Get Out the Vote

This is a very exciting election for many reasons, but especially because this is Tiffany's FIRST time to vote.


I voted early so that I could go with Tiffany today. Her grandmother and I ceremoniously took her to the designated polling place and I embarressed her to death by taking pictures nonstop.

She went over the sample ballot and she got in line.

Why does Tiffany look so sad?

The machine broke. We waited over an hour while a new machine was procured and installed.

It looked a little iffy for awhile. I think that there were just too many cooks in the kitchen.

In the end, it all worked out.

Tiffany got her ballot and headed for the booth.

I have never been so proud.

Good job, baby!

Halloween

A big perk of being in the U.S. in October is Halloween. We have a pseudo Halloween where we live in Mexico, but it is just not the same. So this year, we did it up right. We carved pumpkins.


We put on costumes.

We went to parties to see old friends.

We rang a lot of doorbells and got a lot of candy.

We had a great time.

College Visits

Tiffany's college search continues. She is considering approximately 30 colleges and universities. To help her narrow her list down. We decided to go on a road trip. We wanted to Lorelai and Rory it, but we really didn't have time. We visited 4 schools in 3 days: Appalachian State University, University of North Carolina, James Madison University, and University of Virginia.


We only got lost once . . . well, maybe twice . . . we certainly did not get lost more than three times.


We also got to see some friends along the way who were able to give us a realistic picture of their schools.


It was a whirlwind trip, but it really helped Tiffany discover what she wants from a school.

Back to School

We are starting our third year of homeschooling! I began our homeschooling journey by doing school at home the first year. The second year I relaxed a bit and I used more of an eclectic method. This year, I am using The Well Trained Mind approach with Alex. His curriculum is listed to the right.

Alex is enjoying having me to himself this year, but he is really excited about his Chinese class. We are so lucky to have Chinese restaurant here that is owned and operated by an actual Chinese family. One of their children has agreed to give Alex private lessons and he loves it.

Tiffany is living with her grandparents this year and has begun a dual enrollment program. She is taking classes at a local community college and simultaneously receiving credit for her last year of high school and her first year of college. I think this is a great way for her to transition to living in the United States again as well as transitioning back to a "regular" classroom as she prepares to enter University.

Mexico's Next Top Model

Tiffany became interested in modeling earlier this year. She now has an agent and she just finished her first paying job with L' Oréal. I had wanted to document this "first" in her life, but no Mommies were allowed. So, I had to be content with taking a few photos after the fact.


I think that she looks beautiful.


Of course, I may be biased.

There are , however, others who agree with me. She even has a new fan!

Banned Book List

Tiffany has always been a reader. For a time in her early teens, her social life really cut into her reading time. However, she has once again found a good balance. She also really likes reading from the banned books list. So far she has read Forever by Judy Blume . . .




. . . and The Chocolate War by Rober Cormier.

She is currently reading Rocket Boys by Homer Hickman.

The Adriatic Sea

We headed to the small town of Trieste after Venice. It is located in the northeast of Italy on the Adriatic Sea. Alejandro was attending a conference so we used this time to relax in the sun.

It was interesting to discover that Trieste has a connection with Mexico. The French imposed Emperor of Mexico, Maximilian I, built and lived in Miramare Castle before moving to Mexico. This is a view of the castle from our hotel.

The castle is just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

Ah, Venice!

The beauty of Venice is overwhelming. We loved just walking around the canals.

Alejandro's mother and aunt were traveling around europe and joined us in Venice. It was a real treat to be able to share this experience with them.

First we all went to Piazza San Marco

where we fed the pigeons.

We also toured the Basilica San Marco and Doge's Palace.

We then visited the Bridge of Sighs

and the Rialto Bridge.

First Overseas Flight

We took the kids to Italy this summer. It was the first time that they flew overseas. I think that the initial excitement wore off very quickly.

However, everyone was very happy once we arrived.

Annapolis, Maryland

Independence Day is always something that I really miss when we are in Mexico. I was so grateful that we got to go to Annapolis, Maryland for the 4th of July this year. We started off the day by exploring the town and doing a little shopping.

Later, we put on our patriotic clothes and headed to the Navel Academy.

The fireworks were fantastic!

The navy boys really know how to put on a show!

Finally, we took a tour of the academy. Two of the cadets were kind enough to pose for pictures with the kids. It was a great day.