Exhi(bits) from the weekend

Last night in our long quest to replace the "Amazing Zilda," our former empregada/Brazilian family member/the someone who loved our kids and cared for our house and let Paul and I go out, keep in touch, like really, instead of just emailing each other all day and passing each other ten times in the hall in the evening without ever getting to exchange a word.....

...we've finally interviewed a gem. She was so shining from beyond the gate that even though she was 45 minutes early for her interview and I had no idea what I'd say to her in my painful Portuguese until Paul arrived home, that I let her in anyway. She marveled at the kids, said "Graças a Deus," when they batted their tiny eyelashes at her and basically shined like a little angel sent straight from maid/nanny heaven. I managed to fumble my way through initial questioning until Paul arrived home to recap. We exchanged glances as if to say, "Holy wow! This might finally be the one."

...and just in the nick of time.

We checked out a super cool art exhibit I'd spied from the road this Sunday, more images to come on my photography blog. Until then a few snapshots of the giant pillows:

...and speaking of cool exhibits...and giant pillows...

T-minus one week until our estimated date of arrival for baby girl. Here I am exhibiting all 39 weeks of us:

...and Sam's exhibit:

A portrait of me! I could not feel any more like this drawing looks. Minus my nipples, which are not showing as this sketch would lead you to believe. I applaud him embracing his mother's attention to detail and abstract artistry, however.

After visiting the giant almofadas we swung by the Praca, an open square amidst the government buildings. The boys had spotted a "bicycle train," earlier in the day and it didn't disappoint. It blared house music (Sam's favorite) and the boys rode around for R$5 each for half an hour dodging pigeons, while Paul and a few other visitors pedaled themselves silly in the blaring Brazilian sun. It was one of those moments that you kick your adult self out of the way and throw your whole self into the sheer joy of your kids.

I stood in the middle of the square chasing (and dodging) the "train" like a crazy woman, beaming, laughing hysterically on the verge of crying from happiness and oozing the joy that was one of our last weekends as a family of four, but I've never really been a fan of even numbers anyway.







Until then, we're keeping it odd: