The difficult school runs had been getting me down and it was very cathartic to offload how I was feeling. And what a surge of love and support I get back from you guys! It nearly knocked me backwards into our new (and you'll be glad to hear adequately big enough) swimming pool.
Luckily almost all the comments were positive, supportive and full of good advice. There was one lady however that felt I was doing the wrong thing putting my kids through this and that I should scoop them all up and just go home. I can understand why she might have felt that way and thank her for her honesty. However my immediate reaction was one of 'You're wrong - this is good for them' which surprised me in its intensity.
Since I read that comment my mind has been shunted onto a different track - from all the things they have lost to all the things they are gaining. And although the next few weeks or even months will be hard - that's not necessarily a bad thing because with each hurdle they grow in confidence immensely. If they can do this they can do anything.
Our weekends are now spent like this....
...instead of fighting over TV channels and trying to find things to do when it's pissing down outside (which invariably it is in Ireland).
After-school is spent like this...
...instead of fighting over TV channels and trying to find things to do when it's pissing down outside (which invariably it is in Ireland).
The kids have all learned to swim brilliantly already - a gift that you can't exaggerate the importance of. One of my big worries coming out here was that the pool would not be safe for the youngest who still needed armbands. Just look at him now:
They are eating different foods and becoming more adventurous.
They are learning harder and faster than they would at home. The maths classes are 2 years ahead of what they are used to but they are quickly coming up to speed with it all. Next week when the school day lengthens they will get to take pottery and sewing classes.
They are also picking up a foreign language without even realising it. The other evening we went out for dinner and the 4 year old asked could he have some more 'leche' and then requested to be topped up with 'aqua'. I don't think he even realised that he was saying the words in Spanish.
We are all also spending a lot more time as a family and have the added pleasure of having the children's grandparents a short drive away so they are gaining a new type of relationship with them - one where they can pop by after school rather than doing a hurried catch up every 3 months.
All in all there is a lot of weight on the Spain side of the scales - and only school nerves on the other.
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| My parents moved to Spain and all they got me was this lousy beach. |
