another day another 2,000 pesos

alright, our wits are back about us! as expected, things calmed down immensely as soon as we left the Bing-Bong Palace of Perpetual Anxiety. we got back to a more 'normal' schedule today. I am still insisting on learning 5 new words in English every day ( Harry, not me) which is usually met with the stubbornness of an angry mule, but we fight our way through. The reward is the park. In terms of personal insight, we are going around and around about how much 'learning' he needs now, and how much just pure family fun he needs, since this has been in short supply for his entire life. Do we wait until we get back home to introduce learning in a structured environment and simply enjoy our time here, which might give him the false impression that every day is going to be like this (dad home all day, fun in the park, etc.) OR, do we instill structure right away so that his transition to NY is smoother, but forgo the opportunity to bond as a family, enjoying each others company for its own sake. These are the problems we are currently negotiating. We have decided on a little of both, structured learning for a little while in the morning, then fun in the afternoon. And no more arcades or life-sized game shows like we experienced yesterday. But, Harry is really a good kid; he tells everyone that he gets to have dogs sleep on his bed when he gets to NY, he has a healthy smart-ass wit (which I appreciate) and is the current CEO of the clean plate club. I thought I'd just post some video today so you can see him and Addie in action, on a calm day in the park. Deep breaths.

Love to all -Brian