Well yes, there is more to share on the subject of traveling with your family. Now that we're back, I see how we could have done certain things better - and as these elements reveal themselves along the weeks following our return, I will take the time to write about them.
Schooling... a very big undertaking. Yes, your kids will have the experience of a lifetime - but they will eventually get back to their classroom and be expected to tango along. It is absolutely possible to keep-up with the program and teach or further explore certain concepts, especially with today's technology. With the kind cooperation of Leo's teacher and his tutor, I was receiving his homework every week, printing it on the small portable printer I had purchased for that purpose (HP DeskJet), and once he had completed it I would take a photo of each page with my iPhone, and email them back to his teacher. We also had a few tutoring sessions via Skype, and in general communication was not a problem. It does take time to prepare additional projects to add to the homework, making it fun and stimulating, but that's not really the biggest challenge either - at least not for us.
The biggest challenge is for the kids - when they return to school. It is impossible to replicate the pace and the social spectrum of the school environment. Although we did talk about it with the kids, trying to prepare them, the change of pace is exhausting for the first couple of weeks. It's true for everyone in the family of course, but in our case - because we are both self-employed and have some flexibility in our time management - it's the kids who had the most drastic and rapid change of life style. We landed in Toronto at 9:30pm on Sunday, and they were at school at 8:15am on Monday. Sure, they were excited and happy to see their friends - but it's important to let the dust fall and expect some repercussion within the first three weeks.
So schooling your kids is an amazing experience, and I do think that everyone should try it to some extent at least once. But make sure that the re-integration is part of the plan. Tighten the communication with the teacher a couple of weeks prior to your child's return, and follow-up during the first couple of weeks. You should schedule a meeting sometime during the second week to take the teacher's feedback. That being said, be careful to not overwhelm the teacher by requesting time-consuming tasks (that could spoil the situation...). You should ask how he/she prefers to communicate, and be open to adapt to that choice.
Dylan is in Grade 6 and had no problems with the change. Leo is in Grade 3, a loaded year for any student, and we are helping him in picking-up the pace. Weekly tutoring for homework and general overview, weekly math sessions with aunty Heather (who was once a math teacher), and scheduling play dates with his school friends on a regular basis. And we will keep it going until things start to flow more smoothly.
Two weeks since we returned home, and the dust keeps falling!
Somewhere between Izamal and Sudzal, Yucatan.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Home Swee... caugh caugh caugh!!!
Work work work. Back in the swirl of my Toronto life, and I mean right into it!
I vaguely remember that only 3 or 4 weeks ago, I was imagining myself painting the house and making it all so nice, with all the time in the world while the kids are at school. Almost like a perfect DIY home improvement episode, Debbie Travis meets Martha Stewart in my living room - and it's all done by the time the kids come home from school, welcoming them with a plate of hot cookies. Hey... Pop that bubble already!
The reality is that I hit the ground running, making sure that the kids have warm clothes and a decent lunch and dinner every day, trying to run the businesses while looking for my darn winter boots - which I suspect are in the garage together with the raccoons, and a whole bunch of things that should be back in the house by now. Caught a cold and getting by with a Tylenol buzz, these things really dry out the mucus out of one's head! To make things more interesting, I have no idea where my other winter pants may be so I have been wearing the same darn pants for over 10 days!!!! Thank God they are charcoal grey... and I do have many nice tops to draw the attention upward. But of course, everyone else in the house have what they need. Oh Big big sigh.
I am trying to find it in me to embrace this homecoming with serenity and satisfaction, but I think it's too soon. I have to roll up my sleeves and do the work, settle things one room at the time, not think too much, and try to find a moment to wash my pants.
I vaguely remember that only 3 or 4 weeks ago, I was imagining myself painting the house and making it all so nice, with all the time in the world while the kids are at school. Almost like a perfect DIY home improvement episode, Debbie Travis meets Martha Stewart in my living room - and it's all done by the time the kids come home from school, welcoming them with a plate of hot cookies. Hey... Pop that bubble already!
The reality is that I hit the ground running, making sure that the kids have warm clothes and a decent lunch and dinner every day, trying to run the businesses while looking for my darn winter boots - which I suspect are in the garage together with the raccoons, and a whole bunch of things that should be back in the house by now. Caught a cold and getting by with a Tylenol buzz, these things really dry out the mucus out of one's head! To make things more interesting, I have no idea where my other winter pants may be so I have been wearing the same darn pants for over 10 days!!!! Thank God they are charcoal grey... and I do have many nice tops to draw the attention upward. But of course, everyone else in the house have what they need. Oh Big big sigh.
