Week of 24th June 2013

Monday morning Science!  Had some good physics experiments and the kids had to take part and guess what would happen and then take notes.  They really enjoyed it and I think I did too.

I had done tons of printing last week so was able to get a good structure to their studying timetable.

Tuesday Ethan and I popped into town I needed to get some light riding gloves for my lesson tonight.  I had previously noticed a big shop at the end of the High Street near a light industrial area.  It was called El Truco in there I met Ana and her sister, very friendly, very helpful and she gave me some information of another Equestrian Centre in the next town, but said Jairo at Hotel El Pilar was better – Phew at least the made me feel a little better.

I arrived to se Jairo lunging a 3year old colt with a young lad on his back.  The colt was well trained even at three, Jairo just made a gentle thrill whistle and the colt did a perfect square halt.  Again no whips used and hardly any sound came from Jairo – he seemed a very patient and relaxed teacher.  I did make sure and checked that I wasn’t going to ride this one – and he confirmed he needed to see my level of riding first.  A relieved Sue...... You just don’t know how different countries do things...

Well lesson was fab , we even had a laugh. I rode two different horses the first was 22 year old Spanish Arab the grandmother of the 2^nd horse a gorgeous 5 year old.  Who felt just like a comfy armchair.  Anyway Jairo showed me where to shower the horses and went over parts of the horse in Spanish.  I then got out my 45.00 Euros to pay and he said it’s 10.00 and I don’t have change.  So I tried to give him 20.00 as I thought he was well worth the 45.00 and 10.00 was too less, but he wouldn’t accept.  Wow 10.00 Euro for an hour of this guys time, I’m coming back for more and bringing the kids if they want to!!  How lucky I was to find such a great guy and the gentle way he trains the horses and the great horses they were too.

I then met Carmen and Javier who’s two sons (5yrs and 9yrs) who were having a lesson with Jairo, Carmen is an English teacher at the secondary school in La Carlota, so I asked her to translate for me regarding the misunderstanding on the money and that Jairo would be worth every cent of 45.00 Euros – to which he was very humble.  What a nice guy.

So I went home flying over clouds – floated round Mercadona with a big cheesy grin – and back to tell my wonderful husband – “you were right again”.

Ethan was happy as Uncle Nigel had sent him some software on a CD in the post. Many hours of glued to the computer expected then – I’ll have to have a word with my brother just to check what Ethan asks for – Ethan can be a little flexible with the truth when he doesn’t want you to know the whole story, just in case you spoil his fun.  He’s very intelligent – however, I don’t want very intelligent to also mean fat and happy on a couch for hours on end being unsocial.  I have to actually tell him to go out to play!

Ran out of bread so grabbed a loaf or two from the El Panaderia van that toots in our road every morning – really excited the kids - why??????

Got some clay and extra crafty bits for the kids to use on Fridays – Fridays are Fun Days.  Small spelling test for the older two in the morning but then Arts and Crafts until 12 ish – Lunch then Pool time all afternoon to celebrate working hard.

Although Aston has about ten marbles he has to try and win back for good behaviour.  I know he misses his friends and Grandma/pa and is a bit bored of playing with his brother and sister but this is not on.  Hoping that this is a growth spurt as he always seems to be tired – and sometimes has a sleep in the afternoon.  Unfortunately that also means he wakes up during the night and helps himself to breakfast!! And leaves the disaster area for everyone and goes back to bed, then doesn’t wake up til 9.30!   AAArrrrggh.

Well saying that by the end of the week , Aston had started to be better behaved and won back him marbles by Saturday – so pool time for him.  Although kids weren’t happy as I forgot to check the water and the chlorine had depleated, so swimming was delayed a day.....Oooops sorry kids.

Aston spoke to his friend Hugo on Skype which was lovely, so now he’s sorting toys for Hugo to play with if he comes for a visit.

Grandparents arriving for a week in mid July, so organising the other bedroom and bits round the house.  Counting the days for our first guests!

