Carnaval Carnaval.......

Carnaval Carnaval..............

Carnaval Carnaval...

CARNAVAL CARNAVAL

Ok so I am posting on Carnaval. I have to admit, I never understood Carnaval until now. We moved to Spain the week before the Carnaval parade, and so of course we were excited to go out and experience our very first cultural experience. We all went out as a family, Matt and I and the 5 small children. when we arrived at the Gran Via, it was packed. People running all over, some dressed, some not, but none the less everyone was ready for a great time. The music started and we were getting excited. When the first float came down the hill we ooed and aaaed. Beautiful ladies all dressed in feathers, dancing and looking wonderful. Ok we thought, this is going to be cool. But then it started to change, strange looking ladies started to appear, costumes that were, well, vulgar to say the least. When the "Madonna" group appeared I was certain that we needed to take the kids home. They were men, men dressed as women, and they were everywhere. All those " strange" women we had seen going by were all men. My kids picked up on it and they all started to get a bit uneasy. "Why mommy, why are all the men wearing ladies underwear?" So much for our cultural experience. Frankly I thought it gross, and I still do. I do not find any enjoyment in looking at a bunch of unfit shaven men in bikinis. This year though, a friend of mine convinced me to join her "comparsa" group. I reluctantly committed, and spent the next 2 months sewing and glueing and sewing and glueing till the wee hours of the night. I was even practicing dance routines in the park at 11 p.m. in the rain. What have I gotten myself into??! But there was no turning back, if I backed out now I would be blacklisted. In the end it was not only fun, but thrilling. To spend the better part of 6 hours getting dressed then the next 9 hours "partying" was excellent. To be able to dance in the parade with people cheering you whistling at you and calling your name, well, I have to say I am hooked. Already signed up and planning next year!! Muchisimas Gracias a Loli para persuadando, alentando, y torciendo mi brazo!

Chicken Pox, at last..

Today is a SAD post. A sad post for O baby. He is with POX.

We have, after 13 years of raising kids finally caught the Chicken Pox. I have actually tried many times to infect my children. Running over to friends houses when their kids were infected, having them play and sometimes even drink from the same glass, Yet always without success. How is it then that my last child, the one who hardly leaves the house, not to mention my side, gets them? I can't answer that, but I can say with surety that the rest will fall soon. Sorry O for all your "owies" .