Paul and I walking down the street....

July 15 & 16

Thursday was great. I picked up Paul and we headed to the Parc Ciutadella... he was in a really good mood and he loved walking around the little pond with all the boats.

The park's not that big but it's nice to walk around and people watch and Paul was in such a good mood so it made it really enjoyable for both of us.

He wanted to carry around the bag... He's been doing it the last few times we've been out and I'm mad he hasn't done it the whole 2 months!!!!

The highlight was seeing Toni and Alejandro... they run from the pool club to the park and I knew they were going to be near us... and Paul was in heaven. He loves being around guys and he met Alex for the first time and he absolutely loved him. Alex is like a big kid so he was great with Paul...

It was so hard to get Paul to relax after that... he was so happy and eeing soo loud and he was red and sweaty... but I was just glad he was happy. He's had some bad days and it's wonderful to have a good one like this. When the boys jogged away he even tried to follow after them.

I took a quick nap and then headed out for the night with the boys.... lots of laughs.

On Friday I slept all morning and said my goodbyes to Leila and Ignacio around 2. They went to Switzerland for the weekend so I won't be seeing them again before I leave. It's pretty sad... when I got home from doing my errands at El Corte Inglés and L'Illa the house was empty..

Paul picked out the wonderful plane charm for me but I've been thinking about the charms ever since and I had to go get the ones I needed....

The shoe represents my grandmother who passed away a few months ago. She collected porcelain and glass shoes... so I had to get a charm for her, and it had to go BEFORE the plane. Then there's the plane... that represents Paul... and the lady showed us this red and yellow charm and said it was ugly but I've been thinking about it and I had to get it. The whole time I've been wearing red and yellow silly bandz for Spain and all my friends wear them too... They've been good luck during the World Cup. Plus the Spanish flag and Catalonian flag are red and yellow... so it fits in perfect.

I want to thank Leila and Ignacio for a wonderful time in Barcelona... I couldn't ask for anything better. They were nothing but good to me and Ignacio kept me entertained every evening with his comedy... which is in fact reality. He just speaks the truth! But I had an amazing time and I can't wait to come back... I got all my S's in Spain and I don't want them to end. Thanks Leila =)

So I picked up Paul from the bus and we went to the pool... he was in a great mood and very excited to swim. He let me sunbathe while he swam back and forth in the outside pool, which I love because there he doesn't drink the water. Then he came over and had someone else's towel around him and I quickly put it back and he laid down to take some sun with me.

We're pretty cute.

We came home a little early but he didn't mind... we walked around Mandri and got some bread from the lady who knows how much I love creme croissants, pizza, chocolate milk, ice cream, and fanta. Headed home... quick shower... and I made PIZZAAA for Paul... his favorite. He ate the whole damn thing and hardly gave me a bite. So greedy. But that food definitely got him sleepy... he laid in my bed and watched me begin to pack... and begin to cry... and he fell asleep around 9:15. It's 10:45 and he's still in my bed... he's slept through my crying.. my loud singing.. and attempt to pack. Packing is hard when you don't want to leave.

Obsessed

2 songs and videos I'm obsessed with...

This is the 2009 Summer song of Spain

This is the 2010 Summer song of Spain.... LOVE IT

The 2nd one can make me cry... It's my experience in Spain! San Juan... shoe shopping... biking... beaches... powdered pastries... all I need is a boat to take me to Menorca

July 14, 2010

My time in Barcelona is coming to an end. I've been trying to figure out a way to extend my trip by changing my flight but everything is so expensive... so I'm stuck with my departure being on Monday. Every time I thought about it today my eyes welled up. I'm not ready to leave yet!!!

Paul and I took the bus to the pool and he was great... in a happy mood and relaxed. At the club we found Toni relaxing in the sun all oiled up... well he kinda found us because anyone can hear Paul from a mile away. Paul and I got changed & headed outside... he wanted to go in the outside pool so I thought I would catch some sun with Toni. O no. As soon as I laid my towel out on the chair Paul got on it. So I pulled up another chair and the 3 of us laid out for a few minutes... Toni said something about how good Paul is when he wants to be... haha it's so true. Then Paul interrupted our tanning because he wanted me to go in the pool... I said don't you want TONI to go in the pool with you!!! Lots of nods and he turned over and started tapping Toni... hahahahah

But the outside pool is too cold and Paul wasn't behaving so I dragged him out and we all went inside. We kept Paul occupied in the deep end and it was actually quite exhausting. He was happy though, so that's what matters. He always responds to Toni when he speaks Spanish and he doesn't respond to me when I speak English! SO MEAN! He loves Toni though.. I always say to Paul "Who's handsome?!" And he always cracks up and after a few times of me saying it he points to himself... not today. Today he pointed to "Tuh"... haha sooo funny. Toni is actually really great with Paul and I'm really thankful to have him around the days that I do. Paul enjoys his company and Toni helps me keep Paul out of trouble.

We came home and Paul was exhauuuusted... had dinner, quick shower with me... well actually I showered while he lay on the bathroom floor with his head under the bath mat until I finished washing my hair and got his lazy butt up and into the shower. I told him all about our plans for tomorrow and the weekend. He likes a good conversation.

