Vacation

So it would seem I started working just in time to get vacation time!  That's right, this week the academy is closed.  August is vacation month in Spain.  Never come here with the intention of getting anything done in August.  It will just have to wait until September.  The academy, however, only closes this week.  I assume this is because she'll be closing around Christmas and also Easter.  In anycase, I'm not comlpaining about the time off.  This way I'm easing into work slowly. ;)

About my job, I'm just working part time: 20 hours, four days a week.  It is perfect for now.  This month I'm working 9-2 and so I have every afternoon/evening home with my girls to relax and walk the dog and play around the house.  Once school starts up, though I think my schedule will change to afternoons (4-9) because I think my boss will want me teaching kids' classes.  I'm hoping for a few mornings though still, because it is great to get up and get work out of the way.  Having all evening to relax makes the day seem longer.

The classes I am currently teaching are almost exclusively young adult classes.  In order to graduate from university here in Spain you need a level B1 (Common European Framework) in a foreign language.  Most people see English as the most useful and so there is very high demand for English classes among the university population.  The classes are fun.  They are preparing for official exams so we follow a book specifically designed for exam prep, but there is always room for a little personal touch and creativity.  So far, I am enjoying them.

Another HUGE upside to this job is that my boss plans all the classes (!).  For her, it's a quality control issue.  She knows exactly what is being taught in each lesson and which materials were handed out, etc.  This doesn't mean there is absolutely NO creativity on my part (though it is perhaps a bit limiting).  She is open to suggestions and welcomes ideas for activities in class.  Class prep is the most difficult part of teaching, by far, so truth be told I have happily relinquished that responsability.  Now, with no planning to do, I can just go to work, teach and come home to enjoy my family, no locking myself in the office to plan for the next day or run-off worksheets.  It really is a great relief and perfect for my current situation.

In this week of vacation we decided we just couldn't afford going anywhere, but that didn't mean we stayed at home either. ;)  Mon-Wed we packed up the whole family (yes, Bela, too) and headed to the beach after our siesta.  There is a dog beach about 10 min past Málaga so that's where we went every day.  We got there in the cooler hours, around 6 and stayed until the sun went down, then we packed up and headed to the chiringuito for fish dinner. :)  

She loves her mama!

Emily is not so keen on the beach.  The first day there were a lot of waves and I think the sound worried her and perhaps also the sight of those white breakers coming in one after the other.  She spent the whole afternoon whimpering!  Tuesday and Wednesday, however, she was fine (no waves).  She even started crawling around on the blanket a bit.  She does NOT like the sand...  After all her digging in our lawn, I should think she'd love it, but I guess the texture is different.  And the water isn't her favorite either, although the last day I was able to get her feet wet.  Silly girl.  Someday, I'm sure she'll be happy to live so near the sea, but for now I think she really is happiest to stay home!

Bela, on the other hand LOVES the beach. :)  She didn't even mind the waves the first day we were there.  She was completely swallowed on more than one occasion and didn't even flinch.  I guess maybe because of their tails dogs don't seem to be as tumbled by waves as we humans do.

Now we're back at home because Angelines's work week has begun, but we've decided we'll take advantage of my free evenings and go to the beach again at least once this coming week.  I hope you're all enjoying your summers. :)

Emily going through the diaper bag and Bela chasing rocks in the background.

Sunset over the Med.

Ready for food!