Spain is different

Need I say more? I think this was the highlight of Mom's trip to Barcelona! These two were just strolling down the beach letting it all hang out, hardy har har! The tattoo butt man was wearing socks, oddly enough. His friend was walking twenty feet ahead of him and kept turning back for some reason. All kinds of people were stopping the tattoo butt man for pictures and inviting him for drinks. It was fun to see the expressions on people's faces as they passed him by. And, no, it was not a nudist beach, but apparently it is not illegal to go nude should you feel inspired to do so. Alrighty then!

How do you define fun?

Don't you agree that as adults we don't take enough time to have fun and to play? I mean, seriously, when is the last time you laughed out loud? (Except for Mary, who I know does this every day with her son.) Anyway, as a new mom, and someone who does not handle unstructured time very well I have found myself in a bit of a rut. So, last Friday I started making a list of things I can do, for me, to not feel so...I don't know... in a rut?

This is what I have so far:

• Read more, not just for escape and fun but for knowledge (I have to brush up on my knowledge of Ancient Civilizations for next year)
• Go to an exhibit at least once a week (Barcelona is full of art and culture!)
• Invite friends over/arrange outings (I know that we are the married couple with a kid so we don't get a lot of invites, but that doesn't mean it has to be the end of our social lives, right?)
• Excercise (I take Pilates every Wednesday, but try to go to a mat class at least once a week and do yoga at home, in addition to walking a lot)
• Practice piano (yeah...have to come up with a plan)
• Play strategy games (Dedicate one night a week to no TV and make my husband play a game with me. Besides, good role modeling for the Z)
• Scope out some artwork for our walls
• Try a new recipe/food/food shop
• Investigate guided tours of downtown BCN
• Look into Democrats Abroad and/or BCN's Women's Network
• Research real estate market (We don't know if we are staying or going, but I always enjoy this game)
• Watch Friends, 30 Rock and Jon Stewart for comic relief.

I am writing these down so you can hold me accountable. Let's see what I can get out of it.

Any other ideas??????

Swim class

It's less of a "how to" and more of a "let's get comfortable with the water" kind of class, but it adds structure to our week and, so far, Zach seems to like it. The water feels great. No getting used to it, it's just perfect. There are about 8 other babies in his group, 2 of them my colleague's twins who are about 3 weeks older than Z. I guide him, he usually has one hand in his mouth because he is teething and we all sing some Catalan song at the end called "Chip Chap." Then, he conks out and sleeps very well! It's hard finding things to do with your baby. I mean, sometimes, I feel like I run out of ideas and am afraid he is going to get tired of his old mom. This class helps and gets me out of the house.

Bath time, then and now

What were my parents doing to me here?

Oooh yeah. This is more like it!

Spain is different

It is really hard finding something to write about that isn't just about how cute Z is or his latest development. What was my life like before motherhood? Man, it must have been boring!!

So, let me share a bit about Spain and what things strike most Americans who visit here.

Today's comment is about personal space or rather the lack thereof. It just does not exist! People walk down the sidewalk right towards you and see right through you. There is no stepping aside, no "excuse me." They just keep right on going. And Spaniards are big strollers, taking their time going from Point A to B which frustrates me to no end. I acknowledge that coming from NYC most recently, I walk fast and with purpose, but man, it drives me crazy to get stuck behind three ladies linked arm in arm! And, how about total strangers coming up to your kid and putting their hands right in his face! Luckily I'm not super high-maintenance or anything, but I do find it quite strange. Now, with this pig flu I am more likely to speak up next time it happens! However, I suppose it would do me good to look at the flip side of this and learn to slow down, take my time and appreciate how baby-friendly everyone is. No one gets uptight with a baby in a restaurant (or bar, for that matter.) Aaahhhh! Spain! It is pretty cool to live here, despite my occasional gripes.

Z with Meaghan on St. Patty's Day

Getting there!

OK, so followed some of your suggestions and a week later, this is what we've got so far. A new coat of paint, curtains to cover the wardrobe, cuter curtains for the window that looks out to ugly air shaft, moved the rocking chair in, got rid of my old bed (Zach and Phoebe took one last nap there yesterday to give it a proper send-off), hung up the fish mobile from the museum and put down a comfy rug. Still need something for storage. We still have his clothes in our room, but since it's a small apt., it's not really a big deal. Comments? I love feedback!

