Broken Spanish, a toad and winter…..

So I have to admit I have struggled trying to get this blog started.  I feel like my life has become quite routine and not the crazy, exciting jet setting one it has been.  Every time I have sat down to write I think…Man this entry is going to be boring.  Today I finally realized that it isn't boring it is just real life now.  Not that the other stuff wasn't but it wasn't normal everyday stuff like this bit is.  I was also reminded by a good friend that these entries are just as good…they show that sometimes in the middle of a amazing adventure you need a bit of normal life too.  This lovely house I am staying in feels like my home and I am completely comfortable in it.  This amazing family makes me feel loved and a part of their daily life even when I am not working and I am finding my way more and more each day.  I am having to push myself

Home is where your heart is…mines here now.

out of my comfort zone with the language but I am feeling more and more confident.  This morning I think for the first time I felt like I had an actual, kind of, conversation with a group of ladies and felt like I was able to communicate beyond Hola, Que Tal (translation: Hello, How are you?)  and it felt amazing.  We got rained out of our padel match so we all walked over to a cafe to have a coffee and see if we could find another court.  I thought all the ladies spoke no english at all but as our conversation progressed I found out that 2 of them spoke english the way I speak Spanish (if not better) but they were nervous to use it.  It was in that moment that

The sun has set on summer…winter is here! 

I decided I needed to just use whatever Spanish I had regardless of how broken or grammatically incorrect it was so they felt comfortable to try out their english.  It worked out quite well.  I understand quite a bit, especially when I asked them to speak a bit more slowly and once I set my pride to the side and spoke my broken spanish an actual conversation was happening.  Before I knew it I was finding out about these ladies and they were asking me about myself.  There was even a moment where they were talking about a funny moment in spanish and I laughed at the same time as they did because I fully understood.  I know this may not seem like a big deal but it really was for me.  Just imagine weeks of not being able to be a part of normal daily conversations then have this moment where it feels like you are a part.  I think also this moment was so unique because these were 3 ladies who I don't really even know.  One I have played with 2 times but never said more then a couple words to.  To sit around the table with them at cafe and leave after an hour and a half knowing more about them then when we sat down and having found it all out by mostly using Spanish was a pivotal moment for me.  It made me realize

My flat mate…well he's trying to move in.

that even though my daily life has become routine it is definitely still a crazy adventure….just a bit different then it has been.   My pride is now definitely to the side and the broken Spanish is coming out more now. Flashcards are my new best friend.   Speaking of best friends I also have one who has been trying to move into my little flat.  He is quite small and wouldn't take up too much room but I still don't want to live with him.  I have this large toad who is on my doorstep almost every night (mornings too sometimes) trying to get in.  I am always so scared I am going to step on him.  So far I haven't and fingers crossed I never will.  I am pretty sure that as my mom, and maybe some of my friends, are reading this they have come up with the theory that he is my handsome prince in toad form however sorry guys I am not to the point of walking around and kissing actual toads yet to find my prince….just still kissing the human version of toads in my search.
One major change here that seemed to happen over

Wall of Love

night was the seasons.  It is now officially winter and I don't feel prepared.   It's is cold and I don't have enough cozy clothing.  Oh shoot…might have to do some shopping.  The cold and rain has meant we have spent more time inside which has led to lots of artwork which in turn has created my beautiful wall of love.  I can't tell you how loved these kids make me feel.  Luis is always drawing pictures of me, and Maxime is writing me beautiful cards.  I even have received my first christmas card of the season from her telling me how wonderful I am, that she loves me and that she hopes I have a lovely christmas.  Now I know

Love these little monkeys!

some of you might say well it is before thanksgiving, how can you be doing christmas stuff yet.  Well guess what guys…no Thanksgiving over here so that rule doesn't apply.  Made my first christmas playlist last week  and the kids and I have been singing Christmas carols at the top of our lungs in the car.  It has been amazing!!!  I can't believe my time here will be ending is just 2 weeks.  Seems like I just arrived….as they say time flies when you are having fun and I most certainly am!

Organized chaos....Loving life!

