Londrrrrrres.

Okay the title is directly from Mencia's mouth.  Girlfriend does a trill with every 'r' in every word, every position, every language, so right now we are in Londrrrrres! (trill=rolling your 'r', making the purring sound) 

Sunday we went to mass (and I was thoroughly confused but got the complete run-down on the Catholic religion from Blanca and filled her in on the Bible Belt & Batist/Methodist).  Then boarded a boat through the Thames River and got off at London's Eye.  

From the boat

London Eye

Big Ben behind us (no I didn't photo shop the bird in)

We saw all the traditional tourist spots.  (Yes I went to Buckingham Palace, but the Queen is currently in Scotland, so no I did not see her, nor Will & Kate...and actually I didn't see a single guard, because we went there last and the kids were crazy tired, but I saw a lot of other really cool things)  And I did take a tourist photo with Big Ben (No Peter Pan today, but we are still hoping to see him) && a red telephone booth.

We had lunch, soft serve ice cream (duh, it's the best here) & a siesta in St. James Park (beautiful).

At one point in the park, we saw so many birds and ducks flying overhead (some very scary) that it felt as if I was in the movie "Birds".  Honestly, they circled me at one point and I felt incarcerated. 

Men was oblivious to them, as she is with life in general.

Gon amazed & calling them (...then running because he was scared of them)

Marcelo too cool for school with that Mohawk (but so stinking cute)

My mohawk boys

Sisterly love (making me miss mine tremendously)

Buckingham Palace.

Mencia's view of the Palace....nap time!

Exhausted after the lonnnngggg day!

Yesterday Vero & Marcelo wanted me to experience a bit of the non-kid-friendly parts of London while the boys were at camp.  It was much easier with the girls and their strollers to go so far.  They took me to a nice lunch outside so I could see the grown-up side & didn't miss out on any sights...they are so good to me.  I saw their Times Square, the beautiful architecture, Hyde Park, the general area where Vero & Marcelo lived for the summer of 2002 overlooking Hyde Park (adorable), the main shopping & the coolest toy store ever....possibly better than FAO Swartz.  This day reminded me a lot of NYC.

Lunch, caring father...or picture that appears to contain a caring father........haha

Men loving life @ the toy store

Banana & oreo snack for Menchies

Later followed by ice cream...I think she still has oreo stains on her face here :)

Parenting isn't always glamourous no matter how esteemed the location...Hello Parliament.

This looonnnggg blog brings us to today.  Today was relaxing and wonderful :)  

Awkward action running shot

Got her! We had a lot of fun dancing to old songs on my iPod today #StandByMe #DancingQueen #BadtotheBone :)

You have no idea how long I have been trying to capture this expression she constantly makes!!!!

FINALLYYYY!

My scary 5 year-old boyfriend...

...is OBSESSED with Angry Birds & Fruit Ninja....best bribing tool EVER.

Uncle Grant & Men

Handsome

Blanca's birthday cake! Ruined thanks to me...I dropped the stroller which had the cake attached to run after my camera...that I left on a park bench...yes. this is my life.  (On an unrelated note, we have watched Mr. Bean's Holiday about 10X and you should watch it....it paints a beautiful picture of my life...)

Happy Birthday/Feliz Cumpleanos! We sang both versions.  Then while putting the boys to bed, we realized Casilda was being very, very quiet....

And this is how we found her. 

Buenas Noches...I am exhausted.

Love all around.

Parenting.

I will start this with a huge round of applause to people reading this that happen to be parents.  Also, to the kids reading this, thank your parents for all they did for you and sacrificed for you when you were little (no matter how trivial).  Seriously. And following my own advice:  THANK YOU MOMMY, THANK YOU DADDY, THANK YOU DEE, THANK YOU STEPHANIE!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL.

Okay, I'm sure you are wondering "Where did all this come from?"

Obviously I am with the kids everyday, all day, so I think this a lot, but this morning especially because I went to Blanca & Grant's to help get the boys ready for camp at 7 this morning.  They were of course EXTREMELY sluggish and we were a little late.  I get home and everything is peaceful and quiet.  Normal day it seems, correct?  Now let me rewind to yesterday....Veronica went because we decided to take turns.  She got the boys to camp ON TIME (miracle getting them awake and Gon to eat breakfast) THEN came home to chaos.  Marcelo sleeps as hard as I do soooo needless to say we missed a few things here.  I wake up to the kids crying....Mencia didn't go back to sleep and decided to crawl in Casilda's crib and wake her up.  Cas normally sleeps at least another hour and in Spain Men sleeps until 10.....it's crazy here.  The thing is there is something about a mother that can do it ALLL.  I am just the babysitter.  I can only do so much because if they are hurt or tired they only want "Mama" and that is completely universal.  Also, I watch both parents run late for things because kids are slow or don't get to do what they want to because the kids don't.  They obviously don't mind, but those missed opportunities add up.  As an adult on the outside, I completely remember doing the EXACT same things.  Every time I see Marcelo pick up the oldest or carry Mencia for an extended time, I think...and that is why my dad has a bad back. (Sorry Daddy!!)

