First Day

This is Miriam on the way to her first day of school.

This is one possibility of what could happen if you left an open jar of Nutella on the kitchen table and you have a two year old.

An Italian Dinner

In our language class there is a wonderful couple from Italy. We enjoy their company so much! The other night they came to our house and prepared a meal for us. It was all fish and seafood. I wished all my friends who loved good food were here to enjoy it-it was such a feast. An authentic Italian meal made by 2 AMAZING Italian cooks...in MY kitchen. I kept thinking a camera crew was about to enter any moment and put us on Oprah. We had crustaceans of some sort (?), octopus (a personal favorite of Simon), salmon, stingray, anchovies, fish liver (it was really good), and some other stuff. I went to bed that night deciding I could never eat again. Well...it didn't last.

It Has Happened....

This afternoon we had a Basque student to our home for lunch. Simon surprised me by bursting out a greeting in Euskara (the Basque language). I had never heard it before, but Simon knew it, and it was well received. I am so happy!!!! They are learning! :) Also, Simon has been enjoying putting together cool lego creations. Here is one that he made and took a picture of:

A Snapshot of Daily Life

In case you were wondering...I thought I'd give a snapshot of our daily life right now. The schedule here is a bit different from life in the U.S.

School for the kids begins at 9:15
Gerald's language school begins at 9:30
*I will begin school Monday the 29th
Miriam and I walk the 2 miles to school to pick Simon and Jillian for lunch at 1:00
They have from 1:oo-3:00 for a lunch break.
Gerald joins us.
This mid-day lunch break is the biggest meal of the day for Spanish and Basques. The whole town closes up and everyone goes home. The streets are like a ghost town.
We walk or bike the kids back up to school by 3:00 and then pick them up again by 5:15.
Between 5:15 and 9:00 people are out and about. Homes are vacant and the streets are filled with people. Coffee shops are crowded with parents gathering together and children playing in parks or on sidewalks.
People get in the last minute shopping for dinner or for the next days meal.
Dinner begins at 9:00 (unbelievable for Americans!)
and finally-bedtime by 11:30-midnight (yes-this includes kids too, but not ours!!)

I find it odd that my son does not even know his teachers name. You may find it even more odd, that we do not know either.

Pokeman

Simon has been coming home everyday talking about Pokeman. It seems that during recess, all the boys in his class sit together and "trade" or "play" with Pokeman cards. This is a new thing for me and I didn't have a clue what this was. He has been coming home in near tears because he doesn't have the cards to participate in what the other boys are doing. He told us that they don't let him hold theirs to look at them and he is often on the outskirts. Jillian has been reporting to us that our "social" son has been walking around alone at recess. This breaks my heart!!! So...Gerald and I have been on a quest to find these trading cards. Everyday after school we've popped our heads into some little stores that look like they would carry such things. Everywhere we've gone we've been told the same thing-"they have no more" or "they are all out." But, we have been determined to find some!
Today, when Simon came home for lunch he was beaming. He pulled out from behind his back a stack of Pokeman cards. It turns out that one of the mothers from his class knew we were looking for them and had her son bring some for Simon. We are so touched by this sweet act of kindness. I told Gerald that I pray that I am aware of others around me (as this woman was) to show love and kindness.

Tortilla de Patata (potato omlette)

This is a staple here in the Basque Country and I make it several times a week-I am trying to perfect it:

1 onion, chopped

4 potatoes, diced small

5 eggs, beaten

lots of olive oil

*the best baguette you can find!

Saute the onion for about 10 minutes until nice and tender in a lot of olive oil. Add the potatoes and saute along with the onion until they are soft. (I usually add some salt-3/4tsp.)

Have the eggs ready in a bowl, and add the potatoes and onions. Let this mix sit out for several hours to absorb.

Heat a small-med pan with nice sides (at least 2 inches high) and put in the egg mixture. The heat should be med-low. As the bottom cooks, push down the sides and move the pan around so the eggs on top get cooked by the sides (sorry if that doesn't make sense.) The tricky part is the "FLIP." You must get a plate ready and put it over the pan and "flip" the pan over so the omlette flops uncooked side onto the plate. Then you slide the omlette back into the pan (uncooked side facing down so it can cook.) Do this for a minute or so..and then...Voila!!!

For Americans, this will seem like a total breakfast food. But eggs are eaten here for lunch (the big meal, or for dinner-never for breakfast.) Oh, and the tortilla part can fool us Americans too. There are no tortillas in it :)

After Dinner with Ane and Igor

Couldn't Resist...

