Yesterday marked one month in Spain. It feels like one year. Since we arrived, we have done the following:
- Spent a week at the beach with Julio, Toñi, Julia and Alvaro. We needed that to unwind from the frenzy of moving.
- Spent a week in front of some government employee or other. I will be writing about waiting soon. You'll have to wait for it.
- Spent a week coordinating school and finding a place to live. Our time in Ikea is another post.
- Spent a week working through the kinks of school.
As I write this, I am amazed at how neat and tidy that looks, because in reality, it was more like a hockey game, and we were the puck.
School has been an up in the air question since Day One. Our original intent was to put them in the same school as Julia. It has a bilingual, really trilingual, track and a sturdy curriculum. Then we thought home-schooling would be great, because it would allow us the freedom to travel the rest of Europe. We got excited about that, but when we arrived, our friend in the school system told us that wouldn't fly in Spain. So we were back to public school, Instituto De Educación Secundaria (ies) Alquibla.
When I attended the parent meeting for 7th graders, I learned that parents and school administrators are pretty much the same anywhere in the world. The administrators sit up front and talk a lot about nothing. Then the parents ask all the questions the administrators didn't think about. Then, "What about my little Juan? Why can't he..." "Well, Señora Lopez, your little Juan stole the sacapunta and destroyed a classroom with chili powder last year, so we don't think he would be a good fit for this class." Blah, blah, blah.
Katherine's class is using Samsung tablets. All of her assignments are virtual. I have to admit that I am pretty impressed so far. Her English teacher, however, speaks horrible English. Katherine almost asked her to just speak Spanish, as it would be easier to misunderstand. She even corrected Katherine's English one time, saying it was incorrect. I told Katherine to just give her the bird and smile next time. They don't use that sign here.
Elizabeth seems to be content with doing the minimum in her classes. She is relying on friends to tell her what is happening in class, and they normally respond with, "Nothing. You're good." I have made her start to translate her books into English, much to her chagrin.
Susan's back went out in Week 3. All the way out. Susan has an incredible pain tolerance. When she says she hurts, that would normally be dead for other people. She was weeping in agony from the pain and could get no relief from any position. We have been applying heat and ice, TENS machine and drugs to get it under control. We are also on our third set of mattresses. It is finally getting better.
Meanwhile, I am living the Life of Reilly. I have taken much of the cooking/cleaning/shopping duties, which is fine. I write in the mornings, shop during the day and ride bikes with friends in the afternoon. Totally unfair.
All of us have had Homesick Meltdowns somewhere along the line over the past month. Katherine, the cuddle in my lap child, wouldn't even look at me the other day. She was mad. Her big issue is that she is a perfectionist, and being here really screws that up. She is working so hard to get on top. She will make it and be better for it. Katherine is putting a headlock on this challenge, and I promise, Spain will tap out before it's over with. After her meltdown, we got back to cuddling again, too.
Elizabeth still won't tell me she loves me, except on my birthday, which was last week. It's her way of punishing me. She continues to be affectionate. We laugh and play, like always, but when I say, "I love you", she remembers that she is supposed to punish me. She has made many friends and seems to be adjusting well. As soon as she gets her mind right about work, she will soar in this environment.
Susan has been a little depressed, mainly because she has been imprisoned by pain. She can't really leave the house, because walking was out of the question. That is changing now, however. We spent a couple of hours in Ikea the other day, and she was OK for that. Susan will find her niche with a couple of ladies and begin to spread her special brand of love. If you are a friend of Susan's, you know exactly what I mean.
Meanwhile, I am living the Life of Reilly. My ultimate goal is to begin a Stop Hunger Now affiliate in Spain. I need to learn Spanish and identify some key leaders to get that started. I am well on my way in both departments.
So, onto the next month. What in the world will that bring?
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