Confessions Of A Slacker

Okay, so our blog has been a bit spotty the past few weeks because of our upheaval in our current living situation, but please check our our wonderful friends and teammates Chris and Megan Probasco's blog. They have just spent 2 weeks in the Basque Country living in our apartment doing visiting and meetings for the summer program, because we have not been there. They will be in Seattle this summer with students from the Basque Country, and we are praying they can join us this fall by moving to Donostia!
On the other hand, I have taken lots of pictures and posted many blog entries in my head. I will get around to putting them on our actual blog soon! Stay tuned! :)

cmprobasco.blogspot.com

From Bayonne to Bilbao...

"My people

have always had a harbour;

but nothing to hold on to firmly,

our harbour is the sea,

the furious sea,

which stretches from Bayonne to

Bilbao...

The sea is our language,

from Bayonne to Bilbao."

Biaonatik Bilbora

by Imanol Larzabal

It's Out Of My Hands

I can have a tendency towards extremeism. Much of the time I am laid back and can go with the flow. But, when it comes to food...well-I can be a bit...unflexible. One year our family ate no sugar. For Easter, I loaded those plastic eggs with little erasers and raisins and peanuts. Simon has eaten at McDonald's two times in his life. Jillian and Miriam-never. Sometimes I overhear Jillian ask Simon when he grows up if he is going to eat at McDonalds. He gets a wicked grin and a rebellious smile and says: "Oh yeah. Like everyday." Jillian is moritified and feels her brother is walking a straight line toward the gates of hell.
We eat organic whenever available, I would prefer to grow my own food, have chickens who lay our eggs, and collect milk from my own cow. Anything artificial keeps clear of our plates.
I say all this because as I look at my current life situation, I have really gone down hill.
Since living with my parents this past month (and counting...) my kids have a constant supply of bubble tape bubble gum (unnaturally blue or red), coke at dinner time (my heart races at the thought!), and well, whatever else they ask their grandfather for. I love my dad, and now-there is just no competing. He is a sucker for his grandkids. And for now, their teeth are rotting, but they are happy.

Top Ten Reasons I Love The United States

1. Whole Foods
2. Stumptown Coffee, Pete's Coffee, and when these aren't available...Starbucks is!
3. Libraries are in english.
4. Old Navy has incredible sales.
5. Every type of food you can imagine (thai food, indian food, sushi on every corner!)
6. Eating dinner at 6:00 is normal.
7. The coffee at restaurants is endless.
8. You can buy peanut butter.
9. Drive-thru's.
10. My mom's washing machine can fit more than 3 towels. A LOT more.
okay...11. Target (thanks Angela! how could I forget???!)

An Update

Okay, so we came back to the U.S. because we had extended our legal stay in Spain (Basque Country) as our residence visas had not come in as planned. It seemed perfect. The "man in charge" said our visas would arrive in L.A. at the end of the month (March), the kids had 2 weeks of spring break, and we had a conference with Summer in the USA to attend in Seattle. Yet here we are in Arizona two weeks into April, no word on our visas (still waiting!), and we can't get back into the country until the papers are in our hands. So now, we are waiting, and praying, and I am teaching Jillian timestables, and working with Simon on reading (Treasure Island), and doing Rosetta Stone (spanish) on the computer, and Gerald is working on the phone and computer.
So-this is the latest news for us! We are in a holding pattern. We are learning patience. We are learning faith. It is not where we want to be, but we recognize we are not the ones in charge! And we can take comfort in this!