Rollercoaster ride

In the end it was a good week, though tough. Every day either started or ended with some sort of mini-crisis. But every day also held some sort of victory or accomplishment or moment of delight. I think most days also had a least one moment of hysteria - as in uncontrollable laughter - not as in freaking out. Jack thinks it's the same thing for me, and maybe it is, but if it's a fit of uncontrollable laughter it's better than a fit of uncontrollable tears. And just a point, I've only had one fit of uncontrollable tears since we've been here.

Each kid had their own personal meltdown when they (almost) refused to go to school. Alex ended up skipping the first hour one day, and Anna came home a couple hours early the next day. (One learned from the other?)

On the other hand, they both made progress on starting friendships. Poco a poco, as the Spaniards always tell us.

Jack and I met with one of Alex's teachers. Mark this up as a hysterically funny event. Imagine Professor Umbridge talking to deaf and dumb (in a manner of speaking) foreign student's parents. I was able to control myself enough to get out of the building and down the street before I laughed out loud. We weren't able to get Alex out of the dreadful class - yet - but we're working on it.

Some moms at Anna's school stopped and talked to me at drop off time. As all moms know, this is HUGE. I'm incredibly greatful to the mom who generously stopped to talk to me. Mark this one up as big potential for socialization for both Anna and me.

My internal soundtrack is the single line: People are strange when you're a stranger on endless loop. I'm trying to be Buddhist about it and accept the discomfort.

We stretched ourselves farther from The Dia Zone. We had many delightful interactions with shop keepers in small market stalls and bakeries, etc. We visited a market where you can buy every single part of an animal - ears, stomach, brains, balls, hairy goat snouts. I opted for the pimientos de Padron instead. I'm still pretty confused about when you're allowed to pick out your own produce and when you have to let the market keeper select and bag it for you. But no one actually yelled at me.

I realized that if I stay calm I can speak (sort of) Spanish. At various times during the week I was able to enjoy putting together the roughest of language to converse. Even simply thanking Benito for helping us get rid of the itchy old mattress was rewarding.

Anna, Alex and I made the long Metro trek to the sports equipment store and bought ourselves rollerblades. We had to find some way to get out and exercise. Don't worry, Dad, we got pads and helmets, too. No injuries to report from our maiden voyage. Today we're heading over to Retiro, where everyone goes to rollerskate.

And the most wonderful part of the week was having Ysabel, our Spanish guardian angel, over for dinner last night. We could show off our growing language skills (she always wants to hear how our Spanish is coming along), and I could present her with the socks I'd knit for her. I was so happy to have a friend in Spain that I wanted to knit for.

Sigh. So, it was a pretty good week after all.

Thanks, everyone, for the loving up.

Besos a todos.