Sunny Day...Sweeping those Clouds Away

Yes, yes it is. All our towels are drying in anticipation of rain the remainder of this week. And speaking of songs from Sesame Street, our new favorite song is the Portuguese Alphabet on Vila Sesamo, which is a different tune than ours and very catchy.

So what else is new?!?

Shaun's parents are coming for a visit!! They are arriving July 15th in Recife and plan to be here until August 4. It's exciting for Seth that they are here for his birthday.

Shaun is meeting with the gentleman who used to run a coco-peat plant, and he has already given Shaun a lot of information. He is going into Maceio next week or the week after to talk to some Minister of Business. He is bringing along the English teacher from the school here to translate. He also is hoping to visit a plant that uses the same equipment that he is looking to buy in Seragipe, which is around 4 hours away. It is the nearest plant that actually allows visitors to look at what they do.

Seth went to school last week Monday and an hour and a half later he was brought back home by Sandro....he told me he was sick with a stomach ache but no one could understand him. I wasn't sure if it was nerves or an actual stomach ache. But the next day he was mad he had missed the bus. I brought him to school and hung out for a while and he did alright. Maybe 4 hours is just too much for him. Yesterday he asked "Voce tem agua?" and we practically fell out of our chair. He likes to point at things and ask Bel what they are as well. He didn't want to go to school today though, and we don't have a car until Wednesday, when we go to our fancy evening out. Then starting next week the school is on Winter Holidays for 2 weeks. Speaking of which, I was talking to Thacianne who works in the public school system. She says her school started holidays on Monday and it is supposed to go for 2 weeks, but every year they are disorganized and find excuses to post pone it until August 1st. She also says if you work in the public school or in the public health sector, you are not provided with any materials such as books for teachers or equipment/medication for doctors. As a teacher she has to buy her own books to teach the class. If you read about Brazil online, there is a very high ratio of doctors to population, but apparently the northeast is far behind in this regard.

Hazel....nothing new with her really, she just skips along here, no concerns except when the fireworks go off at night...she ends up in our bed because they wake her up and she freaks out. Shaun and I often don't realize she is in bed with us until the morning....oops.

Lyla is rolling over from her stomach to her back all the time...very frustrating because she wakes up on her back immediately and starts screaming. Seth and Hazel rolled over way later than that and then I think they went back and forth right away, so I never had that problem. Little Stinker! Other than that she's relaxed about us dragging her around everywhere, smiling at everyone no problem.

Alright there are some random thoughts brought to you by the letter B (and S, H, and L). And here are a few random pictures. In case anyone is wondering why I'm posting and adding so many pictures, I found a site that will publish your blog as a book, so I thought that would be a neat keepsake for us of our time here. I'm feeling a little self-conscious about all the writing I'm doing :)

Our little Chevy Prisma...I don't really know how we got all the carseats across the back

You see these little dune buggy/trucks all over the place here.

Seth in his school uniform. I know, he really isn't going enough to make it worth it but I couldn't resist. Besides it cost R$25, and I had to buy it at a little shop in town that makes all the uniforms in the city. All the schools here have uniforms.

And there you have it.

Have a good week everyone!