I think someone should know that I bought a box of cherry pop tarts and some chocolate twinkie-like things. I’m hiding them from Raines Wilder (he can have hummus and cheese if he wants a snack). I already ate one of the smushy brownie cakes and it gave me a nice high that I’m still enjoying as I type. No guilt involved, mind you, but it just seems like it’d be more fun to share these boxed goods with another person (and Aaron doesn’t get here until Sunday night). Oh yeah, did I mention that he’s coming on SUNDAY!? I am becoming more and more convinced that I’ve been sent through the transmogrifier at least twice now, which seems to explain this newer sensation of missing home and husband until it hurts all the way to my partially expanding lungs (7 months pregnant yo). Not that I didn’t miss him before (so much, Baby, always), but before Aaron and our good life (and wading through our muck, ahem) I wanted to go all the way around the world and to the sky and didn’t mind not knowing a single detail or if I’d even be coming back. One of my longest-running fancies had to do with me ending up somewhere and forgetting how to speak English. Anyway, I cannot wait to wrap my arms around my love when he gets here. And given that I’m such a mushpot these days, I’m sure I’ll end up being this sobbing pregnant lady with hoodlum-ragamuffin child in tow.

We went to the zoo again on Sunday and had an amazing time. Zoo highlights: When R said “hola” to the giant White Tiger, the cat backed up, turned around, and sprayed his machismo directly at us. I swooped my kid to the side and we barely escaped his “misting.” Guácala [gross]. And then this one crocodile stared at R for forever, imagining just exactly what he would taste like. And other good things.

By the way, we are SO happy this week. We moved into our new apartment here in North Mérida, where we each have our own room and bathroom (what!). Raines Wilder has designated one bed for Papá, one bed for me, and one of the giant closets for him. Okay. We are so grateful to Norma and Silvio (and pup-pup Lucas) for opening their home to us our first few weeks here. We were safe and had our own balcony from which to blow bubbles. So I got our stuffed moved across town to our new digs, and then found out that my most beautiful niece Aegis was born yesterday morning! Kathryn was able to have her at home and in water. I am ecstatically proud of her and cannot wait to meet her. Good, good day! Also, Raines entertained himself for about 2 hours by organizing and reorganizing all of the precious “toys” he’s accumulated since we got here. And I propped myself up on three pillows.

I need to tell you about my kid and the Mayans. Our first day in Mérida we went downtown with Norma and Silvio and walked through a museum. After passing through some interesting exhibits (our two favorite sculptures are the transformer bird made out of discarded motor parts and the bull’s head, made from discarded metal pieces), we went into a smaller room showing some works of Fernando Castro Pacheco. Raines Wilder was immediately drawn to the biggest mural on the wall, Las Tres Etapas Históricas del Pueblo Yucateco. The mural depicts three principal phases through which Mayans suffered after the Spanish arrived on the Yucatán. Each of the three images poetically conveys the truculence endured by the indigenous peoples on this peninsula during the Spanish conquest. Thousands upon thousands of Mayans were subjugated by steel-wielding, horse-mounted, disease-carrying proxies of colonialism. Oh, let me stop myself there or my face will start to hurt. Raines wants to know, to really understand why they are shooting arrows at this man; why their villages are on fire; why this man was killed by the pointy cactus. We sat in front of this painting and talked about what was happening a bit. We’ve since watched many videos and read many stories about the history of the Mayans. And I may have added a few of my own interpretations and opinions about these happenings. In fact, last night as he was melting from a symptom of childhood, he repeatedly told me that all he wanted was the story of the Mayans and Papá. We’ve been back to visit this mural again, and it ended up being the only thing we did in the city that day. The Mayans were warriors, too, by the way; Raines Wilder will tell you they weren’t the only ones to die. My small one sat in front of the painting for nearly half an hour. Maybe longer. He was thinking about how it made him feel and how he’d like a spear like that one in the painting. He wouldn’t shoot the Mayans, he said, but probably the conquistadores. Let’s see how his brain and heart mapping works out over these next few years. Ajit, I’ll need your help here too.

So yes, a good week so far and getting even better as we count down our days until Aaron gets here to love and help. Raines Wilder is in school again today and doing wonderfully with everyone there. His sugar intake is still astronomical and my energy levels are still sapped, but here we are in our third week in Mexico. I’m off to drink a cup of caffeine (and yes, I get asked if I’m sure I don’t want decaf every time I order a coffee). And no, I don’t want to drink pineapple juice on the beach all day either.

A lot to prove. Trying to crush a rock with his [rubber] Batman shoe. It’s okay, I said, you can try again later.

Instructing me on how I need to hold on while riding the bus.

Abrazos para Los Gorditos.

Considering colonialism

Blowing bubbles in the plaza, missing Colleen.

Mérida rooftops

Cueva

Norma’s mother, a few years ago.

Poor kid in his socks. He did this over and over and got so good at it.

Please come do this with me.

El Macho Macho Macho

Cocodrilo

SO happy to Skype with “Mom” and G-Pa! We love and miss you mucho.

29 semanas

About to move

Aegis MacIvor-Andersen, my beautiful niece

Wanting to clean our new, already super-clean apartment. Well, okay.

Se ha dicho que la revolución no necesita el arte, pero que el arte necesita la revolución. Eso no es cierto. La revolución sí necesita de un arte revolucionario.
–Diego Rivera