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Thursday, December 27, 2018

Merry Christmas

December has gotten away from me (what else is new?).  As usual much has happened, but I want to write a Christmas post before anything else.

Today was the third time in these three weeks that my Christmas tree has been knocked over--Emily two times, Norte once.  Miraculously, my grandmother's glass christmas ball has survived intact... most of my hand painted salt dough ornaments, however have been glued and re-glued.  Today I put away all the breakable ornaments because I'd had it up to here.

Emily is in love with the Christmas tree and it's pretty cute.  She kisses it good night and hugs it.  She hangs all manner of strange things on it and has tied ribbons of some of the boughs.  It is easy to see how all the love and affection has lead to more than one accident.  As for Norte, he pulls the Christmas balls off the tree to chew them and thus pulled down the whole tree!

Our Christmas was a strange one to say the least.  Toward the end of dinner Christmas Eve Emily began complaining that her ear hurt.  I gave her some tylenol and put her to bed.  She woke up at about 11:30 screaming in pain.  So we spent Christmas eve in the ER (thankfully, there was no one there and we were seen right away).  Emily was diagnosed with an outer ear infection!  She still has her cough and is using an inhaler morning and evening for that... The poor kid is has to go around with an entire drugstore in tow. :(

Santa wearily prepared gifts when we got back from the ER, but our Christmas morning was a near fail because Angelines and I have had zero time to buy each other (or ourselves) gifts.  I was proud of myself because we had purchased Emily's few gifts weeks ahead of time...otherwise, she very well might have had nothing!  But my sweet, considerate girl observed sadly as she choked back tears, that Santa didn't bring anything for Mommy or Mamá. :(

I am not a present person.  Don't get me wrong, I love finding the perfect gift for someone and seeing the look on their face when they open it; but I do not like giving for giving's sake.  If I can't come up with a gift that I think will actually be appreciated and used, I prefer to give nothing.  The pressure at Christmas to get a gift for everyone is just annoying most of the time.  Really, here in Spain, there is less of that consumerist take on things: or maybe it is just Angelines and my family here; but we don't fret about gifts and hardly give Christmas presents.  It is such a relief, honestly to just enjoy the season without stressful last-minute shopping.  If I get one little thing and Christmas, I am happy, and I do my best to get something small for Angelines, but this year was impossible.  I won't rule out a King's Day gift, but Christmas was too soon to get anything lined up.

Of course, I couldn't explain any of that to my four-year-old who was visibly effected by Santa's lack of consideration for her parents.  I did my best to explain to her that my very favorite gift at Christmas is spending time with her and Mamá...but that didn't comfort her much.  I think part of it was lack of sleep.  She was out of sorts all morning and wouldn't even eat pancakes for breakfast.  Around 11 she began crying that her ear was hurting again and when the medicine finally kicked in, she fell asleep on the couch and slept for a good three hours.

I confided in Angelines that I was very sad because of how sad Emily had obviously been for us.  As I was tidying up the house with a sleeping, sick baby on the couch, my Christmas elf snuck out and went down the road to the gift shop at a truck stop near town--the only thing open Christmas day!--and bought a gift for me and herself. :)  When she arrived home with the presents, I sent her back for one more little thing for Emily just because.

When Emily woke up, she found a second note from Santa who explained that apparently he had got all the way back to the North Pole only to discover that he had forgotten to give Mommy and Mamá their presents...and one more for her!  He claimed it was his age... ;)  Anyway, since she had fallen asleep again, he'd snuck back in the house to leave the presents in our stockings.

Emily was thrilled!  And so happy for both of us.  Angelines had found some cheesy stamp pens for her, but she was obvioulsy much more excited about OUR presents than her own.  What a sweet girl.  It was a true Christmas moment.

I hope your Christmases were merry and bright.  I promise another more newsy post soon.
XO and happy holidays!

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Thanksgiving :)

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  As always, we celebrated turkey day on the nearest available Saturday to the actual holiday.  This year that meant yesterday.  Our gathering was a bit smaller than other years, just 12 of us total.  I had invited my co-teacher and her son, but she is still not well enough to do much, although she is, thankfully, out of the hospital.  She is muslim and so I had specially ordered a halal turkey for this years celebration.  I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but the bird this year was the best I've ever cooked...and I have cooked some good turkey in my time abroad (if I do say so myself!). ;)

On Thursday, Emily came home from school absolutely beat and so I fed her some oatmeal and sent her to bed.  She was asleep by 6:30!  That is an unbelievably early bed time by Spanish standards, as some of you may know.  Anyway, her early retirement left me with plenty of time to do some Thanksgiving prep work as I had warned my friends that I would only be doing the turkey, stuffing, cranberry relish and "pumpkin" pie this year.  I made the pie crust and baked the sweet potatoes (remember I have taken to making sweet potato pie and passing it off for pumpkin...).  I even got the cranberry relish out of the way.

Friday all that was left to do upon arrival in La Roda was bake the pie, make the stuffing and brine the bird.  This year I brined in my own special concotion of herb-infused salt water, broth, vinegar and orange juice (oranges from our own tree).  The brining is the trick for a really moist turkey.  This year it was absolutely succulent!  Even the breast was tender and juicy.

Since Emily was so well rested, she woke up VERY early on Saturday and helped me get the turkey prepared.  She stuffed it all by herself and had a great time rubbing oil and salt all over it. It was adorable how excited she was for Thanksgiving.  When she saw the turkey she giggled giddily and exclaimed, "it's a BIG, fat turkey!"  And all morning she kept asking when our friends would be arriving. Thanks to my little chef's help, we got everything set and in the oven quite early.  This was the first year that I've had everything baked and ready by the time my guests were arriving.  The turkey was actually getting cold because some of them were particularly punctual, as Spaniards are known to be.  It was a nice change not to be madly stirring gravy or burning my hands carving a scalding turkey while my guests were hungrily snacking on jamón and cheese. ;)

Our dinner was delicious, but most importantly we had a really wonderful time all afternoon and evening.  Among the guests were a 6 and 10-year-old boy who really thought Norte was the best.  The three of them were playing wildly in the patio for most of the evening.  Norte was in heaven...and so worn out when they left!

I am so grateful for such wonderful friends who so willingly collaborate to help me celebrate the very best of American holidays.

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Sea legs

So as long as I'm up, at the computer and with my blog open...I may as well go for another post, right??? 

I wanted to post briefly that I feel I've finally got my sea legs under me in the classroom.  The first month-and-a-half at school I was working with a substitue teacher (who was fantastic!) while my teaching partner from South Africa was getting her visa details sorted out.  It took far longer than anyone anticipated, which is why they had to call in a long-term sub to start the school year.  Although he was a fantastic teacher and a calming presence in the classroom, it was stressful knowing that everything would change once the "real" teacher got here.

