Spainiversary

Yesterday marked our one year anniversary of moving to Spain.  It's our "Spainiversary" weekend!

taken about 1 year ago in Arcos de la Frontera, Spain

I took a break from the blog due to the rigors of the past year, but lately I've been really missing it.  I find myself "writing" blog posts in my head or taking a photo "for the blog," even though I haven't written for months.  Now that we are a little more settled and have a routine, I'd like to start back up with the blog - mostly for myself - in order to chronicle our lives in Spain and record life moments of the girls as they grow.

When friends ask me about moving so often to new places, I usually comment that it takes a full year to really feel like a place is home.  I can say that's definitely true for this move.  Rota has become our home and I find myself feeling more relaxed and settled with each passing day.  With time, Spain has become more and more familiar and making friends has helped tremendously.  There are some absolutely wonderful things about living in Spain.  Some of my favorites so far:

- Family is number 1 here.  Kids are included in everything, late dinners out (including the bars, which really aren't like bars in the US), holiday trips away, performances, you name it.  Children are praised, cherished, and included in all aspects of life.  Grandparents are often seen toting around their grandkids to and from school.  Businesses may decide not to open because the owner's brother happens to have a birthday that day.  It is clearly a family-oriented society here.

- Living so close to the beach and most other things.  During the off season, we take walks to the beach quite a bit.  It's only a 7 minute walk, at most, and we are able to see the most colorful sunsets in the evenings.  There is a fabulous boardwalk that winds through the trees along the coast and then leads you into downtown. Sadly, we haven't been to the beach as much over the summer since the summer tourists and blazing heat envelope our little town.  I'm looking forward to the summer season ending so that we can go back to our less-crowded beach days and walks to see the sunset.  In the meantime, we love not having to drive to many places in town since we can walk.  If we need something from the grocery store, it's a 5 minute walk from our house.  Ruby's school is across the street.  Yesterday, I took a 15 minutes walk to the vet with Gunnar.  Yes, we still have to drive to some places (to base, other towns, etc) but having the option to walk is awesome.

- Wine, sherry, and jamón are new staples for us.  Actually we've always been wine enthusiasts, but most of our wine now comes from Spain or Portugal.  And, it's very affordable (I'll admit that we typically buy pretty cheap wine).  Sherry is similar to port and made exclusively in this region.  It definitely takes some getting used to, but now that we know our favorite varieties, we'll sip on some sherry every now and then.  Then there's the jamon...wow.  Jamón is probably as loved here in Spain as the wine and sherry. Although the word "jamón" translates to "ham," it's just not ham like in the U.S.  Jamón is a cured meat and sliced ultra thin.  There are even stores that are dedicated to selling only jamón (you know it's a jamón store from the legs of pigs hanging about).  In the States, I don't eat ham, but here I love to indulge in some jamón Serrano on a tostada (toast) with some tomato and olive oil.  Yum!  

- Fashion and body image is in the eye of the beholder.  Fashion here is crazy.  It is colorful and all over the place.  Before moving here, I was told that Europe is dressy.  It is true that people take more care in what they wear.  It's very uncommon to see someone walking around in sleepwear (unlike a trip to my neighborhood Wal-Mart, where I could always find folks sporting their favorite pj pants).  However, the clothes are different.  I often relate the fashion to styles seen in the 80s, but really it's just a mix of styles: very short shorts, but they rise up past the belly button, super skinny pants (on men), lots of floral patterns, track suits, etc.  It's actually really fun to people watch here because you never know what you are going to see clothes-wise.  The other interesting thing is that even though most of the clothes fit tighter over here, the size of the person doesn't seem to matter...to anyone.  There doesn't ever seem to be any judgement about a person's size or what he/she will wear.  A classic example is the beach.  Yes, it is common for women to go topless here, although I actually saw much more of this in northern Spain.  What is even more intriguing is that almost all women wear 2-piece bathing suits.  The young 16-year-old teenager to the 70-year-old grandma.  The men usually wear shorter swim trunks that are more fitted than you'd see in the US or they wear Speedos, regardless of how large the person may be.  The Spanish just don't seem to care if they look perfect or not and instead focus on enjoying themselves, whether at the beach or the bar or out for a stroll.

