Barrrrrcelona tomorrow!

Ok, today has some good and some bad. Only one bad thing, but... well, you'll see.
1) Today at Kaja's I hung out with Kaja and her (some may call bratty) kid Sara who is now done with school. It was fun even though Sara was around, but I definitely felt bad for Kaja because sometimes I think having me around made Sara more disagreeable... although Kaja assures me that she is like that normally! Ah!
2) At school we picked up Rafa, Carmen, and one of Rafa's friends, Sergio. We went to Abuelo's house and immediately went swimming! I love swimming with the kids, we do all the fun things like race, handstands, the classic horsey, swimming through my legs, and of course, me throwing the kids into the pool like there's no tomorrow. Its a good time for everyone!
3) Once we left the pool, it was a little annoying because Rafa and Carmen both always want a minimum of three towels each so they can build a little poolside bed, complete with blanket, mattress, and pillow, but there are not enough towels for them to do it and for everyone else to get one! So I say no and they SCREAM! I don't care though, I want a towel!!
4) The bad thing was that Rafita peed his pants again whilst in the moment and playing games. I told the Abuela, mostly because I didn't want to deal with a pee-soaked 7 year old and she promptly went to him and started yelling at him and HITTING him! Then she took him into the bathroom and smacked him around some more! I could hear the slapping sounds and him SCREAMING through the door!! I was just shocked! I still dont really know what I should do in that situation... it's not like she damaged his internal organs or anything, but I come from an upbringing where it isn't cool to hit kids (THANKS MUM AND DAD) so I just couldn't comprehend that it was OK. But I am in a different culture and I didn't think it would be appropriate to intervene. I could tell Maica, but it was her mother that was doing the smacking so I don't know...
5) Abuse aside, I am really starting to like the grandparents! (Forgive the poor timing of that sentence...) They are so nice to me and I like that they don't step on my toes when I am hanging with the kids, but are always there to enforce my rulings! (Maica also said she would talk with Carmen and Rafa and let them know that they HAD to listen to what I said because we had been having some trouble with that). The abuela also always keeps me updated on all the USA athletes and athletic teams when they are playing on TV. It's really funny because half the time I dont even know who she is talking about, but since they are my country, she feels like she should let me know. (Speaking of USA sports, how bout that 12 hour tennis game?? And yes, I only know about it because of Abuela)
6) After the grandparents Rafa sr picked me and Carmen up and took us home... Carmen fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up again that night. We had dinner and that was it!

Additional things:
a. Right now there is an EPIC thunder/lightning/rain storm going on outside. Other than that the weather has been nearly perfect, super hot, sunny, and NIiiice.
b. My plan so far is to make a kahlua crumb apple pie for my family for the 4th of July... I am a little sad that I won't be in America for that one :(
c. My whole family and Kaja's whole family might take a joint four day weekend trip to Santiago on the weekend of July 10 because there is like some "Camino de Santiago" thing that is religious, where zillions of people from everywhere walk a path to Santiago. We would drive though! Anyways, its not definite but if it did happen, it would be SICK (as in awesome).
d. Tomorrow to Barcelonaaa! I am SO excited!!!
e. Monday starts the work morning and play evenings schedule! I hope it is fun and that the kids listen to me!

xoxoxoxo Julia
p.s. I already miss ELISE so much, she is going to camp on Sunday and this will be the longest time in my life that I have not seen her! We skyped tonight and I LOVE HER.
p.p.s. I think this will be the longest time i've gone without seeing my real parents too... true?