Now that she has been here for a full month, I am really starting to feel like I have direction and I know what I'm doing.  She is incredibly knowledgeable, very kind, gentle and soft spoken with the children, but also firm and demanding in her expectations of excellence from them.  I love her!  We are very much on the same page and I feel we make a really wonderful team.

Sadly, the move to Spain has been extremely stressful for her and a combination of stress and strange European viruses have got her feeling so bad that last Wed. she was admitted to the hospital!  I was not entirely alone in the classroom as the teacher coordinator was assiting me; but I was the one who knew what the kids' routine has been, what they've been working on and what they should continue, what new things could be presented, etc...

I was so proud of myself for being able to calmly take over the classroom and really keep the kids generally quite on track.  Of course, that is due in a very large part to all the groundwork laid jointly with my co-teacher in these past weeks, but still, if this had happened in the first weeks of school, I probably would have fainted on the spot or run home crying! 

Friday is art in the 1.5 hours after recess before going home and I felt so in control of the situation.  The night before I had the brainchild to experiment with color gradation.  They had previously done something similar with black and shades of grey.  So during the 30 min. of recess, I was madly making up an example, marking white cardstock so they could quickly draw a grid using a ruler, setting up the tables with palettes, brushes and water...  It went smooth as silk, and some of our most "difficult" children were completely absorbed in the activity.  I even had them finish in time to get the classroom cleaned up and in shape for them to go home on time. ;) 

I am very concerned for my co-teacher and hope she's back very soon, but I must say that Friday I was feeling pretty smug: large and in-charge! ;)



Birthday Bash!

Sweet potato cake with cinamon buttercream frosting.
Delicious...despite the extra butter!
 Here are some pictures from Emily's TWO birthday parties. ;)  Half as many parties as she is old!  Our second party in La Zubia was really fun and so, so easy.  I love homemade cakes and personalized parties with fun, crafty party favours, etc. but something like that just wasn't in the cards for her second party in Granada. There's no way I would have had time to bake a cake, much less deccorate a place, and arrange some kind of entertainment/craft for the kids... 

The ball park turned out to be the best deal ever!  It was 9 euros per child (not counting the birthday girl) and included EVERYTHING.  That is and hour + of play time, snack, drinks, cake, a little gift for the birthday girl and bag of party favours for the guests.  Then for an extra 20 euros you could hire a magician for a magic show.  We did that too.  It was a big hit--all of it. 

I wasn't so keen on the idea of the junky snack they prepare, but one day of that kind of garbage never hurt a kid.  Emily was thrilled.  She was pounding down the little corn puffs (like cheetos without the cheese power) and probably drank four glasses of chocolate milk!  They also served ham sandwiches and nutella sandwiches (eye roll).  Then there was chocolate cake for all.  I don't know how she didn't end up with a tummy ache, but all the kids seemed pretty excited to have free rein of whatever they wanted to eat.  I did feel slightly guilty, because it does go against my general beliefs of healthy eating and how we're raising Emily...but like I say, desperate circumstances call for desperate measures.  And really it was fantastic to be able to just take her there and have everything ready and prepared--absolutely zero headache.

Her jack-o-lantern came out for the party, too!
We even paid a little extra to have some savoury puff pastries and drinks of choice (coffee, tea, soda, beer...) out for the parents who stayed.  I spent the whole party sipping a coffee and chatting with other parents while Angelines watched over Emily. :)  The place has adult supervisors inside the three-floor ball park jungle gym, but that was a little too much for Emily.  She only stayed in there for about 20 min.  The big play area is designated for 4-11 year old kids and there is a separate area for the 3 and unders.  Emily had two guests who were "under-aged" and playing in the baby zone.  In the end she and two other four-year-olds opted to join them.  The owners were flexible, as originally they had said that the older kids were not allowed in the baby zone, but of course, Emily and her friends were better behaved than some of the 2-year-olds in there.  The only down side was that a parent was required to be in there with the little ones whereas the older kids were totally on their own.

We all bought Birthday hats and Emily was SO exited
...just not showing it in this picture!
The magic show was a surprising hit with Emily!  I didn't think she would be very game at all to go with the magician and participate in his act as I was pretty sure the birthday girl would be called to do.  I was such a shy child and couldn't stand being the center of attention in those kinds of situations where people might laugh at me.  I distinctly remember refusing to hit the piñata at a friend's party when I was around her age because I couldn't stand the thought of missing and having everyone there staring and laughing.  Emily has no such problem apparently.  She proudly identified herself as the birthday girl and then happily accompanied him up to the front to do some magic with him.  She got pretty into it.  He asked for her total concentration and "magician face" (which was a pretty terrible grimmace)...scroll down to the pictures, you'll laugh!

Friends and cousins in the bar. :)
Although the party food was less than healthy and the party itself was not so personalized as her fiesta in La Roda, I was really happy about one thing in particular: no presents!  There is a parent Whatsapp group at school and a mom propsed a very novel idea to save money and keep gifts in line with parents' values, etc.: rather than bringing a gift to the party, the parents will buy something in the name of all the school friends present.  It sounds strange, but it's actually a great idea.  All of the parents who have agreed to this idea are on a list and when your child is invited a listed child's bday, all you have to do is show up.  There is no worrying about what to buy or what the child is interested in or what the parents may or may not approve of; you just go and have fun!  From the parents' side of things, you save money NOT buying presents for other kids and can therefore afford to spend a bit more on your own child and buy them an extra something "from their friends" that is in accordance with your own values, etc.  Emily's friends gave her the magic show as a gift.  Several kids also brought beautiful handmade cards and pictures for her. So although in some ways it was your stereotypical junk-food party, it was really wonderful that everyone who came was just there to have fun, celebrate and be with Emily.  In my opinion it was really what a birthday should be about.  There was none of the gift comparing, greedy ripping through wrapping paper, or faking (or not) that you like someone's present.  It was just so much more natural.  All the kids had a blast and Emily most of all. :)

Following strict directions to carefull hold the glass while concentrating on her "magician's face".
Along the lines of birthday greed/consumerism, there was a birthday party of 30 kids there that same day.  The birthday kid walked out of there with several garbage bags full of gifts...  When you get so much, you value very little, in my opinion (and experience).  A thoughtfully drawn picture means so much more, and when it's not compared to some fancy Barbie doll all the better.

Emily didn't miss the presents one bit.

To respect different parents' wishes about kids' pictures online, this is the only one I'll post...but they were a cute bunch. ;)

Saturday, November 10, 2018

One down, one to go...

