A Working Weekend

I don't have any park or club, playing or lunching photos this weekend. Because I pretty much worked straight through the days that end our week. But I can still offer some random thoughts. In fact...

1. I am developing a callous on my right thumb from squeezing a frosting tube. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I told you that it is prickly numb....like when your foot falls asleep under the table and you pinch it and don't feel a thing.
2. I don't have to worry about child labor laws. Georgia (perhaps in observation of the circles under my eyes), offered to help me work. "Mommy, Georgia-Work." So I set her up with her own frosting tube and a cookie--right next to me at my work station. My hopes of a cookie decorating child prodigy were quickly squelched. "Mommy, Georgia-Eat." Bye-bye cookie. Her employment lasted less than three minutes.
3. Saturday was my record breaking "time-away-from-Georgia" day. Felipe and I switched roles. It was his record breaking "time-with-Georgia" day. Naturally, I fretted unnecessarily. Honey, you did a great job babysitting. But I am not willing to switch roles...
4. I promised myself I would get to bed before 2 am tonight. I might actually even open a book. On the "light" reading list: Elizabeth Gilbert's new novel.

So I'm off. Monday starts a new week--even though there wasn't much recreation or rest this weekend. But whose complaining? Not me.

Ana hearts chocolate.

When I asked Ana what kind of cupcakes she had in mind for her birthday she said, "chocolate, always chocolate."

May your birthday year be just as richly sweet, Ana. Parabéns!

Baptism Day for Beatriz

Bea was baptized on Saturday. And like Georgia, she is a part of a multi-cultural family. Her Daddy is Brazilian and her Mommy is European. They live in Switzerland.

Much to the delight of her Brazilian grandparents, Bea traveled to São Paulo to celebrate this sacred day.

How lucky I was to participate. Not only did I get to do the sweets. But I did the salty (luncheon), too. We chose a delicate angel and celestial theme.

If you met Bea, you'd think it was the perfect choice.

Maria is seven.

Maria turned seven. And she wanted a Hannah Montana party. So her dear mommy, Ana, rented a real live Brazilian Hannah Montana impersonator to animate the festa.

What more do you need for a Hannah party? Since I can't sing (or lip synch), I decided to offer some cupcakes and cookies for Maria (and Hannah). What musician doesn't like a sweet note or a new guitar? Add some flowers, stars, and butterflies...and there you have it. Feliz Aniversário Maria! Hope you sang and danced all of Ms. Montana's greatest hits on your celebration day.

Slim Pickins'

nationalgeographic

There are slim pickings in my refrigerator this week. Potentially delicious meals that lost their appeal in Tupperware. Leftovers again. At the moment, I'm a wife too busy for gourmet meal presentations. This week, it's zap it in the micro and beepity-beep. We are eating without place mats and the napkins are paper.

So like my husband who stares vacant (or sad?) eyed at those plastic boxed mysteries, I'm staring at this white screen wondering what it is I can post in a breeze and still be entertaining. I'm a blogger too busy for intricate post productions. This week I need to borrow from youtube.

You see I am lost in an all consuming maze. I turn the corner to Alice and that Rabbit. "Oh my whiskers...it's late, it's late..." I look behind me and see Hannah Montana. Is her guitar purple? Overhead angels are wafting by...can clouds be chocolate? My right thumb is semi-permanently indented from the frosting tube. And I've let my girl eat way too many sprinkles.

My life is stuck in a theme. Should I worry that I envision turning everything into a cookie cutter...including my daughter. And, hey, why not my husband? Am I neglecting my family? How can a wife/mom/small "business-starter-upper" do it all and still have her eyebrows tweezed?

I certainly haven't the answer for this multi-tasking maze. I'm just doing. And in case you feel like spending the day in my theme park, I am taking photos for you to see....so bear with me. I'll get there. I think.

Shimmy

I want it all.
The clothes. (especially the pink pants)
I would dance afoot talcum powder and roll in the sand.
Happily.
So Lovely.

Courtesy of Lou Dillon for Vanessa Bruno.

Welcome Bernardo!

I received a text message from Bernardo's Grandma Lili at 2:16 am, announcing his arrival: 2.72 kilos and 47 cm!

The maternity ward in Brazil deserves a whole other post--but lets just say that I live in a very social (and family oriented) country.
Hence cupcakes for the hospital's lenient (and always full) visiting hours
Bernardo's first of many festas!
Parabéns! Muito saúde e amor!

Birthday wishes!

Happy Birthday Querida Joana!

I was working on your birthday surprise today. A chocolate cake in a teacup..a floating heart....
At first the cup and saucer were both white.
But I realized something just didn't seem quite right. (pardon the rhyme)
I remembered how you call everyone Flor (flower)...
A quick switch of the saucers yields an imperfect (yet perfect) set.