3 Observations

I have been observing the same 3 things over and over since arriving here. They are as follows:

1. I have seen more twins here than anywhere else in my life. Jillian and I have an ongoing competition to see who can spot twins first. I have also seen two different sets of twins-both over 50, dressed EXACTLY alike.

2. People over 85 or 90 are out and about just like the rest of us. They have great social lives and are an active and valuable part of the community.

3. Those with mental or physical handicaps or down syndrome are highly valued and integral parts of family life and social life.

These are just 3 observations that have stood out to me that I think is so cool (especially the last 2.) Maybe I just haven't seen it as much in the States as I have here. I like it.

Candy

Children are like candy here in the Basque Country. They look so good, and everbody likes them.
Daily I am amazed by the responses and attention people give to children. For instance, today I took a long walk with Miriam-pushing her in her stroller. I was stopped several times by people to blow kisses at her, or wave to her, or tell me something (I-of course, had no idea what???) about her. The kids are getting used to strangers patting them on the head as they pass by. Or their favorite-getting candies by little old men, or balloons. Gerald even got reprimanded by an elderly woman when Miriam fell asleep in her stroller and her head was falling on her shoulder. I am so enjoying how children are prized possessions here. They take priority and it is clear that they are highly valued. I think that is so appropriate!

A Vacation For Me

Yesterday, Simon told me he thought I should take a nice vacation with the girls (just the girls). He suggested I take a cruise...to the Bahamas.
Wow, I must be a really good mom! Or my son really wants to get rid of me!!!

My New Addiction

No one ever told me something this good existed. It is pure almondy sugary heaven. I put it in everything and dip everything in it. If you come to visit, you will want to buy several jars to take home to friends. Or, hide it in a special place that you only know about so no one else can get into it.

Miriam's "Special" Sink

Story Hour

I have had a full week at home with sick kids. Simon has missed a whole week of school! We've read together, watched Spanish cartoons, played computer games, written out Proverbs, listened to stories on cd's-anything we can do to keep entertained in an 800 square foot home without going outside. Yesterday, as I was putting out the laundry-I overheard this conversation between Simon and Miriam:
Simon: "Miriam, you want to hear a story?"
Miriam: "A one about Sleeping Beauty."
Simon: "Okay. There once was a beautiful princess and an evil monster. He wanted to capture her and take her for prisoner. Then a knight-the other Kings son, tried to rescue her. He went through gnarly battles. But first he was in jail. There was a giant labyrinth. The princess got the key to give to the prince to fight the Menator. The prince said, I can't escape all these people, cause then he will escape to the giant labyrinth. Well-said the princess, let me just give you this little dagger, that will be of much help to you. So, they threw him in the labyrinth very early. He gulped. Looking this way and that-running like a horse. And then, he saw the BEAST. He had 5 horns on his head, and he had the eyes of a bull, but the teeth of the fiery death of hell. As he got closer to the beast, he noticed the body of the beast was exactly like a man. He tried to ram him with his tusk. There was blood, and he took out his dagger swung it at the beast, but the Menator knocked it out of his hand. Then he through mud in his eye and he killed him. And cut off his head.

Apparently, there was not enough "princess theme" in this story, because Miriam ended it apruptly.
Miriam: "In Jesus Name...Amen."

100% Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

We were so grateful to have my parents help as we moved and transitioned here. Thanks Mom and Dad for making the trip! We miss you!

Our Cute Basque Girls

I Miss My Dryer

Do you know that it takes 4 days for one pair of jeans to line dry? 3 days for towels, 2 days for sheets. And this without rain.

All Moved In!

Here we have been in San Sebastian, Spain (Donostia) for nearly a month and so many good and difficult things have happened. The good things have been incredible gifts from God-the difficult things have been normal life being lived out by foreigners in a new land. We have purchased a car, we have put our kids in school, Gerald has begun language school, we moved into our apartment (piso)-which has exceded anything that I could have imagined (come and see!!!)! I long for a bit of stability and tranquility and I know that it is on the horizon. On Sunday, we moved effortlessly into our new place and our furniture came (well...at least half of it made it...) on Monday. Gerald and friends have been painstakingly putting this furniture (IKEA) together and it is coming along nicely. Our barren apartment is becoming a home. Our family has had a long trek of travel, adjustment, and changed long before arriving to the Basque Country. We feel we are finally home. We are tired, we are weary (bone-weary), but we are anticipating a new season filled with learning and growing and good things.
After being without internet or a phone or an address I am happy to announce that today we got all three!!! Now we are in full swing.
One thing...we seemed to have misplaced/lost our camera in the moved, so I don't have pictures to add. More to come!