There are about 30 Pink Balloons...

although I wish there were 99 and they were red so I could humm that song... but alas they are pink and plentiful and of course remnants of Sienna and Alfredo's Balloon madness that they unleashed upon the flat last night... knowing how insanely small our place is, you can only image how much extra chaos it adds to the ambiance if you will...



Working late and on weekends has returned... and it should be quite a challenge seeing that Fredu has arranged a big party for Saturday to celebrate my birthday... there are two major things holding it back, first the fact that the invites aren't ready yet and second... if all our friends are there it will be impossible to get any of them to mind the wee one... thus Fredu will have no choice but to stay home :( The next challenge will be me getting up on Sunday to complete the work that I need to do to deliver this website to a client by Monday... anyone have a magic wand?

The annual time has now passed

And with my birthday having been yesterday I’ve got to make the annual blog change of my age in the left hand column… it’s getting harder and I’m dangerously close to opting for the 30 something tag rather than the real age… okay okay one more year… I’ll change it to 34 now *sigh* it’s all just so surreal as when I started this blog I was 25!!!

I had a lovely day yesterday with fabulous friends and had greetings from everyone which always makes me warm and tingly!

Spring or the concept thereof, of spring has returned to BCN and it’s to be 18 today which is nice. Not long now and mum and sis and her brood will be jetting over to see us. May is of course still a way off but I need to have that goal to get me through another work week.

It's my birthday soon...

Well in just a few days to be precise. But it's the wee one who got a fabulous pressie yesterday. A year earlier than the reccomended age but you know it's just 'reccommended'...



We were busy scooting with her down the beach yesterday. It didn't take long to get the balance going and within a week or so i'm sure she'll be scooting along with us runnig behind, but until then we'll mostly be working on tightening that tricky side-butt muscle as we help her balance while moving along. Who knew!?! Seasoned expert miss Wendy added in a nice long yoga strap on the handle bar so you can help steer and pull... don't worry mum we're going to get her a wee helmet too.

The sun has finally returned to Barcelona but not quite the warmpth...

Tomorrow marks Fredu and I's 6th anniversary. So much time gone by so quickly. Miss millie has offered to mind the wee one so we can go out and do something to celebrate... must cook up something! Any ideas???

We’re not enemies we’re just bad friends…

We have recently become avid watchers… Of phineas and ferb… We are more than happy to admit the fact that we appreciate it far more than Sienna does… in fact I think we openly delight when It’s 19h30 and it comes on… We merrily flip between the EN and ES version of it as the songs are way better in EN but the dialogue and most characters sound much better in Spanish.

I will also admit to having a Perry the Platypus Ring tone on my mobile (okay so does Fredu)…



Soooooo join the madness… Wikipedia will enlighten you if you’ve not yet had the pleasure of what this is all about…

The series follows two suburban stepbrothers on summer vacation. Each day the pair devise ambitious, involved plans and inventions to stave off boredom, often bringing them into conflict with their sister, Candace. The series follows a standard plot system; running gags occur every episode, and the B-Plot almost always features the boys' pet platypus, Perry, acting as a secret agent to fight an evil scientist named Heinz Doofenshmirtz. The two plots intersect at the end to erase all traces of the boys' project just before Candace can show it to their mother.

The other day while Alfredo was out I was watching an episode with Sienna while she drank her pre-bed milk. She was sitting in her little chair watching away. Now I have to mention here that we really never thought she processed very much of the show as there is so much dialogue… but in this episode, Perry the Platypus’ nemesis Heinz Doofenshmirtz has decided to ‘break up with him’ and replace him with a new nemesis named Peter the Panda (from Seattle) . It’s pretty funny as Perry starts to shed some tears when he accepts their relationship is over. He approaches this storage area within his secret layer and can be seen putting away his evil fighting hat that changes him from a normal platypus into “Agent P” . At this very moment a very sad little face turns to me from her chair, eyes filled with tears and in her little most sad voice says “mama, perry, hat!” And then breaks down crying. The poor little sausage. This was the point where it became perfectly clear to me that she totally understands what’s going on. She transferred to my lap for the remainder of the episode with me re-assuring her that Perry would get his hat back and that all would be okay… watch and enjoy!

On the upside of things

The 8th of March passed and both Miss Seestor and Miss Jojo celebrated another birthday... and thank goodness this year I wasn't held up in the hospital recovering from apendicitis.

