Fall Weekends

I'm seeing lots of cozy sweaters and all-things-pumpkin recipes all over the internet now. We on Happy Street like to deny Fall for as long as we can, and spend weekends here




and when they get tired of being in the water, they make forts and chat poolside

 I´m passed my swimming days, but I do just fine looking out at this

 and this

 That little yellow sliver of a building is all that is left of the Hotel Atlantico. For the short time that nothing will stand in its place, our sea view from upstairs doubles.

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.

Towel Trouble

There has been a slow transfer of household duties from yours truly to the children. They have been so much better about pitching in and helping out around the house and for that I am grateful. We don't have any complicated charts or official chores, but everyone is expected to do their fair share, and for the most part they do. There is one large and glaring exception to this- towels!

There are many household basics that are used sparingly and considered a luxury in Portugal. The dryer springs to mind as one example. A towel warmer however is an absolute must in most households. This is why it is even more baffling to me why anyone with access
to a toasty and welcoming towel warmer would do this ( see towel on the floor).

After trying every system imaginable, I eventually realized that our towel warmer is destined to loneliness, and this is not a battle worth fighting. The decisive moment came when I finished the school run and came home to three soggy towels on the floor, with mine hanging nicely on the warmer. Certain things just have to be let go.

35 Weeks

Mr. Baby is definitely riding low these days. We are all getting flu shots before he's born. We've never done it before, but with 3 siblings and lots of kids coming through the house, this is going to be our year to give it a try. The kid's pediatrician gave me the prescriptions at Freddy's check up today. Does anyone else do flu shots?

Party Planning and Other Random Happenings

Zita casually asked if she could have her friends for a dinner party this Friday. I said yes without thinking through what that means in Zita's world. She promptly came up with invitations and distributed them all at school. I never got closer than three feet from them and I certainly didn't get a chance to go over the details.

I just had a father on the phone asking about Zita's "birthday party," so I'm a little worried about the misunderstanding. He also wanted our address since it wasn't on the invite. Oops. He asked me to confirm the time and I had to ask him what the invitation said.

There are three girls in Zita's class with the same name, and those three girls were the first and only (so far) to confirm.

The tentative plan is to have the girls for a BBQ dinner where she'll serve various colorful meat and fruit/veg skewers and then do an outside marshmallow roast afterward. This is a novelty here so it should be a hit. I just have to keep her away from Pinterest for the next 24 hours.

Moojie meanwhile, came home today with a bad headache, which is not normal for him. He's not a health complainer.  He couldn't eat an after school snack and the thought that my sister-in-law is on duty in the emergency room right now immediately reassured me since snack refusal is a level 9 sign of sickness for the boys of the house. He went straight to bed and crashed. This is so out of character that my otherwise rational self woke him at 8 to check for a sore neck, fever, or any other signs of meningitis. I think he'll be fine.

We haven't properly seen Pai since Sunday and we miss him like crazy. The kids have made big signs to welcome him home every night with things like "best Daddy!" and "we love you Pai" written on them. It's not lucky to have to work such long hours, but it is lucky to have such a fan club at home.

I have no cute photos for this post since my camera sat in Pai's car all week, but I'll have plenty after the dinner tomorrow.

34 Weeks

My non-maternity Target dress has come through for me like no other article of clothing has. It is so comfortable!

Nothing much new to report at 34 weeks. My last round of blood tests are this week, I have a routine check-up in two weeks and a last ultrasound a few days after that. I should probably get a due date betting pool going.

Look What I have

Freddy's waiting on the next chapter of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Zita wants my full attention to discuss a possible dinner party this Friday. I'll have to leave it at just some more baby prep photos until tomorrow when the house is once again quiet.