Living. Learning. Loving.

Summer Goodness

2012-02-11T14:26:00.000-02:00

Spending a hot, summer day under shady trees enjoying delicious fresh fruit and each other's company.

A big monkey:

Yummy fruit:

Our dog Misty:

Overjoyed

2012-02-10T16:41:00.001-02:00

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO happy!!! After over two years of not swimming, nor having any form of exercise for that matter, I've finally begun swimming again. I'm COMPLETELY out of shape, weep. I know that if I persevere, even when I have the hardest time just catching my breath, in a while I'll be back to some sort of decency, shape-wise.

Here's what's making it possible for me to swim now:

- Laura started going to school = time.

- There's a car available, my brother drives, and he's swimming also = means of getting there and back.

- My dad has membership to a club, which I benefit from = affordable price.

- The time of the classes coincides with my work schedule = perfect!

Stuff and Fluff

2012-02-09T11:54:00.002-02:00

Laurie happily shared the following with me a few days ago:

Me cool wed! (translation: my school [uniform] is red)
Nini cool blu! (translation: Alina's school [uniform] is blue)
Dois cool! (translation: two schools)

Here are some interesting things I realized the other day that my kids and I have in common.

When I was kid, and all through my teen years, I'd call my mom Bobby. God knows why. Alina would call me Bobby when she was about 3-6 years old. She then shortened it to Bob, and now it's just Mom.

I'd call my oldest sister, Angelina, Nini (nee-ni). Laura calls her older sister Nini (ni-nee). Both of us are/were late talkers.

Alina and I were early readers. :)

Back to School

2012-02-07T16:05:00.002-02:00

Another school year has begun, and thankfully, Alina has been pretty excited about it. She even set the alarm on her new phone (which her Grandma gave to her) to ring at 6:00 a.m. on the first day (yesterday). She was disappointed to find that about half of her classmates from last year changed schools, but she's already made new ones and has made plans to invite some over for play dates.

She adjusted quite well to the whole big school thing. I, on the other hand, did not. It's amazing the amount of absurd things that some schools come up with. I hope this year will be different. Then again, this year I have both munchkins enrolled in [different] schools which brings a whole new set of challenges with it.

Ah, well, at least they're both happy and I'm sure we'll survive this school year.

Happy to be going to school again:

The little silly sister wanted to be in the picture:

Now one just of her because she's so cute:

Have fun Lili!

Off to School

2012-02-02T13:01:00.000-02:00

My baby is growing up! Sniff. Today was her first day of school and although she was kind of apprehensive about going, after she put on her uniform and got her backpack, she seemed okay and slightly excited to go.

I hope she'll adapt quickly and of course, learn a lot.

What a big girl!

Straightening her bag:

Showing me the ouchie on her knee:

Making faces:

Project Alina: 7-9 months old

2012-01-31T12:57:00.001-02:00

Lili learned how to crawl when she was 7 months, but that didn't last long because she soon learned how to move around upright by holding onto things with one or both hands. By eight months, she could stand by herself without holding onto anything for short periods of time and could take a few steps before falling when she was nine months old. She began saying a few words when she was eight months, the first being "mama". She was weaned at nine months and was the proud owner of 6 teeth by that time.

The seven-month-old princess:

Hello!

Posing on a potty:

Her first Festa Junina and my 20th birthday:

Who's that?

Look at me!

Eight months old:

With her aunt Marina:

Knawing a bone in a lazy fashion:

Smiley baby:

Grandma holding her in her aunt's riding boots:

Standing by herself for the first time:

Happy with mommy:

In her very own "parking lot" with some of her vehicles:

These are from when she was nine months old:

Posing with the hippo -- her first time at the zoo:

Exploring the yard:

Still enjoys sucking on a chubby toe ... or foot:

Look at those top teeth!

Fries, Pizza, and Juice.

2012-01-26T15:12:00.002-02:00

A winning combination!

Hello, Kitties!

2012-01-26T13:57:00.001-02:00

About 3 weeks ago, my sister, Marina, discovered that some random cat had had kittens on our roof so she took them out and set up a cozy bed for them. They were so tiny and obviously only a couple of days old.

Sadly, one of them disappeared a few days later and my sister then traveled for two weeks. Alina was left in charge of feeding them and she was pretty faithful to do so without having to be reminded.

Then last week they opened their eyes and now they can get up and wobble around. Both of the girls are thrilled with these cute little creatures!

Kids in the Kitchen

2012-01-26T13:43:00.002-02:00

On Sunday I was making fruit salad when Laura came up to me and said, "Me, help!". So I got out a cutting board and [blunt] knife, washed some bananas, and let her slice away. When she was done with that, I gave her some strawberries to cut up, but since the knife wasn't sharp, the "slices" ended up all mushy.

Luckily for me, she's still in the phase where she likes to help. Be it hanging up laundry, folding and putting away laundry, washing dishes, or turning on the fan, she's always enthusiastic about it.

Peeling the banana:

See?

Doing a terrific job cutting the banana:

Alina has the slicing-bananas down pretty good. So good, in fact, that this morning she made a humble fruit salad for her and Laurie all by herself. She was very proud about that, as was I.

Project Alina: 4-6 months old

2012-01-19T15:09:00.003-02:00

Alina was the happiest baby I've known! And she was a pretty easy one to take care of as well. When she was five months old she learned how to drink from a cup and make bubbles in it. She sat up all by herself for the first time when she was almost 6 months, and a couple of weeks later she began scooting herself backwards in a crawling position. She also began eating solids (papaya and apple) when she was 4 months, and her first tooth came in when she was almost 5 1/2 months old.

Happy baby:

Chubby wubby!

Getting some sun:

With uncle Rafael and auntie Marina:

Thrilled to be eating:

Five months old:

Tasting my sock:

A silly tongue!

Playing:

She had just sat up for the first time:

First Mother's Day:

Six months old and already a big rascal!

Doing push-ups in her crib:

She figured out how to pull herself to a standing position ... and munch on her crib (hence the cloth):

I can sit!

I like my toys!

Project Alina: 1-3 months old

2012-01-17T11:43:00.003-02:00

Alina grew 5 centimeters in her first month of life and, luckily for me, slept for six hours straight on New Years. Her first laugh was when she was three months old and it was the cutest, most wonderful sound in the world!

She's one month old in these first six photos.

A half-smile:

She's 3 months old from here until the last pic. We had a digital cam by this time ... yay!

Princess:

Very happy:

Beside a portrait of her cousin Alina (yes, they have the same name, not my fault):

Lick, lick, yum!

Look at those cheeks!

Ready to punch something ... or not.

Extremely out of focus, but it's the only shot of most of her crib.

I spy a bush!

Tasty finger!

