North America v. South America

For my first trip outside of North America, I think I did pretty well.  We chose a beautiful location with great people and great food.  Candace and I really tried to immerse ourselves in the Brazilian culture by eating Brazilian food and drinking Brazilian beverages.  We attempted to learn Portuguese, but the differences between Spanish and Portuguese proved to make Portuguese difficult.

I personally battled my OCD, fear of germs, a bad head cold and unexplained facial swelling.  Together we battled differences in what it meant to be on vacation.  Despite these small challenges, I had an amazing trip that I hope I can repeat with my family in the future.  To put it plainly:  I'm in love with Brasil.

The United States is good.  We have a strong infrastructure, clean water, clean streets (for the most part), and democracy.  I don't know much about Brazil's economy or politics, but I do know that after a week in the country, the United States has a much better infrastructure.  Our sewer system is much better: Water in hotels works even though it is raining.  In many ways, the United States is like Brasil:  We have homeless people.  We have good areas of cities and we have bad areas in cities.  Brazilians, however, don't seem to be so stuffy and overworked.  The trip made me thankful for what we have here in the U.S. of A, but also made me realize some changes that would benefit Americans. 

I'm so happy to be back home.  I'm still sick and choosing to see a doctor today (something I was very skeptical of doing while in Brazil).  I missed my kids and Scott terribly and it was so great to see them yesterday.  I'm looking forward to the weekend.  Even though it will be cold, I'll worry about work, we'll spend the weekend doing chores and paying bills, and the closest body of water is a murky lake, I'm relaxed, content, and already planning my next international excursion.

Rio De Janeiro

Sao Paulo

The British Man, the Bank, and I

I'm enjoying Brazil.  It is extremely frustrating not understanding Portuguese but we're managing to survive. Rio is absolutely beautiful. The beach and the mountains are fabulous.

True Story

I went to the bank this morning to try to cash my travelers checks which have proven to be worthless.  While standing in line I asked a man, via my portuguese app, if the bank was open. The man was English. After chatting about where we were from, the bank teller comes out yells something in Portuguese. My new English friend turns to me and says "they're not opening...come quick!" So we hurriedly left the bank and proceeded to run, yes run, through the streets of Rio. At this point, all I've managed to understand is that the last bank wasn't going to open and all the people in the lobby would now be going to the other branch two blocks away and me and the Brit needed to be there before the others. So we ran.

The New Bank

Now the Brit and I are standing in line at the other branch. 10 a.m. Comes and goes. 10:01. 10:02. 10:03. Enter stage left angry Brazilian man. The angry Brazilian man walks up to the security glass and starts banging on it yelling in Portuguese and pointing to his phone. Apparently opening at 10:03 is not acceptable.

Meanwhile the Brit and I are chatting. He's a 50-60 year old white man with one eye that doesn't fully open. He's telling me about all of the places in the world that he's lived: Australia, Thailand, China, Singapore and of course Brazil.  While living in Singapore he made a living as a juggler. "sir, did you just say you juggled in Singapore?" "oh, yes, it was the best..." The Brit then went on to tell me how he also lived in San Francisco and Thailand but didn't like Thailand.

Thailand

Thailand didn't work out so well for the Brit: He had a women - paid for her in full - and she turned out to be a man.

So the Brit and I finally get inside. The number machine wasn't working and there was only one teller. I kept getting pushed aside by old people taking advantage of their old person status and moving to the front of the line. To save me time, the Brit was kind enough to ask one of the bank workers if they could cash my travelers checks.  No.

So that's how my story ends. The one-eyed Brit who once accidentally paid for a man and juggled in Singapore and I parted ways.

Today Candace and I are meeting up with a friend of hers that is also in Rio on vacation. Small world. Crazy world, but beautiful.

Greetings From Brasil

Well...I woke up extremely tired and kind of hungover in São Paulo, Brazil. Somehow I'm luck enough to have planned a trip to Brazil with a friend from college, that I've seen twice in ten years.  Our adventure had us standing in line for two hours in the south side of São Paulo.  The strange course of events that reunited us while she lives in San Fransciso and me in Akron led us to galavanting around Brazil.

So far...pretty amazing.

One piece of advice and totally unrelated to Brazil: Keep your one wild and crazy friend that never grew up, never got responsible and never had kids. She will remind you of those days when you were young, crazy, irresponsible, and childless. It's fun.

Always Thinking Safety First

Came home Friday from work to the kids hanging out in the living room:

Me: Hey Jackson!
Jackson:  Hi Mama!
Me: Hi Aida!
Aida:  Hi Mama!
Ivie:  MAMA!
Me:  Where's daddy?
Jackson:  I don't know? (turns back to iPad and TV while hanging off the couch)

So where was daddy?  Oh...just cutting down trees...by himself. No, no, not small trees.

