TLDR – Moved down the coast to Torremolinos. The new place has an oven and a living room, and more sickness.
Feverish moving
About 0200 am we both woke up to Maddex sitting at the foot of the bed delusional from his fever. Michelle tried to talk to him but he was not responding. I sat up, put my hand on his back and asked if he wanted some medicine. He drunkenly responded “that would be nice” Michelle got up and gave him some Nurofen to drop his fever. Michelle helped Maddex back to his room and asked if he wanted her to sleep in the bed next to him. He responded “I don’t know, maybe” She asked if he wanted me to sleep in the bed. He said “Yes dad has already been taking care of me” – WINNING!!! in your face!!
I crawled into the bed next to Maddex’s bed and held his burning hand until he passed out. Poor kid is not doing well. In the morning he hardly moved from his bed. Michelle packed and cleaned the house like a mad woman while I went to work. We did the math wrong and I’m on call Sunday during our move time. Sweet talked Satish into covering 2 hours of move time for me so we could check out on time at 1100 and move to a new town, Torremolinos.
It was about a 10-minute walk to the train/metro/underground station, a 25-minute ride to the Torremolinos stop followed by a 5-minute walk to number 25 where we met the owner and checked in. Always a bit stressful meeting a new landlord when you show up with 4 kids and a stroller full of backpacks. Our Landlord seems like a great guy who does not mind. The flat is spectacular. Thick walls, we’re on the ground floor so no one under us, a small back yard for the kids to play in, fast internet – we’ve won the rental game.
Explore the town with Mom and work for dad
About 10 minutes after checking in I was on the laptop back to work answering questions; Thanks Satish. The kids proceeded straight away to setting up their rooms. Michelle started unpacking and doing laundry and the house was filled with noise and chaos; we’ve moved in. After a short break Michelle took the girls out looking for some food and a park. They found a great huge park with some two-story slides to play on.
Maddex and I stayed at home. Maddex lay near death on the couch watching adventure time While I sat at the table working – eww. Guess there are worse places to work. Once the girls left it was so quiet in the house – then they were back and boy was it loud again. A good SV Delos video and noise-canceling headphones could not drown out the sound. Eventually, my workday ended and we walked into town to explore the city center hoping to come back with some provisions
Town has an impressive no car shopping street zone. Hitting random shops while hungry we picked up a baguette, some donut holes, and a fresh sugar waffle covered in whip cream. Looking, all of the grocery stores were closed. Minus the EU dollar store Dealz. We picked up some milk, cereal, and snacks at Dealz then walked back home to watch some Full house, eat and calm down before bed. Girls are super into watching Full house right now.
More sickness – not much adventure
Michelle was not feeling well and passed out about 2100. Around 2300 I reached over to feel her shoulder and was shocked how hot she was. WTF; Michelle has relapsed and has a fever again; tremendous downer. I snuggled up next to my fire wide and went to sleep. A few hours later I woke to another hot body next to me. Khaleesi now has a fever and has crawled into bed with us. She likes to sleep in the middow, as she says it.
By morning Khaleesi and mom are both nearly dead to the world passed out with fevers. Maddex is mostly better, no more fever, but still running far below full power. He managed to scratch his ear enough in the night to grow a massive blister on the top of his ear. Roxi and Mila are feeling great, 2 out of 2 is not bad. I started work around 0430. I’m working from home today. While I worked Mila and Roxi made soup outdoors with random bits they picked up in the yard, hope they did not ear any. Then they watched Full House and coloured. Maddex best Luigi’s mansion on his switch- not a horrible lazy day.
Around noon we’d run out of medicine and exciting food products. The healthy kids and I trekked into town for supplies. 200ml of Nurofen for 2.50€. I love not being the USA when it comes to medical. Back at home, everyone ate and I finished the workday. Around 1500 I called it a day and took the healthy kids down the secret squirrel stairs under the train trains, along a road up the hill to Parque La Bateria. With a huge super clean looking pond we really wanted to swim in if not for the flocks of birds filling the water with poo.
The highlight for the kids is a great playground with two huge slides and a spinning tetter totter thing. At one point poor Maddex sat next to me and said “I can’t go on, I give up. This is such a great park but I’m so sick I can’t enjoy it“. Sad days when a 9-year-old boy tells you he’s not capable of playing. Back at home, Moma found the energy to make Egg drop soup and take a shower. I might have caused the shower mentioning her smell being arm’s length away = ]
Around 1820 I talked Maddex and MIla into a 20 minute one-way walk to a carrefour super store for something to do. We left in the light and walked home in the dark. We picked up some provisions, a switch game, some Xmas presents, and some Burgers and chips on the walk out at Burger king. Sure do enjoy going for walks with the kids.
Xmas Eve – finally make it to the beach
Tuesday is no change to the norm for this trip, Momma and one of the kids are sick. lucky for the sick kid, Khaleesi, some nuerfen provided her the energy to enjoy a slice of the day playing with her siblings around the house. It also provided mom enough energy to walk the kids down the stairs to the beach for a few hours of playing in the sand and the water.
I finished work just in time to walk do to the beach and find the family walking home; sigh. Michelle, Maddex, and Roxi walked home up the stairs while Khaleesi, Mila and I walked around through town and did some shopping for food and xmas stuff. Back at home, we lazed for a bit before Mila and I went back out for some more provisions, we’ve run out of penguinos and desperately need more.
After dark, we descided to head back into town to check out all of the xmas lights before putting the kids to bed and wrapping the few gifts we have for them tomorrow.