Silly Goose

2012-01-17T10:47:00.000-02:00

... make that two!

The Weekend

2012-01-17T10:34:00.002-02:00

The nice part of summer has finally come! This weekend it was really sunny and warm after almost two months of rain and cold weather. The girls were able to swim and enjoy the outdoors without it raining all of a sudden. It's so nice when everything's not soggy and muddy.

And for me, well, I was able to wash loads of laundry that actually dried the same day (we don't have a drier). That made me happy!

Thinking about life:

A delish iced coffee I made:

I made this rainbow jello for the kids:

Laurie sniffing it:

Project Alina

2012-01-16T17:16:00.001-02:00

The other day Alina was browsing through our blog, starting at the beginning, and she asked why there were pictures only of Laura when she was a baby and not of her. I explained that when I started the blog three years ago, she was already 5 years old and Laura happened to still be a baby.

That got me thinking, since the point of this blog is to keep track of their lives, growth, changes, etc., and they totally love looking at photos and videos of when they were younger, why not post pics of when she was a baby?

So this will be the first of many posts of Alina's wee years. Happy now, Lili? You better be! :)

Alina was born on November 13th (a Thursday), 2003, at 5:03 a.m. She weighed 3,290 kg and measured 52 cm.

Three days old:

One week old:

Two weeks old. A friend's mother made this outfit for her, complete with booties and gloves.

Two weeks old. Her first bath (aside from the one at the hospital) after the stump of her umbilical cord fell off.

Three weeks old and getting chubbier. One of my great-aunts made the sweater and booties for her. So warm and cute!

Almost a month old:

A Dream

2012-01-13T13:30:00.001-02:00

Alina has a dream. Well, several in fact.

This is one of her dreams:

I think it was last year that she set her heart on going to Disney World. I don't know where she got the idea from.

Yesterday we were talking about it, costs and all, when she said: "I reeeeeeally want to go, but it's ok if it never works out. I still want to go to the States though, to meet my cousins and see snow." Awww.

That was during dinner. After getting ready for bed, she came up to me and said: "Mom, I need a notebook. I'm going to write a book and sell the book and then I can go to Disney World."

She wasn't kidding. I gave her a notebook and she has already started writing a story. We'll see how that goes.

Diagraming

2012-01-07T19:41:00.005-02:00

Alina has begun learning how to diagram sentences, starting with verbs and subjects. I'm taking advantage of these months that she's on vacation to help her catch up in her English school since I had a hard time helping her keep up with it throughout the year (due to the college factor).

Anyway, she shared these words of wisdom with me today as she complained about her schoolwork: "In olden days people would learn how to diagram sentences when they were like 16."

Oh really? Where did you read/hear/see that?

Dead Bird Flying

2012-01-04T16:09:00.001-02:00

Alina and Laura were playing with their kitchen set, play food, and ponies this afternoon when Laura got a toy Alina wanted. After waiting a few seconds, Alina suddenly exclaimed: "Look over there, Laurie! A dead bird flying backwards!" She then proceeded to get the toy back from Laura without the latter realizing what had happened.

A very creative distraction, I must say.

A New Year

2012-01-01T17:32:00.003-02:00

We spent another New Year's Eve at home with some of our family and enjoying the heavenly food my mom made. At midnight we watched a ton of fire works light up the sky all over the city, thanks to the advantageous view we have.

The highlight of the night for Alina was the two sips of apple cider that she had. Oh, right, and the "roasted pig". I had gone out earlier for a manicure and I arrived home to a happy Alina rinsing lettuce for her grandma. When I asked her where grandma was she replied, "She went out to roast the pig for our feast tonight!"

For Laura the highlight was watching the fireworks on TV and seeing them from our window at the same time. She excitedly exclaimed "Dois fire quacker!" pointing to the television and outside.

2011 was a year with plenty of progress, both personally and as a family. I pray that 2012 will be better in every way for us and all our loved ones, that we'll reach our family's and personal goals, and that we'll all remain safe and healthy. Cheers!

Alina wanted to take pictures of us, so here are some of her shots.

Waiting for the special dinner that grandma prepared to be served:

Simply divine! The "porco pig" as Laurie called it.

Yum!

Cutie pie!

Tea Party

2011-12-29T17:57:00.000-02:00

The girls enjoying a tea party with Alina's new ceramic tea set (which we hope lasts a long time). According to her, it was her favorite Christmas present.

Vacations

2011-12-29T17:45:00.001-02:00

So, I have two weeks of vacations, one of which is almost over. That means I can sleep in, organize my kids' closets, veg out in front of the TV, and make some sort of progress in my studies.

Classes recommence in the very end of February, so I have two months to finish reading stuff from this last term as well as my personal reading projects, which have to do with what was studied this last year.

Oh yes, the Hubby and I also need to find a school for Laura, buy school material, uniforms, enroll both the girls, etc. So not fun. Quite depressing actually.

Here's an inspiring shot of what awaits me during my vacations and well into next year. Yay!

Daddy's Birthday

2011-12-27T14:34:00.000-02:00

We celebrated Daddy's birthday by going to the movies to watch Puss in Boots 3D and then eating at Outback. It was Laurie's first time watching a 3D movie and she didn't enjoy it because the glasses were too big and kept falling off. She refused to use them and was restless for most of the movie. Sigh. At least the rest of us enjoyed it.

Christmas Morn

2011-12-27T13:31:00.001-02:00

Staying true to our tradition, the opening of presents took place on Christmas morning and was succeeded by a delicious brunch which almost everyone helped prepare this year.

The girls' favorite part of Christmas is opening presents and then playing with their new toys and trinkets or reading their new books. As well as stuffing their bellies with the edible contents of their stockings.

Posing for pics while waiting for the sleepy heads to get up:

Laura's favorite "baby Jesus" this year:

The sleepy heads finally woke up:

This one didn't:

My siblings opening the present my mom, Ana, and I gave to them:

Lili opening the present Daddy and I gave her:

A ceramic teaset ... lets see how long it lasts.

The present her aunts and uncle gave her:

Laurie's princess pillow-book:

Time to eat:

Time to play:

The aftermath:

Happy with the rockstar Zhu-zhu pet her aunt Patricia sent her:

Laurie put hers in a "cage":

Christmas Eve

2011-12-27T12:24:00.002-02:00

This year we didn't take a ton of pics of our entire family by the Christmas tree before heading to my grandparents' place for dinner, just a few shots of our princesses. Progress?

At my grandparents' apartment:

Broto Cultural

2011-12-27T12:19:00.000-02:00

Each employee of the company I work at got this lovely Christmas basket filled with goodness. Yum!

