I did these real fast at www.photobucket.com just for fun.. I hope you can see it! (You can see me straight up my nose as well..exciting I know.)
It's my daughter and I in the trees, and the little guy. You've seen these before..
As for these women, I don't know them. I've never seen them before in my life.
(It's my mom, and my favorite aunt--Aidinha.)
Is it Thursday, already??
More like, should it be Friday already?!
Whew... It's been a long ass haul week!
I am feeling better, and my voice has come back, but I still have that runny nose problem, and this morning I woke up to find more "gook" at the corner of my eye. How I hate that!
Sorry for all the entries of the slide show--I had to delete them because they weren't coming up the way I wanted. Sorry, again! I have more, but I'll post them at another time. At the moment I am attempting to do a MovieMaker "Masterpiece" to send to the relatives with music attached. My son Andrew is going to help me with us, because in his own words, he is a "professional" in Moviemaker.
I have all my pictures downloaded but I get the developed as well, because I am a picture person. I need to put pictures in photo albums, and I like to frame them and put them on display. I have over 750 pictures from this summer. Wheww.. I am going to need to buy another album I guess, perhaps two. There are a few pictures that I intend to frame and hang on the wall as well.
Hopefully I'll have my movies and pictures in order by Christmas.
Anyways, here are some thankful mentions for Thankful Thursday:
1. I am thankful that I have a heavy duty sized washer AND dryer. While in the Azores I had to make do with a very small washing machine and no dryer. Hanging clothes out to dry can be fun, and very energy efficient, BUT, I HATE ironing clothes, and I'm terrible with an iron.
2. I am thankful we don't have an ant problem. I HATE ants. I hate seeing them in the kitchen especially. You will learn to know why soon, hopefully in my next installment.
3. I am thankful that I am back in the loving arms of my husband. Being away for three weeks without him around really sucked. I had fun, don't get me wrong, but I would have had more fun if he was there.
4. I am thankful that I have close and loving relatives. Sure, most of them live like thousands of miles away, but they still do exist. Will I wait another 8 years to see them again? NO way, Jose!
5. I am thankful I have my health and a home filled with sometimes unruly, but angelic children. If they weren't healthy they would be less unruly. We have teeangers and a toddler--Thank God for all of them.
6. Lastly, I am thankful for my king-sized bed, and chocolate.
Hello--
After attempting to do a small re-mix view at photobucket for most of the day, my eyes are seeing double. I attempted, but after several attempts, I've come to terms of my acceptance to failure. Just when I thought I was doing it right, I was getting pictures from my "bucket" that weren't even mine. It was very bizarre. I may try it again at home; or I may not... My eyes and my patience are not in the mood to try again. I also tried to burn a disc of all my pictures, but..I simply have too many of them to fit on a disc. I going to put it on the "back burner" and attempt it later when I have the patience, time and energy..not today.
Instead, here is my interview with Cin! If you want me to interview YOU, leave a comment "Interview Me" and I will send you 5 questions for you to answer.
1. How did you get the Rabbit nickname and how many rabbits are there in your house (I know Nicholas carries one around)?
Oh wow.. Well.. The rabbit nickname, "Coelha" was given to me years ago, way back in 1979/1980. My mother's cousins were visiting from the Azores and living in our home for a short time around Easter. These relatives included a boy who was close to my age; his name is Jose Carlos. Well, to make a long story short, it was Easter time, and I wanted him to believe in the Easter Bunny. In Portugal, he never heard about the Easter Bunny, and I felt that he had been deprived for many years without knowing about this famous American Icon, AKA: Easter Bunny. So, it was my mission to make him believe.
During Easter dinner, I excused myself from the table, and ran back to the back door where a basket full of Easter candy was hiding. I took the basket, and tiptoed past the dining room window with the basket. I went to the front door, rang the doorbell a few times, and hurried off back into the house through the back door. Of course, my cousin Jose Carlos answered the door, and to his delight found the Easter basket full of treats.
Of course everyone knew it was me who left the basket, but for a moment Jose Carlos was a true believer. To this day, family and relatives refer to Jose Carlos as "Coelho" and of course, I'm "Coelha". We were teased quite a bit as teenagers about the names, but it never bothered us, as far I know; although I refrain calling him by that name in front of his wife and daughter. When I started my AOL account, years ago-I wanted to use an original screen name, and to my delight, I discovered that Coelha was never used--I've held it since 1997.
