroom house with a kitchen, private pool area, and rooftop patio. There's also a housekeeper on staff as well as a gardener, a coop of chickens and a resident cat named Dibo. Actually, we didn't know about the cat until it jumped through an open window and waltzed its way into the pantry to its food bowls. Aden and Tory affectionately named it Whiskers, but the housekeeper later told us its name is Dibo.

Andi took Aden for a walk down the drive-way while I practiced yoga with a spectacular view. You can take the boy away from cabin life, but you can't take cabin life away from the boy; Aden spotted a quad on the property and had to hop on for himself.

Then, Andi made the three of us breakfast -- eggs with chorizo and asparagus -- and we sat outside on the deck and enjoyed the peacefulness of the morning. In the distance, we heard roosters cock-a-doodle-dooing and the faint sound of music from town proper. Tory woke up around 9:00am and enjoyed her fruit and toast poolside.

 

 

We swam in the pool for the rest of the morning. How wonderful to have this whole place to ourselves!

Andi grilled shrimp and artichokes for lunch, and then we were itching to check out town. We decided to take the golf cart in for a ride, not sure what would be open on a holiday. To our surprise, Sayulita was bustling with people. Every restaurant was open, every shop. The beaches were packed with locals and tourists alike. Andi and I were surprised by how much was the same since we our visit two years prior, and also noticed a few new businesses here and there. We stopped by our favorite popsicle stand, Wakika Heladeria - for a cool treat before heading back to our paradise spot on the hill.

Back at the house, the kids and I FaceTime'd my parents to wish them a happy Easter holiday, and talked with my dad and nieces for a bit. Isn't technology amazing allowing loved ones to communicate long distance?

The kids swam in the pool until around 7:00pm, and then Andi grilled chicken and veggies for our family's Easter dinner. Together, we watched the sun set from our private rooftop patio on our first full day in Sayulita.

Yep, life is pretty wonderful.  

Sayulitia, Mexico: Day 1

Hola from Sayulita!

Andi, Tory, Aden and I boarded a plane to Puerto Vallarta on Saturday afternoon for a week-long vacation in one of our favorite places - Sayulita, Mexico. Our family traveled to Sayulita once before in 2015 and fell in love with this quaint and vibrant town. When Andi came across direct flights to PV for just under $250 each, we jumped at the opportunity to come back again.

Traveling to the same place twice isn't typically our style, but Sayulita holds a special fondness in our hearts. Plus, we're vacationing in a different way this time around: Andi rented a beautiful house in the hills for our family so we have our own private living space and pool. It's a "pinch me, I'm in paradise" kind of place with sweeping views of Sayulita and the ocean in the distance.

No trip is without a few hiccups along the way, of course. Our flight was delayed Saturday morning, so Andi, Tory, Aden and I went out for breakfast near Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. We returned home with plenty of time to organize our things and Uber'd a ride to the airport when it was finally time to leave for our trip. As the four of us piled out of the car in the airport drop-off zone, Andi realized we'd left our carry-on bag -- the bag carrying all our electronics, camera, and the kids' special lovies -- back at home. With exactly one hour until our plane departed Minneapolis, Andi high-tailed it back to our condo to grab the bag while the kids and I checked in for our flight and waited at the gate. Big kudos to Sun Country Airlines who agreed to hold the plane for Andi until he made it back safely. Terminal 2 at the airport was pretty slow that day, and fortunately Andi made it to our departing gate with five minutes to spare. Phew!

The rest of our flight was fairly uneventful. The airplane was more than half-empty, so we were able to spread out in our seats. A very grumpy Aden fell asleep on my lap for a good portion of the four-hour flight which helped turn his behavior around immensely. When we arrived in Puerto Vallarta a few hours later, we were ready to roll.

 

Sayulita is located 45 minutes north of PV on the Pacific coast, so Andi arranged for a suburban taxi service to pick us up at the airport and drive us to our rented home in Sayulita. First, we asked the driver to stop at the Mega so we could buy a few groceries to get us through the next two days. The following day (Sunday) was Easter and we expected most of the shops and restaurants in Sayulita to be closed for the holiday.

