I've written previously about how language fascinates me and how amazing I find it to witness my daughter acquire two languages as she grows up. You can read about that here. She's now three and three months. I'll give a bit of background about our language journey as a third-culture family. [I'm using the term … Continue reading Our language journey as a third-culture family
Category: Children
Daily rhythms of life and death
On her third birthday our little one gained and lost her first pet. We both gave and (unwittingly) took it from her. She used to ask to see the fish every time my husband took her to town with him so we decided to give her a fish for her birthday. But it was a … Continue reading Daily rhythms of life and death
Christmas – to be continued…
https://twitter.com/courtneyellis/status/1342708808309563393 I'll just leave that there because well, it's brilliant. As I sit drinking a splendidly hot cup of tea made with one of a few extremely jealously guarded teabags I am feeling roundly comforted. Tea is an almost entirely reliable comfort for me, being "a panacea for all but stomach wounds" according to my … Continue reading Christmas – to be continued…
A poem for Christmas Day
I'm writing this on Boxing Day as rain is hammering on the windows and lightning is splitting the sky. At some point during Advent (probably as I was listening to the Art & Theology Advent playlist), the penny dropped for me that the characters in the Christmas story would have felt a whole range of … Continue reading A poem for Christmas Day
Third culture Christmas
We are a Brazilian husband, a British wife and a Brazilian-British daughter currently living in Brazil. This year I'm trying to be intentional about choosing meaningful traditions for Advent and Christmas that will point us as a family to Christ. I've written more about the reason for this here. As a third culture family unit … Continue reading Third culture Christmas
Rethinking Christmas
This year my head has been slowly and repeatedly compressed and decompressed. It feels as if my mental capacity has been shrunk and enlarged at different times and perhaps this process has finally made me face up to a few things. Or at least see them in a different light. I'm not good with change. … Continue reading Rethinking Christmas
The very hungry caterpillars
27th March - In the course of our morning foray into my mother-in-law's back garden for chicken inspection purposes, we happened upon a brightly coloured tiger butterfly resting on a leaf. We approached to get a better look, expecting her to fly away as soon as she saw us coming, but she remained resolutely where … Continue reading The very hungry caterpillars
Why I love language acquisition
At 2 years and 11 months, my daughter just came out with this phrase in Portuguese - "Se eu fosse lá, eu vou botar você na cadeia". (If I were to go there, I am going to put you in jail.) So she managed to form the imperfect subjunctive correctly but used the simple future … Continue reading Why I love language acquisition
Rain, rain, go away?
I don't know how many times in my life I've heard people say 'Don't you just love a cold/rainy/wintry day when you're tucked up inside all nice and warm/dry/cosy and listening to the weather outside?' (delete as applicable). Actually, I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone say that, I think I've only ever read that … Continue reading Rain, rain, go away?
Moments that change us
I was sorting out the laundry yesterday evening when it suddenly occurred to me to wonder why it was suddenly so quiet when the toddler's default setting is fairly noisy and rising. Her settings in fact are limited to power off, crescendo and full blast. I'd only just changed her nappy after having received a … Continue reading Moments that change us
Brazil from the outside in 