Week of 17th June 2013

Took a trip into town as Ethan needed trainers but nothing available in his size, so as we had time we went to find Hotel El Pilar on the edge of town as I found a link on their website and they had an equestrian centre as part of the hotel.  Whilst finding a parking space, I noticed a sign for Centro Jardineria (garden centre) so we had a browse,  loads of gorgeous pots and large urns both sculptured, glazed and terracotta, garden statues/fountains, plants, palm trees, etc I was in my element. A place I shall no doubt frequent!

I found out from the gentlemen on Reception that the equestrian side of the business was run by a chap called Jairo but he would not be available until after 5pm.

Later Ethan came back to visit Jairo, they were situated next door to the bullfighting arena, with numerous horses in their stables (no bigger than 10ft x 6ft) but they all looked healthy enough.  And nobody needed spurs or whips.  Jairo was training in the arena together with two other gentleman, making some very fancy dressage movements look breathtakingly easy - anyway to cut a long story short through his very little English and my Spanish I booked a 1 hour lesson next Tuesday evening for 45.00 Euros – I don’t know if I’ll last 1hr ......

Well when I got home Ethan had started coming up in hives, he had stroked a couple of horses which was fine, until sand blew in his eye from the arena and he wiped his eye with the same hand!  Poor things, I had to strip him down, shower him and cover him in Aloe Vera and then he had the pleasures of a style of baby massage to aromatherapy music to help him reeeelax..... – pampered or what!  You guessed it though, he slept like a baby afterwards.

I told Paul I had arranged a lesson for next Tuesday and then the nerves set in, the horses and Jairo were fantastic would I be out of my comfort zone.  What if we just can’t understand each other?  What if, what if.  Paul reminded me to chill and just go – If I cancel I’ll never know, so just go and enjoy yourself!

Printed some more study sheets from the excellent www.offbyheart.co.uk and also investigated some experiments that would be good to do together.

Aston is being extremely naughty so we are trying to vary what he studies, how he studies and give him  more breaks than the other two.

Thursday took Corrine into town and decided to pop back to the garden centre for a nice pot and flowers to go on the patio.  Also need to repot some Aloe pups as I don’t want to use all the leaves off the big Aloe plants – I blend the gel inside with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and it had done wonders for is Eczema.  Also if I blend the gel with Orange Juice he drinks it to boost his immune system – hence I need to grow more plants!

Some great time in the pool, the kids swimming is really coming along.

Have been trying to encourage the kids to do the old fashioned things and WRITE to their friends.  Techy boy Ethan wants to email, email whilst Corrine has to fight her way to get anywhere near a computer and then says – “What shall I say?”

I’ve been keeping up my regular Spanish studies and really coming on, half way to GCSE level.  So as an extra boost I’ve ordered the next one (great I could still use www.easyfundraising.org.uk to help preschool!) together with a couple of horsey books for mum to bring over in July.

I tried to cop out of Karate thinking I needed to conserve my energy for Tuesday, but Paul encouraged me on.  I’m glad I did too as it was a good session.

Week of 10th June 2013

Still no sign of Telefonica.

Weather is hot, hot, hot this week.  However, as the end of last week was cool the pool water won’t be warm enough yet and of course I wasn’t in the mood to clean it.  Big mistake!  So the hoovering of the bottom of the pool took longer and a dosage of chlorine was needed.  Lesson learned: Pools are great fun but little cleaning everyday and regularly maintenance goes a long way to your enjoyment. 

Just some of my observations:  unlike in the UK you can buy almost any fruit or vegetable whether they are in season or not.  Not so here.  Maybe it’s because it is a hot country and you can grow anything, why pay the cost of importing just wait til it’s in season.  And they love their meat here, so maybe the demand isn’t that great for fruit and vegetables (frutas y verduras).

Some things that cost more are medicines, branded toiletries and electronic products like hair dryers, microwave, small appliances – No Argos here! I think that maybe why there are separate customs rules for electronics so you don’t import and sell them for a healthy profit!!  Health products like vitamins aren’t popular it’s like the UK was 20 years ago, very difficult to source and expensive.