Now he's sleeping and Leila and Ignacio are out... they left me here all alone. Bored. I should eat all their cookies.... but I don't need to put on anymore Spanish pounds =)

July 13, 2010

What a hot day!!!! When I picked up Paul from school today we stopped off at home to get changed and take a cold shower... and Leila was home! So instead of heading out we got in the car and went to El Corte Inglés for Paul to pick me out a charm for my Pandora bracelet =)

After some debate... Paul made the final decision... an airplane. It's perfect... It represents to much... the Tibidabo plane... the fact that Paul is obsessed with flying on a plane and asks so much... I took a plane to get here... Paul THOUGHT we were on a plane on the way home from Sitges.... He loves planes. And with 3 options to pick from, he chose the plane. So it was meant to be. Thank you Paul (& Leila) =)

I didn't want to stay in so Paul and I took a walk... down to the metro station... and went to La Rambla. He was actually really good. We walked over the Cathedral and hopped on one of these:

It was a nice & inexpensive way to get us to Montcada, which I have a hard time finding. It was a nice romantic snuggle ride.

We explored Santa Maria Del Mar... which is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Barcelona. We even did some praying... although I couldn't get him to kneel... We just held hands and I prayed while he surveyed the scene.

Then we made our way to the Carrer de Mosques!!! I've been wanting to see this for a while... it's supposedly the smallest street in Barcelona.

Paul was very good and fun to be around... and when it was time to head home we tried to take the metro from a different spot. Turns out we had to make 2 connections... First from Jaume I to Passeig de Grácia on the 3... then we had to get on the 4 to Plaça Catalunya... then to get home we had to get on the 6 to La Bonanova. Luckily... I've mastered the metro. Unluckily... it took a lot longer than expected and Paul was exhausted when we got home.

LUCKILY... Ignacio is a PRO at putting Paul to sleep... it only took him 5 minutes when (according to him) it takes Leila & I 2 hours (which isn't true). Ignacio knows how to talk to Paul... you need to have a calm soothing voice (which means being very loud and commanding attention and answers)... and Leila and I are just too mean to him and we yell at him too much (yea right). Leila and I are soooo jealous of the great job Ignacio did with Paul. If only he would do it every night.... =)

July 11 & 12

Sunday was a HOT day so Paul & I went to the pool club. He played in the pool, ate lunch... then wanted to go home. He is always very insistent on putting his clothes on and doesnt like being in his wet bathing suit... so I got him changed and took him down to the beach despite his protests. He laid out in the sand while I looked for some seaglass... then I joined him for some sun.

I knew I should have brought 2 towels because of course he takes up the whole towel and wants to snuggle and block my sun

But he was a good snuggle monkey and in a good mood so I didn't mind

Until he decided to pour a handful of sand on my face and all in my hair. When I stood up sand literally poured out of my ear... and I was scratching it out of my hair for 3o minutes.

We went back to the pool and he swam some more until he was tired and ready to go home. Waiting for the bus I got a lot more snuggles from someone who thinks he's still light enough to be held.

But I love when he's in moods like this... it's a lot better than the mood he was in on Monday.

O WAIT! THE BEST PART! ON SUNDAY NIGHT SPAIN WON THE WORLD CUP!!!!

OLAYYY OLAY OLAY OLAYYY!

I spent the night at Toni's friend's house about 30 minutes North in the mountains and away from the city. We drank, had some delicious pasta, played cards, and swam in the pool. Lots and lots of fun and a great way to celebrate Spain's victory!!!

So Monday Paul was in a poor mood... He was great on the bus ride there so I thought it was going to be a good afternoon. He took both my headphones and listened to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra the whole ride and loved it. But he was NOT happy at the pool and stayed in the water for maybe 20 minutes... within that time he managed to untie my bathing suit twice and almost drown me when he clung to me from behind. He just wanted to put his clothes on and go home. He cried a lot and was very frustrated and it was really sad. I couldn't get him to calm down... He was actually quite good on the bus... but as soon as we got off he cried and cried again for the whole walk home and only until he had a full belly from pasta and carrot soup did he stop. Then he was in a great mood, but very very tired and ready to sleep.

Everyday is different and some days are a lot better than others. It's normal for people to have good and bad days, it's just too bad that when Paul has bad days they turn out VERY bad and it's hard to get him to calm down and relax.

July 10, 2010

Today was spent in Tarragona... a town a little over an hour South that was once inhabited by the Romans. First we went to the water park in the Port Aventura amusement park. Paul was in HEAVEN. He loved everything... we went on all the slides... more than once. Some we did together sharing a tube...

...others we went down separately. He always waited patiently until the lifeguard blew his whistle and I told him to GO GO GO! At which point he would stand up and try and get in my slide to go down with me... but I always got him to go down his own.

When I was getting him ready for one slide he was so excited that he head-butted me in the chin so hard that I thought I bit my tongue off. The first thing I did was feel around for the piece that was surely to be missing. My whole ride down the slide was in agony and I thought I was gonna come up with a mouthful of blood. I could hardly talk for 30 minutes and when I saw the damage... it's a cut the size of grain of sand.

We went on so many rides that I actually got a headache and sent Leila out from under her shaded chair (that she ran around frantically to find) to entertain Paul while I rested my poor dizzy head.

It was actually really fun. The lines were short and the wave pool was great. The lifeguards took their jobs a little too seriously... Give someone a whistle & they think they rule the pool. But Paul loved just being in the water, like always. It surprised Leila that he was ready to leave around 4... and when he wants something he keeps pestering about it until he gets it. So we packed up and headed to the town.

We were right on time to hop on the tourist train and get a nice 35 minute ride past the beach, the Roman amphitheater, and through the old Roman town that still has the original walls intact around the city. Paul enjoyed it and I loved the history. I love Romans. Paul loves ladies.

We also found a very cute statue that reminded us a lot of Paul... I actually got him to pee into the hole that I assume fills with water when the fountains are turned on... if they're ever on. Peepee boy meets Peepee statue. Perfect. (or as Iman would say... PUUUUUWWWWfeeectt)

A long, fun day.