WF Daily Explorations Monday 8/13 | Wee Friends Early Childhood Program LLC

“Has anyone ever been to Mexico? Has anyone ever had Mexican food?” These were the questions that began our journey into MEXICO! Jason Ruiz (Uncle Jason to Kai and Dylan), American Studies Professor at ND and Crystal’s dear friend, visited Wee Friends this morning to share the stories of his family’s native Mexico.

As always, friends had their passports stamped before joining flight attendant, Lisa, and special guest, Jason, onboard. Today, we had another special guest in the house, ANNIE! She wo-manned the immigration checkpoint with an “M for Mexico” stamp.

When the last friend had boarded, Jason began with a big “Bienvenidos a Mexico!” friends showered him with the answers to his questions and made their own observations:

In Mexico you eat:

“Carrots!”
“Sticky rice!”
“I eat pasta!”
“Are you Kai’s dad?”
(Mexico) is next to California!”
“I’ve been to Los Angeles and I saw a lot of people who speak Mexico.”

Jason explained that in order to speak the language of Mexico, Spanish, one must learn how to roll one’s ‘r’. Friends took a few moments to experiment with that.

Jason asked Wee Friends, “Do you know where your spine is?”

We learned that our neighbor, Mexico, also has a spine. The high mountain range that runs vertically through Mexico has a ridge that is likened to a spine. We learned that Mexico has 31 states and is the 13th largest country in our world.

Next we learned the Spanish word for several familiar images:

Sol=sun
playa=beach
chipi chipi=light rain (Jason’s favorite kind of day in Mexico!)
sandia=watermelon
ninos=children

Jason told us a Mexican legend about the emblem on the country’s flag.

It is said that when the Aztecs were searching for a place to settle, a wise oracle instructed them to find land beside a lake. Near the lake, there would be a marshy region where they would see a cactus growing. Upon the cactus they would find an eagle with a snake in its mouth. It is there that the Aztecs should settled, instructed the oracle. The Aztecs found(ed) this very spot: Mexico City.

Jason taught us that Mexicans LOVE spicy food! He brought us three special food treats to sample:

Sweet Galletitas
Salty Chicharrons
Spicy Chili covered lollipops

The sweet little cookies were devoured, the salty fried pork skins was devoured and the spicy, chili covered lollipops were….examined and consumed very carefully! The lollipop was a sweet, maize shaped candy that had been dipped in chili powder.

Ada: “It sticks to my tongue!”
Taylor: “It IS spicy!”
Viv/Kai: “It’s too sweet.”
Max: “No!”
Nate: “I like it!”
Arleigh: “I don’t want to try it.”
Annie: “It stings my tongue.”
Lea: “I like spicy food!”

When Jason poured the spicy picante sauce in a dish, many friends dipped their chicharron and lollipops in before eating them.

We said thank you and goodbye to Jason by singing Wee Friends Anthem #1 and Annie agreed to sing a song that she learned in her musical theatre camp this summer.

Muchos Gracias, UNCLE JASON for taking us all the way to Mexico and sharing with us, the wonderful stories and food of your culture. We hope you’ll come again!