Noche Vieja!

In 1909 grape growers celebrated the prosperous year by sharing excess on New Years. Now, the new year is counted down by the clock in Puerta del Sol, in Madrid, while Spaniards eat a grape on each chime of the bell at midnight, to ensure 12 months of good fortune -oh, and wear red underwear for good luck too. The kids were so excited to stay up and eat their over priced , individually packaged, 12 New Years grapes. I didn't think they'd make it, but watching movies and loading up on sweets, and cocktail weenies, held them off until it was time to count down, gobble grapes, and toast with our sparkly juice (apple juice and Sprite). After way too many cheers, and a few spills, we heard the thunder of fireworks. To Cohen's dismay (not a fan of loud noises), we watched a great display of pyrotechnics from the roof top. North, south, east, west, we just turned round and around shouting, "There! There! Over There! Ooooh, there!" while the kids ran in circles burning off some of the sugar. We're hoping our lack of red underwear won't keep us from 12 promising months.

11 Drops in Eternity's Bucket

Today Brett and I have been married for 11 years. Though this is a major accomplishment by today's standards, and deserves some serious celebration, neither of us remembered until this evening. It's just the way things are lately. If it weren't for the paper Santa beard hung on the wall, and kids remembering all too well of his need for a daily cotton ball attatchment, we may have overlooked Christmas too.

I have been after Brett for these 11 years to record our "courtship". I love the story, but remember little due to my self diagnosed case of "early onset alzheimers". Unfortunately, I'm not bringing this up to announce that it has finally been accomplished, but to do my part in recording what has happened since that day of wedlock. Being that the memory corner of my brain does not function well and never has, it will have to be the abridged version. I only wished I had started blogging then -I was never good at journaling.

In the last 11 years Brett and I together have:

-Lived in Provo, UT (3 years), Chesapeake, VA (5 1/2 years), Cincinnati, OH (2+ years), and now Madrid, Spain (1.5 months).

-Brought 4 wonderful childern into the world within a 4 year span -whew!

-Built sand people in Hawaii, ate off cooking grates licked clean by dogs in Argentina, shared a beach in Costa Rica with a wild white horse, tent camped on beaches in NC and Costa Rica during major thunder storms, kayaked in Jamaica, received back rubs from sting rays in Grand Cayman, chaperoned by in-laws on delayed honeymoon trip to Mexico, experienced public transportation in New York City, ate Key Lime pie in Key West, and personally witnessed the world's largest thermometer.

-2 1/2 years of 3 kids in diapers at once. 7 years and counting, changing dirty bums. That's a lot of poop.

-Survived 16 "busy seasons"...barely.

What I love most these days? Those times between dishes, deadlines, diapers, and the exhaustion that comes from the active parenting of 4, or long hours at the office. When we are too tired to do anything but sit there making wise cracks we think are hilarious. Okay, hilarious by most standards. Well, standards of those who are functioning off little sleep. I love this stage in our life and am in no hurry to rush things. However, I'm sure the day will come when we check in as "party of 2", and I look forward to it.

Transportation Day

Today we had what turned out to be transportation day. We drove the car to the train station. Rode the train to the subway, walked on our feet to Teleferica Park, then rode these flying cable cars up over the Casa de Campo, to a great playground for the kids to play at. Though the park and views were great, the excitement was more about the journey than the destination. Just as it should have been. Had we driven, we could have been there in 5 minutes, and where is the fun in that?

Wishing you...

A very Merry Christmas!

...and hoping a few store bought cookies, room temperature milk, and a cucumber, are enough to lure Santa and his reindeer our way.

Freedom!

We turned in the banana last week, and have been without wheels since (not very convenient the weekend before Christmas). Finally, after 3 weeks, we were able to pick up the car. I'm not sure if I've mentioned that EVERYTHING is a process. We started the buying process 3 weeks ago. We have always been very against buying new cars, but under the circumstance, we had no other choice. It's quite small, and a pretty tight squeeze inside, but great for parallel parking and apparently very safe. So we now have wheels, and GPS. It's time to see Spain.

Joys of Artificial Pine

With just a few days to go, it's beginning to look a bit more like Christmas around here. Forget the pile of dishes on the counter, waiting to be put away. I have my priorities. No sooner had the movers stepped out the door and the tree was up, awaiting it's garnishings. I stayed up last night to properly dress the stairway with its festive attire, and instantly felt a rush of holiday energy. The decorations have definitely helped bring in the holiday spirit. It has been a very untraditional holiday season. We're not only lacking the lights and glitter of the season, but the warmth and kindness, that this season seems to bring out in every one. Even our own home seems to be lacking in the kindness area. For Family Home Evening we discussed this months First Presidency Message in the Ensign, "The Best Christmas Ever". It reminds us how the Christmas spirit is the spirit of Christ. How serving others (being Christ-like) brings happiness and brotherly love ie. the Christmas spirit. So, while I yearned for that familiar feeling of Christmas, I waited for our decorations to come, and a car to get me to the store to shop. When the joy of Christmas was more of a choice on my part and less of something to be shipped over. All I needed to do, was look beyond my own seemingly overwhelming situation, and find opportunities to serve, however small they may have been.

Hallelujah!

We're in, we're in, we're in! But before we were in...with two nights to go at the hotel, we lost heat and were moved (us and 13 pieces of luggage) to another building. It was unfortunate we couldn't just move into the house at that point. Our new room wasn't equipped to handle our size crew. We thought it was just a bed shortage, but found out the next morning it was also a water shortage. Brett was kind enough to heat a couple of pots full of water to bring my bath water above the arctic level. Once I recovered from a mild case of hypothermia, we were off to buy towels, sheets, paper goods, etc for the big move. We officially checked out, never to return, Sunday before church.

Wednesday our air shipment finally came, along with joy that rivaled Christmas. I don't think I have ever been so excited over tupperware. Cohen and I waited with anticipation as we opened each box, then cheered in exultation over each plate and fork. Our air ship included some dishes, flatware, a few pots and pans, some towels, the kids bikes and a few toys, Christmas decorations, my sewing machine, and a few things to hang on the walls. Cohen rode his scooter to pick the kids up from the bus stop. They immediately knew what that meant when they saw him, and raced home to find their long lost treasures. It was so fun to see the happiness brought by this sweet reunion. How will Christmas ever top this? Temporary housing has truly made me grateful for all the little things.

Oh, and we are very happy to have internet for less than $22 a day.

