Mexico's Independence Day Week

I missed "Only in Mexico Monday" this week because it was just one of those weeks where "if you can't say anything nice, don't say it at all".

Wednesday was Mexico's Independence Day celebration and leading up to the big festivities all I could think about was the state of Mexico right now and couldn't help but think "maybe it wasn't such a great idea to declare Independence, hombres". Yea, I said it. So now you know what kind of mood I've been in all week.

I will start off with the highlight of the week which happened on Tuesday. Kris and several of his agents flew up to Matamoros, drove across the border to Brownsville TX and picked up the first load of armored Suburbans. These Suburbans are amazing. They are monstrosities but they will stop a .50 caliber round so having the family tucked safe inside does a mother good when we take our trips. Kris' office is still a target of the drug cartels so any safety measures we can take is a step forward. (As I write this, Kris is picking up Lanny Breuer, an Assistant Attorney General, from the airport. I guess we aren't the only ones who think driving around Mexico City in an armored vehicle is a good idea.)

After he and the other agents picked up the Suburbans, they drove on over to Sam's Club and loaded up.



Yea, you laugh but try making fluffy mashed potatoes with the potatoes they have here. Root Beer is like gold so he stocked up for our own supply as well as enough for us to throw a Root Beer Float party with our friends. I guess that could be an "Only in Mexico Monday" post because where else would that be such a novelty?
Almost everything he picked up you can find here in Mexico but it's expensive so he took advantage of having a large vehicle to load up.

I only had a few things on my list I wanted him to get. Crisco is one of those things you can find if you look but it is expensive (even at the commissary it's over $8 for 48 oz can) and I can't make pie crust without it. Most people cook with what is called Manteca or as I like to call it: pig sludge. Manteca is revolting to me and I can trace it right back to having morning sickness and smelling it throughout the apartment complex we lived in our second month here. It used to not bother me but now I can't get away from the stuff fast enough. Thankfully Kris brought back enough Crisco for Thanksgiving pies and to share with friends who want it too. My other must have is Progresso Chicken noodle soup. Having already been sick the week before and having the kids getting sicker I would have done anything for chicken noodle soup I didn't have to make myself. Kris went nuts with everything else and it was like Christmas as he brought it all in.

After talking to one of the other spouses whose husband went up with Kris, we were actually very conservative with what we bought. Her husband spent almost 2 thousand dollars on food. The funny thing is, they are both Latinos from Texas but have been completely horrified by the food here. I don't know what she is used to but other than a few treats (like root beer and Hebrew National hot dogs) you can find what you need and it isn't that bad quality or price wise unless it's imported.

Back to the funky mood, I have no idea what brought it on. I think it may be a mix of things between the kids and I being sick and issues going on with us living here. I can't help but think it is sometimes better to be oblivious to what is going on here in Mexico City. Sometimes I wish I didn't speak Spanish so I had no clue when I was being ripped off or taken advantage of. I think the phrase "ignorance is bliss" would really serve me well so I could go about my daily excursions in a happy la-la mood with no idea of what was going on around me. What is frustrating is that I try to be courteous, honest and kind only to be taken advantage of time after time and ripped off more times that I can count.

There is a level of lawlessness here that you can only experience first hand. You think it's something you only see while driving (and trust me, rules while driving do not apply) but on more than one occasion I have learned the customer is never right and buyer must beware. Kris has it worse. With his job he is thrown into facing the corruption of Mexico's government face to face, having to work with people who he thinks are going to cooperate (and have promised as much) only to be thrown under the bus by them. As Americans we have a tendency to trust which doesn't work well here. I guess that's enough for anyone to have a bad week now and then while living here. What this has done is made Kris and I really appreciate what we have in the States. The boys have experienced several situations with us where we have been able to turn it around into a teaching experience where I hope they will come away with a better understanding of honesty and integrity.

Back to more positive things from the week:

Braedon lost his tooth Wednesday. It was one of those that didn't want to come out and hung on with all its might even though it was obviously time (the discoloration was a dead giveaway that it was way past its time if you have ever been there and know what I mean...ugh).



Saturday night I was watching TV and saw these kids wearing cute little crocheted hats. I thought I'd give it a try and while watching Glenn Beck I made one for Bronwyn. She wore it to church today. I don't know how I feel about it, whether I like the look or not. Right now I'm going more towards not liking the look but it might just be the shape I made this one, or maybe it only looks right on older girls. I'll make another and try a few different stitches and shapes to see what evolves. Maybe I need to go for the more lacy lighter look otherwise it looks like a fall/winter hat and too much for her little head. I love the look of baby bonnets on babies her age so I'll try those too and save this style for when she's a little older.