01-02/06 Chapter 266: Shine in your light on the world
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03-07/06 Chapter 267: I'm still here hanging
The weekend passed slowly until Monday came, and we went home. The atmosphere between your father and me was better, but we were still in a limbo, not knowing what to do. I made it very clear that I would make this concession about my parents' house to make him happy and so that we could keep making things work, but now many doubts have arisen in his mind, and he needed some time to think. The whole week was like this; we lived peacefully but not as a couple because he still needed to think about many things.
This is what exhausts me. Our entire relationship has always had this uncertainty, your father needing time, needing to think, needing to analyze things and consider. This is not the first time, it's not the second or the third, and I'm sure it won't be the last. It's horrible to feel like you are always at the mercy of others, waiting for them to say a word so you can see what your life will be like after that person's word. In other words, your direction, your destiny, your next steps depend on someone else. The path you will trace, and that's not right.
So it's complicated. I feel like I'm doing the best I can, making concessions, trying to adjust to everything your father asks to make him happy, but I feel that the small things I ask him to change, he doesn't do like I do and isn't giving his best. The week was like this, in this limbo, your father in this confusion about what to do, me in this confusion about whether I deserve to be in this position, and our relationship on a tightrope.
I do think that problems and doubts exist in every and any relationship and marriage, but when these doubts become something constant throughout the entire relationship, it's not something you can turn a blind eye to and ignore. I'm feeling small, in a position I don't deserve to be in.
These days were pleasant because we started looking at children's buffets for your second birthday party. This time I looked at many buffets, and the best part is the tasting. But I'll tell you that really good tastings are very few and far between, and what I mean by good are complete tastings, that is, they offer appetizers, savory snacks, and also sweets and cakes. I think only two places offer a complete tasting; most just offer an appetizer and savory snacks, so I must confess that even though I love tastings, I'm quite tired of savory snacks.
But the best part of visiting the buffets this year wasn't the tasting; it was watching you play and have fun at each buffet. Now that you're older, you always want to stay in the ball pit, you enjoyed some of the rides, and at almost every buffet, it was quite hard to get you to leave because you didn't want to go. So that was the best part, seeing you playing, having fun, and enjoying each place we visited.
The best children's buffet tasting I had was at the buffet we booked for your first birthday. That buffet offered almost everything on its menu for us to try, and it was the only one that did that because the others didn't come close to offering everything on their menus for tasting. However, I was a bit disappointed with the previous buffet because they didn't provide two or three items that were listed in their menu contract. Also, even though I loved the buffet, I think it's nice to have the party in a different environment, a different place.
The other place is wonderful, huge. I loved the big screen where they show slides, and I read that the food is sensational. They serve snacks even after the birthday cake. The big standout for them is the dinner; for example, they have a risotto station, which no other place I visited had. The snacks are also much more appetizing. However, in terms of attractions, I found it lacking. It has a slide that adults can use, but the other place had that too. It doesn't have the fun game where you fall into the ball pit, no bowling alley; it has a nice carousel, a small ball pit, and a few other interesting toys, but very little for adults. So, this place was the opposite of the other; I was enchanted by the food but a bit disappointed with the toys. I was in a terrible dilemma between the two. And your father didn’t visit this second place, so I couldn't get his opinion. Typical, men don't really like these things. He only went for the food, haha. But Pietra, who went with me to the second buffet, loved it, so I had this doubt in my mind all week.
Anyway, regardless of where we have your party, I'm sure you will love it and have a great time. Now you and your little cousin will enjoy it much more because you're older. But one of the things that bothers me is that I'll have to pay for this party by myself. Maybe your grandfather will help because he's wonderful and loves you and your little cousin very much. But I miss this in your father; I miss having someone who runs alongside me, sharing the costs of everything. For him, for example, a buffet party is silly, so he won't pay. But even if it seems silly to us, we have to think about the kids and their fun. What might seem silly to us might not be to our kids or our partners, so I miss having financial support, someone to rely on, someone who runs alongside me. I feel like everything falls on my shoulders, and sometimes the burden is too heavy to bear.
