Family Picture

This picture is of Abue, Ina, and all the immediate family

Here is an extended family picture!

He may be 100, but...

...boy did Arturo's grandfather (Abue) enjoy his birthday party!

He enjoyed his birthday cake:
...danced a little...

...danced a little more...

...and smacked his piñata surprisingly strongly!

Abue's Party - Kids' Stuff

Saturday afternoon was the main event, the reason we had traveled to Mexico - Arturo's grandfather's 100th Birthday Celebration. The party was held at Xinte Rincon - which is an outdoor event area that Ale and her mom own and rent out to those who want to hold their special events there.

There is a section where kids can play and there are a bunch of outdoor toys. The trampoline kept the kids (and me!) busy for a long time!

Here, the girls were playing Hide and Seek, and Pau decided to hide in this cardboard tube!

Laid back Friday

After our day at the City of Kids, we decided to take it easy on Friday and just hang out at home. Abi brought out some hammocks for the girls and they had a great time climbing in and also stuffing every single doll and stuffed animal in as well!

Fun Drive Home

It was a long drive home, but believe me, all the girls (except for Fabi who fell asleep) made the most of it. Lex and Abi bonded, and Emma and Pau played a game of "sleeping baby."

End of a long Day

At the end of the day, Emma, Pau, and I got beads put in our hair with the girls' leftover Kidzos. Alexa was sooo tired, she fell asleep, and Montse enjoyed a popcorn snack!

Fire Trucks and Cars

The Fire Station was really cool. Besides dressing up in full gear and riding an almost life size fire truck that drove around the "city" with horns blaring, the girls also traveled to a real fire emergency and got to put out a fire with a hose that actually sprayed water!

It is important to note here that throughout this entire day, parents were not allowed in 90% of the activities. We usually had to wait outside the "store" or at the very least, were not helping our kids. With that being said, everything was also spoken in Spanish, and Emma did just fine -- following the directions and understanding what was being said, even though she usually replied to the questions in English!


Here, Emma learned how to drive a car, and then actually received a "driver's license" complete with her picture and name on it. However, she didn't enjoy this one at all -- as she really had to steer and push the gas pedal on the car. If you look closely, you can tell how stressed she is -- because she kept bumping into the walls and getting stuck.

Lollipop Makers

All 5 cousins went into the lollipop factory - here they are in the very official looking coats.

Popsicle Fun!

The girls went to the popsicle factory next, and made their own popsicles.

Hospital Nursery

Back to work - next stop was the hospital nursery, where Pau, Fabi, and Emma donned their hospital coat and face mask to take care of the babies...


Here's Emma giving the newborn a bath...

...and just for old times' sake, here's Emma and Alexa getting their very first baths at the hospital as well!

All girls need a Spa Day!

The girls needed some R&R after all that work at DHL and the Dentist, so they took a break, and headed to the spa. They had to pay 6 "Kidzo's" (currency at la ciudad), but ironically, because they did each other's nails, this counted as "work" - so they then got paid 8 Kidzo's in return, earning a net profit of 2 Kidzo's. (I really wish real life were like this!)

Ciudad de los Niños - Visit to the Dentist

Next stop was to the dentist, where the girls got to practice on a very real looking girl, lying in the dentist chair. The labcoats and face masks were so cute!

Before they started the "dental exam," each girl got to stick a mini-xray into their mouth to see their teeth and gums shown on a tv screen.

Alexa didn't join in the fun, but was nevertheless intrigued by the "girl" in the hot seat.

Here's Emma taking her turn checking the girl for cavities and brushing her teeth. It was so cute to watch!

Ciudad de los Niños - Pt 1

On Thursday, our first day in Mexico, we all went to Ciudad de los Niños - aka "City of the Kids." It's literally a miniature city for kids. You pay an exorbitant fee to get in, and then each child goes from station to station learning about they way the world works. At places that they "worked" - like at DHL (below), or the dentist, or the fire station, they got "paid" -- once they were paid with pretend money, they could then use their money to "buy" things at other stations, such as making their own lollipops, making their own popsicles, painting their nails, or even shopping at a miniature department store. It was such a cute idea, and believe me, the girls all had a blast.

Here are the girls at DHL, where they learned about how packages are shipped, and then had to deliver some packages to the other stores and offices:

We're in Mexico!

Fran in China - "Work"

On my last morning in Hangzhou, after interviews, Jim took me around the famous West Lake. We climbed a small hill which overlooks the city on one side and the Lake on the other side. It was really nice!


Afterwards, we met the rest of the tester team to row boats and then enjoy a really nice lunch for our team event. Here is a picture of me with my team:

Fran in China - Fun Stuff

Because this trip to China was more "leisurely" - I got a chance to visit family in Hangzhou. I met for the first time, my relatives on my dad's side. The two ladies seated are my grandmother's brother's wife and daughter. Others are cousins and family of cousins.

Silly picture I took during my morning in Beijing. A teapot fountain -- cute!

I always enjoy a lunch at QianJuDe during my layovers in Beijing - the best Beijing Duck all around. The chef here is slicing of my half duck. Yum!