As for rabbits at my house, I hold a very large collection of stuffed bunnies at home as well as work. They call me the "bunny woman" at work. I'm not too crazy about that, but, looking around my office, I can see why they would call me that. I've got about 10 rabbit related items in my office, 11 if you count the picture of my cousin. At home, I have a good 25 stuffed bunnies. My birthday is in April, and I've always gotten stuffed bunnies for gifts just because Easter is always around that time of year. I also was married during the Easter weekend! :B
2. How did you meet your husband?
Whoa.. Another long answer for this one. Which husband? Okay, I'm going with the 2nd: Well, I met him by chance really. I had gone to this get together from a chatroom mainly because I knew someone I used to date would be there, and I wanted him to squirm when he saw me show up unexpectedly. I went with a friend of mine who had met some person at this get together who she "hit off" with right away. It was at a bar/club at a hotel, and the atmosphere was a little too much; seeing the ex-boyfriend was making me nauseous, and I was sick of seeing him squirm, so I decided to step outside and get some fresh air. Out of nowhere comes my future husband, with a sweet, "hello". We spoke for a bit, and then I went back inside the bar to look for my friend. It was getting late, and I couldn't find her anywhere, and I had to find her because I was her ride home. I went back outside, and there the future husband was waiting for me. I asked him if could help me find her, and sure enough, like a true gentlemen, he obliged. Upon finding my friend, necking some stranger in the hotel lobby sofa, we spent the rest of the evening getting to know each other over coffee, and watching T.V. at the hotel. We exchanged phone numbers, and then we kissed goodnight. He called me the next day telling me that he "was different than all the others." He was right.
3. What is your favorite straight-from-the Azores recipe?
I don't make it, but I ate quite a bit of it when I was there this summer. The answer is: ALCATRA!! Here's a link to the recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/106316
Oh it tastes so good with sweet bread...yummy!!!
4. Where did you honeymoon and where would you like your next honeymoon (with the same wonderful husband, of course!) to be?
Our honeymoon was in beautiful Monterey, California. We went back again last April, and I hope we can get away for the weekend again next year. I would love to spend a future honeymoon on a cruise...to anywhere.
5. Have you/do you ever sneak your own snacks into the movie theatre?
Of course! I have the kids smuggle treats in all the time!!
Yes, it's me. What can I say? I'm a tree hugger and lover of all that is green.
Summers on the island are just not complete without a family picnic/barbecue! This summer, the crew headed to the lovely and green lush part of the island known as "Serreta." It is beautiful there, and my daughter and I went a little crazy in the wilderness. Yes, we felt like fairies. Of course our relatives pretended they didn't know us while we were taking these photos. Who could blame them, really...I know..
It's hard not to fall in love with all the greenery. It's even more breathtaking in person than in pictures. Although we took these pictures to be silly, they are still some of my favorites that I took this summer.
It's simply a magical place on the island for me. It reminds me of those forests you read about in fairytales, from Hansel and Gretel, or Little Red Riding Hood. It shouldn't have been no surprise that Lizzy and Nicholas stumbled upon the house of Bob the Gnome as well!
Who is Bob the Gnome? Okay, let me fill you in quickly on Bob. Bob is a plastic gnome figurine that sits on a swing hanging on a tree in our backyard. At night, Bob gets off the swing, and knocks on the door when Nicholas does not behave at night. Believe me, Bob must have snuck into someone's luggage and followed us all the way to the Azores. Yes, Bob is everywhere and sees everything, and gets "mad" when Nicholas throws a tantrum.
To Nicholas' astonishment, we came across what seemed to be a little house made of stone, with a green door just Bob's size! Yes, Bob is everywhere!
Nicholas bravely knocks on Bob's door, but there was no answer.
More tomorrow..
Today, I'm feeling and sounding a tad better than I have in a week. My voice is finally coming back. You'd think I was having a wild time on the island--I had fun, but no late night screaming and dancing under the moon at midnight. Wait.. I take that back--I did that once... :)
Anyway, I am able to share some pictures with you today.
