Lyla's Big Day

Lyla had her big day on March  9.  She woke up "bigger."

We had a birthday party for her here.  Yes, I took the plunge of inviting a group here.  It was helpful that the week before her birthday we were finally able to get into the house we had rented two years ago and collect a lot of kitchen stuff such as utensils, plates, coffee carafes, bowls, cups, trays, tupperware containers, pots, etc.  That's what you get when you inform people you are going back to Canada and can we please keep our stuff here while we're gone and we should be back in a couple months.  The house gets rented out with all your stuff in it and when you finally get back here you don't have kitchen stuff anymore...

We still bought a few disposable items, and served a typical winter-y dutch Sunday meal, soup and buns.  It may seem weird for North Americans that something that is a warm comfort food there is used for a lunch on a hot summer day, but I think you can't wait for cold days to serve hot food here.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Our Brazilian Grandma :)

Her very own Portuguese Bible for church.

We gave her books and a Skipper (Barbie's little sister).  She immediately sat down to read in the middle of the party.  She is getting so big.... she wakes up and is writing letters all day long, and has always had a love of books.

Tia Thecia made a beautiful crocheted little purse.

At church they sing happy birthday to everyone who has a birthday in the coming week.  Lyla's teacher from school had her birthday the day after Lyla, so she got to stand up at the front with her.

Not to forget, Lyla received gifts from Canada and lots of special emails and facebook messages.  After I read one such message to her, she smiled sweetly and said "Everybody loves my birthday."  Oh dear Lyla, mom and dad hope you know that it is true because everyone loves you!

Here's a little interview with four-year-old Lyla:

What's your favorite colour?  Yellow, pink and purple.

What do you want to do when you grow up?  My daddy is going to take care of my baby and my kitty cat.  I'm going to have a kitty cat.

Your daddy? Do you mean your husband? Yes. (I asked this for clarification purposes for the reader.  For some reason Lyla and Hazel both call husbands "daddies.") 

But what are you going to do?  Work!  

What kind of work are you going to do?  I'm going to talk to people... in Portuguese!

What's your favorite thing about Brazil?  I like Canada and Brazil.  I like to play.  I want to go to Canada and get my stuff.

What do you like to do all day?  Letters, write letters. Clean up my bedroom.

What's your favorite game? Paulo and Marco.  Huh? Where do you play that? In the pool (Marco Polo).

What's your favorite book? The puzzle from you.  What do you mean? The puzzle from you with the book.  Oh, the fairy tale book! Yah!

What's your favorite animal?  Zebras and giraffes. 

Alright mom, let's do a puzzle now....

I guess that's it for her attention span.  I still have more catch-up to do but apparently I have to go make a puzzle!  Stay tuned for more :)