Dinner For Two?

We went out to a very nice restaurant tonight. It is called Rodeio. It is a steak house and extremely delicious and expensive. We were celebrating the return to school for the boys from summer break and the release of Mom back into freedom. We had a very nice dinner and good conversation with the boys. We were the only ones in the restaurant for a while because we were early for the dinner crowd. (We got there at 7 pm).

We were finishing dinner and the restaurant started filling up. A very nice looking couple sat behind us at a round table that would have fit six people. They were perhaps in their 40s, man maybe low 50s. They were having wine and salad to start. While we were waiting for our check a little boy came to their table, maybe 8 years old. He was there son. He was also wearing a R$200 watch, by the way. He talked to them for a couple minutes and then his sister showed up, maybe 10 years old. The mom talked to them and then dismissed them. Where did they go? No idea. We thought maybe they were at another table with a group or maybe the nanny. No clue.

We are leaving the restaurant and ushering the kids towards the entry. There next to it is a waiting area to sit and eat at small tables and have drinks before you get a table inside. The children were sitting there eating appetizers. BY THEMSELVES! Parents are in the restaurant and kids in the waiting area. I guess the host was watching them? We left and my husband and I just stared at each other. Did we really just see that? No way, can't be. But yep, at second glance, it is true. Parents dismissed the children to eat appetizers at a nice steak house in the waiting area while they had a nice dinner.

Something is just wrong with this picture, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Ah well, I guess it will come to me.

Amusement Park Thrill Ride

I have discovered a new ride that all amusement parks should adopt. It is called the scary taxi. Here it goes. Picture this: It is raining so the streets are really wet. You are in the back of a taxi. There are three of you, but there are only two seat belts so the one in the middle is screwed. The tires on the taxi are NOT NEW. Add in traffic. Then take a corner at 40 miles per hour onto a road that is only one lane, but the driver makes it two lanes. Then enter a new road that has traffic that does not stop so either you do or you "blend in" to the fast moving traffic. But remember, this is a thrill ride, so the taxi does not stop. He cuts the other guys off. Add in a few buses that stop in front of you or decide to cut you off, plus a few traffic lights that change really fast. What do you think?

By the way, this is my 3 mile drive to Jiu Jitsu each week.

Off-season Training

Over the holidays we were in the States. We stayed at my parents' house for Christmas and at my in-laws' house for New Years. There were a lot of people at both houses so everyone, I think, pitched in to help keep each house clean. Well wait a minute, I should say the women kept it clean, except for my father-in-law. He is handy to have around.

Well just before New Years I was cleaning the bathroom we were using and decided to mop the floors as well since there was a lot of traffic through the house, and babies. My mother-in-law has a mop that I cannot figure out how to use. It is a Cuban mop. Which is to say it is a squeegee thingy on the end of a long pole and you wrap a towel around it to clean the floor. I have seen her do this many times. I still can't figure out how she does it. So I cleaned the floor with the Irish mop, which means on my hands and knees.

So my husband is watching and enjoying the view. Then he decides to say, "You still remember how to do that?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well I figured since you haven't had to clean in six months you wouldn't remember how."

Isn't he cute? Yes, I have a maid because it is the social norm in Brazil. That doesn't mean I will have a maid when we return to the States. I say as much and his comment was "Yeah right."

Maybe I will take him up on forgetting, because by the time we get back I can remind him that I haven't cleaned in so long I can't do it anymore. That or my children will be old enough to need chores and allowance. I think I can get behind the retirement idea pretty well.

Lost in Translation

So we went to McDonald's. It is considered more upscale here than in the States. I mean  hamburger, fries and a coke cost about $10 so I guess so right? Ricardo went with Javier to order Subway, which by the way is better here too. (More meat on the sandwich!) I went with Ian to order his McDonald's. I get to the counter and ask the girl in Portuguese for a hamburger with only ketchup, fries and a coke for Ian. She did not understand so I had to repeat myself. Didn't work. She excused herself and got her manager. He came over and politely asked what I wanted. You know in movies how the actor talks loud and slow to someone who doesn't speak English or who is deaf and thinks that will make them understand? Well I tried that. So I said "UM HAMBURGER. SO COM KETCHUP." Yes I did pause between as indicated my the period. Oh and I held up my index finger in case he did not get the number correct. He looked at me and turned to the girl taking the order and said, "Um hamburger, so com ketchup." He turned back and asked if there was anything else. I said, "FRITAS. PEQUENAS." Again holding up my index finger to indicate one. He turned to the girl and said, "Fritas, pequenas." And to drink he asked me? "UM COKE ZERO. PEQUENO." He turned to the girl. "Coke zero, pequeno." He also argued with her that I was actually speaking Portuguese. But the poor girl did not understand what I said. Maybe my accent threw her?

