State of the Offspring Address - March 2015


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16298812553_9d9a5aac91_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Birthday girl">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16298812553_3d897b2319_t.jpg" alt="Birthday girl"/>
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Today is Nora's sixth birthday. She claims it's the best birthday of her entire life. The past few days, she's been asking if we have all her presents bought. A few of them did get purchased the day before, I will admit. Yesterday, she begged me to at least tell her "What are the _dibujos_ on the gifts?" At first I thought she meant _dibujos_ as "drawings", like on the wrapping paper, but eventually I figured out that she meant what "cartoons" the gifts were branded with. Ah, the preoccupations of a near-six-year-old... Just to razz her, I told her that most of them with _Spiderman™_, which she hates with burning prejudice simply because the boys in her class like it, and therefore it must be terrible.  Last night, Nora and her parents posed for one last selfie as a five-year-old.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16294942163_0f7256b0c8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora's sixth birthday">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16294942163_b933460e21.jpg" alt="Nora's sixth birthday"/>
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After everyone went to bed, I began decorating our living room. I had purchased a "_Felicidades_" banner, a [_Frozen™_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_(2013_film)) flag banner, a [_Sofia the First™_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_the_First) flag banner, and a couple dozen balloons. Many exhales later, the room looked pretty darn festive.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16707621187_392525a406_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora's sixth birthday">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16707621187_d2b26ed553.jpg" alt="Nora's sixth birthday"/>
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There are many more balloons out of frame.

This morning, Nora was very surprised to see the living room decorated, and she opened almost all her presents before having breakfast. She got _Frozen™_ pajamas and t-shirt, a cute little skirt outfit for summer, some books, some candy, a stuffed elephant, and a _Sofia the First™_ pencil case. But her most favorite present of all was pretty much the only thing she had asked for: a electric toothbrush.

Last week, I went down (literally, as it's below our house) to the local hardware/electronics store to buy her a toothbrush, but they only had sets of two in the display case. I inquired if they sold singles, and the clerk said he'd have to go look in storage, but just as he was leaving, I saw a single that not only was cheaper than the regular ones, but also happened to be plastered with Disney Princesses. Jackpot.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16917414972_090ddc86e0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora's sixth birthday">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16917414972_62cc4e6417_z.jpg" alt="Nora's sixth birthday"/>
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She took a _Frozen™_ (noticing a theme here?) cake to school today to share with the other students, as is the custom.

And for lunch, we had a paella...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16296301904_c06a94e0b1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora's sixth birthday">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16296301904_c3392fded1.jpg" alt="Nora's sixth birthday"/>
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You may be at least half Spanish if your birthday meal...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16296300994_b079de3868_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora's sixth birthday">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-24-nora-is-six/16296300994_07c89b5f68.jpg" alt="Nora's sixth birthday"/>
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The cake we had for home was a blueberry cheesecake.

We asked if she wanted to have a big birthday party, like some of her classmates have had, and she, to no one's surprise, chose to have a more intimate gathering with a couple of close friends.

Needless to say, Ian has been enjoying all the balloons and festivities. The video of Nora blowing out the candles ends with some excellent mischief only a little brother can provide...

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fUjj9Slrmp4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Nora is Six!


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-20-solar-eclipse-2015/16873660215_baaa6670d8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Eclipse 2015">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-20-solar-eclipse-2015/16873660215_9628fffc26_t.jpg" alt="Eclipse 2015"/>
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This morning, from roughly 9am to 11am, Spanish time, there was solar eclipse. Here in northern Spain, it was expected to reach a peak of 80% eclipsage (should be a word). While jadedly pessimistic, I left all my cameras charging the night before, and got up a little earlier than usual to make sure they were going to be set up properly. What greeted me upon raising the blinds in the morning was a thick fog. I couldn't see to the end of my street, let alone to the sun or moon. "Dammit, Cantabria!", I shouted as I shook my fists...[and tweeted](https://twitter.com/erikras/status/578823707226955776).  Since I was prepared to, I went ahead and set up my GoPro on the window ledge (tied with string through the window and to a radiator) on time-lapse mode, and went about my normal morning routine of preparing the children for school.