 At one point (he still doesn't know I'm home) he had a tree stuck, intertwined with other trees.

   


































He wore safety glasses.
Daddy of the Year:  Always thinking safety first.

Already March?

Found this gem of a picture in Jackson's room this week.

Gotta love seven year old little boys!

Love Construction: End-of-the-Year Project

 

It's been snowing for days!  Looking out our kitchen window.

Well, here is my obligatory end-of-2012 post.  It goes a little something like this:

I began 2012 as a 2nd year law student living in Columbus, Ohio.  I ended 2012 as the Corporate Environmentalist (official title is Sr. Environmental Engineer...although I am NOT a real engineer) for a multi-billion dollar international company in Akron/Canton, Ohio.  I've had ups and lots of downs.  Happy moments and sad moments. Good and bad.  My family continues to be chaotic, unpredictable, and stressful, but we're healthy and we have fun; that is life as a mother, environmentalist, wife, and student (I'm still in school, just a different program).  So there it is, 2012.

Ok...end of obligatory end-of-2012 post.

Eleven days just came and went - flew by.  Fact: Time goes faster when you're on vacation.  This fact is supported by my own observations of time slowing at about 2 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon and the last three weeks of a pregnancy.  Fact.
Side note:  The kids and Scott and I are completely off schedule:  Staying up late/sleeping in.  Here are the kids all comfy and cozy in our bed.  Scott and I were forced to sleep on the couch because they wouldn't give up our room.

My time off has been spent finally getting our new house in order.  Enter stage left...Love Construction.  Oh man!  The past few days of a joint painting project have. been. eventful.  Apparently Scott thinks he is some sort of painting master.  An HGTV expert. Me on the other hand, like any project, I do it to get done.  Minor imperfections don't really bother me, while a small drip will nag at Scott relentlessly.  Me, I just move on.  I really do think I'm a fine painter, also supported by facts.  Fact:  We have owned three homes and rented two in the nine years we've lived together.  I have painted 80% of the our walls.  Now, I realize that this does not equal "paint master", but I figure I must be pretty good if I've painted that much.  Fact.

So Scott and I end our mini vacation and 2012 with a few level 3 fights and a possible level 4, BUT our house is really starting to look good and (luckily) we only have a few more walls to paint.  Thank goodness!  Here is to a level-5-free 2013!

                               I stopped painting where I could safely reach.  Hmm...what's wrong with that??

Megan

A Very Merry Holiday

                        (Christmas morning, looking down into the living room from the upstairs balcony)

Christmas blew up in my house.  Overnight.  Just like that.  We went from being just another house on a cold winter day to full-blown Christmas.   

As a family, we technically don't celebrate Christmas.  We are an interfaith family that mostly follows the Jewish faith.  But even before our decision to follow Judaism, Christmas was not Scott and I's favorite holiday.  We've had one tree in ten years together.  That's just how we roll.  We enjoy friends, good food, and some drinks around the holidays.  Not so much on the stressing about gifts, crowded stores, or lugging out Christmas decorations.  We are much more relaxed people and prefer a much more relaxed December.  You may be thinking, "WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS???"  The kids are JUST fine!   (See pics below!)

My kids don't really get into the whole Santa thing and don't really seem to miss it.  They are pretty happy receiving multiple gifts from multiple grandparents and learning about the meaning of this time of year.

Despite our efforts to not play Santa, Scott and  I panicked last night as Aida said, "I can't wait to see what Santa brings!"  What!?!?!  We were totally unprepared for this whole Santa thing.  We had a room full of gifts, but they were all from the grandparents.  We started scrambling.  I made a big sign/card from Santa and some "Santa Bucks".  I sprinkled glitter all over the fire place and floor.

This morning...not a word about Santa.  #fail #overreaction #stickwithyouroriginalplan

So Santa, showed up with some Santa Bucks and glitter, but the kids didn't seem to notice.  They were completely satisfied with the mound of gifts from Mimi and Grandpa.  We plan on taking them shopping with their Santa Bucks.  At least they have a story to tell their friends at school and when they're 27.  Our kids will look back, put this all togehter, and think "Really?". 

But overall, I'm extremely ok with Christmas finding my home.  Even Santa's botched effort to put something together last minute.   

 

Christmas Eve at my dad's house (yes, those are 45s on their tree)

Great reaction to getting clothes !

                                                                           My dad with Ivie!

So...

Happy Chanukah!
Merry Christmas!
Happy New Year!

Megan