The birthday party was a success; though we have decided that next year we will just have a party in Granada with her school friends.  We celebrated at the bar like last year, but it was virtually exclusively family, which means not many kids her age.  Only one little friend from town was there...  Emily didn't seem to mind not having friends to play with.  She is very accostumed to adult company and this is actually something we're trying to work on now that she's in school: relating to peers and making friends her own age.  She has bonded more with her teachers than any of her classmates.  With that in mind, having a birthday part in Granada with school friends is, I think, especially important.  Thus the title of this post: one (party) down and one to go. ;)

This week completely got away from us.  We were still recovering from our colds (me my sore throat and Emily bronchitis), and this week we were struck by a stomach bug!  All of the teachers at school were ill.  We were dropping like flys!  Tuesday I was in class alone since my teaching partner was sick at home with some kind of flu.  And then I went home Wed. after throwing up at school.  Thankfully Thurday, I was much better.  In my case, at least it seems to have been a 24-hour bug.  But then around 5am on Friday Emily was throwing up in bed.  Angelines isn't in Granada with us after Thursday mornings because she comes back to La Roda to open the bar.  I had no one to leave Emily with and so ended up not working Friday either!

Anyway, between hospital visits (we visited the ER because Emily's cough didn't seem to be improving even after using the inhaler for 3 days) and stomach bugs, we have had no time to research places in La Zubia to celebrate a birthday party.  I am hoping to get things lined up today because searching online I found a fun ball park, indoor play place very near our piso in Granada, and be able to celebrate with her friends on Wednesday.

So somehow in the time after school, I'll have to find time to make another cake and organize the food and party favours for a second fiesta.  My coconut and sweet potato cakes came out delicious!  I mistakenly read the buttercream frosting recipe when measuring the butter for the sweet potato cake, though and so put in half again as much butter as needed!!  It came out more brownie-like than cakey, but it was still delicious and everyone was surprised by how good it was.  When they heard "sweet potato", many said they prefered the coconut, but once they tried it, everyone wanted more.  As party favours we had beads and elastic string so the kids (or adults) could make their own little souvenir bracelettes. :)

I'm thinking of making invitations and a piñata with Emily today if I can get ahold of the place today and confirm the reservation.  It is a lot of work and bother, honestly, but I really do think that a party with her friends is important.  It's a great way to get a lot of them together outside school and build closer relationships in a different setting.  So... here we go.

I left my camera with party pics in La Zubia, sorry this is such a bland post.

Friday, November 2, 2018

Happy Halloween

So it looks as though I'm pretty much on the mark for my once-a-month blog post. :(  I had hoped to squeeze one in before the first.  This week has been a vacation week for me, so I really thought I'd be able to get that done, but...
Anyway, there is so much to tell, but I really just wanted to share a few pictures from our pumpkin carving.  Emily was so excited.  This was the extent of our Halloween celebrating, but she kept talking about the halloween party in the kitchen, :)  Poor kid.  There were no costumes or trick-or-treating and that party at school was canceled (to be rescheduled) because of inclement weather.
She drew out a pumpkin face and then I carved it into a jack-o-lantern.  Can you guess which of the two, she designed??  The other is for the bar.  When we lit the candle inside, I exclaimed, "Spooky Halloween!" and she caught onto that repeating throughout the day, "Smokey Halloween!" :)


This week has been a really much needed break.  But as so often happens when you're going non-stop and then suddenly stop, I started getting sick on Monday and by Wednesday evening had been prescribed antibiotics.  My throat has never in my life been so sore.  I can feel the inflamation (still), and I felt as though I was swallowing razors.  Even water, stung and burned as it went down!  Wednesday morning I went to the doctor here in La Roda and because I didn't have a fever, he prescribed nothing more than garggling with salt water and a painkiller/anti-inflamatory pilll.  We got a second opinion at 6:30 because I was near tears every time I had to swallow.  The second doctor shouted in disbelief when he saw my gigantic, red, tonsils (complete with puss pockets).  He said he couldn't believe I hadn't had a fever.  Now, after a full 48 hours on the antibiotics, I am feeling noticeably better.  I can swallow without grimmacing, though my throat is still very sore and I can still feel the inflamation.

Tomorrow we're celebrating Emily's fourth birthday (actually on Sunday).  I am up late in the kitchen finishing off her cakes.  She's asked for coconut and sweet potato!  ...Not exactly your run-of-the-mill four-year-old, right?  I always make two just to be sure we have enough.  This year I've also bought fondant and food coloring, so we'll see if my creativity gets flowing tomorrow. ;)

I promise a post party post (hehehe).  So that will bring up my monthly average slightly. ;)

Hugs for now.

Friday, October 5, 2018

Once a Month...?

I think that if I set a post-per-month goal for myself, I may actually be able to achieve it!  Sorry to be so silent. I am sure you've all been on pins and needles since my last post wondering about school, etc. ;)

Truthfully, I just re-read that last post of mine from September first, just barely a month ago, and it feels like years have gone by since then.  The transition to life in two places, 40-hour work weeks, and school for Emily has been much harder than I had ever imagined.  I am exhausted.  Emily is exhausted.  Angelines is exhausted...and Norte is a pain-in-the-rear puppy!

On the bright side, our piso is feeling a bit homier, though I am hoping we'll be able to reneg on our contract and find a nicer place.  At least now we have internet, so we aren't cut off from the world from Mon-Fri!  We've had some lovely visits with workmates (after hours, of course) and also a few playdates with kids from Emily's class in hopes of getting her more quickly feeling comfortable in such a radically different situation.

All of the staff are wonderfully supportive and our principal and teacher coordinator are eager to hear from us with suggestions for improvements.  The work environment itself is really fantastic.  It just isn't easy to have so much new all at once.  It's hard on me, but it's even harder on me to be dealing with my own work stress (adjusting to new roles, and changing schedules, etc) and on top of that be understanding and empathetic toward Emily and Angelines who are both all new to anything outside La Roda.  All that means is that there is zero sympathy left for poor Norte who is in the midst of his doggy teenage years and is testing limits and chewing endlessly! :(

The craziness of it all, and the obvious lack of internet (until just this past Monday), can account for my blogging absence.  I won't pretend like I'll have a lot more time from here until Christmas though...but I do hope to get in at least one more post before November!

Oh!  One really, REALLY great thing that has happenend just this week is that I was able to schedule my final exam for December!!!  I called on Tuesday to make the appointment thinking that I just needed to bite the bullet and do it already.  When I expressed dismay at my first choice, date being unavailable, the woman offered I do it in December...  I couldn't BELIEVE my good luck!  I wanted to kiss her through the phone!  Apparently there is an option to leave the exam until December and I had no idea.  I will now be doing it on December 11th.  So it is still close enough that I need to keep my motivation up for studying, but far enough away that I am sure I'll actually be prepared when the time comes. :)  Yippeeee!