There are still some things about Spanish life that are challenging.  Although I find myself and our family getting used to living here, we are learning to adapt to the things that are still difficult for us, like:

- The language barrier is very real.  We have found that speaking Spanish is almost a necessity here.  Sure, you can get by without it, but it definitely closes off your world and opportunities.  Noa has been doing self-study for the past year and can carry on a pretty good conversation.  I am taking group lessons and struggle more with the language acquisition.  Unfortunately, I seem to find other priorities when it comes time to sit down and study Spanish.  The girls are picking it up through our nanny, who is Spanish, and from other things like books and songs.  Ruby will be starting Spanish school in a couple of weeks, so she will most likely become the strongest Spanish speaker in our family.  It helps to have a Spanish-speaking friend, but sometimes you find yourself solo and cannot overcome the language barrier, even with the help of Google translate.  It probably doesn't help that the dialect in Spain is a little different than Latin America.  In Spain, they speak using a lisp with certain sounds (they pronounce kitchen as "co-thee-na" instead of "co-see-na").  And in Southern Spain, they also often cut off the ends of words.  It makes comprehension quite difficult.

- The driving and parking take some getting used to.  We have two cars here: our CR-V that we drove in Washington and a smaller (although not tiny) Euro spec Mazda 4-door.  Although it's not a large car in the states, the CR-V is pretty big here and we have to avoid some streets and parking garages with it because of the size.  Sadly, it has already earned some scratches on the front and rear bumpers.  Even Noa's smaller car can be tricky to park and maneuver around town.  It took awhile to get used to all the round-a-bouts, which are standard here.  I usually like them except, as in most places, many people don't know or choose not to drive in them the correct way.  Pedestrians are king here and always have the right of way.  The problem is that the Spanish people often step out into the street without looking, causing the driver (me) a sudden heart attack and needing to suddenly brake. 

- Life is scheduled differently.  The Spanish follow a daily schedule that took some getting used to.   A typical day begins at 8 or 9 am.   A very light breakfast (maybe a tostada or pastry) is eaten later in the morning, say at 11 am.  Lunch is around 2 or 3 o'clock, followed by siesta (rest).  Many stores and businesses close at this time and reopen sometime after 5 pm.  If we go out to eat around 6, many restaurants won't even be open.  If we wait until 7 pm, we have to ask if the kitchen is open (they'll serve drinks but not food if the kitchen is closed).  Dinner usually begins at 9 pm.  Bedtime is at midnight or later.  Ruby's school schedule varies from a typical preschool in the states.  Her school day will begin at 9 am and end at 2 pm, however, she will not have a lunch time at school, only a snack time.

So, we are still adjusting, but life feels more normal now than several months ago.  I still miss Washington; we miss all our dear friends in the U.S.  We are fortunate to live in a time where Facebook, Facetime, and e-mail allow us to keep in touch, but the distance is still hard.  We have made some great friendships here and I am excited to watch the friendships grow for my kiddos.  Ruby is at an age where she learning how to be a good friend and I enjoy helping her through that process.  She has some really wonderful little friends here. 

It's hard to go back and talk about all the things that have happened over the past few months.  I haven't decided if I'll go back and relive those moments through the blog or just write a big recap.  I guess we'll see.  For now, we're back and glad to be here.

Surveying Sevilla

Sevilla, Spain is the closest major city to us.  It only takes us about an hour and a half to drive there and we also have options to take a bus or train there as well (we hope to travel there by train soon!).  Technically, we've already been to Sevilla with our multiple Costco runs and dropping off Noa's parents at the train station, but we hadn't even tasted a sliver of Sevilla's charm and culture yet.  We decided to take an afternoon to check out the Christmas markets there.

Driving to Sevilla was pretty simple, thanks to our handy GPS and we easily found parking downtown.  Right away we noticed one of the main attractions in the downtown: the horse and carriage rides!  There were tons of them riding by us and parked in front of the Cathedral.  We decided to forgo a ride so that we could enjoy one at a later date with friends.  Instead, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and enjoyed some cafe con leche (basically the Spanish coffee we always drink out here, it's espresso with milk and sometimes sugar).