08/06 Chapter 268: Dodged a bullet
The plan was that on Sunday you would sleep at your grandma's house, and I would go back to the apartment so your dad could help me with the live sales event. But some things happened. On the fifth, I forgot to mention in our journal that in the evening you started having very, very red cheeks.
In fact, you had a high fever spike of around 39°C, and your cheeks became very red. Your dad and I couldn't take it anymore. You left daycare, but still, the colds, viruses, and illnesses continue; nothing has changed. What has changed is your treatment with the immunoglobulin vaccines, and now you catch these illnesses more mildly and don’t end up in the hospital, but that’s not related to daycare; it’s related to the treatment you’re undergoing. Anyway, I know I even cried to my mom, and we didn't know what you had, so the first thing I did was send a message to Dr. Humberto’s secretary, who replied that evening and said she would fit us in early the next morning.
My mom even thought that your cheeks were hot and red due to the high fever, but even after the fever reducer completely lowered your fever, your cheeks remained very red, and what was worse, you wouldn’t stop scratching them. You were almost peeling off the skin from so much scratching. This worried me a lot, so I had no choice but to bother Dr. Humberto again and explain the situation so he could prescribe some medication for you that night before our appointment the next morning, otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to sleep with such itching. As always, he was wonderful and responded, suggesting a medication that my mom quickly went to the pharmacy to get. It provided some relief, but not as much as needed. You still felt quite uncomfortable during the night.
The next morning when we went to Dr. Humberto's office, it turned out to be the longest wait we've ever had there. Our appointment was scheduled for 10:15 AM, and we were seen almost at 1 PM; we were the last ones to be seen in the morning. I don't know if someone arrived after us and was seen before us, because there it's based on the order of arrival, and we might have been about five minutes late and ended up switching our spot with someone who had a later appointment. Otherwise, Sandra would have told us to arrive at 11:15 AM, not 10:15 AM, and we would have waited for two hours, not almost three. But having a child means making sacrifices and putting them first.
When Dr. Humberto examined you, you had rashes all over your body, on your stomach and back. He said skin diseases are complicated to distinguish; it could be roseola, rubella, or some common skin eczema—it’s very broad, and he’s not a dermatology specialist. He ruled out roseola because it first causes a fever that subsides before the rashes appear. But the rashes appeared along with the fever yesterday, so it’s not it because rosacea appears only after the fever.
We talked with the doctor, had a chat, and he said it was nothing serious. He prescribed some medications, antihistamines, and we went home. Your cheeks remained red for a few more days but then cleared up, and everything was fine. However, on the sixth, my mom said that my sister took your cousin to the hospital because he had rashes all over his body. I said it was the same thing you had because you saw each other a few days earlier, but even so, I was hesitant to keep you two close together since both of you were sick with possibly different illnesses.
In the hospital, the doctor told my sister that what Rafinha had was hand foot and mouth disease, something your pediatrician never mentioned, which increased our concern. The pediatrician said it’s usually a mild illness, but it often causes rashes on the face and mouth ulcers, making it hard for children to eat and drink. If a child can’t stay hydrated, hospitalization might be necessary. What made things worse was that my sister was about to travel at night with Rafael on that trip my mom had booked some time ago for them to enjoy a little honeymoon, which she had also offered to your dad and me, but I didn’t want to leave you behind. So, besides leaving her sick child, my mom would have the huge responsibility of keeping an eye on and taking care of Rafinha, who might get worse.
So, on Saturday the eighth, I went to my mom’s house with you. Your dad didn’t come because we were still arguing, and he said he needed some time away from my parents’ house. Actually, he didn’t say he needed time; he just preferred not to go all the time. This was the second weekend he wouldn’t go. My sister left Rafinha at Rafael’s mom’s house on Saturday, and he was supposed to sleep at my mom’s house on Sunday so you two could play together. But since we were almost sure you both had different illnesses, my mom decided to pick up Rafinha only on Monday after I took you back home. I needed her to watch you so we could do the live sales event, and Tayna, Rafael’s mom, was also there to help, so I needed a bit more help in this situation.
