Happy New Year!

Ready for the New Year

I have been on vacation now since the 20^th of Dec with still another 11 days left before work.  The kids and I are having a ton of fun playing.  Bernard and I play Wii (Mario Bro’s) daily.  My thumb hurts from playing.  Gabi has learned to use the computer and plays with her doll house.  When we aren’t playing we take long walks.  Today we took a walk to buy meat and took the dog.  I tied her to the bike rack and walked to a few more stores until finally Gabi said “Where’s Bell Bell”?  Oh no.  So we hurried back to get her, poor Bhellie.  Tonight we had Fernando over for Dinner and now we are watching T.V.  Rodrigo has the rest of the year off as of today, so we are ready to have some fun.  Happy New Year!

It is obvious that my baby has grown up.  He told me today that he is going to leave home and never come back.  Oh, I remember wanting to run away when I was a child.   Desperate for attention.   It was so sad but I know I need to establish the boundaries. 

This Christmas.

Well, it’s here... another Xmas in Brasil.  The kids received their gifts from my family.  Ben got a Wii and Gabi a beautiful doll house.   Now all we have to do is see what Santa will put under the tree this year.  This will be the first Christmas for Gabi to know Santa and it is the first year that she was singing Xmas songs.  I think I will read them “The night before Christmas” tomorrow night and of course put out milk and cookies.  We painted boxes as gifts for the family; made chains of green and red paper, put up a tree and tomorrow we will spend time with the family.  This may seem normal to those of you in America; however I have lost my touch here in Brasil.  When Christmas is not everywhere you have to create it. 

Actually, today was the hottest day of the year so far; summer just started.  I am adjusting better than I thought but it was really really hot today.  I am a little nervous of the heat too many days in a row as the house gets pretty warm.  We spent the afternoon at the nearby pool, naps, pizza, Wii & finally Bed time.  Bernard played Wii for at least 4 hours.  His face was as bright as can be and I could tell he was thankful.  He actually started to heckle us when we played badly; got this from me I am afraid. 

Between playing Wii, Cleaning & Using the computer, I was also playing with Gabi and her Doll House.  I realized that if I don’t teach her how to play, she won’t know.  I thought it was just something that kids knew how to do from the beginning.  But when she plays she stuffs all of the furniture around the house in crazy places.  I guess that is why I have been given all of this extra time to figure it all out; motherhood.  I can’t imagine what my life would be like today if I kept working the way I was in Colorado; completely consumed.  Parenting is tough stuff mentally. 

So, we are good here in Brasil, we are cozy in our house and happy with the prospects of the New Year.  Rodrigo is working very hard in his business, I am working a few hours a night and both kids will start school when we get back from visiting my family in the U.S.A.  This is a trip that I am looking forward to for many reasons. I want to play with my nephew, spend time with my parents, catch up with my friends, and visit my relatives but most of all I want to think back on my year here in Brasil.  I want to process this last year and relax (in the giant bathtub and king sized bed).  Ha!

What will it be like to be in America with little on my mind?  Already today I was trying to discuss details with my Dad and became overwhelmed.  So, I think I will just play it by ear.

I feel very grateful for my life, my children, my husband, my family that had helped to make me who I am, the friends that supported me and laughed with me and the family that I have grown to love in Brasil. 

Maybe life is all about relationships and being grateful for what we’ve been given.     

Merry Christmas!

Heloisie & Ben

I guess we all have family that we finally meet one day in our lives, it has been hard for me to know everyone in my family since my father came to America from Holland when he was 7 years old.  Being an American my family was rather small and being a child, I didn’t know much about looking into my past.  Once when I was 21 I traveled Europe in search of my dad’s side of the family and met his mother’s sister and her kids.  They didn’t look too much like me just tall and of large stock.  So, when we moved to Brasil, I got this amazing opportunity to know Rodrigo’s large family and to meet many of his relatives.

For instance, Rodrigo has a cousin who looks almost identical to him named Cesar and at the wedding last weekend, we had the pleasure of meeting more of his cousins from his father’s side.   Rodrigo’s cousins Vania & Douglas had a little girl who looks just like Ben.  Her name is Heloisie, she is the same age as Ben and they played all weekend together.  This was amazing for me to see, what do you think?

1 Year Later

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, but on the tail of one of the best Family weekends I have had in Brasil, I just found out that soon I will be visiting my family in America.  It couldn’t have happened at a better time.  Last weekend was Rodrigo’s sister wedding, she happened to marry another American.  His wonderful family was in Brasil and I became the translator at times.    You know Watch one, Do one & Teach one… well, I finally got to share my knowledge of Brasil and do my best at translating for another foreigner.  It was difficult as I have a long way to go, but finally it became a different way of looking at things. 

I have been thinking about writing my 1 year later blog, but nothing seemed right until now.  Last weekend with my family a year later, it became clear to me the moment in time where I got to see my year of Progress and… ya know what?  I am happy with my results.  Sure it was a long year and sure it was hard at times to start over completely, but it was worth it.  Now I am on the other side where it is time to start doing the other things like functioning and it’s time for me to stop comparing & stop whining.  As a good friend would always say to me “Accept the reality that you created”.  In Brasil I think that is “Gringo” status.

Here are some pictures of a Fantastic Weekend in Brasil.  Congrats Daniela & Adam!