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Oh Christmas Tree….

December 11, 2014 /

Being away from home, away from friends and family, away from traditions can derail your holiday spirits. And while it seems the girls are wholeheartedly embracing the idea of a simple, family Christmas they are listing all the dolls, fairies and toys they would also like.  We spent last weekend listening to non-stop Christmas music, putting up purchased decorations, making decorations and watching Christmas movies together.  The girls have made foam ball snowmen and lots of paper snowflakes.  I decorated stockings with glitter glue.  We have big pine cones beckoning us to pour glitter on them and tie them with ribbons.  I bought a little artificial Christmas tree (stealing one from the forest was seeming like an increasingly bad idea).  At home, I like my Christmas tree to look nice.  Or maybe I should say I like it to look the way I want it to look.  Organized, color-themed, symmetrical, non-commercial.  I have red and silver bulbs with with white and red lights.  I have homemade ornaments and store-bought ornaments and but for one Maxine figurine I have no tinkerbells, barbies, pooh bears, or other cartoon characters on my tree.  But I decided here to buy non-red ornaments, colored lights and to let the kids completely decorate it on their own.

It also snowed a bit.  The kids thought it was amazing!  They went out and ran in the snowflakes, we took a hike in the woods.  It certainly wasn’t going to stick.  It didn’t even look like snow as it hit the pavement or the grass.  Either way though, the kids loved it!

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October

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Scarlett at Camp

December 9, 2014 /

Scarlett had a great time at first grade camp!  She went zip-lining, rock-climbing, held a falcon, made toothpaste, had a disco party and made a coco powder drink.  She explained that the toothpaste had lots of sugar in it.  I’m not sure if this was a translation issue or an understanding issue.  Her favorite part was the zip line and she quite triumphantly exclaimed how the child that is a class behavioral problem DID NOT go because HE was afraid.  Her least favorite part was when the kids were calling dibbs on the top-bunks.  She didn’t think this was fair since she had no idea what they were saying and therefore was left with a bottom bunk.  A bit odd though was that the bunk rooms (eight kids in a room) were coed.  She said she stayed plenty warm as they were inside doing many of the workshops. I debated whether to send her with her fleece and rain jacket (which wouldn’t be as warm) or send her with her winter jacket which is not waterproof.  I notice though she is without a hat or gloves in all of the pictures and yet she is snuggled up with her teacher in fourth picture below wearing her teacher’s gloves because she was cold.

But she had a blast and she was exhausted when she came home!

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Landscape

December 8, 2014 /

While you’re waiting for me to write a more interesting post.  I thought I’d share some photo’s of the topography of where we live.  We live in a valley in the Sierra Norte area of Madrid.  There are mountains surrounding us and I would describe the landscape as mostly desert-like.  It reminds me a lot of the eastern slopes of the Washington cascades and some parts of western Montana.  We drove to Burgos (200 km north) and there were parts that looked like the badlands of South Dakota and then the rolling hill farmlands of Nebraska and then more forest area’s of mid-Michigan.  Here are some photo’s of the drive from Madrid to Buitrago.

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First Grade Camp

December 4, 2014 /

Scarlett is off on her first overnight camp experience!  I couldn’t believe how emotional I felt about it as I dropped her off this morning.  It’s only for a night.  Scarlett has been nervous about it but I also knew she was excited as she’s been asking when it is for at least a month.  I was nervous dropping her off that she would cling to me and I’d have to pry her away.  But much to my surprise she was excited and happy and not the least bit clingy.  It was so nice.  It put me at ease.  It was also nice that many, many other parents were hanging around to see their children off and take pictures.  I even had a brief, broken conversation with another mom on how she was weepy her child was going away on their first overnight.  That put me even more at ease.

The school is taking all the first & second graders to the camp.  It looks to be the equivalent of our grade school camps just much younger.  There will be candle making, cheese making, hiking, star gazing, a zip-line, a climbing wall, recycling workshop and a falcon exhibit.  I am eager to hear how it all goes.  We packed her bag together yesterday, labelled all her clothes and hopefully it all comes back.  This morning, I was told by Scarlett that needed to make a list of all the things she might do and she will check all the boxes of everything she did do when she returns.  Cute.