And now it's nearly 10pm and I need to go to sleep.  The weekend isn't long enough to get me back to normal before we're at it again...

Goodnight all.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Welcome September

As is becoming the norm nowadays, there is so much to say that I don't know where to begin.  Summer has been a whirl.  Rather than my usual 20-hour work weeks, I was putting in an extra day all through the summer in an attempt to do my part to help make up for losses from the fair fiasco.  This past week has been my only "vacation".  But this year's vacation just means that I haven't been working at the academy... Tuesday and the better part of Wednesday morning we were in Granada scouring the piso in the un-airconditioned heat.  It has been nice, however, to just be at home; and of course it felt good to get some headway made on making our place in Granada a little more home-like.

The really wonderful thing about this summer has been that although I've been working more hours per week, it was only in the mornings nine to two.  My schedule has been getting up around 6:30 to walk the dog and eat and shower in a leisurely manner before heading to work, get home for lunch at 2:30, have quiet time with Emily from about 3:15-4:00, and then spend three hours at the city pool until closing time at 7pm.  Then it's home to walk Norte, bathe Emily, have dinner and put her down to be around 10.  Usually have and hour or so to myself before I must hit the hay myself.  Not a bad schedule, right?

I know that I am going to miss my five-hour days at this new job.  Working from 8:30-4:30 will be a big transition for all of us, so I have been savouring these lazy days by the pool.  I've got four books in this summer!  That's a record!  It has been over a year that I haven't read something that was directly related to my studies or childrearing. (kind of the same thing, really)  In just two months of shady afternoons between splashing in the pool, however, I've managed to fit in three novels and a book on psychology.  Not too shabby. ;)

The pool has also been really great for Emily.  For some reason she often says she doesn't want to go when I suggest going after it becomes clear during quiet time that she isn't actually going to take a nap; but once we get there she always has a blast. 

As you can imagine in a place like Southern Spain, the pool is THE social hub in summer.  The whole town is there.  Everyone brings their iceboxes and chairs and sits around socializing in the shade of the big, leafy trees that dot the lawn around the pool.  It's such a big area that even with lots of people it never feels very crowded. 

We bought month passes and so have gone nearly every day.  With such frequent visits, we've made friends with different groups of people we don't often coincide with.  Emily, being the social butterfly that she is, loves flitting from group to group chattering away about this or that, dancing for them, or mooching candy and other junk food I refuse to buy her.  The attention from other adults and the interaction with children of all ages has been great for her. 

As you know Emily's never even been to pre-school and so has very limited experience relating with her peers.  She always tends to get along better with (or at least to charm) adults, but these two months at the pool have helped her Spanish improve, which I think was a main impediment to relating with children her age.  Today she was happily sharing a squirty water toy with another little boy and they were both industriously watering (drowning) a little plant growing in the cracks of the pavement near the pool.  It warms my heart to see her enjoying these rewarding social interactions.  And I hope that these experiences have paved the way for her to be a little more open about going to school.

School begins for me on Monday (!).  I am not actually overly nervous...at least not at this moment.  Perhaps on my early morning drive into Granada I'll have a nervous break-down. ;)  This week, since Emily won't be going to school until the 11th, I am commuting.  The elementary students begin on the 6th and so Thursday I'll have real, live students in my classroom--how exciting! 

This past Tuesday when we were in Granada cleaning, I met with some more of the staff at the school to discuss the school year.  It is all very exciting.  I am unsure how or when I'll have time to study for my final exams, which are in October.  But I do suppose that having some access to REAL materials will be helpful.

Things will definitly be accelerating for us in these coming weeks, but I do hope I can squeeze in some blog updates.

Until next time!

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Slightly Disasterous...

Slightly disasterous is how I would qualify our debute in the new home in Granada.  Never fear, I would like to emphasise slightly rather than disasterous, all the same it was a rough welcoming.

Our home-hunting at the end of July was rushed and frenetic.  We had two different appartments (our budget doesn't allow for house rental) rented out from under us!  When we lost the second one, we were desperate because it seemed as though everything was being taken up and if we waited any longer there just wouldn't be anything available come September.  Thankfully, the real estate agency that had shown us a few places had a flat open up that met our needs the very same day we were given the negative on that second apartment.  Sight unseen (if you don't count photos), we agreed to rent it and paid the 400 euro reservation fee.

Tuesday we drove to Granada to sign the contract and get the keys.  We had originally wanted to wait until September, but the owner of this particular place said we had to sign by August 15th at the latest or look for somewhere else to rent because he didn't want to have the place empty a whole month especially with the high demand for swimming pools (it has a pool) during these hot summer days.

We grudgingly agreed...and so now we're paying half a month's rent without much chance to even be in the place.  It's not, however, all bad news.  I asked to take vacation the last week of August since I was anticipating this move and now, there won't be any need to ask favors of the landlord to let us in a few days early in order to get settled before my work begins September 3rd.

Anyway, as I said, we drove to Granada after "quiet time" Tuesday to sign the papers, taking advantage of the fact that Wednesday was a national holiday (no work for me) and therefore planning to stay the night.  Our seven o'clock appointment to sign the papers ended up lasting over an hour!  Then we hurriedly followed the owner to the apartment, where he gave us a quick tour, after which point we dashed off to the school to meet the director and her girls (one of whom will be in Emily's group) and also actually see the school.

I had originally arranged to meet the director and her family at the school around eight o'clock...but it was about quarter to nine by the time we got there (!).  Thank goodness this is Spain!  They very graciously had waited for us and then proceeded to give us a tour of the school--no rush.

Norte, meanwhile had been a mess at the real estate agent's (we couldn't leave him in the car with the temperatures above 90º), and I am quite certain he caused a very bad impression on our landlord, who was iffy about the dog in the first place.  The last thing the man said to us before driving away was to be careful with the dog and the furniture. :(  Being the persnickety dog that he is, he also hadn't gone to the bathroom at all since around 5:30 when we loaded him in the car.  He will ONLY go in the empty lot next to our house.  Only very recently has he begun doing his business just over the RR tracks when we take him out on his walks, but even then, he has a specific place (now covered in dog turds) and he refuses to go anywhere else!

We let him run a bit around the school grounds, but Angelines wasn't comfortable with that because she was worried he'd break some of the things they had out for the children to play with.  She ended up taking him for a walk while Emily and I were given a tour of the classrooms, etc.

At the school, things calmed down a bit.  Emily and the director's daughters warmed up to each other and began playing.  They fed the rabbits kept in the playground (a BIG hit with Emily!) and watered the flower pots.  Emily kicked off her shoes, seeming quite comfortable and just enjoyed exploring about.  I was especially pleased by all that because several times now she has unexpectedly broken into tears at bedtime crying that she doesn't want to "go to school".  Seeing the building and meeting some friends I think will help a lot toward changing her mind, although I'm sure there will still be many tearful nights (and mornings/days) when the day actually comes.