I am trying to find it in me to embrace this homecoming with serenity and satisfaction, but I think it's too soon. I have to roll up my sleeves and do the work, settle things one room at the time, not think too much, and try to find a moment to wash my pants.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Math of the Aftermath - with a little cake!
Crunching numbers... and it looks like despite the business hurdles I have encountered in the past few weeks, the financial plan is still afloat without having to make drastic adjustments (ouf!). So I keep moving forward with a strong focus on the next school year, and soon I will be posting to hire two new teachers for Le Petit Atelier, and possibly one piano teacher for The Little Workshop. It will be a very busy fall and winter, and if all goes well I will be teaching in Mexico again in the spring of 2012. Next trip will be solo and yes... shorter. Very much looking forward to it : )
We came back almost two weeks ago, and I am still organizing our home - pulling out boxes of household items and business material. I also realised that the printer I gave to a friend in Mexico had a cable that belongs to my good printer here... so I will have to replace it - one of the many little errands on my endless 'to do' list. The first week back was good, but now that the routine is kicking in again I must say that I find it difficult to adjust. I'm not too sure what it is... maybe I'm not completely back yet, or maybe I discovered the hard core hippy in me, or maybe I'm asking too many questions!
The boys seem to be well adjusted to the Toronto life, although Leo caught a bad cold and was sick for the past few days. Dylan is doing good, as if he never left, and he seems to be doing well with his school work. Dylan grew quite a bit, he is taller than me now! Leo is getting weekly tutoring sessions at home, just as we did before our departure. His tutor is a G3 teacher at his school, and this is an ideal situation to provide Leo with the adequate extra help he needs. Leo knows that he has to work hard, and he is not so motivated unfortunately. As far as school is concerned, it will be a difficult road until June. At some levels Leo has matured very nicely, but school is still not his thing.
And with the homecoming, comes the home cooking. It's good to be in my own kitchen! Back to planning and making school lunches and home dinners - but with a new energy. Still on with the honey series, here is one very nice discovery - perfect for pot-lucks or brunch. Enjoy!
HONEY GINGER CAKE
1/2 cup melted butteR
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tsp grated lemon peel (I used orange peel, very nice too!)
4tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Blend sugar and honey into butter, add yogurt, eggs, lemon peel and ginger - Mix well
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Fold liquid ingredients into dry mixture.
Pour into greased 9" pan (a 'tube pan' - as for angel cakes - might actually be best since the centre of my cake was uncooked), bake 30-35 minutes
Cool and remove from pan - Dribble with Honey (optional) and serve.
We came back almost two weeks ago, and I am still organizing our home - pulling out boxes of household items and business material. I also realised that the printer I gave to a friend in Mexico had a cable that belongs to my good printer here... so I will have to replace it - one of the many little errands on my endless 'to do' list. The first week back was good, but now that the routine is kicking in again I must say that I find it difficult to adjust. I'm not too sure what it is... maybe I'm not completely back yet, or maybe I discovered the hard core hippy in me, or maybe I'm asking too many questions!
The boys seem to be well adjusted to the Toronto life, although Leo caught a bad cold and was sick for the past few days. Dylan is doing good, as if he never left, and he seems to be doing well with his school work. Dylan grew quite a bit, he is taller than me now! Leo is getting weekly tutoring sessions at home, just as we did before our departure. His tutor is a G3 teacher at his school, and this is an ideal situation to provide Leo with the adequate extra help he needs. Leo knows that he has to work hard, and he is not so motivated unfortunately. As far as school is concerned, it will be a difficult road until June. At some levels Leo has matured very nicely, but school is still not his thing.
And with the homecoming, comes the home cooking. It's good to be in my own kitchen! Back to planning and making school lunches and home dinners - but with a new energy. Still on with the honey series, here is one very nice discovery - perfect for pot-lucks or brunch. Enjoy!
HONEY GINGER CAKE
1/2 cup melted butteR
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tsp grated lemon peel (I used orange peel, very nice too!)
4tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Blend sugar and honey into butter, add yogurt, eggs, lemon peel and ginger - Mix well
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Fold liquid ingredients into dry mixture.
