in Spanish, there are two ways to relate an event:
there are cuentos - - stories (the fictional kind)
and there are historias - - histories (you know, the true kind)
I like it; I like that in a world where the distinction between the real and the imaginary is too often muddied, there exists a way to differentiate between the two - - that within the vocabulary itself, I'm offered the possibility to tell my boys the STORY of how Jack slew the giant (uuuhhhh . . . althoughI have to admit that in my version Jack doesn't actually slay the giant, he returns good for evil, and wins the giant over to be a dear friend . .. I'm a dork, I know . . . ) and the HISTORY of how David slew the giant Goliath.
It's nice, don't you think?

on a different, though possibly equally important, note - - I think I'm becoming an old woman.
I like blue cheese
I like walnuts
I like blue cheese and walnuts together.
growing old is actually kind of pleasant.

on raising boys in Spain

I was cleaning out the closets this afternoon (nothing like the prospect of summer house guests to get me going) and overhead Malachai . . .
"papa! sabias que Agata se monto siete veces en el tiovivo?
Joshua: "hey, try saying that again, but in English!"
Malachai "did you know that Agata got to ride siete times . . . uh, how do you say siete in English?
Joshua: "seven"
Malachai "did you know that Agata got to ride seven times on the . . . uh, how do you say tiovivo in English?
Joshua: "merry-go-round"
Malachai: "did you know that Agata got to ride seven times on the merry-go-round?"

ahhhh . . . the few months we have planned in the States this summer will do my boy well.

It's understated . . . .

he's making her do the "YMCA"
she loves it.

It's snowing today.
Not the glorious run-out-and-make-snow-angels sort of snow; it varies between slushy mush and hail.

two days ago were lying in the grass - - a gentle spring breeze blowing the pink blossoms off the trees (see, here's a picture of my own little pink blossom to prove it - - and the hat really wasn't even necessary - - it was just extra precaution)
and it was good to be outside. it was good because that was where everyone else was, and our quick trip to the park ended up lasting a couple more hours than we though it would - - because we saw Amaya and her husband Jesus,
and Amaya introduced us to her mom,
and then then Jesus introduced us to his older sister,
and then to his younger sister Maite and her husband and kids
and we talked about all sorts of things - - both trivial and significant
and they mapped out a tour of Navarra for us - - outlining what towns we should visit and what food we should eat, and then they promised to take us by the hand and take us there themselves on some sunny Saturday afternoon (or day, rather; there were a lot of towns on that list)

it was a beautiful afternoon
but the abuelo was right when he told us that morning that is wasn't good for the trees to be blossoming because it was going to snow . . .