#O rapaz do cubo mágico#

My new cousin Maria Ines and mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother

The experience of working in a charity shop is bringing me a lot of challenges, firstly after each shift I always come with my wallet emptier, there is always something that I cannot resist to buy, today I treat myself with a head ache that use to fill up my childhood. The Rubik's Cube is promising to puzzle our lives in the next days until we will find the solution for the enigma, if...For now we did one side :)

Outside, this was a day to enjoy and to everyone take the most from the day, was unusually sunny, I woke up with the sun light in my eyes, I could not believe was true, I run downstairs and opened the door to the garden to not loose any bit from the day. The bad news is now in the evening is already raining again.

Today we had the visit from Maika and some of her friends that did a pit stop in our house before tomorrow they will go for a trip through few places in Europe, in the night Olivia was very interested to know where were those places in the map.

A metre girl

In the last days has been difficult to find any interval of sun between the falling rain, Winter through the Spring. It has been difficult for Olivia to understand, because we told her that her birthday marked the beginning of the Spring, and now she feels cheated. Nevertheless, I refuse to complain about the idiosyncrasy of the weather. The weather is here to serve us and it can be very inspirational to be in bed and listen the rain and the wind outside. Also, not being so selfish, the farmers should be happier with all this water in the fields.

It was a busy afternoon, Olivia went to distribute postcards to say 'thank you' to her friends that came last week for her birthday. Later we took advantage to do Olivia's check up, she has now 14 kilograms and exactly a metre. All in line with the average.

Other needles

This year is promising to be again another Golden year for the family Assunção, before was my cousin Marta who was the Star to give another little cousin to the family, and today was Nini who gave birth to Maria Ines. Congratulations to the mother, father and vovó Julieta. We all cannot wait for the Summer to see alive all our new cousins and to be part of the celebrations. Soon will be another chapter in this beautiful story :)

Today me and Justyna gave few hours to the charity, Olivia was very patient to be in my shop waiting for me to leave, She deserved a small treat, a bag that needed to be knitted. It is funny that with this games I am finding that I have a special passion for this works with threads and needles. Before, I did few times cross-stitch with the help of Justyna and I confessed that I liked the experience very much. I would like to explore more this world of the knitting, patch work, to know a bit more about what can be done with needles, not only to inject insulin :)
 

Floods

It was a very inspiring day, very close to the family and to the mother nature. While Olivia was in the nursery I took Justyna and we went back to the land. I missed the Polish walks, to breath the first-hand oxygen from the trees and to find more ourselves. For the walk in some points was almost necessary a boat. It was raining so much. We had the pleasure to reach home completely soaked. Like today only in the childhood. I went straight to bed and had the best tea ever that I can remember.

Accustomed to lose

After a long break, more than a month after I attended the last Art class today I was back to the form, to be honest I was feeling a bit awkward, to not say nervous, like Olivia last week after holidays she also did not want to go back to her school. It took me a lot to go and do not cry. Slowly I will need to build up my confidence in the colours wheel.

This last three days I have been around neighbours house to watch the football games, for now has finished with the end of the Sporting Lisbon dream. Almost every time when I move myself to watch a football match my team always lose, and of course today was the same, so no bitter feelings. In this way it is good to be used to lose, We will never drop a tear for losing. So happy :)

Bookworm

Days like this only leave us the chance to be indoors. Outside is raining and raining, we took advantage to stay big part of the day in the library, either in the morning and afternoon, The love for books is something that me and Justyna do not worry to be Olivia's first love affair.

Yesterday I bought two 3D puzzles thinking of Olivia, actually I was more thinking about me, as it was me who today ended up hooked to the models, fascinating the construction even if not too creative.

Postman brings news

This morning the postman brought us good news, It will be already next week I will be admitted in the Hospital for my first set of injections, I will be in the Hospital next Wednesday and Thursday, hopefully this will shrink the tumours even more dramatically.

The afternoon was memorable, with a great Reiki session, I felt as if everything inside was boiling. Outside I found Olivia playing with Noah, She did wet all herself in a puddle, but to be honest I was more happy than unhappy to see her doing this silly thing. It is also the time for Olivia to be a bit naughty to us :)
Later, we took the most of the Sun shining in this afternoon, with a great time in the park. Olivia was in a very good mood, looking to do friends.

Golden age

It is true outside there is only rain and rain, but inside us there is only joy and pleasure for the little things, to could go and help in a charity shop, to sit down with Oli and complete a puzzle, to go to a neighbour and see Oli jumping in a bed with her friend Jean, and to finish the day celebrating the anniversary of our friend Ryan. And overall just spend again time with our friends in Shubhi's house, it has been a long time without being together. Even if it was Ryan who had his birthday it was me and Olivia who had the gift of listening him playing piano for us.

There are only reasons to be happy, and with so much rain outside I already can predict the reaction in the peoples faces when again will arrive the first solar rays. After the grey only can be the golden lights.

After party

The hangover of the party meant different things for each of us, For Olivia it was a day to go through all the new toys and games, since the morning we are in a marathon in order to Olivia enjoy each thing she received from friends. She is insatiable, she wants to devour every single toy that she has not seen before. But for mummy the day after meant a lot of re-organizing and tiding up, catching the rods after the fire works display.
Meanwhile Gosia left us and went for other adventure, we all are already missing her. My harem become smaller.

