Volume Thirty-Eight: Paloma

Hi everyone! We are quite busy here at home as Paloma has had some life-changing events take place within a few weeks. Not only has she welcomed a baby brother into her life, but she also started...school! In Spain, and unlike in the U.S., school starts at age three. Here, they have six-hour days, five days a week. While I found this to be a lot, I know that kids are adaptable even if it does take time for adjustment. There are some wonderful things about this: Paloma will get to play all day, I get some time off from entertaining a three-year-old, and she is completely immersed in the Catalan language, meaning she'll be trilingual in no time! Plus, it will help us integrate more into the Catalan culture as we get to know more local families. We are also pleased that the school is only ten minutes away by foot, and it's Catholic school of the Marianist order, which will help foster her faith. It's a win-win, no?

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During the last days of summer (and while Mama was still incubating a baby), my daughter and I had some time to do some acrylic painting on canvas.

It wasn't too long after that when she visited us at the hospital to visit her new baby brother.

Her first time holding her baby brother. "Take a picture of us!"

And another. She loves him so.

Naturally, Paloma definitely had difficulty learning that Mommy can't focus all her attention on her all the time. It was a challenge in the beginning, but fortunately she isn't jealous of her little brother. "Hiiiii, sweeeeetie...!" she often says. 

During Mateo's birth, Pau was around to visit while their abuelos were in town. The twosome acting crazy with their fathers.

Some hide-and-seek silliness.

Color coordinating with her abuela and brother for a quick photo op.

I look at her differently now as a "big girl" since Mateo has come into our lives. But I know she is still so little and much more entertaining, like doing things like "robot dance" running.

The big moment. Perhaps I was more nervous than her for her first day of school. She's adjusted fine like all most of the kids her age.

At school. Now that Paloma is in the public school system, she gets to learn about and celebrate local culture holidays like the kids are doing here for La Mercé. Look for Hello Kitty ;-)

It's strange for me to see her in a big school with LOTS of kids, which reminds me of my own early childhood at a Catholic school in my hometown.

Taking a happy siesta to gain more energy. Sweet dreams, sweet girl!