Jackpot!

 Yesterday I got a frantic phone call from my sister-in-law (she's fine and has the green light to be out and about now): something about the lottery...  I couldn't understand her through her excited shrieking and passed the phone to Angelines.  It turns out that the Association for Cancer here in La Roda sold a winning lotter ticket number for yesterday's drawing!  My sister-in-law is part of the association and sold many of the tickets herself--25,000 euros to each winning number!  It turns out, my mother-in-law bought a ticket with the intention of sharing with her children if she won--6,000 each!  It turns out that the number was sold exclusively here in La Roda.  2.5 MILLION euros have been spread among the residents.  Pretty amazing for a town of under 5,000, right?  Most people split the cost of the tickets with friends or family.  Few people won the complete 25,000 exclusively for themselves; but many many people got something. :)  We're all pretty excited.  You can imagine.  

Other news: Emily has lost her first tooth!  On the second day of school, she apparantly swallowed it while she was eating her mid-morning snack.  I am sorry we don't have it, but we assured her that "Ratoncito Pérez" would still come even without the physical tooth.  She left a very sweet little note and a bowl of cheese for the mouse (no Tooth Fairy here).  Sure enough, in the morning she had a little bag of chocolate coins in "exchange" for her tooth.  She was thrilled!

The start of school has been good.  Emily has been a little tearful in the mornings, but very bravely has gone in with little urging.  I am very proud--this is a huge change for her.  There is another little girl who is new to school and we have been getting together with her after school.  They are in separate classes but play together at recess.  Even though in first grade, they mix the kids up (they aren't with the same classes they've had in preschool), everyone else has the advantage of knowing each other.  I am happy that Emily can be a familiar face for this little girl, and of course that Em has someone guaranteed to play with.  She is pleased with her teacher and has come home saying they watch movies (oh dear!)...  I'm just glad that for now she's happy.  She's brought home stickers both days for good behaviour (not sure how I feel about the reward system) and one for reading quietly to herself (!). 

As far as I go, it's been a little strange to be home in the morning without Emily.  It has been really nice to just be a mom and not a teacher at my daughter's school.  Getting ready in the morning, I am just focused on her, and not worrying about getting myself together and set for the day.  Instead of going to school with her and heading into work, I came home at 9:10am Friday and took Norte for a long bike ride. :)  It was fantastic.  I am expecting word from the academy in Estepa this week.  I think it's most likely that I have afternoon classes, which will be a bummer on one hand because I won't be with Emily much, but then again we have weekends.  We'll just have to wait and see.  

For now, things are just great, especially with the little boost from the lottery. ;)