Bike riding...

A few years ago- Aydin got a bike ramp for Christmas.  

He has never had a trick bike to really play around on it until now and has been waiting for a good day to take it outside.  

Javi came over after school today and the boys brought the ramp outside to play.  They had such a great time.... I can see this filling his time in the afternoons.

First Day of UNIFORMS!!!

Although I have cute kids.... from these pictures- it is questionable :)  When one was looking: the other two were not... it was impossible to get them all looking and somewhat happy at the same time this morning.  Either way- I LOVE their uniforms and think they all look too cute in them!

Grandma is here!!

Susan is back.... and staying!!  That is for the next 2 months at least.  She has recently retired from her job and is taking a vacation (if you can call it that when there are 2 crazy parents, 3 wild kids and 2 hyper dogs).  Although I do not have specific days or very many pictures I have managed to take a few pictures of a few things we have been doing over the first week and a half.

Pedicures:

 Saturday at the beach- I had my friend Millies kids the weekend after she arrived (Friday-Sunday morning) so we all walked down to the beach to play and to have lunch.

 Liam and Carly

 Emry and Morgan

 Aydin and Luke

 Lunch-

On the 17th- Liam wanted to swing.... so he went up to the patio above the garage, tied a rope around the top and opened up the garage door.  Grandma got the 'proof'

 Reading and playing outside gets HOT- and when it is this hot.... why not take a dip in the pool??

After school on Wednesday (25th) we got the play dough out..... grandma taught Liam how to punch a circle with the end of the rolling pin (open) and blow it out shooting it across the table.  It kept him busy for at least 20 minutes.  He could not stop laughing.

She has been spending her days going to the gym with me in the morning, walking the beach, and helping me get the kids to and from whatever they have going on (including homework), cooking, getting Halloween stuff together for decorations and the Halloween party we will be having in a few weeks and hanging out. 

We will be going on a few vacations while she is here one to Morocco and hopefully one to Rome.  No matter where we go- we are so happy to have her here and to have this time together.  

First day of school-

Today is the kids first day of school- ALL TOGETHER at the same school.  We have spent the past week gathering up all of their school supplies, buying uniforms and preparing for today!! 

  

Aydin is already in the 5th grade!!  Can you believe it? 

Morgan is in 3rd grade this year.

Liam started the 3 year old class- in Spain- kids begin school at the age of 3.  Liam was so happy to go to school today until he realized his new school was without Loli- his day care lady.  We all loved Loli so much- his new teacher has large shoes to follow!!






 Once we got to school- everyone was so happy to be together again.  I am so glad the kids have great friends and great teachers!!
Aydin and Javi

 Aydin, Jesus, Javi and (a new boy- I do not know his name)

 Morgans 2nd grade teacher Diego was so happy to see her.  He came right up to her and gave her a big hug.  He was a great teacher!!

Jaun Jesus, Leandro, Alvaro, Paula, Victoria and Morgan

 Morgan and her 3rd grade teacher- Marie Carmen

 I left the older kids to walk Liam up to his room with his class-

 When I came back down from Liams classroom, the school was having their first day of school ceremony with the anthem and the flag raising.  Morgan was picked this year to raise one of the flags... (on the end)

Feria en Chipiona!!

Although the feria in Chipiona was not as big as the others back in May, it was still something we wanted to see and be a part of.  Feria began on Thursday evening and went through the Sunday- making Monday a holiday as the 'rasaka' (There are not many places in the world that I can say will allow their employees and the schools to close for a day to be able to recuperate from a weekend of partying- or what they call it as the 'hangover' day').
Sunday afternoon- we caught the tail end of feria to watch the Virgin be taken from the church and carried around the town.  A tradition that has been carried out for many years.  People from all over come to participate, watch and enjoy the weekend.

Leaving the church

 Enough mini horses?!

 We could not believe Liam slept through everything including the crowd walking by with the virgin, the marching band that would occasionally stop right in front of us, and the sun right in his face.

 These are some of the men who carry the virgin under the statue.

 Some important family- not sure who though...

 Here she comes...

 She stopped for about 15 minutes to change out the men who carry her.  She is so heavy that they can only walk a certain length before they change out again.

After the crowd passed, we stopped at Maka's families ice cream shop.  It was SO good!!

 Best milk shakes ever...

 Walking back to the house we passed by the church.

 We made it just in time to see the virgin being carried around the parking lot of the church...

 We ran into Vito and his family

Once we got home, we went to the roof and watched the fire works- at 12AM.