» Friends, Neighbors

I Had a Busy Week – House Full of Kids

Laura — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:37:26 +0000

This week I had a crazy week at home, I can say it was house full of kids. Between nephews and neighbor boy and girls I had an average of five kids per day in the pool.

I love to see them having fun, playing with each other and laughing but I must confess that it’s not easy for me. They call me every time they make a special dive in the pool, every time they need a dry towel, every time they want to eat. It’s difficult to organize my life with them since the plan I make in the morning are never accomplished.

My daughter learned to ride the bike without the side wheels so she just wants to ride on the street. Usually I take advantage of the fact that I have to be outside with her to go for a cup of coffee in a nearby coffee shop.

All together it was a great week although I neglected my blogs. Facebook is also driving my attention from post writing. This is something I have to work on.

Well, let’s see how the next week will be.

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Rest in Peace my dear Friend and Neighbor.

Laura — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:28:15 +0000

I hope all my readers had a wonderful Christmas and that 2010 brings you all the best.

I’ve been silence around here because these last 3 weeks were very difficult for us, especially for me.

It all started on December 19th when at around 7.00 pm I received the news that my dear neighbor Laura (yes, that’s my name too) had died a few minutes before. She was 43, lived next door, married, two kids aged 6 and 11. It was a shock.

She was preforming a small step dance at her daughter’ school party, she was already on stage, and suddenly she fell with a cardio-breathing failure. The audience were mostly kids, including her own. After 40 minutes of emergency assistance and local reanimation she was transfered to a local E.R. with doctors always trying to reanimate her but they weren’t able to. It was a huge drama, shock, I have no words to describe. It’s something that I can’t put into words.

Rest in Peace my dear friend and neighbor.

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A fight with the Boss and a relaxed day with neighbors

Laura — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:54:16 +0000

: Image by foodistablog via Flickr

Yesterday it was my last working day before my vacations and my older boss made me the favor of ruin everything. For the last 6 months I am doing the work of two people. I work my lunch hour, I arrive earlier in the morning, I stay after my leaving hour but even so the work it’s too much and I am exhausted.

Although my boss know that it’s too much work, he prefers that I work extra hours at night, Saturdays and sundays without any payment instead of putting a new person so that he has money for new cars and houses.

I must confess that when I started this post yesterday I was in no mood to write about diet pills or term life insurance quotes. I was so upset that I left the post half written and I went out and joined the neighbors to pick up weeds from the condo front garden.

We all had a relaxed evening when some of the neighbors joined for a joint meal with sardines, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, melon and a lot of wine and beer. It really helped to release some of my stress.

I’m on holidays now and although I don’t want to spend the day in the computer I intend to decide what to do with my blogs and what I really expect from blogging. Stay tuned…

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Another Birthday Party

Laura — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:04:40 +0000

Today I’ didn’t work as well as tomorrow. We got lucky this year and we got too public holidays one following the other. Today it’s Dia de Portugal (Portugal Day) and tomorrow Corpus Christi, Friday I will go back to work.

My son had another birthday party from a school colleague. We dropped him at 15.30 and when I tried to pick him up we were invited to join the party. We had a great time, mothers to one side and fathers to another. As the kids are all in the same class we were able to discuss school subjects as well as kids behavior. It’s always interesting to hear other mother’s opinion regarding kids subjects.

The kids had major fun. The house is located in a very low traffic area and they were able to play in the street as well as in the garden. They are all in the same classroom and it’s amazing how they interact when they are away from school environment.

There were also two baby announcements, one from a person I know and the other from a 45 years old I didn’t know.

It’s amazing the things we learn and know on these birthday parties. We all work all weeks and barely see each other so, when we meet we just catch up with the news.

Tomorrow my son has another birthday party and we are all going to meet again once it is from another boy from the classroom.

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Birthday Parties

Laura — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:25:51 +0000

In the morning (I’m writing on the night before) at 9.30am my son has a football game. He is going to participate in a football school tournament in a local park. Almost all basic schools from the city are participation that’s why they call it a School Circuit City of Football (European Football) .

: Image via Wikipedia

Today he has three games, two in the morning and one in the afternoon. After the games he has a birthday party of a neighbor. While he is having one game my daughter has a birthday party of a friend. In the evening we all go to the neighbor’s birthday party. Sunday my son has another birthday party. I’m already tired of writing birthday party.

Birthday parties are great for the kids but very bad for our family budget. Having two kids means double parties because they go to separate parties so it means double gifts. This year we only made birthday parties for the family so no kids were invited but my kids are always being invited for other parties.

What about me? Can I have a birthday party too?

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The Pool is the new priority around here

Laura — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:55:06 +0000

Before the pool I had little time to blog now, I have less time. Let me explain.

Before the pool:
We usually arrive home at 7pm, the kids watch some tv while I prepare dinner, just before dinner is ready there are the baths and then dinner. Afterwards some TV for the kids while I blog a little and than bed.

After the pool:
We arrive home at 7pm, it’s hot therefore the kids want to go to the pool. Once my husband only arrives home at about 7.40pm and I don’t leave the kids without supervision, I have to stay by the pool and dinner is postponed. This means we have dinner too late and later I’m so tired I can’t look to the screen.

Today my son had a birthday party so no pool. They are both asleep now while I’m updating my blogs.

My son and daughter are my priority so I want them to have fun in the pool especially when we have good weather. I could take the laptop outside to the garden table but they want my attention and they sure deserve it after spending 10 hours away from me.