It was exciting to see where I'll be working.  It was also, honestly, a bit daunting to think about because suddenly it was all so real: thrilling and scary all at once.  I am really looking forward to beginning and I think that it will be perfect for me that my actual job description is as a teaching assistant.  I'm looking at this as a very well-paid apprenticeship. :)  I cannot wait to start!

Finally, around ten, we climbed back in the car to head "home".  In our hurry to leave the house I had been quickly throwing food and dishes into the car, but despite planning to make omelettes for dinner, I realized only once we'd got everything unpacked, that the frying pan had been left behind! Luckily, I had thought to throw in some leftover rice and so Emily ate that, but neither Angelines or I even felt very hungry.  With the stress of the evening, we'd both completely lost our appetites.  We snacked on some chips I'd quickly bought at a corner store, chinese-firedrill-style, as we idled at a red light when Angelines had suddenly decided she needed ice to put on a nasty bee sting she'd got earlier that afternoon before leaving the house--her whole wrist was getting quite swollen.
My little hikers :)

And just to top things off, Norte STILL hadn't gone to the bathroom. For fear of him barking and/or doing his business on the small balcony, we opted to leave him in his kennel overnight.  He whined and yipped some, but quieted down after not too long.  I was woken up around 2 am by his crying and took him out for half an hour...to no avail.  Then again at 6 am...same story.  Only when Angelines left him out on the little balcony at around 7am did he finally let loose.  ...I only hope this doesn't become a habbit.  We cannot have him peeing and pooping out on the terrace!

Wednesday morning after breakfast, we all took a hike in the natural park area at the top of town (about 3 min. drive).  It's a lovely pine-covered area with wonderful views of the entire vega granadina and the capital city of Granada.  The town we're living in is just at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the whole town is therefore built on an incline.  It really is a beautiful area...I wish we could have found a piso a bit closer to that natural park.  In any case, it's fun to think of getting to really explore and know the area.  And the vegitation is a welcome change from the monotonous beauty of the olive groves in La Roda.

After our walk, we did a bit of shopping for the piso (bathmat, stool for Emily, silverware, etc.) and then decided it was best to just head back to La Roda for lunch.  Emily and I took a very quick dip in the pool, which is nice, and then we packed our things and wearily headed home.

I had originally thought we'd spend the day in Granada...but the apartment doesn't have AC and Angelines had had it up to here with just about everything.  Staying there certainly would have been a terrible way to spend the holiday.  Coming back was a wise decision--there's no place like home.

...I just hope we can make that little place in Granada feel like home away from home in not too much time.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

A few more Emily-isms

I finally skyped with my mom for the first time in about 2.5 weeks Thursday evening and after we jointly got Emily to bed (Ga read her a bedtime story), I called her back for some quality mother-daughter conversation.  Emily may be small, but she really does have a magnetic personality and also a demanding presence.  When she is awake, Ga is all hers and I can't get a word in edgewise!  Of course, even without her in the room, our conversation gravitated toward the subject of Emily.  As I was retelling all the anecdotes, my mother asked if I had written them down... I decided that to write them down, I may as well share them with all of you. ;)

Enjoy!
***
Today arranging to pick up abuelita and go clean up at the bar I hung up saying, "hasta ahora".  Suddenly Emily asked, "Mommy, what's astora?"  I told her in meant "see you in a minute" or "see you later" and after a slight pause she piped up with, "Astora, Crocodile!"
***
The other day at quiet time we were reading books and she asked me to read her Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, Said the Sloth by Eric Carle.  This particular edition has a forward by Jane Goodall, who apparently also loved sloths.  There is a picture of Ms. Goodall and Mr. Carle heading the forward.  As I was about to turn the page to begin the story, Emily suddenly asked me, "Why Grandma Laura is in this book?"  (She never inverts the subject and verb when making questions)  I hesitated for a moment because I didn't know what she was talking about.  Grandma Laura is my childhood best friend's mother...

I didn't immediately see the relationship with the book, but sure enough upon a closer look at the picture of Jane Goodall--hair pulled back in a grey bun, smiling face and decidedly "hippy" looking clothes--I realized that Emily was confusing her for my second mom!

I was impressed by my daughter's memory: we haven't seen Laura (not even on Skype) for at least six months, and unfortunately we don't have very frequent contact, at least not via video conference.  Very funny, indeed and I am sure that Grandma Laura will be pleased by the comparison.
***
Lately she is curious about weddings.  This all hppened because, as you know, our anniversary is the 4th of July and I explained that to her.  She was very interested and a few weeks later asked me some of the same questions again (what do you do in a wedding? why do you give each other rings?) as if to double check that I'd give the same answers.  When she seemed satisfied with my answers she began to tell me about her wedding, when she "married herself" :)  

On another ocasion she explained that in her wedding she married her friend Defnonna (an invisible friend who coincidentally lives in Visible--her imaginary land).  I have no idea where the name Defnonna came from...  Mommy, when Defnonna and me got married, we gived each other rings and ballet dresses and crowns and... (the list went on).  Cool wedding, Emily!  

Monday, July 16, 2018

The Times They Are A Changin'

June went by in a whirlwind, but I have been purposely avoiding the blogosphere.  Although I am fairly certain that my only readers are you dear friends and family...you never can be sure. 

As I'm sure you remember, I am finishing my studies to become a certified Montessori Guide for 3-6 year-olds.  The degree actually ends in October, but looking to the future, I decided I should begin sending out my CV this spring just to see what happened.  October is too late to begin looking for a job for the 2018/19 school year.  I was also worried that if there was too much of a lapse between finishing my studies and getting into the classroom, I would become far less marketable, especially considering that my degree has been 100% online and much of what we're learning is very hands-on.

In April and May I began seriously searching.  I won't go into details here since it is a public forum, but let it be said that it's been a reaffirming experience.  I was even offered the chance to do two weeks student-teaching at the beginning of June after interviewing at a school and jumped at the opportunity.  For two weeks I was commuting to Córdoba every morning and working afternoons at the academy.  It was so illuminating and also humbling to be in the classroom and OBSERVE the guides/children in action.  It was a wonderful experience.

Now that a contract has been signed, I feel confident announcing that in September I will begin teaching at a school in Granada!  Emily will be able to attend school free.  I am so happy and proud that I can give her something different from what is otherwise offered.  And, of course, the location is just icing on the cake!  It's actually a small town on the outskirts of Granada capital--even better in my mind.