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Friday, Cohen and I pulled up in our big banana at the American School to attend the kids holiday music concert. I have to admit, I waited until the coast was clear before getting out of the car. The kids were great and excited to see us at school. It was the first time really interacting with the school, and I was surprised how international it is. We had some time to kill after, so decided to hit the nearby American store and explore Pozuelo, a village just a short walk away. We bought our Goldfish crackers, and 6 Euro box of Fruity Pebbles (that's almost $8 for a box -definately not making our normal grocery rotation) at the tiny, very limited "Taste of America" store and were on our way. We passed lots of restaurants, panaderias (bakeries), and cute boutiques, as well as a few lifeless piggies waiting to go wee, wee, wee, all the way to someone's home. We never even made it to the heart of Pozuelo as I didn't have the stroller and wasn't wearing appropriate footwear. We turned around when Cohen said his toe hurt and wanted me to carry him. We had walked a lot further than I thought we would be, so we had a long walk ahead. When I put him down to give my arms a break, he would drag his leg behind him. It was so funny to watch, though I must have looked like the mother of the year, making my lame 3 yr old son struggle to keep up in the chilly weather while he complained of being cold.

The moving company told us we would have our stuff early next week, so we decided to move into casa roja Sunday. In preparation for Sunday, we stopped by the house to make sure the heat had been turned on. While we were there, someone rang from the gate (0ne of the many security measures). I scrambled trying to figure out how to buzz him in and when I went to the door, there was a most welcome surprise. A package! Never was there a sweeter sight. A package from Grandma and Grandpa Ross, yay! Now a package is always exciting, but especially so under the circumstances. I was pretty excited that the package said "Open Before Christmas". Not that I would have waited anyway, but it's always nice to be guilt free. It was addressed to the kids, so I debated waiting until they were home from school until I realized I had a perfectly good present opener whom qualified as "kids". Cohen has never opened a present before. We try to let him, but with so many older "helpers", he never really gets the chance. He was unsure how to go about it, and not sure if he was allowed to rip the paper or not (he's such a rule abider). Once he got the hang of it though, he got more and more excited. It was the most perfect gift - something handmade, christmas-y, totally in need of, and a great tradition to start. Grandma Ross had made the kids each their own magic Christmas pillowcase, with a little poem, and some beautifully illustrated Christmas books (with our lack of books, Gavin has been reading the Madrid Guide for his nightly reading homework). So, thank you, thank you, thank you, your timing is impeccable!

Chica?

When I go to the park with Cohen, I never see moms, only Nannies (or chica). Last week, during a walk, I finally saw a mom with her son (during the day) out walking. She was dressed in her long fur coat, fur hat, heeled boots, and short skirt, while he was in shorts, knee socks, peacoat, scarf, and was probably about 2 yrs old. They were skipping along playing together, but what made me laugh was the entourage behind them. Following right behind was the housekeeper carrying a bag of groceries, and then behind her was the nanny pushing the empty stroller. So it took the 3 of them to go out for a walk. Heaven forbid she should have to push the stroller or carry the small bag of groceries. What a different world. (In her defense, I'm sure she was going to be doing some serious shopping for poor city children, and probably had a gimp wrist wrendering her useless when it came to pushing strollers). People (both nannies and employers of nannies) are aghast that I have 4 children and no nanny. One nanny said "Yo no chico burrito taco enchilada quatro ninos kay dormir feedo dresso autobuso". Okay, it was in Spanish, so I don't technically know what she said, though she was very nice and we did "talk" for about a half hour. Through our game of charades (which I've gotten quite good at) she asked, who bathed, and fed, and dressed, and took the kids to school? When I answered that I did, she was quite amazed. Not in a "you're a superstar" sort of way, more of a "you're crazy" kind of way. She quickly offered up a chica she knew that could come help me. If someone is doing all that for me, when would I see the kids? I told her I'd have to pass, but if she knew anyone who cleaned bathrooms, let me know. I mean seriously, 7 bathrooms! Again this was all via charades.

4 Smiles and 1 Banana

It has become too cold outside for the gathering of pinecones, twigs and rocks, so the kids have found entertainment inside. Their days consist of school, Spanish cartoons, homework and the making of "chemical X". No one is allowed in the bathroom, other than the Scientist and his 3 assistants (which pretty much just leaves me). Halloween couldn't come soon enough for them, as they are all eager to dress up as Scientists. We may constantly have a precariously full cup of "chemical X" on the counter, and have to dip our hands into a glass of mushy soap to wash, but it's a small price to pay for happy kids, who have lived in a hotel without toys for WAY too long. Gavin woke Saturday with a high fever, Addie with a terrible cough, and Eli with a sore throat. Gavin didn't get to go to a birthday party he was really looking forward to, but seemed to be much happier after finding out he also wouldn't be attending church. Three hours of church is pretty long for kids, and in another language is a whole different story. It's going to be tough keeping them pumped up for church.

It seems our shipment of belongings will never arrive. It's killing me to not have Christmas decorations. Our air-ship consists of: clothes, linens (though we won't have beds to put sheets on), flatware, glasses, dishes, and Christmas decorations. All things essential. We may not get our sea shipment until after Christmas (original date was Dec. 6) which is unfortunate but at least we'll have a tree, our stockings, and a variety of clothes (our suitcases did not hold enough for laundry conditions and our extended hotel stay), though gifts we had already purchased are also in the sea ship -whoops.

And now, onto the very chic ways of the Ross family in Spain.

1. As I write this post, Brett is dancing around with his ipod, singing way too loud (kids are sleeping), wearing a T-shirt, khaki socks, and red Hawaiian print swim trunks. Due to laundry conditions, he is out of pajama pants as well as any comfy pants.

2. Because of afore mentioned laundry conditions, clothes are worn MUCH longer than would normally be acceptable by me. We now understand why Europeans have gotten a bad rap for smelling foul. When it takes an hour plus to wash and a good 6-9 hrs to dry very small loads, wearing clothes until you have to chisel them off, is the only answer. Conditions will hopefully improve when we move into the house and can do more than one measily load of laundry a day.

3. We piled our kids up with groceries as we shopped, refusing to pay a Euro to use a shopping cart. It turns out, you put in the Euro to unlock the cart, and get it back when you lock the cart up after. Would have been helpful to know a little earlier. Actually a pretty good system, as you are less likely to abandon the cart somewhere.

4. The kids had to take their lunches to school in trash bags. I ran out of the few brown bags I had brought with us, and their lunch boxes are in the sea shipment. We have since bought new lunch bags.

5. I walk an hour (in windy, 37 degree weather), to the house to do a load of laundry, and then carry the clean load home on my back.

