Sierra and I were lying on the bed this morning and commenced the following series of metaphors for each other. It all started when I said, "Come here princess." Sierra followed with, "You are my queen Momma. The queen of my castle."
A moment of quiet and then she started rolling...
You are the...
cheese on my macaroni.
the pesto on my pasta.
the cloth in my shirt.
the sheets on my bed.
the pillow under my head.
the stink in my fart. (both of us cracked up laughing on this one)
butter on my bread.
the salt on my french fries. (we don't like ketsup)
the time in my clock.
the mango in my fruit salad.
the sweetener in my coffee.
the mentos in my pocket.
the book on my shelf.
the granola in my yogurt.
the belt around my waist.
the frame of my photo.
And Sierra insists on including...the snot in my tissue.

She's back!!!
Sierra returned in one piece today. I missed her so much. We are heading to lunch so she can tell me all about her adventures.

After about 30 minutes browsing through photos on the DI website (www.globalfinals.org) I found this photo of Sierra during the opening ceremonies. Hmmm, the biting of the fingernails indicates one of two things: boredom or nerves. Ahh, my little angel. And judging by the pink boa around her waiste, her hands ARE the ones behind Shaysann in the parade pictures below as you can see the pink boa on the right side of the picture. I know my child's hands! hehe. I can't wait for her to get home Monday to tell me all about her experience. I'm calling in sick since they return at 7:55 a.m.

Opening Ceremonies!She is somewhere in this group, however, I cannot find her head or her feet, but I think her arms are behind Shaysann on the right side of the photo. (Same with the picture at the end of this post.)

Things are in full swing in Tennessee with over 1,000 teams from around the world together in Knoxville for the celebration. DI is a cool thing for kids! I talked to Sierra for the first time last night. She sounded good. Sounds like they are busy busy busy every day with camps and activities and events and party after party. She seems to be having a great time. Yesterday they went to a museum and of course THE MALL where she reports to have only bought a couple of "little things".

However, she said, "Mom, when we go to the states next month, will you PLEASE buy me Super Mario Bro. for my DS?"

Of course I said, "For SURE!!"

Today her team will participate in their Instant Challenge, and tomorrow her team will present their Central Challenge.

Ela Foi! Para Estados Unidos! AWWWW...I was thinking just now in the taxi on the way home from the airport, "When was the first time I rode in an airplane?" Unless I'm totally wrong, I was 18 or 19 before I took my first trip by air. All previous trips had been road trips. I think the first flight I ever took was for my nephew's baptism in 1992! Well, times are achangin ladies and gentelmen. Living abroad has done that for us by and large. I have to say, I'm starting to get used to the airport. I don't have the same uneasy anxiety in prepartion anymore. (Joe might argue with me on this one.) Oh, don't let me fool ya, it's still there some, but not nearly as bad as I had it 2 years ago.
Sierra, in her 9 years, is a seasoned traveler; however, she suffers my flight anxiety, that is for sure. My poor little girl hardly ate anything all day today as she waited for departure time.
Global Finals are this week! And if you don't know what that is, check out: http://www.globalfinals.org/ Her team placed FIRST at the Brazilian Destination Imagination Celebration in March here in Rio, earning the rite to participate in this year's Global Finals Celebration in Knoxville, TN! Sierra and I spent the weekend packing and preparing and reminding her to listen to the adults/chaperones and getting excited, and tonight she is off.

The fact that she barely ate all day didn't stop her from smiling and running around the airport with her team mates during check-in. They are pumped! Joe is one of the co-managers and will meet the team in Knoxville Monday. The kids are looking forward to seeing him. I'm happy that he's able to participate in Globals. They worked hard together this year. He deserves it.

As for flying, I guess with all of the technology we have today it's no wonder my child is far more traveled than I was at her age. It makes the world seem small. To think, I'm ALL the way in another country from my daughter this week. What would my parents have thought if they could have said that when I was nine? Makes you wonder.

4th Grade Music Concert--Blue Moon

One of Grandma's favorite songs is Blue Moon. Sierra's class sang this song this year for their Music Presentation. This if for you, Grandma!!!

Daily Gratitude Entry...
Today I am grateful for:
a little girl who brings me breakfast in bed for Mother's Day.
secure employment, putting food on the table and a roof over our heads.
the ability to think, ponder, wonder, dream.
having good female friends.

Daily Gratitude Entry...

Today I am grateful for having spent mother/daughter time preparing dinner with Sierra.

