she's a hit!

I have many different things to post before my little adventure is over, but not enough time and worst of all, we are back to the horrible internet connection! In the meantime... the girls at school love this sweet, little lady (thanks Yaiza, you're the best! - and you're now the most popular in School Mhuire's 4th class too)

Every single girl admires it every time I wear it on my jackets... she's just "fab", isn't she? (another of theose fun expressions I hear all the time and love)

a good evening (2)

chocolate cake?...

Becky had been wanting to have scones and I'd been missing baking... so, mama Helen came to

the rescue and kindly sent us her lovely scone recipe (cause I can never remember all the steps), so after the Easter surprises, hugs, kisses and pictures, we all went down to the kitchen to realize we didn't have caster sugar...  There were disappointed faces in the kitchen, so we decided to try doing mama Helen's, yummy and easy chocolate cake! (also known as the "200-200-200" cake in the Benito home).

200 gr sugar

200 gr margarine

200 gr self-rising flour*

4 eggs

1/2 tsp of salt

4 tbsp of warm water

60-70 gr of Nesquick (or drinking chocolate)

*it turns out even more delicius if you use cornflour and baking powder! (it does a really goowy dough and REALLY spongy cake. It is a Familia Benito favourite).

I  love baking it because it is one of those few recipes I can do without looking at the paper every two seconds and because it's connected to many good memories too. We've baked it many times together (with mum, Clara, friends...) and for many people/occasions (birthdays, friends, family, birthdays, quick Sunday desserts, missionaries, birthdays...).

We had fun preparing, measuring and especially trying the dough. Sarah and Jack coloured (we got cards that night too) while little James played with his football and checked the oven every couple minutes. We discovered that Carol loves stirring the dough... and when she finally stopped and got it all smooth, everyone made sure that bowls and spatulas had no dough left on them! :)

The results weren't too bad! We did two little cakes and used the rest for cupcakes.

Patricia brought strawberries and fresh cream the next day and we had it for tea (qué rico)

a good evening (1)

Last Thursday...

Jack: "giiirlss, come down for a second?"

Jack and Sarah: "Carols!"

Girls: "coming!"...

* Knock, knock!*

The door opens and Jack's head pops in, then Sarah jumps in the room too. Both with big suspicious smiles and hands on the back. Becky, James and Trisha outside ... 

Sarah: "come down off your beds!" 

Jack: "we've got something for ya" 

Girls: "for us?!"

They can't resist it anymore and both show us big cadbury's easter eggs! (Ohhhh! they are sooo cute). Then Trisha, Becky and James come in and they are also holding pijamas for us!!

Patricia: "since you're not going to be here for Easter..." 

We are so spoiled and they are so so good and genuine and giving!

Of course, we had to take pictures of it all and of course, Sarah and Jack were the stars.

sun-day: people and views

Last Sunday was mother's day here and it also was one of those warm, peaceful, lovely Sundays. The primary children sang "Mother I love you" to every mom and girl's delight. Jonne was dressed in a cute, pink and white, spring dress (we have been learning some piano together and I've really enjoyed that time with her). I think she is so clever and pretty! I feel that, during my time here, I have grown to appreciate more the opportunity to interact with people. There is so much to learn from those around us and so much benefit from exposing ourselves to people ("in giving we recieve").

{if you click on these or just go over them they should get bigger}

With the beautiful days we've had, I've taken zillions of pictures (thanks to Pres. Gibbons too). Though I wish I could capture it all better, I had to at least post some from our Waterford trips and my walks around Carlow (I have found a dream garden...).

(Also, daffodils are everywhere right now and this is what we found in the entrance when we got to school last Friday. Daffodil day!)

