A kid in sports means?

So, we have this great 4 day weekend now. Tuesday is Brazilian Labor Day, and we have rented a house near the beach in Buzios to spend the long weekend. HOWEVER, Sierra ended soccer practice with a bag of ice yesterday and drying tears, using it on both her nose and her right thumb. Seems the ball made contact with both areas of her body during the practice. Isn't this a game that you aren't allowed to use your hands in? Anyway, throughout the night, her nose healed without worry, yet her right thumb continued to grow in size. The creases on the knuckles were even beginning to crack...by bedtime her thumb was 4xs it's normal size.
I wrapped her hand before bed to stabilize any movement and this morning it actually looked a little better--a little. When we got to school, I took her to the school nurse, who added a popsicle stick to the wrapping I had applied this morning and proceeded to tell me that Sierra really needed an xray.

We just returned from Cotrauma...with a fractured thumb, cast to elbow. What will a girl do for the weekend at the beach with a cast on her arm? Well, we know that there is a mini-golf course in Buzios, so we are thinking this will be a good activity for one afternoon. We will all need to play with only our left hand to make it fair though. Also, Sierra loves to shop. I'm sure she'll be pacified.
While the technician was putting on the cast, Sierra informed him that this is her first cast. She's 8, almost 9, and of course very excited about the novelty (right now). The technician simply replied, "Sua premiera e seu otimo." Your first and your last. Now she wants me to decorate it for her with pink flowers and the team logo for Flamengo, the local soccer team she supports. What ever happened to just letting your friends sign their names?

Indian Dinner with friends...

Last night we had our first dinner party at our humble apartment in Rio. During the day we had to go out and purchase a few extra dinner plates and some additional flatware because we realized we only had four plates and there would be five adults eating + two kids! I guess need often encourages the buying of things one doesn't use day to day. I now have 6 wine glasses as well! Pete Kennedy was our chef of the night, bringing all the ingredients for a fantastic Indian style feast. Joe and Francesca kept a close eye on Pete completing the meal. I'm really grateful for our "American style" kitchen. The three of them standing and talking would not be possible in most kitchens here in Brazil, as most kitchens are a narrow, small room. It is not typical of Brazilian culture to spend time in the kitchen as it is in the US. Many families employ a maid/cook to prepare meals and the family does their socializing in other areas of the house.
We had curry chicken, couscous, hummus, 2 different veggie dishes, and various tortes for dessert. Everything was fantastic!!


The mess that remained can be seen here...a couple bottles of wine, a few beers, and lots of food later, we ended the evening relaxing on the veranda.
We are really thankful to have so many wonderful people down here taking care of us, sharing happy times with, filling in as "family". The international experience sure has brought some interesting people into our life. So many experiences, independent and shared and so much to learn from those around us.


Who is going to clean this mess????
OH, I have to add this dialogue with Sierra from during the day. We were preparing to leave for the store to buy beer and wine and a few plates (lol) when she said: Um, can we buy some pop too because it's not like I'm going to be drinking beer with you guys all night!

Stream of Consciousness

I was thinking today, I know I think every day, but today was different. I was thinking today about this writing activity called stream of consciousness. I used to engage in this daily when I had more time in the day and actually spent hours writing. Somehow life took over and they (whoever they is, probably friends of Pete, for Pete's sake) shortened the day on me. I know it still contains 24 hours, but I know somewhere, someone altered what defines 24 hours because it sure doesn't feel like the same 24 hours as when I was 10 or 15 or even 25...these days it feels more like 15 hours per day. At this rate, I'm a bit concerned how I'll get a full day of work in when I'm 55. Anyway, stream of consciousness is essentially what I'm doing now, writing whatever is on my mind and jumping from one topic or explanation to another with very little or no transition.

It's a type of mental dumping. It allows a person to clear the mind and put on paper (in this case computer) whatever might be taking up valuable brain space--I truly believe I personally have a limited amount of brain space at least I feel that way many days, again this surfaces more often the older I get.

Sierra and her friend are now beating each other with an inflatable bat. Why does my mom radar make my face and ears instantly hot when I hear the hyperactivity of children at play in my house. Why do I automatically assume that something is going to break at any second or one of the children is going to scream in pain. Neither of these have happened recently, yet I literally felt my ears turn red just now knowing the girls are in the living room swinging this gigantic bat at each other within inches of lamps, pictures hung on the wall, decorative pieces--fragile decorative pieces. My blood pressure is starting to relax, thankfully. Because the only sound that remains is that of Pirates of the Caribbean playing on the TV. I'm REALLY thankful it's not High School Musical for the 1,568th time since January.

I look at the date and I can't believe it is all ready almost May 2007. At this time last year, I was attempting to liquidate the contents of my house in MN and prepare for this move that now finds us in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At that time, I thought it would never come. Now, I can't believe we've called this place home for 9 months! Not to mention that my 12th year as an educator is coming to an end. The pace of life was nice and slow and relaxed when we first arrived. Somehow, through adding activities and making friends, we have managed to shift gears, and we are starting to feel the pace of life increasing. Time to stop, breathe, relax and coast a bit.