Succumbing to Brazilian life

I have finally broke down. I did what I have been saying for almost 2 years I did not think I would do while living here. I have finally cracked. It has taken over...and I am ecstatic.

I hired a MAID!!

Now granted, she will only work for me one day a week, and I am requiring more of her than simply dusting my ceiling fans, so for all practical purposes we will call her our new do-everything gal.
The new do-everything gal will work for us on Fridays. She will arrive after we have left for school and immaculately clean our apartment before we return from school in the afternoon. During the day, she will specifically iron my clothes, go to the farmer's market for fresh produce, and chase the dust bunnies from the corners of our humble home. Her day will not end there, however, after we are finished with our school day the do-everything gal will stay with us to keep a watchful eye over Sierra as I take a moment to recouperate from what are often long days at work. On Saturday mornings, she will walk to the local bakery, pick up a few loaves of fresh french bread for us (their mini ones, not full sized), and prepare a pot of coffee for me before going home.

All of this for $65.00! Very much worth it.

She comes highly recommended from my good friend Francesca. She worked for Francesca for almost six years. She was released from duties only because Francesca no longer needed a maid as well as a nanny. Francesca was sorry to see her go, but the budget was not accomodating employing two people. Sierra grew fond of this new do-everything gal quickly today when we met her for the first time, and both Sierra and I are looking forward to our first day with her tomorrow. I will leave work tomorrow afternoon knowing I will walk into a sparkling, clean house. I will be able to rest for a moment before endulging in an afternoon walk by myself along the beach (I'm in dire need of "alone" time of late). I will return home to shower and change in time to leave for my monthly book club meeting worry-free, knowing that Sierra is in good hands in the comfort of her own home.
The silver lining my friends. I am learning that life is all about the silver linings. Find them! Where ever they may be. Cherish them! Celebrate them! Smile for the simple things.

Just wanted to add a few more photos from Mara and Rodrigo's wedding night. It was a fun time. Not sure how to make a couple of them bigger. I am a basics computer operator. Bear with me. Find the magnifying glass. Skip these photos. Whatever works for ya. Enjoy!

Kris, Mara (the bride), Me, Lena

Me, Liana, and Alvaro

Suzanne, Mark and me.

Ok so I haven't posted in awhile. Things have been a little crazy. We had this long Brazilian holiday two weekends ago, and we were off from school Friday through Wednesday. During that time, we relaxed, enjoyed Angra, and prepared for Joe's departure. This past week, we had a random Thursday holiday but worked today--Friday. I feel completely out of sync. When I woke this morning, before my alarm, I seriously needed about 5 minutes to remember what day of the week it was and where I was supposed to be. I think starting next week,. we will have two full weeks of classes without much for schedule changes, so I should be back to normal by next Wednesday.

In the middle of all of this, Joe decided it was time for him to take a break from Brazilian life. He has been investigating different educational options for the past couple of months, and he still isn't decided about what he will do. However, in the meantime he is hanging out with Dana and her family in VA, working for my brother-in-law and re-acclimating to American life. It is an adjustment to say the least.

Our friends Mara and Rodrigo were married last Sat. in a beautiful bilingual Catholic wedding in this amazing old church in the center of the city. The reception was up in a neighborhood called Santa Tereza--considered to be the last real Bohemian neighborhood in Rio--with spectacular views of Guanabara Bay, Sugar Loaf mountain, and Christ the Redeemer. It was a bit strange attending without Joe, but I was in the company of many great friends and overall the evening was lovely. (I should photoshop Joe into this picture of me before I left for the wedding.)

Here are a few of the ladies from school--Parrish, Suzanne and Ana. It is always fun to have events like this with colleagues, seeing everyone dressed up, hair done, and with make up is a welcomed change to the daily grind we normally find ourselves in.

And the events just continue...Taking advantage of the Thursday holiday, I decided to prepare a Mexican style dinner for a few friends Wednesday night since I have this absurd amount of flour tortillas stashed in my freezer. It was phenomenal! I have started cooking again since Joe is no longer here, and I have to admit, I really enjoy it. I had forgotten how much fun it is.

I have to say I outdid myself on this meal. I prepared: beef tacos with all the fixins, chicken fajitas, spanish rice (from scratch not a box by the way), and fresh guacamole. It was divine.Throughout the Mexican fiesta, Sierra and her friend Luisa played with the digital camera in her room, creating their own unique "photo shoot". This shot is one from that series. I can hear the laughter ringing through this picture; her smile is so big.

