a brand new tree and many more....

Six months has pass since we move to Sao Paulo, with many things missing from Lincoln, we also found out many things "new" in our lives....

The warm in this city is so satisfying, specially people, everywhere smiles and words of welcoming, greetings, or just chatting...like one day in the hospital, i was waiting to see the doctor, and this woman start talking to me, on and on, about the doctors, then illness, then her kids.....i was happy at least i understand half of it, and nod now and then.....but i was afraid she notice i was very bad with the language...then i talk and she notice, but she kept going anyway :).....

The rain is notorious here, together with the heat it comes and goes as please....rains/gets cold 2-3 days then gets sunny another 3-4 days and keep going like that....i can't put away the winter clothes or bedding, cause from those 2-3 cold days, 1-2 days the temperature will drop 10 degrees or so....and the same when it gets hot, it gets hot, even at nights, all the windows open....

i am incredibly happy with the fruit, but still  miss some of my own country, like granadilla (sweet juicy clear pulp great for babies first fruit), pacay (this is like a giant legume with a sweet cotton like cover for the seed), mamey (round, not too sweet and not too juicy), chirimoya (soft skin, sweet juicy inside, cakes are amazing with this fruit).....

mosquitoes like me, i get a bite everyday, but once a week it will get bad and red.....

six months not driving, i have opposite feelings about it, some days i will love to have my cars back, some days, walking makes me feel like the healthiest person in the word, walking to get groceries, walking for emily's portuguese classes, walking to pay the bills at the bank, walking to the mall....all of them between 5-10 blocks away from my apartment....the burden, the hills, one block up, then down, then up again.....

now that christmas is here, we are all getting ready......so, where will i get my natural pine smelling tree like in lincoln?????  uhmmmm....i remember the smell, i really like that....but having a small apartment, and not trees around i will have to come with a solution and here it comes, i will make one myself and stick it to the wall.....with the kids help....it will have us busy and still will be big as always....
we started sticking together some used paper (emily's math, sophie's paintings, etc), and make the shape of the tree....

 Then i cut some "soft" green paper (i dont know the name of the paper :)), and stick it to the "paper tree" just using tape....

When it was all done, hang it to the wall and get all our old decorations in, the ones from school (past years), old decorations with new touch ups, etc... and voila!, our "new" tree is ready!!!!, still reciclable (like a real one), big to hold many decorations and saving space in the apartment....

 

and of course, my kids feel proud of their tree....i think is a good idea for a kids play room, so they have something of they own, like mommy.....we still need to hang the stars on the top and the main one, but we need big daddy for that :)....andddd maybe, some air refresher with pine smell, hahaha!!

Emily is seven!!!!

ufff...how do this happened???!!!!

this time really feels like my little girl is not little anymore....at 5, it was like she was still my baby....then when she hit 6, it was not bad, it was so close to 5 still.....but now seven, seven makes feel closer to 10, why is this happening!!!!!

emily will say:"i am growing because you and mamita keep feeding me and feeding me..."

she is very noble and kind, help me anytime i ask her too....but as much as sophie is learning to talk from emily, sophie is teaching emily to answer "NO!!!", loud and clear....it's ok, she needs to step up and tells me what she wants....sometimes....

she is sophie's mama, they play along as much as they fight.....if i ground sophie, emily will go and stay by her sooting....if i ground emily, sophie will come i talk to my face, "don't make emily cry! uhm!"...

emily is a self learner, she conects to the computer everyday for 30-40  minutes to learn portuguese, same for her homework, most of the times she doesn't need my help.....then she likes to play on her own, usually school, and the people will be tiny peaces of lego.....also she will play princess and barbie.....this time she is very fond of barbie videos, we have seen maybe 10 of them, the one time she asked me is barbie was real.....i told her not, but there are many girls that do many things like barbie, the real stuff.....she was happy to get 4 barbie dolls for her birthday, one from us and the others from her friends at school :)

her favorite phrase: "mami, can i tell you something?" usually to ask me for more candy or to skip her nap time
her favorite color: all the rainbow colors
her favorite animal: puppies and dolfins
her favorite food: tortilla de huevo con hotdog and peperoni pizza
her favorite toy: tigger is still number one! her soft toy
her BFF: Avery and Cyrus (from lincoln) and sophie (she wants to live with her-we agree they can have different appartments in the same building,, no need to "marry" her sister)
her favorite place: the pool in lincoln

this year she learned cursive letters, and she is enjoying her japanisse portuguese's teacher :S
she loves the new apartment, her new bed, and new everything else....


Pregnant...

 

 new born 2005

 

six months 2006

 
 
one year old

 two years old

 

 

 three years old

 

 three and half years old

four years old

five years old

six years old

seven years old

love you my baby girl!

 

week two and three....