I have rediscovered my love of Simon and Garfunkel this past week, and with such big changes on the horizon what better title for this post??  The times cetainly are a changin'!  We have to find somewhere to live in Granada and figure out what to do with our house here in La Roda (right now we're hoping to rent it).  At least this first year, we'll be living between Granada and La Roda since we won't be selling or renting the bar.  Angelines only opens Thurs-Sun so we'll be back on the weekends, which I think will be nice for my in-laws and for Emily because she dearly loves her abuelita and her tita.

This month and until September I don't have anymore classes for my Montessori studies (summer vacation), but now I am very motivated to keep up with it all and revise what we've been studying.  All that is to say that in theory, I have more time...but you know how life is!  Something always comes up. :)

Monday, June 11, 2018

The Circus of the Sun

The show was absolutely amazing!  My parents had given me some money for my birthday earmarked for "something fun with the whole family" and so I decided what better than to buy the good seats I normally couldn't treat myself to.   We were front row (though off to one side a bit...I didn't think spending ALL of it in one place was wise) and it was wonderful! 

Emily spent a lot of the show on our laps because being so close to the stage I think it was a little hard for her to see, but that didn't stop her being enthralled with all of it.  When the lights came on at intermission, she turned to us and said, "But I want to see more dancing!"

There were some truly amazing circus feats as well as fun/funny skits with clowns.  Emily's favorite was a woman who "danced" in the air with rings.  I think she may have been more attracted to the flowing Indian-style skirt she was wearing than to her performance, though it was truly amazing to see how she could move with such grace and control.  She was pure muscle!

Being front row we could really feel the energy from the performers.  I began to cry in the last part of the show watching the acrobats jump from thin rod to rod, each held on the shoulders of two other performers.  Their focus, concentration, and pure love of what they were doing was so evident.  I was struck by the beauty of being lost in the moment--holding my breath with each new feat and grinning uncontrollably as they successfully moved on to an even greater challenge of balance, trust, strength and teamwork.

It was spectacular.  All of it.  And we all three really enjoyed ourselves.  There were of course no cameras allowed in the Big Top and I didn't break the rules so...you'll have to do without pictures. 

I promise more of an update blog soon. :)

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Breaking the Ice

There is so much to say and I have been absent so long that it's hard to know where to begin...

I am sitting at the kitchen table listening to potatoes sizzling in olive oil and watching my balerina dance to the soundtrack from Cirque du Soleil, "Totem".  Tomorrow we're going to see the show in Málaga, so I thought getting a little listening preview might be good to get us excited for the show.

I can't wait to see Emily's face!  I'm sure she'll love it since the Cirque du Soleil is really a combination of dance and acrobatics.  I have been to see Cirque de Soleil before once in Portland with my Turkish roommate.  It wasn't something I had heard of before, but she assured me I would like it.  I loved it!  I'm very fun to share with Angelines and Emily tomorrow.  I'll be sure to tell you how it is.

...Now it's nearly 1am and I didn't get this blog finished... but I will post my half finished post as a means of breaking the ice...

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Emily-isms

Emily is so much fun.  She has trying moments (don't we all?), especially when she's tired; but on the whole I almost cannot believe how much I thoroughly enjoy my daughter's company.  Every day she is more and more fun.  She is so bright and inquisitive, attentive and imaginitive... I am amazed by her and really couldn't ask for better company.

It seems as though all too often I think to myself, "I need to write this down!"  And you can extrapolate from how frequently I blog how well that's going for me! :(  So I've decided to dedicate a post to the most recent Emily-isms in an attempt to save these treasures for posterity.

---
Yesterday we were riding our bike (Em has a seat on the back of mine) with Norte.  He was misbehaving or doing something silly and in search of a three-year-old appropriate insult I said, "Come on, Norte! You ding-a-ling!"  Emily thought that was pretty funny.  She laughed and said, "Yeah, I call Norte bell-y".  I am always ready to assume my child's brilliant, but I wanted to be sure she had actually just made the connection between the onomatopeya ding-a-ling and a bell.  "Belly?," I asked, "Why?"  To which she immediately replied, "Porcause he's a ding-a-ling like a bell.  He is bell-y!" 

Confirmed.  She's brilliant.

---
During Semana Santa I actually had to Skype my parents to brag about my girl.  Three times in one day I was astounded by her maturitiy and emotional insight.

The story goes back to lunes santo in Antequera.  There are always carts with balloons, cheap toys (namely trumpets and drums) and junk food that follow along behind the processions.  It is admittedly a very strange juxtaposition, but you'll be hard pressed to find a balloon-less child among the procession viewers, and the obnoxious honking of plastic trumpets is everywhere among the crowds.  This year, along with the typical Dora the Explorer and Peppa Pig balloons, the vendors had some transparant ones that were wrapped in a this wire of multi-colored LED lights, which served as the string and as a weight the little AA battery pack they were attached to.  Even I wanted one!  I couldn't blame Emily when she began asking for a balloon.

However, we were far from the car and didn't want to be dragging a balloon around with us through the streets of Antequera.  We explained why she couldn't have one and promised that at one of the processions in La Roda, we'd buy her a balloon.  She understood, and that was the end of the story.

Thursday--one of the big days in La Roda--rolled around and Emily was thrilled.  Ice cream isn't normally sold during the winter and Semana Santa is often the start date for ice cream sales.  Emily had been chattering for weeks about how she'd have an ice cream at the café on the main street at Semana Santa. 

After we'd watched the paso come out of the church we headed to the café.  She was jumping up and down with excitment as we walked and blabbering non-stop about mint ice cream.  Emily, ran into the café and announces, "Quiero un helado!", but when we looked in the freezer display, they had no mint chip.  She was absolutely crest-fallen, and so we walked across the street to another place to check if they had it.  Once again, we were out of luck.

I am sure that most three-year-olds in this situation would burst into a tantrum.  Emily's little face began to contort into a terrible frown and tears welled up in her eyes, "Don't you want chocolate?" was all I could think to ask her.  She just shook her head and fought back tears as she said, "I wanted mint".  The thing, is that morning during our coffee break at a place just outside town, she had seen mint ice cream and asked for one...we had stupidly assured her she could have one in the afternoon during the procession...

Now you're going to accuse me of spoiling, my child, I am sure, but what was I supposed to do?  Probably had she thrown a fit, we would have just gone home, or maybe she'd have ended up settling for chocolate; but my heart was breaking for her and the fact that she really asks for so little made me even more suceptible to her tears.  "You want to go to Abades," I asked her.  That immediately perked her up, and so we set off home to get the car and drive to the ONLY place in La Roda with mint chip ice cream!

Seeing as how we'd missed quite a lot of the procession after our ice cream hunting venture, we headed out again quite late.  Emily was enthralled by the music and the pasos and insisted we go out again even though it was FREEZING and windy.  I bundled her up in the stroller and we headed out.