So we find ourselves in the weekend once again with very little plans other than to relax and read and be...moving one moment at a time. We have faced some intense and serious decisions in the past 2 weeks. What I have learned is that life is largely unpredictable. We assume that every thing is status quo, moving along as planned, but without any warning, things change. Learning how to react to that is the challenge we face. In the meantime, remembering all that is good and all there is to be grateful for is of utmost importance.

We had a 5 day weekend starting last Friday! Today is the last of the five day stretch. We took advantage of the days off and ventured to Angra dos Rios just south of Rio for 3 days with our friends Alvaro and Liana. A couple of days on the boat, evenings listening to the ocean slap the shore, and great company. This place is a great place to be during vacations. Too bad we have to work to sustain ourselves.
Sierra is very patient when it comes to waiting to leave for the beach. She finds a comfy place, tests out her sunglasses, keeps her beach bag close at hand, and reads the latest tweener news to prepare.See the orange/red colored house in the middle (behind the bonfire smoke). This was our quaint home for 3 days. Right on the water, the mountains behind, and tranquility surrounding. Ahhh, Angra dos Rios.
Nothing like a little carnival fun after lunch. It's the indoor version of the dunk tank! Plastic balls instead of water. Liana taking aim; Sierra taunting from her post.
... and just as much fun as the dunk tank with water when you fall in.
There's no place better than the Green Coconut for lunch. Sitting on the grass, eating Lula Frita (Calamari) and visiting over an ice-cold Chopp.

Sun or clouds, Sierra LOVES the water, the boat, the time with friends, and of course, the camera!!

Minnesotans For Global Warming Song

This is for my friend Tammy who has been suffering through what might be the longest winter in MN history.

Not made in America

We have lived in Rio for 21 months. Almost 2 full years. When we arrived, we had brand new furniture, brand new electronics, brand new kitchen gadgets, brand new scenery, brand new neighbors, brand new life-style. We have adjusted quickly. We make ourselves stop to appreciate the not-so-new-anymore scenery. We have become friends or aquaintances with most of our once-brand-new neighbors, and we have adequately used our brand new furniture, electronics, and kitchen gadgets almost daily.
However, I am started to get a little nervous about things made in Brazil. The sofas have needed re-upholstering or colorful slipcovers for several months now (that may be due to the fact that they are covered in white fabric). Two weeks ago we replaced our dying coffee maker after I cracked the carafe filling it with cool water when it was still hot (be warned). This past weekend we replaced the DVD player as almost every movie would stop playing halfway through for the last month and a half.
The good news: A colorful slipcover for the sofas would add some charm to the living room and make it feel fresh, like a facelift. The new coffee pot is black instead of white and has that little stopper that allows you to pour a cup mid-brew (a beautiful feature). The new DVD player is a Sony, making me believe it will outlive the Tectronics brand that recently died.
The worrisome news: What will be next? Is it the element that all things were manufactured in Brazil, and the quality just isn't very good? Is it the element that this amazing city is in the heart of a tropical rainforest and humidity is tough on things? Or, are we that hard on things?

4 Things
4 CELEBRITIES THAT I DO NOT FIND ATTRACTIVE (So Stop Trying to Tell Me They Are)
1. Tom Cruise
2. Renee Zellweger
3. Katie Holmes
4. Brad Pitt

4 PLACES I WILL NEVER LIVE--I try not to say "never" so I guess these are more "not likely" to live places
1. Antarctica
2. Sweden
3. Cuba
4. On a religious compound in the middle of Texas (I'm with you Jill)

4 THINGS THAT ARE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL
1. Volkswagon Bug
2. Pogo sticks
3. Baked Lays
4. "The First Cut" -- Sheryl Crow

4 PEOPLE I WOULD TAKE TO DINNER
1. Maya Angelou
2. Nancy Atwell
3. Sean Connery
4. Will Smith

4 TIMES I BOUGHT INTO THE "HYPE"
1. Body for Life
2. Chipotle
3. American Idol
4. Acrylic Nails (boy was I sorry for that one; it really messes with your natural nail beds)

4 TIMES I DID NOT BUY INTO THE "HYPE"
1. Project Runway
2. Bathroom wipes for adults
3. Self-tanning lotions
4. Adkins Diet

4 SONGS THAT I AM SLIGHTLY EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT I THOROUGHLY ENJOY
1. Paradise by the dashboard light--Meatloaf
2. I will survive--Gloria Gaynor
3. The devil went down to Georgia--Charlie Daniels
4. 18 Wheeler--Alabama