We went there Saturday night, and everything was normal, but around 11:30 PM, Sueli, Rafael’s mom, called my mom and said Rafinha wouldn’t stop crying and screaming in pain. She showed photos and videos of him, and he was covered in rashes all over his body, his face looked like it had many cold sores, and his little private area was full of sores. He wouldn’t stop touching his private parts. My mom, being very worried, almost panicked. She talked to my dad, showed him everything, and they decided to go pick up Rafinha from Sueli’s house. Sueli doesn’t mind taking care of her grandson, but she doesn’t like being responsible when he’s sick and doesn’t feel comfortable doing so, which is totally understandable.
At the table, after talking to Sueli, my mom cried out of nervousness, saying it was such bad luck that Rafinha got sick this week when his parents were going to travel. If it had been a week earlier or later, none of this would have happened. They chose a random date, and just on that random date, Rafinha got sick. She found herself in a complicated situation because, firstly, she couldn’t call my sister and Rafael as it would scare them and ruin their fun trip, and there would be nothing they could do to solve it. But at the same time, it was a big responsibility not to tell the parents about their child’s illness, even though it’s not a dangerous disease, it’s still a significant responsibility. Not only that but the exhaustion of having to leave home at midnight to go to Mairiporã to pick up the grandson, and after picking him up, they would have to stop at the pharmacy to get the medication. After Sueli called her, my mom also bothered Dr. Humberto on a Saturday night, in the middle of the night, and he, wonderful as always, called her back and explained all about this hand, foot, and mouth disease and said she needed to buy a specific spray. So, the plan was to pick up Rafinha from Sueli’s house in Mairiporã, drive down to São Paulo to buy the medication, and then return to Mairiporã again.
So, we all decided together that I would return to the apartment with you so you wouldn’t have contact with Rafinha. After all, you didn’t have any pain, you could eat normally, and your condition was very different. I talked to your dad and my parents, and around midnight, we decided to go back to the apartment, and that’s what we did. But before that, I suggested to my mom that she check if there was a 24-hour pharmacy near Sueli’s house so they wouldn’t have to go all the way to São Paulo, another city, and then return to Mairiporã. They liked the idea, and in the end, everything worked out. But tomorrow, we’ll have to figure out how to do the live sales event since your dad will have to take care of you and won’t be able to help me, and I need someone to assist me. We’ll see. At least for now we're trying to dodge a bullet, if you have this disease it'll be so bad.
09-12/06 Chapter 269: Something wasn't right here
The live stream worked and was a success, just as good or almost as good as the first one I did. The secret is not to give up, and to know how to collect and make new clients.
Giovanna came to help me while your dad was supposed to watch you, but Giovanna came accompanied by my aunt Rosane and my grandmother Sonia, and later Claudio came up and ended up staying with you the whole time. It was good because they distracted you and your dad had time to make dinner.
Happy with the outcome and the total profit from the live stream, I went to bed hopeful for future lives.
During the week, we went to check out more buffet options, and one day I wanted to take my mom to the two buffets I liked the most to help me decide. So, Rafinha missed school, and she brought him along so you could play together, which was the best decision. You had fun at THREE buffets the entire day. At the first one, my mom liked the attractions, prices, and indoor space. You played on the slide for a long time and in the ball pit too. You cried a lot when it was time to leave.
At the second buffet, my mom was enchanted by the space, the food, everything! It was her favorite, and she even wants to throw a party for my grandparents' anniversary there next year. We spent a good amount of time there, and you had just as much fun! My sister stopped by at the end of the night to check it out too.
Finally, we visited one I still didn’t know but ended up liking a lot. We were especially impressed with the size of the ball pit. You played a lot, and it had all the attractions I wanted. However, the appetizers weren’t very good (who wants to eat couscous?), and I even thought about booking with them too; but the attendant started pressuring us, and I don’t like that. None of the other buffets we visited this year pressured us, this was the first. Not even the other one we visited in another location from the same chain pressured us. She was so desperate that she made a fatal mistake... When she asked for a deposit to book, and I said we would take the proposal to my dad (who would pay for the party) before deciding, she said we were very lucky that the date of October 19th, a Saturday, was still available. So far, so good... But then, she went to the kitchen and came back with another attendant saying that the lady behind us wanted to book for the 19th too, and another one was coming to book the party for the 19th as well.
