Hablas español?

I realized how much we really do speak Spanish in the house when we were on vacation! I had to constantly remember to use English when around my parents!

We went to dinner at the local Mexican restaurant the night before we left and I was able to hold a decent, fluent conversation with the workers there.  Not something that happens often there! The kids were able to speak some too!

It was a good visit, but we are all glad to be back home in Puerto Rico!

Feliz Día De Qué?

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Feliz Día De Amor y Amistad?

Feliz Día De San Valentín?

I asked Papa Loco...what do they use here in Puerto Rico...I've seen it both ways by other puertorricans...

His reply?

Whatever they want!

So felicidades de amor, amistad, y San Valentín!

La Biblioteca

Woohoo! I've finally found a library here where you can CHECK OUT BOOKS! I know, it is such a common thing in the states, but here in PR, most of the libraries only allow you to look at books at la biblioteca, not take them to your casa! Well we found one, a small one, with a family memebership for $25 and the ability to check them out!

En lunes y miercoles, Smarty Pants, Sweet Thing, y Drama Mama tienen clase de arte a la iglesia (have art class at the church).  Goofy Girl, La Loquita, and I have been going to the library during that hour to look at their books.

I've only explored the children's section, which is one small corner, but there is a good selection of books, most in ingles, but a fair number in español too.

So excited to get the membership next month! Now...how NOT to lose the books once we bring them home!

Memories

So I have once again neglected this blog! Lo siento muuuucho!

However, this was interesting to me, so I had to blog about it here.

Smarty Pants, 12, had just turned 5 when he entered foster care.  At that time, he only spoke Spanish, knowing only a handful of words in English.

Last night, he had some stress after we received an email from bio mom. He was once again adamant that he doesn't want to see her if she comes to PR.

He also had some random memories pop up from when he was little. Over the past 7 years, there really haven't been more than a handful of memories from him or the girls, so anytime he remembers something, it is significant for him. 

He was a bit puzzled that what he remembers, he remembers it in English.....even though it all happened in Spanish.  He can't remember the words used in Spanish, he's just translated what he knew happened, into the English that he knows now.

It is amazing how our brain works! 

Happy Birthday/Feliz Cumpleaños

I am not so much thrilled that today is my birthday...but it's here regardless of if I am happy about it.  :D

So along with my other Spanish songs, I'm adding the song our family sings for birthdays!

First we sing the traditional Happy Birthday song in English.  Next in Spanish we sing:

Feliz, feliz en tu dia.  Amiguito/a que Dios te bendiga.  Que reine la paz en tu dia, y que cumplas muchos mas.  (Happy happy on your day. Little friend may God bless you.  May peace reign on your day and many more birthdays to come)

Followed by:

Happy Birthday to you, you live in a zoo, you look like a monkey, and you smell like one too.

Then:

Estas poneindo viejo/a, con cara de conejo y cuerpo de avestruz (You are getting old, with the face of a rabbit and the body of an ostrich!)  

Noche De Paz

This is one of the very few Spanish Christmas songs I remember from High School Spanish class...oh so many years ago!

Noche De Paz/Silent Night

Feliz Navidad

A Puerto Rican must have!

Jose Feliciano!