Pour into greased 9" pan (a 'tube pan' - as for angel cakes - might actually be best since the centre of my cake was uncooked), bake 30-35 minutes
Cool and remove from pan - Dribble with Honey (optional) and serve.
Honey Granola Bars... to ease the pain!
Okay, the doodoo hits the fan. While I was away one of my teachers fell ill, and I had to credit a few classes to my clients. I am actually replacing her until further notice, which is fine since it gives me a chance to recoup some of the losses. This means that until the end of March, I work for... not much. But it's part of the entrepreneur's package, and I don't see this as a big problem.
But... I hit another hurdle today, and had to cancel an after school series. The TDSB requires proof of insurance, which I arranged remotely from Mexico in mid-January. A certificate was issued and sent to the TDSB permit department, but unfortunately the school received the green light about 24 hours too late (@%&#!!!!) and the registration forms were not distributed on time for the set deadline (which had already been postponed). This is the second time that this happens to me - same pattern - and same loss of revenue (ouch!). So... I decided to work with the system (kind'a slow), and postpone all TDSB series to September 2011. This will allow for all permits to be issued well ahead of time, and for the entire school year. Furthermore, I can add other TDSB schools to this program - and maximise my insurance coverage. Good! Done!
How to cope with unforeseen troubles? Ahhh... sweets. I still found the time to try the following Honey Granola Bars, and they are delicious! I must say that I listen to the little devil on my left shoulder and added chocolate chips... hi hi! So here it is, feel free to change some ingredients (cranberries instead of raisins, or half and half, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead of chopped almonds, etc.).
HONEY GRANOLA BARS
1 cup granola
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup raisins1/3 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
-In a large bowl combine granola, oats, flour, coconut, almonds, raisins or chocolate pieces, wheat germ, and brown sugar.
-In a small bowl combine the egg, honey, butter or margarine, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients. Stir together until all ingredients are moistened.
-Spread evenly in a greased 12 x 7 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until light brown on the edges.
-Cool completely in the pan (I always set the pan on a cooling rack). Cut into squares or bars. Makes about 24.
ENJOY! Next : Honey Ginger Cake. Yum!
But... I hit another hurdle today, and had to cancel an after school series. The TDSB requires proof of insurance, which I arranged remotely from Mexico in mid-January. A certificate was issued and sent to the TDSB permit department, but unfortunately the school received the green light about 24 hours too late (@%&#!!!!) and the registration forms were not distributed on time for the set deadline (which had already been postponed). This is the second time that this happens to me - same pattern - and same loss of revenue (ouch!). So... I decided to work with the system (kind'a slow), and postpone all TDSB series to September 2011. This will allow for all permits to be issued well ahead of time, and for the entire school year. Furthermore, I can add other TDSB schools to this program - and maximise my insurance coverage. Good! Done!
How to cope with unforeseen troubles? Ahhh... sweets. I still found the time to try the following Honey Granola Bars, and they are delicious! I must say that I listen to the little devil on my left shoulder and added chocolate chips... hi hi! So here it is, feel free to change some ingredients (cranberries instead of raisins, or half and half, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead of chopped almonds, etc.).
HONEY GRANOLA BARS
1 cup granola
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup raisins1/3 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
-In a large bowl combine granola, oats, flour, coconut, almonds, raisins or chocolate pieces, wheat germ, and brown sugar.
-In a small bowl combine the egg, honey, butter or margarine, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients. Stir together until all ingredients are moistened.
-Spread evenly in a greased 12 x 7 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until light brown on the edges.
-Cool completely in the pan (I always set the pan on a cooling rack). Cut into squares or bars. Makes about 24.
ENJOY! Next : Honey Ginger Cake. Yum!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Apple and Honey Muffins
I tried this last week in my search for good ways to use my beautiful Mexican farm honey, a gift from a friend on the last day of our big three month Mexican adventure. These muffins are made with healthy ingredients, they are chewy and moist, very tasty, and the kids love them - a winning combination! Here it the recipe, enjoy!
Apple and Honey Muffins
1/2 cup of margarine
1/2 cup of honey
1 cup of finely chopped apples
2 eggs
Vanilla to taste
1 cup of plain yogurt
2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
cinnamon to taste
Preheat the oven to 380F. Mix the Margarine with the honey, add the eggs and vanilla, and add the chopped apples. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon - and gently fold the honey-egg mixture into the flour mixture. Pour into a prepared muffin pan, and bake for 22 minutes.