At 10am, the peak of the eclipse, I have to admit that the world was eerily dark. I can't say for sure that I would've noticed if no one had told me, but it did seem extra dreary for an hour.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-20-solar-eclipse-2015/16686257910_bb34065db1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Eclipse 2015">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-20-solar-eclipse-2015/16686257910_ea1dfd71a9.jpg" alt="Eclipse 2015"/>
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Looking directly at the sun at the moment of maximum eclipsage (see how useful that is?). I totally stared right at it, just like they tell you not to.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-20-solar-eclipse-2015/16873660215_baaa6670d8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Eclipse 2015">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-20-solar-eclipse-2015/16873660215_9628fffc26.jpg" alt="Eclipse 2015"/>
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GoPro doing its thing.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-20-solar-eclipse-2015/16847768066_c0260a1b1c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Eclipse Viewing - Geek Style">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-20-solar-eclipse-2015/16847768066_9dd2abebc3_z.jpg" alt="Eclipse Viewing - Geek Style"/>
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Viewing the eclipse through my favorite augmented reality astronomy app, [Star Chart](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/star-chart/id345542655).

<iframe src="http://gfycat.com/ifr/SnivelingDazzlingAgama" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="505" height="284" style="-webkit-backface-visibility: hidden;-webkit-transform: scale(1);"></iframe>

Can you see when it gets dark? Yeah, neither can I. My son and I walk by at least twice during this clip, but I can't see that, either. [View on YouTube](http://youtu.be/_2kP19DxUBE) if you prefer.

Sigh...


Solar Eclipse 2015


<img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-18-el-ratoncito-perez-the-spanish-tooth-fairy/16853512042_49229e6ba2_t.jpg" alt="Ratoncito Pérez" class="post-thumb"/>On a previous post, I mentioned [a list of parenting vocabulary](/2013/09/27/spanish-lesson-for-new-parents/) that I had never had the occasion to learn in Spanish until becoming a parent. When my daughter, Nora, was about two, either through some cartoon or a stuffed animal, she and her Spanish grandparents began talking about _el Ratoncito Pérez_, and every time Nora saw anything resembling a mouse, she would exclaim that name. At the time, I had no idea what that name meant.  What's funny is that it had become such a part of our lives that exactly four years ago this week, I was moved to snap a photo of this _Wheel of Fortune_ puzzle to show my family.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-18-el-ratoncito-perez-the-spanish-tooth-fairy/5551517242_4479c47819_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="El Ratoncito Perez">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-18-el-ratoncito-perez-the-spanish-tooth-fairy/5551517242_5482def4f6.jpg" alt="El Ratoncito Perez"/>
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_TE CAMBIA UN DIENTE BAJO LA ALMOHADA POR UN REGALO_

"He exchanges a tooth under the pillow for a gift."

![Ratoncito Pérez](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-18-el-ratoncito-perez-the-spanish-tooth-fairy/16853512042_49229e6ba2_m.jpg "Ratoncito Pérez")From what I can gather, there is really not much more to the _Ratoncito Pérez_ myth than there is to the Tooth Fairy myth; it's pretty much what that _Wheel of Fortune_ puzzle says. The fleshing out of the now accepted rodent myth is widely credited to a children's book author, Luis Coloma, in the late nineteenth century.

[From what I can tell](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2170/whats-the-origin-of-the-tooth-fairy), the Tooth Fairy myth came after the mouse version, showing up in the early twentieth century. Personally, I find the idea of a dental pack rat much more plausible than a flying miniature human, since mice actually do steal small items from humans.

![Ratoncito Pérez](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-18-el-ratoncito-perez-the-spanish-tooth-fairy/16854668155_07fed3b36e_m.jpg "Ratoncito Pérez")As you may have guessed, Nora lost her first tooth on Friday the 13th last week. It had been wiggling around for at least a fortnight, and it had been moving a lot that morning. When I took her back to school after lunch, I said, "How's the tooth, and she moved it to the point where it bent all the way down and the root popped out. She was _thrilled!_ After I took the photo you see below, she immediately turned to her classmates with a big grin and asked if they noticed anything different about her. She got to bring home a special _Ratoncito Pérez_ stuffed doll from class for the weekend.

That night, she wrapped the tooth in a bit of toilet paper and put it under her pillow. The next morning, she woke up to find five one euro coins scattered across her bed (she's a restless sleeper). After she finished counting them for the tenth time, I asked her what she was going to do with her newfound wealth. She looked at me like I'd asked a ridiculous question and responded, "Put it in my _hucha_ (piggy bank), of course!" She is her mother's daughter.