Happy birthday Princess

It was the day of Olivia, our princess had her 4th year anniversary. She had a lot of friends which filled up completely the house. She had only one wish, to not be sing the happy birthday song, therefore there was cake and even candles but not singing :)

It was very tired-full all the organization, luckily we had Gosha who helped to make all the party possible. All the friends gave a very special meaning to the party. The most important thing is that Olivia was tired but happy in the end of the day. She deserves everything, the blessing of our lives.
Besides so many presents today I collect a trampoline from the freecycle.

Birthday's business

I had another day spent in the hospital, now to have a Ct scan. Go to a hospital and take a CT scan it is only comparable to travel to the airport to take a flight, this because we can spend almost all day in the Hospital, waiting for our turn, even if the scan itself is a very straightforward and quick procedure. This exam today was a bit more complex than the normal, it was the first time that they also pictured my neck, this because a small lump that keeps growing there. I want to be positive regarding to the results, but for now I am just trying. This afternoon I was very tired and with small pains in the belly, abdomen and back, this should be also a matter of nervous. The results I will know only in two weeks time.

This week is very special, for some unknown reasons, I have few friends that have birthdays in a short period of time, Yesterday was Rob, today is Sofia, tomorrow Olivia, and beginning of the week is Ryan. A big happy birthday for all of you, and specially for Sofia that must be doing something unexpected :)

But here is Olivia, who is in the spot tomorrow, will be 4th anniversary, the day will be wet, what will put a bigger pressure in the organization, like how to fit all the guests at home, because outside will be wet and cold. Today the princesses have not stopped cooking for tomorrow, I have been in charge of decorations.

In the right side of the road

We are already in London again, we found it very wet and cold, It did not change much since we left. It was hard for Justyna to say bye bye to the family, some tears and sad faces come out in the last day. The journey was very tiredness, we left home at 3.00 AM and only at 10.00 girls were at home in London. I went straight to the hospital to take my dose of this new injection that I will be familiar in the future. In fact this was the plan :(

When everything was explained to me and the nurse was going to give me this new medicine that acts in the Cancer cells, in the last moments he found that I am diabetic, and then all needed to be postponed, I could not have the injection like that, instead I will need to come in the next couple of weeks and stay overnight in the hospital to have the treatment in a more secure conditions, Because that injection apparently mess up all the sugar levels, so they need to keep monitor me through all the night. Shame that they did not confirmed this before.

In the afternoon everybody slept in the afternoon, and in the evening I escaped to my neighbour Jim to watch the Sporting in the semi-final Europa Cup, I was alone they had other commitments, when Sporting suffered the goal I left the house and I come back home, which I regretted as the Sporting managed to recover.

Yesterday we had the confirmation that Olivia was allocated to the school near by us, and which we had applied in the first place. We should be happy as few kids around us were not given this school and also that they had applied, apparently the difference was the side of the road, the kids in our side of the road were offered a place but to the ones in the other side was denied. Narrow border that will makes a big difference, as the other schools could be little further way.

A galinha dos ovos douro

It was more than three weeks in Poland, long but very enjoyfull. The chicken that lays golden eggs also will stop for a while. The days of relaxation and living in a world without problems will finish tonight. Tomorrow morning we will be already in London, I will be in the Hospital the next two days for my business and with a lot of letters waiting for sure :) Olivia in school and Justynamissing her family.

Today Olivia had already a taste for her birthday, a small party for all the Polish family. Saturday there is more..
The chicken looks upset, and she has reason for that, because every morning Justyna's father exchanged her real eggs for a ping-pong ball. It is definitely a bad deal for her.

Ladder to the heaven

This was the trip in bicycle that we planned since we came to Poland, and this afternoon we did it, It was a lovely ride, I even run through the grassland to catch with my camera a family of deers, this was the best shoot I did.
I am totally enjoying the view :)
Justyna in a spot close to the river Warta, where she came often in her childhood with her friends
In the last days I have found out that also I suffer from Anosmia, I cannot smell the fragrance from the flowers. Justyna tells me that those trees smell wonderful and believe in her, I only enjoyed the view and it is more than enough
We can find a lot of storks around here.
Grandmother enjoying the last days
Olivia splash all her złoty's earned from the family, she bought a big provision of Polish books to take to London
Today I lost my mind and I could not chose few pictures and because there was so many that I loved I posted a few more than normal, even if soon I will battle with the space in my blog, it is alarmingly running out of space.

Weight gain

This last week in Poland is transforming the days, the days are bringing more visits to the family and losing the time for our walks and rides, for me the best of course, because in the socialatmosphere I am always struggling with my poor Polish. The visits here in Poland means always and always a table full of food. I already checked and definitely I will come back to London with few more kilograms, what makes me again happy.

The Forsyte Saga

Justyna left us very early in the morning, as she went with her mother and Monika to visit Justyna's uncle, which she has not seen for a long time. Me and Olivia woke up and started with our routines, some with the grandfather, feeding the cat and picking up the new eggs, but also we rode the bicycle through the rain and played mikado. I like sometimes to be alone with Olivia, because she is left without the choice of Justyna and I can enjoy her more intensely, to be the father and mother.

In the afternoon all the family, including grandparents went to visit Justyna's aunt and uncle, It was lovely to see Martynka, the new member of the family. But essentially it is great to see Justyna's father together with us, this time in Poland he has been more calm and tried to be closer with us. This is making everybody happier. We are all enjoying his special character.

Limitless Nature

We will miss this sensation of freedom, It is true we do not have a car here, even I do not have access to Internet as I use to, but nevertheless we are closer to the Nature and this gives us the limitless freedom and pleasure that we can take from our daily walks through the forest and even just ride the bicycle and catch the wind which is fresh for Justyna but chilly for me.