Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Days 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 . . .

We did celebrate Cinci's 2nd birthday with our friends/family. A lot of the family came out from Granada to have the birthday meal with us and watch Cinci blow out his candles. I spent all the night before preparing Cinci's train cake. I was so caught up in preparing the cake that I didn't even buy him a present. What kind of mother am I? Actually, it's pretty practical not to buy him gifts at this age. He could care less. Just as long as he has his super awesome chocolate train cake loaded full with candies to look at and Tito Juan Ma's lap to sit on!
Cinci didn't blow out his candles. Can you guess who did?




Here is Paz with Jose her man. She is my cousin, sort of. Her father owns a vegetarian restaurant in Granada named "Raices". Visit it while you are there. They have some good food there.


Here is Mama Encarna. She made a really delicious vegetarian lasagna. Some of you may think that sounds cool, yum yum vegetarian lasagna! Healthy! Well, I thought vegetarian lasagna was nasty, until I tried hers. She prepared this whole dinner for Cinci's birthday. She is always on her feet doing something for somebody else.
Here is Tito Juan Manuel. He is the youngest of my brothers.
Here is Papa riding around with the kids on his scooter. The kids were loving it! They could just eat Papa alive, he is the coolest guy in Spain!
We took a drive out to Granada and found this on a hill as we drove by. About five years ago Jonathan and I took a road trip all around the peripheries of the Iberian peninsula. It took a long time considering we didn't always take the fast roads. I know we've seen more of Spain than your average Spaniard. Anyway, we passed at least a dozen bulls on our trip. Each time we would pass one we would be silent until we got past it so it wouldn't come alive and chase us. I know it sounds lame but we were so excited to have our kids see one of the bulls and get excited about it. They did. Especially Atticus. He was so hyped about buying a postcard with a bull on it to give to his teacher.
Here is an olive vineyard we passed on our way. Here is the birth home of the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca in Fuentevaqueros. If you want to read something of his most people would tell you to read "Blood Wedding" but I recommend "La Casa de Bernarda Alba" which is a play he finished shortly before his assassination in 1936. I also like his poem "Muerte de Antonito el Camborio" from his collection Romancero Gitano. I do not know if they have any good translations that would actually be moving but I do know that his play (Bernarda Alba) has been made into a movie called "The House of Bernarda Alba" produced by Stephen Phillips and directed by Nuria Espert and Stuart Burge. When I watch it I see what old Spanish village houses looked like. Even some still look this way.
This is his summer home just on the outskirts of old Granada. He wrote most of his great works here and his is the window upstairs with the light still on. I was really excited to look out the window he looked out so many times while he wrote. I took a tour for 3 euro. It was quite informative. In the bookshop you can find all of Lorca's works and many other works connected to him. I tried to probe the tour guide for more information about his homes in the city but only found that they are not there anymore.
Cinci and me.
Fountains in the center of Granada and two nuts. Did you know that Granada means pomegranate in Spanish?


Fuengirola

Each kid with his own cannon? I don't think so.Do your kids get really crazy at mealtimes? Sometimes I just don't know what to do with my older two. They just get so wild and when that happens food gets wasted, dishes get broken, and Cinci won't eat because he's laughing at them. The only thing I can think of sometimes is yelling. I know, not very original. Any ideas?

Shermy and Dipsy helped me make some Cola Cao, warm chocolate milk.

Cinci, my sweet sweet baby! I just love to see him run free against the wind. Run baby run! Who knows what the future will bring, perhaps he will be my baby forever.

I love all of him. Even when he is covered in sand, boogers, and especially chocolate.

Now that our vacation is over, I'm back to photographing everyday life around the house. Double chocolate, milk and cookies. Almost my favorite company. (They don't really have Oreo's here, we brought them back from London.)

4 comments:

Hillary said...

Hooray! It looks like you had lots of fun! Happy Birthday to Cinci!

Strawberry Girl said...

Happy Birthday to Cinci!! Your so cool Christine, I am so glad I get to hear about your life over there. :0)

Holly Messenger said...

Christine, you're so beautiful, and I love your pictures!

Sonja said...

I'm sooo glad you posted this! I loved reading and looking at the beautiful pictures! I LOVE the one of Shermie and Cinci on the motorcycle! I also love the one of you with the kids and the idyllic background and your hair blowing in the wind like a model. You are so beautiful!