In conclusion, Parents are awesome.  Although, I must say children are too.

Londres & more.

Okay Okay, I knowwww, I haven't been good this week (Sorry Samantha!!!) But I'm going to try to make up for it right now :)

First of all my itinerary in case I forget...
July 28-August 5 London
August 7-14 Galicia -Northern Spain, look it up-
August 15-21 Madrid w kids & Chelo...Vero, Marcelo & the new housekeeper will be in Poland
August 21 Poland with the kids & Marcelo's parents...then there until Daddy & Steph decide to come on over.

Recap of Spain...pool every day with the kiddos: swimming, singing, playing...the usual.
In addition to me losing things & continuing my life as a mess....one day I emailed Sam almost at the point of tears and my beautiful, wise older sister said it best...."If your life wasn't a mess, you wouldn't be Audrey." This is true sooo I will cut myself a littleeeee slack for once haha.  I also went out with my friend Chase (my age, we went to Bama together) the last night in Madrid, so it was nice to see a little piece of home.  Ohh speaking of home, I have come to realize that "home" is not a place, or even people...it is a feeling you get.  I always feel at home with the Catalas & the first week, I was staying at Chelo & Vicente's house without them.  The first night they came home, this feeling of relief, safety, and love came over me and I realized this is why I am capable of having many, many homes. It is directly correlated with love.  I also felt this when I went to an English speaking BAPTIST Church in Madrid....yes, we exist outside of the bible belt of Alabama :) haha.  But it was wonderful and the preacher was from Texas & definitely said "yall" during the service...I loved it!!!!!  Then another wonderful woman from Texas (again, yes I also adore that state--Shout out to Aunt Caroline & family, love and miss you all!) took me to lunch after with her son & sister.  So, so kind.  She did my job this past year in Madrid and gave me tons of pointers!!

Me & Chase on the Metro

Now...London.  We arrived Thursday & have had wonderful weather! Yesterday we played at a nearby park when Marcelo got home from Summer Camp and today we had Blanca's birthday party at Greenwich Park...it was really fun & great people...I brought a little Alabama football to the day with a nice tackle that Marcelo has been making fun of me for ever since....It was definitely not during football (since playing our football is unheard of!), I dove tackled to score a point...yes, Daddy, turns out things haven't changed...I'm still just as competitive....

A few of my favorite pictures:

The few from our porch...our slogan for vacations is "Aren't we lucky?" I think this picture shows why...we are right on the water. Beautiful.

Blanca & Men riding double on her bike

Gon loving the new park

Vero, Cas & Blanca...they make me miss you Sam all the time, because they are soooo us. You=Vero, I=Blanca

Then Gon wanted a turn & I love this of Vero haha

Today at the birthday we played many games.

Fierce.

Things got a little intense as you can see

:)

The remaining ones at the end of the day. 

Nana, she loves her hat :)

Men

Love you guys! More later this week, promise!!!!!!

Loves.

Here are the photos before I forget...

Gon & Casilda in her baby pool

Little baby Cas

Gon

Gon, Marce & their friend Pablo

Me & Cas

Javier (Pablo's little brother)

Patricia (Javier's twin sister...I'm only missing a picture of Maria, but she looks identical to Patricia only 2 years older)

Men & Chelo

Marcelo

Men

Amigas Mejores (Best Friends).

Yes I know...there is something in the water in this neighborhood...every child is absolutely gorgeous :)

Short and Sweet.

I have no pictures to share because they are all on my computer which is in the house of Veronica & I am using Chelo´s computer!  But I have taken many (of course) and will try to put them up sometime soon!

There is something about the sunset here that just amazes me...I always have said that I do not understand how people don´t believe in God when they see the sun rise & set everyday, but the sunset in Madrid (...or Majadahonda to be exact) is magical.  I honestly prefer walking home at night as opposed to driving because it gives me a little me time in my head to wind down and enjoy the beautiful sunset.  No thinking, just admiring & walking.  It is this unique shade of blue after all the colors disappear and it is like being inside of an iMax before the movie starts when everything is this wonderful shade of blue.  I will try to remember to take sunset photos and AFTER the sunset photos of this blue color...words cannot do it justice.

