Time to Blog, Yet What to Say...

I often think about our blog and wonder what is of interest to those reading, I mean really. Could any of my ramblings, our mishaps, adventures or mundane daily tasks be worth the precious minutes it takes to read?

And then there's the question of time. When I get enough of it to blog, I almost draw a blank. Such is the problem now...time to blog, yet blanked out on what I had thought of earlier to write about. So let's start with the mundane stuff and see if anything sparks.

We are still trying to like our daily schedule but so far faking it isn't making it. I really don't like the kids coming home for 3 hours between noon and 3pm. It bites. By the time they get home at close to 5:30 we have tired kids and two and a half hours of homework ahead. On a good day, and more of those are happening, the kids either are working more independently or they have a lighter load. Those days are nice. Then there are the days when all three kids have a big load and seem to need almost constant attention. Those days are rough.

We're in the middle of a four-day weekend. Thursday was Day of the Constitution or something. Gosh, that's horrible that I'm not paying close attention. I'm supposed to be learning things! I spent 9 hours putting Kerline's extensions in yesterday. I hope they last for a month. Now she's doing Jolie's extensions...hence the time I have now. It's a beautiful thing.

It took me a while to find a store that carries African hair products. But I met a mom of a girl from Ethiopia and she gave me the scoop on where to go. So I found about 4 shops within a couple blocks of each other but the best one is the Pakistani store. We are a curiosity when we go in there, but the man is so nice and even gives me tips. Uh, the Pakistani guy is giving me tips on doing my Haitian daughters' hair. Hmm. OK.

The other oddity like the phenomenon at the Pakistani store, is being a fellow immigrant along with all sorts of other people in this city. Speaking to people from all over the world in a mutual second language is a trip and is actually, many times, funny. Trying to understand each other across accents and language skill level, I just have to chuckle. But isn't that the way the world should be? Shouldn't we all know a few languages so that when we cross paths we can hopefully find one in common? I love talking to the Pakistani guy or the people working in the China store (as we call them, stores with goods directly from China, run by Chinese families), or the Mexican family that has befriended the kids. Yes, the Mexican family already speaks Spanish, but you have to understand that the accent and culture are different and it's awesome encountering that again since I love Mexico so much! Then there's the Bulgarian plumber, the Peruvian and French couple upstairs and the people from everywhere that go to our church (but mostly they speak English, being an international church).

Our church itself is quite the spectacle. You literally have people from all over the world in a small room of about 75 people, UK, American (North and South), African, Asian. It's funny, because we thought when we first moved here that we would avoid places with immigrants because we wanted to immerse as much as possible with Spanish/Valencian culture, but it wasn't to be. God's always got some other plan, like my ideas are so elementary. The church is literally down one block across the pedestrian street. It is the International Church of Valencia and it is across the street! Gee, what's the message there? And really, it is good for the kids to meet and fellowship with people from around the world AND have Spanish friends.

Well, off to check on the hair progress. They are watching one of my favorite movies, The Princess Bride. "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."