PEDICULOSIS HUMANUS CAPITIS!

October 16, 2009
Just when we were settling to claim autumn as our favourite season of the year, and having said goodbye to our visitors from Costa Rica, we were surprised by another visitor. This time most unwelcome. Yes, we had forgotten about that annual school circular advising about the annual outbreak of pediculosis.  You have guessed it.  We knew Gabriel´s class had a case of nits, but like all things, anyone else but our child would get it. Not this year! 
 
A necessary but not so pleasant way to spend a Friday afternoon after school.  Well the house now smells like a giant aromatherapy candle.  The product that Edgar bought this time has no chemicals. Ah I hear you say, not sounding good. But wait…this stuff causes the bugs to get drunk and then dehydrate.  Sounds cruel enough for me.  Lets hope it works. 
 
Comments (0)

MISSING TEDDY

October 15, 2009
FAVOURITE TED MISSING!
Have you seen this missing teddy in the North West of Madrid?
 
 
 
Sadly, Gabriel´s life-long 6 year old faithful ted, Daddy teddy got lost in NW Madrid.  Should you see him, please inform or return to one sad owner. xx Thank you.
 
Comments (0)

TOM TOM!

August 11, 2009

Aren’t they just brilliant.  Not the drums, but a little piece of technology, made in china, of course, and missing from my ‘must have’ list up until today. THE SATNAV!

Borrowing one from a friend to get from Birmingham to Northampton for our ECM debriefing at the end of our Home assignment, brought an unknown matrimonial harmony and peace in our car on arriving at the office.

Arriving early due to good navigation, and the sun shining all day, made it a happy one. I LOVE BEING IN BRITAIN on days like today.

 

Comments (0)

Feliz Cumpleaños

June 14, 2008
Asier helps prepare the birthday cake and tries out some face painting ideas for his big brother’s 5th BIRTHDAY PARTY!
 
                   
 
 Gabriel celebrates his birthday with his nursery friends.
 
After so many rainy days, we celebrated Gabriel’s 5th birthday Spanish style in our communal garden on a beautiful warm and suuny spring afternoon.
 
We had expected 10 chums from his nursery class to join us ,making 12 in all. As the first first families arrived to drop off their kiddies, it looked like the great exodus from Egypt. People just kept arriving and I am kissing and greeting mums and kiddies  thinking, "who are all these people!" There were 19 kids in the end including  a couple of wee brothers and sisters and a baby. Some of the mums and dads stayed and helped out and we had a great time.
 
Beginning with face painting and ending with a " piñata" a paper mache type model filled with sweets and party goodies,which Edgar makes each birthday, this year a football, which the children hit with a stick to break and then collect the goodies as they fall. It was fantastic getting to chat to the mums and dads of Gabriel’s nursery school chums and to see how happy he is.
Comments (0)

Countdown to Christmas

December 2, 2007

20 eager small fingers excitedly opened the first advent calendar envelope on Saturday. I know eating sweets before breakfast isn’t very PC, but it was worth it to hear the boys excited chatter. Day 1 of an advent calendar is always trial and error with a 2 and a 4 year old. Modifications were in place for day 2.  I popped a second sweet into the remaining 23 envelopes, as well as to avoid the replay of a confused and very upset 2 year old unable to understand where his sweet was as his brother happily munched!!

It is amazing how quick to tots will move through the morning routine knowing there is a sugar fix ahead. Day 2: we moved the advent calendar slot to after breakfast and before brushing teeth, for all you dentist friends out there. Lovely! 

Preparing for celebrating Jesus birthday this year has been meaningful and special. It trully feels like the excitement of building up to a birthday as we bring new ways of celebrating together this special month into our family.

 

Comments (1)

Granny and Grandpa

November 9, 2007

How would you spend your time if you were 4 or 2 years old and you hadn’t seen gran and grandpa for 15 months? Gabriel(4) and Asier(2) enjoyed a wonderful 2 1/2 weeks with their Scottish grandparents doing the simple things of feeding the ducks, lots of ice-cream eating, the park and picnics etc this October, while Edgar was in the Canaries for a 2 weeks church mission.

 

 The image “http://fancyablether.blogsome.com/images/gran-gramps.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

Pirate picnic in our lovely communal garden, enjoying warm sunny autumn weather. 

Comments (0)

It’s all downhill from here!

September 20, 2007
7 minutes downhill by scooter from our flat,
through the park and in the school gate 
 
Gabriel has thoroughly enjoyed his first week back at Spanish nursery, with the same teacher Conchi and classmates ( 20). The teacher moves with the children to a new classroom.
 
Preparation for nursery involves buying scuff friendly shoes, painting ‘babi’s’,  or aprons, and ordering the books for english and maths courses.  Each family also pay  a one off payment into the class fund for the teacher to pay for photocopies, art materials, materials for the fancy dress parties, school shows  etc which are bought by the teacher herself each year. In this the public and private system are the same. Uniform in the public schools is not worn, except for the painting aprons from age 3-5 in nursery stages.
 
 
Comments (0)

Last weeks of Summer.

August 25, 2007

Well the new diary is bought for the school year sept 07-june 08. Rather nice it is, but so far empty.

Summer holidays are winding down as the weather cools and first signs of autumn are already around. 2 and 1/2 weeks left of hols, at least for me and the boys, Edgar has been back working since mid august. Some of his time is being taken these weeks, hunting down good visual youth resources and  video editing, for use in seminars, talks for youth events this term.

This week I will begin to plan the programme for the preschoolers sunday school (ages 2-4) for our church here in Villalba. We are looking for a new teacher for this year to substitute the lovely Lidia, who is in England learning to speak Queen’s english and study. I begin teaching an hour’s english every morning for the next 2 weeks, to 2 neighbours girls, Irene and Nuria.  That will help get into the swing of preparations for the autumn term. It is always hard to get down to it when you work from home.

There are some great family activities to look forward to in the last couple of weeks of school holidays before Gabriel returns to nursery on 12th Sept: special storytelling/puppets in the main library, and a mini celtic connections weekend, of pipes and fiddle concerts, some free in the local parks. See you there Jimmy!emoticon

 

Comments (0)

Get free blog up and running in minutes with Blogsome
Theme designed by Viewfinder Design