Somos muy triste / We are very sad

Found out on Monday that we are headed home in a matter of weeks – 2 or 3 weeks actually.  That lovely US economy has forced cutbacks at hubby’s company and they are “calling back all the expats”.  While we are thankful that there is a job waiting (knock on wood), we are so sad to have such short notice to say goodbye to the people and places we have come to love.

 

Drink now, pay later.

While credit is quickly becoming a thing of the past in the USA, here in Mexico we can finance our holiday booze!

Any purchase of wine or liquor (beer excluded) over $60 USD can be financed without interest for 6, 12 or 18 months at Superama.

 

What’s in a name?

I went to school the other day and asked them to change my kids’ names! 

Here in Mexico, everyone’s surname is usually Father’s Name then Mother’s Name (no hyphen), and when she is married, a woman usually just keeps her Maiden Name and doesn’t add her husband name to the mix. Their children then are given a new last name using the surnames of both grandfathers.

For example, Juan & Maria.  Juan’s name is Juan Munoz Ramirez.  Maria’s name is Maria Melendez Posada.  Their children have the last name Munoz Melendez.  To make things both easier and harder, for the most part, in informal situations, most folks use just the first surname.

When we got married 11 years ago, I went old-school and decided to take Hubby’s last name, no hypens or combos or anything.  When we arrived here in Mexico and registered the girls for school, we registered them using just Hubby’s last name, since that is what the girls are used to using.

Problem: The school’s computers aren’t set up for our tradition (go figure!), so everything related to school has the girls’ last name written as “Doe Doe”.  It looks ridiculous.  Worse, sometimes teachers have had the girls’ write their name that way on papers and projects, especially our 5 year old who can’t properly articulate her reason for protest.

So the other day I went and asked them to change the second Doe to my maiden name.  The girls are both amused and confused – they have no clue how to spell it – nobody does!  Strange also is the fact that it seems backwards. Had I chosen to hyphenate my name as so many of my girlfriends have, it would have been the reverse of what the girls now have.  They can go back to being plain old Doe’s in 2010!

 

11 Years Ago Today – December 7, 1997

 

Beware of the black fuzzy caterpillar!

The girls found a caterpillar in the yard. They put it in a plastic container, with some twigs, leaves and water. They asked me if they could bring it to school and I said yes. When I picked them up after school, they walked toward me with the container and a funny expression on their faces. “Is it dead?” I asked. “No – it’s poisonous!”

Apparently when H walked into class with it, all her classmates ran in the opposite direction. They claim the black fuzzy caterpillar can give you a rash and fever. I pulled over to the side of the road and we dumped it.

When I got home, I did some research, this is the best answer I could find:
http://www.enature.com/expert/expert_show_question.asp?questionID=4862

“Most of the fuzzy caterpillars belong to the Tiger Moth Family (Arctiidae). Some species have the ability to cause a rash or at least a burning sensation on contact with sensitive skin. This helps to protect these insects from various predators. They will not hurt you if handled, you almost have to get the hairs into your nostrils or rub them into your neck to get a reaction.” – David Herlocker, Wildlife Expert

Lesson learned.

 

And you think YOUR commute stinks?

Next time you think your commute stinks, think of these guys I was driving behind…

 

Gimnasticas

It has been a crazy busy visitor season, so I have lots to catch up on here on the blog.  For now, I’ll just catch you up on last night.  The girls have been taking gymnastics twice a week for the past couple of months.  Last night was their “recital”, which was adorable and a source of much pride, especailly watching H overcome some serious performance anxiety.  Unfortunately, my camera quit before it started.  I was able to snap a pic when we got home though…

 

¡Yippee! ¡Hace frio!

Yippee!  I was cold today! Yahoo! 

Jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt, socks and sneakers – and I was still chilly!

It was GREAT – it was like a perfect Boston October day.  They say it was 70-75, but it seemed cooler to me, I guess my internal themostat is a little screwy after all this 95 -105 degree weather.

A day without sunscreen or sweat – pure bliss.

 

Yesterday: The Yucatan State Fair at X-Matkuil

 

Avena vs Arena

We were in the cereal aisle of the grocery store yesterday and I asked the girls to pick ot something healthy.  H looked at one box -  “Mom – this cereal has rice, corn and SAND!!!!”  She pointed to the box and there it was – Arroz, Maiz y Arena. 

It took us a minute before we realized that it was written in a strange font, and the last ingredient was Avena (Oats).  

Aside from this silly moment, there was also happiness that my kids are finally making regular daily connections with spanish, making some regular translations with ease (as long as the fonts aren’t funky)!