Today my daughter is turning 4. She had a birthday party at school with her friends. A simple birthday party but she was soooo excited. Each classmate would give her a present and a hug and a kiss. It was so cute. She believes she's taller now because she's older. I guess she is.

If you want a straight honest answer, ask a child. I asked my six-year-old son if my belly was fat and he said very nicely: No, mommy. Your butt is the fattest part of your body.
Isn't he adorable?
Today I start a new exercise program...

Surprises!

Will you look at that. He won. Obama is the new American president. Times are achanging.

Yesterday I did something I hadn't done in around 28 years.
I went rollerskating! Not rollerblading but the old white boots, rollerskating. I think I had more fun than my 2 kids who were trying it for the first time. Funny how it was as if I hadn't ever stopped.
So, I guess learning how to ride a bike or learning how to rollerskate are things you never forget.
The next day, I felt like I had just gotten back from a long workout but it was so worth it.

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OK, I feel better now. I needed that...

Dreams

I haven't been able to use my computer much.
Had a dream I was giving some kind of lecture to a very big group. People were asking questions and I was serving grape jello. My alarm clock suddenly went off (in real life) and my first thought was- Thank God 'cause I was running out of jello. How was I going to explain to all those people that I didn't have enough jello for everyone. I guess jello is very important in the dream world.

The Past

I was trying to put some of my stuff in order and found a whole bunch of old papers I had written in the university and in post graduation courses. What was really weird was that I couldn't remember having written any of them. It was like I was reading someone else's things. Very strange feeling.

Secrets

I asked my 3 year old daughter to tell me about her life just to see what kind of answer she would give me. She said in a little whisper: " My life is full of secrets."
Imagine what it will be like when she is older!

Mosaic

My father made this mosaic boat using as a base a piece of the back of his car. Amazing isn't it? Daddy's got talent.

Little People

A Little Memory

When my sister was around 3 years old she used to play with the Little People dolls and doll house.
She would spend hours sitting and making up stories with them. I was looking through some photos on Flickr and came across a picture of the exact same doll house she used to play with. It was so weird to see something so familiar after soooo many years. I may sound a little like "in my days..." but when I was growing up we used to have few toys but we really used to play with them. Today there are so many affordable toys, cheap really. Kids just have too much, so they end up taking them for granted and hardly even play with the toys they have.
Well, here's a picture of her doll house.

Life

I've been pretty busy these last 2 weeks. I had a great week with a great friend. It was good to talk, go shopping and just hang around. We could have done more but the weather didn't help that much. We also went or really had to go to a tea party. Only women, lots of food and tea of course. We drank and ate till we dropped. Luckily, I had a friend with me or else I would have had to sit at a table with a bunch of women I didn't know and didn't really have anything to say to. It was fun in the end and we got our money's worth of snacks and laughs.
The following week I started teaching again. First group was great, a class full of smart teens. They all seemed nice. And so we are off to a new semester. It's good to be busy again outside of home.

The Big Bang Theory

If you were a robot and I knew about it, would you want me to tell you?

Today's my wedding anniversary. Of course, my husband forgot. Eight years. Seems like a lot longer sometimes.
Here's a pic of my kids' "Festa Junina" party.
Cute, huh? They love to dance and show off.

Warm Shoes Cold Days

MoviesThe Future and "Barata boa é barata morta"

Went to the movies with my kids to see Kung Fu Panda and Wall-e. Both really cute and funny. But in Wall-e the pet roach sort of grossed me out. A roach, even as a cartoon character, is just...blah. Apparently, there will be only one roach left in the world, so the future isn't as bleak as some want us to believe.
Oh, it's warm now. Suddenly, life has more meaning.

Wishes

Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot. Wish it were hot.
They say if you wish for something long enough, it'll eventually happen. I have to believe this. Cold wet days are depressing...

Good Night

I was just tucking my kids into bed when my 3 year-old said goodnight sleep with the angels. My 5 year-old told her sleep with God that's better. She just sort of looked up like she was thinking then said sleep with Minnie.
(She adores Minnie. If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up she says she wants to be an ice skating Minnie) I guess we have to have a little talk for her to get her priorities straightened out. lol

Sex and the City

I went to see the film Sex and the City. Looooved it! Long film but I laughed a lot and cried a little. Lots of dresses and of course sex and some nice takes of New York. Makes you wanna live there. Really makes you wanna buy clothes, shoes, go out, have drinks and talk to your best friends. Love for the opposite sex (or the same sex for that matter) may come and go but real friends are for ever. If you go see it, the best part: Carrie's new closet. I think I could live there, or at least spend a few days in it, weeks maybe. Slowly, fill it up with clothes, shoes, bags. A real shallow existence but since it's toooootally impossible in my present life, it's a nice dream to have and not feel guilty about. Also, loved her personal assistant. Of course, wished I could have one. When I grow up I definitely want one. She was really funny and an interesting new character since we knew all of the other ones. Well, back down to earth and off to take the kids to school.