Stocking up on groceries at the start of vacation is one of my least favorite activities. It's a necessary chore, but the last thing I feel like doing after a long day of travel. At the Mega, we purchased chicken, shrimp, asparagus, broccoli, artichokes, bell peppers, avocados, cereal, bread, tortilla, eggs and bottled water. There were many other fruits and vegetables Tory was particularly curious about, but it was missed opportunity for education since we were pressed for time.

We rented a golf cart as our main method of transportation for the week, so the transport driver dropped Andi off at the golf cart rental shop to pick up our ride when we arrived into town. The kids and I continued onward into the hills of Sayulita with the driver while Andi putzed behind in the golf cart. The streets of Sayulita were packed with people and navigating through town was extremely difficult. The Easter holiday is one of the busiest weeks of the year we'd heard prior to our trip.

Our rented house in the hills was a quiet reprieve from all that. Night had fallen by this point so it was difficult to take in our surroundings, but the house itself was beautiful. We'd purchased the kids some chicken nuggets and home-style fries to eat on the drive to Sayulita, but Andi hadn't eaten much since breakfast in Minneapolis. We were starved, so Andi made us each a quesadilla with chicken, peppers and cheese for a late dinner. We lounged on chairs, poolside, and ate our dinner while Tory and Aden swim underneath the stars. What a perfect ending to our first night of vacation. 

Letters to Aden: 3 1/2 Years

Aden,

You are 3 years and 4 months old now, and a non-stop wrecking ball of little boy energy. We always say, "there's no one else in this world quite like you," and it's true. You are full of interest in the world around you and determined to live life on your own terms.

For the most part, you are a happy, easy going child. Not much upsets you when it comes to sharing toys with other kids, what to wear everyday, or what you eat for meals (okay, sometimes you do have an opinion about food). Try to get you to do something that wasn't your idea in the first place though and whoo-boy, good luck! "I do it myself" is a phrase we hear quite often from you, though you aren't afraid to shout, "a little help here!" when you need it. The irrationalness of toddlerhood is still in full effect at Age 3 1/2. Just the other day, you threw a giant tantrum because you wanted to push the elevator button at preschool which - as I reminded you repeatedly - you did. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why you were crying.

Outbursts like that one aren't very common for you though. You're typically happy when you're along for the ride, and always up for an adventure. You remind me of Curious George by the way you turn an everyday trip to the grocery store into a five-alarm event. There was the time you soiled yourself in poop from bum to boots while sitting in the grocery cart, or the time you were lost in Target and an employee had to radio for assistance. I carry you everywhere, despite your very capable ability to walk, because you find running in busy parking lots to be a exhilerating experience.

 
See what I mean when I say life with you is full of surprises? Here's what else is new with you:

GROWTH
You weigh 32 pounds and are 37 inches tall which is average, if not a bit on the smaller side, for your age. You wear size 3T clothing and size 9 shoes. Lately you seem to be shooting up in length, even if your clothing size doesn't yet indicate a change. I snapped this picture of the two of us together in a bathroom mirror last week, and I couldn't believe how big you looked in my arms. No longer my baby; you're growing up Aden Boy!

SLEEP
We took the pacifier away around your third birthday (which you were totally fine ditching, by the way) and with that, you decided to drop your afternoon nap. The absence of the pacifier didn't cause an interruption in your bedtime routine - thankfully you still went to sleep at night without issue - but you were over laying down during the day without it. Not that you seemed upset about it; you'd just stay awake in your room and bang on the door until we let you come out. So, rest in peace afternoon quiet time. It was fun while it lasted.

The upside of dropping your afternoon nap is that we're not as limited by a time schedule during the day. This allows the three of us (you, Tory and I) to go to playground after Tory's morning preschool class ends or run errands in the afternoon. You're also ready for bed when 7:00pm rolls around often saying, "Phew, I'm tired. I want to go to bed now." And, you do. You lay down and go to sleep almost every night without issue.

MILESTONES
There's been some big milestones in your development the last few months, Aden. You're now potty trained which is a big accomplishment. For months, you showed zero interest in using the toilet and I didn't push you toward it. Knowing you and your temperament, I figured it would have to be your decision. Tory and I went away for a girl's trip one weekend in late February and when I returned home that Monday, you said you were ready to go potty like a big boy. Wahoo! I'm not sure what Daddy said to you (other than "boys stand up" which you've recited more than once). Just like that, you went from wearing diapers to being fully potty trained day and night. Easy peasy.

