Family dynamics

Our Mama y Papa took a vacation this last week to the beach in southwestern Spain, and it has been SO GREAT to have the apartment to ourselves! I mean, we don't really have it to ourselves because all of the kids are over here periodically to check on us and make us meals and stuff, and Zorayda lives here of course, but it has definitely been a good change of pace. It is kind of hard to describe, but the atmosphere is just so much more relaxed when they aren't here. I think that a lot of it has to do with the fact that even though the kids are around some of the time they all work and have other commitments so they aren't in the house ALL THE TIME, and we aren't the only thing that they think about. Mama y Papa, on the other hand, don't work and almost never leave the house, and Mama tends to kind of hover, which can get really old, really fast. Since she is such a hoverer, we tend to feel like we are being watched constantly, and that she is just waiting for us to slip up or something. I don't know, it is really hard to explain. Now, I'm not saying that they aren't wonderful people! Mama takes great care of us, is very nice, and we are very grateful! Their absence has just been a nice vacation for Bree and I as well! Who knows, maybe she will be more relaxed after getting away for a week.

It was also a fun week because we got to know Zorayda (our host sister) better, and we finally figured out that she doesn't hate us! We didn't REALLY think that she hated us, she just doesn't talk to us much and kind of just goes about life as if we weren't here most of the time. However we've gotten to talk to her a lot more this week and we've decided that she just is the kind of person that keeps to herself most of the time, plus she works a lot. But we got to have some pretty fun conversations with her and her novio (boyfriend), and she is really nice! All of the other kids are very nice too, and we love when they are around. Hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of them!