Mariposa Academy Homeschool

You know what was one of the best decisions I ever made? To stop taking my regular prenatal vitamins and take a folic acid, B6, and B12 combo instead. I feel so much better now!! Slightly queasy here and there, and still exhausted, but the all-day horrendous nausea is, thank Maude, gone.

Just in time, too, as we are leaving for Spain in two days! I have, shockingly, not entered full-on pre-trip panic mode. I’m just happy and excited and making plans for all the fun things we’re going to do.

Of course, I looked up tiendas de lana (yarn stores) in Madrid. Apparently knitting is not very popular in Spain, and the yarn stores are nothing spectacular, but I did find one that’s supposed to be good, called Lanas Sixto. I also started a baby sweater, which is going to be my plane project. Now that I am almost 10 weeks along, I feel confident enough about this pregnancy to start knitting some baby things. I’m also going to start some socks. After driving myself crazy with a few attempts at socks on teeny tiny needles with (teeny tiny) sock weight yarn, I decided to try knitting socks in worsted weight with bigger needles. That way I can learn how to knit socks, and save the frustration of tiny gauge for later, when I have more experience with sock-knitting techniques.

I have bought a bunch of little toys and candy to surprise the kids with and keep them occupied on the plane. Etch a Sketches, activity books, ring pops, bubble gum, little unicorn figurines, Slinkies, sketch pads, and crayons. I am going to have to dole them out gradually. I’m also planning to buy a couple of audiobooks to play on the iPod, and I’m sure the airplane radio will have some kids’ music. The in-flight movie is “Ocean’s 13,” so that’s no help. We’ve been talking a lot about what they can expect on the plane, and trying to make them understand that it’s a looong flight. And after we land in Madrid, we still have a two- or three-hour train ride into Salamanca, where we’re spending the first part of our vacation. I’m a bit worried about Zeke, who has a tendency toward long, tear-filled, inconsolable tantrums. But I think we’re doing everything we can to prepare him.