Well Ian got his order, and of course it was screwed up. The hamburger had everything on it. He hates pickles. Who hates pickles? They are the best! And McDonald's is the only place to get an actual pickle and not these marinated cucumber things they try to pass off as pickles. So I got a pickle fix, yey me! And Ian got his burger, fries and coke. Just took a little work to get it.

Free Take-home Dinner

Ricardo has been back in Brazil for the last week and a half without us. It is the end of Christmas vacation in the US, but summer vacation has started for us in Brazil. We are still in the States till the end of the week, though. Since Ricardo has been back it has rained everyday. Can anybody say Seattle? But unlike Seattle, which I am sure has excellent drainage, Brazil does not. There are floods everywhere. Many people have lost homes, and some have even lost their lives. It is very sad, and we pray for all of those families hit by the floods.

On a lighter note regarding the flooding, and as reported to me by my husband watching the nightly news, the river Marginal Tiete overflowed the highway and people have been stuck on the side of the road. But this did not deter the everyday Brazilian. (They are very resourceful.) One gentleman even got the opportunity to pick up dinner. He found a giant catfish washed up from the river on the side of the road. He got out of his truck, picked it up, and tossed it in the back truck bed and drove away. All caught on tape by a trusty news helicopter.

2010 Year in Review

Well the only way to describe 2010 is the year of travel. Besides Ricardo traveling for work, we visited about 7 countries!

The beginning of the year was jiu jitsu and piano for the boys. Better watch out because they give a mean head lock! Javier mastered Beethoven's original score of Fur Elise while Ian mastered movie theme songs. Ian played baseball this year though we were not impressed with the coach, while Javier played his second season of flag football. Both boys really enjoyed themselves. Ian had is First Reconciliation and First Communion this year as well.

As for traveling. In May Ricardo and Jennifer went on a cruise. We visited Italy, Spain, Tunisia and Malta. The cruise was wonderful and very interesting. Did you know that Italians like to line dance to any song imaginable?

May we also hit Madison, WI for a wedding. We found a restaurant named Ian's Pizza and Bar where they served our Ian's favorite - Macaroni and Cheese - but on a pizza!

Jen and the boys hit Houston in June, and Jen also got to take a weekend to visit Dallas and her sister.

Then in July everyone hit Puerto Rico. We love visiting the island and had a great time with family and friends while Ricardo had to work. So sorry Ricardo!

August brought the Fernandez clan to Brazil where life has been very different living without certain conveniences, like Target. But we are enjoying ourselves learning a new language and a new culture.

In September Javier and Ian went to a week long camp with school in the middle of the state of Sao Paulo. That was interesting, leaving our children in the middle of a foreign country. It stressed Jen out quite a bit.

In October, the family headed off to Rio to see very small bathing suited women. We also said hi to the Jesus statue and toured the city. The boys like the beach the best though.

November was interesting in that Brazil does not celebrate Thanksgiving. So the boys had school on that Thursday. We celebrated on Friday instead. But we missed the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. That was very sad. Brazil also does not have a radio station that is dedicated to Christmas music, so we could not really get into the spirit until we got back to the States.

December, the boys ended school for summer vacation on the 17th and will not return until January 31st. Yes a very long time! We arrived in the States on the 20th and headed from Miami to Houston. It took about 20 hours to finally get to our destination, and we were very happy when we finally did. Christmas spent in Houston was hectic, but fun. There were 14 people, 3 dogs and 7 cats in the Werner house. We were squished, but with family and that is what counts. We met the sister-in-law to be and got to go dress shopping with my sister for her wedding next year. There was finally sugar in the pumpkin pie, though not in the blueberry pie. Traditions must continue! Now we are ending an very busy year in South Florida with the Fernandez clan. The weather is wonderful, the food delicious, and the company loving and entertaining. This house did not have as many people. Only 6 adults, 3 kids and one baby. The boys and Jennifer will stay on until the middle of January, but Ricardo has to go back to Brazil right after the New Year to get back to work. He has to get Brazil in shape!

Many changes happened in 2010. We wish for all of you a great New Year and a blessed 2011. We hope that the new year will be good for everyone.

God Bless and Happy New Year.

The Nanny Mystery

If you have younger children and can afford it, you get a Nanny. They are called Babas actually with the accent on the last "a" in case you wanted to know. What is the mystery you ask. Well their uniform is white. Whit T-shirt or blouse and white shorts or jeans and white tennis shoes. Why the heck are they wearing white? They are taking care of children! Children are dirty! Well mine were at least. Always. But these women are never dirty. Their clothes stay pristine! How they hell can they do that? I can be five feet away from somebody who is eating spaghetti and still get dirty! Hence I rarely wear white. And I do not see bleach here in Brazil. I am sure something exists for whitening because these ladies are just way too clean. How the heck do they do that?