Christmas Nuts

 Grandma's photo-taking spree one evening:

Alina loves these books that my Mom got and read all four of them in three days.

Little Baker

 Alina making chocolate chip cookies with her aunt Ana:

More of Alina's Poohetry

Here's something I just found. I do believe it's the first poem Alina ever wrote ... I knew I had written it down somewhere. She was 4 years old.

March 3, 2008
I was working this evening when Alina showed up with a piece of paper with the word "that" scrawled on it and proceeded to inform me that she was, and I quote, "Writing a little poem called That". She then asked me to write it for her while she dictated it.

That is a fear dream
That I stay very sad
When I don't have anyone
To sleep by my side 

Then I pray that Jesus will keep me safe
And heal me from my cold
So that I'll be able to play outside
And do so many fun things

The Owls

 A few weeks ago two baby owls fell from their nest, or something of the sort, and my sister Marina took care of them and made them her pets. The little owls' parents would perch on the nearby mullberry tree every day to keep an eye on them. 

Sadly, they came to a tragic end last week. Miche left the door to their cage open one night and our sweet dog got them. 

Poor creatures.

Second Celebration

After the Sunday meeting we had a little birthday celebration for Alina; this time with her "older" friends and acquaintances from Belo. It's a pity my Dad wasn't here.

Mom bought a couple dozen different kinds of cupcakes and muffins instead of a cake. A very practical idea. And my sister Marina made brigadeiros, such a kind soul.

Needless to say, Alina was overjoyed to have two birthday celebrations. Especially because she was able to wear the pretty flowery dress that she chose.


 

Eyeing the sweets:

Mom graciously serves the cakes:

Making an ugly face:

More jello:

Good to be Home

The girls and I have been "home" for almost a week and gosh, it sure is good to be back. I love the weather here! I'm accoustomed to it and I know what to expect. It's not crazy like in São Paulo. 

Thanks to the nice weather, the girls have been able to swim to their heart's content. They also rediscovered the buckets with Playmobils and have spent countless hours playing with them.

The cherry and mullberry trees are laden with fruit, much to our delight. Alina has been picking berries to snack on almost every day. The nasty dry winter is over. Everything's green and flourishing. Very pleasant to look at.

On Wednesday I went to town with the parents and took Laura along. Alina prefered to stay back to read and play. The business we had to do was over in a short while and on our way home we stopped by the Central Market. I was craving some delicious doce de leite and goiabada cascão. I bought that as well as some dried bananas and dried dates. 

Oh yes, and I got a little broom for Laura because she's into cleaning, or thinking that she's cleaning. She refused to hold my hand and kept trying to run away and almost knocked over several things in different shops. A terror. 

Dad traveled last night and will be gone for about ten days.

I went shoe shopping this morning with Mom. Ooooooh. Too many lovely pairs of shoes. We were able to find what we were looking for and for reasonable enough prices. 

We started having singing practice this afternoon since the plan is to go busking during the Christmas season. Croak, croak. I thought those days were over, sigh.

I miss my Love, so very, very much!

It's hard to be away from him. Again. But at least the girls are having a fantastic time and I'm having a needed break. And we'll all be together at Christmas, Lord willing.

I Spy

In the car the other day:

Me: I spy with my little eye something that is yellow.
Alina: That car?
Me: No.
Alina: Those things on the street?
Me: No.
Alina: Your teeth?
Me: Very funny! No! ... My teeth aren't yellow ...

A short while later:

Me: I spy with my little eye something that is white.
Alina: Your teeth?
Me: That's better, but no.

Such a silly girl.

Alina's 7th Birthday

The night before her birthday, Alina happily helped me prepare the treat bags for her guests. A couple of her friends were going to sleep over and she had even gotten a manicure that day. She was really looking forward to her little party.

Due to extenuating circumstances (Gabriel's mother passing away), her party had to be canceled. I had already bought most of the stuff for it and had ordered a cake. 

There was no party, but we still had cake and ice cream. And jello, of course. Also, Alina's friend, Johnny, came over later that day and brought her a present. So kind.

Anyhoo, here are some photos from her birthday.

Happy to help make the little treat bags:

Opening the present her grandma gave her:

Opening more presents while Laura eagerly looks on:

 

Being a grump while we sang Happy Birthday:

Laura had no clue what was going on. She just devoured her cake. And ice cream. And jello. And look! She got some in her hair!

Poke, poke. The evening before Alina's birthday. :D 

How Time Flies

Seven years ago I was on my way to La-La Land after a day of light contractions and rushing to the hospital on a false alarm. A couple hours later my water bag broke with an audible "pop" and I was on my way to the hospital, again. Almost six hours later my monkey was born and my life has never been the same.