We ate at Xapuri restaurant on the last day of work. More wonderful-ness! :)

This Little Piggy

2011-12-18T13:14:00.000-02:00

Munched on some nuts:

Struck a pose:

Went out for pizza:

Smiled a silly smile:

Played for hours:

Forced a smile:

Dangerously climbed the bunk bed ...

To put her bag away:

Went to a japanese restaurant where she ate chinese food:

Enjoyed dipping her food in soy sauce:

Christmasy Activities

2011-12-18T12:37:00.000-02:00

Baking cookies:

Making goody bags to give to underprivileged children:

One-Minute Pizza [Bread]

2011-12-18T12:16:00.002-02:00

Laura's latest favorite food is pizza. The only problem with that is that she thought that she had to go out to eat pizza and every day she'd emphatically state "Me out pizza!".

So, the brilliant solution I came up with was to make pizza bread without informing her about the bread part. It's so quick and easy to make and she loves it.

She doesn't like tomatoes, oregano, or other common pizza toppings; just plain cheese. Even better!

Here's a step-by-step on how to make Laura's "special" pizza.

Get as many slices of bread as will be needed:

Cut out circles with a cup (or any other such thing):

Nice and round like a pizza:

Spread ready-made tomato sauce (not paste):

Cover with grated mozzarella:

Put in the microwave for 40 seconds, and voilà, it's ready.

School is Over

2011-12-09T18:21:00.003-02:00

Technically, Alina's last day of school was today, but she didn't go since yesterday was a holiday and there really was no point in going.

On Wednesday grades 1-5 performed for the parents and once again, the settings on my camera are messed up so everything's out of focus. Alina was quite proud of the fact that she memorized the words to all the songs, being that she only knew them in English. I was proud of her for performing so well. :)

I'm glad the school year is over, both for her and for me. I can now look forward to almost two months of not having to get up at 6:00 a.m. and three months of not having to study for tests or write papers. Such a relief!

I am truly glad that I was able to start studying this year and that I was able to keep up with my studies throughout the year. It was anything but easy and I had a rough time in the beginning adjusting to studying and juggling everything else (work, kids, etc.), but I have proven to myself that I can do it. It's a good feeling.

Of course, it it weren't for my husband and sometimes my siblings and parents helping out with the kids and picking me up, I probably wouldn't have been able to do it. I'd consider it humanly impossible. Now that one year's over, there are three more to go and the worst is yet to come. Seriously.

Alina was the star in the Christmas play:

She's the third from left to right in the front row:

Grandma went to see her perform:

With my friend Ingrid on the last day of class:

Several classmates took their kids since we turned the class into a year-end celebration thingie with snacks and gifts.

Yes, I'm one of the tallest in my class:

Dining

2011-12-09T15:01:00.002-02:00

We spent a delightful evening at a dinner my parents hosted for several friends on Wednesday. Of course, the food was scrumptious, as most food in such events usually is. And I must say, Christmas themed things/decorations truly beautify a place.

The settings on my camera have been screwed up so most of the pictures are blurry and really don't do the subject justice.

Grandma and Laurie:

Laura: Me fix tree!

Being silly:

Tasting the yummy food:

Alina was excited about the dinner, but then got distracted watching "Emma", and only graced us with her presence a couple of hours later.

With friends and my sister:

Talking to an invisible person:

Mom and a friend:

Alina had asked if she could sleep "under the Christmas tree" since the next day was a holiday and she wouldn't have to get up early. She tried to stay awake until the end of the event, but didn't manage to. She still got to sleep by the tree though, since I made a bed for her after everyone left. She was very happy about that the next morning.

Up at Last

2011-12-04T16:38:00.001-02:00

So, I finally got around to setting up the Christmas tree and helping my mom put up decorations around the house. It feels good to have that over with and now the kids can enjoy this special and important part of the Christmas season. Hurray!

Oh my Gosh!

2011-12-02T16:45:00.000-02:00

It's almost Christmas and we haven't set up the Christmas tree yet! Shame ... on someone.

The blessed job of setting up the Christmas tree is mine, although I don't know why. Maybe it's because if the kids weren't here, then a tree wouldn't be set up, thus making the responsibility mine as their parent. Sigh.

I have tests for most of the day tomorrow, but I vow to have it set up by the end of this weekend.

Cheers!

Celebrating the End

2011-12-02T16:34:00.002-02:00

... of my first year of college, my sister Ana's first term of college, and my sister Marina's graduation from highschool. Yay for us!

And thanks, Mom, for taking us out. You're too kind.

Weekend in Tiradentes

2011-12-02T15:27:00.002-02:00

My boss, also known as my dad, gave me a two-day stay at a small hotel in the historic town of Tiradentes as a Christmas bonus ... or just to be nice. Even though it rained for two of the three days we were there, we were still able to have fun, see the sights, enjoy the cozy little town, and have a restful break.

Thanks again, Dad!

Obviously, many photos were taken which I post below for your viewing pleasure ... or not.

Ready to travel:

Stuffing the belly with Doritos:

Resting (I wish!):

Checking out the cherry tomatoes at the hotel:

There were three mares with three foals on the hotel grounds, to the girls' delight.

Originally Laurie was going to sleep in this crib, which she liked, but we moved to a larger room where there was a bed for her.

"Ah, this is the life!"

Our room's tiny balcony:

Bookworm!

A silly goose:

Making faces:

São José mountain range in the distance:

Going out for dinner:

Several different kinds of cachaça were available for tasting at the hotel we stayed at:

Yum!

Breakfast time:

More animals!

The girls and I went on the tourist train ride from Tiradentes to the neighboring town of São João Del Rei. Daddy went by car and picked us up at the train station. This is one of the few steam locomotives still in use in the country and needless to say, the girls loooooved the ride!

Inside the more-than-a-century-old train:

During the ride a lady passed through our coach selling typical sweets. We couldn't resist them. :) Aside from the incessant rain, the train ride was very pleasant. This state's countryside is beautiful and we passed by plenty of farms and grazing cows and horses along the way.

We couldn't get out and walk around since it was raining non-stop, but we did do some sightseeing on the go once in São João Del Rei.

Alina: Mom, for you it's a nice, historic church that you like to look at. For me it's just an old church!

Leaving Tiradentes the next day and heading back home:

Extreme Counting

2011-11-29T18:44:00.002-02:00

Immediately after using the bathroom, Laura turned around and began counting the plops of poop in a very earnest manner.

I had to dash out of the bathroom to not laugh in front of her. It was too funny!

Picking Fruit

2011-11-19T18:59:00.000-02:00

Our jabuticaba tree is laden with fruit! The girls are having great fun picking basketfuls as well as eating tons of jabuticabas. Alina wants to make jam with some of them, but we'll leave that for Grandma since she knows how to make it.

