Alina making a blob of something after we'd finished:
Laurie concentrated on making her own cookie:
The fruit of our labors:
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
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:
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:
At a Tibetan restaurant:
Out and about:
At the canyons:
Friday, December 13, 2013
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:
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:
Of Tooth Fairies and Santa Claus
Laurie's first tooth fell out a month ago, at 5 years and 1 1/2 months old. I was waiting to get the pics off my phone, but since I don't know when that'll be, I'll just post this and add the pics later.
Her tooth fell out at school and she proudly showed it to me when she arrived home. It was already all clean, so she placed it under her pillow and informed me that the Tooth Fairy was going to bring her a surprise for it. The "Tooth Fairy" almost forgot, but thankfully she remembered right before Laurie woke up the next morning.
Laurie was soooooooooo excited to look under her pillow to see what was there. I read the note the Tooth Fairty left with the surprise and then she asked me (in a mixture of Portuguese, English, and made-up words), "Is the Tooth Fairy for real?". I asked her if she thought it was, and she replied, "Yes!" Alrighty then, if you say so. :)
Her latest "is this real" questioning is about Santa, naturally, with Christmas right around the corner. I think that here in Brazil we don't have as many Santa traditions as in other places. He's a major part of Christmas decorations, presents, and all that. However, there isn't that tradition that builds up the kids' expectation of him and Christmas Day, like setting out cookies and milk, etc.
Maybe she's a bit confused because she watches Christmas movies that show a certain [american] version of Christmas, but then "real life" is different. We personally don't make a big deal of it. If she thinks that Santa will be bringing her presents we don't need to spoil the excitement by informing her that actually it's her parents (and grandparents, and whoever else) who brings/gives them. She should be able to enjoy letting her imagination run wild ... it is, after all, one of the joys of being a child.
Her tooth fell out at school and she proudly showed it to me when she arrived home. It was already all clean, so she placed it under her pillow and informed me that the Tooth Fairy was going to bring her a surprise for it. The "Tooth Fairy" almost forgot, but thankfully she remembered right before Laurie woke up the next morning.
Laurie was soooooooooo excited to look under her pillow to see what was there. I read the note the Tooth Fairty left with the surprise and then she asked me (in a mixture of Portuguese, English, and made-up words), "Is the Tooth Fairy for real?". I asked her if she thought it was, and she replied, "Yes!" Alrighty then, if you say so. :)
Her latest "is this real" questioning is about Santa, naturally, with Christmas right around the corner. I think that here in Brazil we don't have as many Santa traditions as in other places. He's a major part of Christmas decorations, presents, and all that. However, there isn't that tradition that builds up the kids' expectation of him and Christmas Day, like setting out cookies and milk, etc.
Maybe she's a bit confused because she watches Christmas movies that show a certain [american] version of Christmas, but then "real life" is different. We personally don't make a big deal of it. If she thinks that Santa will be bringing her presents we don't need to spoil the excitement by informing her that actually it's her parents (and grandparents, and whoever else) who brings/gives them. She should be able to enjoy letting her imagination run wild ... it is, after all, one of the joys of being a child.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)