Underwater Camera Delight

Everyone who lives on the cayes should have an underwater camera!  Well, everyone with a toddler learning to swim....digital cameras sure have changed the family photo album.  This Canon Underwater Powershot is waterproof and shock resistant.  It's not even the underwater feature that makes it so great, it's that it can get wet and you can capture moments you would otherwise be unable to catch.  We spend so much time in or near the water, it now seems silly that we didn't have one before now. 

Oh, the products from China (and other lands)

One thing we are struggling with is the lack of availability of safe and quality products, particularly those for children.  Most of these are from China but they are not the same Chinese products one finds in the States.  The ones we get here are guaranteed to fall apart or not work or be poisonous.  LITERALLY.  Here is the latest example:

Behold Egan's new FAVE toys!  He love, love, loves them.  Soon after we began playing with them, I noticed a noxious odor.  Serious off-gassing smell.  I picked up the product packaging and turned it over to see....

Seriously?!  Wash hands after handling this CHILD's TOY?!  Now I must make them disappear.  

 

The flip flops we bought him had a similar odor but no warning.  The fire truck fell apart into lovely little choky parts.  Our fan (made in Mexico?) worked for a month.  This is pretty much just how it goes.  The solution is to have our visiting friends bring us these things but that means waiting....and waiting.  We are getting good at patience.  Things move slowly here anyway, so this fits right in. 

But the toys labeled as poisonous are totally out of hand.  Right?

Kids!

  Action shot
  Awwww...
  3yo Daniel plays with Egan whenever we eat at Glenda's.
  Anouk from Germany stayed next door for us for a few days.

Kids!

  Lupita!
  Egan supervises Brittany and Whitley's sandcastle contest.
  Whitley and Brittany built Egan a sand chair!
  Some kids from the caye came over and entertained Egan for hours.

Belizeans love children

One of my favorite things about Belize is how much they love children and babies. A normal happening: When we are out at restaurants, Egan often can't sit still and will keep running into the kitchen. The staff will pick him up and take him around and play with him! Feed him ice, introduce him around, give him oranges, treats...

One night we were eating dinner at Bamboo Grill and Egan was just not into it. The waitress getting off duty took him off on a golf cart ride to play with her little girl. Then she brought him back and sung him almost to sleep in a hammock. Imagine if a waitress in the States whisked your baby off while you were eating! Hello Amber Alert!

Even the kids like to play with the little ones. The older children don't run off and try to ditch the younger ones, they take them along and are so darn sweet with them. Egan has regular playmates from 3 year olds to 12 year olds. They come over and build him sandcastles or play ball. So cool!

People everywhere know Egan---many of whom WE don't even know. We will be walking to the store or someplace and will here "Hello Egan!"

The culture here is just extremely family oriented and baby-friendly. We feel lucky to be around it.