Madrid

We caught the big European storm the week when we were in Madrid.  Hail, snow, rain, you name it and we probably had it!  Nevertheless, it was a fun week.  We were staying at an apartment nearby Puerta del Sol which was close to shopping and most of the major attractions.  We visited all three major museums and the royal palace.  We were also fortunate to have sunshine for a few days.  We even managed to get Joaquin his Christmas gifts, wading through crowds of parents in El Corte Inglés.

Joaquin learned to do "Salud!" (or "乾杯“) and started to acquire new vocabulary at a lightning speed.  He is now fluent in both Spanish and Mandarin when it comes to pointing out body parts.  He also has full comprehension of whatever we tell him in either language.  We also started doing "time-outs" for him whenever he behaves badly (e.g. pouring water at the dining table) and he accepts his punishment without fuss.  The other day, he poured water on the table again and before we even instructed him to turn around and do a "time-out", he turned around himself!!

 Joaquin loves running down the street

Sunny Day in the Park

Our favorite bakery near the apartment

Meeting up with Nannette and cute Victoria

Apo feeding Joaquin and Joaquin feeding Victoria

Joaquin's first encounter with snow!

Joaquin doesn't know where to begin with this delicious Paella

Cheers everyone!