Some days you win, some days you lose.
(We were actually thankful when he rounded the corner with the potty on his head, that he hadn't actually used it.)
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Love
Today Pete leaned over awkwardly from the bitsy training potty laid his head in my lap where I sat reading him a book, awaiting his "gift," and said "mmm mommy. yuv you."
I'll take it any way I can get it.
Is there a better day in a parents life than when your children tell you they love you for the very first time?
Not that I've yet experienced.
Words with Pete: Two Years
Motorcycle: "Moga-mo"
Jelly Beans: "Belly Jeans"
Hot Dog: "Wa-Wog"
Watermelon: "Moga-mella"
Oreos: "Circle round and round and round cookies"
Strawberries: "Strawbellies"
Elephants: "Fuffants"
Muffins: "Fuffins"
Watermelon: "Moga-mella"
Oreos: "Circle round and round and round cookies"
Strawberries: "Strawbellies"
Elephants: "Fuffants"
Muffins: "Fuffins"
Lion: "Ligon" (Tiger/Lion hybrid ala Napoleon Dynamite "Liger." You can't even teach kids pure awesome like this.)
Lightening McQueen: "Lightening DuQueen" (Cars: the movie, clothing, sippy cup, backpack, lunchbox, flip-flop, taker-overer of the world)
...and now a little something we like to call, "Twisty Nose"
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Bid List!
After much anticipation we finally received our bid list today:
Brazil, we will be very sad to part ways, but I have a feeling we will see each other again.
In the meantime, Bangkok, Kathmandu, London, Nassau, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Dubai, Calgary, Florence, Lisbon, Ankara....
We hope to make your acquaintance soon and have the good fortune of calling you (or one of 230 others!) home for the next two years.
Brazil, we will be very sad to part ways, but I have a feeling we will see each other again.
In the meantime, Bangkok, Kathmandu, London, Nassau, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Dubai, Calgary, Florence, Lisbon, Ankara....
We hope to make your acquaintance soon and have the good fortune of calling you (or one of 230 others!) home for the next two years.
A lover's semi-holiday
Happy belated Valentine's Day! We spread the love all the way from the USA to Brazil with a care package from Nanny that included conversation hearts that we repackaged late Monday night to take to school for Sam's class.
For our lover's holiday we treated ourselves to a trip to visit our Doula. One last appointment before baby girl is due, to sharpen Paul's labor massage techniques. Then we were off to dinner at Parilla Madrid, a Spanish tapas restaurant, where you can hope to, but not find any Spanish tapa on the menu, but instead a "Rodizio" of small Brazilian plates. Yummy, yet confusing in their culinary pride. I decked myself out in my least muumuu-like outfit I could wriggle in at this precious, advanced maternal state and photographed my least pregnant part. Just to prove to everyone leaving work in the embassy parking lot as I waited for Paul, that: "Damn girl! She's still got it." Whatever that might be, the sharp lines of my nose perhaps.
Paul's gift to me, though lovely (I picked it out) was caught up in the awesomeness that is DPO mail. My gifts to him, a variable cornucopia of odds and ends: an evening of arranged child care, a visit complete with Powerpoint diagrams of lady-birthing-parts from the Doula, a wedding photo framed after six years of marriage, one more night in our bed before he is forced out by the sheer mountain of pillows that I require to support my inner tiny human.
The government, however, did come through with a much awaited gift: Arriving just a day late (or so we are promised) the key to our future, The bid list. Part II, III, IV....I've lost track, of our lover's adventure soon to be determined...
Brazilians think we are completely ridiculous, for a lot of reasons, but particularly on this day, when we describe Valentine's Day, with we can most closely relate it to here in Brazil, "Dia das Namoradas." This is the Brazilian equivalent of Valentines Day, which falls here on the 12th of June, but is ONLY for "girlfriends and boyfriends." So we really creeped them out by sending Sam to preschool with treats reading "Marry Me" and "You're the One," to pass out to both boys and girls in his class. "Crazy Americans."
Putting together the treats, "Hole Puncher Man," and I sat across from each other at the kitchen table. Paul returned from putting Pete down for bed and I asked him to Google Valentine's Day to tell Sam the story about St. Valentine. I think it's important to honor our country's holidays or teach the boys about them so they don't lose touch with their inner lover's on days such as this. Paul refused, reminding me that all the stories about Valentine's Day were about being in jail and dying, which hello! Love?! That's what it's all about! Am I right?
So, Paul made up his own story, none of which I remember. Sorry Paul.
Oh and...PS: I'm never cutting his hair again, because those curls, it turns out, are attached to my heart and each time someone cuts one a little piece of me dies. It is really bad.
These, my tiny loves, extra huggy while saying goodbye to Sam for school. Paul waiting, keys and tiny puppy dog briefcase...ok backpack, in hand while the lovers tear themselves apart.