I found it confusing, and she explained that the lady behind us was booking the 19th for lunch and asked the other attendant as if I were dumb and would fall for this story:
- The lady coming now is sure to book for October 19th for dinner
- Yes, that's right.
- But is she really coming?
- Yes, absolutely!
In other words, she wanted to say that if I didn’t pay the deposit right then, another lady would come later to book the contract for the 19th at night (the date and time we wanted) but since she was talking to us first and in person, she would give us preference.
After understanding that this was a sales marketing ploy (and a poorly executed one), I said to give preference to the other woman then, and if the date was no longer available, we would understand. Then she said:
- No, don’t worry, let us know then.
It was OBVIOUS that it was pressure, a stupid ploy, and a lie! And it looked really bad for them... But after getting home, I googled the company and they were not well-rated due to their food service. Many complaints saying they held back the food, didn’t serve continuously, and made faces when people complained. That alone is enough for me to rule out a buffet, combined with the pressure and false psychological game they played, despite LOVING the environment, attractions, and space, I ruled it out!
A few days later, she contacted me asking if I had reviewed the proposal. Wait, I thought a client was definitely coming to book the date for October 19th, and if we didn’t book right then, we would lose the date? A joke, right, why do that? I was really considering booking with them. So, I said I saw the reviews on Google and since my family eats a lot, I wouldn’t book with them because food is a very important point (I didn’t even mention her mind game and the terrible performance of those saleswomen, but I should have). Then she tried to counter-argue by showing screenshots of good feedback, but I said I had already booked with another buffet because of the food issue.
Keep something in mind: when a company is good, in demand, and well-rated, it doesn't need to play these marketing/psychological games to get clients; it doesn't need to pressure a client to close a deal, and it doesn't need to beg or insist. They know their value and reputation, they will present and trust their product, their reviews, and allow the client to feel comfortable to return and make their choice. A company that insists, pressures, and makes you uncomfortable is likely experiencing financial crises or is desperate for clients, so you should be cautious.
I haven’t closed with any buffet yet, but I think I will go with the second one. I loved both, but I have to make a decision. And let’s organize your beautiful 2nd birthday party, my love!!!!!! Now you really enjoy the toys, and it will be an unforgettable night!
14/06 Chapter 270: Something wasn't right here
Today was the day I went to the orphanage bazaar to try to sell some things to help them and bring some donations. For a while now, I've been going there every week to do this. The bazaar is connected to the children's orphanage; they receive donation items from people, open a store with everything priced very low, and everything sold in this store is 100% reverted to the children for rent of the space they're in, hygiene items, food, school supplies, medicine, and everything else they need.
I try to collect as many donations as possible to help them, but people only think about sales and are often selfish. I'm starting to try to sell some of my good products, and if I can't, I take them directly there.
In past weeks, I saw they were selling an electric children's motorcycle for R$250... a week passed, and they lowered it to R$200, and another week passed, and they lowered it to R$150. A children's motorcycle like that costs more than R$1000, and even the one I bought a few months ago used cost 390 reais, and the orphanage's was in better condition. I told them to stop lowering it because it was a steal and to be patient as it would sell soon.
This week, an incredible giant electric car arrived that the previous owner paid almost 5,000 for back then, and today it's worth more than R$2500, and they were selling it for only 300. I even thought of you, but in our apartment, forget it, it's too small, and at your grandparents' house, you already have so many toys. But it was amazing and practically a giveaway. I even sent it to one of my clients who has a daughter a bit older than you, and she said her father was enchanted, asked for the address, and said he would go see it someday.
I know two weeks have passed, and the car hasn't sold. When I arrived at the bazaar, Gabi (who is now in charge since Mrs. Vera unfortunately passed away recently) said that everyone who went to the bazaar saw the car, it was a hit, but when they asked the price, they backed out. One lady even asked, Gabi said R$300, and she thought it was absurd, said it was a donation, that someone donated that product, and therefore they shouldn't profit so much from it, and that it should be around R$50.