Tomorrow my little baby, my first-born, will be seven. How I miss her being small enough to carry around, her toothless smile and adoring laugh, the cute way she'd talk ... sigh.

For memory's sake, a photo from the day she was born (I was 19).

And one of her a couple of days later (gee, it looks like I got punched in the eye).

Here she is one week old:

Three weeks old:

My darling princess almost seven years old:

Major Change of Plans

Have to go to Belo to take care of some paperwork and so the kids and I will be traveling on Monday. Gabriel said he'll try to go for Christmas and then we'd come back together before New Year's Eve.

My mind is in total chaos. A few weeks before I travel I start making mental lists of what I'll be taking. But since this change was confirmed today, that means I have four days (now three) to make my lists, wash whatever the girls will be taking on the trip, pack, throw Alina a birthday party, and be a happy hostess for her friends who will be sleeping over. Help! 

I know I'm going to end up forgetting a lot of things. I almost forgot that Alina is going to spend a couple of days at Caraça. After I'd packed her clothes and was getting her swimming stuff I realized that I hadn't gotten warm clothes for her. 

I just remembered that I need to take their Christmas stockings. I'd better go pack them before I forget. Again.

OMG

My little girl, my darling rascal, has finally begun using the potty. She has known all along what the purpose of one is. So much so that, when she plays with her dolls, she'll make them take turns sitting on the toy potty and then show the imaginary bowel movements to me. Yet for all the coaxing in the world she wouldn't use it herself. 

Well, all that has changed in these past few days. From one day to the next she started asking to use the potty. 

Ok, she doesn't ask with words, but she makes a distinct sound, grabs her bottom, and points in the direction of the bathroom where her potty is. She's had no "accidents" since Thursday. It's almost too good to be true!

I'm still putting a diaper on her when she sleeps, but at last I have hope that she'll be off diapers sooner rather than later. This is such a happy happening! 

Truly. Tremendous. Progress.
 
I think it was on Friday, she was happily playing when all of a sudden she began holding her bottom and making her noises. She then proceeded to dash to our bathroom, pull the kiddie seat out, and attempt to fit it into the toilet seat. I helped her with that and put her on it. 

The exact second she was seated, she let off some gas. I waited a bit to see if anything else would come out, and then asked her if she had finished. She nodded yes, and sure enough, that's all she had to do. 

It was hilarious! She probably thought it was going to be something else and so rushed to the bathroom. 

She did the same thing later that afternoon and I couldn't help cracking up. The concentrated look on her face was too much! And all her hard work of getting the kiddie seat and trying to be fast, for some flatulence. Too funny!

And then today she started saying "pee-pee" and "doo-doo". Her "p" was a mixture of "p" and "b". 

I'm a proud mother.

On another note, we went shopping this morning for Alina's little birthday party, which will take place next Saturday. And in the afternoon we took the girls to their favorite playground. Then on our way home we stopped at Mac Donalds, had a snack, and they played some more in the restaurant's playground. So fun.

When Sick, Don't Study.

Any plans I had for Alina's school this week went down the drain, perhaps to her delight. 

The poor child already had a cold when she came down with a fever and body aches on Wednesday. She was feverish yesterday and still achy, so she's been in bed these days. 

It was already going to be a shorter school week due to the holiday, but it wound up being a non-school week. I'm sure she's happy about that. 

The only thing that has been worrying her is that she won't be better in time for her birthday party -- one of the truly important things in life.

She only enjoys staying in bed when she doesn't have anything bothersome, which wasn't the case this time. At least she's drinking more liquids than usual and her appetite is returning. 

I put my laptop in her room yesterday for her to watch a video since she was feeling better. She watched "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and plans on watching "Aristocats" either today or tomorrow. 

Oh, yes, and she completed the memorization of Hebrews 11 right before she got sick.

Christmas/Vacation Plans

The plan for now is for me to travel to Belo with the girls around the 8th of December and spend about a month there. Alina's school year is almost over and she's really looking forward to traveling and all the fun she'll have there. 

Another plan is for her to spend a couple of days at the Caraça Sanctuary with my parents and siblings. 

Obviously, she plans on swimming a lot while in Belo, going to the nearby amusement park, going to "Cocana" to get coconuts and pasteis, rollerblading down at the lake, going to the ice cream parlor, and other such fun things.

The original plan was for Gabriel to go to Belo a few days before Christmas, but since his mother's condition has gotten much worse, he'll probably stay. If he does, that means we won't spend Christmas, his birthday, nor New Year's together, sniff.