Lazy Sunday.

Usually, we like to spend Sundays running around, doing one thing or another "as a family." Since I teach on Saturday mornings this year and the girls are both in school we only have the one day all together and we relish it as a family day.  Actually, I don't think we stay in often enough.  Today, however, we had a great excuse, I'm on the tail end of an awful sinus infection and James will be headed to the doctor tomorrow morning--here's to him feeling better without medicine.  Maybe our bodies are trying to tell us to slow down!?  Ha.

 Getting going on a morning art project.  Have you noticed how often we're still in our jammies when we do this?  Yep, that's how we roll ; ).

 Aoife, loving her pink-glue-paint.

 Aine, carefully placing her big, blue heart.

 Later on, dressed and dancing with balloons tied around waists--they insisted I help them with this and thought it was just about the funniest thing ever.

 Shake your booty-balloon.

 Aoife's finished Valentine's craft--oh yeah, that's what we were working on.

 Aine's completed work.

 Aoife's sun catcher.

 Aine's sun catcher.

We painted piggies later, with actual Piggy Paint (totally natural and non-toxic, but it doesn't last nearly as long).  Aine's little toes are looking crazy cute for now, though : )!

 Aoife showing off her fancy fingers, and Monkey.

 As they hang (you can see the sun catchers' reflection if you look really hard).

As they hang, sun catchers.

We also managed to get 3 loads of laundry done today; I'll tell you , that's something when you have to hang them out to dry clothes-pin style.  We made Banana-Oat "Cookies" (-- check out the super easy recipe here.  We just sub agave for sugar and of course add a ton of cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg.  You can also sub a steamed sweet potato for the banana and orange juice for apple juice and then enjoy vitamin A & C packed goodness in the form of a "cookie.")  We danced, sang and listened to loads of music, as evidenced by the record on our new Spotify account.  We did the needed cleaning and made some fantastic meals which we then all sat down and ate together.  We read books, watched Todd's World in Spanish, played games ...  I suppose what I'm trying to get at is that, "We've got a darn good thing going here." as James put it earlier.  And so we do!

<3 - much love to all -

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day.

Because it's Cold Outside.

Our highs have been around 8 degrees C, 45 degrees F, this past week.  We've been quite lucky in comparison to much of Europe--or other parts of the world, for that matter.  We've been bundling up both in the house and out.  Thank goodness for central heat but keep in mind that the house is all concrete and brick, and "climate-controlled" means something a little different around here ; ).

This afternoon, while I was out and about between dropping off Aoife at school for the afternoon and waiting for a class to start, I popped into a local store.  I only went in hoping to find a reasonably priced bottle of water, I was thirsty, but happened upon some sweet little slippers to keep even sweeter feet warm as they paddle around on ceramic floors.  That's the thing, right?  When you become a parent, you always carry these wonderful little people around with you, wherever you go.  They impact your interactions with everyone and everything from the other small children in your class or on the bus to the way you look at cheap slippers quite probably manufactured in China.

 Big girls slippers waiting to keep bigger feet warm.

Little girl slippers ready to snuggle little girl feet.

The way I carry them ...

The other person I carry with me wherever I go ... ; ).

I love you, Los Stuhan.

~m

Baby, It's Cold Outside.

So we're doing alright (yes, that's a word, let's argue its merits) weathering this Siberian front, cold-snap, thank goodness for heat.  We've been playing inside, a lot.  It's kinda funny, the girls love to play inside pretending that they're trekking around outside!

Aaaahhhh ....  They're wearing little piggy headbands that they made at school and have their friends all packed up.  Off to San Diego via a nice mountain hike!

Sweeties.

So, one of these days I'll get around to sharing some more of what the holidays were like around here--if nothing else the magic of los Reyes but I'd decided it was too long since I'd posted and I'd just share a quick glimpse of what day to day life it looking like around here right now.  I'm sure it's not so different from where you are.

On that note, we're sending lots of love to wherever it is that You are ; )--more soon.

XO,

Los Stuhan

It's Christmas -- Round 1!

The Christmas Season around here has been absolutely magical.  We've learned so much about the traditions in our new home and we've had so much fun doing so.  All this celebrating has also helped to solidify actual feelings of "home" in this new place and created lots of wonderful memories.  The merriment and memory making has also reinforced feelings that we've had for a while; those about moving here, about continuing to head in a direction of reduced consumption, about valuing time together over things, and making that a part of an active lifestyle and role-modeling for our children.  All of this has its challenges, and we aren't as good at it yet as we'd like to be, but like I said, the wonder of the Season certainly helped.

So, here was our tree on Christmas morning (that includes gifts from Aunt T and Uncle R).  It was a much more humble Christmas than our children had experienced in the past and certainly more so than either mine our James's had been as children.  As we sat drinking our wine, listening to music, and talking after "Santa's visit" we were actually having a really hard time, emotionally, with our decision to be leaner and meaner with Christmas.  But, we knew that "los Reyes Magos," had presents to deliver yet and that Grandma had yet to arrive with gifts so we didn't get into any of the gifts we'd reserved for "Kings Day" to make the Christmas haul bigger.

Two little girls still looking pretty happy : ).

I think Daddy's Special French Toast is likely to become a Christmas tradition.

Playing Jenga, a BIG hit for the day and since.

After breakfast and some playtime we headed out for the day because it was gorgeous out!

Out for a walk on the port and a bite to eat (just restaurants open today -- lucky us).  Dang, you just can't beat Barcelona weather this year!  Wow!

After lunch we hit up one of our favorite urban parks in Mommy and Daddy's old neighborhood.

Best swing ever!

Did we mention we like the swing?

Still having fun.

Time for some slip slidin'.

Waaaaaa ----

----- hoooooo!

Aine figured out this contraption right away -- Aoife joined in on the fun.  I really just can't believe how much toddlers can spin.  It makes me dizzy thinking about it.

So, that was "Christmas proper."  However, there's plenty more celebration to catch up on.  Stick around.  

Feliz Año Nuevo!

Besos,

Los Stuhan

BCN Christmas Eve - 2011

It's nearly Christmas and the fun and festivities have already begun around here.

I had to share this!  Aoife is in the "peixos"[fish] class at school and she painted this lovely, rainbow fish for her teacher for Christmas.  I suppose I'm biased, but I think she's pretty talented.

Now, on to Christmas Eve.  This was our delicious dinner.  We call it: Barcelona Bangers and Mash -- arugula, sweet potatoes, butifarra sausage, and lots of caramelized onions.  Yum!

And now it's time for Caga Tió, the local Catalan tradition.  He's a Christmas log that comes down from the mountains to pass the cold winter holidays with your family.  After being fed diligently every day he fattens up and then "poops" sweets for the children.  He needs a little encouragement with a stick to get started ...

...and Aoife lands the first whack!

She's really getting into this.

Aine's getting in on the fun ...

... but she's still a little skeptical about this whole "pooping sweets" stuff.

Can't be too skeptical with a yummy turron in hand.

Daddy checking for more "poop."

Ooooh, there is more.

Aine seems to be happy about her loot.

Aoife too, thanks Tió.

And of course, we ended the evening with a letter for Santa, cookies, and a carrot for the reindeer.

We're pretty excited about Santa's visit ... and on that note, Mommy and Daddy have a few more presents to wrap.

Bon Nadal