June So Far

Last day of high school ever! 

 Parents got to attend the final orchestra rehearsal before the kid's trip to the Algarve

 Zita has a friend in the orchestra who is a fellow American in (a different) Portuguese school. She also plays the oboe so they have lots in common.

 I park myself in these chairs quite a lot lately. I can see the trampoline and the lawn from one spot and they are so so comfy. Now I just need a little table for my drink and book, and an unobtrusive umbrella.

 The day after the orchestra show, Freddy had his conservatory choral performance.

 The day after that was graduation. June has been non stop.

 garden mingling after the mass

 post garden mingling and pre-speeches/show cocktail

 and then four hours later, we got to the moment we had all been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for- the diploma ceremony!!

 out of order photo of post-mass mingling in the school gardens.

 Last day of seventh grade. She had her PE uniform on and wasn't too happy about the picture, but obliged any way.
Zita came home that afternoon with lettuce from their class vegetable garden that we are still eating through. It was another great school year for her and all is well in Zita's world.

 Next up was Sebby's first trip to the zoo. Thank goodness for these impenetrable glass barriers.

 Immediately after this picture, Sebby of course tried to climb over the ropes to "just see" the giraffe.

 We spent the most time with this baby goat. It was the size of a large cat and loved Sebby's attention.

 They've now opened the gates to this garden so zoo visitors can stroll these palace grounds. We had done plenty of walking by that point and just enjoyed the view.

The most exciting part of June was bringing home a new car for Moojie. It was a graduation/18th birthday/we think you're a pretty good kid gift. He can't drive it for two more months, but I'm happy to use it when I know parking will be difficult. Part of the deal is also helping me drive siblings around, so both of us are counting down until he can legally drive it.

This brings us to this weekend. We dropped Freddy and Zita off for their orchestra trip and then headed to the Alentejo. This was Freddy's first time away from parents or grandparents on a trip. He's checked in twice to say that he forgot his flip flops (no biggie), but was having fun, and then today to say his spike got stuck inside the cello. That's more problematic, but I'm sure someone will solve it before their performance this afternoon.

Alentejo pictures will have to wait for another post. Sebby wants to make a carrot cake for Pai and that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all!

Month In Review

Lots has been happening around here in the last month...

Freddy turned ten, which is old enough to not want to hold up one finger for each year old. (see below) 

 We had a family taco dinner at home on his actual birthday and it gives me great pride that my children's continued favorite food is Mexican food. 

He's working hard on his cello piece that needs to be as perfect as can be by next week.

 "seriously?"

 "ok, fine. You don't have to hold up your fingers."

 Pai had his birthday just two days later, celebrated with carrot cake. I already forgot what he chose for his birthday dinner. Typing this has made me realize we forgot to give him the birtday present that didn't get done in time for Father's Day in March. See why this is more of a monthly blog now?

 Two days after that was Freddy's school birthday party. We invited the whole class to our house on what was the stormiest, rainiest day of the year. HE got lots of books from his friends who know he loves to read.

 Mooj's ankle healed enough to get back on the rugby field for the last two games of the season.

 Zita celebrated a Catholic ceremony that I was not aware existed until this year. It comes after first communion and before confirmation. A bridge, if you will. We all went to mass with hundreds of other families from school, and then had afternoon tea and cake at our house.

We could not find a white dress so she went with formal, flowy trousers and this top. She was in the exact outfit as someone's mother.

I snapped this as she was walking out the door last week. She's ready and walking out the door before we even know what day it is. 

 We are going to have so many grapes this year. The vines just glow in the morning sun.

 Even with a month of school to go, we have a distinct Summer pace to our mornings. The boys head to the trampoline in their jammies until it's time to come in for breakfast. If I had only known years ago how much use this trampoline gets. Live and learn.

Moojie's birthday present to Freddy was to take him and his cousin to Rock In Rio. It was Freddy's first concert and he's now hooked. They had so much fun last Friday. Mooj is going back this weekend on Saturday and Sunday with his friends. 

 Sebby can now climb the kids' favorite olive tree. All kids gravitate to this tree

 Sebby's thumbs up is the cutest; it's either a thumb to the side, or his pointer finger up.

We went to his last high school rugby game ever. Can't talk about that. Too many lasts are happening right now. 

I took this before we went into the restaurant last Saturday after the game. 

That just about brings us to this week. Mooj finishes next Friday, Zita the week after that, and Freddy at the end of the month. We have a graduation ceremony, dinner, and dance coming up, music shows, end of school shows and parties, music auditions (they have to re-audition every year), a three day orchestra trip, a three day end of year trip, and Mooj's major college-deciding national exams.

Bring on June!

More From the Weekend in the Alentejo

Anyone out there not bored of Alentejo pictures? Pec continues to compete with Proscuitto in the loyalty department. He is the sweetest, sweetest dog.

 The four boys had fun building a dam on our way down to the river to play Pooh Sticks.

 They threw their sticks and then quickly got on their tummies to see whose stick arrived first on the other side.

 Sebby heard the kids playing on the other side of this gate, and knocked the softest most gentle knock and said "primos? Freddy? Are you there?"

Freddy couldn't resist joining his siblings in the water and that quickly turned into a water fight. Another cousin joined and it became a mud fight. 

Sebby has taken to using the Portuguese oh-no-you-don't finger wag with some frequency. I caught him mid wag as he told off one of the other kids. We've since trimmed his hair. 

 I'm having so much fun with my new camera and getting in lots of practice with Miss Zita.

On Sunday we took a picnic to a property that we last visited in 2008. It's really and truly in the middle of nothing, and so far off any main road that it would be impossible to get to without 4 wheel drive. 

 There are enourmous boulders protruding out of the grassy landscape. It's hard to see the scale, but the the below rocks are well over 20 feet high. The boys spent hours climbing in the rocks and making forts. Sebby is in a Kung-Fu Panda phase and was doing "kung-Fu" as he jumped from rock to rock.

 Lots of turtles live in the pond and would poke their heads up much to Sebby's delight.

 Seb didn't have much success in the rock skipping competition, but he did love making big splashes with heavier rocks.

 We arrived home and reunited with Moojie and Prosciutto who short circuited he was so happy to see us. Just as Pai and I got everything unloaded, kids feds, and everything in the house closed up, Mooj called us to the third floor to see the moon. I have never see the moon so low or such a burnt orange color.

 It doesn't look like it in this picture, but it also looked huge. I'll put Freddy on finding out the scientific explanation.