11-1-09 through 11-7-09: Our return week from the beach was fairly uneventful except for the Dia del Muerto (Day of the Dead) celebration. The kids learned about the tradition of honoring deceased loved ones with shrines decorated with the deceased's photos, favorite foods, and other mementos. Gaby and Luke went trick-or-tricking on All Saints Day, the first of November (also Mike's birthday). My niece Paty, her husband, and their 2 kids along with some of their friends and kids stopped by our place so we joined their group. Gaby and Luke learned the song that is sung at each house to ask for treats which then ends with a chant declaring either that the house is blessed or bewitched depending if treats were given out or not (a more detailed interaction than just saying 'trick-or-treat'!). Their baskets were full within 1-1/2 hours and everyone was ready for some hot chocolate and pan de muerto (a special bread made for this celebration). On Nov. 2nd, Dia del Muerto, Mike and the kids went to a local cemetery, called a panteon, with their spanish school to witness the local traditions. Tons of people come and clean their ser queridos tombas (loved ones tombs). They put food and drinks as well as toys (for deceased children) on the graves. Children are running around and musicians come to play songs at the graves of the dead. In general there's a lot of celebrating, very different than in the US. Gaby and Luke had the opportunity to go out for treats again in the evening but they said they had collected enough candy the previous night and they would rather just stay home and play.
On 11-7, the kids began swim lessons from 9-10 am on Saturdays at the Olympic Pool of Zacatecas. I stayed by the instructor at poolside to help translate any relevant instructions. Gaby and Luke swam laps the entire hour; they practiced swimming with a board, on their backs with and without use of their arms, the crawl stroke, and swimming below the water's surface for as long as they could hold their breath before popping up then repeating the sequence. They actually do more swimming, more strokes than with the lessons in Colorado.
On 11-7, the kids began swim lessons from 9-10 am on Saturdays at the Olympic Pool of Zacatecas. I stayed by the instructor at poolside to help translate any relevant instructions. Gaby and Luke swam laps the entire hour; they practiced swimming with a board, on their backs with and without use of their arms, the crawl stroke, and swimming below the water's surface for as long as they could hold their breath before popping up then repeating the sequence. They actually do more swimming, more strokes than with the lessons in Colorado.
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