And then, Gabi said they were considering lowering the price, even after explaining to the ignorant lady that the same car online cost a fortune, and compared to anywhere else it was being sold, it was very cheap, giving someone the opportunity to buy and acquire it much more easily, and in return, the money would go to the children. Wow, that made me so furious! I almost begged Gabi not to lower the price of the car. Doesn't the idiot understand that all the money is for the children? That it's a charitable cause? People want to take advantage of even CHARITABLE CAUSES, FOR GOD'S SAKE! Not to mention that the person who donates such an expensive product to an institution's bazaar doesn't want their product, worth at least R$1500, to be sold for R$50 in a store. The person wants the cause to raise as much as possible with their product, after all, that same person could have sold the product and kept the money, or sold the product for more and donated the net value instead of the product.
I, for example, if I can't donate money now but decide to donate, I don't know, a Tiffany necklace of mine worth R$2000 to help the orphanage, I'd like them to sell my product for at least R$500 so that this money can help the children's shelter in some way. Of course, selling it privately, I could get a better value of R$1000, for example, but not everyone has clients, time, and a way to sell. So, I'd rather help with R$500 than with nothing with a product or piece I no longer use. Now, if I see my necklace, my jewelry being sold for R$50 when it's worth R$2000 just because it's a bazaar, I'd be sad and would think twice about donating something there again. It's not because it's a bazaar, it's because it's practically free. People need more love, empathy, and knowledge!
I was so outraged that I immediately called my mother to talk about what happened. She told my father, and your grandpa told us to buy the car! There, we made everyone at the shelter happy and content knowing that there will always be someone who will value and recognize certain causes. And for heaven's sake, it's not a favor either, buying such a cheap car, it will be your joy for a long time. So I can say it was a win-win situation.
Still not happy, I told Gabi that if that bold woman came back, she should make a point of saying nicely that the product sold, so she understands once and for all that no one in the world is an idiot and the world doesn't revolve around her. Unhappy person.
Now, dear, you have a car! It will be taken to your grandparents' house today, and over the weekend, you will play a lot.
15/06 Chapter 271: Grab your passport and my hand
Your dad and I have talked and come to the following conclusion: we will try to improve the romantic aspect of our relationship. We will be more affectionate with each other, try to give more kisses, hugs, and do small things for each other, things that we often forget in our daily lives but are important for a couple's relationship. We discussed that we will try to give a little more of ourselves to each other and to our relationship until after our planned trip to San Diego. If, after this trip, things are still not going well and we still can't behave naturally as a couple, then we will know the answer and what we need to do.
Since I lived in San Diego, I have always wanted my parents to know there, the city that I consider my home and my haven. For the first time, I managed to convince my parents to go. However, since your father and I are in a complicated romantic situation, this was preventing us from buying the trip and setting a date for all of us to go together. But now we have decided and discussed that if things don't improve by September, then we will each go our separate ways and raise you separately. I can only hope that we succeed and reach the level we want to achieve. We have about two months ahead of us, and I will continue to do my best to ensure that our relationship and family continue to function harmoniously.
This weekend, your dad went to my parents' house. We went as a couple, definitively since we decided to make this attempt until after the trip, and finally, to my complete happiness and excitement, we bought the plane tickets. It's official: we are going to San Diego, home sweet home.
The tickets were a bit more expensive than I expected. Last year, I spent around R$12,000 for the three of us, and this year it went a bit higher, but that's okay, it will be worth it.
After hours of trying to finalize the trip and succeeding, it was time to go on Airbnb and look for a house to stay in. The only problem is that my parents didn't agree to stay for a month as I was planning, but only three weeks. For me, having waited so long to return to my home and spending so much money, it should be for a month. I thought my parents had learned their lesson from the trip to Orlando, where they only stayed for two weeks and saw how quickly time passed and then regretted it, but apparently not. They will regret it again, especially since San Diego has much more to offer than Orlando in terms of beaches, shopping, attractions like zoos, etc. But that's okay, I had already achieved the impossible by convincing my father, so if everything is happening on my terms, I won't demand too much.
