Goodbye, Big City

We’re leaving this afternoon for three weeks of vacaciones.  I’m more than ready to escape the heat of Madrid and go swimming in the ocean!

Taking a break from this...

to head to the sea!

We’re spending a week in Fuenterrabía in Northern Spain and two weeks in Costa Ballena in Southern Spain, near Cádiz.

I’ve got an i-pod loaded with some new jams, a lot of bikinis, and a large bottle of sunscreen all packed…I think I’m just about ready!

I’m not sure what my internet access will be like but pictures will be posted at some point…it just might be a bit later rather than sooner.  I’ve got my priorities in order, it’s beach before blog, guys!

Friday, Friday, Friday

I had another very busy day with the kiddies!

We went for our morning walk to the park.

And had fun with the "wiki stixs" that my parents sent us!

Working on our landscape.

Showing off our handiwork.

And the finished product in all of its glory! This craft project is definitely coming with us on vacation...

Finally, a picture that's mostly for my mama, the only person who reads this blog... Please notice the intense concentration that is being focused on the wiki stixs! I had to giggle when I saw this, I hadn't realized how involved I was...

Work and Play

I’ve been spending more time than usual at home with the three beans this week.

A picture that makes me laugh out loud!

An improvement from our first try.

Playing at one of our favorite parks.

Almu coloring an ocean scene.

Showing off her new stickers.

And displaying her pink painted nails.

Yesterday we had a visit from Polly and Cousin Nacho!  I was happy to see both of them.

Polly and Nacho.

Loves.

Saint Santiago

Yesterday, July 25th, was el día santo de Santi, or his saint’s day.  It’s celebrated a bit like a birthday with presents, candy, and in our case a trip to Casa de Campo to go for a boat ride (or at least try to go for a boat ride, we arrived a few minutes too late to rent a boat).

Here are the little beans, admiring the lake:

Enjoying the breeze.

There's a pretty view of Madrid and the Royal Palace, which I didn't exactly capture here. The lake looks nice though!

This morning we had fun playing at home.

Checking out our cool new stickers.

Smiling for the camera.

And packing for a make-believe trip.

My Super Bolso

So, I may have seen this idea on another blog, but my little bean was camera shy today and this is what we’ve got to work with…

Inés was tired of all the attention from the paparazzi (me). Poor thing, we'll have to give her the day off tomorrow.

A peak at what’s inside my super bolso!

I emptied my purse on my bed and documented the contents.

Here’s a rundown of what I drag around with me on a daily basis:

1.  A Dooney and Bourke wallet with the very little “capital” that I have (as Jasmine would say)

2. A clever fan-perfume sample from Sephora, I hung onto it, it’s hot here, ya’ll!

3. A metro map of Madrid

4. My sunglasses, bought from a little eyeglass shop in Uptown when I was in highschool

5. Hand sanitizer

6. A BlackBerry that rarely functions, and a Spanish cell phone that usually does

7. My Aborno de Transporte

8. Gum (that always ends up being chewed by a certain 4-year old)

9. Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

10. An I-Pod from the Stone Age

11. Hair ties and bobby pins

12. A Coach wristlet that stores all the little items in my bag that otherwise love to float to the bottom.

My Girl

We went on a long walk today.  Somebody insisted on pushing her own stroller for a good part of it so we were pretty tired by the time we made it home.  We both took a serious siesta!

Swinging away.

Climbing around.

Separated at Birth

Nacho

The Gerber Baby

We spent the morning with a little Gerber Baby look-alike.

Having some fun at Nacho's.

We had a delicious lunch this afternoon, I don’t need to eat anything for a few days.

A real feast! We ate outside on the balcony.

Lusting for…

a sweet smell.

I’ve been through several principal scent stages: Burberry, Coco Mademoiselle by Channel, and then Dolce and Gabanna The One…

This brings me back to my freshman year at Carleton.

And this one reminds me of my junior year.

But now I’m on to something new.  I’m not ashamed to admit it, it’s one of Britney’s perfumes!

It's so delicious.

Might have to snap this one up soon.  They’re starting to recognize me in Sephora as the girl constantly asking for the perfume samples…

Love.

Sometimes the kids make me want to pull my hair out and sit down on the floor and cry.  But then sometimes you peak over the stroller and see a little bean sleeping like this.  She’s so precious, I wanted to squeeze her!

Inés was out like a light.

She woke up when we walked into the house but she wouldn't let me take her out of the stroller so she's now sleeping in her room, in her stroller, bless her heart. In a bit I'll make the stroller-bed transfer...

We spent the morning playing with Cousin Nacho at his house.

Nacho, enjoying some lunch.

Posing, pretty in pink.

Having a little snack.

It’s hot, hot, hot here in the city and I’m about to imitate Inés and lay down for a siesta…

Productive Saturday

Maybe…

Today I have:

Gone for a run with some new gear,

My new kicks, post run.

My sweet new watch, it's pink!

Memorized my cell phone number,

I've got it down now.

And watched the “Waka Waka” video more times than I’m going to admit.

Discovered this cute Cameroonian goal keeper while watching the music video, Carlos Kameni...plays for a Barcelona club, evidently. Barcelona is not that far from Madrid. Interesting.