Madrid with Friends

Here are some photos of the kids having a good time in the Plaza del Dos de Mayo in Madrid. Oscar on the see-saw with Akio Berger (the daughter of my Japanese friend Yuko) and our neighbors, Solene and Diego Fernandez.

Dani trying to keep up with the big kids....

Alicante 29 September

We decided to take advantage of the "Verano de San Miguel" (the spanish version of an"Indian Summer") so we drove to Alicante for the weekend. The kids had a great time on the beach and in the pool. We took a nice walk along the boardwalk and of course, we went to the park.

Hiking in the Guadalajara area

On the 26 September we took a hike to a castle close to Guadalajara (a city northeast of Torrejon). Here is Oscar below the castle (notice his new hiking boots....). Miguel and Oscar in the castle.

Dani fell asleep on the way down to the car.

We stopped in Siguenza to eat some icecream and play in the park.

Dani´s First Birthday!

Wow! One year old! On the 16 September we celebrated Dani´s first birthday. We invited the neighbors over for cake.

Here is Dani with his cousin Alejandro. They are only two months apart.

Oscar had the job of opening all the presents. Oscar and Dani with neighbor Solene.

Oscar´s First Day of School

3 September was the big day!

Oscar started his second year at J.A.B.Y, his school. He was excited to see all his friends and of course to play on the playground. Dani was excited also because it meant that he had free rein over all the toys in the house.

Asturias to see the Abuela!

We decided to drive up to Oviedo, Asturias last weekend. Mima, Miguel´s grandmother (92 years old) wanted to see Dani, so we decided to strike while the iron was hot and drive up while Iberia was doing Miguel´s papers for the 340. (He had two weeks off at the end of his course for his company to do his paper work, visas etc). So, we packed the car and off we went!!

It rained the whole time but we were prepared with our rain jackets, rain cover for the stroller and the attitude that a little water wouldn´t hurt us (boy, did it rain, though...) Dani was a bit overwhelmed with all the attention he got but at the end, found an admirer in Mima and the rest of the Oviedo family.

We also attended the Asturian version of a state fair (they were well prepared and everything was under tents) with Miguel´s cousin, Miguel and his son Igor. Oscar and his cousin Igor had a great time playing together.

San Isidro in Torrejon

San Isidro at Oscar´s School, JABY. On the 15 May, we were all invited to celebrate San Isidro at Oscar´s school. San Isidro, the labrador, is the patron saint of Madrid, capital. He was a religious youth (12 Century) who worked in the fields and gained a reputation for preforming miracles. Since Torrejon isn´t Madrid, Oscar didn´t have the day off so his school decided to celebrate it in its patio (playground) . Here are some pictures of Oscar dressed up in the costume of Madrid (as a chulapo) and dancing the regional dance, the shotish .

Oscar and Luna dancing.

Oscar danced his one dance and then was off. Why spend such a beautiful day dancing when you could be playing???

Dani and Tanya.

Granny and Grandpa Bodien in Torrejon

Granny and Grandpa Bodien came to visit in March/April. They had a fun time just being typical Spanish Abuelos. They got to take Oscar to school and pick him up, feed Dani, hang out with the two kids and just gave us, the parents, a break.


Dani enjoying the balls at Ikea. Dani and beer.

We went to visit Castillo de los Mendoza, a 15th century castle close to home in Manzanares El Real.
It was unseasonably cold but we had a great time.

Oscar´s first experience dyeing easter eggs. He had a great time looking for the eggs that the Easter bunny left.


We also visited the botanical gardens in Madrid. Here are the two kids on the way home,

Oscar riding on the boogie board..

Carnival 2007

It was Carnival Time again in Torrejon. On Thursday Oscar came out of school dressed up as a Strawberry!! Then on Friday, Oscar dressed up as a Train Engineer (complete with an oil can and an authentic Oshkosh cap, thank you Granny!!)

The line up of a couple of the kids in Oscar´s class (can you believe how tall Oscar is!!??)

Dani also got dressed up to celebrate carnival. He was a cute bee.

The two of them together in front of Oscar´s school with Mama.

Oscar and Dani had a great time dressing up and Oscar can´t wait for Halloween so he can wear his Engineer outfit again.

Atocha

On the 28 January, we took the train into Atocha to see an exhibition of model trains. We missed the exhibition of trains, but we did get to see the turtles that live in the gardens there and of couse, to eat some "fast train" sandwiches.

Info: Fast Train sandwiches are the sandwiches that we make at home and then go to Atocha, the main train station in Madrid, to watch the Aves (fast trains) come and go. One of Oscar´s favorite past-times

Here are some photos of Oscar and Dani...poor Dani, never gets in any of the photos.....

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