About a month ago, the school held a parent meeting to show off pictures of the camp, explain the activities, answer questions, alleviate fears and go over the packing list.  I attended.  However, as to be expected the entire meeting was in Spanish.  The woman next to me tried to translate here and there.  I was glad once I figured out that this same information would be sent in a letter later that week.  Geez, probably should have just waited for the letter than attending the meeting.  I can then at least translate and have a better understanding.  The biggest difference between this field-trip here in Spain and one in the U.S. is that there are no parent volunteers or chaperons.  No parents were even asked to volunteer (ok, at least as I far as I understood).  I didn’t see a single non-school employee get on the buses with the kids.

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Museo Reina Sofia

December 1, 2014 /

I’ve been to one art museum before.  It was nice.  I saw a Van Gough exhibition in Seattle.  And while I don’t remember the exact painting I do remember being impressed by seeing the actual brush strokes and the amount of paint on the canvas.  Lonely Planet has informed me that Madrid is home to three world-class museums and I figured I should check at least one out.  I choose Museo Reina Sofia based on a recommendation from a friend in Washington.  It’s a commitment to get there.  A nearly two hour bus ride followed by a 17-station stop Metro ride (which for awhile we were packed liked sardines)  Truthfully though, I’ve been itching to get out of Buitrago.  So even after we missed the first bus out of town.  Yes, we were not up and ready to go in time to make the 10 am bus, I still wanted to head out.  I knew either way (or at least I guessed that either way) an art museum was not going to be long-lived with three children.  And I was right.  They did enjoy looking at the art and showing there enthusiasm with vigorous pointing which made the museum attendants quite nervous which in turn made my experience less enjoyable.  We made it through 2 of 4 floors.  The kids said their favorite art was Guenica by Pablo Picasso. And it was fun looking through the painting and talking with the kids about what they saw in the painting.  It was the last painting we saw before we left so we did hang around extra long to enjoy it.

IMG_1544 IMG_1545 IMG_1555 IMG_1552 IMG_1559After leaving the museum we headed back toward the metro station (which was really close) and heard drumming and chanting.  Lavender excitedly pronounced it was a parade.  It was instead a protest rally of some sort.  And from my limited ability to understand the news I have gathered that protests in Mardrid are a rather frequent event.  We then left and got on a very crowded metro train.  Standing room only doesn’t even describe it.  But press on we did as our bus only runs every 1.5 hours and I didn’t want to be stuck waiting for the next one.   I enjoyed going into Madrid, eating lunch out and visiting the museum.  Yes, I needed to blow this Popsicle stand.

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Here are the police following the protesters along, as well as the street sweepers. The protesters are off to the left. And yes, I was that tourist that pulled out my camera and took pictures.

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Happy smiles once the metro train cleared out and they got a seat. You couldn’t even see the floor or the walls 3 stops ago.

 

 

Four Years

November 30, 2014 /

It’s been four years to the day that my dad passed away.  Every July, to celebrate his birthday I bake a cake and we sing Happy Birthday.  To help keep his spirit alive for my girls we talk about how much he liked to tease, kiss his grandbabies and build things with his hands.  This past July,  we were finally able to gather as a family at the cemetery.  This was my first time returning to his grave since the memorial. The girls had never been to a cemetery so of course they were very curious.  It was hard to have them running around happily and asking to have all the gravestones read while I was there to say hello to my beloved dad that I’d like nothing than more to see in person and actually talk to.  We lit birthday candles (and I’m sure we sang, although I don’t actually remember), the girls cleaned and decorated his grave, we took pictures, we toasted him, we hugged and we lit sparkles. Had I past a larger fireworks stand I would have gotten something with a little bit more kick to better celebrate.  While the dichotomy of happy children and a sad heart was difficult, I was glad to have had them visit, I was glad to finally visit, glad to have us together, glad to have them see us celebrate and see us all shed tears.

