Xmas in Malaga – part I

TLDR – Sunshine and warm sounds nice. The kids are off school for a few weeks. Let’s fly to Malaga.

Getting there

0300 we wake up the family to bundle up for the 2c cold walk to catch the 0400 air coach. A week ago Mila wanted me to wake her up by tossing a bucket of cold water on her face. Then she was sick with a fever for a few days and vetoed the idea. Mila and Roxi have had fevers for 2-4 days; this morning they both appear to be running normal temps! the drama of sick kids. Speaking of, Roxi vomited once on the bus to the airport. She made it into the barf bag! We’re making progress. In the bag, and only one kid car sick on the bus.

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The house at 330 am light by the insanely bright LED street light – no flash needed for this picture
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Breakfast at the airport

McDonald’s for breakfast at the airport, quick security check, a three-hour flight later and we arrived in Malaga. We had some issues working out train tickets we eventually solved asking for help. They had a pile of machines for cash that only took 20’s, we had 50’s, and one hidden machine that took cards. Plus we worked out kids under 6 are free. We bought four tickets for the train into the city and waited on platform 2 for the train.

Oh, snap the elevator down to the platform shakes as it might fall. I tried to get Mila into it for a ride, but she refused. Maddex and Khaleesi braved the Elevator with me back up and down. Maddex had an Oh shit face on the ride down when it started to shutter. Always some adventures to be had everywhere Check-in is around two and it’s only noon we have some time to kill. First stop the swan park to burn off some Energon.

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Waiting for the train into the city
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Swan park – time to play !! 

We made it check-in and food

While the girls kids were playing and Michelle was vigilantly protecting all of our worldly possessions in Spain. I valiantly crossed a treacherous street to obtain some kebabs, hot dogs, and chips for lunch. Stopping at the street to cross it struck me. I don’t know which direction the cars are coming from. The right direction feels like the wrong direction the wrong direction is the right direction. I’m so confused. I’ve mentally converted to driving on the wrong / Irish / now the correct side of the road. – what the F dude?

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Maddex eating in tree, save from everyone else
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Lunch next to the play ground

Maddex ate his hot dog in a tree, as Maddexs do when there are trees to safely eat in. The girls all swarmed mom and I to eat. Enough of that lets check-in. We meet our land lady for the week at the flat at 1400 to pickup keys and a WiFi password. The flat is a 3 bedroom no living room flat with 100mb of sweet sweet wireless. After taking a break and unpacking it was time for food shopping. We stoped in at a Supersol and a Dia where we bought anything that looked pretty or tasty.

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Office setup for the first half of the trip

Next mission; Maddex Mila and khaleesi and I are off to find a flying tiger, a power strip and an HDMI cable. We obtained the first two in a mall. Successful mission, we walked home and ate. After food Maddex and I went back out to an Asian stuff store where we picked up some more plug converters and a 3 meter long HDMI cable for Maddex to plug his switch into the TV in his room with. By 2000 local time the kids were all passed out sleeping. Momma and I made it an hour or more before we passed out.

Day 1 single dad exploring

In the middle of the night, a burning up Michelle kept snuggling me saying she was cold asking me to help warm her up. I’m thinking um, you’re not cold you have a fever and you’re trying to melt me. Oh well, snuggles are nice let me wrap around you and keep you warm ! Woke up at 0645 to a dark room. I heard whispers in the room. as my eyes focused – Roxi and Khaleesi were both right in my face whispering. When I jumped they both said “hi”. Wow-what a shock.

Feverish mom moved into another room to sleep, the girls took over our bed with the tv and Maddex appeared shortly after wards to inform us he’d been up for hours watching YouTube on his switch. We made it until 0900 eating and showering before it was time to hit a park and leave mom in peace. The first park is the swam playground in huelin park we were at yesterday.

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Met a German and Spanish couple with two kids. Their kids understand German, Spanish and English. They speak to each other in English as their common language. Impressed with familys using so many languages. Here’s my chance to answer a question that’s been bugging me. I asked “how do you say speilplatz in Spanish“. She, the spanish half, said just Parque maybe Parque de Ninos. They both said there is no good Spanish word for spielplatz.

In Europe, the question when you meet someone is where are you from. In the states it’s what do you do, meaning where do you work. Greatly prefer the European way to do it with the focus on people and live vs. work being who you are. We’re coming up on three years in Ireland. Roxi has and Khaleesi will in months, have lived in Ireland longer then they lived in the states. For now, we say we started in the states and live in Ireland. Wonder if we change that, and how we change that if we do?

Beach Time – water and sand

We made it to the beach playground. Maddex went straight from shoes off to feet in the water running across the sad for the water as quickly as possible. He made it into the water before the girls had their shoes off. The girls were not far behind him. He took his pants off and played in the water in his undies. The girls pulled their pants up to their knees, which kind of helped? Unless you are Roxi. Then it was Not much help at all because she went in chest-deep. What ever we’re on vacation.

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Happy kids at the beach playing in the surf

After swimming in the med we went back to the playground on the beach and built sand castles. Maddex filled water bottles in a shower and helped the girls make muddy sand. The girls piled up the sand and tried to make some shapes.  Eventually the kids said they were hungry and ready to go. We walked back home to our flat with some sushi we found on the way and had lunch and a break.

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Notice something lacking under the hob – kitchen has no oven, how can haz bake?

After Break Adventures

Mom got out of bed for 30 minutes, said hi,  then went back to bed. After break we went back out around the train station. There are three playgrounds you can see on the google earth. We visited all three of them. The kids played a lot of “the floor is lava in 5,4,3,2,,,1” such a great age they get along and play games with each other with little to no supervision required. I can sit and watch or jump and play with them.

At the last park they played for about 2 minutes then Maddex ” I need toilet I have to poop, bad” I asked if he could wait for a bit. He says “sure for an hour” – Whatever. Now we are playing truth or dare.

  • Khaleesi asking Roxi – have you ever kissed a boy ? – dare you to kiss Maddex. Maddex ran away
  • Roxi asking Mila – I dare you to slide down the pole twisting
  • Mila asking Maddex – I dare you to climb up the tall roof. That one
  • Maddex asking khaleesi- I dare you to bounce a ball off the roof and catch it
  • Khaleesi asking Mila. – I dare you to slide down the stairs.

Maddex made it about 20 minutes before we had to go. He wanted to go back to our flat so he could take his time. Alright, it’s a bit early but we can do it. On the walk back we stopped in at a kebab shop and bought some chips. They had a toilet Maddex used. Now, do we go back out or head back early?

We went back early. I think it was a mistake the girls could not be quiet or sit still. What a mess. Eventually, mom woke up and calmed them down enough before we shoved them in bed and relaxes.

Park count for the day – 8

Some more pictures

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