After making her porcine deposit, she immediately began trying to wiggle the remaining teeth. _There's gold in them thar hills!_

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-18-el-ratoncito-perez-the-spanish-tooth-fairy/16853948712_4b17ffd19e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora lost her first tooth">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-18-el-ratoncito-perez-the-spanish-tooth-fairy/16853948712_ded96e1e99_z.jpg" alt="Nora lost her first tooth"/>
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El Ratoncito Pérez - The Spanish Tooth Fairy


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16793584361_4b28cf81c1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Santander">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16793584361_f4f36ddd2c_t.jpg" alt="Santander"/>
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This past weekend, we spent Saturday afternoon in Santander, specifically on the peninsula that makes up the _Parque de la Magdalena_, which I consider the item at the very top of the "must see" list for Santander tourism. It was the first sunny day in a long time, and everybody was out there enjoying it. If you like high cliff-side views of the sea – and who doesn't? – then you'll love the _Parque de la Magdalena_; it is simply breathtaking.  The first thing you see when you walk along the path is a penguin, seal and sea lion exhibit. Normally the penguins are just lying about being lazy, like we all would if we were locked in a small area with food brought to us every day, but on Saturday, there was one that was feeling frisky, and was poking its head through the fence to get a closer look at the human tourists.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16602206099_eef83bd87a_z.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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The little bugger darn near got my iPhone!

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16762472086_8b7ef897ae.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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This guy climbed over the barriers keeping people away from the rocks with his fishing pole and sat down to spend some time fishing.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16166027454_6b5295aaa4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16166027454_d34f050e7b_z.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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While we were watching the waves break – they weren't nearly as impressive as [past visits](/2013/12/17/sunday-waves-in-santander/) – we made the kids sandwiches for an afternoon snack. Ian took one bite of his and chucked it "over the cliff".

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787211811_7c3ab1f0e6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787211811_934bed1a26.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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We then headed into the park to play on the trees. Ian nearly pushed this one over!

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16168409203_042bd16d43.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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I found this sign amusing. No dogs, nudity, trumpets or boomboxes.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787245652_633e3eef65_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787245652_4f3c96dd79_z.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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I got stuck pushing the stroller, which never contained a child the entire day, around, so I didn't get to scale the rocks.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16166032144_7c8e585214_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16166032144_722462fbbb.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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The combination of the sun, surf, and trees made for some gorgeous views.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16600977070_4128713fac_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16600977070_42452ee329.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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I mean, how lovely is this?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16168413743_c1f1628d00_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16168413743_0a442560e4.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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I saw a couple of old men using "selfie sticks", the first time I've actually seen such a device used in the wild. They will no doubt become commonplace, but it is still a bit strange.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787215961_1578bd2502_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787215961_e26ff94b74.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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We took a family selfie the old fashion way, just barely all fitting into the frame, thus justifying the invention of the selfie stick.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787217501_dd8d2c06ef_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787217501_45119d6877.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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The flora on the peninsula was very interesting.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16166035614_103efbeede.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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There were several times when I wished I had a telephoto lens. The red sailboat kept grabbing my eye.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16581066667_8fa2501198_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16581066667_57a6b3f51a.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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There were many couples enjoying a romantic afternoon.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16600981500_199ae77ee4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16600981500_fed31368fd.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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Someone got creative with this stump.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16168419273_0477773705.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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There's that sailboat again.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787222681_4a191787f7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16787222681_81d968fb24.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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Mouro Island, a landmark of Santander, framed in the crotch of a tree.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16793603981_a3db772d46_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16793603981_5abf8a3597.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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Monkeys in the trees.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16172414164_1e930868cb_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16172414164_4245ec73fc.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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What a backdrop!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16607373930_93edcc4271_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Parque de la Magdalena">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16607373930_ce4a70cfd1.jpg" alt="Parque de la Magdalena"/>
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When the sun went down, we pulled the monkeys out of the trees and headed home.

