Our New Home

After driving to a Walmart in Guadalajara to stock up on some things, we drove to our new home in Ajijic. We've only leased it for a month and that was probably a good call. I've linked pictures that the rental agent put on the website. As always they show the best they can. The backyard actually looks like this now.

Yes, that is a construction worker, no zoom on the camara.  He's building a new Walmart directly behind the house.  There's about 6 houses identical to ours in the complex and a pool and rec area about 100 meters from our front door.  We went swimming yesterday and the kids had fun, but I was worried most of the time about the noise.  There is one other white, retired 

couple in the complex.  The rest are Mexican, but speak varying amounts of English.  The groundskeeper speaks none.  There is one other child, 6 year old Diego.  He and Riley are about the same size, so maybe they'll play together.

Our first night was exciting.  We ate macaroni and cheese, watermelon and yogurt.  Not exactly local.  We put the kids to bed.  Riley and Charlie in one room.  Milli and Jane in the other.  The girls share a bed, so that's been a fun adjustment.  After they went to bed, we had a visitor, our very first scorpion.  It was smaller than I had imagined, so not as creepy, but probably a better hider.  I don't worry too much, except Charlie would probably try to touch it if he found one.  We understand that the stings are mostly like a bee sting, unpleasant, but not deadly unless your allergic.  The neighbors said that the construction brings them out; they've found about 30.  I tried to take a picture of it but Dave killed it too fast.

In the morning, I was awakened by the sound of Walmart construction, roosters and Dave working in his office (my room).  While Dave worked, the kids and I unpacked, played and went for a walk.  We couldn't get very far as there was a lot of water in the streets.  Dave said that for over a week it had rained nonstop till the day we got there.  This is the street in front of our complex. Supposedly much lower than it has been all week.

After he worked a half day, we went to the Sorriana supermarket, did some more shopping and went out to lunch/dinner at a really good seafood restaurant.  Dave tried to order everything in Spanish, but luckily the waiter spoke English.  Dave is really picking up Spanish quickly, and I think with a pretty good accent.  I just can't get the words to come out of my mouth.  The kids and I tried to order in Spanish too, with some success.  Jane had been pretty cooperative about trying to say stuff, but Riley fought it pretty hard the first couple of days.  He seems to have realized he's going to have to try in order to understand and communicate.  

Saturday, we took the kids to the Lake Chapala Society for an art class.  They got to paint, color, draw, cut and paste.  And they get to try to sell the art.  That got them pretty excited.  There was a 15 year old Mexican boy that was amazing.  We signed up to be members and looked through the English library they have.  After lunch I took the kids swimming and met some more neighbors.  They let us know they were happy to have some well behaved kids in this house.  I hope they still feel that way at the end of the month.  Saw another scorpion.  Got burnt.

Today is Sunday.  We went to the Ajijic congregation of the LDS church, and met many people.  They've been so nice.  Dave and I are the only gringo members between the ages of 18 and 60, but that o.k.  A lot of the Mexicans spoke some English.  There were about 10 kids in the Primary Sunday School including ours.  They do the service in English and Spanish with translators and the bishop is from Idaho.

And now I'm caught up.

So far I miss Ziplock bags, an ironing board and the kids friends (I could always pawn off my kids when they got on my nerves), but I still think this will be a great experience.