Sesame Street Rocks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c3fvqNlFvc

Hurray for Youtube! Wow! What fun we are having discovering classics like "C is for Cookie," and "The Elmo Song." But even more fun (for me anyway) are the special guests like James Blunt and Norah Jones ("I don't know why Y didn't come." I always knew SS was really meant for adults. Enjoy!

make zach happy

Calling on all you creative decorators!

I'm sure Z won't even notice, but now that I find myself spending a lot of time in his room, I am thinking of a few changes to make it a bit cozier. Seems like everyone in my family has caught the decorating bug this month. So, here are my ideas. First, find some way to cover the Ikea Pax wardrobe. Probably heavy, dressing-room like curtains. Then, take down these shelves which scream safety hazard to me and since they hold toys and books, these things ought to be within the boy's reach, right? Then, I will paint some shade of cool green (cool, as opposed to warm) which Omi Willet will supply. I'll get a feel-good-under-bare feet rug big enough to cover most of the floor and finally, I guess I will part with my single days bed. As comfy as it is, I suppose we won't have any guests sharing the room with Zach so if you haven't made it to visit yet, sorry! We still have the pull-out couch. Not very comfy though. Air mattress? For this room, maybe I'll get a small couch or chaise. Any other ideas? Em, now is your chance!

Presenting Jacques and Harley!

Babies, babies, everywhere! 2008 was a very exciting year in our family! First, after much effort and a lot of patience Cesc and I got pregnant and delivered, in my opinion, the best baby in the whole world. (I can say that today, because he had his bath, ate dinner and went right to sleep! Crossing my fingers, crossing my fingers!) HOWEVER, not only did we get to welcome Baby Zach to the world, we also learned that my baby sister Emily was pregnant AND my sister, "My Mary" was pregnant with number two. (Actually, she was being all slick and sly about it, but my keen detective skills guessed early. Not that hard really. She turned down beer. Dead giveaway!) ANYHOO, so we have two pregnant sisters here, Mary is having a boy (so much for all those cute hand-me-downs, but I'm ok with it) and of course, Emily is having a girl. She HAD to! That said, neither is divulging their names although I believe they have both been picked out. So, for now, unless I can put my detective skills to work again, allow me to introduce Jacques and Harley. This summer, Cesc, Baby Z and I wil travel to Natick and Wilmington to meet the new cousins and we are TRES excited!! Whoohoo! Of course, Christmas will be CRAZY, but one thing at a time.

Food for thought

I know what you're thinking. That the only thing I can think about is food. Well, that is partly true. I like to eat. I like to cook. And, lately I am hungry! Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience and I feel sorry for moms who don't at least try it or who have tried it without success. That said, it burns a zillion calories, or so they say. I only know that I am never full. All I can think about is what I am going to eat next. I just finshed dinner and am already salivating over tomorrow's breakfast (pancake Sunday, in honor of Kevin). Well, in an effort to reel things in and not just grab that pint of Ben and Jerry's, I decided to search NY Times for inspiration and I enjoyed this article:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html

Especially about what to do with leftover celery. It's true. You buy celery for that tuna salad and only use like one stalk and the rest withers and turns yellow. Lo! Other uses for celery. The salad with mushroom and parmesan sounds interesting. I did make the lentil minestrone and can tell you it yields 8 very generous servings. I have so much leftover I had to finish off the ice cream to make room in the freezer!

Make me happy to be a renter

She's baaaack! Well, let's see. I am challenged by Emily who has started her own blog and has written something two days in a row. I am overwhelmed by her list of home projects. Makes me happy that I rent! But I am impressed, Em. Keep it up!

The problem with this blogging thing is that I am at a loss for what to write.... Mary is so good at this sort of thing! Today, I guess I am going to talk about Zman. He is now saying "Mamamama," but I don't flatter myself, yet. It seems to be associated with him being needy and the last two days he has been rather needy. I think he's just overtired and his dad and I need to adjust his bedtime or read him better, poor dude. Then he seems to be going through another growth spurt so I try reading to him in silly Aunt Emily's voice, I try burping him, I walk him around, I sing, I dance, I do everything except offer him the boob because HOW CAN HE POSSIBLY BE HUNGRY AGAIN SO SOON? Aaaah! The power of the boob. If only all of life's problems were that easy to solve. Anyway, with all this feeding, I am STARVING, all the time. I just can't seem to get enough to eat or at least can't figure out what my body is asking for. The other day I pulled a Mary, Mom or Emily and ate half a pint of Ben and Jerries, but that wasn't it, either. I think I'm about to go finish off the rest.

What are your cravings?