The hardest part about leaving Oakland of course was saying goodbye to the husband. I knew I would be missing him, but I don't think it really hit him until we said our goodbyes. He could not wait with us at the gate, so we had to say our goodbyes in front of the security man, after we checked in our bags in front of security. I don't want to do that again any time soon.
After we said tearful goodbyes, we proceeded down to security where we were instructed by many Asian women dressed in what appeared to be traffic guard uniforms to take off our shoes and put them in the provided baskets, along with our belts, jackets and carry-ons..etc.. I could not understand one word they were saying, and I could sense they were becoming frustrated with me because of this. "Jacket in biscuit..jacket in biscuit.." There was one of them that was particularly nasty. One of the others apologized for her. Some people just get to much into their jobs it seems. Give some people a crossing guard vest, a plastic badge, and they think they are all that and a bag of chips! Of course, my family was the one who they chose to search while others just walked pass through in their socks.
It never ceases to amaze me WHY the mother of 3 always seems to be the target of alleged terrorist activity. Do they really think I'm hiding a weapon in my 3 year old's Finding Nemo's backpack? Only crayons, coloring books, and travel games. One major benefit with traveling with children under 4 however, is they will allow you on the plane before anyone else. We experienced great joy when we proceeded to move up in front of the line before the very long line. Of course we heard some rude comments of why we got to go first behind the handicapped guy in the wheelchair, but who cares. Rude people, unfortunately, rule the planet.
My three gangster kids at the gate waiting for the plane to come in. Destination: Terceira, Azores.
Nicholas held his stuffed bunny, who he calls affectionately, "Bunny" during his whole trip. His "Bunny" and his box of Dots were constantly by his side.
My first major concern, before embarking on my trip, besides the passport dilemma of course, was how Nicholas would behave in the plane. I would hear constant news reports of people delaying their trips because of passport delays, and unruly children getting kicked off of planes. Wonderful I thought. My concerns and unneeded stress proved to be unjustified. Nicholas was a perfect angel on the plane. I did not have to resort to giving him cold medicine either as was previously suggested.
My two boys sleeping on the plane. My daughter and I barely slept a wink. Notice the old woman behind my daughter wearing the hat. That woman wore that crocheted hat the entire time of the trip. Strange woman. There were other strange people (passengers) lurking around the aisles that made it impossible for me to sleep. They showed two movies, but I didn't really hear it because my ear phones were not working and there was this most irritating woman standing above me who had the most obnoxious chicken sounding voice, talking to the woman in front of me. I could not help but over hear what she was saying. After 10 minutes of her conversation, I could tell this woman was not "well". I concluded that she had some compulsive disorder of some kind--she just went on and on and on talking about different unrelated stuff about various people. First she spoke about her daughter, then the neighbors, then her new car, her husband's shoes, the cat she left behind...etc..etc.. I started to give her the evil stare, but she it went unnoticed. Nope, I didn't sleep a wink of all 10 hours of the flight.
The flight was smooth--hardly any turbulence whatsoever. Of course the kids were getting a little restless after awhile; especially after our one stop in Hamilton, Canada. Where is Hamilton, Canada, you ask? Good question. I asked my Canadian relatives and even they didn't have an idea. Apparently it's really close to Ontario, right above New York and past the Great Lakes.
Well, the plane stopped there to get the toilets cleaned by two very strange looking individuals wearing the same traffic guard looking outfits the Asian women were wearing at the airport in Oakland, California. They passed through the plane with their bright yellow vests and matching rubber gloves with toilet cleansers and plungers. I noticed other passengers on the plane thought them strange, and we both exchanged looks and couldn't stop laughing.
Overall, the flight experience to the Azores was rather enjoyable. The food wasn't too bad, and they did offer little mini wine bottles at dinner. The stewards all spoke Portuguese (I flew on a Portuguese airline-SATA, sister of TAP, Azores Express) and they were very polite and attentive. Most of them were men. One of them called my daughter, "Princesa" (Princess). One in particular looked like a Portuguese version of David Hasselhoff. Lizzy found this very entertaining, especially when the guy accidently dropped some garbage in front of my seat. She said he did this on purpose so I could see him as he bent over to pick up the cup. According to her, he was giving me the "eye". Yes, he was after me, no doubt-I'm so sure.
