LIfe is made of small moments

Erik got home late Wednesday night, bringing a whole suitcase full of Trader Joe’s snacks, presents to give to loved ones in Spain, and books I had ordered on Amazon (most importantly, Harry Potter 5 for Lucy and me). One of my favorite moments of our whole trip was Thursday morning, as the kids tiptoed in one by one to see if Daddy had really reappeared on his side of the bed… and squealed with joy and climbed in between us. Eventually we had all six of us snuggled up in the dark morning, my whole world under the blankets.

Lindsay has grown out of most of her clothes again, and I’ve been needing some one-on-one with the big girls, so on Thursday after siesta, we headed downtown to look for skinny jeans and boots. She tried on probably 20 pairs and we finally found the perfect brown boots with buckles, and skinny jeans to tuck into them. Paella and patatas bravas at a sidewalk café at the foot of the cathedral, which I’ve wanted to try for weeks because of the chalkboard outside:

Life is made of small moments

Dinner with my dear Lindsay are some of my favorite small moments of all

On Friday it was Lucy’s turn, so after a sidewalk café lunch with all the kids, we biked home and dropped everyone off… then set out for downtown with our grocery schlepper. She commented frankly but without a hint of complaint as we left the house, “the younger kids always take so much of you, I don’t know the last time I had you to myself!” I was sad to hear that and realized it was true – at home in California we sometimes drove to Ballet and back by ourselves, but a special date, just Lucy and Mommy? I couldn’t think of the last time. I feel so close to Lucy now, after three months of reading Harry Potter with her every night cheek to cheek in her bed, and I am thinking now that I have got to create and fiercely guard that time with her once we drop back into our busy American life. Lucy had a very hard year last year and I feel like one of the most important things that’s happened in Spain is that we got our Lucy back. I will not lose her again.

Anyway, we walked and talked about Harry Potter and the concept of the unforgiveable curses: to kill, to torture, and to control another’s actions. Meaty topics for a nine-year-old, and another great small moment for me as I listened to her explore these philosophical questions and their implications in society. Plenty of laughter too, and hugs and bouncing along as we bought pastries, skinny jeans (“Mom, no one wears flared jeans in Spain, and I think not in America anymore either”) and school supplies she’s been needing for months.

Home for a quick turn around – checked in with Erik quickly and then changed clothes to take Lindsay to the Opera! Our music-professor friends the Martens invited us with their University group to see the famous Bizet opera, “Carmen,” which is set in Seville! I read the Wikipedia summary in the taxi on the way to meet the Martens and Lindsay… and off we went in a tour bus.

The opera started ran from 9:00-12:00... not a big deal for Spaniards but late for Americans and really late for Allebests! We loved the story and laughed that Lindsay was familiar with several of the songs from Baby Einstein videos. The singers' vocal control and power was incredible, and the costumes and dancing were gorgeous. 

If it were not after midnight right now I would do the work to scoot this photo up to where it belongs. I will do it later. This is the view from our cafe table -that's the back of Lindsay's head as she gazes at the Giralda tower at the Cathedral.