Turning Eight

2011-11-13T16:23:00.001-02:00

Yesterday we celebrated Alina's 8th birthday with a pool party. Several of her classmates came over and everyone had a great time swimming, playing soccer, having a water balloon fight, bouncing on the trampoline, etc.

Alina chose what she wanted, food-wise, which was: hot-dogs + trimmings, doritos, juice (soda for everyone else), brigadeiros, cake, ice-cream, and jello. Needless to say, all bellies were filled with yummy-ness. :)

Happy birthday Lili! We love you so much!

With the birthday girl:

Alina loved her cake ... and the sweets (which Mommy, Daddy, uncle Rafa, and auntie Marina made).

Having fun with her friends:

Filling the balloons:

Laura being a nut:

Let the fight begin:

Daddy playing with the kids:

Grandma with the birthday girl:

With friends and little sister:

Time to eat the cake!

Auntie Marina and her friend João:

Still swimming:

Opening presents:

Happy with the presents Daddy and Mommy gave:

Devouring left-over jello:

Memory Game

2011-11-02T11:43:00.001-02:00

Laura loves to play memory games, especially the one she has with Disney's Little Mermaid characters. Of course, she hasn't accepted yet the rule of turns. She thinks it's her turn every time, although when she lets me play, she gladly "helps" me find the matching card.

A lovely, blurry shot of the munchkin:

Picking a card:

Finding a pair:

Organizing her pairs at the end of the game:

She can count to five by herself in English and to ten with help. When she tries counting to ten by herself, she gets mixed up with the numbers in Portuguese. We can tell the difference when she's counting in English or Portuguese, but it sounds weird because she doesn't speak clearly yet.

Play Date

2011-11-02T09:15:00.001-02:00

Alina's friend and classmate, Clara, came over last Sunday. They had loads of fun swimming, playing with dolls, going on the trampoline, playing dress up, and swimming some more!

The girls (and Laura being a monkey in the background):

Trying to do a handstand:

Laurie Poser

2011-11-02T08:48:00.000-02:00

It started in the kitchen one fine day last week when she was dressed up in a Halloween outfit:

And continued the next day when she insisted on wearing the same outfit with a twist ...

Mr. Potato Head's glasses!

I'll have you know that she came up with the posing all by her little self. All I did was take the pictures. :)

Bed for Three

2011-10-25T16:30:00.000-02:00

Since Daddy's away for a few days on a business trip, the girls have taken over our bed. It is becoming a tradition. I don't know what will happen when they get bigger.

Until then, the three of us fit. Uncomfortably.

Alina's Latest Words of Wisdom

2011-10-25T14:09:00.001-02:00

Just a few of the many interesting and funny things Alina says that were written down before they were forgotten.

Our meals are becoming uncommonly pleasant!

Imitating Prince John's laugh from the cartoon "Robin Hood":
Haw-haw. Haw-haw. Forgive me the cruel chuckle.

I was there during the episode, so I remember it very well.

After showing me a few diary pages she had made:
For things like this, it has to be pink and feminine.

In some situations, pink goes better with it.

While putting two molars under her pillow:
Maybe the Tooth Fairy will give me two reais for each tooth. Then I'll be rich!

Pajama Party

2011-10-14T19:19:00.001-03:00

This little piggy went to a pajama party at school today ...

And this little piggy stayed home.

Children's Day Fun

2011-10-12T22:32:00.001-03:00

Children's Day isn't an actual holiday, but it so happens to be on the same day as a national holiday, which of course, is very welcome for both kids and parents.

Alina's school didn't have class Monday through Wednesday, so she's happily having a 2-day school week. Many schools give the kids the whole week off.

Anyhoo, we celebrated this very special day with a yummy breakfast of their choice, and then packed a picnic and headed off to Mangabeiras park. The place was packed! There was no space to lay out a mat, but thankfully we found a picnic table that had just been vacated.

Having a picnic at Mangabeiras park was Alina's idea and she's aware that she only has a few more years to choose what to do for Children's Day. Soon enough Laura will be talking and choosing activities and then they'll have to come to an agreement.

So, we had a delightful picnic of provolone, mozzarella, salami, champignon, etc., etc. sandwiches, and grape juice. Alina's favorite. Then we strolled around, looked at the huge fish, bought pinwheels, had popsicles, looked at the things some indians were selling, got a seed bracelet for Alina, and played in a wooden playground.

Once we were back home, the girls went on the trampoline, watched a movie, went on the trampoline again, had a pillow fight on the trampoline, and then ended this wonderful day with a yummy wannabe banana split.

Time for a picnic:

Alina insisted on having a tuna fish sandwich (with her favorite trimmings, of course):

Silly goose:

A smile, at last!

Alina trying to keep her balance:

And the copycat:

Fish!

Pinwheels!

Taking in all the sights and sounds:

She actually wanted to pose for a picture with the indian. Progress. He's a Pataxó indian from the northeast of the country. One of the other indians had a pouch made from a coati, like literally, the entire animal. Strangely, she was fascinated with it. I thought she would have felt sorry for the pooch.

Leaving the park and the Serra do Curral in the background:

View of the city in the distance:

Playing:

Great way to end a day!

Very Early Christmas Gift

2011-10-09T19:06:00.001-03:00

For the girls.

A 4.25 meter trampoline.

It was on sale and my youngest sister was dying to get one, so we split it with her.

They are loving it!

With the safety net:

Aw, the Laurabee is sad ... or whiny:

Glasses

2011-10-01T16:21:00.000-03:00

So, we took Alina to the eye-doctor a few weeks ago because she'd been complaining about how she couldn't see what was written on the white board at school and she'd always sit real close to the computer or television, and lo and behold, she needed glasses.

To my surprise, she was pretty thrilled with the news and said she couldn't wait to get her glasses. She said one of her classmates wears glasses and she wanted a pretty pair like hers with butterflies on the rims. We didn't find any like that, but she chose a pair and we picked them up yesterday.

Gosh! I can't describe the state of joy she was in. She ran all over the house looking at things and reading items far away, which she obviously wasn't able to do before. She kept exclaiming how wonderful her life was going to be now that she could see right.

I'm so relieved that she's ecstatic about having to use glasses. I was a bit worried at first because she's kind of shy and I thought maybe the fact that she needs glasses would make her feel bad.

I'm grateful, sooo very grateful that this whole thing has turned out to be a pleasant experience for her. I hope she remains this happy about it.

Celebrating ...

2011-10-01T16:00:00.000-03:00

Laura's 3rd birthday with family and a few friends. My dad and youngest siblings were attending Rock in Rio (too cool!) so they missed out on the little party. It was for a good reason though.

Laurabee thoroughly enjoyed her party, ate all the jello and brigadeiros she wanted, played, danced, and danced some more!

