Hi everyone,
The last two weeks of working as an au pair have been spent trying to get into a routine with the girls. We try to do at least half an hour of "homework" (either reading, writing or English) every day, followed by an activity. The elder daughter Lucia and I have come up with some games to play, crafts to make, recipes to cook, things to do at the park and activities for the garden, which so far are doing well at keeping everyone entertained! Here are a few pictures from our lessons and activities:
 |
| Maeva learning some words in English |
 |
| Leana doing a reading comprehension in Spanish |
 |
| We made an apple crumble! |
 |
| I went back to my childhood making Hama beads with the girls |
 |
| We went on a trip to the park to collect materials... |
 |
| ...to make miniature gardens! |
We do have some challenges. Sometimes the girls refuse to eat, or don't want to work, or generally are just in a bickering mood, which I find tough as I can't really express myself well enough in Spanish to deal with things as I would at home. So some days are difficult, but others are fantastic fun! I was invited to a dance show they put on in their parents' bedroom with handmade programmes, we've been to the cinema to see 'Finding Dory', the girls are making a lot of progress with English and they're always excited to find out what activity we will be doing each day.
I'm getting to know the girls a lot better now. Lucia is quite quiet, but likes to speak English with me, and often will sit with me while I'm planning lessons or help me plan activities. Leana loves to talk, and sometimes I haven't a clue what she's saying, but it means there's never a dull moment! And Maeva is very sweet, although also quite sensitive, and loves to play and watch Peppa Pig at any opportunity!
My English lessons with Lucia, Dario and Marie Jose are going well, and I'm realising how much I enjoy tutoring as opposed to teaching. Being one on one with someone is very rewarding and means you can focus your lessons to them. I'm also really appreciating having the one on one time with Marie Jose to learn Spanish.
And my Spanish is definitely improving. I am completely immersed in Spanish - the only time I speak English is during the lessons or with family over the phone. It's tiring but really rewarding and my understanding is significantly better than three weeks ago. However the weekends are my own, and I've been lucky enough to spend time with some wonderful people in Madrid over the last few weeks, and speak English!
I met up with Brooke and some friends of hers to watch the Gay Pride festival in Madrid:
And my friend Beth was visiting Madrid so I met up with her for a couple of days this weekend:
 |
| We visited the Botanical Gardens |
 |
| We watched the beautiful sunset in Parque de Retiro by the boating lake |
 |
| We went on a cable car ride over Madrid and the view was incredible |
 |
| The view of the palace, cathedral and river from the cable car |
 |
| We ate the 'best churros in Madrid' - and they were pretty great! |
The weather is great - between 30 to 40 degrees every day! But during the night it's a little too warm, although I enjoy being able to swim in the pool and sit outside until 12am if I want. We went to a late night outdoor cinema with the girls on Sunday to see 'Big Hero 6' which was great fun. I will definitely miss the beautiful sunshine and the relaxed way of life in Spain.
So overall, although au pairing can be tough, I have a very generous and kind family here and I am thoroughly enjoying working with the girls. It's all fun and games, and there will be a lot more fun and games to come in the final three weeks of my time here!
Thanks for reading :)
Laura
No comments:
Post a Comment