I love kids, and there is no shortage at my In-laws house in Negril.

Me and the boys play with toy cars and toy trucks, little flying disc and other stuff I bring to Jamaica.

Then there is Renique. ARRRG, that girl.

She is my wife's niece. They live in Negril

Talk about energy, geez, this girl has a ton of it.

Every time she sees me coming, she charges!

"Oh lordy, here she comes, she's in a full out sprint!"

Ok, time to bend down (oh lord save my back).

Grab, swing, hug.
I got you!

She is just a twig of a little girl, 5-6 years old,

but she is all over me every time I stop by the yard.

Sitting down is the worse, then she has me like a captive prisoner.

"Renique!! Grand ma yells, Mark is tired, he's on vacation, he came here to relax, not wrestle with you all day.

She will elbow the little guys out of her way to get to me,

"see here, see what I have" she says.

Some little trinket that she is proud of.

I make sure Grand ma gets all the nice goodies on day one.

For the kids, I only bring a few toys at a time.

I have a large black plastic bag I hang over my shoulder, I must look like a Santa to the wee ones.

I kind of parcel out the gifts for the kids so that they don't mash up everything all at once.

Reniques dad does not live with her.

I over heard Renique's mom tell grand ma:

"Mama, I heard Renique tell the other kids that Mark is her father".

Well, looks like I have another daughter, she just happens to live in Jamaica.

Renique's mom, just looks at us playing, smiles and shakes her head.

It's so nice, having a family in Jamaica.

Sure I spend a likkle money for grandma, mom, and the gang of wee ones, but I am rewarded 10 times over with TLC from my Jamaican family.

Ahhh, the good life.

Like Frank Sinatra once sang:

"I got the world on a string, sitting on a rainbow,

got the string around my finger,

what a world! Man this is the life,

Hey now, I'm in love!"

God is good.

Markospoon seems you always go to JA by yourself never with your wifey or you just don't talk about her being with you. Nice story by the way. Nice that the little girl wants you to be your Dawta.

My wife is fine. She use to come with me, but, she goes solo sometimes and so do I.

She prefers to keep working and save her money or buy the things that women love to buy.

I prefer to spend every last penny I have to escape the US and go to Jamaica.

To each his/her own.

I just do the hauling of things that she loads up in my suitcase.

It all works out fine.

I leave my clothes and things with mom in law to wash and store for my next return trip. Its great!

So I have more room for gifts (shhh, don't ell the airport folks, i always deny.) to bring back.

A single man with one suitcase? It must be filled with his clothes they think.

Thanks Blues Pirate.

I tried to get you to come by last trip Ras.

I even told my sis in law you were coming.

"I'm bringing a white man here" i said.

Cool, bring him. she replied.

Remember, all of Markospoon's exploits are true and VERY real.

I