No sooner did we get to the procession than she saw the balloon cart with the blinking LED balloons.  Once again, I know a lot of kids who at best would immediately begin whining and begging.  Emily looked at me and asked quite calmly, "Can I have a balloon, now, Mommy?"  My heart instantly melted.  In that moment, had she asked me, I probably would have bought every last balloon the guy had!  So I was out 8 euros (!!!), but proud of my girl for being so grown up.

We stayed out until nearly 12 midnight--that's even late for my Spanish girl.  She hadn't napped either!  Finally she asked to go home, and none too soon because she began to whine and cry a bit on the way home saying that she wanted her bed.  As I was unlocking the front door she said to me, "Mommy I'm crabby porcause I'm tired and I want to go to sleep."  I was, once again left speechless by this tiny insightful, human.  I scooped her up and changed her into her PJs as fast as I could.  She was asleep in under five minutes.

Then I called my parents to brag. :)

---
Peppa Pig has a pen friend from France, Delphine Donkey.  Delphine says, "Bonjour, hee haw!" and sings frere jacques to help Peppa sleep.  When my parents were here we spent the weekend on the coast in a B&B run by a French couple.  Emily is now obsessed with French!

The few things I can say in French, she's learned and she's constantly asking how to say this or that.  She will occasionally make words up and then tell me their meaning "in French". :)  I've decided that we'll try to do some French classes this summer if her interest keeps up.  A woman I work with teaches French at the academy, I think getting together with her in the park or perhaps at her home with some of Emily's toys just to play in French for an hour or so a week, would be great.

---
We all know how much Emily loves Ballet.  For her birthday her cousin gave her the DVD of Kirov Ballet's Swan Lake.  So now her obsession has changed from Clara and Drosslemeyer to Sigfried and Odette.  My mother gave us a CD of Tchaikovsky highlights, which used to be Maggie's.  It's got music from the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty.  At bath time she particularly likes to listen to it, and recently I have to skip through the tracks until I get to "Sigfried's music".

The other day she said to me, as the music was particularly loud and dramatic, "Rothbart is coming, Mommy!  When the music gets loud like, Baaam, it means Rothbart is coming."
How very observant.

---
She loves hearing stories and sometimes telling them, too.  She makes up the most random premisis for stories that sometimes I have to wonder.  Yesterday she asked me to tell her the story about the Man with milk in his tetas who came to visit her at her work...  I told her I didn't know that story, mostly because I was slightly disturbed by the idea of a strange lactating man visiting my daughter.  She kept insisting and finally I said, "Emily, I don't know that story, and anyway, men don't have milk in their tetas, only mommies do."  She got a look on her face somewhere between disappointment and disgust at my apparent lack of imagination, but she didn't skip a beat: "Mommy, it's just a story!" she said emphatically.

I had to laugh.

---
The other day as we were waiting in line to use the ATM at the bank she suddenly popped out with, "I'm proud of my Mama because I love her". :)  ...Maybe not the most logical sentence, but the sentiment is adorable.  Angelines was tickled.

---
We have a feelings book.  It goes through all the emotions using animal similies to talk about them: Sometimes I feel like a dog drooping--Sad; ...a canary singing--Happy.  Nap time has become "quiet time" since we don't always nap, and it has also become treasured Mommy and Emily time. We usually read at least one book (sometimes the same one a few times), play like we're characters in the stories and then often times there's a little teta, too.

One day after reading the feelings book.  She asked for teta and I decided to ask her how it made her feel when she had teta.  She got pensive for a moment and then said finally, "Like and elephant!"--Sometimes I feel like an elephant stomping--Bold! :)  I laughed out loud at that one!

---
So there you have it--a little sneak-peek into the mind of a most amazing three-year-old.  It's so incredible to watch her put things together, connect the dots, so to speak, and to witness the way she is constantly working to make sense of the world around her.  Her ability to express herself astounds me much of the time, not to mention the way her brain works.

I am, indeed, a very blessed Mommy.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Grandparents' Visit

Lots of baking with Ga!
It has been over three years now that I have ceased to be the main attraction for a visit to Spain, at least where my parents are concerned.  This is especially true in the case of my mother, who will have visited three times in six months come June.  On March 7th, when we met Ga and Papa at the arrivals area of Pablo Picasso airport in Málaga it was only after a full five minutes of hugging, squealing, chattering, and kissing Emily; and after we'd already got up the elevator and begun walking luggage out to the car, that my mother finally turned to me and said in an almost surprised tone, "Oh! Hi, Viola!" :)

Mind you I am not complaining.  Emily deserves the limelight and every bit of attention she gets, especially from her far-away grandparents.  My daughter's birth has had the wonderful side-effect of seeing more of my mother, which I am extremely grateful for.  This visit was especially great since my dad also made the gruling 14+ hour sojourn to Spain; but sadly thier three-week visit flew by all too quickly.

I was working the whole time they were here and the weather didn't cooperate much to allow for many excursions in my free time.  We've had a terribly dry and freakishly warm winter as most of you know, but beginning just a few days before my parents' arrival winter decided it was now or never.  For the entireity of their stay (minus maybe three days), we had very low temperatures and rain every day!

Of course it doesn't have to be sunny to put on a tutú and dance around the living room for a captive audience, or read books upstairs in bed with your grandparents, so I know that Emily was perfectly happy with the visit just as it was; and I think my parents were, too.  However, baby duty is tiring even though Emily is loads of fun, which meant that come the end of the day there was little energy for much "grown up" talk.  I got to spend precious little time with my parents alone.

The whole family in Mijas

Nothing better than exploring from the back of a burro!
But despite disagreeable weather and conflicting schedules we did manage to get out and about a few times.  We visited Mijas, a beautiful pueblo west of Málaga and slightly inland from the bustle of the Costa del Sol. Emily and Ga got a tour of the village on a "burro taxi" lead by Angelines (!) and fotographed by yours truly.  We also spent one morning exploring the Castillo de Gibralfaro on a bluff overlooking Málaga.  Gibralfaro is a fortress whose origins date back to the Phoenecians who name for the area, "Malaka" is the root of the modern city's name.  Since 770 BC the fortress and castle has been maintained and modified under succesive rulers--romans, moors, christians--in the area; and it remained a military fort through the beginning of the 20th century.

Entry to Gibralfaro
A highlight for all but Angelines, who sadly had to work over the weekend, was a mini get-away to Torrox, a costal town east of Málaga and just west of the border with Granada province.  My parents had rented two rooms in a little B&B run by a very sweet French couple and so we spent three nights and two days exploring along the coast and indulging in AMAZING French food.  I'd venture to say that the best part of our stay was discovering, after tapas for dinner on our first night, that we could order dinner at the house so long as we gave them notice in the morning.  We feasted like royalty from then on; and it was best for little Em, who really needed to go to bed early after full, napless days of exploring.