On the upside La Carlota has lots of lovely boutique style shops (no where near as many as the gorgeous historic city of Cordoba).  I could just spend spend spend!  For example, I saw a pair of stunning shoes I priced at E50.00 – 60.00 because that ‘s what they looked like, and Paul said “sweetie they are only 15 Euros!”

We also have numerous Chinese bizarre cheap in price and some are cheap in quality, but some are very good quality indeed and I am a regular customer!  Great for all the kids arts and crafts bit n bobs.  I suppose a little like a TKMax in some respects, you have to search to find the gems.

Lately Paul has been pushing Ethan and I in karate, so last week the session lasted 2 hours (Corrine has temporarily quit).  We have been learning some more technical kicks, like a spinning hook kick,  which looks really good – when Paul is doing them – not so classy or dignified when I try it!  Although the session was longer, it didn’t feel it.  As Paul is our only teacher and wants to customise our training, he has given us a question to ask ourselves “What do we want our of karate and where do we want to take it (if anywhere)?”

The pool water is fab so started swimming before breakfast, and the kids are allowed in the pool at 4pm if they have studied.  Aston is slowly getting there, he struggles with patience and needs constant variety.  Easily distracted (where does he get that from – Corrine).  If our quest to make things more enjoyable for him, we have bought him his own exercise book and pens, etc. and Paul has found a website that has been compiled from teachers around the world and you have work in all subjects and can set a schedule of tasks for the week.  So they can have more structure to their studying sessions.

Saturday usual 39 degsC / 98 degsF decided to have a leisurely walk into town – Paul hasn’t walked in with us before.  And have Tapas at a different place.  Ooh and what a chance surprise, MotoGP (motorbike racing)  in Catalunya was on widescreen outside.  Paul was in heaven, so we sat munching mixed fried seafood and fish topped of with triple chocolate tarte.  Yum. Yum – time to work some of that off on a wobble back home.

Sunday morning we were awoken but a droaning noise,  I thought it sounded like an airoplane doing a loop the loop.  So excited we all ran out, I picked up Aston so he could see,  because we heard it coming but just didn’t know from where.  Anyway this beautiful bright yellow little plane flew only 50foot from us over the rooftops and over the adjoining fields – he was crop spraying.  So we were all waving.  But guess what in the moment I had forgotten to get dress!  So had been prancing around the garden in my underwear trying to look at the plane!  Well the Kids thought it was funny!

Week 3rd June 2013

 

Corrine and Aston decided to put on a Magic Show!   OOoooooooh!  Poor little Aston was the  ‘beautiful assistant’ in a princess dress and enjoying every minute of it,  including calling himself Amelia!

The weather is getting back to normal now,  April and May they call El tiempo los loco – crazy weather, as one day you will need your coat the next it’s shorts.  Also it can vary that much during the day!

As I said the weather is better and so we were able to use the pool 4 consecutive days……….bliss.  Corrine and Ethan had got themselves accustomed in the toddlers pool and are now allowed in the big pool under supervision as the water level is upto their chin.

We decided to take our weekly stroll into town, to break up the kids study time. It had been very hot and some of the wildlife had decided to come out.  A reasonably sized snake (from the last half of the body I saw I’d estimate it was about 4-5 foot long!) big enough for me to hesitate in my stride whilst it crossed the path infront of us. To slither into the row of bushes that edge the corn field.  Well that just set Corrine off.  She was weeping and wanted to hold my hand all the way into town – bless her.

On the way back from town we always decide to take different roads around the area, and I wanted to pass by the patch of land where a grey horse is sometimes tethered to graze.  Well the horse wasn’t there today, but there was a lady in her garden and she heard us talking and she said hello in English, but she had an American accent.  Her English was so excellent that I thought she wasn’t Spanish!  Turns out that she spent several years in Texas and Missourri and that’s where she learned it.  Anyway, we were casually chatting with Beatriz when cheeking Aston said “can we come in your house?”  Of course, I didn’t know what to say, but Beatriz said why of course would you like a drink?   