The next 2 months are going to be insanely busy. I decided to take a quick trip back to the states in May in order to walk in my commencement ceremony at Hamline with my colleagues and friends. A year ago, I didn't think it would matter, but in the end, it really does. A lot of sweat and tears (and brain space and money) went into earning my MAEd. I owe it to myself to celebrate with the women who endured the journey along side me. I am looking forward to the trip and the celebration and seeing my parents. I miss them. It's funny how we take for granted what is so near until those things/people we hold dear are no longer right beside us, and arm's reach away. For 5 years, I lived 15 miles from my parents. Not a week went by that I didn't see one or both of them. It was fabulous to have Sierra so close to her grandparents and watch as she built a relationship with each of them. Now, we are in another hemisphere and although Internet makes communication possible and web cams aid our "seeing" them, I miss them and look forward to the first hug at our reunion.

The weekend is here (a 3 day weekend to boot), I brought no work home--although I have plenty. I plan to enjoy the beautiful weather that envelops me, sleep late, soak in the sun and ocean air, appreciate our Rio "family" and laugh with my daughter and my best friend.

The head is clear. I feel great.

Premiera Joga de futebol do SierraSaturday morning Sierra had her first soccer game at Escola Americana. Last week's practices ended in tears when the coach had her playing goalie and the kids were giving her kind of a hard time when she was letting the balls through. Goalie-all glory or all shame, man. Tough position for a sensitive girl to play. You can imagine my concern when the game began and I found Sierra in GOAL!!! I was a little worried. However, after the first few minutes, and some encouragement from her teammates, she got the hang of it and did a fine job!! Amidst the excitement, she even found some time to relax on the sidelines and "chat" with her friend Federico. She really had a great time. It was so fun to watch her being part of a team and smiling.

I’ve been sitting on this one for awhile. As usual, it was passed on to me by my friend Tammy. She LOVES lists. I have a really hard time remembering movies. I have been known to rent a movie I have all ready seen because I forgot until after the first 2 scenes. But I’ll give this a shot because I’m a good sport.
1.Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times. High School Musical
2.Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater. I can’t think of a single movie I would pay theater price to see more than once. (I’m kinda cheap sometimes)
3.Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie. Nicholas Cage and Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson
4.Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie. Rene Zelweiger—she’s always looks like she’s whining
5.Name a movie that you can and do quote from. A Few Good Men and The Princess Bride
6.Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs. Rent and Grease
7.Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with. High School Musical, Happy Feet, Ray, Rent and Grease
8.Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see. Return to Me
9.Name a movie that you own. Return to Me
10.Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops. Chris Rock and Jamie Fox
11.Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what? I remember going to the drive-in with my parents when I was little and spilling Orange Crush all over the roof of the car (we kids were lying on the roof watching). I have NO memory of the movie though.
12.Ever made out in a movie? No
13.Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t yet gotten around to it. Blood Diamond
14.Ever walked out of a movie? I have a memory of doing this somewhere in the back of my brain, but I can’t remember the movie…of course I don’t remember the movie, I didn’t like it enough to even watch why would I remember the title.
15.Name a movie that made you cry in the theater. I cry at a lot of movies. Lilo and Stitch made Sierra cry, which in turn made me cry.
16.What’s the last movie you saw in the theater? DejaVu
17.What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie? Romantic Comedy is my #1. Documentaries are a close 2nd
18.What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? I remember ET and Jaws. I hid behind the seat in front of me during Jaws. As a matter of fact I cried in ET in the theater too.
19.What movie do you wish you had never seen? Napoleon Dynamite. I asked myself the whole time, “Why am I watching this?” yet, I sat through to the end. The worst part is that I reference the stupid movie ALL the time. “Off my tots man.”
20.What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed? Momentum, it’s told in reverse. Very strange. Doesn’t make very much sense, but I liked it. Oh, and In the Cut with Meg Ryan--very weird...borderline porn.
21.What is the scariest movie you’ve seen? Scary? What kind of scary? Horror movies with the girl running from the villain and falling down while screaming make me laugh. If you put them on mute, they become comedies. Movies like Hotel Rwanda and Lord of War scare me.
22.What is the funniest movie you’ve seen? Bringing Down the House

Your turn!

Easter in the Mountains

We spent Easter weekend in the mountains, about 2 hours drive outside of Rio, with three other families. Another American/Brazilian family from school has a fazenda (farm) in the mountains and invited us to join them for the holiday. It was a blessed and relaxingly peaceful weekend in the country. The two scenery shots here are taken looking out from the main house and the smaller house where we slept. Again, the landscapes here are breathtaking, whether oceanside or in the mountains. I was able to read two People magazines, finish one novel, take a couple of relaxing and refreshing nature walks, and sleep early.
The drive there and back were both during the night, so unfortunately, we weren't able to observe the scenery coming or going. Instead we dealt with lots of traffic a little bit of rain and one another's company in the dark car. BUT, it was my first driving experience in Brazil. I have to say, after 8 months without driving, I felt like a grown up again! I am also happy to say, I was successful in my navigation of busy Rio traffic, even when my lane ran out and I ended up smooshed between two cars...ahhh, city living.

Here is Sierra with the other girls painting Easter eggs on the veranda Saturday afternoon. She had so much fun running around, playing with the other kids and the dogs and rolling in the lush green grass.

Thankfully, the Easter Bunny found all of the kids on the farm, and they enjoyed a fast and furious Easter egg hunt Sunday morning. Here's the whole gang with their loot!










One benefit of being in the mountains is the cooler weather. It was in the 50s at night and surprisingly felt quite chilly to us all. The other benefit in the cooler weather is being able to fix pizza in the outdoor woodburning pizza oven. PIZZA WILL NEVER TASTE THE SAME AGAIN! I couldn't believe how good it tasted hot out of the "oven". I certainly hope that you all enjoyed your holiday as much as we did. Many blessings to you all.