The downside is that the flat hunting has fallen flat... the lady who was kind of strining us along with the promise we were the first people she would give the flat to has fallen off the radar and thus we can but sigh and resign that it wasn't for us... nothing else seems remotely affordable or remotely attractive... at least summer is supposed to be approaching... that being said, it snowed here in Barcelona for the first time in over 20 years. It was really funny to see how excited all the people were to see snow! Sienna played contently at the window with the snow out on the terrace until her hands turned red from the cold... she was not into the mittens we put on her to prolong the fun... it's melted now but we're stuck in a cold snap that is seeing me wear my hat indoors and by dressing gown over my clothes to keep warm... brrrrrrrrrrr it's -4 with the wind chill. Not fun in a house with no heating and tile floors and windows that don't even shut properly!!! Summer please hurry up!

While the Canadian Nation celebrates...

The big hockey win... I was busy sifting through a gagillion new photos Fredu downloaded... it's such a feast for me to do this and I just love seeing his work and of course... the wee miss features heavily in the shots but we like!

The weekend was lovely and relaxing... I'm really starting to get the hang of having my life back and not working all the time!

We're feeling kind of home sick these days and so in honour of my most beautiful sister we had a 20 repeat marathon of the Party in the USA song by miss miley... Sienna requests -more hannah- when she wants to hear it again. So cute to hear her laugh... it's nice when a song reminds you of someone!


Rock Chick


Fredu in Sienna post carnival - having sushi


This looks like an innocent pic...


but yes... that is chocolate smeared on my face!


Naughty Millie!


Portrait of Dada taken by Sienna while i held the camera for her.


Little madam in her sonia rykiel beret *from the H and M collection of course


She surrenders!


Pinkie!!!


Beautiful shot with auntie mille!


Peak a boo!

Not far off...

It's friday and so far this week it's looking almost possible that I achieve 2 out of 3 of my goals... We finally after 2 years won the appeal against the tax office about a baby bonus we should have received! 2500 Euros coming our way! Just in time of course to put the deposit on our new place if the lady agrees to our offer that we're making today... easy come, easy go!

Miss Sienna had her first haircut ever yesterday at her auntie vero's salon. She was so patient and sat still for nearly 1h while vero gave her a nice trim. The photos show a great deal of apprehension but she didn't cry or squirm. She's a diva I tell you.


Don't be fooled she's hardcore like the cape says

She's not grown 2 feet... she's sitting on a bench thus the illusion she's so big!

It's a GIRL!!!

For the lovley Joey and Pierre. I couldn't be happier for them! Now only another 20 weeks to wait to meet her!

The news is in and maybe my demand for 3 good things to happy this week may just be possible. The word on the street is that the resolution for my appeal has been completed and put in the post on the 20th thus should arrive any day now... I'm so curious as to what the outcome will be... Also we're in the queue to rent this flat we've been waiting on and are due to have a meeting with the owner today... not sure she'll take our offer right off the bat but hey... we can but try... well things are moving, that's a start!

Spring is springing here in bcn... no buds on the trees quite just yet but much much milder climes are drifting in. Thank god. I couldn't take much more of the grey skies.

So on that note... I feel it apt for a photo of the lovely proud papas to be just moments after they got engaged on a Beach here in Barcelona during our week at the villa. We love you!!!!


Joey and Pierre!!!!

I've been reading...

Well I do a lot of reading really but the most recent book I've been feasting on is called a thousand splendid suns. It's by Khaled Hosseini. It's really beautifly written but is shockingly horrific. I was so into reading it last night that my bus passed by and I didn't even notice so I had to wait another 15 minutes to catch the next one. And now stupidly after looking up the link that I've pasted to the book above I've seen how it ends... grrr note to self... don't be so stupid.

Good things happen in three's right? Well if that is so then here are the three things that I'm pouring all the positive energy that I can muster that are GOING to happen this week.

1) Fredu's passport will return
2) We get notice that the new flat we've been waiting on can be ours (at the reduced price that we can afford)
3) Fredu will get a job!


Not too much to ask for! Ha :)

Soooooooo

I'm back and the visit with the tax office was informative which is positive. Turns out it's never what it seems and my appeal is still pending but what had happend was that somehow it was recorded that I applied for the same benifit this year which they rejected as it had been too long since the birth of my child... strange as I never applied for it again... they didn't seem as bothered as I was as I can't imagine how that happened... but the positive thing is that my appear is still pending and I can follow up with the government body in charge of that separately and ask them for an update. So it short all is not lost yet. Thank god my friend from work was with me as it's insane how they give you as little info as possible...

