I have had people dreamily ask me what it is I do all day here in Spain (Catalunya, thank you very much).
I think they are imagining a different scenario (more vacation like) than what actually occurs here on a daily basis.
I thought it would be fun to take photos of everything today and map out our day.
Remembering to take photos all day was not easy, hah, but here it is.
My life.
Well, a day in my life.
The days are busy and go by super quickly!
7:35am.
Alarm sounds and I wake up Eston and Aurelia.
Find Charlotte sleeping with Eston.
7:45am
Make breakfast for Eston and Aurelia--eggs and veggies.
They eat from about 7:50-8:05am.
I run and around and get school stuff ready while they eat.
8:05-8:35- Get everyone (and myself) ready.
Eston is pretty independent and this helps a great deal.
8:35am- Throw things we don't need out of stroller and Eston checks his backpack for smock and agenda.
8:36am- We are heading out the door for the walk to the car.
Smushed in the elevator:
Walking to the parking garage:
8:45am- Charlotte does her business in the park next to garage.
Eston and Aurelia wait.
Walk up hill to garage door…no, we don't live in the ghetto. Stupid kids just graffiti everything.
Enter garage:
8:50am
Load kids, bike, dog, stroller.
Everybody is in and we are on our way to Aurelia's school.
8:55- arrive at Aurelia's school.
Double park because nobody seems to care.
Unload stroller and her backpack.
9am
Aurelia is in her classroom and Eston and I are back at the car.
See other car double parked and don't feel so bad.
Load Eston in his car seat.
On our way to Eston's school, which is 2km from the city center.
9:10am.
Park behind long line of parents at the Montessori.
Eston gets his stuff and we walk to the main gate.
First bell ringing as we walk through gate, but Eston's class does not begin until the second bell, so we have five minutes to spare.
Take Eston to his class when second bell rings at 9:15.
Walk back to the car and drive back to the city center.
9:25am
Do a 47-point turn to fit my car in my tiny parking space.
To be clear, I am grateful for this parking space.
Walk back to apartment with Charlotte.
9:39am.
Enter apartment and sigh.
Aurelia sure can make a mess in 3 minutes.
Clean up toys.
9:50am.
Sit down to eat my breakfast while reading The New York Times online.
Clean kitchen, start laundry, pick up house.
Depart at 10:15 for run with Charlotte.
10:15-11:30- jog/hike with Charlotte (she is getting old and can't run without a lot of rest).
Return home and quickly shower and get ready.
12:05pm- leaving for markets.
Admire view on my way to various stores and markets.
12:15pm.
It's Monday.
Dang, I forgot.
Many stores will be closed today and my veggie guy is not at the market on Monday.
Continue to first grocery store since the first health food store is closed.
First grocery store.
I only go to this one for a few things, otherwise I like another one.
I buy all fresh things at the market (meat, chicken, eggs, fruit, veggies).
Things like milk, cereal, etc are bought at small groceries like this.
Heading to markets and see this cool green house for a balcony.
Stop and ask for the measurements to see if it will fit on my balcony.
12:30pm
Arrive at the health food store.
Organic diapers ad wipes, granola, oats, whole wheat flour…that kind of stuff.
12:45pm
Hurry to market to see if my chicken lady is there today.
She is, so I buy fresh eggs and some chicken for soup tonight.
Quickly buy some veggies from a different veggie guy.
12:55pm.
Pick up Aurelia from school and she has her bottle on the walk home.
1:15pm.
Arrive back at our apartment building.
I play with Aurelia for 15 minutes and then she takes her afternoon nap.
I begin to prep dinner--chicken noodle soup.
I have homemade stock, chicken and veggies from market…all set.
1:50pm
More laundry.
Begin Spanish homework while chicken is baking for soup.
2:20pm- Make soup and veggie stock.
Aurelia decides napping is not for her today and wakes up after only an hour of sleeping (not normal, she is a great sleeper).
Check laundry.
We decide to run an errand before getting Eston from school.
3:30pm…Heading back to parking garage.
3:40pm- Aurelia is in the car and I marvel at the delightful electronics.
3:55pm.
Arrive at pet store outside of town near the mall.
They carry organic dog food, but it is not a quick trip, so I try to stock up when I go.
However, our apartment is small, so I can't really stock up too much.
Aurelia likes looking at all of the fish and such, so we take our sweet time in the pet store.
4:45pm.
In traffic near Eston's school.
There are 3 private schools on this road and they all let out within 15 minutes of each other.
It is usually a mess and I am just used to it now.
5pm.
Arrive at Eston's school and see that 62 parents have already beaten me to it, so I will have to park on the other side of the road.
Eston does not like this, but I don't waiting with Aurelia for too long.
I once arrived at 4:45 and it was already packed, so I don't even bother anymore.
Admire pretty view from my parking spot.
Get this smart lady out of the car.
5:10pm
Waiting for the guard to open the main gate.
Yep, the gate is locked until 5:15pm.
Those are the school buses pulling in to school and parents waiting for the gate to open.
5:16pm
Main gate is open and we walk to Eston's area.
5:18pm
Waiting for teachers to unlock gate to Eston's area.
Yes, all schools here are like Fort Knox.
5:30pm
Have everybody in the car and we are heading back to city center.
5:40pm
Riding bikes and walking home from parking garage.
Arrive home at 6pm.
6:15pm: dinner.
6:40pm
Bath for the kids.
7:05pm
Everybody is bathed and in their pi's.
Heading out to take Charlotte to the bathroom before we all got to sleep for the night.
Taking Charlotte to a little plaza to do her business:
7:20pm- Aurelia asleep in her bed
7:35pm- Eston asleep in his bed.
Usually Aurelia is 7pm and Eston and I have 30 minutes for reading, but we took the long way home from the parking garage because Eston wanted to ride his bike a bit, so that put us behind schedule.
I clean the kitchen, get everything ready for tomorrow, fold laundry, finish some Spanish homework, and collapse into bed by 9pm.
I love to read before falling asleep, but reading my favorite stuff (nonfiction) was keeping me awake.
So…I read crap stuff before bed and it puts me to sleep.
I won't mention any author names, but you see her covers at places like 7-Eleven.
Not the romance novels, but super classy stuff about yachts and buying diamonds.
I am not proud, but man, the fluffy stuff does the trick and I am asleep within a few pages.
It is late and a certain genre is calling my name (would we call it a genre?).