Where to even begin with this one....Life is all over the map.  Well not completely but kind of.  Routine but not, structured chaos maybe?  I don't know the best way to describe it but what I do know is I love it.  There is never a dull moment and almost all the moments are great.  Each day is different which keeps me on my toes and makes life interesting.  I do love structure and routine but am finding that there can be so much flexibility within these routines while still staying consistent which is a wonderful new thing for me.  We have had a lot going on here at our Mallorca home and it has been loads of fun.  For starters it was fall break in England so of course Michael and Diana's friends from London came over for some good weather

All the kids and 2 dads....in a boat.

and good times.  It is always so much fun to have visitors.  This house is perfectly suited for it and we all love the company.  In total for the week there were (including those of us who live here) 7 adults and 6 kids.  Side note...all 6 kids were under the age of 8.  All the kids have known each other since they were tiny though so they acted like they were family which was beautiful to watch.  Liliy and Maxime (the 2 oldest) were attached at the hip.  Chatting late into the night from the top and bottom bunk and coloring in their matching coloring books.  The middle 3 who were all around age 4 played games, rode bikes, splashed in the pool and crashed out at night all snuggled up together on a mattress.  I think the sight of them sleeping like little angels tucked up together was one of the sweetest things I have seen in quite some time.  Little Olivia being the youngest acted like she was grown up and followed all the big kids and tried to do whatever they were doing.  Most of the time she was able to fit right in.  We took trips to the beach where many a sand castle was built.  There also was a peddle boat adventure led by dads.  The slide was a hit with the older ones and the brave younger ones gave it a go but the drop from the slide to the

Just a couple of beach babes :)

water was a bit much so there were some tears.  The adults took a couple nights out together and I took on the 6 kids (with a little help from the local teenage babysitter who came over for a few hours).  All children were fed, bathed and put to bed....much to the credit of some amazing children who love to help each other and me out.  Couldn't ask for a better crew.  Comedy moment of the night was for sure the bathing part....all the kiddos wanted to shower together and it was hysterical.  Someone would be washing another ones hair while somebody else rinsed off.  Like I said...organized chaos...or  possibly insanity...fine line between the 2 which I have learned to stay on the correct side of quite well.  It was an absolutely wonderful week with everyone.  I really enjoyed meeting their friends.  They are all so kind and such good fun.  I feel like meeting them I have made a couple of new friends too.  On the morning that the last 3 people were leaving I was walking downstairs through the area where the kids rooms are headed to mine and I heard some chatting coming from Olivia and Luis's room.  Knowing I just dropped them off at school I figured it had to be Lilly and Lara.  I popped my head in to see what was going on and I saw them both dressed up in random costumes sitting in Olivia's old crib.  When they saw me they said "Sara....please come watch our show!"  Of course I couldn't say no so in the final 15

Original production by Lilly and Lara

minutes before these 2 kiddos headed back to London they entertained me with a fantastic little play.  I really am in awe of the creativity of little ones.  They come up with the most cool, random things.  The imagination is fantastic...especially in children who don't watch much television.  None of these kids really watch any TV and I truly see a difference in the imaginative play in them then other children who do.  One main difference is because they aren't exposed to it much they don't even ask for it.  I am not judging one way or another simply stating an observation.  The 15 minute production by these two cuties was great and then we had to say good bye.  The house felt very quite that day and the kids definitely missed their friends which was quite sweet.  Now I know it sounds like all I do is play with kids but that is not the case.  I have been taking time for myself and getting into life here on the island.  Nici invited me to come with her to one of her decoupage classes which I definitely said yes to.  I have had this idea of what I want to do which all my travel stuff but needed to learn how to do this so I could create it.  We went to class and I found out that it isn't super easy and also when you have a language

Art in progress...don't judge by this photo

barrier it is difficult to tell the teacher you aren't super keen on her style.  In the end there was some green paint that ended up where I didn't really like it and some wrinkled and torn bits.  I took my project home to rethink it.  Instead of giving up on it Nici and I hit the art store and I took on the challenge of recreating it.  Each day after I took the kids to school I would pull out all my supplies, spread out on my outdoor table and set to work.  There was a lot of sanding off bad bits, painting on new bits and covering up mistakes with more paper.  I can now say that I have brought it back to a good place and am ready to put the final touches on it.  It wont be a masterpiece but it has been a great learning experience and has helped prepare me to create the real stuff that I want to.  The other thing that has been filling up my time is playing Padel.  I must say I am slightly obsessed.  It is really fun and you don't even have to set up matches which is even better for me since I don't really know anyone here.  The place that Michael and Diana play you can just put your name on a list and they set up the matches for you.  You can sign up for as many days a week as you want.  I have been playing about 3-4 days a week and it has been