4 HAMBURGERS I ADORE
1. Fuddruckers
2. Dick's Bar in Elk River (I think it's called Dick's)
3. Cambridge Bar and Grill
4. The frozen pre-made patties from Sam's Club fresh off the grill in the backyard

I WOULD WALK ACROSS A DANGEROUS INTERSECTION TO SLAP THESE 4 PEOPLE
1. Robert C. Byrd
2. Angelina Jolie
3. Rush Limbaugh
4. Hugo Chavez

4 IRRATIONAL FEARS THAT OCCASIONALLY AND UNSUSPECTINGLY POP INTO MY MIND
1. Sierra contracting a terminal illness
2. Someone under my bed grabbing my ankles before I jump in
3. Being shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean and thirsty
4. Falling down the stairs

The Miniature Earth

A friend of mine shared this with me, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Shopping, Rio style.

I've mentioned my fondness for street venders before. In particular, I have talked about how much I enjoy sitting on the beach and having the "drive by" salesmen stop in asking if I would like new earrings, a dress, a popsicle, a sandwiche, a beer, a beach ball...sometimes I fall asleep with the cantar of their advertising ringing in my head.
Last weekend we were at our favorite beach in Rio, Grumari, with Francesca and Sophie, enjoying the slightly overcast, breezy beautiful day.

When this guy showed up.The sales tactics of the beach venders are phenomenal. This guy started unpacking and refolding his loot about 15 feet from our chairs. He was methodical and careful and flamboyant in the way he removed a dress or skirt or conga from the bag, shook it in the air to wipe out any wrinkles beginning to appear, and then carefully refolded or rehung the garment slowly before moving on to the next piece. He's no dumby. There was endless feet of open beach space where he would have had plenty of room but no audience. It was a silent sales pitch. And it worked.The red caught her eye, she beckoned him over, she tried the dress on (right there on the beach), "Please Mom! It's only R$25,00." It looked so cute; I couldn't resist. And note: the white sunglasses on top of her head in this picture were purchased ON the beach, the DAY BEFORE! A fresh suntan, a dip in the ocean, and shopping all in one stop. What more could a girl ask for?

What's for dinner....solved!
There were many guesses for this little game I decided to play with my blog readers. I am sure you have all been checking back often to learn the answer to the question: What's for dinner? Some guesses were a bit strange, but I am here today to release you from your incessant wonder. If you remember, this is what it starts out as:

One anonymous commenter thought it might be:

Yet another guessed:

And still another thought maybe:

I'm really surprised nobody guessed:

since I often say Joe likes to eat Filet Meow from the street vendors. However, there was a more realistic (really, where do you think we live, dog? horse? MONKEY? come on. Brazil is a third world country, but the people are not uncivilized) guess of:

But, in the end it is merely the:

Good 'ol BEEF. This cut is Picanha, which we talk about frequently as being our favorite cut of meat here. I never thought I could be a person who actually craves meat, but after having picanha, I do!

This is what it looks like part way through the cooking process with quite a bit all ready shaved off and eaten. For those of you who guessed it to be the same meat used in gyros, you were correct in the manner in which it is cooked. You slow cook the picanha over hot coals and shave pieces off to eat as you go. Similar to what they do with lamb used in gyros.When cooked at home, it becomes a social process meal. It is not a sit down meal. We typically hang out on the veranda and munch as it cooks. Now this blog idea was born out of the comments made by Joe and my sister Dana when she was visiting, and we cooked a picanha at home. They too had their opinion of what the meat looks like when it is raw and first placed over the coals. I have to say that I am happy to know that none of my readers guessed what they thought it looks like! At the same time, I am a little nervous about both of their perspectives.

So what is picanha, exactly? You might ask since it is not a cut of beef regularly available in the US. Here is a diagram showing which part of the cow picanha comes from. And for those of you ultra-curious about how it tastes after this little culinary lesson, visit Fogo de Chao Churrascaria in Mpls, a Brazilian style barbeque. They have it available there. http://www.fogodechao.com/ There is a growing number of Brazilian Churrascarias in the states now. I think it is a a reflection of the popularization of Brazilian culture in the states. Porcao is another chain throughout the states, including New York, Miami, and Houston for those of you outside of Mpls.

Another random, yet fun, activity to try at: http://www.blogthings.com/whatpunctuationmarkareyouquiz/


This was my answer:

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice.(But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!)

You excel in: Leadership positions

You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

Sierra and Joe just finished the "test" too; Joe is a exclamation point, and Sierra is a comma.

Talent Show 2008

Sierra's singing debut!!!