Putting together the treats, "Hole Puncher Man," and I sat across from each other at the kitchen table. Paul returned from putting Pete down for bed and I asked him to Google Valentine's Day to tell Sam the story about St. Valentine. I think it's important to honor our country's holidays or teach the boys about them so they don't lose touch with their inner lover's on days such as this. Paul refused, reminding me that all the stories about Valentine's Day were about being in jail and dying, which hello! Love?! That's what it's all about! Am I right?
So, Paul made up his own story, none of which I remember. Sorry Paul.
Oh and...PS: I'm never cutting his hair again, because those curls, it turns out, are attached to my heart and each time someone cuts one a little piece of me dies. It is really bad.
These, my tiny loves, extra huggy while saying goodbye to Sam for school. Paul waiting, keys and tiny puppy dog briefcase...ok backpack, in hand while the lovers tear themselves apart.
For our lover's holiday we treated ourselves to a trip to visit our Doula. One last appointment before baby girl is due, to sharpen Paul's labor massage techniques. Then we were off to dinner at Parilla Madrid, a Spanish tapas restaurant, where you can hope to, but not find any Spanish tapa on the menu, but instead a "Rodizio" of small Brazilian plates. Yummy, yet confusing in their culinary pride. I decked myself out in my least muumuu-like outfit I could wriggle in at this precious, advanced maternal state and photographed my least pregnant part. Just to prove to everyone leaving work in the embassy parking lot as I waited for Paul, that: "Damn girl! She's still got it." Whatever that might be, the sharp lines of my nose perhaps.
Paul's gift to me, though lovely (I picked it out) was caught up in the awesomeness that is DPO mail. My gifts to him, a variable cornucopia of odds and ends: an evening of arranged child care, a visit complete with Powerpoint diagrams of lady-birthing-parts from the Doula, a wedding photo framed after six years of marriage, one more night in our bed before he is forced out by the sheer mountain of pillows that I require to support my inner tiny human.
The government, however, did come through with a much awaited gift: Arriving just a day late (or so we are promised) the key to our future, The bid list. Part II, III, IV....I've lost track, of our lover's adventure soon to be determined...
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Meia Maratona
Weekend? What weekend? We kicked off Saturday bright and early with swim lessons rolled right into lunch and a cupcake baking/nap marathon.
We were invited Saturday night to some friends home for a pre-race dinner with the rest of Paul's running mates, so I baked Brazilian colored cupcakes in honor of: their first "Brazilian Half," my sweet tooth and to feed all nine kids in attendance.
We had an impromptu 37/38 week photo shoot on the way out the door to prove just ohhhmmaaagawd how big I am getting, but also how cute and excited these little boys are to welcome their baby sister to the world.
Paul had no trouble rolling out of bed at the usual insanely early hour that we arise, courtesy of Peter, and we hung out watching a little "morning tv" and making signs to cheer on our posse. We headed just to the end of our conjunto with snacks and water, where Paul promised to pass by sometime around 8:30.
Shortly after 8:30 (typical late start time. Brazilian style) he flew by.
Always the Superfan of his dad, Sam was eager to run and collect Paul's sweat drenched race shirt and visor that he'd shed on his way by to lighten the load for the last few miles.
...and while we didn't make it to the finish line, my friend Morgan snagged this picture of the big finisher...well finished.
This afternoon we spent fitting three car-seats together like puzzle pieces into our car to make travel happen for the next 9 months or so until we leave Brazil and finishing sewing baby girl's bedding (yes I did! pictures to follow as soon as our crib arrives!) in a furious nesting/sewing frenzy.
We were invited Saturday night to some friends home for a pre-race dinner with the rest of Paul's running mates, so I baked Brazilian colored cupcakes in honor of: their first "Brazilian Half," my sweet tooth and to feed all nine kids in attendance.
We had an impromptu 37/38 week photo shoot on the way out the door to prove just ohhhmmaaagawd how big I am getting, but also how cute and excited these little boys are to welcome their baby sister to the world.
Paul had no trouble rolling out of bed at the usual insanely early hour that we arise, courtesy of Peter, and we hung out watching a little "morning tv" and making signs to cheer on our posse. We headed just to the end of our conjunto with snacks and water, where Paul promised to pass by sometime around 8:30.
Shortly after 8:30 (typical late start time. Brazilian style) he flew by.
Always the Superfan of his dad, Sam was eager to run and collect Paul's sweat drenched race shirt and visor that he'd shed on his way by to lighten the load for the last few miles.
...and while we didn't make it to the finish line, my friend Morgan snagged this picture of the big finisher...well finished.
This afternoon we spent fitting three car-seats together like puzzle pieces into our car to make travel happen for the next 9 months or so until we leave Brazil and finishing sewing baby girl's bedding (yes I did! pictures to follow as soon as our crib arrives!) in a furious nesting/sewing frenzy.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Perspectives
Some People: "The glass is half empty."
Other People: "The glass is half full."
Sam: "That glass has a lot of....glass!"
Other People: "The glass is half full."
Sam: "That glass has a lot of....glass!"
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