Back to Life as Usual

That´s kinda a funny title, ´cause what does that even mean these days?!?  We´re still really settling in, as it were, in this adventure.  Thank goodness we´ve made some friends along the way to help us.  Below is a glimpse at what a day out with friends can look like -- all the more fun during Festa Major!

Morning -- Parade:

Collecting chucked candy and confetti, they´re always throwing sweets during celebrations around here.  Oh, it´s great to be a kid!

Dancing Gegants (giants) -- these are traditional Catalan figure heads.

 All the kids lined up and holding hands, as usual.

 Post parade confetti collection.

 This is seriously too -- much -- fun!

Afternoon -- walk, park and grub.

Post parade grubbin´.  We didn´t have any luck getting into the first couple of restaurants we tried, something about a party of 15 on a holiday, so we stopped to let the kids play a bit and then of course they needed a snack.

 Big kids snack.

Late afternoon -- settling in for pizza.

We finally made it into a nice little place for pizza, pasta and ice-cream.  These are 7 happy kids!

 Post meal play.  How many kids can we fit in the elevated sand box ... almost all of them : ).

 Time to clear the sandbox ... that´some pretty good air time!

 Whoa!

So sweet.

Aoife´s climbing in after climbing out.  The whole jumping thing proved a little too intense for our girls, maybe next time.

This was several weeks ago at this point but still fun to reflect upon and share.  Blogging is again proving challenging as we get back "into the groove."  I have more hours this year and will actually interview for a potential promotion tomorrow.  It would mean more everything; hours-responsibility-pay.  I suppose it´s good all around.  My master´s in back in full swing plus I have a private student I work with several times a week this year.  James started at the Council and is still drumming up some translation work here and there.  The girls are LOVING school!  We have a semi-regular Sunday supper with some friends from work, one who gets the honorary title of "Aunt Clare."  Then there´s the never ending process of learning Spanish, and now, Catalan.  Busy.  We´re busy and working to settle in.  It´s not always as easy as it looks or I´d like it to be -- my motto for now is from a little, blue friend:  I think I can.

Sending lots of love to wherever you are ... send some back!

We love you!

Los Stuhan