Getting the appliances….this toke most of our time, trying to get the good and the cheap, deciding, will we stay 2, 4, more years….what do we really need? What can wait, what I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars and then threw it away…..how long can I stay without a couch, or TV, or shelves?

First we needed a stove, a refrigerator and a washer….i almost got the dryer but time will tell if we really need one, actually my friend told me I wouldn’t, but after so many years using it is so hard to think is no necessary….my head is a mess….

Time pass, I am getting frustrated and tired of cooking in the microwave, specially cause it takes soooo loooong, one microwave, one dish at a time….first rice, then the chicken….chicken ends up like gum….ok, this is it, I buying my stuff and I don’t care…..so I got the courage to go on my own and buy all we need….DESCONTO, my first Portuguese word, very shy, very quiet; but after i got the first one, that is all i will ask ….how much DISCONTO MOZA!!! (my second word)….at the end, I am happy with my choice and the prices were ok……after all was done, I had to wait 5 days for delivery!!!!!!!! …..and another 5 days to get the connection for the gas stove, well that needed a change from using a tank to use the building gas connection, we needed to call the stove company, didnt get an answer in 2 days, then weekend, finally we got connected on monday (the building manager help! poor thing was on the phone for 20 minutes), we will have the service by wednesday, anytime during the day, we must not leave the building..….more money, more time, I want to kick some ass….and then,  finally “I CAN COOK!”......and for some incomprehensive reason I have the desire to cook, after 12 years of marriage….i think is the sun, here is winter but the sun always comes in the morning J

Getting the furniture….this just took time to decide what to do, and again should i get something for a couple of years (cheap) or something that last (not cheap).......it it hard to say at this point, i didn’t want to spend the money but my butt got tired of sitting on the floor….again, ages to get delivery and other many to install them…now the apartment looks smaller, need to rearrange! My specialty!....

Something i didn't expect was emily telling me she loves the new place....well she like everything was new and pretty, the beds, the couch, the table, everything was just perfect she said....and she said she was happy.......she is my sweet heart....i think i am the only nut in this family....

Celebrations….there was also a nice party at the building, we were not sure what it was all about, but they have food, drinks, sweets and bounces, ball pit and games for the kids…and the best, good music….everything inside the complex, at the party house and the playground, so it was safe…I really enjoyed this night, i eat many strawberries deep in chocolate, brochettes and try the "pastel", my kids play the games and won prices ,they were happy.....but what i like it most was the celebration, the music, the laugh, the people...it remind me of my childhood, of my own country...something boom inside me with the music.....i felt peace...

week one....

Back on business!.... Got a cell phone and internet! Veeerrryyy slowwww internet but enough for now…eight days seems like little but when you can not find the place to take a bus, can not tell your family you got well, can not find out why your credit card is not working, don’t have the address of your new house, or have money but don’t know where you can find a place to get the currency……and have two little ones dragging everywhere you go for answers, when you don’t speak the language….it seems like unreal, like a mistake, close to an error….but also i feel glad I knew this life in my deep skin, I am not defeated, but I am scare….and here we are, ready for what is coming, lots of papers to fill, lots of waist hours, hopefully soon, sometime to live….

PD, I step on dog poop twice this week….i hate this place….

Looks….on US nobody care when I spoke Spanish, actually I like to speak with my husband in spanish when we have something secretly to say…..or when we didn’t want the kids to know (that didn’t last much cause the kids learn Spanish too)….here, is weird to find somebody speaking English, so when my kids talk to me, we have some heads turning in our direction….i wish I shouldn’t care but I always get all the colors of the rainbow in mi face when this happens….and my kids prefer to speak English, and men, they do speak….

First day of school….right now school is off for a month, it is fall break…..but we went to visit a school a friend recommend for my kids, a good one a must say, there is no better place a friend can recommend to you than the one her own kids go to….

Library?.....we found a book store at the mall nearby, it is around 10-12 blocks from our building…..i like the kids section so I ask the manager if it was allow to read the books, she said it was ok, but the kids need to be supervised, if unsupervised there was a bunch of old books they can  play with plus some legos beside the benches…..so one day we tried, first we read the old ones, then I got a new one with nice pictures, but it was not a good experience, maybe it was me, as always lacking some confidence, but as soon as we took the book, one employer was going around our bench….emily try to point some pictures, and I didn’t let her touch it, Emily wanted to read but the lady going around us drove me nuts and I just let Emily  see some pictures very fast and then return the book as soon as I could…so we decided  was best just to play with the legos for now…….later a found a real library on the internet, but it will take me one hour to get there, by car….i don’t have one yet…..but you will see when I get one! :)

first days...

Day 1: 29...this is the number of luggage we end up carrying to our new "home", no one more he said...i agree, but still miss some items, no many though, which makes life incredible bearable, for some odd reason, because after all they are just things....the day before we slept 3 hours or so, we arrive to the airport in a U-HAUL, should toke a picture, the people at Delta airlines were incredible helpful and fast...they didn't complain or shown a weird face, always smiling even when i was dying of embarrassment waiting for something to happen, but everything when smoothly....we hug and say good bye, we are gonna miss you dear friends....

