Of Mothers-in-Law Part 2

(It took me so long to finish up the previous post - haha - what happened was I had to leave my laptop and so I saved what I had typed so far but of course I've got more to say. But try this way and that - I have to admit now that I do not know how to go back to that post and add on.....)

So, to continue...

I am not portraying myself as the dream daughter-in-law, wanting my husband's parents to stay permanently with us.

These are the reasons I want them to stay with us and they know it. Other people including relatives still don't quite believe it. But I don't care as long as my husband, his parents and my parents believe me.

1. The house will not be empty as is so often the case with many double-income households today - both husband and wife are out at work the whole day (and in some cases the whole night). I find it so wasteful that couples go out there, work very hard to buy a beautiful home that is empty all the time. Unless they have a live-in maid which makes it even more hard to swallow - you and your spouse work so hard for your beautiful home and the one who enjoys it day in day out is your maid. Why not also invite your aged parents or parents-in-law to enjoy the well- and hard-earned comforts of your industry?

2. Because we don't have children, we have not taken on the services of a live-in-maid. Instead we have a maid who comes in twice a week for 3 to 4 hours. Before my parents-in-law stayed with us, my husband and I had to bend our schedule to be around when the maid comes. After awhile, we just gave her the keys to the house so that she could come and go without bothering us. But now, my mother-in-law can "supervise" her and this makes so much sense. I always think it's so much smarter to have an elder around to supervise the maid whether it's house chores or babysitting the children - so that the children will not come to depend so much on the maid or to speak in the mother tongue of the maid.

3. Because I don't cook, having my in-laws staying with us ensures we finally get to eat wholesome home-cooked meals. Since I'm writing this after 18 months of their stay (13 months after I first started the Part 1 of this blog), we have both put on a lot of weight! We have been living outside and eating out for more than half our lives - since we left school, left our respective hometowns and come "prospecting for opportunities" in the big city. We have eaten out for so many years that the last 18 months have been pure gourmet paradise!

One friend told me that, in a nutshell, what I wanted of my in-laws was a housekeeper cum cook.

I think it's a win-win situation: I get my "housekeeper cum cook", they get to live out their lives with their son rather than being shuttled to an old folks' home.

Picture taken on 28 August 2010 at Larry's themed birthday party in Full Swing, a pub in SS3

They enjoy the weekly pub outing with us, having a Guinness or two, listening to the Vernon & Fats, the Friday night band, and dancing to a few numbers.

Patrons and staff of SS3 declare they are the oldest dancing couple as well as oldest customers there. Mom-in-law is 79 and dad-in-law is 85