This weekend was a nonstop party for me.. With the announcement of my new drivers license my friends decided we needed to celebrate (any excuse for a girls night out) so on Friday night, the girls and I went out to dinner and a night of dancing around town..We got home early well.. very early for Spain just before 4 am.. We left when people were just starting to party.. Put it this way we finished having dinner at 1 am…

On Saturday night we were invited to the David Bustamante concert. Most of you probably don’t know who he is and I didn’t either but I found out he was the 4th runner up of the very first Operacion Triunfo contest, Spain’s version of American Idol. Matt’s friend is a friend of his and his guitar player Pablo Padilla . We hung out with Pablo backstage before the concert and briefly met David Bustamante, a very nice down to earth guy. The concert was in a little town called Novelda, a very small little town, but the concert was great, it started at 1 am (yes, we are in Spain, everything starts a little later than usual..) and we were home around 4 am…

Sunday, I was exahausted and just hung out in the pool making sure Isabella didn’t drown!! She just learnt how to swim and is a little too brave.. I will share that story tomorrow…..

As most of you know Spaniards are soccer fanatics!! well, since we are living here, Matt & Marco have joined in the madness.. Tonight was the final game of the Eurocup Spain vs Germany and our entire urba gathered downstairs to watch the game and have some beers.. The men mostly watched the games while the kids ran around playing and the wives just gossiped and also drank some beers. As you can see from the pictured above the men were very into the game.. Luckily we won 1-0 after a 44 year losing streak.. You could imagine the celebration here… fireworks, screaming fans, cars beeping…and everyone jumped in the pool with their red t-shirts!!

Marco and Bella prepared by painting the Spanish flag on their cheeks..

They also prepared Matt while he took a nap by painting flags and the word “podemos” (we can, the motto of the game) on his back!!

 
The Hogueras are the most popular fiestas here in Playa San Juan, it is the official begining of Summer, otherwise known as the Summer Solstice, a time when there is cause for celebration, bonfires are built and old things are burnt and there are new wishes but the rest of the year.

Every year since we have been here we have celebrated this event with our friends in the beach. It is the only time of the year the city allows bonfires to be made in the beach, everyone gathers with friends and family to burn the “Hoguera” and to eat food and drink, lots of drinking!!

This year we were about 30 friends who got together to enjoy the beautiful night. Matt was in charge of the fire and we had a ball. There are several rituals that need to be done such as getting your feet wet in the ocean at midnight while jumping backwards in the water 7 times, jumping over the “Hoguera” 3 times (that was tricky this year since it was fairly wide), burning anything old you want to get rid off, making a wish at midnight while your feet are in the water, meditating on the new to come.. We did it all plus drink and sing songs..

You can see all the pictures HERE.  

Yesterday it was Mother’s Day here in Spain and we had a lovely day.  Marco gave me a little plant made out of clay and isabella a rose made out of not sure what.. They were great (pictured above). Marco also wrote me a card, telling me he loved me very much because I helped him with his homework and helped him pick up his toys after he played.

We went to lunch at an Italian restaurant with our friends Cristal and Snap, Marco’s “favorite profesional baskeball player” as he calls him. We had a great time, Marco and Snap had a game of “pulso” Marco won 3 times hahahaa. We later had some ice cream then hung out around town.

A perfect Mother’s Day with my loved ones..

No time to write today my mon left back to Madrid yesterday and Matt is still away. Alone with the kids. They have no school. ‘m already going crazy. I’m driving them crazy!!

What else can I say..HELP!!!!!

Today is the kids last day of Spring Break and they start school tomorrow , but that wont last long because they are off again Thursday and Friday due to another holiday here in the Valencian Community. I’m not 100% sure but I think on Thursday April 3rd (of this year, I think it falls on different dates every year, always after Easter) is a local Alicante holiday called La Mona de Pascua: It is a day where families gather and it the typical Easter cake called La Mona (yes, the monkey, don’t ask).

In the end it just means another day off from work, school, another day to relax and since it falls on a Thursday then, hey what the hell as they call it here “puente” (bridge) to Friday and that day now too becomes a Holiday. See how easy it is.. You guys must come to Spain where between the local, national and pretty soon International holidays will be part of your everyday.

photo flickr happy outcast

We wish everyone a very Happy Easter 2008. Marco and Isabella received Huge chocolate eggs with gifts inside from the Easter Bunny. Isabella woke up at 7am as if it were Christmas Day and was very excited to see her gift from the Easter Bunny. She proceeded to eat the entire egg and around 10 am feel back asleep and didn’t wake up until 1 pm. We thought she had gone into “chocolate schock”...we were scared there for a moment…Marco, only ate a little bit and enjoyed the rest of the day playing with his new toys…

photo flickr by j.terrell

Today March 19th “San Jose” is Father’s Day here in Spain. This celebration is not as comercial as it is in the states. Here, gifts are not often given although everyday that is changing and Spain is copying a lot of the American holidays such as Halloween.. As if they didn’t have enough holidays here..
Father’s Day here is celebrated with the family gathering and a nice big lunch or dinner, what else?? We celebrated with Matt this afternoon and the kids made him lovely paintings...

So, Happy Father’s Day to all those fathers out there..from all of us here in Spain.

photo google

Well, as of today at 3 pm its Spring Break, otherwise known here as “Semana Santa” or “Holy Week” or plainly said “Easter’. Holy week is a huge event in all of Spain, there are many processions and celebrations. Very different in every part, being the most famous in the south of Spain.

But for us what this all really means is that school is out for a couple of weeks and the kids get to rest and enjoy the beginning of the great weather to come.. and with Spring Break comes the end of the second trimester and report card time….

For Isabella its still a simple is she getting it or not…and yes, she is getting all of it and then some..Her teacher commented that she was the perfect student, very obedient, very studious and outgoing….(I think there is another Isabella in that classroom and the poor lady is confused).

Marco’s grades are a little more serious because he is officially in the beginning of his school career.. the grading system here is a little different than in the states where the A,B,C,D or F method is used here it goes like this.. Sobresaliente (A), Notable (B), Muy bien (C), Suficiente (D) and Insuficiente (F).. Marco received one A ,guess in what subject??? hahaha yes in English..(Might be the only A we will see from him.. hahah) He got 3 B’s (Math, Spanish and Gym) 2 C’s (Valenciano and Science/Social Studies) and one (D) in art… (poor thing he inherited my lovely art skills!!)..

We are very proud of both of them and have taught them that its very important to study and get good grades but more importantly is to figure out what their individual gifts are and to develop those fully, consciously to be able to share them with the world…Overall, honesty, ethics, and love..

picture google

It’s not enough nowadays to simple have a birthday party you also need to celebrated in school with all your friends.. Lucky for me I had to go and entertain 23 kids for one hour.. Yes, lots of fun…. I brought them snacks and candy and read them a story..

For the most part they paid attention but really, the rest of the time they spent yelling, screaming, crying, laughing, fighting with each other, asking me questions, telling me they had to go pipi or caca, singing, dancing, talking, climbing, painting, playing with toys, spilling things….ALL AT THE SAME TIME!! I definitely would not make it as a kindergarten teacher for more than 10 min…

Overall, the kids had a great time.. I guess.. and I have a huge headache. I’m glad the next birthday is not until December!! I think I will have time to recover…maybe…

To see the rest of the pics click HERE