So in thanks to the good news today I'm going to do another kind exchange as I recently was passed a link to the Governement of Catalunya's site which features all the info you need when you have a baby in Barcelona. All the forms you need to fill in and all the aid you're entitled to... and because they're not all evil... they've got the site in English too. So go and check it out here if you planning to have a Baby in Barcelona and don't know what you need to do!

It’s been fun…

Really it has the whole David and Goliath jousting match that I’ve undertaken with the Spanish tax office. I’ve been fighting this impossible battle with them for this 2500 euro baby bonus that I was due to receive when Sienna was born but due to an administrative gap that made it impossible to present them with the paperwork they required as it simply did not exist at that time… they’ve fought me and refuse to listen to reason and I’ve even got the Ombudsman in Madrid to agree to defend me… their latest tactic is after missing their deadline of 1 year to respond to my appeal they’ve told me that it was I who missed the deadline to submit my appeal which is totally false! I’m furious but not surprised in that it’s more clear than ever that they have been briefed to make it as impossible as possible for me to win. So armed with my lovely colleague we’re due to descend upon their office today to take up the next chapter of the fight. I will not go down until I’ve fought every last angle… I guess the up side of this is that I’ll be in a very good position to help other foreigners in Barcelona who may need help figuring out how to battle the beast! Wish me luck… I wonder if security will let me through if I bring a big stick or a slingshot with me!?!

After the initial anger and frustration about the no pay rise or bonus thing at work I’ve actually turned the page and now feel an immense sense of freedom. I’m free from feeling obliged to work more than my contracted hours and not a single weekend will be darkened with work again! That is pretty amazing. I am really looking forward to the freedom! I guess every dark cloud really does have its silver lining.

Speaking of clouds with silver linings… the sun is out today properly for the first time in ages and it’s so lovely. We can almost hear the whispers of spring wafting through the city. Come on Spring you can do it!

So after a long year...

Of working tons of overtime... and countless weekends our company has thanked us today by announcing that there would be absolutely no pay rises and no bonuses. Such a nice thing don't you think? Good life lesson. Don't give up life for work as work will kick you in the ass and not ever even acknowledge the hurt. I'm so sad for my whole team as I was not alone in this mamoth effort. I feel sorry for all the time I lost with my family with the hope that it would all be for a bit more cash that would make life a bit easier. Not so. You cannot turn back time and you certainly cannot make up for lost time with loved ones and littles ones in specific. Shame on me. Shame on them... It's a sad day.

I'm still doing my best to muster all the positive energy I can for this year as last just very nearly took all hope from me. But after a day like this it's a real struggle.

Searching for miss Bambach...

Well a lot of folks seem to be digging around the old interweb these days and stumbling on my blog looking for Miss Bambach... She's safely back down under these past few years and doing gloriously well. We miss her dearly of course! I am however intrigued to who is doing all this frantic searching about her... very curious indeed!

I'm convinced that it's the coldest day of the year here today... it was downright polar on my way in this morning... I had to double check that I was indeed still in Barca and not back in Toronto.

It's carnivale season here and the Barcelona equivalent of Halowe'en... Costumes start dotting the street and the celebrations will be in full gear this weekend. Little miss Layla will celebrate her 1st birthday and is wisely doing it in Carnivale style... Can't wait to see what Fredu cooks up for Sienna to wear... certain guilty parties in my family responsible for sending us a lilac coloured afro wig will delight in the certainty that Fredu will mos definitely jump at the occasion to wear it to the party *sigh* well at least it's not the rasta hat with built in rastas that he dreams about wearing... sometimes I'm more convinced than ever that I've partnered with the reincarnation of my father... scary thoughts indeed... but if my father were still alive he would be Fredu's number one fan... they certainly have kindred spirits!

Oh yea and for you crazy Bambach hunters... here's a wee treat for you... enjoy!

One of my favorite Villa pics from last year featuring miss Sally

The rain continues in the ciudad comptal as they call it

The grayness is very reminiscent of nearly every day in London… I don’t miss it that’s for sure. Miss the girlies, yes, miss the decent salary, yes… but no I don’t miss the grey and the rain.


So in light of that we’re doing a wee throw back to summer here today… brown body and yogurt mess should do the trick… enjoy!

You know when you're little...

And you think about what life will be like when you're all grown up? You know kind of like the house you'll have and the car you'll maybe drive....?

