From Flamenco to AC/DC

A couple weeks ago my mom and I went to see a flamenco show, "Seis Cuerdas para Dos Tacones" (Six Strings for Two Heels), which was part of the annual Flamenco Festival here in Albuquerque. As a little girl, I wished to learned to dance flamenco, or at the very least, sevillanas. The guitarist, Juan Antonio Suarez ("Cano"), and flamenco dancer, Concha Jareño, performed such a powerful show with a modern twist on the traditional dance. In Concha's first dance number she wore a beautiful red dress and was laying on the ground so that all the audience saw were ruffles...and then she waved her arms and made beautiful forms that looked like birds sweeping the air. The way she used her costumes and her body with both fury and gentleness was incredible.

Here is a video on YouTube of Concha dancing:

In flamenco dance there is usually an ensemble with a guitar player or two, both a male and female dancer, a singer, and back-up clappers to add rhythm. However, Concha Jareño danced solo with the guitarist/composer Juan Antonio Suárez. Here is a video I found of both of them collaborating with an ensemble group, and actually it's quite jazzy. I hope Gaby shows an interest in Spanish guitar someday. But neither of these videos do their performance any justice!

What is fascinating to me is how Spanish guitar can sound like two or three strummers playing at once. This anglo must have gypsy blood! I wish I could find a better video with Juan Antonio Suarez's music, but this will give you an idea.

Maybe someday the boys will appreciate this type of art.

Last night I had my fill of 80's hair and AC/DC, Anthrax, and Metallica when we took the boys to the monster truck show. Gaby, especially, was excited about watching the motorcycles, smash up cars, and the monster trucks and also seemed the enjoy the music. The star of the evening was a local who drives the Pit Bull monster truck and was quite a character hyped up on testerone, loud engines, and screeching tires in front of the crowd....see their web page and you'll get an idea. It was actually a good time and something different for us to do. We went to an outdoor arena so it wasn't as loud. We wore ear plugs, except Jojo. Jojo learned to cover his ears when it got too loud. The best part for Christian was the blow up jumpy trampoline slide thing that was set up for the kids.

It hardly rains in Albuquerque, but last night we got rained on at the show. I used one of Jojo's diapers not only to soak up the rain water, but for extra cushioning for my delicate derrier on the backless bleachers. That was Mike's excellent idea.

Another smashing good time.

I Like Mike -- Please Vote!

Mike has entered a photography contest called 'New Mexico - Day of Enchantment'.  Go to this link and please vote for Mike's photos at http://www.dayofenchantment.com/entries/61834.  Thanks!

Lack of H2O Woes

Last weekend Mike took the kids to Sandia Peak to go on a hike.  Mike is not used to the heat of the southwest -- the dry heat which causes some to sweat less and not realize they're thirsty or possibly dehydrated.

That night he felt tired and a little sore from the hiking.  He had carried Jojo part of the way and thought that may have been the reason for his exhaustion.

I heard Mike wake up around 3:30 that morning and walk to the fan switch. He had felt chilled, so he turned off the fan.  I vaguely remember hearing his footsteps when all of I sudden I heard a loud WHUMP. "Mike, are you ok?"  No answer.  I quickly jumped out of bed to turn on the light to see where he was. 

Poor Mike was out and I had to tap his face and shake him a little.  He had landed between the bed and our dresser, so the first thought I had was he must have tripped and hit his head.  He slowly came to and I asked him if he had rolled off the bed.  He thought he had, but a few minutes later he remembered that he was heading towards the bathroom after having turned off the fan.

He felt nauseous and I put a wash cloth on his head and then I took his blood pressure, which was low.  The next thought that ran through my mind was that he had had a heart attack.  But he didn't have any other symptoms.  Heat exhaustion was the furthest from my mind.  Mike seemed to be improving so we did not call 911.  The following day after speaking to friends and family about what had happened, we realized that he may have had heat exhaustion and had possibly been dehydrated. And then I heard that my cousin's daughter had experienced the same thing a few weeks prior -- nausea, fainting.  Lesson:  Always drink plenty of fluids when outdoors in the heat.

A Day in the Park

Recently I was able to re-connect with my cousin, Lisa, who was like a sister to me when we were young.  Many years had passed since we had last seen each other, but we have fun reminiscing and we remember the same stories. Especially about the mud hole and the moped.  She now has three beautiful children, Aaron, Emma, and Ingrid.  Our kids get along real well and I am grateful to have them in my life.  Aaron is closest in age to Christian.

One day last week we went to the park with the kids.  Gaby and Aaron, who are both daring and rambunctious, went on the tire swing while some 'big kids' spun them round and round.  As they were spinning, I headed towards the swing to make sure they were not getting sick.  Gaby, whose adrenaline was pumping, turned to Aaron and yelled, "We're gonna rock and roll!" 

Here is Emma on the right with her friend Trinity.

And here is Lisa with Ingrid on the right.

Here's to more good memories and fun times. Rock and roll, indeed.

Not so Swimmingly for Some

I enrolled Christian and Gaby in swim lessons. Christian swims quite well underwater and loves using his mask as he glides through the pool.

Here is Gaby swimming with his class playing. 

I went through the Five Stages of Grief within three days in trying to get Gaby to join his class. 

Stage 1:  Denial ("I know Gaby really wants to go swimming. We'll try again tomorrow.")

Stage 2:  Anger ("Why me?! I just paid for him not to go swimming!  &@&! You are going swimming, Mister!")

Stage 3: Bargaining ("I'll buy you an ice cream if you'll go swim with your class! We'll go to the Dollar Store and buy some toys!")

Stage 4: Depression ("Why bother trying to encourage this child to have fun and swim?")

Stage 5: Acceptance ("This child will always test my outer limits. Just accept it calmly when he does not want to do something and he will come around eventually.")

And he never went. He is that stubborn.  But he did want to go on the last day, which was when they turned on the sprinklers in the pool playground/slide.  I told him too bad he didn't want to go swimming because he's now missing out on the fun. Gaby did have a slight twinge of regret in his eyes.  I hope his first soccer experience this fall goes a little better.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Our good neighbors moved back to Arizona a couple weeks ago. We were sorry to see them leave and had only known them for a short while. Derek and Christian became friends at kindergarten this past year, and Derek's twin brother and sister, Kevin and Paige, were Gaby's playmates. Here's the adorable and youngest sibling, Darci, with Jojo.

We hope we will cross paths again someday.

Goodbye friends, until we meet again!

Summer Break Begins

Christian 'graduated' from kindergarten last week!  Watch out first grade -- here comes Christian!  His class had a nice party and they sang a song for all the parents and siblings who came.  Gaby is sitting next to his big brother along the back wall.

Grampa, Yaya, and all of us went to the cabins in Colorado Springs last Friday.  Here is the welcoming bear at Marillac cabin.

We took the kids to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on top of the hills of Colorado Springs.  It reminded us of the zoo in Roanoke, VA, close to where we once used to live during our early years of marriage (pre-children).  Now it's so much more fun bringing the zoo to the zoo!  They were able to pet the tall giraffes who stuck out their long blue tongues.Mommy rode on the train with a cautious Jojo.

We hiked the 1/3 of a mile up to the top of Helen Hunt Falls.  Jojo made it, too!  Mommy did not wear proper shoes, though.  Yaya stayed behind and people-watched.

Daddy took the boys to City Park in Denver where they harassed/ honked at (Gaby)/ fed the geese and rode the paddle boat on Ferril Lake.

We visited the Air Force Academy and the Cadet Chapel.

And the weekend came to an end all too fast.  Summer break has begun!