Monday, March 15, 2010

maybe i'm the one who has it all wrong...

when i had samil, i was laid up for a few days because i'd had a c-section. dominicans are good about taking care of sick people - or at least they're present during sicknesses. i think it comes from the fact that you can't just leave someone in the hospital. so, if someone gets hospitalized, they need to be accompanied 24 hours of the day. and who doesn't like to hang out with sickies?

i'm kind of independent. and i didn't like the idea of having someone to "take care" of me. my mom was around for a few days after he was born - and then. then amalio's step-mom came. i had resigned myself to the fact that she needed to be here. see, there are all kinds of hilarious post-partum beliefs that range from the new-mom only being allowed to eat fish soup to new-mom not being allowed to wet her head for 42 days. and since i'm against all kinds of non-logical beliefs (i understand the hair thing to some degree, but still think it's ridiculous) and she is all for non-logical beliefs, i knew we'd butt heads.

never did i imagine she would show up to take care of me with a slew of children in tow. okay, that's an exaggeration. there were only two. but they were two children who had never been to the city and were used to living on a farm. to my small, small apartment. me, laid up in bed with a brand new baby.

i was livid.

and my anger only grew as everytime the damn kids asked to play outside, SHE SAID NO. because "the city is dangerous" and "you don't know those kids playing out there."

recap. me, in bed with a c-section. new baby. crazy step-mother-in-law. two kids who spend all day, every day playing with cows now locked in my apartment.

it's amazing i didn't suffer from post-partum depression.

okay, all of that was to say this.
our neighbors are moving. they bought a house on tuesday and are moving today. well, at least that was their plan. except they went to the capitol this weekend and still haven't packed a single box. besides the point, that is.

when they came home from the capitol, they came with the whole family to help. because dominicans aren't just good with sickness, they're good at helping people move, too.

what does this have to do with my post-partum story?
they showed up with 4 adults and about 20 kids. really? you have not one box packed and you want your house filled with every kid from the campo? and on top of it, they left their 3 year old daughter home from school today. TO HELP.

i love kids. i love to have kids around. and my house usually has at least one borrowed child. doing crafts, singing, dancing. playing.

but to have all those kids around during times when something really needs to get done? i don't think i could handle it.

is it me? am i wrong?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

We would not want to say that word but you are not, but then you are not right either. That's not only in the way you feel, but in your head also. It's not like you can yell and tell the kids to get the hell out of the yard next store, and send them over to the back lot to play. You are in the Dominican people have different ways. Think of the Kennedys, and all things will come to pass.
Daddy loves his little girl! Also Amley the little food bandit.