We'll I was never one to dream about having the perfect wedding or marrying the perfect person or having X amount of children named Y and Z... but I did however have a certain expectation that I would not end up feeling perpetually stuck... I've got this creeping realization that there are a lot of things in life I will very most likely never ever have. Primarily it's money I suppose. I can't see ever owning a home or a vehicle of any sort more swish than the wee one's pram and we got that second hand!!! I just never invisioned a future of just scraping by... It's kind of depressing... but I'm not sure if it's the realization of it or if it's my inability to do anything about it. I just feel like a bit of a passenger in this whole life thing at the moment.

Good and bad things pass me by but the achievabilty of certain major goals are just so far out of reach it knocks the wind out of me. I do however have a lot to be greatful for, that I'm not so arrogant to not accept, but it's a strange place to be in. I'm not sure I like it much. I do not at all think I'm more deserving of comforts than the next person but I just wonder sometimes how people who are also in this situation don't seem to mind... or do they? Or are they so blissfuly unaware they want not for more? How do I blank my mind out and stop questioning things and just blissfuly accept?

I'm thinking it's not going to be possible.

but the sun is shining... lets just be thankful for that.

A new year and just a few entries away from my 1000th!

It's been a while and thanks to the lovely ATG's lovely nudge to see if I was still alive... I'm back. I've just survived what I can only describe as hell on earth. That would be a Saturday evening visit to Primark at Diagonal del Mar Shopping centre in Barcelona. There is no simple way to describe the pandamonium of a discount store while the sales are on... I was there on my own with wee one and that in its' self is a bit of a mission... but dear lord the scummy people in there make you seriously think twice about paying double for what you've gone in there to get (so you just purchase it elsewhere and never have to return there again). I went all the way there on a mission to buy a bulk portion of big girl pants for Sienna who's potty training has made really amazing progress lately... but her teacher is the most disorganized person and within a week I just know she'll have lost all of Sienna's pants thus I went to buy a large supply of them on the cheap... and some hair ties that don't make her scream when we take them out... but did I remember the pants? Ooooooooooh no not until I left the shop. I wanted to die. Sigh... just another reason what that place is sheer evil...

Work is finally regaining a bit of sanity... the massive amounts of overtime and weekend working that awaited my upon my return to Barca have now started to taper off... and the fact that we've pretty much got three more project managers working with us now really helps ease the work load... not quite sure how Andy and I did it with just the two of us before hand...

The lovely miss Vero returns this week with her new little bundle of joy named Mila. We are just so excited to get to see her finally. She's a month old now but surely will still be tiny enough still to enjoy that new new baby thing. squeeel!

Sienna's 2nd Birthday was this week and we had a wee party for her in a bar... now before you fall over and die like my mother does all the time when she hears me say things like that... bars here are different... and this one is nice and really not busy on a Tuesday night which is when we had the party. She had so much fun it was amazing. She's so sweet and so were all of our friends for joining us for the celebration. There were in the end four other children so it wasn't all just a grown up party. Man how times flies. I spent until half one in the morning the night before baking up a fleet of elmo cupcakes for her class and a red velvet elmo cake too for the party . It was hard work considering missing sleep but it was so well worth it. I remember when I was wee my mum would always make us the best birthday goodies. I am humbled and also honoured to keep this tradition alive... mind you her school didn't quite know what to think when they saw the elmo cupcakes... they nearly didn't believe that I had made them. They just don't get the whole icing thing... here they seems to have dry cakes with just a dusting of icing sugar if you're lucky...

Elmo cupcakes


Elmo cake

We were just that bit naughty lately and bought Sienna a totally OTT jacket. It's so sweet but we know we know it's a bit extreme for a 2 year old but she rocks it... we call it her Catalan granny jacket as that's what all the old ladies wear here... I think only the very young, the very old and supermodels can get away with wearing animal prints.


Xmas at home was also mildly productive on the painting side of things... I finished Luca's birthday present... he's name her sofia!


Sofia

I also did a small set of 3 Shaun the Sheep inspired paintings for wee miss Isabella for her Birthday... I hope she liked them


Fat Sheep painting


Smiley Shaun painting


Timmy the sheep painting

I hope Aardman the makers of Shaun the sheep aren't cross with me!

Exhaustion has taken over

Too much to too in such a short time has really taken it's toll. NYE this year will involve a bubble bath in a human size tub (unlike our mini Barcelona tub which is literally half the size of a normal one). But before then I've got to pack and finish Luca's painting which is nearly there... Don't read this Luca as I can't really be admitting that it's taken me that long to finish your b'day gift! But it's worth the wait as it's a nice one (I hope).