St Patrick's parade

Everyone said we had to go and have the experience, see the parade and atmosphere in Dublin. So we did. We were standing there, Tuesday 17th, at around 10:30am (2 hours early). We got front row right by other Spanish people which was nice. When the commentators arrived, before it all started, they had many people sing or answer questions about their countries. Since we were front row, we kind of were put in the spot to "sing" the Spanish national anthem (we la la la-ed very well our non-lyric but wonderful himno nacional, and got a big bag of the good jelly babies and free tickets to the fair). The parade started, finally, and this is some of what we got to see: (the heads cut off are Gema and Blanca -sorry, I can't be bothered to fix it)

St Patrick's is a big party day (of course, it's Ireland!) and though the parade was good, I think I'd rather spend it in family in a smaller town parade and fun-good traditions to go with it.

daffodil day and paper art

I don't know what the history of daffodil day is, but I think it's great. We had tons of daffodils in school. And we got to have a newspaper-dress art lesson. We had tinkerbell and a gnome among others.

girls were

really cute and creative

little

sowers and taylors!

cuteness

Well, this has nothing to do with Ireland, but I came accross these and couldn't resist posting them. They're probably not that exciting to anyone else, but I just have this thing about hats; they make me happy. One day, I'll wear hats just whenever I feel like it.

Other than this, today has been another great weather day, with wind and some highlights:

- It was very nice to be outdoors with the girls doing a scavenger hunt in the sun.

-I taught a lesson on the digestive system. It was really funny how most girls wouldn't even look at the diagram (so "delicate" for what they choose to be... they make me laugh) but, eventually, they got to look and follow the route of an apple in the body diagram.

- We did and experiment with wool and a drawing that helped us realize that all guessings fell short. When girls measured the wool, they were shocked that our small intestines are around 9 metres long. Tomorrow more (I bet you they are excited to learn and draw parts).

- learnt at lunch time that school Mhuire, actually means school Mary

- talking to mum on the "skype phone" for almost two hours, also dad (today is father's day in Spain. Thanks for being the best dad I could ask for, papá. TQM al infinito) :)

- Back home, Jack, James and Sarah wanted to have their own scavenger hunt, so we prepared that and off they went. It took them less than 10 min to complete what girls did in 45 (boys...).

- I bumped into some girls from school at Aldi's. It seems every girl in school knows the "Spanish teachers." Some say 'hola, ¿cómo estás?' Others strike up conversations with you and insist that you get in front of them in the line to pay at Aldi's!

Love'em :-)

paddy's day at school

Last Monday every cailín (=girl) and teacher left their uniforms home and wore green (green sweaters, green hats, green hair-bands, green faces, necklaces... you name it). We had a pre-St Patrick's day celebration. Every class gathered in the "halla" and, starting with the infants, did a song or poem in Irish. 

To end, some girls had prepared a few dances in their cute costumes. 

It was great! (I've only learned the basic step, they make it look like it's as easy as walking. Not true, but it is addictive and really fun). Then, Mrs McCormark came out dancing (!) and the halla roared with cheers and clapping. This bit was really fun.

We also had a little school parade. The mini-band and the "cheerleaders" went in front and the rest of the school followed. We danced and played in the patio (irish music was in the background most of the day and during every break). The hard school day ended with a quiz time in the halla and the Spanish teachers leaving early to go to Dublin for the parade there.

first: Newbridge

Saturday, Aurora, Carol and I, spent the day with the Gibbons'. We got to visit the Newbridge Silver plant with Angela. There was jewelry, cutlery and decorations, some really classy, some just extravagantly fun; there were also, dozens of pictures of famous people and some lovely, old fashioned dresses. On the second floor there's the "Style Museum." Many more famous dresses, paintings, letters, pictures, magazines... we took lots of picutres, here are a few:

Who would've thought there would be all of this up those stairs, and in such a fun little space!

Thank you for such a lovely day and for all that you do, Angela!

second: sky fest

After Newbridge and dinner at the Gibbons', they were excited to go see the fireworks and music festival down in Waterford (in preparation for St Patrik's, I think), and took us with them. The fireworks were placed along one side of the river. Music and colour went on for a good 20 minutes. Sky fest was worth the travel! The children around us could not stop "awww-ing." It was cute and fun to hear them every time a new set of colours went up.