6. Last but not least, as I'm sure I'm missing a few, we are driving around in a banana boat. Pictured below, is our Mercedes. Brett dropped me off to grab a few groceries while he circled the parking lot and thought he was pretty funny to honk a few times when he pulled up to me. I'm having flashbacks of asking my mom to drop me off around the corner. I'm sure it's the car they save for cool American families.

We are living a picturesque Euro dream. Driving around in our sweet banana, wearing crusty clothes, carrying lunches in trash bags, and totin' 4 kids piled high with groceries. Nevermind the Land Cruiser parked next to us is full of 3 matching youngsters -boy in knickers, knee socks, sweater, pea coat, and appropriately contrasting scarf; girls in matching sweater dresses stylishly layered, tights, boots, and bow atop perfect curls. As much as I love this look, we are American, and I don't think Gavin is going to be trading in his slick pants and Nike's, for knickers. We are just happy that the kids are young and seemingly unaware. They don't seem to notice any of these little details. When they saw the banana boat, they were so excited, and couldn't wait for a ride. And yes, I'm grateful for our Mercedes, so I don't have to walk in the rain with laundry on my back.

*Brett added my name to the rental Friday, so I got to take the plunge. I dropped him off at the train station and then drove a stick for the first time in 7 years, amidst crazy Spanish drivers, on streets where lanes are a very casual suggestion, in a VERY long car. I survived though it took a while for my heart rate to get back to normal.

Cruisin' in our Mercedes

It feels like things are finally moving forward. Yesterday, we found out our air-shipment should be out of customs Thursday or Friday, so we'll get to move in then!!! Today, we bought, or are in the process of buying (everything here is quite a process) a family car. Freedom is on the horizon! While you can take care of a lot by walking, there are things that just need to be done by car. Our auto should be ready for us next Wednesday -it's dark red. Not that I have anything against the color, but we received a little flack about our last two dark, red, matching cars. If we wanted another color, we would have to wait 5 or so weeks. So we'll take the red. In the meantime, we have a rental car (though I'm not listed as a driver, so still home bound) that Brett picked up for us. We are showing Spain just how chic we Americans are. Brett asked if they had anything more practical, but being that it was last minute, he HAD to take the free upgrade. Now this vehicle is undescribable, though I will say, it's a Mercedes. Only a picture could do it justice. I can't post pics now, but when I do, "WOW!" will be an understatement.

Update

The Crystal Palace in Retiro Park

Tuesday - Cohen and I walked to the village to explore. It was a cold but sunny day, so good for walking. And I mean walking. A good 5 + hours just walking and exploring. I walked to our little casa roja on the other side of town but didn't have keys with me. It was fun to become familiar with the parks, bakery, fruit shops and other shops I'll be frequenting. Still haven't solved the dinner dilema. I told the kids they could either have sandwiches for dinner, or walk in the cold (the wind picked up) to McDonalds. They opted for McDonalds. So, same walking path taken as in the last post for groceries, except on the way back it was dark. The kids kept asking when we were going to get a car. They have been such troopers. They must be having a good time through all this, becuase no one has said they want to leave.


Wednesday - Cohen and I took the train to the city to go to Retiro park and search for the Crystal Palace. We walked the entire park and finally found it, just a little ways from where our journey had started. Cohen asked where the King slept and was very disappointed to learn the King didn't live there. We then walked some of the streets of Salamanca looking for a chocolateria I had read about. Never found it, but was well worth looking for, as the streets, buildings, and shops were amazing. We met Brett for lunch at VIPS, and left just enough time for the train ride home, before meeting the kids at the bus stop. We prepared to get off the train at the next stop, but the train seemed to be gaining speed rather than slowing. I started getting nervous as it whizzed by our stop. I pressed the "open door" button, thinking maybe it doesn't stop unless it's requested. I would just get on another train and would probably make it just in time for the kids. Nope. The next station whizzed by also. I'm looking at the clock the whole time getting more and more stressed picturing the kids waiting alone in the middle of the Rotunda (round about) with 5 busy streets coming off of it. The train finally stopped a few towns away, I ran to a different train (carrying Cohen and stroller), twiddled my thumbs as the train traveled, waiting and hoping that this time it would stop at our stop, ran from the train station, up the hill, down the hill, through the weeds, over the broken sidewalk, across several streets and made it with 1 minute to spare. The kids get off the bus, Addie asks "what'd you guys do today?" "Oh, we explored some of Madrid, and saw Daddy, how was your day?"


Thursday - This is the first year the kids have been totally stoked about Thanksgiving and counting down the last couple days. I tried letting them down easy and preparing them for the reality of what our "feast" would consist of. We spent the morning at the police station getting fingerprinted and our pictures taken (for residence cards). TGI Friday's was then graced with our presence for the "feast". We let the kids choose what they wanted, so their Thanksgiving bounty included fries and milkshakes - sans turkey, mashed potates, corn, rolls, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pie, and all else traditional. After we finished we ran some other errands (looking into car leases, furniture, etc.). It just seemed like any other day. I didn't realize the lack of a traditional Thanksgiving would be so hard. I missed the smells of turkey and rolls baking, a couch to sit on or carpet to lay on while digesting way too much (top button far from closing), scanning the paper for good deals, picking at the leftovers while still uncomfortable from round 1, but most of all, a home. It's probably the homiest holiday, so a bit tough to be in a hotel without even a microwave.


Black Friday - Brett had to go back to work since we are no longer in the land of the free and the home of the brave. It's been freezing outside, and Eli was sick with a high fever. That meant we were hotel bound with only Spanish cartoons for entertainment. Eli always knows how to "do" sick. He just sleeps and sleeps and when he wakes up, he's better. We just hope the other 3 don't get it because they have not yet learned from his wise ways. Work hours may be bad for Brett Mon -Thurs, but on Friday's, he's only there until 3. Yay, a good dinner!


