Christmas Celebration

We had a lovely small Christmas dinner last Sunday, just our family and a couple of friends, before my parents traveled. The kids got to open some of their presents and I'm happy that we got to have my mom's delicious food once again. :) 

The girls and their friend Henrique (they'd spent the day in the pool, hence the messy/bathing suit clad look):

What's left of the feast:

Dining:

Laurie the next morning with her special Minnie Mouse headband that Grandma gave her:

Christmas Happenings/Non-happenings

This year the Christmas season has been pretty different. We don't have a Christmas tree, we won't be spending Christmas here, we didn't have Panetone yet (they're stupidly expensive this year), and we're not gonna have my moms' delicious fruitcake, sob. 

Ok, the lack of a Christmas tree is my fault. I really didn't feel like going through all the trouble of setting it up (and then putting it away) being that we won't even spend Christmas here since my parents will be spending it in the States with my other siblings. But the rest isn't. :D

We did stick to one of our Christmas traditions, though, and took the girls to see the lights at the Praça da Liberdade. Oh right, and we made cookies. Although this year we did something different and made them for the kids at the nearby orphanage. 

The girls and I took the cookies there today, along with a bunch of books and toys we'd separated for them. The kids absolutely loved them and were oohing and ahhing over the christmasy shapes. When we left Laurie said (translation): "We made the kids happy, didn't we? Because the cookies were veeeeery yummy!" She gave her school bag as well (since it'll be too small for next year) and told the guy who was showing us around, "I used it every day this year. Now one of the kids can use it every day, too."

There were quite a few babies, mostly newborn. On our way home Alina, out of the blue, says, "When I grow up, I want to adopt a little baby orphan." So sweet. I think it has to do with the fact that she's rereading the complete series of Anne of Green Gables, and if I'm not mistaken, Anne's daughter, Rilla, adopts a baby during/after the war, something like that. 

To protect the children's identity, we weren't allowed to take pictures (some of them come from abusive homes and are waiting to be sent to relatives), but this visit has been the highlight of our Christmas season so far. The girls have so much! They go to a super good school, have a loving family, a roof over their heads, an abundance of food, etc. I want them to realize that and learn to reach out to those less fortunate. Not just at Christmas, of course. 

       

Baking Cookies

Early Sunday morning the girls helped me bake [a ton of] cookies for us to take to an orphanage later this week. Alina slept in and only arrived at the end of our baking spree so Laurie determined that she'd get to eat 5 cookies for helping and Alina would only get 2. :D

Alina making a blob of something after we'd finished:

Laurie concentrated on making her own cookie:

The fruit of our labors:

July Update: Alina's Trip

Alina traveled down south for the rest of her winter school vacations. The weather was freezing and the poor thing came back home with a terrible cough and sinusitis. She had fun on the trip though and said that the visit to the canyons was the best part of it (tons of pics below :D).  

At a Tibetan restaurant:

Out and about:

At the canyons:

Celebrating 10 Years of Life

Our sweet, intelligent, sassy, big girl turned 10 this year! ... A month ago. 

Oh boy, how time's flying! No, it doesn't seem like yesterday when I held her in my arms for the first time. It seems much longer than that ... because that much time has passed, heh. But I clearly remember her first cry, a short one, as soon as she was born. I remember her looking around, her big eyes wide open, and then she pooped. :) 

She was a very easy, happy baby. She had the chubbiest cheeks and rolls of fat just asking to be squeezed. Lili was an early walker, talker and a fast learner. From an early age she loved books, first tasting them, then looking at them, and then reading them by the time she was 2-and-a-half-years-old (in English, she learned how to read in Portuguese when she was almost 4). 

She loved singing, dancing, coloring, organizing her teaset, and striking ballerina poses. She went on to learn addition and subtraction when she was about 4-and-a-half, and when she enrolled in school she was 2 grades ahead. 

She's had to learn (the hard way) how to share (thanks to having a little sister). But as much as she's bothered by Laurie, she's still a loving, doting, kind older sister ... somtimes, heh. 

Anyway, I'm happy and honored beyond words to have this wonderful, challenging creature in my life to call my own. Lili, I pray that you'll grow up to be a kind, responsible, lovely, young lady. And may we celebrate many more years of life together. I love you!
   
Opening her gifts before going to school:

We celebrated her birthday a few days later at an amusement park. Almost all her classmates went and they had tons of fun running around and going on the rides together.

Waiting for the other kids to show up:

"Happy birthday to you!"

Grandpa José was visiting from São Paulo:

Special attention to Laurie and her friends intently blowing out the "magic" candle:

... still trying!

Last shot with part of the fam:

The birthday girl with auntie Ana:

Cake!

Laurie and grandpa José:

Lili and grandpa Alexandre: