Author: Jessica

Jesus was in the desert for 40 days.  Noah in a flood for 40 days. My whole Catholic city of Cholula in prayer (or in parties) for 40 days. But, I became the 40 day rebel. Clearly, there is something sacred about 40 days. Historically and traditionally the importance is profound. And the post-partum tradition… Read more

Stocky feet in his face and noise never less than a weed-eater, baby Oliver has survived his first month with the cord cut. This baby with Grandpa’s dimple chin and mom’s 29 years of worry lines pasted to his forehead is growing up so differently from his brother, while still claiming stake in our family.… Read more

Excruciating pain now unbearable as uncertainty has joined in. The tables have turned and all control is lost. In an emergency, the trusted and encouraging care-providers passed me over to unknown strangers in white robes. Instead of nurturing questions about how I feel from earlier in the day, the nurses force fingers inside me without… Read more

Today I obtained a license by pure grace. After a week of looking through worthless materials in search of a driver´s manual, I was overly nervous for my appointment today. I shouldn´t have been. Misa warned me that getting a license is easy, it´s just a business. If I provide the money, the privilege to… Read more

With some ultrasound results of a two-week large baby and doctor recommendations to stick around home the weeks leading up to the possible birth date of our baby, we had to cut the plans to take advantage of Misa´s two week school vacation. Instead of enjoying the crowded beaches of Veracruz through Semana Santa (Holy… Read more

¨Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.¨ -Kofi Annan ¨One of the greatest gifts adults can give-to their offspring and to their society-is to read to children.¨ -Carl Sagan Before my first child was born, I had collected all the board books and basic children books I could get my hands on without making… Read more

I´ve realized there is a stark difference between raising a bilingual child and a bicultural child. A bilingual child might use the same term in two different languages and keep the same picture in mind. But, for someone like Camilo, saying the word ¨fire engine¨ and its equivalent in the Spanish ¨camión de bomberos¨ bring… Read more

It´s Mexico.  We don´t tell people where we live. We don´t celebrate with passersby about the business we own. We don´t buy the dreamy bicycle we want and don´t choose the same route home every day. We take off our wedding rings when we get on the bus. We carry an old second phone to… Read more

I find it so true that to know Camilo is to love him. And he just so happens to be well-known. He has fans and people we call family in three different continents (that we know of) and it seems the group is always growing. The fan mail we get and constant comments really keep… Read more

The glares shouted at me as we drove off. Irresponsible, despicable, criminal. But really, what was I supposed to do? After our flight was cancelled due to fog, I gathered up my two year old and waited in line for two reasons: to be rerouted and to borrow a phone. I´m not sure why an… Read more