Sunday - This Sunday was the Primary program in Sacrament meeting. Due to the fact that there are less kids, they had several give quite impressive talks -or so Brett said. One child who looked to be about 8 yrs old, explained the whole Plan of Salvation without reading or looking at anything. I didn't know what he was saying, but was impressed by his speaking presence and lack of help. I accompanied Cohen to nursery and probably shouldn't have. Let's just say it took every ounce of will power to not pull out the package of antibacterial wipes in my purse, and go to town. Now, I was in the nursery in our last ward with 25 kids most Sundays. There were only 5 today, but it still seemed too many for the over crowded (with less than sanitary toys), very hot (heat up way too high), walk-in closet sized room, without a nursery leader (I hear she's usually here). My only consolation was that Cohen graduated up to Primary in January. And then someone told me (in pretty good English) that the teacher rarely comes for the Sunbeam class, so they are combined with Nursery. What?! Another year? At least he will build up both foreign and domestic antibodies right? I have to say it was my toughest day since we've been here. I think my sense of adventure is waning, and my need for a home and something familiar prevailing.
The American family in our ward must've been inspired because they invited us to their home for dinner tonight. It is amazing how much that affected my mood and disposititon. I left knowing I had someone who understood it all (came here 6 months ago), I had a renewed sense of adventure and the knowledge that this temporary living really will end. It was so nice to be in a home, have real food, let the kids run around and play with toys, and speak English.

Here's to Firsts!

Church Building in Madrid

Getting rid of some jitters, while waiting for the bus.


Brett's ready to join the Spanish working world.

*Pictures, but no spell check, sorry!

1st Day of Church -We drove around for long time, looking for the church building. We finally stumbled upon it, but it definitely was not where the Google directions said it was. It's a Spanish speaking ward. Apparently there aren't English wards or branches in Madrid.
Whispering during Sacrament meeting:
Addie: "Are my teachers going to speak Spanish?"
Me: "Yes."
Addie: "We need to get back in the car and keep driving."
Me (not knowing if this was going to be our permanent ward, or if there was an English branch): "Go tell Daddy."
Addie: "Dad, we need to turn around."
Brett: Chuckle.
Right before the meeting ended she asked "Mom, what does 'No hablo Espanol' mean?"
Me: "I don't speak Spanish."
Addie: "Okay." (Apparently she had come to terms with it and was preparing to conquer her new ward).
At the end of the meeting the kids got up looking a little uneasy, except for Gavin. He gets up and nonchalantly asks, "Where's my class?" A little language barrier doesn't bother him. I am amazed at how resilient and adaptable kids are. We explain to them that their teachers will probably speak Spanish, they need to be reverent, and just try to keep their ears open for Spanish words that are familiar to them. All but Cohen (who was brought back to us in tears after a couple of minutes) seemed content by the end with our new Sunday environment. Luckily, wherever you go, the church is still the same even if it's in another language. There is one other American family in the ward. They have 4 boys near our kids' ages. Because it's a small ward, Primary classes are combined and so each of them have 1 other English speaker in their class. I'm also amazed that they didn't seem bothered or uncomfortable by all the cheek and face touching that was going on by all the women adoring them -especially Cohen and his blonde hair. I've been so nervous over how the kids are going to react to each situation. I 've given little thought to how I feel about it all -which is a good thing.
My take on church? I better find my lesson manuals because I'm not getting much out of what's being taught. I did sit next to one of the sister missionaries during Relief Society and she interpretted somewhat for me. Though I never really excelled playing the piano and haven't played in the last 10 years (other than the rare tickling of the ivory on the infrequent trips to my parents), I'm thinking I may have to work on my skills. There isn't a pianist for Relief Society, and our humble ward has not learned to read music. Seriously, you leave with a headache. It took me at least half the song to figure out what they were singing (I didn't have a hymn book). I guess it's typical South American style as Brett said it was the same on his mission. Most of the ward is from South America, with just a couple Spaniards.

1st Day of School- Gavin, Eli, and Adalie were so excited to go to school -and ride the bus (the short bus). They were still excited when they got home, so that's a good sign. It seems the school does quite well making new students feel welcome, which I guess is due to the constant flow of new students paying handsome amounts.

!st Day of Work- Brett was situated at work in a little cubicle with no phone or office supplies, just someone else's files all over the desk. He didn't get any sort of orientation or anything, he's just supposed to do his thing I guess. Brett left the office at 7:30 pm and still many were there working, so we're not sure what hours are expected from him. With the walk and train ride it takes about an hour to get home, so he didn't get home until about 8:30.

My 1st Day -We needed some groceries so I opted for the shorter route, but more awkward. Push stroller with no steering capabilities (donated to us by our landlord) over broken sidewalk tiles until sidewalk ends, plow through weeds and dirt mounds under overpass (cars flying by), up a hill (paved), down a steep incline (on some steep unofficial cement rubble stairs)-cactus on each side, up the train station stairs, across the tracks (above on bridge), across 3 busy streets and parking lot, and tada! Time to grocery shop. Buy what I think I can handle carrying home, even though it means I'll have to make another trek tomorrow. Cohen now asleep in stroller. Very bad because I was making him get out and walk when maneuvering the stairs. Feeling faint and realizing I hadn't eaten all day (about 2 pm now). Smell good warm smells at train station so stop in and buy Empanada (they were great in Argentina). Not so good here. One big, cold, pocket of meat wrapped in very hard, stale bread. It was freezing outside, so I was really looking forward to something warm. Also, with my meat issues, it was less than appealing. But it was gone in a matter of minutes -like I said, I was hungry. I took a breather to eat on the train station bench and figure out a strategy for getting sleeping Cohen, stroller, and groceries up the afore mentioned steep incline. I sat there long enough that a couple trains came by and woke Cohen, so problem solved. My next issue after picking the kids up at the bus stop at 4:15, was dinner. Yes, I just went to the grocery store, but that was for the few items I could carry (school lunches), and we don't have an oven or microwave here. I called the Hotel front desk to order pizza (they don't speak English), transferred me to Telepizza, on hold until they found someone who spoke English, told them I wanted to order pizza, "No". I Was denied again a few times, and finally they told me that I had to try back at 8pm. Now, I knew that lunch is from 1:30 - 4:30ish, and dinner from 8-midnight, but pizza is supposed to be round the clock, especially when it is the only thing listed on our 24 hour room service menu. I can't wait that long, since the kids are sleep deprived as it is, and have another long day at school tomorrow. I physically went to the front desk this time so I could point at the menu and have her call (thinking in her Spanish she could coerse them to give us the pizza). She called them and I never heard back so assumed we were good to go. 7, 7:30, 8 pm still no pizza, so I call front desk. She had just gotten off the phone with them and it was just going to be another 40 min. Really? Brett gets home at 8:30, no pizza. Front desk calls letting us know they can't find the delivery guy but our pizza is ready and waiting. Great, so 3+ hours after we wanted it, we'll get cold pizza. Nice. Poor, hungry, exhausted kids, that didn't go to bed until after 10pm. Good thing they're resilient.

