The House

 

Today marks four weeks since this project started. We're getting a new roof, and replacing gutters and other wood work around the outside of the house.

 It's a pretty entertaining for Sebby, but the house is a little on the dark side. It's a touch noisy too.

 All the debris flies down the yellow shute and Sebby can't get enough. He says "crash!" every time something goes out the shute.


It's not all bad, but I'm ready to show after pictures, and I really really hope I can do that before Christmas.

Sunrise on Happy Street

I didn't edit these in any way. Not only was the sky spectacular, but the sea was rough and wild. I called the kids up to the third floor and obliged them to stand and marvel at the sight. This is the view from a bedroom that was converted to a bathroom in the 90s, and I have been gently suggesting (read: talking non-stop) about turning it back into a bedroom. This view is too good to waste. 

Summer Sunrise

What Would You Do?

If you walked down to your kitchen before 7am, with a spritely baby on your hip and saw this, what would you do? 

These luminous apricots spoke to me in a way that no fruit ever has before. Such a serendipitous alignment of sun and fruit could mean only one thing- apricot coffee cake.  

Seb did some exersaucin' and I got down to the business of baking.

Now the rest of the family just has to wake up and help me eat it. 

Saturday mornings are the best. 

06/03 /13: As per my sister's request,  and despite my reluctance to show a cracked cake,  here follows the after shots.

Is There a Bright Side?

To losing our sea view in our bedroom? There is! Construction here takes years, so Sebby will have lots to look at. All little boys love construction.

I'm not thrilled, but losing one's sea view can be definitely filed under first world problems, or not a real problem.

Afternoon Tea and Weekend Happenings

After endless rainy days, we welcomed the weekend sun with open arms. Freddy and Zita reacquainted themselves with outdoor play, and set up a lemonade stand turned fresh orange juice and cookie stand. 

 Note the rationing of our last remaining Toll House chocolate chips:)

 Pai, Moojie and I rotated as customers, incorporating math lessons on making change for Freddy's benefit. 10 cents for one cookie was quite a bargain.

We got in a few walks, and even decided to be brave and have afternoon tea in a cafe on Sunday. That turned into Pai having afternoon tea in a cafe with Mooj and Zita, while I walked the hills of Monte-Estoril. It feels so good to walk again, but it would be nice if my need for a walk coincided a little better with Sebby's.

Pai took Zita to her second session with a local youth orchestra while I stayed with Sebby and got Freddy to tennis.  We've tried so hard not to split up and have multiple simultaneous activities on weekends, but it's become unavoidable. I can only imagine what it will be like when Sebby starts activities of his own.

We don't watch sports, but we do love a good Grand Slam.  Here's Mooji watching the Australian Open with Seb. 

Christmas Day

I don't have much time to get a proper Christmas day post up, but with Zita's birthday fast-approaching, I'm just going to throw up the Christmas photos and be done with the holidays once and for all.

 The tree was less than dazzling this year, but we still loved it.

 Mooj is soon off to New York, lucky guy!

 This was on Freddy's Christmas list and a $4 sale on Black Monday convinced me. I hoped it would somehow get lost, but no such luck.

I took very few pictures because I had Mr. Seb in my arms all morning. He was pretty unaware that Christmas was happening around him.

 Christmas cracker treats...

 My niece was the last man standing at Christmas lunch :)

A Few More Signs of Christmas

 Zita set up this welcome tree in our entrance. Every child that comes through the door goes straight for those candy canes.

 After days of getting the train going, and many visits by different cousins, the kids finally settled on a track design that pleases everyone. This train is such a hit with our smaller visitors.

Christmas Status Follow Up

Having the puppy last weekend was not conducive to getting everything on our Christmas prep list checked off. We didn't make the cookie trees, but we did make sugar cookies.

We also got a yet-to-be decorated Christmas tree. In theory, we put the lights on as soon as we get the tree and decorate on Christmas eve. We haven't actually gotten to the lights yet.   I also let the kids put candy canes up, but the candy canes got rerouted to a more edible purpose- peppermint chocolate bark.

 and hanging out of teachers' gift bags.

I am a huge fan of Nigella's fake fudge. It takes five minutes to make, and as I learned this week, it's very forgiving when the chocolate-condensed milk ratio is off. Can you tell that whenever I finish something in the kitchen, Zita always says "I think that needs sprinkles."

