The Other Woman

Me and My suegra in San Juan de los Lagos

I have been wanting to write about the "Other Woman" in Javi's life,  for awhile now and  I figured today would be a good day to do it. All I have to say is my suegra is one hard working woman. She makes all the family meals, cooks for the store, cleans the house, runs the neighborhood church, and  takes care of her own mother two or three nights a week. The woman almost never sits down. After my first visit I realized how hard working all the women in Javi's family were and how I would have a lot to live up to. The house is always spotless, everything must be in its place, the floor in and out of the house is always clean,  meals are always prepared at the same time, and if "you are going to eat the food, you have to work for it".

Every morning all the girls would wake up and sweep and mop the whole house, then go outside and sweep in the front yard and the street in front of the house, then move into the backyard and sweep again. While the sweeping was going on my suegra would make something to eat for breakfast. Once that meal was done she would do some chores and then go back into the kitchen and start on lunch. Javi's dad wants the meal ready at the same time everyday because he has to start working in the store. After lunch had finished and all the dishes were washed my suegra would find something else to clean, or sweep or wash, and then go back to the kitchen to make something for dinner/ or snack before bed. Then get up and do it all over again the next day. 

I remember the first time I met the whole family and of course his mother would not let me help out with anything around the house, she would not let me do dishes or help cook.

One day I came back to the house after going into town and she had taken all my laundry to wash and my clothes were hanging up in the backyard. I was a little embarrassed and kind of upset at the same time. That visit was only a two week trip so I just let all those things go but the next time was going to be different.

 Or so I thought, well on my next visit it was begining to be the same way and  I had to start sneaking around  to clean, wash dishes or do laundry behind her back. After, she finally  figured it out and started getting up earlier than me or stay up later so that I would not do anything. It was frustrating because I don't know enough Spanish to tell her how I feel and that I would like to help out around the house and that I do know how to do all these things all by myself. Javi just laughed at me, but I had to keep one step ahead of her so that I would actually be able to do my part around the house. We were going to be living there after all. On my last visit though she actually started asking or telling me to do stuff around the house so I think I have made some progress in that area.

The cooking area was a little better, but not much. At times she wanted to try and teach me and other times she would call someone else to help her. Cooking is one thing I will be really pushy on though because I really enjoy it and want to be able to make all those Delicious meals. Even with all the normal meals that the family eats my suegra makes flan, flavored hielo, subananas(not sure if that is spelled right but it is chocolate covered fruit) hielo natural, and paletas de chantyin(most likely spelled wrong too but it is ice cream made out of whipped cream and one of my favorites) to sell in the store. I always make sure I  help with these because they taste so good and I usually save one for myself. ( I worked for it right?)

My In-laws

Besides all the housework and food prepared there is a small church in that neighborhood that my suegra runs. She  takes care of all the financial stuff, washes the fathers robes, prepares the little newsletters and attends church every sunday evening.

On top of all that my suegra's mother is not in very good shape, she is 90 years old after all. So all of the daughters (there are 9 children total!) take turns spending the night and next morning with her, so my suegra is gone at least three nights a week taking care of her. Even though she is gone though there is always enough food for the next meal. I can not imagine how much harder she would be working with little kids running around. I also have no worries about Javier while I'm gone, he's definitely being taken care of.

All this stuff is normal for Mexican wives and all mothers but some things I will definitely have to get used to. I never thought I would have to sweep the dirt in the backyard or wet down the street in front of our house everyday because of all the dirt. I am not that much of a slob but I will definitely be more organized now and besides all the dishes and desserts that my own mother has taught me I will have many more to enjoy now. Hopefully I will get a lot more practice at everything before celebrating my own first mothers day.

To all the Mothers out there that work so hard at taking care of your families, cooking, cleaning, working, and dealing with so much more. I admire all of you and hope I can be just as strong, hard working and just as great of a mom.

Happy Mothers Day to all the Blogger Mommies in Mexico!

Feliz Dia de las Madres!