Haha (or as they type in Spain, "jajaja"), Noa's name was written as "Nowa" on his cup (yes, we found a Starbucks.  I think there are actually three in Seville, so it's not too hard to find.

The funny thing about eating at any cafe in Europe is that you find yourself sitting at a table, maybe scrolling through your phone or chatting with a friend while looking across the street at something like this:

Gorgeous old buildings abound around us and it's funny to me that they become so commonplace after awhile.  It's also a bit bizarre when I see American icons becoming just as commonplace (at least in the cities):

We decided to walk around and try to find some of the Christmas markets we've heard about.  We'd take frequent stops to look at beautiful buildings or if something caught out eyes, like this passageway:

Ruby was curious, but stayed safely behind dad when we found this street performer:

These orange trees grow throughout the streets of Seville.  They are such a refreshing pop of color in the city! 

 We soon found a Nativity market with stand after stand displaying assorted Nativity pieces:

Then we wandered around outside of the Cathedral.  We popped in for a moment (there was actually a children's choir and orchestra performing), but didn't stay since we had a restless baby and there weren't full tours happening at the time.

Mila was obviously impressed by the ornate architecture.  :)

When we came across these "towers" of pointsettia plants in the square outside of the Cathedral, I grabbed the opportunity to get a photo with Rubes.  After about twenty takes of "now make a silly face.  Okay, this time a scary face.  Now, surprised," we finally got a cute, smiling one.  Oh, toddlers....always keeping us on our toes!

Team Juloa:

Soon, it was time to eat again.  We found a place that served Ruby-friendly food (read: pizza and spaghetti) and then walked back to the car.  We weren't prepared for what the evening brought: crowds.  Lots and lots of them.  It was as if the sun went down and everyone in Seville decided to come out.  It was the end of a holiday weekend for Spain, but we didn't anticipate the magnitude of the crowds.  I tried to take a picture to capture the craziness, but unfortunately it came out blurry:

This posed a challenge with our large stroller, but we were able to push through and make it back to the car eventually.  On the way back, I marveled at the outdoor lights, since Rota (and most Spanish towns) lack in outdoor Christmas decorations.

And here's one more shot of the Cathedral at night with the Nativity market close by:

Mila: 9 Months!

Mila turned 9 months during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  I ran into a glitch when I was getting ready for this photo shoot.  My portrait lens in not communicating with my camera, so I wasn't able to take the close-ups that I had hoped for.  Huge bummer!  The show must go on, so here is the best I could do without it and with some photos from my iPhone:

Age: 9 months

Weight: 18.5 pounds

Length: 28.35 inches long

Appearance: blond hair, brownish eyes, 8 teeth (4 on top, 4 on bottom)

Sleep: 2 - 3 naps during the day, starting to sleep longer stretches at night and typically needs 2 feedings (hopefully we can eliminate one of these feedings this month)

Eats: formula, baby food solids: pureed carrots, beans, peas, apples, sweet potatoes, bananas, squash, etc. HATES avocado, not yet eating chunkier food or pieces of food

Can: crawl (everywhere!), pull to a stand, clap (super cute, by the way), babble (Noa insists that "da-da" is her first word), put everything in her mouth, give eye contact, respond to her name, pick up small objects, try to imitate faces, and laughs a lot

I CANNOT get enough of her cheeks.  I think I kiss them at least 100 times a day.

During the day she plays a game where she'll crawl from one toy to another and proceed upon crawling to that toy, she'll stick it in her mouth.  She'll also find every little piece of lint or fuzz around the house (and proceed to put those in her mouth!), so I have to keep things swept and vacuumed or else she will find it!

I have a lot of pictures like the one below.  I'll get set up to take her picture and then she'll crawl away!  She is such an explorer and isn't afraid of adventure.

She'll also spend a lot of time crawling from one piece of furniture to another and pull herself up to a stand.  She gets such a kick out of this, especially if she is able to acquire a toy in the process.

Although she is now super mobile and always on-the-go, we are really enjoying this stage.  Mila is beginning to really understand the concept of sleeping long hours at night (we are hoping to get her to sleep THROUGH the night in the next month or two) and is napping on a more regular basis.  Generally she is very happy and she spends a lot of time watching her sister and exploring her world as best she can.  Even on some of the hardest days, Mila's smile can make the troubles melt away.

