1 YEAR & almost 10 MONTHS - 23 April 2012

Albert's back in Barcelona, we miss him loads! The girls say goodnight to his picture every night and start crying. Yesterday we did facetime while he wsa at his brother's, we saw Papa, Iaia, Avi, uncle Eduard and all the cousins, the girls were thrilled but started crying when we finished. It's not easy for them. But we know they'll be happy here, and we're sure we're doing the right thing.
Today I went with Liva and Laia and my mom to two different daycare centers, Liva and Laia ran straight to the playground and started playing while I was being shown around. The second one we went to is just through the forrest from our new home, and is amazing! A huge institution located in the middle of the forrest with the biggest playground I have ever seen. It was clean and organized, they do loads of activities, all the food is home made and organic, it's perfect! I would love if Liva and Laia could go there! But though I'm guaranteed a place for them, it won't necessarily be in the institution of my choice. So we're crossing our fingers and hoping our lucky streak will continue a while still!

1 YEAR & almost 10 MONTHS - 20 April 2012

Everything is happening so quickly at the moment, I haven't had time to keep up...
Last week Tuesday I went to the language school in Sabadell, Barcelona to sign the contract for the 4 week intensive course. On the train there I received an e-mail reg. a job I had applied for in Denmark. They wanted me to come in for an interview Wednesday noon. That was of course not possible, the company was not flexible since they needed someone who could start the following Monday. I was very sad about missing this opportunity, it was a position I would have loved. It made me realize that if we wanted to live and work in Denmark, we should be in Denmark. I still had contact with the language school in Denmark which had offered me work, so I called them and asked how many hours they'd be able to offer me if I moved to Denmark. Their reply was: "As many as you want!". But I'd have to make a decision quickly, because they needed a teacher who could start the following Tuesday, one week later. They gave me 24 hours to think about it, after that they'd hire another teacher. Albert and I talked all night, calculated salary, talked about how we could do it until he found work in Denmark, called my parents to make sure we could live there at first and that they'd be able and willing to help with babysitting until we were settled and the girls can start in daycare. In the end we decided to take the chance - I'd move up to Denmark with Liva and Laia at least over the summer. If Albert had not found work in Denmark by September I'd move back down.
Wednesday morning I called the language school and accepted. A few hours later Albert received a call from a company in Denmark, they wanted him up for an interview.
Saturday early morning, five days after the e-mail on the train, we all flew to Denmark. I started work on Tuesday, Albert had his interview at the same time. We went to see an apartment near Elsinore that we would love to rent, but until we knew some thing more about Albert's situation we couldn't rent it.
Thursday noon Albert was offered the job! Friday morning we confirmed the apartment! It is now Friday evening, Albert's flying back down to Barcelona tomorrow to quit his job, pack the apartment and rent it out. I will stay here with Liva and Laia, sort out day-care and the apartment near Elsinore, and mid-May the movers will come and pick up our stuff in Barcelona, as soon as possible thereafter Albert will come up with Tatanka.
At the moment, things seem too good to be true! The apartment is lovely; water-view, guest-room, balcony, shared garden, fireplace, bathtub, five minutes from the beach and two minutes from the forrest. Liva and Laia are extremely happy here, they love my parent's garden and see their cousins loads. They talk about Iaia and Avi a lot, I think they understand that they won't be seeing them for a while. But since we'll have a guestroom in the new apartment, we hope they'll come visit often! :)
So, to sum up, loads has happened in a very short time, but it's all very positive, very exciting and we are all very, very happy!

1 YEAR & 9 MONTHS - 4 April 2012

As wonderful as my morning was yesterday, as dreadful was the afternoon! I came home around 12:30, in time to prepare lunch for Liva and Laia and put them down for their nap. They were already cranky and impossible when I came home, it just got worse and worse. After 45 minutes they had had lunch and were ready for their nap. Emily helped me tidy up a bit, after she left I cleaned the kitchen and had lunch myself. Then Liva and Laia woke up, after an only 45-minute nap. They were just as cranky and impossible as before I had put them down! It was raining and grey outside, and I was worried about work (or lack thereof!) and in no mood to deal with two cranky toddlers!
This morning they woke up in a brilliant mood, but since I spent most of the morning communicating with the language school in Denmark, which has offered me 3 courses all starting in April, looking at apartments and trying to find more teaching work in Denmark, Liva and Laia were very much left to themselves and were bored. The combination of me being totally worried about finances, deeply confused about what to do and how to do it workwise, trying to prepare my class this afternoon and dealing was 2 bored toddlers was NOT a good one! Good thing I was working this afternoon and had to get out of the house!
AND - good thing my intensive course here in Barcelona was confirmed this afternoon! :) Now we can stick to the original plan of me working here until mid-May, then going up to Denmark and seeing what I can find. This gives us more time to prepare it all, my mum's coming down in May so if we really do move up for some months, she could take some things up when she flies home. I'm just happy the course down here is actually happening! Hopefully the next few days I will have more patience with my sweet, deprived children.
We've started potty-training a bit, Liva has peed on the toilet twice and pooped once, Laia has peed once! It's a start! :)

1 YEAR & 9 MONTHS - 3 April 2012

I have just had an amazing morning! We needed some government documents for Liva, Laia and Albert which I had said I'd take care of today. Since it's raining there's nobody out, so it took me less than 5 minutes to get these documents, from an extremely friendly civil servant! I knew Emily wouldn't be able to take Liva and Laia out in this weather, and knew that they'd be all over me all the time if I went home. So I decided to go into town. I went to develop some photos, then had a coffee at the Corte Inglés where there's a wonderful view over Plaça Catalunya. I bought a book, then came home when it was time for Liva and Laia's lunch. The girls had had a lovely morning with Emily at home, now they're sleeping peacefully.

View over Plaça Catalunya from the Corte Inglés café
I still don't know anything about any of the jobs; the possible intensive course here in Barcelona apparently still hasn't been confirmed by the client, the school in Denmark have told me to contact them at the beginning of May if I plan on staying here until mid-May. Something has to happen, I need work so I can earn some money... Fingers crossed!!

1 YEAR & 9 MONTHS - 2 April 2012

We've started eating together as a family whenever possible, tonight I decided to cook while Emily was here so we could all have dinner together. It meant quite a late dinner for Liva and Laia, and a very early dinner for Albert and me. But it was so worth it! Liva and Laia were in a brilliant mood, Laia ate more than I did! After dinner we played a bit, then gor the girls ready for bed. They were exhausted after a morning at the playground with Luca, an afternoon at the playground with Emily and full bellies after a lovely family dinner!