Looking at the pop-up counting book her aunt Ana gave her:

"Say cheeeeeeeese!"

Happy birthday, my crazy, little monkey!

Her Wee Poo cake, as she calls it:

Our "traditional" family birthday shot and Alina looking glum for the picture (as usual):

Opening more presents:

Daddy!

Lili!

Singing "Happy Birthday":

Playing:

Ricky, the mutt:

Birthday Outing

2011-10-01T15:20:00.000-03:00

Fun at a friend's birthday celebration last week.

With Moother and ladies:

Silly guys:

Marcia and my sister:

Babysitting

2011-10-01T15:08:00.000-03:00

Last month I babysat for one of our neighbors for several evenings. That was something new for the girls (having another kid around during the evenings) and they enjoyed having someone other than each other to play with.

Lil' Patriot

2011-09-11T12:05:00.000-03:00

I don't know what happened, but this year it seemed like a "patriot" button was switched on on Alina. All of a sudden she was extremely interested in Brazil's history, when it gained its independence, the abolishment of slavery, etc. She wrote and decorated the entire national anthem and informed us that she was dying to see the parade downtown.

My dad was kind enough to take her to watch the parade, since Gabriel and I were at the fair, and she even made a paper flag for herself. There was a large crowd, but she endured it and the heat to get glimpses of the parade.

Something she wrote in her L.A. book a while ago. The school book is American, that's why there's that picture, heh.

Fairs

2011-09-11T10:42:00.001-03:00

My dad's company, and the one I work in, participates in book fairs all over the country and all year long. There's a team that works specifically with that, but this month there were two fairs happening simultaneously, one in the north of the country, and the other here in Belo. That means that everyone here worked at the 11-day fair. Exhausting.

It was an interesting experience overall, but a deadly one for my feet, legs, and back. My mom got the girls almost every time I went since the fair would go until late at night, during weekends, etc.

A few pics from one of the days:

Dad:

We took the girls to the fair one Sunday. They didn't stay for long, but they sure enjoyed looking at all sorts of books and choosing a few whilst munching on popcorn.

Resting:

Poses

2011-08-28T16:54:00.000-03:00

Laura 34-35 months old:

The Movies and a Birthday Party

2011-08-27T00:46:00.003-03:00

We took the girls to the movies this week to watch "The Smurfs" and they enjoyed it. Course, almost any outing to the movies is fun.

Alina has gotten over crying every time something bad happens to the "good guy" and can sit through most kid movies. Laura on the other hand will watch ANYTHING. A regular couch potato.

She's really into dancing and "singing" (she doesn't say all that many words, yet), and so throughout the movie whenever an upbeat song would play, she'd stand up and start dancing or wiggle around in her seat to the beat of the music.

Then just tonight (well, last night since it's past midnight) they went to one of Alina's classmate's birthday party which was held at a bowling alley. Alina actually played this time. Progress. She ate the yummy snacks, had fun with her friends, and was happy until it was time to come home.

Laura, as usual, was a little nut running around, dancing her behind off to the sound of the music coming from the loudspeakers. Needless to say, she had fun. Plenty of it.

Waiting in line:

Laurie's First Hair Cut

2011-08-26T21:47:00.000-03:00

Our little monkey finally got a hair cut. She behaved and quite enjoyed looking at herself in the mirror as her hair was being cut. She's become a vain little thing. It's cute, though.

Alina had her hair cut, also. She wanted to cut it above her shoulders and have bangs, but I had to explain to her that her kind of hair puffs the shorter it is. She settled with having it a bit below her shoulders and now brushes some of it to the side over her eye as "bangs".

Father's Day

2011-08-15T13:11:00.001-03:00

Technically, we have a little more than five weeks of winter left, but the weather has been warming up (thank God) and we had a weather-perfect Father's Day. We started it off with a pretty healthy breakfast of strawberry-pear-apple-melon-banana-raisin-grape fruit salad, cream, and gooseberry syrup which Mommy made while Daddy slept in.

Later on we had a little barbecue, just our family, since the rest of the folks were traveling, out, or other-wise engaged. The meat was delicious, thanks to Daddy's barbecue-making skills. I'm happy we were able to celebrate "his day" together.

It's a pity my Dad wasn't here as well, but he's having a much-needed vacation so we can't complain.

Oh, right, and I made mayonnaise and barbecue sauce for the first time. Yay for me.

Actually, yay for all the fantastic fathers I know. Great guys who sacrifice for their families, who help out in the house, who care and "are there" for their children, who do fun things, and are good role models. The world needs more guys like them!

On to some photos from our day.

Breakfast:

A happy father with barbecued picanha:

Enjoying the good food:

Tasty!

Daddy and the girls:

Laurie making a face + Mommy blinking = great shot ... not.

Beer!

A pose:

Swimming again after 3-and-a-half months without doing so:

Granadilla mousse Mommy made for dessert (with fresh fruit, hence the seed particles):

Of Teeth and Tooth Fairies

2011-08-07T18:31:00.001-03:00

The Tooth Fairy has paid Alina nine visits so far and taken ten teeth. That's because since the last two teeth fell a couple of days apart, she put them both under her pillow.

She surprised me this time by seriously informing me that she knew that the Tooth Fairy wasn't real (oh really?!) and that I was the one who would place things under her pillow. My handwriting must've given me away, ha! Oh well, at least now I don't need to worry about what would happen when she found out that none of this was real but just a fun game and a way for her to get special little things.

I've tried not to only give her money for each tooth. Aside from a few Reais, she's gotten stickers, earrings, chocolates, and a decoration thingie to put on her pencil. I remember sometime in the mid 90's my parents gave me one USD for a tooth. I do believe that was the most I ever got for a tooth.

Alina took after me in that her teeth come in and fall early. My wisdom teeth started coming in when I was 14 and I had them pulled out when I was 19. Got a small mouth. The "normal age" in which she should be losing these teeth is 10-years-old. She's almost 8.

Anyhow, the "Tooth Fairy" is still in business because even though Alina knows it's not real, her mother is, and will continue placing surprises under her pillow whenever she loses a tooth.

A pose showing off one of the latest holes:

Laurie wanted a picture of her teeth, also:

Lil' Happy Helper

2011-08-07T15:23:00.002-03:00

34-months-old Laurie doing a terrific job helping wash dishes:

And then cleaning the sink counter:

Back to School

2011-08-07T14:38:00.000-03:00

School restarted this week and Alina's first teacher returned (the one that was on maternity leave). It was a bit rough for her to get back into the school routine, but she's fine now and is once again accustomed to getting up and going to bed early.

First day of school:

End of July

2011-07-29T18:44:00.001-03:00

And classes recommence. Let the stress of studies begin. Again.

This is a GREAT book I'm reading, by the way. Actually found it on sale which was such progress and made me happy.