The Beginning of the Christmas Season

Now that we are into December, we have been busy preparing for Christmas and enjoying the Christmas season activities.  Normally, I go a little over the top with decorating for Christmas - after all, it is my favorite holiday - but, we had to limit the number of Christmas boxes we could bring with us.  We the "main" decorations up: the tree, Nativity scene, stockings, and a few extra things here and there.  I did have to order garland since it's really hard to find here.

And, yes, we've (and by "we" I mean Noa) built some fires in our fireplace.  Our house gets pretty chilly in the evenings and the fireplace is so cozy and warm.  I love it, although we were a little spoiled by our fireplace in Washington.  This one actually has to be monitored and attended to or else the fire goes out! 

This past week we checked out Rota's small Christmas market downtown.

Tonight's event was going on base to WMR's Winter Wonderland.  They provide food stands, crafts, "snow," train rides, and other fun kid activities.  We got there a little late due to the girls' napping schedule, but we did get there in time to see Santa's dramatic entrance…by helicopter!

First the elves dropped:

Then the helicopter made another pass and brought Santa down.  It was pretty fun to watch!

Then, hopped on a fire truck and made his way to the crowds and boy, was it crowded!

Could you find Santa in that crowd?  Anyway, we never got super close, but that's okay because we got some food after that and then headed into one of the hangers to see the holiday laser light show.

We didn't get to stay for the entire program, which included a list of stars (singers, actors) who were visiting for a USO tour, due to impending bedtimes.  But, our Christmas season is starting off with lots of fun activities. I know the rest of the month will be packed with things to do, but I'm glad we are finding time to enjoy some of that this month has to offer.

All Things Loved in November

It's the last day of November and instead of trying to write catch-up posts, I'm just going to do a highlight post about all the happenings this past month (it's been a busy one!).  These are all the things loved this past November:

First visitors: The grandparents came to Spain!  We were so fortunate to host Noa's parents for two whole weeks.  They helped us set up lots of Ikea furniture (I guess they like a good challenge?), played with the girls, explored new cities and towns (including Gibraltar!), and enjoyed Spanish life with us (mmm…paella!).  I hope they come back soon! We loved having them here.

Ruby turns 3!  I already posted about her birthday (see earlier post), but this was a big event in November.  We are so proud of Ruby and her birthday weekend was a really fun way to celebrate her.

Room Makeovers: We moved Mila out of her room and changed her walls from a dark, olive green to a crisp, clean white.  We also brought in a carpet and hope to get all the furniture in and some wall decor up this week.  Ruby's room is prepped and we'll be painting this week!

Family Trip to Ronda: We all piled in the car one early morning for a drive to Ronda, Spain.  This old city (founded in the 6th century BC) is probably best known for the bridge or bridges, actually, as three bridges span over a giant canyon.  Ronda is also home to the oldest known bullfighting ring.  It is a great place to walk around, take photos, and marvel at the beauty, architecture, and cultural icons of Spain.  I loved it and I know that we'll be back!

 8 month mark: Mila turned 8 months old and is on the go!  She is crawling and already pulling herself over toys (it's kind of like a cross between standing and doing a plank).  She puts everything in her mouth and can be pretty vocal at times.  We think she likes the sound of her voice.  Mila loves watching Ruby and will laugh when she does.  She is trying new foods and still trying to master a sleep schedule both day and night.  It's so fun to really see her personality emerge!  She's a very happy baby.

Other things: Ruby started riding her balance bike.  She mustered up the courage to tackle this challenge and can now walk and turn it.  The next step is to get her to sit and glide forward.  For now, we are enjoying this progress.  One step at a time...

We took the dogs to the beach for the first time during one of our family walks.  They hated the water, but loved all the new smells.  It can be challenging taking both of them at the same time, so I may alternate who I take on the walks in the future.  Here we are at "our" beach, only a 5 minute walk away!

Oh, and our friend Mandi stayed over the Thanksgiving holiday.  We love having extra doggy friends around, especially her!  She's a great dog and excellent with our dogs and kids.