Note that I added some blueberries in the second batch I made, and it was great.
Next - Honey Granola bars... hope it's not too sticky!
Apple and Honey Muffins
1/2 cup of margarine
1/2 cup of honey
1 cup of finely chopped apples
2 eggs
Vanilla to taste
1 cup of plain yogurt
2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
cinnamon to taste
Preheat the oven to 380F. Mix the Margarine with the honey, add the eggs and vanilla, and add the chopped apples. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon - and gently fold the honey-egg mixture into the flour mixture. Pour into a prepared muffin pan, and bake for 22 minutes.
Note that I added some blueberries in the second batch I made, and it was great.
Next - Honey Granola bars... hope it's not too sticky!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Tips for Traveling families - Accommodations
Before I get going with the tips, I must say that I really enjoyed writing while I was away - and now I don't really want to stop... One of my favorite part of the blog was to share recipes. Who's kidding who... food is a delight to explore!
Among the souvenirs I stuffed in my luggage, I have a big bottle of honey which is very special to me, because it was a present from a great new friend. I started to look for good 'honey' recipes the day after our return, and I started to experiment. So. dear followers, I would love to stretch the pleasure and share more culinary discoveries as I get to use my little treasures... like the honey, achiote paste and vanilla that I brought back. I will also be looking for the right ingredients for my Mexican concoctions, and share my findings. More recipes coming soon! But for now, here are some tips planning a family trip in the Yucatan Peninsula :
Accommodations is one of my favorite part when planning a trip. I have tried a wide range of lodging types throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, from camping, to luxurious villa, and everything in between. Depending of the length of your stay, I would recommend that you try different types accommodations within your comfort level.
You will find a very wide selection vacation homes online, and for vacation houses here are some good and reliable sites to browse through : kab-yucatan.com (highly recommended), VRBO.com and VacationRental.com are also pretty good. You should also take a look at the accommodation section of the Yucatan Today web site - yucatantoday.com. Note that Yucatan Today is an excellent source of information when planning your trip, and the printed monthly magazine is available for free throughout the state, and contains all the maps you need to get inside and out of the beaten path.
For pricing - The longer your stay, the better the daily rate. Watch for seasonal tendencies too, rates before Christmas or after Easter are lower - and in between these two Holidays is the high season. When looking for a rental home, you should check the special amenities like bikes, snorkeling equipment, or kayaks, and WiFi and parking, which are often included in the deal. As for air conditioning, it is unlikely that you will need it from December to February inclusively, when nights are nice and cool.
Things you should know: Electricity and water are precious resources which are tightly managed. Hot water is usually available only in the shower, and not in the kitchen. The power lines are subject to surges, so it is recommended to bring a small power bar to prevent damages to your electronic devices. Purified water is usually available in big water cooler dispensers, or bottled water is supplied in hotel rooms. Also, pretty much everywhere in the Yucatan Peninsula, you do not put toilet paper in the toilet.... no - not even for number two. It all goes to the garbage bin.
Starting in April, it gets increasingly hot until August inclusively, and temperatures often reach 40 celcius at the peak of the hot season. If you can handle the heat, it's the best time to observe pink flamingos (Gulf coast hosts the biggest population in the Americas), sea turtles come to lay their eggs on beaches all over the peninsula (Caribbean and Gulf coast), and it's also the season to swim with the biggest fish on earth : the gentle whale shark (around El Cuyo and Holbox Island)
Camping is also possible, and good destinations are Holbox Island, and the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve near Tulum. I have not seen camp grounds along the Gulf coast, but modest and clean hotel rooms are easy to find if you are on a budget.
Finally, if you are looking for exquisite snorkeling and scuba diving, go to the Costa Maya (Majahual and Xcalak). If you are looking for amazing beaches, the so called Riviera Maya is great (try Tulum). If you are looking for interesting colonial architecture and archeological sites, go to the state of Yucatan - which also has beautiful beaches on the Gulf coast, very laid back and tranquil.
Okay... it seems that this concludes this post - Moving on to the food - and the occasional update on the aftermath of leaving town for 3 months : )
Among the souvenirs I stuffed in my luggage, I have a big bottle of honey which is very special to me, because it was a present from a great new friend. I started to look for good 'honey' recipes the day after our return, and I started to experiment. So. dear followers, I would love to stretch the pleasure and share more culinary discoveries as I get to use my little treasures... like the honey, achiote paste and vanilla that I brought back. I will also be looking for the right ingredients for my Mexican concoctions, and share my findings. More recipes coming soon! But for now, here are some tips planning a family trip in the Yucatan Peninsula :
Accommodations is one of my favorite part when planning a trip. I have tried a wide range of lodging types throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, from camping, to luxurious villa, and everything in between. Depending of the length of your stay, I would recommend that you try different types accommodations within your comfort level.
