Acupuncture

A good friend of ours is currently studying for a graduate degree in acupuncture. She wanted to gain more experience then that made availabe by the clinic, so we volunteered to be her guinea pigs -- we as in my siblings, my hubby, and I. 

I had my first session today. I didn't really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the deep relaxation I felt almost immediately. This stuff works! 

She'll be treating me for back pain, varicose veins/blood circulation, and chronic fatigue. And a huge plus, aside from the obvious positive effects, is that it's for free ... for now. :D

Now, several hours later, the pain in my back is close to nil. I haven't felt this good since the ultrasound treatment I had during physical therapy back in 2007.

Why didn't I discover this treatment before?! All the exercise in the world didn't relieve my pain the way one session of acupuncture did. Yes, I know, the point of exercise is to strengthen the muscles, but still, it doesn't relieve pain, not my pain at least. 

All I have to say is that I have become an adherent of acupuncture. That is what one session can do for you. :) Seriously, being pain-free is prrreeeetty good.

Easter Egg Hunt and Picnic

Last year my mom met an American lady who organizes events and get-togethers for Americans and other foreigners residing here (Minas International). Then last week they hosted an Easter egg hunt and picnic at a park nearby, so she and I took the girls.

Several families showed up and the girls had lots of fun decorating their bags, looking for eggs, eating the goodies, playing, etc. There were people from about 6 or 7 countries and my mom and I had a good time talking to and meeting some pretty nice folks. 

Gosh, it was almost surreal! It's refreshing talking to someone from another culture (and in English!). Their mentalities and outlooks are sooooooo different from what we're used to. It was a great experience for all of us and we all had a wonderful time!  

Alina decorating her bag:

Searching for eggs before the hunt began:

 

Explaining the rules of the egg-hunt to the kids:

Laurie found five eggs and gave one to Alina (who had found 3):

Examining the contents of their eggs:

There was an egg-on-a-spoon race, and at the last minute Alina decided she didn't want to participate so I took her place. Yes, we won. Unfortunately, I had to let somebody down -- it was either my partner (a 9-year-old), or the other kids. 

There were other games, like gunny sack races and tug-of-war, but Alina was tired and didn't care to play, so we sat and ate and watched and had a jolly good time.

Decorating eggs:

March Happenings

Alina ready to go to a classmate's birthday party:

This crawled into our bed:

  
Alina's friend Aline came over for a playdate one Sunday, and the next week she spent an afternoon at her friend's house. Oh, right, and they watched "Grease" because Alina told her friend it was her favorite musical.

Laurie joining in on the fun:

We began the pancakes-for-Sunday-breakfast tradition. In this pic they're accompanied by grape jam, homemade guava and strawberry jam. Yum.

Another Summer Day

These are also from February.

Catching Up

So, my classes restarted in March, hence the slacking off in posting. That, and also we were without internet at home for a month. 

This first load of pics is from Carnival. The girls got to go dressed up on the last day of school before the holiday. Such fun!

Posing before heading for school:

 

Some time during the holiday:

Posing [again] in her fancy dress:

"It's fun to play dress up!"