The month of August was all about the trip we took from the 13th to the 23rd. Gabriel had gotten pretty shaggy, but I was waiting to have his hair cut because he was going to be staying at Olivia's house for the 10 days we were away. This way they wouldn't have to brush him everyday. . .
Alejandro, our second son's baby, was to be baptized in his mother's home town--Merida, Mexico--and we were flying to Cancun and taking a bus to Merida with them. I have not posted photos of Alejandro before now because his parents do not want him to have "a presence on the Web." This is also why I haven't been posting photos of Olivia or her little brother, August. As much as I wanted to share them with you all, I realized my son has a valid point. I'm posting this one photo of Alejandro incognito, though, and hope it will be OK. As I recall Alejandro's father saying to me once when he was a teenager, it's easier to get forgiveness than permission 😇 . . . .
Alejandro and his parents stayed at his other grandmother's while we stayed in downtown Merida at a wonderful hotel built in 1901. I will be doing several posts about our 10 days in Mexico over the next few weeks, but wanted to at least show you the view from our balcony overlooking the Parque Manuel Cepeda Peraza at 9:30 the night we arrived. . . .
As much as I loved our trip I was glad to be back home to look out my own window and see these in my mini-birdbath. . . .
.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•
Take Joy!
Cathy, I struggled with my decision about our grand's photos on my blog. Before posting their photos my children gave me permission to do so. Unfortunately we must be careful as not everyone has the right intentions where children are concerned. I try not to be foolish, but also not to live my life in fear.
ReplyDeleteYour grandson looks like a movie star in this sweet photo. I look forward to hearing about your trip. ♥
He is, indeed, a star in our eyes! 😍
DeleteWow, this is an aspect of the Internet I've never heard about! Is it considered ill-advised to post photos of kids now? People post photos of nearly EVERYTHING now - ALL THE TIME. And it's often far less fun and interesting than cute little kids. I mean, there are members of my family who zip off photos of restaurant meals to me. Out of the blue I'm looking at a blurry too-dark picture of someone's blueberry cheesecake. WHAT THE HECK?? I can't imagine ANYONE doing this back when cameras were just cameras and NOT in our pockets all the time. I understand that teen and pre-teen kids need to be careful about who they "deal with" or "meet" online - predatory activity - all that kind of thing. Actually we ALL need to be careful - duh. But I never heard it about kids this young. How would the creepy-crawly type track down the kid? Or maybe I don't want to know. SHUDDER! I think I'm really glad my niece & nephew were young before the real advent of social media. Yuck - something ELSE to worry about now. You poor grandparents - I'd want to show off my grands all over the place if I had some. And now you can't. What the heck will be next? Well, congratulations and many blessings on little Alejandro on his baptism. I LOVE his name - very romantic. Makes me think of all those Technicolor musicals in the 40s with Carmen Miranda & Esther Williams in beautiful Hispanic or Caribbean theme costumes and music. Must have taken people's minds off the war for a few hours at least. I'm guessing he'll be bilingual too - maybe he can even teach Spanish to Olivia! Starting before the age of 5 is supposed to be the easiest way to learn a second language. My district was beginning to implement foreign languages into the primary grade curriculums when I moved from teaching to university work. PS - I bet Olivia LOVED having Gabriel as a houseguest for 10 days - the times those two must have had! Don't you wish Gabriel could talk? For just one day even?? Have a great Labor Day holiday! 🍉
ReplyDeleteMy photos will show up on Google images from time to time, so they're OUT there--more than just on my web journal. Now that Olivia is getting older I especially want to protect her image from being misused. I'm not concerned that she personally would be sought out (although, it is so easy to find where people live if you have their full name and the state). I've already put too much information on the Web!
DeleteYes, Alejandro will be bi-lingual. And Olivia DID love having Gabriel there. They did a lot of running around together. I got the biggest/longest hug from her while Gabriel was jumping all over me welcoming me back. Her parents are thinking of getting her a dog. I just hope it is compatible with Gabriel. He's intimidated by larger dogs and tries to show them who the boss is. it makes for too much chaos in the room! He does much better with children than he does other dogs.
Oh that would be so great for Olivia - and August too of course - to have a dog! She already adores Gabriel and I just think it's so advantageous for kids to have pets, especially little kids. I have the feeling Olivia would be an extremely-responsible pet mommy - on top of everything! A smaller breed would be ideal too, since both kids are still so young themselves. I can see Gabriel and a little corgi having the BEST TIME EVER together, can't you? Always been a bit partial to corgis myself. Or collies - whatever Lassie is. I loved the "Lassie" show when I was little. Well there are certainly a jillion dogs out there would need a loving home - whoever they get will be a lucky lil pup to land in that family! ❤️
DeleteJanet, I wish I could pick the dog for them! But in the end I told my son he has to do what is best for his family, but it might mean I can't bring Gabriel when we visit because it would be too much chaos!
DeleteThen I'll be sending out good vibes that whichever lil fellow ends up coming to Olivia's house is smaller-than-Gabriel in size - and someone that he just loves too! IT COULD HAPPEN. Twould be so much fun for you to have a doggy grandchild - and for Gabriel to have a "nephew." And obviously the kids would love it. So you don't really think Gabriel could become adjusted to just any old dog that they might happen to adopt, huh? Only a smaller one?
DeleteJanet, they had a dog (Chester) for the first 6 years of Gabriel's life and whenever they were together Gabriel would constantly try to "play" with him. It was exhausting because they'd run through the house and make a general ruckus growling, etc. Now my younger son's girlfriend has a big dog and he does the same thing. I think because he's smaller he feels he has to challenge the bigger dog. He does this at our house and at theirs and even when we're at a vacation rental. I call it the smaller dog syndrome.
DeleteWhat a neat cultural experience you've had! I love traveling to new places, and it's even more special if you get to spend time with people from that place rather than just see tourist sites. Your grandson is very sweet. As for sharing pictures of grandchildren on the web, in my opinion it's up to the parents. I've had permission from both of my children to share pictures of Lucy, Oliver and Ella. If they has asked me not to I would have honoured their wishes. Having said that though, the reality is they will eventually have an Internet presence. It is pretty much impossible to avoid nowadays unless you're Amish. And I'm sure there are even Amish kids out there with Facebook accounts. And as far as the danger of someone using the images in an improper manner, it could happen. But the odds of it seem quite low given that there are literally millions and millions of kids' photos being shared every day on the web. The reality is that almost everyone has a camera with them at all times thanks to cell phone technology, and could randomly be taking pictures of your child when you are out in public, then using the pictures. Anyway, these are just the conclusions I have come to as I've thought through this issue in terms of my own grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly the kind of experience we had in Merida--living amongst the people for a week. I'm eager to share it all in a way that truly shares our experience, so I'm taking my time getting it all organized.
DeleteIt is a contentious issue indeed. Proud parents and grandparents want to share, but this modern day version of a photo album kept close in a handbag opens up to a whole new world. In the UK, it is protection gone mad when, for example, parents are not allowed to take cameras into school plays and events for fear of images falling into the wrong hands. When I worked for the National Trust, I had to either take my images where no one {even the adults} was recognisable, or get a written permission slip from them that their image may be used by the NT {slightly different, but indicative of the days in which we live}
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I am truly looking forward to you sharing your days spent in Mexico ~ such a vibrant and colourful country, and oh! the food!
~~~Deborah
p.s. sorry Gabriel is not happy!
Deborah, this is new to me about cameras at school plays! I wonder if that is the practice here as well now. When my boys were in school more than 20 years ago you had to give permission for their photos to appear in publications but that did not extend to us parents photographing plays and concerts. It does seem overly cautious, but I wonder if they've had a problem with it or were just pressured by concerned parents.
DeleteIt is national, not local, and most of the parents seem to be on the side of it being ridiculous. What puzzles me, though, is how our local City Council just posted photographs on Facebook of the village carnival last Saturday, including the floats of the Carnival and Rose Queens, plus attendants.
DeleteDeborah, it sounds like a parent or parents went to the national-level school council about it and was able to push it through just for the schools.
DeleteLoved the pic of Gabriel & especially the "comment bubble". LOL I also liked the hotel pic. It looks like it was a beautiful place to stay. Looking forward to more pictures! Love, Sis
ReplyDeleteI'm working on the photos now. You'll see some soon. ❤️
DeleteCan't wait for the new travelogue! You are so good at capturing the feeling of the places you experience Cathy.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elaine. I hope it lives up to your expectations! 😊 I've been collecting the photos I want to show and now trying to decide how to present them. Of course, now I'm thinking of all the shots I should have taken to tell the story properly!
DeleteSo you have us wanting more! I was just settling in to read more about your trip when I realized I had come to the end of the post. :-( It looks like a lively place where you stayed and I'm sure you had interesting experiences. Loved the photo of little A! I'm so glad you got to go and be a part of his baptism!
ReplyDeleteYes, Dotsie, I just gave you a tease! 😎 More to come in a few days.
DeleteGabriel looks so white, did he stay like that for long? Glad you had a good time away. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI brush him every day so he does stay white except for around his mouth.
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