January Snapshot

I'm savoring every moment with my sweet toddler Sebby. We fill our mornings with singing, puzzles, books, Little People, animals, and lots and lots of cuddles.

I've kept to my resolution to stay off the phone for almost two months now, but I haven't gotten anywhere close to some of the exercise goals I set for myself (read: I've done zero exercise).

I don't ever want the kids to look back at their childhood and associate me with a phone glued to my hand. I also feel like by devoting my mornings and early afternoon 100% to Sebby, I can focus on the big kids in the afternoon/evening and help with homework, music, projects, cooking etc. and not make them feel like they are always second in line, or constantly waiting for me.

Sebby's Portuguese has exploded in the last few weeks and seems about even with his English. He has the five of us laughing all day long with the phrases he parrots. Things come flying out of his mouth like he's been running a family for years and we all find ourselves looking at each other in amazement.

Freddy moved to an older group for tennis during the week. It finishes at 8pm, which is so so late for a 7 year old, but he gets his homework and cello done beforehand. At least that's the idea. Monday didn't quite turn out like that, but by Wednesday things were seamless. 

Zita is learning Blue Moon on clarinet as one of two pieces for the Spring concert. I can't help but sing along and poor Zita has exhausted every polite way to ask me to please not sing. 

Her biggest triumph has been keeping her room clean for three weeks. I did the initial clean up with her by breaking it down into steps, and she has kept it clean! 

I think same old same old with teenagers is a good thing, right? So everything with Mooj is same old same old. He has school, rugby, tennis, homework, sleep, repeat. Oh, and a lot of snacking and meals in between. Actually, something has changed with Mooj this month. Seb now idolizes him, and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual. Seb is always going around the house calling for "mano," and climbing into his lap. Even 15 year old boys melt when their baby brother says " love you Mano." 

Things I Want to Remember

Zita is so enthusiastic with school and high on life right now that it's hard not to catch some of her elation.  She comes home glowing and pink cheeked in a hurry to tell me about funny things her teachers said and did.

She loves her music teacher and is contemplating adding saxophone to clarinet instead of switching. MY gut says that the schedule is too full. 

Despite being busier than ever, and only arriving home at 9:45 pm on mon, wed, fri, Moojie is coping like a champ, and thrilled with his new classes. I continually remind myself that he is 15 and not a 34 year old mother who hasn't slept through the night for half of her life. I think he might snap if I tell him one more time to just close his eyes and take a 5 minute rest. He keeps saying "I got it- I´m fine," and he does, but it´s still a hard transition for me to back off.  

Sebby goes into a spastic state when the biggies come through the door. His legs start kicking, he squeals, and he bangs on my shoulder as if to say "move it over to those kids Mom! I'm bored of you!" 

He loves lift-the-flap books, dancing, and being in the middle of the action. 

We´re going through a major purge of household belongings. The books were just the beginning. We revisited the kitchen cabinets and got rid of even more stuff, and also ripped out 75% of the cabinets.

 There's room at the counter now for Seb and his peanut butter pucker face. It cracks me up.

All staggered food introduction is long gone. Seb eats what we eat. 

Things I Want To Remember

I kind of fell off the Things I Want To Remember bandwagon, but with so many things going on, I decided to start these posts up again.

We are 2 weeks from putting the entire school admissions conundrum to rest. I went from stressed to not stressed, to done. Actually, I think I was done years ago.

Freesia, jasmine, lilies, and orange blossoms are in full bloom with sunny Spring days upon us. That smell coupled with the sounds of still-strong surf bring paradise to our front door.

Pipocas our dog keeps on keepin' on.

Moojie spent the day yesterday at a prayer and reflection retreat in Sintra for an end-of-year trip organized for 9th graders.

(Alzheimer's alert!*) Zita is playing in a local youth orchestra every Saturday morning and loves this new dimension of music.

We are deep into round three of multiplication tables memorization with Freddy. Unlike with the other kids, we watch YouTube multiplication songs which is so much better than reciting them in the car.

Seb has had two tear-free school runs. I hesitate to even write such big news for fear he will revert to his crying ways.

Zita's fan club at a recent tennis tournament:

We are back in a chess phase. These magnetic pieces are great for bouncy young players who have a tendency to bump against the board.

 Zita has discovered John Grisham's young adult series. Here she is waiting for Freddy to finish tennis. I'm reading one to Freddy who gave a pretty comic account of the characters to my mom over the phone. His story telling is so animanted and peppered with funny word choices that it's hard to follow the plot without getting distracted by Freddy himself.

* I can't remember if I already shared this.

Things I Want to Remember

I haven't done one of these posts for ages so it's about time I capture the happenings of these first weeks of school.

Sticker mania has swept Portugal, and Miss Zita is caught up in the craze. She very earnestly made lots of homemade stickers last night after I said she had to work for and earn new ones. I'm using this to my advantage and requiring one full week of car rides without complaints before I'll buy her stickers. Have I ever documented that the flood gates of sorrow open up every time we get in the car? Well they do.

Mooj has double the homework load this year and it actually seems easier for him to stay on top of too much work than a bit of homework here and a bit of studying there.

It has been so intensely damp lately that every morning when we step outside, a sweet smell of salt water and Fall ushers us to the car.

A deep fog horn bellows, which I love, but that gets the neighborhood dogs howling, which I don't love so much.

Freddy still loves all things first grade, and is just an open tap of flowing joy.

I long to cuddle this mystery baby boy during the day, but nights are hard and busy, making me wish we could just keep baby in until after Christmas. Just last night I was quizzing Moojie for a test, while Zita kept begging for synonyms of words I hadn't heard of, while Freddy called from the next room that I "never" help make welcome signs for Pai. I can't quite figure out how a fussy baby will fit into our nights. A quiet baby, sure, but a colicky baby, no way.

By 8 pm, my head hits Freddy's pillow for reading time, Zita settles into her own book, and Mooj is either in his room doing homework or in the sala doing homework.

Like the Northern Lights, Pai sightings are rare but treasured. We are all hoping things will ease up at work so we can have him back.

Things I want to remember...

...that happened this week

Zita almost breaking, but not breaking, but could have still broken, her arm at school.

Knocking on the kitchen window in an effort to bring the kids inside, and shattering the glass, getting shards stuck in my knuckles, and bleeding profusely all over the kitchen.

Freddy locking himself  in the car because of aforementioned broken window incident.

Snuggling up every night with Freddy and Zita to read a chapter in Beverly Cleary's Socks, with our own Blackie between us, purring away.

Watching Zita's love affair with her kittens, and what good care she takes of them.

The long bike ride I took with Freddy and Zita on Wednesday night, making me a "fun Mummy" for at least one day.

Driving in the car and catching a glimpse of Moojie walk out to lunch with his big group of friends, happy and grown up.

The early morning walk I took with Pai.

Freddy falling asleep in my lap like a baby, with hot red cheeks, and one pudgy hand gripping my finger.

The "kittens" are starting to look more like cats.