View of Málaga from Gibralfaro castle.
From Torrox we visited a tiny little village about 20 min. inland from the coast called Macharaviaya (a mouthful, right?).  This obscure little place is home to the only 4th of July celebration in Spain complete with battle reinactments and fireworks!  It is also the sister city to Pensacola, FL.  ...Why?!  I hear you ask.  Macharaviaya was home to Bernardo de Galvez whose family's wealth and influence changed history for Málaga and the Americas.  The first co-ed school in Spain was built on their order in Macharaviaya, two years before the first schools to accept girls opened in Madrid.  A playing card factory was built in the village and granted the monopoly on trade with the Americas.  They also brought water to the villiage with a plumbing system that wasn't replaced until the 1970's!  In Málaga capital, the Galvez family moved the necessary paperwork to make Málaga a port to the Americas (previously, only Seville and Cádiz had this right).

My favorite cavewomen
Bernarno de Galvez was a military general who later became the Vice King of New Spain and Governor of Louisiana Territory.  In 1778, Galvez repealed Spanish neutrality in the War for American Independance and the following year joined the cause, declaring war on Great Britain.  Galvez lead many battles against the British--most noteably, the battle of Pensacola.  His military assitance was key for the American colonists especially, since the Spanish owned Mississippi delta allowed entry of vital supplies to aid the rebel cause and was simultaneously blockaded against entry of British vessels.

In Macharaviaya today there is a small museum dedicated to the town's history and the history of the Galvez family.  We spent quite a while exploring the museum and had the good fortune to find that the docent was a British woman who had lived in the village since she was 10 years old.  She was extremely knowledeable and it was wonderful that I didn't have to translate for my parents! ;)  She also showed us the church and family crypt of the Galvez.

The second day of our mini holiday we visited the caves in Nerja, had lunch in Almuñécar and then visited the inland village of Frigiliana in the evening.  My dad agreed to stay with Norte (yes, the puppy accompanied us on our weekend adventure) so my mom and Emily and I could explore the caves.  I had been before, but this was a first for Ga and Emily.  My mom has seen many caves before including the Carlsbad Caverns, but according to her, the most impressive thing about the caves at Nerja was the fact that they had been inhabited throughout the ages--the human imprint on the geology of the caves was evident.  In her words it was more interesing from and anthropological standpoint than a purely geological one.

All in all, I think we did a pretty good job of balancing sight-seeing with staying home given the circumstances and most importantly we enjoyed each other immensely. :)  As my mom pointed out, it's a good sign that their stay seemed too short.  It certainly did leave me wishing we could have a little more time together.
Evening in Frigiliana

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Sledding '18

You can appreciate the fun a bit more with a video. :)



Days Off

...No, the title of this long awaited blog does not refer to my cyber absence. ;)  A lot has been happening and has happened since last I wrote (Feb. 17th?!), but my mental posts haven't manifested themselves on the worldwide web.  I'm sure that in the not too distant future, we'll be able to think our facebook posts, blogs, etc... creepy thought, eh?  Although, I must admit that it would be nice to be able to share with you all so easily.  I really do begin composing posts in my head...and then life gets in the way of ever sitting down to type them out.

View of Seville from Triana: La Torre del Oro in foreground
and La Giralda to the right.
I want to share the most recent stuff first, but I promise to get it together enough to share some pictures and stories from my parents' visit (nearly all of March), and Semana Santa, too. :)

The Thursday before Semana Santa (Easter week, for those of you who may not remember) I ended up having to work the afternoon shift along with my morning shift because the other teacher got sick.  Rather than paying me for the hours, she prefered to swap days with me and so this Tuesday after our week-long vacation, I didn't have to work.  This was great because Wednesday is my normal day off and so I've virtually had a weekend mid-week! :)  And the best part is that the whole family could be together since Angelines only works Thurs.-Sun.

We have taken full advantage of these two days, let me assure you.  Yesterday, we headed to Seville as it has become tradition to visit the Virgen de Esperanza de Triana in the days after Semana Santa.  She's still on her paso and so we can see her up close along with the paso which accompanies her: Las tres caídas.  They are both impressive in person and some year I would love to see them in the street... On television, my hair stands on end to see they way they bailan; I can only imagine seeing it in person.
El paso de "Las tres caídas".  This one's got four figures AND a horse on it!  Huge!

La Esperanza de Triana
Typical tourist shot on the banks of the Guadalquivir river.
After visiting the casa hermandad we spent the rest of the morning wandering the streets of Seville and "exploring", as Emily called it.  As we passed the Torre del Oro, a well-known monument in Seville that stands on the shores of the Guadalquivir, Emily exclaimed, "Let's go in there!".  I love that she is so enthusiastic and adventurous.  I love how much she appreciates seeing new things and enjoys museums, so of course she and I headed in to climb the tower and explore the naval museum. 

The ducklings were a highlight for Emily.
It was a perfect day only made better for Emily by the ice cream we got before heading back to the car on the metro.  After nearly a full month of rain (mind you I'm not complaining!) these sunny spring days are very welcome.  It was a bit chilly in the morning, but as the morning wore on, we had to begin taking off layers to stay cool under that hot sevillian sun. ;)

Today we were off again, but this time headed east to Granada.  We finally made it to the snow!  When my parents were here the weather was so bad that we decided it wouldn't even be fun to go to the mountains, but today was another perfect day-- despite temperatures in the high 30's, not a breath of wind and sunny. 

Frosty is a Betis fan...Norte is curious.
We went sledding and built our annual snowman, made some snow castles and got pretty wet.  After a picnic lunch in the snow, we headed down to the ski resort to take a walk around and have a cervecita and hot chocolate.  Emily wanted to go on the chair lift and reaptedly said she wanted to go skiing. :)  I guess one of these years we'll have to get ourselves to Tahoe for Christmas so her Ga can teach her!

The snow was a first for little Norte, who came with us on today's excursion, and he LOVED it!  He is currently snoring on his bed, so I think we successfully wore him out. ;)  He was running all around eating snow and chasing snowballs.  Norte blended right in with the nieve and he's quite a clumsy puppy...no very athletic shots of him in the snow.  We missed our Bela.  Emily commented on our way to the Sierra Nevada, "I wish Bela could play with us and Norte in the snow..." She is still very present with us.

It's been a lovely two days.  Tomorrow I'll be back at work again, but just two days away from the weekend, so I'm easing my way back to work after my "holidays".

I'll leave you with a few more pictures:

From the top of the tower with my explorer. ;)




Please note the homemade snow pants confectioned by yours truly from a garbage bag! ;)  Emily thought that was pretty cool.  ...They kept her dry!



One of the better shots of our little klutz.