"Cha.." (Tea)
"Cafe.." (Coffee)
Up and down the aisle the stewards would go asking if we wanted tea or coffee. It must drive them crazy doing that for hours non-stop. They didn't walk slowly either--they always seemed as if they were dying to get to the other side of the plane to use the toilets.
We landed in the late afternoon on the island. Everyone clapped, even Nicholas. It was all very surreal. I couldn't believe I was there. After a walk down from the plane, we were greeted by a shuttle, that we all piled into. The shuttle did not have enough seats, so a lot of us had to stand up and hold a hand rail or grip. Not fun. Nicholas held on to my leg. Afterwards, back into another line where we were waited like cattle to through customs. Of course when I got there, I had to explain why two of my children had a different last name than myself and my other child, but other than that, no missing luggage.
We were greeted at the airport by my mom and a bunch of cousins. More tears-but tears of joy of hellos.. Very surreal.
Cousins in my mom's kitchen. Lizzy and Andrew are in the background. I look at this picture, and I just sigh. Yeah, I miss them. :(
My cousin Manny even brought over a cake!
More later..
Please forgive me..
I haven't posted quite anything since I've been back. I've been feeling quite sluggish lately, and I am still fighting off a cold that I got during my trip. My voice is still somewhat hoarse, and I am still quite stuffy. In other words, I sound like an alcoholic who smokes two packs of Marlboro each day. It's not a pretty voice--no matter how "sexy" it might sound to the clients in the lobby. I sound like one of them, so they like it.
Anyway, I have tons and tons to write about, but I haven't posted my pictures up yet. Last Saturday I was at a wedding, Sunday I left home for the states, and Monday morning I was at another wedding. Both weddings were beautiful and very special. I will share pictures of both as well.
I did manage to wash all the vacation clothes, and get the luggage packed away. The boys are now in school, as well as my youngest who is already attending preschool in the afternoons. He is no longer living on Portuguese time and not waking up at 2 and 3 am in the morning like he did the Monday and Tuesday. Things are getting back to the norm, and although I'm still feeling sickly, it is so nice to be back with the husband.. :) My daughter is still on vacation mode since her college courses don't start until the end of the month. She misses staying up until 3 or 4 am in the morning with her cousins, and new found friends and wishes she had stayed on the island a little longer. NOTHING is open for a 19 year old past midnight around here--which is a good thing, but of course a bit of a let down for her.
Hopefully by this weekend I will be able to post some pictures up--I have two memory cards full.
"Nao tems outras coisas para fizer? E so tirar fotos?" (Do you have anything other to do besides taking pictures?) My cousin asked.
"No, I don't." was my reply.
I went crazy with the camera this summer. Some of the photos I will ask permission to use from the cousins... HA HA HA HA.. Scandalous I tell you.
I got a call from some of them the other day. It's past 10 pm and they off to "Make Me Nuts" in hopes to get some donuts. Make Me Nuts is a restaurant we used to frequent on the island; more on that later. How I miss those crazy people; I love them all. More later.. :)
Just a quick entry to let you all know that I'm back home, safe and sound with all the children, and in the loving arms of my hubby man, who I have missed so much for the last three weeks.
The trip to the Azores was wonderful-full of great memories spent with so many family.. I left cousins that I consider to be more like sisters and brothers. I don't think I am going to wait another 8 years to see them all again--no way. Next time however, hubby man is going to have to go with me.
I am a little burn't out from taking care of my three year old the last three weeks. I did have help, but I really do think my trip would have been more enjoyable if husband was around--next time. Props to all the single moms out there--was there, been there-but this time was only a temporary situation, but I was reminded quite constantly how it sucks being alone.
Anyways, I have many stories to share with all, as well as pictures, but it's too early in the morning, and I'm feeling quite exhausted. I have another wedding to go to later this morning. The really reason why I'm up at the moment is because I had some clothes for the boys to wash from Saturday's wedding, and Nicholas is on "Portugal time." I hope all is well out there in Jland, and I will try to catch up with my alerts as much as I can later in the week.. :)
It's so good to be home..