 

But in November, I don’t share with the kids this day.  We don’t celebrate.  Jeff & I will usually go out for a quiet lunch and a beer.  I’ll buy a Busch beer; and most of it will go down the drain.  I always hope this day will be a little easier, a little softer, a little gentler, a little less raw.  I hope that for this year as well. It’s been four years and I still find myself thinking “oh, my dad would get a kick out of this.”  I’d still like to call.  And every now and then I’ll play his voice mail message to hear his voice.  The girls have grown so much in the time he has been gone.  I’d love for him to see how big his first granddaughter has grown.  I’d love for him to see Scarlett’s blue eyes and crazy personality.  I’d love for him to be able to tease Lavender for telling him no (as she does to everything and everyone these days).  I’d have loved to have him with us for so, so much longer.  We love you, Mark R!

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Happy Thanksgiving

November 28, 2014 /

Thanksgiving is not an internationally celebrated holiday.  As such, on Thursday the girls had school and Jeff had work.  Interestingly, Jeff asked students if they knew what Thanksgiving was.  A few did but mostly they wanted to know if he went shopping for Black Friday.  During the day I picked up some last minute supplies up for our planned Friday Thanksgiving celebration — although in reality the stores were open as normal if we did need something.  We watched a live streaming of the Macy’s Day parade when the kids came home from school.  And while we had our celebration planned for the next day, it was really hard not to feel a sadness on not spending the holiday with family.  On not knowing how the food we had planned for tomorrow would turn out.  On not being part of a larger celebration.  It was hard evening.  I hadn’t anticipated that.  My bottle of 1.66 wine didn’t really make it any easier either.  But….

We celebrated Thanksgiving today.  (I’m not really sure why the schools in Buitrago were closed.  It wasn’t a national holiday).  And it was nice.  It was good.  Jeff and I spent most of the day cooking and listening to Christmas music.  The food turned out great.  Everything was homemade.  Actually, now that I think about it I don’t even own a can opener.  We had scalloped potatoes with ham, baked beans, green beans, squash, homemade mac & cheese and an apple pie.  We watched a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  We all shared the things we are thankful for.  It was really nice.  Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

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November 27, 2014 /

Walking around town isn’t so bad.  It’s pretty small.  I can walk from far end to far end in 20 minutes.  I can walk to any shop I need within 7 minutes.  But I do find it a bit confining.  I’d like a car.  I’d like to buy things that aren’t available here in a small town.  Like peanut butter.  Here’s October’s thought on not having car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Holiday Season

November 25, 2014 /

The holiday season is quickly approaching. The calendar says Thanksgiving is this week. As in two days. But it’s not Thanksgiving here. Nor are the kids studying it for English class. And there are no black Friday ads. Actually, it was the black Friday ads filling my facebook posts that first alertedly me to the approaching holiday. The deals, the discussion of holiday creep and the morality of retail stores open on Thanksgiving. I enjoy scouring the ads. Although, I’ve rarely ventured out at the crack of dawn (once for diapers at Babies R US, once for a Zune, neither of which I was early enough for).  Before we had kids, we used to go to Target and fill our cart with all the things on sale we’d like to buy.  In the end we’d sigh and go home with a couple of DVDs.  There are no turkeys in the stores (at least not in our town) and certainly no promotions of getting a free turkey when you spend $150.  But, there are whole, skinned rabbits in the store.  Turkey substitute?

We decided on a modified Thanksgiving menu.  Baked beans, squash, green been casserole (complete with dried onions), scalloped potatoes with ham and an apple pie.  I gathered YouTube videos on the history of Thanksgiving for the girls and we made our Thankful Turkey craft.  Both the YouTube video and craft, Jeff will be using in one of his classes tomorrow as well — English Language Learning.  And you know what, it did put me in the holiday mood.  Maybe, tomorrow I’ll put a bunch of stuff I don’t need and won’t actually buy in my Kohls.com shopping cart in honor of Black Friday (i.e. Black week??)

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Scarlett:s Thanksgiving Turkey. She is thankful for Days off of school [to spend with her family], life, food, the world, her family and love.

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Lavender’s Turkey. She is thankful Scarlett and October, Mommy, Grandma’s, Castles, food and family movies.

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October’s Turkey. She is thankful for life, family, sisters, peace, grandma and food.

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