Blogging for me this year has been the most infrequent since I started this blog nearly 9 years ago. It's funny to write that... even funnier still to sift through some of the old entries as it was truly a lifetime ago. If you've got time to kill there are some really humourous entries in the vault... my life use to be way more exciting than it is now... although the time here home this year has been quite amusing. Mostly so during our girlie trips to moxies with my new bestie the waitress with the bosom jewels... serious she's bedazzled her cleavage. You can't help but look! Ha ha.

There are very few hours left to this year so on that note I must make haste and get everything done so we can leave all of 2009's yukies behind and move onto more positive ventures.

All the best my 5 blog readers!!!

Inspiration and stability...

Are two kind words sent in an xmas card from one of my Greek clients. I couldn't think of anything more fitting for this year. It's been a really tough one on all sides. It could of course have been worse so I'm thankful that it hasn't been but man will be be happy for some new positive events.

It's been a pretty positive day...

... and because there are quite few of these lately I'm going to peg it down here to remember it. I found a camera for a really reasonable price for Fredu today on Toronto's craig's list. The lovely guys from http://www.akaphoto.ca/ sold it to me. I feel so happy to finally be getting back to square one for Fredu so once work come in he'll be able to do it! Seestor kindly drove me to collect it and the guys that sold it were so lovely! Send them work please Canadian or US readers!

Work is piled up and sifting through it makes me feel that I've been off work for more like a million years rather than just two weeks. I'm trying to get focused to get moving with it but it's so hard to do it working from home when I can hear the wee one playing downstairs with my mum. Don't get me wrong... I'm indeed greatful for the ability to work remotely.

Time is ticking by at lightening speed and before I know it the week will be over and we'll be on a plane back to slightly warmer climes. Will be such a treat to be all back together again. A month can be an eternity especially with the wee one learning more and more language skills every day. Going back to school will be strange for her as she's been so anglosized for the past few weeks we can but hope she remembers her Catalan and Spanish! Same goes for me actually. I've got some spanish work emails to write but I've got to dust off that area of my brain to see if the words still come out.

Off to the oh so hip Moxies of Brampton tonight with miss Noeleen and miss Jemma who is in town from London for the next few days and the lovely Heather that I don't often get to see either. Best behave myself as I've got too much work to do to be dealing with a hangover! Behave Sarah... Behave!

When you're too worried your blog entry will sound like one long big winge... do a Meme... (correction... thanks to http://synapsesonshuffle.blogspot.com/ for the meme)

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Fly across the Atlantic with a not quite yet 2 year old on my own.


2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn't make any but next year apathy is the enemy.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Seestor! Miss Charlotte Reielle Heaney

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My friend eric's grandmother.

5. What countries did you visit?
England, Holland, Canada

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A job for Fredu (and a camera for him to do said job)

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 8th - My appendix removal date
Sept. (?) when Alfredo's camera was stolen
Nov 25th when miss Charlotte was born
Dec 5th- when i flew home to Canada for xmas

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
surviving it

9. What was your biggest failure?
Apathy (with a capital A)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Appendicitis

11. What was the best thing you bought?
pink suede shoes

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Vero's for her baby making triumphs

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The wicked person who stole Alfredo's camera. It truly ravaged an already challenging year for us. I hope they really needed it more than we did!

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent (sigh)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Coming home for xmas

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Black eyed peas... that one that goes... 'Tonight's going to be a good night..."

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? sadder
b) thinner or fatter? fatter (thanks to xmas in Canada)
c) richer or poorer? way poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Enjoying life instead of drowning in sorrows (but there was just so many)

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
working

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Without Fredu in Canada :(

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Still in love

23. How many one-night stands?
None

24. What was your favorite TV program?
American Dad

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
the camera thief! oh and yea Apple. Feck you itunes I hate you.

26. What was the best book you read?
Beach Music

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Martina Topley Bird's new album (I had no idea it had come out) not that I have it yet

28. What did you want and get?
More support at work (new project managers!)

29. What did you want and not get?
a job for fredu and a new camera oh yea and the passport!!
Resolution for any of my fights with the tax office

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Only saw one (slumdog millionaire) in the cinema... it was okay..but I'm hoping to see it's complicated before I leave Canada (with my mum) looks nice and pinky!

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
my 33rd birthday I was still recovering from the appendectomy the week before but had low key fun with the lovely miss joey and andrea who flew in to celebrate with me.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Work for fredu

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
black and mysterious

34. What kept you sane?
My Mum

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Perez Hilton

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Any stupid American Mallarky

37. Who did you miss?
The old me

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Jacob and Millie!

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Apathy is very very difficult to shake

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

I'm not here... this isn't happening.. (Radiohead)