Friday, February 20, 2009

It's Carnival time

Erich is off now for a week for "Carnival"... the following website shows some celebrations that happen in Rio, just a few hours from their home... www (dot) rio-carnival (dot) net. (I can't post the link to the site - it gets scrambled in the post). Here is some information from the site:

Although Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) is celebrated in towns and villages throughout Brazil and other Catholic countries, Rio de Janeiro has long been regarded as the Carnival Capital of the World. The Rio Carnaval is not only the biggest Carnival, benchmark against which every other carnival is compared but also one of the most interesting artistic events on the Globe. Pretty much everyone has heard of the Rio Carnaval. Foreign visitors to it alone number around 500,000 every year.

Rio Carnival is a wild 4 day celebration, 40 days before Easter. It officially starts on Saturday and finishes on Fat Tuesday with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday after which one is supposed to abstain from all bodily pleasures. Carnival with all its excesses, celebrated as a profane event, can thus be considered an act of farewell to the pleasures of the flesh. It usually happens in February, the hottest month in the Southern Hemisphere, when the Rio summer is at its peak.

There are carnival celebrations in virtually every corner of Brazil, the best-known ones taking place in Recife together with the neighboring Olinda (in the Northeast of Brazil) and Salvador. But the biggest and most famous carnival is undoubtedly the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.


Well, I don't know about you but that was way more information than I needed to know...

This week I didn't get too many updates... Erich had his first math test, and his first sleep-over at a friends house. His father managed to get a 13-inch t.v. for them and Erich is able to play Xbox again... He seems to be doing well and thriving there. He loves school, is really loving his new social life and it is turning out to be just as he had hoped...

Stay tuned... hoping to get more photos soon.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Another TRIPLE!!!

On Saturday, Erich had another softball game... he was catcher this game and told a story of how a batter swung and let go of the bat - whizzing past his head - thankfully! He got another triple!!!! and 2 singles - getting on base every at bat... he was very excited...

He also told me about a restaurant they had visited where they serve Picanha ... which is a cut of beef we don't find here in the U.S. except at a Brazilian Restaurant in CA called Picanha Churrascaria that I found on Google... (Erich tried to teach me how to say Churrascaria right but I couldn't get it... it sounded more like "ja-ha-scaria' or something like that...). He said school is going well - the only class he doesn't have homework in is 'gym'. ;)

Nothing else new to report...

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Softball pics

Erich on 3rd base after his triple...



Erich's team on the field...


Erich in right field...


Erich in the driveway at home...


Sunday, February 8, 2009

Day 2 of Softball games

Saturday entailed two softball games for the new Eagle softball player... There were two games. He played two innings the first game and four innings the second game. He got 2 hits (one was a triple!), the other a base hit, and made one out and snagged one that got past him but he was able to keep the runner from advancing past first. He got an RBI (runs batted in) too! They won the first game but lost the second. I AM SO PROUD! He was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to call and tell me... his coach was also proud of how well he did and has promised him more playing time! Imagine that? Our computer/video game whiz is also a terrific softball player!

Also, I sent him a "test" postcard to see if he'd actually get mail and how long it would take... I used the first address I posted, because at the time it was the only one I had! IT WORKED! And he got it in exactly 1 week! Not bad! He was excited about that too... He had a great Saturday and I enjoyed our time on the phone of well over half an hour! He had some homework in Math and Humanities. Today (Sunday) they were heading to Japan Town. Apparently Brazil has the highest population of Japanese people outside of Japan. I didn't know this. :)

I hope to get some pictures from the softball games. Thanks for checking in!

God bless!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Go Eagles!

This week, the little man tried out for the boy's slow-pitch softball team - the Eagles. He made the J.V. team and plays right-center field. I hope to get some pictures SOON of him in uniform and with his team! Their first game was TODAY! They won 3-2! He played 2 innings, but didn't get any hits. He has 2 games tomorrow... I am very happy and excited for him but you know me - it kills me that I can't be there to embarrass, I mean cheer for him.

Stay tuned!



Monday, February 2, 2009

School update

Sorry I haven't updated the blog much... I have been really down lately.

Anyway, I spoke to Crunchie a few times the last few days. Friday I talked to him at length about his first week of school and his schedule... Of course I was driving and couldn't write it down but his weeks are broken down into days. Days A, B, C, & D. For example, On Day A he has Portuguese, Humanities (History and English combined) Vocal Music (he's trying to transfer to Art) and something else. Science maybe? Eeeks, I have forgotten already. Anyway, On Day B he has Gym, Math, Humanities, etc. Day C is similar to A but all mixed up... and D is somewhat like B. His classes are 80 minutes long and he goes to school from about 8:30 to 3:00. I think it's neat that he only has most of his classes 2x per week. Humanities class is one the only one he has every day. How fun that he is learning Portuguese... even though I am 1/2 Portuguese I don't know the language. My mom does though. It will be fun this summer to hear them share conversation in Portuguese and to learn the differences between Brazilian Portuguese and mainland Portuguese!!! I am going to get some tapes from the library to see if I can learn a word or too... Oh, and I'll try and get more info on his school schedule. It sounds interesting. Oh, after days A,B,C,&D they start all over... so Friday he had A day and today was B day.

Erich also shared a lot about the food. His step-mom too. I guess their skin has changed so much because of all the organic and fresh things they have available to them. Erich said they have the most amazing beans and rice dish that he eats every day. And get this... please sit down for this - the other day he had donuts and he DIDN'T EVEN LIKE THEM!!! His stepmom told me she bought some! Can you imagine? Erich not wanting DONUTS?

He also talked about the cars there ... Fiat's and Citroen's... FUN!

Here is one more photo... on the trail by their house. His 1/2 sister, BrieAnne. She's so cute and getting so big (she turned 2 on January 10). He took all the photos I've posted himself, except the one of him... that was courtesy of his step-mom... I wanted to SEE him and this is the best she could get from him first thing on Sunday morning. ;) he was not very cooperative. Thanks anyway! It's so good to see him!!!

BrieAnne on the trails...

More pictures ...

Erich and his iPod...

an orchid tree...


a house in their neighborhood...

the walking trail in their neighborhood...


more on the trail...