Day2: i wish i had chosen the middle seats, they  had 3 spaces to extend people's bodies...instead i had to share 2 seats with my oldest and a 12 hour flight, this time being short was on my side, but still hurt some...
we didn't find a U-HAUL when we arrived, but 4 taxi cab made the deal, one more bag couldn't make it, 29 was the number....
problem, we didn't had internet, didn't have the address, no phone either....we need a hotel, any hotel...
after 1 hour to the city, i check my ipod just in case, it shown the last 5 e-mails, one including the address to the apartment!! we are save!!! thanks God, taxi people are mad, they ask for more money, i dont care, just bring me to the address please!
we give our last money to the taxi guys, now we dont have currency to eat....we found a place that accept credit cards, it was delicious, mangoes, papayas, etc.....i am going to get fat here....

Day3: it has lot of garbage, people smoke, and many cars (emily's comment), maybe that it's why they dont have animals, butterflies or bees..."we need animals you know, they are good for us...uhmmm, this is not a good place to live, we need to teach them to pick the garbage...."
we walk a lot, trying to find what we need....i am tired...i hate it...

Day4:we found a church!....there is calm in my heart, still i dont understand the language, but they try, and smile...they are nice and helpful....we are not alone anymore, but will we fit? can i find an hispanic church?....live close to work, church or school?

Day5: finding walmart! we try the bus for the first time, and there is more walking....
it was not walmart, it had the name but it was not the same inside....i am done! i need plates!

Day6: getting to school, walk five blocks and wait 20 min, take the bus, another 15 minutes, get down, cross the street, watch out for motorcycles, get another bus or walk...walk 6 blocks....cross the street, we are there..
people are nice, emily and sophie will assist 3 times per week for few hours before school starts on august.

Day7:daddy's first work day....first day with no more walking here and there, just at home, playing and watching movies....first day of cooking at home (in a microwave for now), no more fries or pizza.....

moving time....

This time i had a very good reason for not writing....i was scare...

probably because if i have it in letters will it be more real....

This has been one of the hardest choices i ever made, how could i choose to leave this beautiful and peaceful city....this country.....

how can i choose to stop learning.....

how can i choose and my kids can't...

is too much weight, is it right?????

breathe ericka, breathe.........and try.....

smile, believe, hope, imagine....uhmmm, beach, fresh food, seafood, sunny days.....

it will be great....

with God always looking over my shoulder....

more about boys...

Emily and I were watching curious george, the one where the man with the yellow hat was going to space, but he couldn't cause he didn't have four hands to activate....whatever it needed to be activated :)....but them everybody realize George could do it perfectly!......

So, at the beginning the man with the yellow hat had a sad face, and Dr wise-man said "i am sorry you couldn't go this time", then emily told me He was sad because George was going far away.....i told her, i think he was sad because He couldn't go to space as planned....but while we were saying this thing, the picture change and He was actually sad saying good byes to George and walking with him to the spaceship.....so, i just said, well emily, this time He is sad for George (but there was no point to argue and try to probe to her i was right).....

Then i add, i don't think i will never ever can let you go far away from me.....i will be sooo scare and sad.....

then i remember from our last conversations about boys and i told her: when you marry a nice boy, i will live in your basement and take care of your 10 kids (i think she said 100 but lets not encourage her...)

then she said, you will be a mamita!!!! (my mom is visiting us and sleeping in the basement), then she stop talking and start thinking for a while.....then she said: momma, i haven't found a husband yet!

i said: you better hurry darling....

she said: oh! John can be my daddy (daddy=boy/i told her the good boy will be a nice dad), He hasn't found a girl yet!!!! (you should see her face, like OMG how lucky am I!!!)...

then i said: ok, maybe you can ask him....

Then yesterday we went for a short visit to her old school, i needed to ask for after school care so i took her with me and visit her old friends and teacher....we didn't find many but had a chance to talk to Mrs Ford (ex Mrs Fork, and Four...good trick to remember her name...maybe bad for calling names to a person....but we had good giggles and she never let me said that when we where in the school, she felt embarrassed about her silly mama)....

Anyway, while i was talking with the person in charge of aftercare, she said hello to many friends, giving hugs and hellos, but then she said bye to someone who was just leaving school by the front door....i didn't see who was it.

In the car she told me she saw Chase McGee....this is the boy she meet last year and she ask him to be her daddy.....she was smiling....

and she told me: mama, i told him dddaaaadddddyyyyy (very softly) but i think he didn' hear me.....

when i ask her, who is she going to choose, she didn't know, after thinking and thinking she said to me: i want Chase to be my daddy, cause John likes to play to many boy games at recess.....

"Great choice honey!"