Thursday, August 25, 2011

Photos of our month in the UK

Wales, UK
August 23, 2011 Playing Poo -Sticks under the bridge
August 23, 2011 Charley waiting for our picnic lunch
August023,2011 Walking in Wales
August 23, 2011 Taking a rest at the top


August 23, 2011 Wales

August 21, 2011 Celebrating Olivia's Birthday

Whitby, North Yorkshire


August 20, 2011 Mighty cold North Sea swimming -Whitby
August 20, 2011 Whitby -Alfie's first time at the seaside

August 20, 2011 Half way up the 199 steps to the Count Dracula church yard

August 20, 2011 Fish and Chips at the Magpie Restaurant, Whitby

August 20, 2011 Count Dracula's Church Haunt on the hill

August 19, 2011 Crabbing with the Littlers in Whitby

August 19, 2011 Crabbing with the Littlers in Whitby

Forbidden Corner
Tupgill Park, Coverham, Middleham, Leyburn, North Yorkshire

August 18, 2011 Forbidden Corner
August 18, 2011 Forbidden Corner

August 18, 2011 Forbidden Corner

August 18, 2011 Forbidden Corner
Ripon, North Yorkshire
August 17, 2011 Granny's horses Pepsi and Aphrodite

Brimham Rocks
 Summerbridge Ripon, Yorkshire

August 17, 2011 Brimham Rocks

August 17, 2011 Brimham Rocks

August 17, 2011 Brimham Rocks

August 17, 2011 Brimham Rocks

Arboretum
Bedale, North Yorkshire

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboretum

August 16, 2011 Arboritum







August 15, 2011
Visiting family friends

Leeds, North Yorkshire



August 15, 2011
Visiting family friends

Ripley Show, Ripley, North Yorkshire
August 14, 2011 Ripley Show
 Granny, Billy and this year no rain!
August 14, 2011; Ripley Show, Ripley, North Yorkshire
Granny with Harry and Charley

Ripon, North Yorkshire

August 13, 2011; Ripon, North Yorkshire
 Visiting Aunty Stella and Alfie with Olivia


Maize Maze, North Yorkshire
August 11, 2011
Go-carting with friends and cousins

Ripon, North Yorkshire
August 10, 2011 Ripon, North Yorkshire
Harry touring Grandad's ferret cages
August 9, 2011
 The Menken boys teaching Alfie some soccer skills
August 9, 2011; At Granny's, Ripon, North Yorkshire 
Alfie meets the Menkens
Mayfield, East Sussex
August 7, 2011; Mayfield, East Sussex
Visiting Grandpa with the boys' cousin, Olivia

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Many thanks to all our family and great friends

Here’s thanking you for:

Taking the boys while we packed.

Thanks for all the going away parties, gifts and well wishes.

Many offered the loan of their suitcases – thank you – we did take up the Reimanns offer of two and they are just the perfect size with all the new size and weight limitations. I am still carrying a tape measure around with me – measuring cases to see if they will fit the regulations.

Thanks for all the offers we received to help take us to the airport. We did need two cars in the end and thanks to those who drove both ends.

Huge thank you to Montse and her sister, Maria and family for all the help they have given us to make this year in Madrid happen. Without your help it would have been much harder.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! We much appreciate it.
Love,
The Menkens

Language Confusion

While the Menkens are learning Spanish, the rest of our English family are all learning French as their second language. Well that is except my youngest nephew, Alfie who is learning his first language - English. He is 14 months and understands what you ask him, he just cannot reply in English. That is how I am with French. While, one of my nephew’s Matthew is still in France working in Nice, another nephew, Nathaniel, had just come back from a week exchange in France and he was still speaking French to his Mum and Granny who are both near to fluent. When he spoke to me in French I would understand, just could not reply in French.
Lawrence - Alfie - Nathaniel

The Menken boys will have a lesson either in French or English during their school day in Madrid. Granny gave them a French game to play and while we were playing it I was told I was speaking French with a Spanish accent.  Well, I ask you -  that’s a good thing isn’t it? Especially for me who is normally very bad with accents. Perhaps, I will have a better Spanish accent than I thought!?J

I was expecting all this French to be upsetting my Spanish but so far it is not as confusing as it was when I first started Spanish. Did I mention the Pimsleur Approach is a great way to learn a language (that's of course after the first two options of immersion by living or schooling). It has been most helpful to me while learning Spanish. I know the true test will be when I get there and I know I will realize that I hardly know anything, but I am sure I would be much worse if I had not used this method.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Flight to England

We flew Sun Country from Minneapolis St. Paul, MN to Gatwick, London via Gander, Canada on a plane which I would describe as a domestic flight plane.
There were 3 seats both sides of the aisle with no center seating. We were lucky enough to have 6 seats for the four of us. Always helpful for the boys on an overnight.
There was no big screen for movies and there were no little ones in front of each passenger either. Instead they rented ($6 each)  little portable DVDs that played games, T.V shows or films. You could plug two headsets into each.
They still served us dinner which seemed to be a Menken favorite:

Harry, after opening his dinner ,said “ The first flight food that I actually like” with such enthusiasm. In the past we have ordered children’s meals for the boys and I thought that they liked them.

Charley teasingly said: "I was going to say, I actually like this food, but I don’t want to tell you that Mom”

My teasing response: “ Don’t tell me then, just get on and eat it.”

Billy said: “ If you were as good at cooking as this chef, I would be fat!”

These speeches were all at different times and not necessarily prompted by the others. I have always liked flight food, but that is possibly because I don’t have to cook it.

We did not have to get out in Gander, Canada, however, we did. It was raining and we had to run down the steps and into the building. If I had known that I would have been less eager to disembark. We did, however, brush our teeth so we were ready to sleep when we got back on.

Leaving the U.S.A. for one year

We, the three boys and Fiona, left for Europe on August 5th with 16 cases, a school and a soccer club for the boys in Spain but no apartment. Luckily, we were not heading directly to Madrid and we still had a month to find one. The 16 cases included 8  for the hold and 2 carryons each. Without an apartment we still did not know whether it would end up furnished or not. So as well as clothes we packed two double air beds, bed linens & towels and kitchen utensils. We also packed sports equipment including soccer boots & balls, pump, keeper gloves, ball bags, water bottles, shorts and socks; tennis rackets and a few balls; swimming towels, trunks and goggles and then there were the roller blades and helmets (x4) – yes sorry – just kept thinking – Retiro Park here we come!
It took us two cars to get to the airport and luckily no more than two smaller cars the other end also.
Minneapolis St. Paul Airport

As promised, I made everyone wear their winter coats. However, in the 90degree weather we had to tie them around our waists.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Post #1: How It All Started

A FAMILY SABBATICAL IN MADRID

We're the Menken family from Woodbury, Minnesota, a suburb of St Paul.  Our three sons (ages 10, 10, and 9) have attended our local public Spanish immersion school for the past five or six years and are fluent in "school" Spanish.  In order to broaden their fluency and expand their horizons we're moving to Madrid for the 2011-2012 school year.