Adjustments

 We didn't expect it to all be roses here.  And there are some thorns.  

D and I are busy with all the details.  From having to figure out how to get NIE numbers for the kids and I to TIE cards for all of us to extend our stay beyond 90 days (that is how long the Spanish Consulate originally gives you and you have to continue to wade through bureaucracy in Spanish once here to figure it all out, more info here if you are curious https://expanish.com/blog/studying-in-spain-what-are-the-nie-tie-and-how-do-i-get-them/), to deciding on rentals and interpreting contracts in Spanish, visiting schooling for the kids, figuring out calling plans, discovering where to find what we need, it is keeping us busy. 

The children, on the other hand, are missing their friends and home and our dog terribly, and with nothing to do but wait until evening when their friends back home are awake to play with them online, they are feeling it keenly.  They each express it a bit differently, but they are in the thick of it and we are trying to support them the best we can through it, reminding them that it is a process and they will be happy here.  They are resistant to going out and exploring their new city, but we have told them that we have to go out and do or see one new thing a day, whether it is a new street, checking out a fruit vendor, going to a museum or beach of their choice, or a new playground.  

Yesterday that involved visiting the Parque do Castro again, this time looking at the 3000+ year old village site with its round huts made of stone topped with a thick layer of branches and then walking up to the castle ruins on the top of the hill.  The view of the city, port, estuary, Cies Islands, and Atlantic was spectacular.  

This park with its forest and trails, history and playgrounds just a 10 minute walk from our apartment.  We had a nice visit with a very sweet dog, which was a bit bittersweet as it also stirred some feelings of missing our dog, and we visited the playground.  It was nice to play and laugh and have a break from the tough feelings for a bit.  On the way back, L mentioned that when she has friends from school she wants to go play in that park with them. Little by little we are all adjusting.