Todavia, I love these kids!  Marcelito & Vero went to London today because he starts summer camp Monday!! ALL in english! Ahh I am so excited for him :) Casilda has fever so she is staying at Chelo´s leaving Mencia & Gon with Marcelo & myself, so today was very very easy and very fun...Men and I played hide & seek and "airplane" too many times to count...my back is a LiTtLe sore but it was worth every little giggle. Haha.

Love you all and starting to miss you guys ... so email me por faaa :)

¡¡¡¡Besos grandes!!!!

Bliss.

Okkkaayyyyy, so I haven't written because that "light" previously mentioned disappeared for a little bit, but all is good now.  I am in Majadahonda with my other family and couldn't be happier!  The reason I haven't written is because I already had one negative entry and didn't want to have another one, but I will include the email I sent to Veronica & Marcelo after my 3rd failed attempt to fly to Spain...

The subject: Defeated.

You will never guess where I am right now.

Sitting on my parent's couch in Birmingham.  Was I running late, you ask? Not at all.  I made sure I was early.  I even waited at the airport for 2 hours before boarding...Boarding, you say?  Yes.  I checked my bags; I boarded the plane.  We were on the runway for 20 minutes and I started freezing...so I EVEN put on a sweat shirt and sweat pants.  Yes, I was ready for my flight to start...did it? No, I kept waiting.  Happily reading "Luna Nueva".  The only stress on my head was how I haven't spoken Spanish or read it in over 3 months and how this is going to set me back.  And then I hear the words, "Passenger Audrey Wood, please come to the front of the plane with your bags in hand."  Turns out their was a weight limit or something on the plane and they started telling passengers to leave.  I was one of 7 kicked off the plane...I am soooo mad, I obviously start crying.  Then I decide to get a grip on it and assume I will be in Madrid just a little later, or maybe just since I had a later connection they would get me there on the next flight.  False.  I had no say in the matter and am now re-booked for tomorrow at 11:00 AM and get in at 9:59 AM your time on Monday.  How? Why? I cannot tell you.  Am I surprised, you wonder? Not at all.  With my luck and my summer going the way it is, nothing phases me. 

 

So I conclude this email with the information that SUPPOSEDLY I will be in your hands Monday morning now...Do I believe this?  As much as I can believe anything this summer :(

 

Besos

your imaginary AuPair

So after receiving my FOURTH flight itinerary for the summer I am finally here where I belong.  I knew I missed these kiddos & family, but I didn't realize to what extent until I got here.  I have not stopped smiling for one moment since I have been here.  I mean how could I not....

Gonzalo, looking even more studly this year (if that is even possible)

This is his tattoo that came with his birthday card I brought with me (...his birthday was March 12....righhtttt I forgot to send it, but I've had it foreverrr!)  I also brought fun presents...that colorful wand is one of them...It is a bubble wand and we used ALL the bubbles yesterday! Haha.  Gon's is a heart-shape, which he wanted because Corazon=Amor (heart=love).  And he is right, because this little guy definitely has my heart...no doubt about it.  Last year it took him the longest to warm up to me which is probably why the fact that he won't leave my side this year (he even wanted me to take a siesta with him) makes me unbelievably happy... <3

Mencia & her new glasses.  Only this one could make big pink children's glasses look stylish, as she does with everything else.  I knew I adored her laugh, but yet again memories do not do it justice.  I would do ANYTHING she asks over and over again if it makes her laugh...(even when it includes being turned into a dog, frog, cat, rat, etc. over & over & over & overrrr with her magic wand)

Casilda.  I KNOW! She is not the little infant anymore, but she has a ridiculous amount of personality.  She cracks me up! All she does is talk talk talk talk talk (gibberish of course, but soon it will be a lot of big kid words & I know it!) & she laughs a lot, which is great. Soo sooo happy!

All of us, with their Dr. Seuss books (that each have personalized inscriptions from yours truly, but they all end with ..Feliz Navidad.. -- merry christmas....yet again...a littttllllleeee late! haha)

I don't have an individual photo of Marcelo yet but I will post one next time.  He looks & acts more mature!!  He is very handsome & at night he has a retainer that he wears & it melts my heart...I want a silver retainer now as opposed to my invisiline style one...he makes it THAT cute.  And he is brilliant!  His english is wonderful & he is the biggest help ever!

Daddy Marcelo is in Austria presently so I haven't seen him, but Chelo & Vicente are as charming as I remember.  And then there is Vero, I just adore her and hardly feel like I have been away from her.  She is beyond gorgeous as we all know, but her heart is just as wonderful.  I am so blessed & I know it.  I love this family & consider them my own.  

Love you all, I would say I miss you buttttt I haven't hit that point yet! Haha, I mean come on it's been only a day....But I know I will soon enough.  AND as always I love you each to the moon & back.

BESOS!!