Hardcover, latest edition.

I want it in English as well but for now I can't afford it. Sniff.

Winter School Vacations

2011-07-23T15:17:00.001-03:00

Last weekend we went to visit a friend who had recently had a baby and then roasted marshmallows when we returned home. A first for the girls.

Laurie and Grandma with the newborn:

Alina spent this week at a camp hosted by a club and she reeeeeally enjoyed it! There were all sorts of fun activites each day and she made a new friend. I'm sure glad we were able to send her to this camp, it's just a pity I don't have any pictures of her at it.

First day of camp and Laurie looking like a bum:

Ready to go to the second day of camp:

One of the evenings we took the girls to the amusement park to go on the new huge ferris wheel. And of course, other rides.

Waiting in line:

Showing off the hole in her mouth left by a tooth that fell earlier that day:

Laura's turn to make a face:

Eating the junk-o:

Ending the last day of camp with hot chocolate and marshmallows, popcorn, and a movie:

Out and About

2011-07-16T13:48:00.000-03:00

Checking out the animals at the Central Market:

Happily carrying the treats we got:

Tasting dried bananas:

Tired from walking around:

At the movies to watch Kung Fu Panda 2 ... they loved it!

Portraits

2011-07-16T13:19:00.000-03:00

Our little princess:

Our big princess:

This and That

2011-06-29T15:00:00.001-03:00

Since Daddy is away on a 3-day business trip, I told the girls they could sleep in my bed with me. They were overjoyed. I, not so much the next morning.

Alina woke up a few times during the night to complain that Laura was pushing her off the bed. I woke up several times to cover myself since Alina kept kicking the covers off. And Laura didn't wake up at all, unless she was awake when she pushed and kicked Alina.

Don't know if I can take another night like that!

Oh, yes, school is over until the end of July, yay! Though I did enroll in a week-long extension course in July. I'll get my final grades for this first semester in two weeks. Only 3-and-a-half more years to go!

Alina read "The Chronicles of Narnia" in two weeks. All seven chronicles. She is now rereading the whole book and has proclaimed "The Magician's Nephew", "The Horse and His Boy", and "Prince Caspian" as her favorite chronicles.

Thanks again, dearest Angie, for giving her that fabulous book.

Aging

2011-06-20T21:40:00.002-03:00

So, one more year of life has gone by. I celebrated my 27th birthday yesterday and I'm ever so thankful I have such dear people in my life who make it worth living.

I'm glad last year is over. Let's see what this new year has in store (easy tests and papers to write, pleeeease).

Gabriel made a yummy breakfast for us (someone is being sneaky):

Then later my folks took me out for lunch. Thanks again!

A candid shot:

This is what happens when Mother doesn't wait a little longer before taking the picture:

My bootiful youngest sister Marix:

The Three Stooges:

My awesome parents:

"Shut up! Zip it!" (a family joke)

Looks like somebody had a little too much to drink. I kid. He's just tired. I think.

Festa Junina

2011-06-20T20:59:00.001-03:00

Festa Junina is my favorite celebration of the year ... after Christmas. And Easter. Alina's school held one on Saturday and we had loads of fun. Aside from all the delicious typical foods that were served, what was special about this one was that it was the first time Alina danced the traditional "quadrilha" dance along with her classmates. God knows why the teachers paired her up with a short fellow, but it ended up being pretty funny.

Alina's Festa Junina drawing for a school contest:

All ready in her Festa Junina outfit:

Laurabee as well:

She wanted me to take a picture of her doll which, coincidently, had a dress with a pattern similar to her own:

Sisters:

By the kite Alina and a couple of her classmates decorated for the party (she drew, colored, and cut out all the pairs of people):

Popcorn:

With Grandma and auntie Ana:

The three piggies:

With her dance partner, João:

Her group (she's at the back of the line):

What joy:

Laurie dancing:

Waiting for their cue:

The younger group performing:

After filming the whole dance (15 minutes), the battery of my camera died so I wasn't able to take pictures of the rest of the party, the goodies, and the beautifully decorated school grounds ... sigh.

Here's a clip of the last minute and a half of the dance:

Iced Coffee

2011-06-16T17:04:00.000-03:00

Love, love, love it!

Check out the link below if you're an iced coffee lover like me :)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

Eclipse

2011-06-16T16:41:00.002-03:00

As most people know, there was a total lunar eclipse yesterday. Beautiful!

The last time I saw one was eight years ago and I was pregnant with Alina. This was the girls' first.

We observed it from the beginning when the moon began to darken, until it was shining bright. Alina said the moon looked like a boat when less than half of it was shining and she was excited to watch its "transformation".

And Laura, well, she didn't have a clue about what was happening, but she kept pointing at it and saying "moo".

Part of the eclipse as seen from Brazil:

Strange Happenings

2011-06-12T17:18:00.000-03:00

It was Thursday evening, around 7 o'clock, I had just finished giving Laura a shower, in fact she was still in the shower stall, when all of a sudden this extremely strong wind began to blow. A few seconds later we heard a horrible crashing sound and then the electricity was out. By that time there was a full-scale storm going on, the tall trees in our yard were bending as if made of rubber, and the horrific wind continued.

Shortly afterwards, my brother spotted a large gap in our wall. The noise from the storm was so overpowering that we didn't hear the tree crashing onto the wall.

When the storm subsided we could see some of the damage caused by it: roof tiles shattered on the ground, another tree fell onto the dog kennel, large branches strewn here and there, one of which flew from a tree across the street and broke part of our rain gutter (the first big crash we heard). Thankfully, it missed the roof by centimeters, if not, the damage would have much worse. Also, the guys were able to block the gap in the wall to the best of their ability.

As freaky as the storm was, what was somewhat worse was the fact that we then went without electricity for almost 48 hours. Obviously it was a set-back work-wise since there's only so much that can be done without electicity, such as organize files, papers, and the like.

We were able to enjoy ourselves though, even without electricity. We made a fire, roasted marshmallows, had wine, bread, sausages, and other yummy things on Friday night. It was freezing anyways, so what better way to warm ourselves than by sitting next to a crackling fire on a moon-lit night.

On Saturday my dad, brother, and I went to a beer festival that was being held in a neighboring town. Now that was delightful beyond words! Spending a crisp, sunny, winter afternoon drinking different kinds of beer and eating typical dishes from this region was very nice, especially after what we'd just been through. My wonderful husband stayed home with the girls so that I could go out and enjoy myself. Thanks, Love!

Hole in the wall:

My brother helping block the hole:

Alina wanted to see what had happened during the storm before going to school:

Everyone feels the cold. Not him. The boys got a bit carried away with the event, hence the swords on the table for "protection".

