Family

A day at the Vallarta Zoo is a fun and uniquely Mexican experience. Nestled in the lush jungle of the "El Eden" area of Mismaloya, the Zoológico Vallarta is home to hundreds of species of birds, mammals and reptiles. The privately owned zoo, which receives no public subsidies or funding, offers visitors a high level of interaction with exotic animals in a beautiful setting.

Speaking of Mexican birthday traditions, let's hear it for the beloved piñata: so full with the promise of sweet indulgence, so vibrant and festive - what's not to love? A piñata is a party waiting to happen, and there is a piñata out there for every type of party - mild or wild, adult or child. The piñata has a globe-spanning history steeped in ritual and religious symbolism, but these days - along with beer and tequila of course - it is pretty much synonymous with the Mexican Fiesta, and is all about fun.

With so many amazing and beautiful women to celebrate, it's pretty awesome that we get two consecutive Mothers' Days this weekend, with the American holiday on Sunday the 9th and Mexican Mothers' Day on Monday the 10th.

Where I used to think of Mothers' Day purely as a time to celebrate and honor my own Mothers and Grandmothers, I now see it as that and so much more. Of course, being a Mother myself, it is a special holiday for me - a time to be pampered a bit sure, but also a time to reflect on the joys of being a mommy; the incredible love that I have for and receive from my son; the growth and change that comes with Motherhood.

Maximo and I recently returned from a vacation in good ol' Kentuckiana. We had a great visit with Grammie Karen (my mom), Papa Mark (my stepdad), and Uncle Zachy (my little bro), and Maximo got to meet a whole heap of family that he instantly charmed the pants off of.

Speaking of Sayuleros getting out there and making their visions a reality (not to mention the merits of market shopping, and supporting local business), Sayulita will soon have its own weekly Farmers' Market, thanks to the efforts of a group of local women. The Sayulita Farmers' Market, or Mercado del Pueblo, is scheduled to start on Friday, April 2, and will take place from 9 AM - 1 PM, on Calle Marlin, 1/2 block up from the beach. across from Budda Bar.

I'm pretty aware of how awesome our life is here in Sayulita, but if ever I forget how good I really have it, my dear friend KT is quick to remind me. Her latest musing centered what she calls our "pretend life," because it seems that when we get an idea about something we want to do, we just go out and do it, regardless of the standard requisite training that might otherwise be involved in the "real world." Write a column for the local paper? Why not!? Design and build a house? Sure. Be a guest-teacher at the local school? I can do that! Actually, Gabbi is doing that one, which is what started this discussion, as he just kicked off his 3-week tenure as a substitute art teacher at Costa Verde International School. (Go Sr. Gabbi! You are my hero!)

This is one of those weeks that make me really appreciate the other 51 weeks of my year. Not to say that this one is bad, just busy and full and demanding and challenging - surely all good things in the context of work and the culmination of a complex project that's been in planning for months. In my fleeting moments (and they are fleeting, so I will make this brief) of self-reflection, I find myself thinking of how weeks like this help to put life in perspective.

When you think about the criteria that define a "family town," proximity to a good school ranks pretty high. Back in the day when my man and I were just dreaming of moving to Sayulita, education was still a big unknown - but being carefree kid-free newlyweds, we figured we had some time before it was a real issue. Lucky for us, a group of parents was already hard at work establishing Costa Verde International School, Mexico's first sustainable, accredited independent school, right here in Sayulita.