Going back to the house episode, it was torture finding a place to stay, especially since we left it to the last minute, when summer there is starting, and everything is getting much more expensive. Everything is very pricey, around U$5,000 to stay for three weeks, which is absurd. The better houses were a bit more expensive, and the worse ones were really bad... But it seems today was my lucky day. I found an incredible house in the same location where we stayed last year in La Mesa, and I can't believe it was priced like the bad houses. A modern, beautiful, chic house, fit for rich people. And it was the same price as the bad houses that were available. I only managed to get this house because I changed some dates since the first date I chose wasn't available. Of course, we are still paying a fortune; to give you an idea, we are paying R$23,000 to stay for three weeks. It's a lot of money. Rent here in Brazil usually ranges between R$2,000 to R$3,000 per month. We're talking about R$23,000. But it's okay because my father and I will split it half and half, so it won't be too heavy just for one person, and my father makes a really good income. So, of course, it's a bit heavier on me, but after all, I'm the one who wants this trip. I know that neither the airfare nor the house charge went through on my mother's credit card, which has a high limit. But since I'm now a VIP client at Itaú, I have a black card, and my limit is R$100,000 per month. Believe it or not, the airfare went through on the first try. As for Airbnb, it didn't go through for one reason: we were waiting for the house owner to accept our proposal to stay at their house. After all, it's not a hotel; Airbnb involves homeowners who can decide whether or not to accept someone staying in their house. So now we just wait, cross our fingers, and hope that they approve our stay in their beautiful house so we can finally celebrate. My mother wanted to celebrate with champagne, but I said we would only celebrate once everything was confirmed and we had a house to stay in as well. Let's wait for the next chapters.
17-20/06 Chapter 272: You got a friend in me
This week was calm and much better romantically for me and your dad. We are doing what we agreed upon by paying more attention to our relationship, and so far, we are sticking to it. Now the problem we are facing recently is with your sleep. It's not that you aren't sleeping; you aren't sleeping in your own bed. I thought you would be great at this—sleeping alone and for a long time—but children go through phases, and yours is changing. So, what I do is put you to sleep in our bed, mine and your dad's, and after I manage to get you to sleep, usually quickly, I move you to your little bed in your room. I close the door, then I have dinner with your dad and watch a movie. However, during this time, you always wake up a few times and cry, whether because your pacifier fell, you had a nightmare, etc., and we always come to give you the pacifier, and everything is fine. But ever since your crib became a bed permanently, it seems like things have gotten worse. Now, you don't just wake up complaining; you wake up fully. That is, you don't want to go back to sleep. So, we pick you up, carry you to our bed again, and you sleep. But whenever I carry you back to your bed, you wake up again after a while. And now this has become a vicious cycle; whenever I put you to sleep in your little bed, you sleep for a while and then wake up in our bed. This is not good for you, your independence, or for us as a couple. Not to mention the space—our bed isn't even queen-sized, so it's quite cramped!
We are trying not to give in. Sometimes when you wake up, I try to lie down with you on your mattress. I have even put your mattress on the floor because when you roll over and turn in your bed, you fall onto the mattress, and that wakes you up. So, I tried putting the mattress on the floor, but that didn't help either. I try to sleep with you, make you go back to sleep, but as soon as I leave, you wake up again after a while. So, we need to solve this sleep issue. I thought about buying a Montessori bed, decorating it with stuffed animals to make you more excited to sleep in your own bed. We'll have to work on this.
Other than that, we had a great and delightful week. You made new friends and are very close to Cheila's kids, who live on the seventh floor. Little Noah is five years old, and Sofia is eight, and they love playing with you, and you with them. It's pure happiness! You hug each other, play together, and Cheila even invited us over this week to have cheese bread at her place, and you almost ate everyone's cheese bread.
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There was also a monkey toy that I bought for you, a toy that you simply loved. It's the toy you have liked the most since you were born. You don't let go of the monkey, and every time you ask for it, making monkey sounds, it's so cute. You want to sleep with it, and when you wake up, you ask for it again. It's full of air, so you keep pulling on it and its fur. But Noah wanted to play with it, and you didn't want to let him, so he cried. I promised him that I would buy another monkey as soon as I went back to the store, and now I definitely need to buy a monkey for him.