Mooji and Freddy got the garland up on the stairs. Every time I get to the bottom of the stairs, I switch the lights from blinking to constant, and someone keeps switching them back. My suspicion is that Freddy is behind it, but no one has fessed up yet.

 Did anyone actually trhink I would pull off the photo garland? I thought not. Next year...

The cork nativity scene is out 

and the feliz natal wreath is up

We're only missing the Christmas train, and then we're set for Christmas.

I can't go two days without a Sebby picture so here he is with his eyes wide open.

 (blogger randomly rotates pictures, and no matter what I do, it simply doesn't allow me to rotate them back.)

Farewell Sweet Puppy

Here's the long version of the story:

Pai and Zita were pulling into our gate and saw a small puppy hovered against the stone wall lining our street. They walked around looking for the owners and didn't see anyone. They brought the puppy inside at which point Freddy came running up to tell me Pai brought home a puppy with the groceries. What?!?

We noticed he had a limp and assumed he was abandoned because of said limp.

He was clean, soft, and fluffy, and really was the most beautiful thing, but puppies are as Zita put it "work, work, work."

Pai and Mooji made signs bright and early, and after Pai had hung the last one and was walking back to our house, he noticed a despondent looking father and son getting into their car. Pai stopped them to ask if by any chance they had lost a puppy and intuition saved the day! The puppy belonged to the little boy, and they had only picked him up the day before from the breeder. He had jumped at least 12 ft. off their balcony, which is a huge distance for a puppy, and hobbled down the road to us.

They were so happy to get their puppy back, worried that he had been taken forever after only a few hours in their care.

All was not lost on the Christmas prep front, but you will not be shocked to learn that no Christmas cookie trees were made.

Christmas Status

The only sign of Christmas in the House on Happy Street is this hastily made banner that Freddy put up in the kitchen.

 My personal red ribbon cutting ceremony for the holiday season is putting on Frank Sinatra's version of Jingle Bells. It's divinely festive. I can't find the CD, so thank goodness for YouTube. 

As much as I love the kitchen banner, I'm dying to make a Christmas photo garland going up our stairs like this one I saw on Pinterest. I already have the pine garland, I just need to make the photo part. Easy with a new baby and 3 other kids with packed schedules, right?

,

This might be just the sort of project that could occupy a whole day for Zita.

Zita has also been asking when we're going to start our marathon bark making sessions, but I like the idea of making cookie trees

She said she wanted to start a new tradition this year, and these cookie trees could be just the ticket.

Our weekend Christmas to do list includes:

Decorate

Find and purchase tree

Set up Train

Bake (cookie trees?)

Hang, and possibly embellish stair garland

Get out Christmas books

Come up with teacher/coach gifts

Buy gifts and groceries for the various charities that the kids' schools have partnered with 

Funny how our "free" weekends are never all that free.

Happy weekend to all.

Back To Baking, Back To Normal

Being able to bake something is one of my main gauges for how normal things are in the house on Happy Street. I had a 3 week hiatus from most cooking (from scratch) and baking, but two batches of cookies and a few dinners later, I finally feel like we have new routines established.

Freddy has started doing his homework down in the kitchen about half of the time. It's a good way for me to squeeze in extra time with him and I get all sorts of tid bits about his day.

 He comes to show me when he's finished and I do a quick check to make sure it's all done. The exception is clarinet Thursdays when Freddy stays home with Moojie who checks his homework and helps him when needed. Having a 14 year old is such a convenience when it comes to homework help.

Tennis was cancelled last night due to rain so we were blessed with three extra hours. Rain plus free time equals cookies, a good fire, and movies in our house. I'm loving this bubble of cozy house bound days so much; having a new baby erases all guilt for not getting things done.

Chief tester Freddy samples the oatmeal raisin batch

We also made normal chocolate chip

I'm just starting to get Sebby more used to the Bjorn so I can get the house in order and walk around without feeling like my arms are going to fall off. After the big kids leave for school, and Sebby has been changed and fed, I get him bundled in the Bjorn and go about my day. I just hope he doesn't out grow it too quickly.

 Of course I always have willing holders near by in case that happens

Who can believe it's December already? Happy Christmas month!