Wednesday I brave the trip to our empty rented house with the kids. Jason hires us a cab from the hotel and drops us off there first, then goes on his way.
The house doesn't have anything. It is filthy. FILTHY. It's nice and large and has marble floors but has been empty for about a year save for the workers who came to update the kitchen and bathrooms (on the demand of my husband, bless.) So so so dirty. So dirty. Did I mention dirty? Dirty.
We are getting a maid (!!) but she doesn't start until next week. So I carry on.
Primary order of the day: await the rental furniture. It's kind of killing me that I can't clean where the furniture will go, but I cannot. Do not have supplies and who knows what the kids are up to when I turn my back. There is a fountain - more on that later. Surprisingly, the delivery shows up basically on time and we get what we need. All but the dresser for the maid. The door to the "servicio" (maid's room) is so small it does not fit. Um, guess I'll figure out what to do about that later.
We now have:
3 twin beds (one for each kid, one for the maid) Note: the kids have headboards, the maid does not.
1 queen bed
2 dressers
2 mirrors
2 table lamps
1 small dining table with 4 chairs (white?!?! fucking WHITE fabric chairs. This must be some sort of Mexican scam. Who rents *white* furniture? My kids have already destroyed them. I think it's a microfiber and I've been able to brush off a lot of dirt but still. One month minimum of white dining chairs? I see a purchase in my future)
1 TV and stand (no cable though)
1 oversized chair
1 loveseat
This will be my furniture for at least 4 weeks. Here we go.
So the hot water isn't working. This is a problem. We can't really check out of the hotel until we have hot water so Agenda Item #2 is hot water.
The owner of the house actually calls me. She had to do it twice because the first time I didn't realize what the phone ring was. Some little melody just started out of nowhere while I was trying to put the kids down for a nap on the new beds (didn't work btw, no nap Joes). I don't know - the melody could be coming from the street. I do live in Mexico now... So it took a while to realize it was the phone. Eventually I pick up, she speaks broken English (she lives in the Netherlands and coincidentally, I'm Dutch! Sure that will come in handy some day) and tells me she is sending over her friend's maid who knows the house and will light the pilot on the water heaters.
The maid shows up, but we don't have fire. No matches, no lighter. Of course not - we were just on an airplane. Eventually she asks the guard who finds matches. It won't light. Lots of Spanish. No comprende. No hot water. She leaves.
Ok, lunch. Must feed children. Around 2pm (no naps!) we leave for a walk. Google maps tells me there is a "
Sanborns" not too far, so Jack goes into the
backpack and off we go. I must be the only white woman to cart a child on her back ever in this country because the stares I get are remarkable. But we get there and while there aren't any cleaning supplies there is a restaurant and I can decode the menu enough to order kids meals. Chicken nuggets. French fries. Milk is 5 pesos extra. I understand! Si, leche. Kids are happy?
We haul it back to the house, I feel very accomplished, and the rest of the afternoon is spent with the kids running around like maniacs. Oh, the fountain. Our garden has a fountain. It is lovely - but gross. Hasn't been turned on in months (years?). Jack has already jumped in. New game! Throw rocks in the fountain. My new neighbors now all know there is an angry American woman who lives in the area who screams at disobedient children. Excellent first impression.
Finally, Jason is done with work, meets us at the house, and back to the hotel we go. Taxi ride with no car seats? You betcha. Free drinks at the hotel and put a fork in me. I'm done.
