Coming home from Berlin was truly a memorable experience and
I’m not even referring to the overnight in France or the 5 hour cramped bus
ride (although that also was memorable).
I walk into the house to see the 3 kiddos on the floor playing
some board game with Joseba’s cousin Asier. Both feet aren’t even through the
door before I’m inundated with jumping children desperate to give me hugs and
kisses. Even Maia… who flashes me dirty looks about 10 times a day because as
she has very clearly pointed out many times I am not her “ama” and she only
wants to be with “ama”. I really need to go out of town more often.
I tell them I need to shower. I haven’t been in my room more
than 10 seconds before I hear a knock at the door. “Ya has terminado?” – Leire
wants to know if I have finished..I tell her I need 10 minutes. 2 minutes later
I’m standing in my towel about to hop in the shower… knock. Knock. “Yaaaaa?
Mary?” (asking me if I’m done again). I open the door to shower her I haven’t
even started and she sulks a bit.
I get out of the shower and open the door and there’s Leire
– just waiting for me in my room now wearing the sweater/shirt I wore home that
day. She has me button the back for her and runs around the house telling
everyone she is me. She comes back into my room as I’m putting lotion on my
face. She wants some. Then the powder – she wants that too. Then perfume – I
give her a dab. Then I begin to blowdry my hair and she offers to do it for me.
She is such a doll. Lately she has been my little shadow. Today we realized we
had the EXACT SAME top 5 favorite foods… (Now WHAT ARE THE CHANCES…?) haha It’s
a very nice feeling to have one of them like me so much. Not that they hadn’t
before but as of late – in Leire’s eyes – I can do no wrong.
This week has been pretty chill. Just routine.
I DID meet my Spanish boyfriend this week. After school one
day I went to get the girls and brought lots of paper and crayons. I started
off making a sign or nameplate for one of the good family friends daughters.
BAD idea. Before the end of the night I had made at least… 15. One of the
little boys huddled around the entirely too small table for us seemed awestruck
by these signs. I made him one and he was beyond excited. He then asked to make
me one. His name was Martin and that’s the precise moment I knew we were
destined for each other. The next day I showed up to school to get the kids and
Martin was there again. His mom told me he was enamorado conmigo and he had
tried to bring me a present that day but they’d forgotten it. After Leire tells
him that I did her French braids he starts freaking out saying I can draw and
do braids!! I’m a true artist according to Martin. I ask if he wants to come
watch Brave in the auditorium with us and he cant because he has a hair
appointment. We run into him while waiting for Iciar about 90 minutes later and
his mom comes over and tells me Martin cannot stop talking about me. This kid
is mighty cute.
Friday night I went to an intercambio with Emma – one of the
ISA girls. It was fun and I’ll probably go again. Not too much to tell about
that.
Saturday I went to Plentzia – a beach town nearby – with
Sandra, a german au pair I met at the park a few weeks ago. We had a great time just sitting on the beach
and talking. It was nice because our common language was Spanish so we both got
a lot of practice in. Like idiots at one point during the day we put the towel
down and sat on VERY wet sand. We both just thought it was cold until we stood
up and realized our butts were soaked… For two decently intelligent girls we felt
like royal air-heads.
Today (Sunday) I got out of bed in the hopes that the kids
would be awake because I had missed them so much. I went out to the living room
and bummed around on the pull out couch with them for an hour or so. Then I
elected to postpone my trip to the gym to subir la Artxanda with Iciar and the
kids. We had a great time. Iciar brought bowls and spoons to make “soups and
cakes” with the sand and flowers… Leire and I had a great time putting flowers
in our hair and making crowns with them.
Anxiously waiting |
On our way to the top! |
Iciar and the Kiddos |
Princesas! |
That was "soup" if I recall correctly |
We were all about flowers |
Jon and his new dish. |
I was also pretty proud of my latest bedtime story. There
was a group of people on a boat who ran into some mermaids… these mermaids were
forced to leave their underwater castle because an evil giant squid had taken
it over. The mermaids managed to grab their key to the city as they were
leaving. This key had magical powers but they didn’t want to the mermaids to
abuse it so they hid three diamonds in three different parts of the world. Once
the diamonds are back in their normal place the key can unlock the castle and
set up a fortress to protect it from the giant squid. The people on the boat
had to go to a volcano, a desert, and the top of a giant building to get the
three diamonds. In the end everything worked out just fine.
Things in Bilbao are good. No, Great. My life isn’t as fast paced or as exciting as it was in Sevilla but I love my routine and I love
these kids – ESPECIALLY when they like me back. I’m so happy I chose to do this…
but WHAT on earth am I going to do when I have to leave.
Hi, Mary!
ReplyDeleteI've just found your blog and I've read it with pleasure... I love the way you write and narrate your stories!
In fact, I'm spanish (I'm going to be an au-pair soon) and I love to see the other side of the coin: au-pair girls that come to Spain.
That blog has been a great discovery, so I follow you and hope you will write more about your experiences!!
xx
Hello! I am an au pair in Bilbao from America and I just discovered your blog. Are you still here?
ReplyDelete