The Foother and Moother:

Last Weekend

2011-06-12T16:13:00.001-03:00

We went out for a [delish] pizza and the usual fries with the girls earlier in the evening. Alina didn't care to play this time, unlike Laura who played to her heart's content in the restaurant's small playground.

Later that evening several of my siblings' friends came over and we hung out ... pleasant company and good drinks. I think the last time I stayed up so late was on New Year's Eve. :)

Laurie choosing her juice (not really):

The next morning we went down to the lake to ride a bike with the girls. Someone recently opened a place where you can rent all sorts of bikes to ride around the lake, so we got this rickshaw type with a seat in the front for the girls and two sets of pedals in the back.

We ended up waiting quite a while because all the bikes were rented. At least the girls enjoyed seeing the many cute dogs walking or running by with their owners and looking at all the interesting birds and creatures by the lake while we waited.

Our little nut ready to go out:

Two bumps on a stump:

Having a popsicle while waiting for our turn:

Chasing a cute dog:

Our turn at last:

Good exercise for Daddy and Mommy and a fun ride for the girls:

A joão-de-barro's nest in one of the trees we rode by:

School Life

2011-06-02T17:42:00.002-03:00

I attended a parents/teacher meeting at Alina's school this week. She has a new teacher. Again. The first one took off in the end of March on maternity leave, the substitute resigned two months into the job, and now we'll see how long this one lasts. Sigh.

Naturally, all the parents are worried about all these changes because obviously it interrupts and causes glitches in the children's learning/school year. Alina's still bedazzled by the newness of everything, and since she's a couple of grades ahead of the rest of the kids she doesn't suffer the scholastic lacks that the others do.

I've been trying to get ahold of the [elementary] coordinator to explain to her Alina's unique situation. Haven't had luck so far. She's unchallenged scholastically, yet I don't want her to change grades because she's not on the same level emotionally as the 3rd and 4th graders. She's as tall as the older kids, but she's still just a big kid.

I know that running a school the size of the one she goes to is quite complicated, but it's pretty frustrating that they can't get someone who will do the job needed to the best of their ability. Sigh again.

Endeavoring

2011-05-26T16:09:00.001-03:00

... to keep up.

Psychology test next week.

Group paper to turn in next week.

Freak out session.

So much to learn in too little time.

I do believe every parent should take a basic psychology course. Very complex subject, yet extremely enlightening. You'll be amazed at how much better you'll understand yourself and your children and thereby hopefully do an even better job at parenting.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Our Little Miss Sunshine

2011-05-15T18:53:00.000-03:00

Also known as The Destroyer.

Be it sunshine or destruction, she brings plenty of joy to our lives.

Helping make her own breakfast:

Showing Grandma how she can make a 30-piece puzzle all by herself:

Another day:

She loves to read a story before going to bed ...

And when she wakes up early on the weekend:

Being a monkey:

Her nutty look:

Helping Mommy make carrot cake (she LOVES to mix):

Pondering about life:

And about how much she loves her Mommy :)

I just noticed that in most of the photos she's in pijamas. I guess the reason for that is that usually the only time I'm graced with her antics is early in the morning and later in the evening. Come to think of it, the average amount of time I spend with her is 4 hours a day and with Alina it's 3 hours a day. Sad but true.

School and Stuff

2011-05-14T15:33:00.001-03:00

The month before last I was finally able to set up an arts and crafts/play/homework area for the girls. Progress.

Here's something my second grader wrote at school:

Uma Família

Uma família representa amor, carinho, paz, segurança, e confiança. Uma família dár tudo que você precisa: comida, água, roupas e brinquedos. Eles também botam você em boas escolas para você ter uma boa educação e fazer muitos amigos. Tem algumas crianças órfãs que não tem família e estão muito tristes. Nós podemos ajudar elas a serem mais felizes. Minha família é tudo pra mim. Eu gosto muito da minha família e eles gostam muito de mim.

And here's one of her works of art:

Daddy and Lili making a school model:

Taking it to school:

Last Saturday the girls and I attended our first mass ever which was held at Alina's school to celebrate Easter and family. The second and third graders sang a song they had learnt the previous week after which a snack was served (everyone took something). There was a treasure hunt and then each family did an activity and the kids gave their moms the cards and little gifts they'd made for Mother's Day. All in all a pleasant morning was had (aside from the fact that we had to be up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday).

Those are the third graders in the back row, but Alina's so tall they put her in the back:

The girls checking out the other kids' models:

There's Alina's:

Activity time:

Laura roaming in the school's playground:

And here are a couple of pics of me looking PG with some friends and my Hubby at our freshman party:

I can't believe the first term is almost over. I have two papers to turn in this month, two evalutions and one test left to take ... aaaaaagh! I should get back to my studies.

Our Day

2011-05-08T18:31:00.001-03:00

My wonderful Hubby took me and the girls out for lunch to celebrate Mother's Day (ex-busking team: Cia. do Boi ... divine meat!) after having let me sleep in and preparing a yummy breakfast of crepes with chocolate sauce.

Alina made me card which she placed by my pillow early in the morning for me to find when I woke up. And Laura, well, she was her normal, rascally self who hadn't the faintest idea of what was going on. She just enjoyed everything the way she usually does. She chowed down her fries, gulped her juice, ate bits of the delish meat we had, and then played to her heart's content in the restaurant's playground.

Oh yes, and licked less than half a popsicle (the rest melted all over her dress, hands, and car seat).

With my big princess:

Daddy looking less-than-thrilled whilst Laura tries to snatch the saltshaker (again):

So to all the fantastic mothers I know: Mom, my sisters, sisters-in-law, and friends, I hope you had a special day and felt appreciated for ALL that you do and are!

And here's a thought from the poet/writer/artist Kahlil Gibran:

You are the bows from which your children

          as living arrows are sent forth.
          The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
          and He bends you with His might
          that His arrows may go swift and far.
          Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
          For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
          so He loves also the bow that is stable.

The Holiday and Easter

2011-04-28T22:13:00.003-03:00

There was a national holiday right before the Easter holiday so we had an extra long holiday, yay! We took the girls to an amusement park one afternoon for a few hours and they certainly enjoyed themselves.

Time to fly our plane:

Now an elephant:

One of the joys of Laura's life: rides that go round and round.

A yummy dish of cod that Mother prepared for our Easter dinner. Too much goodness!

Messy, happy monkey after filling her belly with her grandma's good food:

Easter Sunday: Alina reading the first clue of the treasure-hunt I prepared for them.

With more clues and the little chocolate eggs she found along the way:

Uncle Rafa being his bothersome self:

Still at it:

At last the treasure was found (behind the leaves):

And what a treasure it was!

