Mi casa

It's Christmas Eve, the house is clean (despite the maid being away), so by popular request here is a tour of Alpes 525.

We live on the corner of Alpes and Monte Parnaso.  Our front door (and the gate) is on Monte Parnaso.

The guard blocking the entrance to Monte Parnaso

Front gate and a glimpse of our front door.

The view from inside

So you walk in, to the right is the Living Room, to the left is the Dining Room, straight back is a little powder room, and under the stairs is the entrance to the Sun/Play Room

Living Room (Christmas-style)

Dining Room
Fresh flowers are awesomely cheap here.  And I would also like to note that Zenith9000 (my Dad's 1960s stereo lovingly updated by Jason) does not belong in that corner.  But it's the hub of our entertainment system and needs to house our modems.  We cannot find a longer cord in all of Mexico.  Our new friend is actually going to build one for us.

Through that door in the Dining Room is a little room between the front hallway, dining room, and the kitchen.  We use it primarily as the place to store jackets and bags, and as the Time Out space for naughty children.

Time out room leading to the kitchen

The kitchen.  We are lucky to have a dishwasher.  We use it on weekends when Cecilia is gone.

More kitchen

Through the windows over the sink you can see the stairs that lead up to the "servicio."  AKA Cecilia's room.

I claimed this little room off the kitchen (that is kitchen storage on the right) as my office.  I think it's maybe supposed to be for the "help" but sorry!  American.  I know not of these things.  That space is mine.

Through the kitchen (my "office" is behind me) is the door to the laundry, basement, and servicio.

Stairs up to Cecilia's room.  The window above is her bathroom.  The window on the left is the kitchen.

Ceci's door.  Remember this?

Ceci's room

We gave her that little TV, but we have no cable.  She somehow rigged a cord through her window that (I think?) is attached to the antenna on the roof.  I highly respect someone who goes to great lengths to watch TV.

Servicio bathroom

Our scary ass basement.  I will NOT go down there alone. That's just common sense.

I dare you.

Back through the kitchen, the time out space, and we pass the powder room on the way to the play room.

Toilet is to the right

The Play Room!  Watch your head.  That *hurts*

Every day dining table, toys toys toys, and Ellie.  Hi Ellie!

Best Playroom Ever.  Lots of natural light, tile floors, and direct access to the out-of-doors.

I love my table

Outside.   Let's play "Where's Jack?"  He's in there somewhere...

The lower window is our Living Room, the upper balcony is the Master

Looking back into the play room

He was playing in the dirt!  Did you find him?

Around to the front of the house, and there's the fountain.  The VERY FIRST THING Jack did when he saw it was jump in.  We drained it immediately.  I may plant flowers.  Or just leave it dry.  Less of an attractive nuisance.

Turning the corner...

Back to the front.

Let's go upstairs!

First door on the right is the Spare Room, then the Kids' Room, straight back is the kids' bathroom, and on the left is the Master Bedroom

Spare Room - come visit!!

Kids' Room.  Please note the awesome new curtains!

They really know how to do built-in storage here.  We don't even use the dresser we brought.

Kids' bathroom.  Used primarily for brushing teeth.  We only have showers, so the kids use ours.

Master Bedroom

More awesome storage on the left...

Including a walk-in closet

Our bathroom - in the reflection on the left you can kind of see our bitching steam shower.  If I can't have a tub, a steam shower is the next best thing.

Ellie gives our house a big thumbs up!

That's it. We have room - come visit!!

Cortinas

I left my house this week to go buy curtains and I will admit, I felt pretty cocky. I can totally do this.

The curtain situation in the house is ok - we have them. But they are very thin and transparent. It's as bright as the sun in the kids' room at nap time. I am more than a little embarrassed by my interim solution.

Yep, air mattresses and an old blanket

But this week I was going to fix it! I have been avoiding this (obviously) for 2 months. There is a fabric store in Prado Norte that I have scoped and even been referred to by fellow expats.  My general rule is if an expat recommends it, they probably have someone who speaks some sort of English.

Fancy fabric store.  With valet.

So off I go with one of the existing curtains from the kids' room. I figured showing an example would be easier than communicating measurements. My plan was to pick out fabric, pull out my curtain and say "dos." As a backup Cecilia even wrote something out for me. How would you say pinch pleats en Espanol? So with curtain and note in my purse I am ready to go.

Curtain in purse.  Check.

On the way I stop at a little street vendor and experience my best Spanish to date. I bought lights for our Christmas tree. For some strange reason ours don't work here. Something about the outlets? I don't know. Anyway adding to my hubris I have a fabulous conversation with the vendor. Color o blanco? Cuántos metros? I can DO this.

The fabric store was hopping and full of well dressed ladies. I pick my product find a helper and do my thing.    No one speaks English, but hey, an example and a note!  Happy with myself I pay and walk home. Granted it was a little more expensive than I had thought but who knows what custom curtains cost in Mexico? Not me.

Counter, note, curtain.  What could go wrong?

I get home and proudly show Cecilia my receipt.

Here is a picture of Cecilia back at the fabric store. Upon viewing my receipt she grabbed the kids and bolted out the door with me. Apparently I ordered 2 sets of curtains and curtain liners.  For those counting, that's 6 things too many.  I guess every time I said "dos" they added it on.

 She got me a huge refund.

Gracias Cecilia!!

The end product will be ready in 15 days.  Or maybe on December 15.  When I asked cuando? The response was "quince" - so we shall see....

Árbol de Navidad

How are we going to get a Christmas tree? Where will we find one? How will we get said tree from wherever to our house without owning car?

We puzzled through those questions many times. We even came to the usual solution of "we'll just buy a car!" until that opened the same Pandora's box of riddles that topic always does... And I need a tree now.

Then hooray! In a cab ride home from the grocery store we spot a tree "lot" up the street from our house next to our local taxi stand. The game plan: walk to the trees, pick one out, pay random cab driver extra to strap the tree to his car and take us home. That should work, right? Let's do this.

It's a Christmukkah miracle. The tree sellers had a pickup of course, complete with two kids who couldn't have been older than 7 to ride in the back, and they brought the tree (and us - in the cab - Ellie sooooo wanted to ride in the back with the other kids.  Sorry lil Americano) to our house. Jason tipped them handsomely.

It feels fantastic to have our tree up. This is starting to really feel like home.

PS Christmas trees are crazy expensive here. We chose a Douglas Fir (900 pesos) over the preferred Fraser Fir (a loco 2300 pesos!!) for obvious reasons.

Jack's preferred mode of transportation.  That is their identical "you're taking a picture now Mom?" face.

My girl.  3 going on 13

Hurry up Jack!

Christmas trees ahead!

Hard to tell but that is a maybe 5? 6? year old girl just standing in the back of the pickup, with our tree, as they drive us home.

Yay