A wonderfully sweet year for you, my dear friend.

PS: You share a birthday with one of my favorite Aunties! A. Cindy...I'd mail you a treat in a teacup--if only I could! Happy Birthday...

In a bubble

We spent our weekend in a family bubble (at times, quite literally)--oblivious to the outside world. Here are some of our trivial discoveries:

1. Georgia realized that her fingers looked like raisins and not from the massive quantities of dried prunes consumed but from the time spent bobbing in the club pool.
2. Our child can pucker her lips like an insolent supermodel when not floating in the club pool.
3. Twenty-two month old girls are capable of packing their own bags when the destination is jumping into the club pool.
4. Being on top of the water (in a giant bubble) ranks up there with swimming in the club pool.

Another summer weekend has pleasantly passed. Sunday blues were delayed as we gained one hour changing our clocks for Fall. But soon enough our bubbles will burst.

Hope you all lost yourselves in a happy weekend bubble. Nighty-night.

Whilst Walking

Quality Time

Instead of the usual summer afternoon downpour, we woke up to a dreary rain that had its claims on the day. G and I managed to squeeze under an umbrella to keep to the Thursday morning "girls breakfast out routine." (It was worth leaving home just to parade my proud girl down the street in her screaming red ladybug raincoat.) After breakfast, we killed some time at the "soupy" (supermarket). But how long can you examine bananas? So we were homeward bound with cabin fever--even if Georgia insisted, "No. home." We had (I said), "No. Choice." (She didn't much like the expression).

And since I am a stickler for routines (and mine includes spending the first half of the day with my daughter), I wanted to come up with a new "quality-time activity." In other words no feigning playing while half working--with the TV (that purple guy show) in the background. So I went to my art supply box and found some clay. The colors gleamed through the grey day and it had glitter!

The 2 Reais box ($1) was the longest and cheapest entertainment ticket in town--a whole hour and a half. Who said that a nearly two year old is too young to grasp the concept of the colorful dough? I did warn her not to eat it after she licked it once. (It looks a lot like my colored balls of edible fondant.) But she was way too busy instructing me to taste test, "mushroom, rainbow, boot, duck, snowman, Captain America..."

I'm not sure who had more fun. Having children reawakens dormant creativity. I now spend time writing on chalkboards, playing with clay, doodling on napkins in restaurants, building sand castles. I sing. And I look at the animals on Old McDonald's farm with a new anatomic curiosity. (I want to draw them better.) And the best part? No matter how bad your clay version of Santa is, your child will think it looks exactly like him.

And you'll feel like a museum quality artist.

Wave

Tree, Blue Deer, Blue Attack, Pink Bunnies (all 2006)

I just found out that an artist friend from NYC is having a baby.
Andrea is an art teacher at Friend's Seminary. (I'd love to send Georgia there.)
And her little bundle is to be named Wave...a clear eyed little girl on a longboard and a toddler with crayons clenched in a tiny chubby hand.
Peaceful and loved.

Congratulations Andrea!

A Long Weekend

Brazil Carnival 2010:

1. What could be more? The sum total of SPF protection on blistering shoulders this scalding hot holiday weekend or the number of pieces of confetti littering Copacabana?

2. Georgia is learning modesty. "Mommy, fix bathing suit. Bum-bum." (wet sand in bikini = bottom exposed) Georgia is learning vanity. Georgia. Flower. Hair. Pretty." (Isn't it, though?)

3. If you invite friends the day before Carnival to your *in-law's beach house, they might actually come. What to do? Toss them into the family stew without air conditioning and pray they still like you afterwards. I and G?

4. I like baking birthday cakes in my bathing suit. And I like when everybody eats birthday cake in their bathing suits, even more. Happy Birthday G!

We might not have swiveled our hips to the samba beat nor donned any feathers--or even watched a televised parade--but we threw our worries to the wind (if there was any breeze) and perspired together under the sweltering sun. Better friends. Better Parents.

Back to "Sampa" (São Paulo) Tuesday. There will probably be more traffic than SPF totals and confetti together. Ash Wednesday after 12 pm...the populations returns to reality as the holiday officially ends.

**Thanks to my in-laws...again!

Happy Carnival!

Is it any surprise my child cannot get to sleep? Is it normal for parents to be throwing confetti around the living room at 9 pm? Probably not. But we sure had fun. And we have an excuse. It's Carnival here in Brazil. Everyone is misbehaving until Ash Wednesday.

We are off to samba our toes into the sand...another extra-long holiday weekend at the beach.