It's gonna be okay

Thursday the kids got to go to school and meet their teachers (no interview). Addie and Eli are in separate classes and will start all day school from 9am-4pm. Their teachers both seem very friendly as do the kids in their classes. The students have known of the Ross family arrival and so knew their names. Addie's class especially was excited for her to be there as there are only five girls in the class right now. I'm sure Gavin's teacher is much friendlier than she seemed, if not, he can handle it. I don't think any of them will have a problem adjusting as it seems to be a warm and understanding atmosphere -even if Addie and Eli are being split up. They will start school Monday instead of Friday. As we will be in the Hotel still, they will be picked up at 8:15, by the "short bus" right near the hotel.

Yesterday we got the keys to the house, yipee! Yay, we can do laundry...boo, we're still living in the hotel. We're going to be living in the hotel until our airshipment comes, which will hopefully be next week. It has kitchen items and an aero bed included in it. We'll be able to cook and Brett and I and the most well behaved child, will get to sleep on the aero bed. Everyone else it looks like will be on hard wood. Okay, maybe we'll have to purchase an aero bed here. We went to the house again today to do laundry, and we met some of our neighbors. They seem very nice, do not speak any Spanish and have been here for 3 months and have survived. They have an 8 yr old girl, and a 12 yr old boy. Both go to the American School of Madrid also. The kids love the new house and playground area, and Cohen keeps asking to go to his red house. Hopefully this Thanksgiving I will be thankful to be out of the hotel. If not, I will remain thankful for a hot shower, heat, food, clean clothes, Brett the translator, a stroller, and all day school (I dreaded sending them to school all day, but after the tight quarters this past week, we're all ready to have some time apart. It'll just make it that much better when we're together).

The kids have entertained themselves at the hotel, climbing the surrounding trees, throwing large pinecones and making Bakugan, robots, and letters to Santa on the other pinecone seeds, and leaves. They are loving the HUGE leaves and collect large stashes of them on our walks. They seem to have no problem entertaining themselves without toys.

Planes, trains, subways, taxis, and boats

Today was a much better day. Brett was with us today and so we had a much needed fun day. We took the train into the city (a highlight on it's own), ate at VIPS (a favorite of mine), and road the subway to Retiro Park. Brett and I went here on our own a month ago an loved it. The lakes, the fountains, statues, play ground, accordian music in the background as we rowed our boats and raced across the lake, all in the middle of the bustling city. It was a winner for the kids too. Though I'm not sure which they liked the best, the park or the double decker train ride back. Brett's picking up the rental car right now, so Gavin's life should get a little easier. The kids have interviews at the school tomorrow and then they start Friday. No one seems too apprehensive about it, and Cohen seems to be a little more content here now that he's had his chocolate milk fix.

Petite PB & J's

*This computer won't let me move pics, so imagine them in the right place until I have a real computer.

I have been very blessed to not have to go without heat, food, transportation or even phone. So I count my blessings that this is only temporary. I don't know if I could handle the feeling of uncertainty and helplessness that not being able to provide these things brings. I worried when we awoke after ten am to a quiet, cold, apartment, that the kids were suffering from hypothermia and thus weren't waking (there's a down side to creativity). Our power went out some time during the night, but before their losses are mourned, they did wake up eventually and our power was restored. As we had slept through the hotel breakfast, I threw our last 3 pieces of bread together for a hearty 3/8 of a sandwich for each child (I couldn't help thinking of the Mickey Mouse version of "A Christmas Carol", when Mickey is slicing a single bean vellum thin, amongst the family). It just doesn't feel good to have to deny the kids food when they ask for more -should've done some serious grocery shopping last night).

Brett left to the city to take care of business (payroll and social security), while we stayed back at the hotel. Thank goodness my friend Sharese had sent me on my way with a cute new apron she made (don't usually pack them in my suitcase) as it came in handy, motivating me to clean up the overwhelming mess of suitcases, clothes, toys, crayons, etc. A cute uniform always makes the job more enjoyable. I distracted the kids hunger with new movies I had packed and Halloween candy (Mom of the year, for sure) while I did my chores until I figured out what we were going to do for food. Our hotel is not situated in the best of locations. It's a 15 -20 minute walk to a major grocer or McDonalds. Not bad, except that it involves walking next to and across busy roads, which isn't ideal with 4 kids in tow. Eli has already had several close calls with cars here. Or, I could walk 40 minutes on sidewalks to the village where we could find something to eat. All of these options involve carrying Cohen as he seems to be suffering from jet lag, late nights and no naps, and uninterested in walking any sort of distance. I opted for ordering pizza, and after several transfers finding someone who spoke English, food was on the way (I didn't even know where to have it sent to, apparently there are two NH hotels in Aravaca-oops!). So the first real meal of the day was around 3:30 pm. We decided to venture out after and find a park.

We walked/were carried those 40 minutes to the village where we finally found a park (ended up being a Seniors center excercise area). The kids had their 1st Spanish encounter on the playground with some unfriendly little ninas blocking the slide access. The girls kept saying things to Addie as she stood there with a blank stare (I'm guessing unfriendly by the body language and tone). She looked over at me unsure of what to do. I gave an encouraging look as Cohen backed up not wanting to get involved in a scuffle. Finally Addie moved, and just ducked under their arms and went down the slide. They started counting and hollering after her but she ducked and did it again. They must've given up soon after, because they quieted down, & dropped their arms, though didn't leave there posts. My breathing began to regulate as I realized we would leave the park without a brawl (Where was I? Eyeballing their mom waiting for her to step in, I mean, I suppose they could have been yelling compliments and counting her many positive attributes). After Addie paved the way, the boys came over to go down the slide too, and enjoyed the rest of our time playing.

The day was so much better after food and getting out of the apt. I think it didn't happen earlier in the day because I was scared and so procrastinated any sort of human interaction and displaying my lack of Spanish skills. We got home around 6:30 where we met Brett and then off to McDonalds (normally not a good thing, but nice to go somewhere familiar), and some real grocery shopping. In addition to the lack of food, I felt quite isolated during the day. It's our first full day, so I didn't know my way around, no car, no phone, no money, no language skills to ask for directions should I get lost walking about, just me responsible for 4 children. Though it started out scary, I got out eventually, and was even happier to meet up with the translator and tour guide (Brett).

Spanish Grocery Store 101 (from experience at Hipercor):

*You must pay 1.50 Euro to use a cart (didn't find that out the easy way) and there is nothing cool about them ie. no Wiggles and not shaped like cars.
*Milk is purchased off the shelf -that's right, room temp. (I don't understand, is it real milk? I don't think I will be partaking anytime soon)
*Peanut butter is available, though priced as if it were gold.
*Sandwich bread is sold mostly crustless -our kids will come back quite spoiled and unable to eat bread crusts.
*The smell of the extensive seafood dept takes over alot of the store
*The Ross family does not agree with cart rental and therefore loads their kids up with generous amounts of goods. Yes, we are the Americans with 4 kids following behind, arms heavily laden with peanut butter and Oreos.