My kids never turn down an invite like that, especially when there’s Coca Cola on offer!  She seemed very nice, also has three children.  A grown up boy that works in Woolwich, London and a teenager called Natalia and a 10year old called Marcos – both of which go to the local school which Ethan and Corrine will be going to in the Autumn.  Well she gave me her business card as she teaches English and said we should organise a get together for the kids.

Telefonica Technical Department called to say that they would install either Friday or Monday, I should have asked which week!

Saturday 25 - Sunday 26th May 2013

Saturday was spent lounging around, after doing housework and preparing the picnic to take tomorrow.  Kids still unaware, they think we're looking for a park to have a picnic - somewhere new.  Well indirectly yes.

We went for an evening stroll around Los Lomas Del Rey and ended up with the locals at the little playground.

Sunday arrived - partial cloud but 21degs expected, which is good,  I didn't want it to be scorching hot queuing up for rides.  We found Isla Magica really easily, across the bridge over the river.

It didn't  open until 11am, but we arrived at 11.30 and had our lunch in the car, as I didn't fancy dragging around a picnic bag in between rides!


It didn't appear really busy, there weren't crowds of people, maybe it would get busier later - after siesta.

Corrine and I went on the log flume,  it was great - although she didn't agree with me at first.  After the first slope she cried all the way!  And there were three slopes and the final one was the highest, that even my heart jumped - brilliant though - for me!  But later on she got better with the rides,  and became excited.  Ethan decided to be a bit of a wimp and over think things - until we all agreed to go on every ride that we could get on (height wise).  He seemed to be up for the challenge - and it worked.

We also saw a pirate show that was fantastic and exciting, jumping off a boat into water, cannons firing, gymnastic jumps within fight scenes, taking a drink off an audience member throwing it away and then proceeded to kidnap him and drag him onto the boat and then throwing him overside into the water (his acting was so fantastic, body language facial expressions - that we didn't even realise until later that he was one of them!)  We all gasped when they threw him over!  The most thrilling show I have seen in a long while - Also the Spanish Laws aren't as rigorous on Health and Safety as the UK, so they could get away with more.

 Of course near the pirates show, was a pirate ride - beer barrel style carriage that spin round and round, and then the base they are on spins too.  There was also a wheel in the middle that you could use to make yourself turn faster and faster.  We all got in, Paul and I on the outer sides so no one would fly out to infinity and beyond!  So we span and we spun,  and we turned the wheel faster and faster,  we all decided to scream and see who could scream louder, and spin even faster and faster and faster and faster,  Ethan had to support Aston's head as he was being thrown about.  Corrine's face was bright red and you could see the veins in her temples she was SCREAMING SO LOUD!

It was brilliant - the peak of my day with all the family - loved it.

But the day was  to continue,  some more water rides, to get even more wet - but it didn't matter as we dried off so quickly.  We even watched another show called the magical piano.  With lots of songs which kept the childrens attention - Paul meanwhile almost fell asleeep - we'd worn him out!

Lots more rides and guess what - the loveliest thing I haven't mentioned yet - we never queued for more then 10 minutes on anything!  The park wasn't busy, even after siesta, more people arrived - in fact people were arriving at 7pm when we left! (Park closes at 10pm)

Week of 27th May 2013

Apologies guys for the break in communication.  Too busy sunny ourselves by the pool………  sorry to rub it in! Only joking.  It’s just difficult sometimes as we are still awaiting for Telefonic to install our landline, so internet is via a wireless flashdrive which is OK but usuage is restricted because Paul’s work is a priority and when it’s available – late at night – my brain already starts to shutdown by 7pm!

The weather has been cooler this week and the children are generally getting used to studying at the table together.

Aston and I made a cardboard model of parts of the body for our special Spanish friend, Hugo Lorenzo.  All that’s required now is a spot of painting to bring him to life and then construct him with the use of sticky Velcro.

As the kids had been studying nicely I was able to get into La Carlota solo mio, by myself, which was very pleasant.  And of course as usual,  got stopped and chatted to by an elderly gent.  I seem to understand some of the sentences, but my Spanish must be getting better as they seem to think I come from Nicaragua, at least I don’t sound completely foreign.