And We're Back!

After a whirlwind trip to Austin and Virginia (with a few days in Ohio) we are back in Sao Paulo. Thankfully, our flight back to Brazil was much smoother (minus the two hour delay taking off) than our trip to the States. The kids slept most of the trip and by the time they were waking up we were landing. Paul wrangled our 8 70 lb. suitcases without too much trouble (much easier than the 19 we had last year when his arm was in a sling!), we caught a taxi, and we made home without too much traffic. While Paul and the driver were unpacking the trunk of the taxi the kids' favorite porteiro (doorman) came over to help. Noah and Soph greeted Natty with big hugs and we were in the apartment in less than a minute. The last few days have been spent unpacking, organizing, grocery shopping, and general regrouping after being gone for 30 days. The kids have transitioned well. Truthfully, I was a bit worried. During our last days in Virginia, we heard lots of "I want to stay here" and "Why do we live in Brazil?". In the airport both kids cried for a few different stretches, missing all of their grandparents and cousins. It is difficult to explain to them that we have not been living in "real life" for the last month-real life isn't filled new experiences, sleepovers, late bedtimes, ice cream, and FUN everyday. Just when you visit after a year of being away! We are planning to return at Christmas and I think that helped ease their minds a bit. Leaving for 5 months is a lot more manageable than a whole year! Even for us adults. We had a great time, but it is nice to actually put clothes in drawers, have a bedtime routine, and cook dinner. Both kids were hoping to start school the day we returned to Sao Paulo, but we have three more weeks before we head back. We contemplated a trip to either Buenos Aires or the Amazon, but quickly realized we should take advantage of these quiet weeks to run errands, tend to appointments, and generally relax before things get busy again. We may make a trip to Campos do Jordao, but it would only be for a few days. We only had a camera the second half of our trip, but here are a few favorites:

The cousins (minus Olivia)

Sleepovers

Williamsburg

Fourth of July Fun