Since we took away the pacifier, you've become more conversational. Some of my favorite things you say are, "Will you come check me up?" (aka: will you come back and check on me?) when I put you to bed at night and "shake it off, Tory" when she's whining about something or another. You have a bit of trouble communicating sometimes, often hanging on the vowel sound in a word. As an example, you might say "Can I have a tree-ee-et?" I consulted an early childhood specialist within the school district about it, and she assured me it's part of a child's development at this age. Soon, your language skills will be able to keep up with your quick-moving brain and all should work itself out in the end.

FAVORITES
You'll all about 'things that go' in this stage of life. A cabin friend of ours owns a big John Deere tractor which you love, and you request to go there to ride in it nearly every weekend. You also love driving our Ranger UTV and Sportsman ATV at the cabin with Dad. Last fall, one of our cabin neighbors gave us their old Power Wheel tractor and it's by far your favorite toy on the planet. You'll ride circles around the cabin for hours on the weekends. The battery dies eventually, you cry, we charge it up, and then you do it all over again. 

You also love riding your tricycle outside and playing in the dirt. I'm excited for summer because I know you'll have a blast fishing at the lake.

THINGS TO DO
Once a week, you attend a preschool class through the state's Early Childhood Family Education program. At the beginning of the school year, you weren't a big fan of separating from me at the mid-point of class, but now it's a non-issue. You're a natural leader among classmates and fairly outgoing. Week after week at school, you either play at the water table or roll toy cars up and down a wooden ramp. You'll happily play side-by-side friends in your class or do these activities alone.

You're also taking swimming lessons this spring in preparation for summer at the lake. For some reason, you want nothing to do with lessons this time around. You're not afraid of the water or the instructor; it's like you're bored after swimming for the first 10 minutes. Time and time again this spring, you hop out of the pool halfway through the lesson and say, "I all done" in a matter-of-fact tone. Sigh. As I mentioned before, you rarely do anything unless you want to. So ... we'll keep working on it.

FOOD
Not much is new with you in this category. You continue to be my meat and veggies eater, and I have to remind myself over and again that you don't like the same "kid food" as Tory. You prefer beef, pork, chicken or fish and a side of broccoli, asparagus or green beans over PB+J any day. In fact, you still refuse to eat any bread at all. Pancakes or waffles are hit or miss with you.

Also different than Tory, you prefer to wake up a bit before you eat breakfast. I'm accustomed to Tory who demands food the minute she wakes, and I've learned you're far more likely to eat a substantial meal if I wait until you're truly hungry mid-morning.

Your mild allergy to dairy products continues. Milk or butter used in baked goods doesn't seem to bother you, but eating ice cream (which you love!) induces an almost-immediate skin irritation in the creases of your arms and legs. It's an eczema-type rash, so nothing life threatening, but irritating nonetheless.

One food you're obsessed with is Doritos. I don't usually buy chips, so every time you go to Daddy's office or to Nana and Papa's house you bee-line for the snack drawer. Nana even sent some in your Easter basket this year because she knows how much you love them. Not the healthiest by any means, but I suppose we all have our guilty pleasure.

PLAYMATES, FRIENDS + FAMILY
Tory remains your very best friend; the two of you are glued to the hip! For the most part, you play together so well and it's adorable listening to your conversations and imaginary play the older you both grow. Recently, I have noticed a bit more squabling between the two of you and usually, my boy, you are the one picking on Tory. You take something away that she had first; then, she screams and you squeal in delight. I'm not sure how you'll react when Tory's in kindergarten full-time this fall. It's safe to say, you'll miss her greatly.

Your best friend outside our family is Elia, the son of a friend of mine. When it's just you and Elia, the two of you play well together. When Tory's around, Elia tends to play with her more and you'll happily go off to play on your own. Actually, that's exactly what happens with Dominic - the little boy who lives in our condo building. You and Dominic will be in the same preschool class this fall, so I curious to see how your friendship develops over time.

You also have an adoration for your cousin, Brooke (or Brooklie, as you call her). We only see our Nebraska relatives a few times a year, but you seem to pick up where you left off every single time.

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Life with you is always an adventure, Aden, and I wouldn't have it any other way. All the wild and crazy moments are forgiven when you wrap your arms around my neck and give me one of your fabulous "neck hugs." My baby boy you'll always be.

XO,
Mom