Notes on Traveling to Mexico With a Toddler

• There are some things about Mexico that make me want to chuck it all and raise my little panecillo in a shack by the sea. The cuisine for one – Muffin happily toots her way through meal after meal of beans. The hot weather makes her sleepy, so I enjoy a return to the heavenly era of twice-daily naps. And there’s always a cat or dog wandering around any restaurant you go to, which is a godsend during that interminable period in which your hungry child is waiting for food.

• Muffin’s hair, which at home is a mulletish mix of wavy and straight, morphs into a golden helmut of Shirley Temple ringlets. I fight the urge to slurp her up almost every second.

• There is bottled water for us to drink in the villa, but the water that comes out of the tap is not recommended for gringos. Because Muffin often drinks bathwater (ew, I know -- I’m trying to break her of this habit), we shower with her every day instead. Although I try to watch her very closely, I have to turn my back to grab towels or shampoo, so I can never be sure she has not opened her mouth to catch the downpour. I am dogged by barfing baby fears for the entire trip.

• Although our villa is right on the turquoise ocean, with a lovely pool to boot, Muffin is instead drawn to the tiny spicket at the side of the house. This faucet is usually just used for short intervals to clean off sandy feet, and I cross my fingers Mexico is not experiencing a water shortage as Muffin splashes around in it ten times a day.

• The Canuck gave me a Canon Rebel SLR for Christmas, and quite frankly, I am not worthy. The esoteric manual mocks me, with its assumption that any person who owns this bad-ass camera has a clue, which I don’t. Although Muffin is so cute and the light so stunning I couldn't’t help but get a few good shots with it, often I just grab the point-and-shoot out of sheer intimidation. Luckily the Canuck understands that I need a nudge and signs me up for a one-day weekend photo course.

• Although the concept was initially introduced by her Welsh honorary grandmother a few weeks ago, Muffin perfects her execution of “cheers." With the margaritas and chocolate milk flowing freely, she has many opportunities to clink glasses all around. Won’t that be a nice habit to bring with her to preschool?

To see photos from our trip to Mexico, click here.