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Before
Here are the kids in their school uniforms just before we left for school Greetings from Sevilla! We are thrilled to settle in to our beautiful new apartment/house for the month, unpack, have more than one common space to read, play games, watch TV, etc… establish routines, shop at the market and actually cook, send the kids to school where they can play futbol at their 2 hour recess/lunch, find our favorite tapas bars, coffee houses, ice cream places, plazas to both read or play futbol… It is quickly starting to feel like home.
The kids had some butterflies on the first day of school, but returned with smiles and some good stories of people that they met and things that they learned. It’s a long day for them: they catch the bus at 8:10 and get off at 5:30 pm. Fortunately they have a long recess to break things up and cartoons on the greyhound like bus to chill out with. Tommy was approached by a few cute girls who asked for help with their English homework. My guess is that he is more than happy to help! He brought our phone number to school today in hopes of making plans for futbol in a plaza or meeting over gelato this weekend.
Before 2
A better view of their uniforms Many of the kids Tommy’s age have very good language skills, and less so with Keenan.
Although many people are very friendly here, we were a little surprised by our experience at the bus stop, where many parents gave a brief smile but not one of the four parents or children introduced themselves or said hello. I am sure it is a combination of a little reserve and a little nervousness of the language barrier. I am hoping that the kids are more open to meeting new friends, as our kids are so anxious to play. It is much more common to make arrangements to meet in the plaza or for tapas, than entertain in your home. Thankfully, we have Maleni and her family that have already provided a strong sense of connection.
On our first day alone, TJ and I went grocery shopping, a small adventure of its own, walked the neighborhood, enjoyed lunch and a siesta, read, made plans for me to attend language school… a full day, especially considering the downpour that every news station called chaos (pronounced Cow-os in spanish).
As TJ mentioned, we were able to partake in Feria, a week-long festival
After
They survived, and we celebrate with ice cream! or high-end tailgate parties, fair-like rides, with many men and women dressed in traditional costume, the streets filled with horses and carriages, the parties and dance floors filled with people dancing the flamingo… it was wonderful to both observe and participate. Keenan had a terrific time learning to dance and made it even more fun. Our friends Maleni and John and their children, Anthony and Anna, helped answer our many questions and their friends were very welcoming.
Keep the emails coming, they provide us all such a strong sense of connection and we love hearing about what we are missing!
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robin sande
non-member comment
hello to all
Hi guys, It looks like you guys are having a wonderful adventure! We pull up the blog every few weeks and are so excited to hear about all that you have experienced! We are looking forward to hearing about how school is going. Enjoy your last month in Spain and we cant wait to read more about your trip! Looking forward to seeing everyone in a month! Love The Sandes PS-Happy belated birthday Ry, Cooper reminded me that it was your birthday a few weeks ago. I love your haircut! Cooper is at baseball right now, I will have him get caught up on your blog and send you a message.