Stairs or a waterfall...both!

 such fun.  Now don't forget that everyone here speaks Spanish.  I definitely walk into these matches and immediately apologize and say I only speak a tiny bit of spanish.  To my surprise everyone has been great about it.  Very few people speak any English but it hasn't been problem.  I understand enough and am picking up more and more each time I play.  I can call the score in spanish now and know all the basic terms of the game.  Each match feels like a mini spanish lesson.  I also really do appreciate how open everyone is here and not bothered by the fact that I don't speak it but that I am trying.  The language barrier is going to be a tricky thing for sure here but something that I am looking forward to working through and hopefully overcoming.  It can make me feel a bit lonely at times though.  It is even worse too that I can understand a lot but then just can't respond or add to the conversation because I don't have the vocabulary.  I feel like I am hit with this barrier double too because I am surrounded by the German language a lot and am understanding it more and more since I hear it often but can't respond either.  I know I will get there though....it just takes time and practice.  The kids

Little Halloween Princess

like to make me practice German when we play restaurant.  Luis cracked up at me the other day because instead of asking for a fork I said "I am a fork."  One step at a time....today I am a fork, tomorrow maybe I will ask for the fork.  Even though I am struggling a bit with my languages I am still beyond happy living in this paradise that has tanning weather into the month of October.  Mixed in with this beautiful weather was a completely crazy day.  The morning had started out normal...bit cloudy but nothing too bad.  The afternoon was a bit grey and then all of a sudden the heavens opened up and it was a torrential down pour.  This was like nothing I had ever seen here.  I had to shut all my windows quickly since it was raining sideways.  I looked out my window and the stairs had turned into a waterfall and I had a moat in front of my door.  I couldn't leave even if I wanted to because I would have flooded my room.  It was crazy...thunder and lightning sounded and looked like it was at my front door while the lights flickered above me.  It lasted a few hours and then cleared leaving behind broken palm trees and rock landslides in the road.  As quicky as it came it left and we were back to lovely weather again.  Good

Me and my shadow...and yes I am all legs!

thing because it was halloween and the kids were ready for trick-or-treating.  My little princess Olivia and I picked up 2 Witches (Maxime and Luis) from school, met Diana at home and went over to Nici and Christians for some Halloween fun.  The kids had a good time and candy was collected.  It was a quick night but fun all the same.  Apparently Halloween is just getting popular over here in the last few years.  There isn't the hype about it like in the states which I was ok with.  It really isn't a holiday I like.  Sorry for those of you who do but I could do with out it.  With Halloween over I feel like we are now back to normal routine.  By normal I mean school, activities and all that good stuff.  I some how have been blessed with a fall cold which is not so fun.  It's the annoying ones that don't knock you completely out but are just enough to make you feel not quite like yourself.  I am fighting it though so hopefully it won't take me down.  I am feeling like life is becoming mine here.  By that I mean my life feels right here.  I have a wonderful family here that I live with that has made me feel like I am a part of theirs.  I am getting to know my way around using the GPS less and less. I have a local sport club that knows my name when

So happy I got to share in this moment.

I walk in and people who I recognize say Hola as I walk past them.  It is a great feeling knowing that I am making my way here and feeling content but that doesn't change how much I love and miss all of you back home.  I don't know what I would do it I didn't get to connect with you guys via skype.  I love that even though I am so far away I can still be a part of important moments like Greyson wearing his underwear on his head while potty training...or just any everyday moment.  There is nothing better then hearing a 2 year old say love you and know that even though you haven't seen him in 6 months he still recognizes you.  Sharing a afternoon chat about nothing and everything with your best friend while getting to see her face is priceless.  You can't even begin to understand what these moments mean to me.  It might not be as good as sitting together but it is a close second.