Mexican Wives' Tales

Every country has their different beliefs and tales that have been passed down from generation to generation. I find some of the Mexican tales to be a bit strange and possibly silly, but then I started thinking about some of our own Wives' Tales and realized they too are funny.
Did you know that someone can give your child "ojo" just by walking down the street? "Ojo malo" or "the evil eye" means that someone has looked at you with a covetous or envious eye and it can cause your child to be sick, unhappy, or fussy. There is a simple cure for this. All you need is a uncooked egg and rub the egg all over the child that has "ojo." After rubbing the child with the egg you then fill a glass with water, and break the egg letting the yolk fall into the glass. If you see little white veins coming from the yolk then your child definitely had "ojo" and is now cured. I have been coming here for six years now and I am very familiar with this belief. At any time one of my children get fussy I expect to hear that they have "ojo" and then starts the juevo rub down. I have to say it works like a charm on Sofia. As soon as they start rubbing her with the egg she is totally distracted from whatever she was fussing about and then is focused on the fact that there is an egg being rubbed on her.
If you are pregnant and there is a full moon out you have  to wear a safety pin near your belly button on your shirt. If you do not do this your baby most likely will be born with some kind of deformity.
Never, ever go outside wet in the cold after taking a shower. If you do, your mouth will get crooked and you will become locked jaw. I have always had a feeling that being wet outside in the cold wasn't a good idea and now I know why.
There are so many other tales that I could share, but these are just a few of the ones that I hear often. I am not a superstitious person but I do find the Old Wives' Tales very interesting. Most of the time I just smile and nod my head when being told what I should or shouldn't do here in Mexico. I mean, what does it hurt to have an egg rubbed on you?
I would love to hear some of the Wives' Tales that you grew up with passed down from your relatives.

Week One is a Success

It is hard to believe that we have already been here for a week. We usually stay around ten days when we come to visit so it still feels as though we are on vacation. Beto has been working very hard to make his mom's house feel like home for us. He painted our room, installed a closet, and bought a new bunk bed. The room we stay in is small but we have it set up in a very functional way. Beto and I sleep on the bottom bunk which is larger than the top and Isaac sleeps on top. Sofia sleeps in her "pack n' play" bed and all our clothes fit nicely in the closet that Beto installed. Since we only sleep in there the close quarters have not bothered me.
Other than getting all of our stuff settled we haven't really don't much more than eat. The food here is amazing. Although they do have grocery stores here most people only buy what they need each day from a neighborhood store or the market. So everything is so fresh. I am trying to learn how to cook by observing and hopefully soon I will be comfortable enough to try hands on. I was hoping that by the time I came back to the USA that I would be slim and fit since we walk everywhere we need to go. I am afraid that will not be the case because these wonderful homemade tortillas can not be good for me.
The weather is quickly getting hotter, but so far it is not too bad. During the day it gets around 85 degrees and at night it cools off and feels quiet pleasant. They do not have central heat and air here but there are a couple of window units in the house. Thankfully our room has one, but we have not needed it. There is also no hot water. I am not one for cold showers so I boil water on the stove and take a "bucket shower." That is what I do for the kids too and Sofia loves it. She fits in the bucket and plays. Isaac enjoys it too. He says, "I have never had a bath like this before."
My Spanish hasn't improved all that much this past week but hopefully soon. Isaac is really wanting to learn, and he is constantly asking "how do you say this in Spanish?" I think he will catch on very quickly.
We are all trying to get the the relaxed routine. Sometimes we catch ourselves rushing for no reason just because we always rushed in the States. Here, I never know the time and forget what day it is. Mexicans are only on time for work and everything else is just whenever they decide to go.
I think I could get use to this…

Bath Time

Isaac and Jordan coloring


Isaac watching Beto's mom make tortillas

Isaac rolling out a tortila

We're Here...

After a very stormy night and morning we left Laurel, Mississippi around eight o'clock on Wednesday morning. I didn't shed one tear while hugging my very upset mother. I think that I am still in denial that I will be in Mexico for a whole year. It feels like we are going on a short vacation. It will hit me in about two weeks and I will be more than just shedding a few tears. My next blog title may be called "I Want my Mommy!"
We stopped in San Antonio Wednesday night and went to Sea World on Thursday. Everyone loved Sea World. I got to pet a dolphin for first time and ride on a huge roller coaster. I used to be in love with riding roller coasters but since I have gotten married and had kids the thought of riding one would make me very nervous. I faced my fears and enjoyed it once I got over the shock. It was a very memorable day for us all.
Friday morning we took our time getting around since we were only a couple of hours form the border. I always get nervous the closer that we get to border because you never know if it will be an easy or difficult process getting permission to cross. This time I double checked to make sure we had all the information that we needed to make the process as easy as possible. You need your passport, car title, a credit card, and license. If you plan on taking a vehicle across the border you have to get permission to do so. In order to do that you will need the title and it has to be in your name. You can not bring a car that does not have your name on the title and they are not lenient. Since we have crossed many times I knew the process and what to bring but it doesn't make it any less nerve wrecking. Thankfully, we crossed with no problems and it was actually one of the smoothest times for us. I know it was because we had so many people praying for us and I am so thankful for their prayers.
It takes a little more than three hours to get to Monterrey from the border. The roads and the views are very nice and it is an enjoyable ride. I am glad that I wasn't the one driving because the closer we got to the city the crazier the traffic. It will probably be a whole year before I get to drive because I have no desire to conquer Monterrey traffic. Once we arrived we were welcomed by several members of Beto's family. Sofia immediately took up to the family and charmed everyone with her sweet smile. It wasn't long that she got into her bossy routine and acted like she was one hundred percent Mexican. It took Isaac a few minutes to adjust but he is now playing and talking to everyone. He doesn't care that they don't understand a word that he says. I love watching him and his cousin that is the same age play together with one speaking English and the other Spanish. They play like as if the understand each other. I can't wait for the day that I hear them both playing and speaking Spanish.
Life is so different here and I know it will take time to adjust. I tried to soak in everything last night while walking around the neighborhood. It may take me a few months for Mexico to feel like home, but I am determined to make the best of it and learn from this experience.

Everything stuffed in our van

Hamburgers- $1.50 Burritos- $1.00 Gorditas- $2.00

Beto's Tia selling hamburgers and burritos in front of their house.

The neighborhood where we are living. This is the front of Beto's Abuelito casa.

The view on the way to Monterrey after crossing the border