Laura with her treasured chocolate eggs and a small puzzle book of the Easter story:

Guarding her chocolate from mean uncle Rafa:

She was probably telling him to bugger off ... in her own special language.

Patiently waiting for the guests to arrive for our Easter brunch:

The delicacies Grandma prepared for everyone:

One of the days we took the girls to the movies to watch Rio, but alas, even though we did arrive more than an hour earlier, there weren't any more tickets. Bummer! We had stood in lines for over an hour (me with the girls to buy the tickets and use the bathroom and Daddy in the supermarket) only to find out that we wouldn't be able to watch the movie after all. Thankfully, there was another kid movie showing (Hop) which we were able to watch so our outing wasn't wasted.

Oh yes, and I was able to study quite a bit and amazingly enough, I completed one of the papers I have to turn in next month in one day. That was a relief because up until then my mind was blank, aside from a few abstract ideas that floated around in my head without going anywhere.

Having accomplished that was better than all the chocolate and yummy-ness that was to be had during the holiday! And that's saying a lot ... for me.

The Cost of Studying

2011-04-21T14:36:00.003-03:00

If you have small children and a full-time job, I don't recommend enrolling in an university. Maybe it's just me, but this is a sure recipe for chronic exhaustion and less time with your family.

The studying part is just great. It's finding the time to study, think, and study some more that's quite difficult.

Currently, the time I have to study is from 6:30 - 8:45 a.m. while at the same time giving breakfast to Laura, making beds, tidying the rooms, getting ready for work, and getting Laura ready for her day. Later I have from 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. which is after the girls are in bed, the dishes are washed, and I've taken a shower. And then of course, I have the weekends. And holidays, such as this one.

Exercise is non-existent. "Making time for it" doesn't exist in my world. A day has only so many hours and my body needs a certain amount of hours of sleep which it hasn't gotten in a VERY long time. Continuous lack of sleep, working in front of a computer all day, and studying in front of a computer when I have the time, all contribute to my exhausted state of being.

Last week Alina innocently asked me during lunch: "Why do you put that black stuff under your eyes?" She was referring to the dark circles under my eyes which I guess were extremely dark that day. AND I was using concealer.

I informed her that I don't "put it on", it's dark because I'm tired. To which she replied, "Yeah, it's all purple and ugly". Sweet child. What she hasn't discovered yet is that it's hereditary. My mom did tell her to go look in the mirror.

She didn't get the point.

The Phase

2011-04-21T13:37:00.000-03:00

I wasn't familiar with it because I skipped it when I was a child, but my almost-7-and-a-half-year-old monkey has gone through -- and thankfully already left -- the phase of disliking and wanting to change her name.

It didn't bother me much that all of a sudden she was dissatisfied with her name. What bothered me were the alternatives she came up with, i.e. Caren and Sharin. The spelling was all her idea as well.

I'm glad this phase was short-lived. She has gone back to being indifferent about her name.

And life goes on.

Walk in the Pawk

2011-03-28T20:53:00.000-03:00

Barbie joined us:

As did this giant:

Huffing and puffing Alina wearily said: "Now I know what it was like for those people who crossed the desert!" She was probably referring to a Bible story. I pointed out that at least we had the hope of quickly finding shade as well as cold water and modern conveniences.

And we did! ... In that building off in the distance.

Swinging like regular monkeys:

Laura's good at it:

Ecstatic monkey:

College

2011-03-22T13:43:00.002-03:00

First month of classes: Sociology.

Loving it!

Two Silly Sisters

2011-03-18T22:38:00.000-03:00

I do so prefer when they are silly. Reminds me of the innocence of childhood and how ignorance is bliss. And I sure don't tire of their joyous squeals and funny faces!

One rainy day ...

Alina insisted on wearing pijamas that are still too big for her:

A serious pose:

A close-up of the monkey slippers (courtesy of the Grandmother):

Life's just funner when you're wearing a cardboard crown:

And having [sugarless] cornflakes for snack:

And when you have a sister to share such memorable times with:

Lil' Organizer

2011-03-14T17:05:00.001-03:00

I recently came across this piece of information which sheds some light on Laura's fascination/obsession with organizing and grouping things. Even though she's very particular about certain things, like where her cup should be placed at mealtimes, it's not like I was worried that she had some sort of problem.

Actually, it's all quite new and interesting for me because even though she's my second child and has been developing normally (other than the fact that she's a pretty late talker), she is completely different from Alina. Each of them amaze me in different ways.

Q: My toddler is obsessed with organizing things. She's constantly stacking toys and other objects, lining them up in perfect rows, or grouping them by color. Is it possible that she has obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Expert Answer
Penelope Leach, child psychologist

Though your toddler's stacking, grouping, and sorting behavior may strike you as odd, it's actually perfectly normal for a child this age. Indeed, noticing the similarities and differences between objects and learning to group like with like is one of a toddler's most important cognitive tasks. Granted, her fingers' constant sorting, arranging, and grouping activity may seem like a tic, but remember that she must first do this work with her hands before she can do it with her brain.

If you watch your child closely — with pleasure rather than anxiety — you may notice her carefully separating her soft toys from her dolls, putting them into neat rows, and perhaps even dividing them into smaller subcategories (the baby dolls in one row, for instance, and the Barbies in another). If you're lucky, you may even witness her contemplating higher-level dilemmas, such as whether the apple should go with the ball (because they're both round) or with the cookie (because they're both things to eat).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), on the other hand, is debilitating rather than empowering. Instead of using organization to gain an understanding of her world, a child with OCD uses her compulsion to keep the world — and the extreme anxiety and fear that it causes for her — at bay. She may stay in the bathroom for hours and wash her hands until they're raw, for instance, or not be able to leave the house until she's completed a complex series of rituals. These obsessions and compulsions tend to get in the way of social interactions, interfere with normal activities, and are often accompanied by sleep problems, depression, and quirky eating habits.

The behavior your child is exhibiting is not OCD but the sign of a normal — and completely healthy — cognitive advance.

Carnival Holiday

2011-03-10T21:01:00.004-03:00

As usual, we didn't do anything extraordinary during this prolonged holiday. It rained every single day so plenty of indoor activities were had by the girls such as: watching favorite movies, drinking lots of hot chocolate milk, making puzzles, helping Grandma in the kitchen ...

(the reward of her labor)

... and of course, playing. With barbies.

I had high hopes and plans of doing some major, and much needed, organizing. But instead I took advantage of my extra two days off to study for an upcoming test and to try to make some sort of progress in reading the required books of my course.

We did have a barbecue one of the evenings and some of my siblings' friends came over. Played several games of Boggle afterwards ... I like.

Oh, right, and on the last day of school before the holiday, Alina's school had a small Carnival celebration and she got to go dressed up. 'Twas the highlight of her week. And yes, it was raining.