We walk everywhere, and until tonight did not have chocolate milk -well the warm potential with a little nesquick. It has been a change for everyone and Cohen seems to be the most vocal about our new surroundings, "I wot to go home, beetus dey dote have choc-it milt in Pain". On our walk home from the grocery store carrying bags of groceries, Gavin said, "I want to buy a car, or rent a car, or get a taxi. I don't like all this walking". Gavin is quite concerned and constantly asking about our financial state because Brett hasn't been to work in a couple of weeks, we don't have a car, and he got 3/8 of a pb & j for breakfast this morning. Alot to worry about for a 7 yr old.

Tour de France

The Eiffel tower? Spectacular, I'm sure. Though I won't be confirming it first hand this time. We left Cincy Saturday evening with 4 children, 1 car seat, 3 boosters, 9 large suitcases, and several carry on's in tow.
The plan: 8 hr flight to Paris, 5 hr layover (just enough time to venture out and see the Eiffel tower and eat some crepes), 2.5 hr flight to Madrid, hotel shuttle takes us to hotel where we can clean up and get a little rest.
The reality: 1 hr + delay due to mechanical difficulties, 8 hr flight (thankfully uneventful), 24 hr layover in Paris (just enough time to stand in 11 lines, book 4 flights, learn french -annule means cancelled, spend 70 Euro on muffins and fries, travel up and down escalators 6 times, mop airport floors with children's clothes, experience French security 3 times, collect nonexistent baggage 1 time, catch a few winks at airport hotel, and count our money in hopes that if we offer the Pilot a little extra he'll come off strike early)...and here we wait watching the monitor in hopes that our flight isn't cancelled. If so, we're throwing in the towel, going to the Eiffel tower, and will fly out tomorrow when the Air France strike is over.

P.S. -11/18 Conclusion: Some kind pilot must have sensed there was a family of 6 in need of baths, and our 4th flight went as scheduled. Our seating was split up into groups of two, which left Gavin and Eli sitting alone 4 rows behind Cohen and I, and 3 rows in front of Brett and Addie. The flight was otherwise uneventful, yay! When we finally arrived in Madrid we had just one more long line to stand in...baggage claim. Only 5 of 13 pieces showed up, and unfortunately, the pieces that were missing were the ones that were going to provide cleanliness, and a fresh change of clothes. We also found out there wasn't a shuttle coming to pick us up.

The kids have been awesome under the circumstances and we've only had a couple melt downs. Mostly they were so tired they would just lay on the floor and fall asleep on baggage carts. It's now Tuesday morning, we finally have luggage, and the kids are freshly bathed and dressed after 3 days and 3 nights in the same clothes. Our Paris highlights were the "army" men in camos with guns at the airport, French fries, French bunnies (seen on the way to the hotel), French underarms (our own), and French noogies (Poor Cohen was the brunt of most of them). And now the adventure begins in Spain.

Little "casa rojo"

The house hunting is over and we've found our little casa rojo. Though it's not very Spanish, it works out perfect for us. We love it! It is technically in Madrid though far enough out to have a bit more space. We also will have pretty sweet views of the city from the terraces. It's about 10 minutes from the kids school (though they'll take the bus), walking distance from the village for groceries, short driving distance from suburbia with big grocers and malls, walking distance from park with bike trails, lakes, playground etc., and a just a short jaunt to the city.


Details
The house may not look very Spanish, but it has quite a few Euro assets. It is a Euro mesh from the London imported door knobs with very Cinderella-ish keys, to the German windows (pretty cool, but I won't go into details), and imported from I-don't-remember-where fire place mantels. The mother/realtor/financial backing behind this endeavor for her children, made sure we knew of all the bells and whistles. It is a semi attached chalet (shares a wall with neighbor). I originally thought I wanted private, but private in Spain means PRIVATE (enclosed by tall gates and shrubs). If we went the private route, the kids probably wouldn't easily be playing with neighbors. There are 4 residences within the ivy covered security gate. The kids can play to their hearts content without me having to worry (they can't get out without a key and no one gets in without a key or permission via video security). In the front there are ramps and cement for biking, along with grass for soccer, sand box for buckets and trucks, and swings for... flying. Behind the swings is a common party room for the kids. Each residence has a private backyard with a private pool (pool and yard maintenance are covered in rent -yipee!). There are 2 buildings which house 4 residents in this gated Utopia -all of which have children. There are 4 rooms on the 2nd floor, so Gavin and Eli will still share. All the bedrooms have a private bathroom with bidet (no kids, it's not a water fountain). The guest sweet on the 3rd floor, has 2 large rooms, closet area, bathroom (pictured above with footed bath tub), and terrace with amazing views. So book now! In the basement there is the laundry room, maid's quarters (probably my craft area), ample storage, and garage. The garage has a hose and drain right inside, so you can wash your car privately (nobody wants to see ya shirtless in those cut-off jean shorts, pot belly hanging over, hairy back blowing in the wind). There is a bidet looking thing also in the garage for dumping mop water, or soap suds, rinsing muddy boots, etc. Who thinks of these things? Needless to say, I'm quite excited about this "vacation" from some of our responsibilities. Renting definitely has it's perks, though, I may go crazy looking at all the white walls. The next Madrid post will be equally gag worthy as I've fallen in love with the city. Just a warning.

Excuse me, I just found out it's casa roja. That's why I need Brett around.

We Have Been Spooked

The Halloween Phantom visited our house the other night!
You can get the scoop by checking out this site.
I went outside to look at the full moon and there was something on our doorstep.
Thank you phantom-we are enjoying the goodies!

Mom (Grandma Ross)

The Trap Has Been Set

A few days ago I was sitting on the couch knitting and before I knew it, Eli had taken my skein of yarn and wrapped it all around the house. He thought it was great fun but I was frantic because I didn't want him to break the yarn. He was so excited about doing it again and got the rest of the kids excited too. Cohen and I made a trip to Hobby Lobby today to get them each their own skein of yarn and then the fun began. While they were doing their "work" Brett and Amy called and Gavin told on me-I forgot to put the garage door down when I went to pick up the kids from school yesterday! He said they were making a "trap" in case anyone wanted to break in our house and believe me, it is hard to get around in the house. I don't know how long we will have this yarn trap up but my guess would be that it will be down by tomorrow-although it is good exercise stepping over and dodging under the trap!