Panda Video

By far, the cutest video on YouTube ever. The mom looks at the baby like: WTF how did this get here!? I guess as mothers we sometimes look at our kids like that, too. Not because they sneezed but because they many times do scare or really surprise us. That's when we see they're not part of us anymore but little independent on-their-own "creatures".

Elections

So, Obama's The Man, huh. How far will he get? Will Americans vote for a black man with an Arab name? If he wins, which unfortunately I doubt, this will be huge. Not because of what he believes in terms of politics, but because of what he stands for. The first minority group president in the USA. These upcoming elections will be very interesting to follow.

Uma Bobeirinha in Portuguese

A expressão da água pro vinho teria mais efeito se fosse: Ela mudou da água para um milkshake de ovomaltine do Bob's. Ai seria uma mudança que realmente chamaria atenção. Tou com fome de besteira.

New Book

Have started reading a new book by Marian Keyes. She's the author of Watermelon. You've probably heard of her. It's an entertaining book. Easy read, although she's Irish, so if you speak American English there are lots of unfamiliar terms. For example, fags are cigarettes, but you end up getting the idea. Even though it's a "let's-relax-book" compared to Khaled Hosseini's books, I liked what she put at the beginning of the book and seems to be the idea to the story. (I haven't finished yet)
"There are 3 sides to every story. Your side, their side, and the truth." - Anon
It's obvious but the obvious is always worth remembering. The Theory of Relativity...
Amos is making a lot of noise chewing on his food and keeps distracting me. So are my children who just finished watching "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and have decided to "make" chocolate and keep trying to sell it to me for absurdly high prices.
Have to go help them clean up their chocolate factory.

Quickie

This not what you think. Just had to come here real fast to say that I finally made it to the gym after a month and a half. Not exciting to anyone else but me but I feel like ... I couldn't think of anyone I feel like. I feel like me, but better. So, that's the news. Just a thought: why is it that people are so serious at the gym? Like they're solving some life or death matter. Makes me feel like I should be real concentrated, too. I smiled at this girl when I walked in and she gave me this glare. I almost said I was sorry. Well, this is supposed to be a quickie, so I'm off.

Morning "Excitement"

As usual, got woken up by my three-year-old daughter. Danced in the kitchen to Madonna while waiting for my toast. Then, I went crazy and didn't do the dishes right after finishing breakfast! What a sense of freedom! How's that for going wild. lol
Came to the computer to see what was up. Nothing much so far.
My husband's clothes were hanging on a hanger on the closet door and my five-year-old slipped into them while they were still on the hanger. Then, he said "Look mom! I'm a mayonnaise ." He meant marionette. Cute, isn't it?
Well, I guess that's a lot of excitement for one morning. Have to go wash the dishes, am beginning to feel guilty. But I'll make the beds way later!

ps: Haven't found a video of Kabul I really liked yet. Most of the ones I watched seemed too sad.

Another Day with my Family

It was really cold then all of a sudden it got really hot. So, of course someone had to catch something. I've spent the last 4 days taking care of my youngest daughter get over a flu. She's a lot better today. Have been having to fight with the rest of the family to use the computer. I don't often win so it's hard to get to sit here and write. Going off to the mall today to see if I can get a new book to read. My throat has been hurting from talking so much while teaching. My students are probably sick of listening to me. Have to go to talk to a little 5 year-old rebel. Why is it that kids can play by themselves fine up to the moment they see you are on the phone or on the computer. Then they just have to start acting up.

Continuing

Just finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It's a beautiful but veeery sad story about friendship. I cried A LOT. He's the same man who wrote The Kite Runner which I think I liked more. The Kite Runner was also very sad but there always seemed like there was a way out. There was something that could be done to end or change the bad that was going on. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, maybe because the story was about two women, the suffering seemed heavier even permanent. The book became suffucating at times. I had to skip some paragraphs because I didn't even want to imagine being in the same situation. Got me more interested in the Middle East culture though, and in visiting Kabul. Saw some Youtube videos on the city. I'll find a good one and post it.

Starting

Wow, I'd never thought it would be so hard to just start writing. Just writing. Anything I want. Whatever comes to mind. Well, procrastination. No, it's not that. You know that feeling you have sometimes that other people can always do things better than you can? Well, they can. So, I'm going to have to wait, just till this feeling goes away. I'll be back.