What a gorgeous way to spend an afternoon!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16793584361_4b28cf81c1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Santander">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-12-saturday-at-parque-de-la-magdalena/16793584361_f4f36ddd2c.jpg" alt="Santander"/>
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Saturday at Parque de la Magdalena


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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-06-bellota-the-hamster/16706993046_fa3bc20a26_t.jpg" alt="Bellota, the hamster"/>
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Yesterday, our family got a little bigger. It has been a dream of my wife's for many years to own a hamster. I like to watch the look on people's faces when I tell them that my wife is a veterinarian, watch them say "Awww!", and then say, "No, a slaughterhouse vet; she doesn't make animals better." In fact, she's never really been fond of pets, cats or dogs. But she's always been a softy for rats and small rodents. Yesterday we finally bit the bullet and bought a hamster. The hamster, a pretty spiffy cage, well over a fortnight of food, bedding and litter was a total of 55€, with 45€ of that being the cage. If we had acted sooner, we could've gotten the hamster for free, because my friend and local grocer, Andrés, owns his parents and oversaw his conception and birth, on January 28, 2015. We asked Nora what name she would like to call the hamster, and she said, "Oh, I know! What if we all called it by a different name?" Five year olds have some really terrible ideas. My wife came up with _Watson_, which is a pretty great name for a pet, but she was too late, as I had already casually suggested my name to Nora and it had gathered political momentum.

My idea was formed in [the same way that I name projects at work](/2014/06/04/garlic-and-water-blog-name-idea/), by word association. Hamster makes me think of ham, and ham makes me think of _jamón_ (cured Spanish ham), and the best _jamón_ comes from Extremadura from pigs that eat _bellotas_, the acorns of the hollyoak tree. _Bellotas_ are considerably bigger than the acorns of the oaks I grew up around, but they are still pretty small, not unlike baby hamsters. The name stuck.

Only minutes after arriving home with the little guy, we took him out to play with him. It took about 10 seconds for him to be the rodent I have most held in my lifetime. He's awfully fun to have crawling around on your hands and arms. Nora was a little hesitant, but she held him finally. Ian was both the most calm and the more freaked out by it. He once jerked his arm out from under Bellota, causing him to fall a foot to the floor. Since we've only had him for a day, we haven't yet lost him under the furniture, but I suspect we will eventually. How we get him back out will be a puzzle I look forward to solving.

Last night, I thought the dishwasher was making a strange noise, but when I went to check on it, it wasn't running anymore. The strange rhythmic squeaking was coming from the living room, as Bellota was running around on his wheel. We might need to lubricate that wheel. He seems to be very nocturnal, as he has slept through most of the day today.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-06-bellota-the-hamster/16706990596_b80ee4362c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bellota, the hamster">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-06-bellota-the-hamster/16706990596_d51c7f1111.jpg" alt="Bellota, the hamster"/>
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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-06-bellota-the-hamster/16731673051_a458a860cf.jpg" alt="Bellota, the hamster"/>
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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-06-bellota-the-hamster/16731812242_cd9205c1b0.jpg" alt="Bellota, the hamster"/>
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<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-06-bellota-the-hamster/16546775329_46fa7d3751_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bellota, the hamster">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-06-bellota-the-hamster/16546775329_db7511fa61.jpg" alt="Bellota, the hamster"/>
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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-03-06-bellota-the-hamster/16706993046_fa3bc20a26.jpg" alt="Bellota, the hamster"/>
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For now, he's a welcome addition to the family.


Bellota - The Hamster


![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wBKBE3eU5fc/1.jpg?time=1425548369333)Last night, as often seems to happen, Ian decided that no, actually, he wasn't sleepy at bedtime. So I had to bring him downstairs. He managed to veg out with the television for a bit while I finished my workday, and then we played for a bit. At one point he came into my office and wanted to sit on my lap, and he was doing adorable things, so I got out my phone and interviewed him. He does pretty well at identifying parts of his body in both languages. This really surprised me the first time I tested him, months ago, in English, because his Spanish grandparents had been teaching him the parts in Spanish. I had never explicitly told him what the word "mouth" or "ear" means, but he knew.  Warning, the video below contains near-lethal levels of cuteness. If you have a heart condition or something, you may want to watch it in several sittings.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wBKBE3eU5fc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

When I said "_ojos_", he thought I said "_mocos_", which is Spanish for "snot", hence the nose blowing. The final word is "_agur_", which is "goodbye" in Basque.


7 posts from March, 2015