Mom (Grandma Ross)

More Adventures

One of the best things about being in Ohio or Kentucky this time of year is enjoying the beauties of fall. Yesterday we went to the park so Gavin could take tennis lessons. The kids played at the playground but the beautiful autumn leaves were a great background for a photo op with Addie and Cohen. Amy's friend Sharese invited us to go with the ward "playgroup" today to the pumpkin patch. It was swarming with moms and kids but the kids had a great time running all around, playing and looking at the barnyard friends (horses, chickens, goats, peacocks, bunnies, etc.) We took our lunch and ate at the picnic tables there. I enjoyed meeting some of Amy's friends from the ward-they all must love her! We had enough time to stop at the house for a potty break and then the twins were off to school.
P.S. We couldn't resist buying small pumpkins for each of the kids. Adalie wanted to carve hers immediately but we decided to get some permanent markers and draw faces on them instead, so they won't be rotten by the end of the week!

Mom (Grandma Ross)

24 hour conclusion

We've been in Madrid for a little over 24 hours and so the first impression has been made. No, I'm not panicking at what we've gotten ourselves into, though I do feel stress over some aspects. I'm totally stressed over driving -too many round abouts and multi-lane streets without lane markings where cars just seem to dance. I say dance, because although witnessing it makes my blood pressure soar, horns aren't honking, I haven't seen any accidents, and the cars are just maneuvering around each other in what I guess is some sort of orderly chaos. I'm not sure where you go for this sort of dancing lesson.

I also realize I can't put off learning Spanish any longer. I've been so afraid of proving the old adage "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" true, that I haven't attempted. Visiting the country has helped me see that it's better to try and butcher the language than to walk around in a fog. It's a good thing Brett speaks Spanish and it will get us by for now, but for any feeling of personal independence, I 'm going to have to learn that "salida" doesn't mean salad bar.

I love hotel windows that open and let in the fall air. The Spanish must be much smarter than Americans, because this would never last in the States. Someone would fall out (probably dangling their feet while taking a picture of the oddity of 7th floor opening windows), there would be major law suits, and walah! No more hotel windows that open. Guess I better pull my feet in before Spain loses their right to open windows.

I love what little I've seen of the culture. As mentioned earlier, no one is honking or giving the bird when cut off. There seems to be an abundance of love in the air. Couples holding hands and swooning over each other left and right. Here my mind says "awe... love...", versus my normal "Get a room!" thought process. Big groups of "youngsters" (just how old am I?), in their 20's just hanging out. Not partying, just enjoying a good chat with each other. Families out walking and playing in the abundantly situated parks. Rarely did I see cell phone usage, apparently the art of face to face is not lost here. It just makes me happy to see people living enjoyably in a big green city (ranked Europe's 2nd greenest city).

I also loved that people put a little effort into there appearances. It made it very dream like to walk the tree lined city streets, passing families pushing their buggies with boutique outfitted children in tow (dresses and pea coats for girls, button up shirts and sweater or blazers for boys -with converse shoes). Mom in her heeled boots, size 0 jeans, and trendy trench with scarf of course, holding hands with Dad wearing Italian leather shoes, casually faded jeans, a collared button up, and brown corduroy blazer. I have not yet seen a single sweat suit or lounge pant yet, but we haven't been outside the business district. Don't get me wrong, I do like my comfy clothes, but it's nice to see some effort made. We went on a cruise a few years ago, and people were boarding in sweats and big fuzzy SLIPPERS! I mean come on!

Brett loves the "clean" culture. Bidet's, to be more exact. To quote him, "you wouldn't wash a car without water, so why...".

And with that, I'll sign off until our trip is over.

A Working Vacation

No, this isn't Amy...this is the temporary mom for the week-Grandma Ross. I have the privilege of caring for Gavin, Eli, Adalie, and Cohen this week while Brett and Amy are in Madrid-scouting out the area for a home. We (the kids and me) took off in the car Saturday afternoon and ended up at the Underwood's. Trevor and Boston had evening baseball games and so the rest of the kids kept busy at the ballpark, running around the diamond on the unoccupied field, throwing rocks into a nasty bucket of water and sliding down a big pile of gravel! Needless to say, they all needed baths when we got home.
Sunday, we went to Church with Traci and Zane and all the cousins-we took up the whole row! The kids went to primary and Cohen and Mallory went to the nursery. All seemed to be going well until the nursery leader brought Cohen into me and said that he just started sobbing and couldn't stop. Cohen said later that he was just "sad". We had a great time in Kentucky and returned home last night about 7:45 pm. The drive home was great-we were treated to a spectacular sunset-in my rear-view mirror and an almost full moon in a beautiful clear sky. The weather here has been hot-upper 80's but we aren't complaining.
Hope you are having fun in Spain, Brett and Amy. All is well here!

Mom(Grandma Ross)

Is it yunch tine?

Cohen is very fixated on chocolate milk but we only let the kids drink it at lunch time. Here's a few of his latest conversations regarding the shortage around here.

Cohen: I want choc -it milt. Is it yunch tine? (9:42 am)

Me: No not yet, you just finished breakfast.

Cohen: Is it yunch tine? (9:44 am)

Me: No honey, not yet.

Cohen: Is it yunch tine? (9:45 am)

Me: No. Are you hungry?

Cohen: Is it yunch tine? (growing very impatient like I wasn't understanding his question)

Me: Sorry buddy, not yet.

Cohen: Dote tell me dat. Is it yunch tine?

Me: (sigh, chuckle)

________________________

Me: Hey guys, it's dinner time! (hollering to the front yard where the kids were playing)

Big kids run in, leaving Cohen. Me rescuing abandoned 4th child. Our conversation as I carried him in.

Cohen: Is it yunch tine? (With hope in his voice)

Me: No, we already had lunch, it's dinner time now.

Cohen: Jus one more tine? (holding up 1 finger, and pleading with his eyes)

Me: No...Gavin go sit up at the table. Addie put the coloring book away.

Cohen: One more tine? (index finger still in air, eyes even more pleading)

Me: (sigh, chuckle)

________________________

Brett in the car late at night with only Cohen.

Cohen: You be Tohen (Cohen), I be Da-ee (Daddy)

Brett: Can I have some chocolate milk?

Cohen: No, it not yunch tine.

Brett: But I want some chocolate milk.