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A rather calm saturday

Laura — Sun, 04 May 2008 00:57:52 +0000

Yesterday (Saturday) I had a rather calm day. In the morning I cleaned my kitchen while the kids where playing around, we got out to buy food for the turtles and some plastic curtains for the kitchen door. I want to keep flies away…

In the afternoon my kids and 4 more neighbours spend the afternoon playing in the garden, in the computer, PS2, etc. while I chatted with a neighbour about…blogging and other gossips . I wasn’t able to blog in the afternoon so here I am at 02:00am writing a few posts.

I was tagged a few days ago and I have to take a little time to write 2 memes…sorry Tina and Crissy for the delay.

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What a holiday day!!!

Laura — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:58:04 +0000

Yesterday I thought I was going to have a relax day although I know with all the housework and kids to take care is a little difficult to accomplish that.

Today it was an important holiday here “Carnation Revolution“, and although I already knew my son was having a birthday party in the afternoon, I thought I was going to have a calm day. I was wrong.

The news came when I picked up my son yesterday at soccer class: Your son has a soccer tournament tomorrow and he has to be at 9.30am in the local park field. The tournament will last until 12.00. What?? This meant I was not getting a calm and relaxed get up the next morning.

Today, my husband went to work early in the morning, I got up to prepare a few snacks, woke up the kids and got into the field. Fortunately the tournament took place in a park where besides, tennis/soccer/basketball fields there is a play park so my daughter could be busy. The problem was that I couldn’t rest a minute. Catherine wanted to swing and swing and swing and I had to push her in the swing all the time. Of course watching a soccer game bothers her so she refused to get near the field. Fortunately I was able to watch my son’s goal.

I went home already tired but I had to cook lunch. At 12.30 Catherine was asleep in the couch, I was cooking in the kitchen. Lunch ready, time to eat, Catherine continue to sleep, at 15.45, Dani and I left home to the birthday party, Catherine was still asleep. I left Dani in the birthday party and I met my best friend who was in the park where we had been in the morning and we spend a few time talking there, this was the only relax moment of the day (beside now).

18.30 time to pick up Dani, I took Catherine with me and I didn’t expect what was about to happen. I ate something at the party, Catherine too but Dani and her didn’t want to leave because all the other kids where still there. I’m not going to enter into details but at 21.05 I was able to grab them back home.

Baths and movie watch ended the day. We had started to watch the “Enchanted” movie the day before and we watched the rest. Excellent movie.

Now, the big moment of the day, everyone is asleep and I’m in the computer all by myself. I needed this!!!!

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My friend’s wedding

Laura — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:25:56 +0000

Interesting news, my friend’s wedding will take place on June 9th, 2008 at 12.30. Did you notice it? June 9th is a Monday, meaning I’ll be working, my husband will be working and my kids will be at school. As June 10th is a public holiday, my friend thinks that most people won’t work on Monday to have a long weekend, well that’s not our case, we’ll be working and the kids will be at school, so no way we can attend the wedding.

As Connie suggests, I’m sure my friend will understand the financial situation and also our working situation that doesn’t allow us to be present at the wedding. Besides, who gets married on Mondays???

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My school best friend is getting married

Laura — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:29:08 +0000

The pain hasn’t got away yet. I spend most of the afternoon trying to nap in the couch, the kids were always making noise and waking me up, but I manage to get some rest. The pain is still here on my neck, back and shoulders, if I get worse than this I have to go to the doctor.

To worse my pain, now my internal pain and heart pain I just received a wedding invitation from my school best friend. In the last 10 years we met 2 times but the old school time where enough to keep us connected even if we don’t talk or visit each other. We took different paths, she’s a lawyer now and after a troubled life it seems she finally found the right men.

Since it’s tradition to give money to the bride and groom I must say this is not the right occasion to “give away” a large amount of money. Each time I think I don’t have any extra bills, something comes up.

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Pain, comfort, party – what a combination

Laura — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:51:58 +0000

I’ve been in a lot of pain these last days. Shoulders, neck and thorax have been killing me lately. I know what it is, accumulated anxiety and stress from these last weeks. Yesterday I barely could move my head but still, I spend all day in the office working and screaming each time I had to make a sudden movement. I’m taken some pills and although still having a lot of pain I’m better than yesterday.

Yesterday my father had his new electrical bed delivered and is much comfortable now. I went to the pharmacy and paid for it, a huge amount I must confess.

Today my kids had a birthday party of a neighbor in a “party academy”, I used the waiting time to be in the parent’s area to catch up with some neighbors. Interesting thing, I felt good, relaxed, meaning I really stress at work and I get better on weekends. Damn it…I can’t get stressed, I have to control myself. Yeap…I know there are techniques, I’ve tried them but once my bosses enter into the office…I get stressed and want to go home.

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Catherine’ Birthday (small) Party

Laura — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:06:57 +0000

There was no big birthday party for Catherine this year. She turned 4 last Saturday but due to Easter holiday most family and friends were away for the weekend.

She’s too young to mind about that and what she wants is presents.

She had a birthday cake and we sang the birthday song together with her godfather (my youngest BIL) and his wife. The cake had the image of the Ballerina Princesses movie.

Her favorite present was something she has been asking for for a long time: make-up case. She also received a puzzle, a book and several pieces of clothes and other accessories.

At the end of the day we received the visit of my best friend E. and a couple of neighbors (she’s starting in the blogging world with: About Portugal).

Catherine was very happy even without a big party and that’s what matters.