You will find a very wide selection vacation homes online, and for vacation houses here are some good and reliable sites to browse through : kab-yucatan.com (highly recommended), VRBO.com and VacationRental.com are also pretty good. You should also take a look at the accommodation section of the Yucatan Today web site - yucatantoday.com. Note that Yucatan Today is an excellent source of information when planning your trip, and the printed monthly magazine is available for free throughout the state, and contains all the maps you need to get inside and out of the beaten path.
For pricing - The longer your stay, the better the daily rate. Watch for seasonal tendencies too, rates before Christmas or after Easter are lower - and in between these two Holidays is the high season. When looking for a rental home, you should check the special amenities like bikes, snorkeling equipment, or kayaks, and WiFi and parking, which are often included in the deal. As for air conditioning, it is unlikely that you will need it from December to February inclusively, when nights are nice and cool.
Things you should know: Electricity and water are precious resources which are tightly managed. Hot water is usually available only in the shower, and not in the kitchen. The power lines are subject to surges, so it is recommended to bring a small power bar to prevent damages to your electronic devices. Purified water is usually available in big water cooler dispensers, or bottled water is supplied in hotel rooms. Also, pretty much everywhere in the Yucatan Peninsula, you do not put toilet paper in the toilet.... no - not even for number two. It all goes to the garbage bin.
Starting in April, it gets increasingly hot until August inclusively, and temperatures often reach 40 celcius at the peak of the hot season. If you can handle the heat, it's the best time to observe pink flamingos (Gulf coast hosts the biggest population in the Americas), sea turtles come to lay their eggs on beaches all over the peninsula (Caribbean and Gulf coast), and it's also the season to swim with the biggest fish on earth : the gentle whale shark (around El Cuyo and Holbox Island)
Camping is also possible, and good destinations are Holbox Island, and the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve near Tulum. I have not seen camp grounds along the Gulf coast, but modest and clean hotel rooms are easy to find if you are on a budget.
Finally, if you are looking for exquisite snorkeling and scuba diving, go to the Costa Maya (Majahual and Xcalak). If you are looking for amazing beaches, the so called Riviera Maya is great (try Tulum). If you are looking for interesting colonial architecture and archeological sites, go to the state of Yucatan - which also has beautiful beaches on the Gulf coast, very laid back and tranquil.
Okay... it seems that this concludes this post - Moving on to the food - and the occasional update on the aftermath of leaving town for 3 months : )
Monday, February 14, 2011
Back Home
A very long day of traveling yesterday. Everything was fine until we got to Philadelphia, and high air traffic delayed our landing by about 15 minutes. With that, we had to retrieve our bags and go through customs, and check in again, to finally find out that our next flight was in terminal 4 - which we could get to by shuttle bus. Waited for the bus for about 15 minutes, and finally got to the terminal - the four of us running to the gate - which of course was at the far end... So what was supposed to be a comfortable 90 minute connection turned into a race against the clock and the line-ups, and we missed our flight by 5 minutes. Crud!
I went to the service desk right away and was able to get us four seats on the next flight to Toronto... phew!!! Re-routed our luggage to the same flight, hoping that we would find it all on the Toronto carousel. We had time to sit down and have a meal, and the flight home was great. No line-up at the customs, all our luggage made it, and we were on our way home about 15 minutes after landing. Sweet!
It's very good to be home.
I am not done with this blog just yet, I want to wrap things up with some family travel advice on destinations and accommodations, and some of our very positive stories about Mexico - because there are many!
I went to the service desk right away and was able to get us four seats on the next flight to Toronto... phew!!! Re-routed our luggage to the same flight, hoping that we would find it all on the Toronto carousel. We had time to sit down and have a meal, and the flight home was great. No line-up at the customs, all our luggage made it, and we were on our way home about 15 minutes after landing. Sweet!
It's very good to be home.
I am not done with this blog just yet, I want to wrap things up with some family travel advice on destinations and accommodations, and some of our very positive stories about Mexico - because there are many!
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