Cohen: you have choc-it milt when yunch tine.
________________________

I'm really not as strict as it sounds and maybe we should let him drink chocolate milk all day (against doc's advice, because he won't have room for other necessary nutrients). But I so enjoy the squeal of delight EVERY lunch time that accompanies hands in the air and jumping up and down. "Yay! Choc-it milt! Yay! Choc-it milt!" And so I comfort myself knowing that little pleasure is derived from things enjoyed too frequently.

Here's a little support from something I found on my friend Lisa's blog from a book she was reading. "The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less".

"We probably can do more to affect the quality of our lives by controlling our expectations than we can by doing virtually anything else. The blessing of modest expectations is that they leave room for many experiences to be a pleasant surprise....The challenge is to find a way to keep expectations modest, even as actual experiences keep getting better."
"One way of achieving this goal is by keeping wonderful experiences rare. No matter what you can afford, save great (chocolate milk) for special occasions. This may seem like an exercise in self-denial, but I don't think it is. On the contrary, it's a way to make sure that you can continue to experience pleasure."

Organizing, Boreganizing

I'm having trouble buckling down and organizing. I look around and it's just too overwhelming. It's too early to have separate "wild Spanish yonder" and "locked up storage" piles, as my special helpers would soon create their own organizational piles like the "withstood banging" pile, "doesn't bounce when thrown from 2nd floor" pile, and the "makes a good cape" pile.

So this is me taking the bull by the horns to get 'er done. Thought I'd start with something easy and reduce some paper pile-up. 40 minutes of looking through magazines to make sure I've ripped out all the good ideas, when my eyes flit around the room and I am overcome with the desire to finish a project I had started a couple months ago. Finishing projects = good, yes, could count as organizing. Except that the nature of the project makes absolutely no sense when one is moving out of one's house in six weeks. But hey, my little helpers will know exactly where to put their towel for the next six weeks. I need my friend Emily to come and crack that organizing whip.

Background: I recently repainted the bathroom (to cover Eli's artwork of course). The sink area and bathroom/shower area are separated by a door. In the shower room, we hung a 1x4 chair rail on the walls to where we attached towel hooks. Previously, if we were lucky there would be 4 towels barely dangling from an over crowded towel bar. Usually less, given that someone's towel was sure to be in a heap on the floor, to which all fingers pointed at each other. To solve this, I took them to the store where each chose their own towel color. Now we don't have to stumble upon a wet towel piled on the closet floor, a quick look at our color coded bathroom wall gives it all away and usually sends somebody running. Though now that their names are up, they love to hang their towels (and it's vinyl lettering, so it peels right off).

When I get around to it, I'll post more pics of the bathroom on Painted Lollipop.

Preschool Musical

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My friend Sharese made this with Addie and Cohen's pictures. They loved it, and watched it over and over again. Cohen watched in awe, unaware that he looked that good when he busted a move. While other 2 year olds are enthralled with the Wiggles, Cohen is very well versed in High School Musical. In fact, until recently basketball was referred to as "head in game".

Scared straight!

In order for us to obtain visas, it was necessary to be fingerprinted and have FBI background checks done. We drove to the sheriff's office where we read this to be obtainable. We had the younger three with us and they were nervous going in as we had just past the fenced prison. We explained to them that the police are here to keep us safe and protect us and the bad guys are locked up all the way across the parking lot behind all the barbed wire covered fences. While we were taking care of business (finding out where we were really supposed to be) the kids enjoyed memorizing the faces on the wanted signs and inquiring what they did that made them bad guys, and how the police knew they were bad, and why that one guy was smiling in his picture, and will the police shoot them when they find them (talk about age appropriate field trip)? We then informed the kids we had to go to a different building for fingerprinting (sheriff's too high tech and they needed prints in good ole fashion ink). That's right kids, we have to venture to the other side of the parking lot, and hang out on the other side of that really tall fence with all the pokey wires on top, where we just told you all the bad guys are locked up. Poor Cohen, squeezed my hand so tight, and with fear and desperation in his voice, "I dote wahya go to jayuh (I don't wanna go to jail)".

Brett and I took turns getting buzzed in beyond the three security doors, while the other waited with the kids in the lobby. My time in the lobby was spent with 3 very well behaved (sat perfectly still) children asking question after question in barely audible voices. "What are those phones for (the door was open to the minimum security visitation room)? What's the phone number? Do they have food here? Do they live here forever? How come they get out? How can they climb that really high wall (referring to the reason for barbed wire)? What if they're still bad guys? How come the police don't shoot them? How come that guy isn't out protecting us (referring to the "desk job" officer)?" And on and on.

My experience behind the 3 doors and past the maximum security visitation room was uneventful, though I couldn't get Brett's poor rendition of the Law and Order song out of my head. We left unscathed and we reiterated the importance of following rules and the similarities between prison and time-out. Maybe we'll have super obedient kids from now on, maybe this is the key to successful parenting ...one can hope, right? So, while the younger 3 were scared stiff, Gavin was very disappointed he didn't get to go, with many questions about the "wanted" bad guys, and a plea to have his birthday party held there Friday.

Update: 9/25 The kids saw a "wanted" bad guy leaving the Target parking lot in a blue car, and he gave them a mean look. I'm sure the police will be very interested in all of our hot tips.

A date, a date, a very important date!

And so, after months and months of waiting, we have it. Finally, a realistic start date for *KPMG* Espana. Let the mayhem begin! As long as work permits, visas, etc. go as planned, we will be breathing Spanish air November 17th. November sounds so far off, but when you break it down, the panic sets in.

September 13-21 -gone to the beach (OBX)
2 weeks of trying to get something done beyond laundry and dishes
October 6-9th Brett out of town
October 10 -Grandma Ross flies in for babysitting duty -I mean, quality bonding time
October 11-17 - We're in Madrid for house hunting (really looking forward to that 13 hr plane ride)
3 weeks of mass chaos and moving
November 9-13 Brett out of town (the rest of us probably living out of a hotel)
And then...we officially become expats.

That's 5 or 6 not very quality weeks left (we're in the middle of busy season) to juggle 8 doctor appts, finish up some house projects, background checks, figure out what we're taking/storing, a flight to Chicago to pick up visas, shopping for must haves, find a renter, make bazillions of calls that seem impossible to find the right time for, given the noise level around here, celebrate 2 birthdays (no, unfortunately not my usual celebrating style), many miscellaneous and repetitious tasks (ie.4 more passport pics each for visas -sure would've been nice to know when we were getting them the first time), and of course maintain sanity while keeping up with the normal everyday tasks . So, maybe I'll be blogging more to escape from what I really should be doing.