We have been pre-christmassing merrily since the end of November, writing greeting cards that made it to the post-office before December 1st - can you sense how proud I was to achieve this? - and hopefully will make it across the ocean, making (a few) presents too, and putting together our Christmas tree. This "tree" has been a center of attention and gathering point since I nail the first planks. It gets re-decorated every day, initially with our salt-dough stars and hearts and then with about anything that can be hung of wrapped around it, including chocolate from Germany. It is still very weird for me to see European traditions combined with the heat of the end of year in the southern hemisphere. My brain cannot comprehend that Christmas is coming even though the days are so long and we can barely stand having clothes on. 

In terms of clothes, Coline is quite determined not to wear any. It is convenient since she stopped using nappies more than a month ago and although she is doing very well at using her private and portable loo, she does not always make it there. I did however feel embarrassed when she stole the audience's attention at a choir presentation in the park for running around naked, giggling when I approached and screaming to death when I tried to dress her up. The one who is successful at dressing her up is Leila (who also manages to brush her teeth while I fail miserably) as the picture of "Coline dressed as a queen" testifies.

 

For a little more than 2 weeks we had the company of mamie-Claire. We did more sight-seeing and travelling around than in the whole year. We took the train from Ouro Preto to Mariana, spent a night in belo horizonte, visited the modern art gallery and botanical garden "Inhotim" and had many shared ice-creams. I also started swimming all by myself during Leila and Coline's lesson and even managed to keep it this way after mamie left. I am loving it. 34 is not too old after all to learn and swim properly.