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21/06 Chapter 273: You're ready as can be
One of them would be the little party that was going to take place at the orphanage. The orphanage volunteers got together and decided to throw a little party not only for the orphanage children and all the volunteers who help daily but also for the people who always buy at the bazaar and help in some way. They invited the bazaar customers by word of mouth to the June festival at the orphanage with the children. They emphasized that nothing would be paid, not even the entrance fee, and there would be no need to spend anything on games or activities, nor to pay for food. Everything would be on them. But I was mainly excited to take you to meet the orphanage children, as well as your father, and for you to be able to play with the children since you love kids so much.
But before we went to the orphanage party, we first went to your old school's party because your cousin was going to dance the quadrilha at 1:00 PM. Your father decided not to go, and in the end, I was grateful because when we arrived at the door, the entrance fee was R$40 for those who were not students at the school. I think they could have been kind and not charged us the entrance fee since you are going back in September, they know that, and your enrollment is even on hold, but it's okay, I paid the R$40, but I swear if I had known I would have to pay that amount, I wouldn't have gone. Very expensive. But since I was there at the door with you, I wasn't going to turn back. I paid the R$40, and we went in. Soon we saw a ball pit where your cousin Rafinha was. You played with him for about 20 minutes until the time was up, then we went to another part of the schoolyard where you both had a lot of fun.
After playing in the playground, we watched the children's dances, and then it was time for the nursery children's dance, which was your class and your cousin's current class. The nursery's song was "Caranguejo Peixe é." It was so cute to see the children crouching to the rhythm of the music.
We stayed a little longer, and then your dad came to pick us up so we could go to the June festival at the orphanage. I was very excited for it. As soon as we got there, since there was no place to park the car, I paid for a parking spot that was quite cheap and right next to the orphanage. Then, as soon as we walked out of the parking lot, I saw a spot right in front of the orphanage. How frustrating… I hate when that happens. Well, I wasn’t going to let that ruin my day. We entered and were warmly welcomed, but right at the entrance, they asked us to hand over our cell phones, mine and your dad’s, because we couldn't bring them into the back area, the yard where the party with the children was happening, as we weren't allowed to take photos of them. One of the volunteers explained that at the beginning of the party, they weren't collecting phones, but since many people didn’t respect the rule and started taking photos of the children anyway, they had to start collecting it. We didn't see any problem with that, so we left our phones at the reception and soon went to see the children. To my surprise, there were quite a few babies. The last time I visited the orphanage, the number of babies was very small, with children mostly around four to 9 years old. But this time was different, and they told us that there are now many more babies than children.
There were about five babies in the ball pit, ranging from six months to a year and a half old, and you immediately jumped into the ball pit to play as well. You were the biggest one there. My goodness, my heart filled with love and also with apprehension, seeing that you were the biggest one there. You've grown so much, my daughter. How can you be the biggest among them? Just yesterday, you were kicking inside my belly. I hope time slows down because, honestly, it’s going by way too fast.
We spent some time interacting with the children, you, and your dad, and then we sat down to eat some delicious sausage sandwiches they were serving us. We also grabbed a soda and watched you play in a playhouse in the yard. You simply loved that. It was a large plastic playhouse that is usually kept outside where a child can go inside and spend a lot of time just playing and being creative. Inside this little house, there was also a pretend sink and faucet. You always did the same things: you would open the house door, go to the sink and pretend to wash your hands, then open the window, smile, and then close the window. Your dad was enchanted with the little house and said we could buy one. When we got home, I was going to look it up. Of course, it would be for your grandparents' house because there’s no room for a house like that in our apartment. But I must admit, I was quite excited about the idea too, and imagining putting little pots, toy food, knives, and having you enjoy yourself a lot. If you were already having fun without any accessories, imagine with a toy refrigerator, microwave, and kitchen accessories. It would be such a great distraction for you, and you wouldn't leave that toy anytime soon, which could even be considered an investment.
We didn't stay long at the party because at 7:00 PM, your aunt’s June festival would start. And guess what I did? I rented an inflatable slide, which is a slide that goes into a ball pit. I paid R$500 but was very happy because I'm sure you and your cousin will have a lot of fun. So now I was excited for the third party. I also invited my friend Camila, her husband Danilo, and their daughter Maria Fernanda to the party too.
Even though I was excited, your dad was a bit down, not very happy to go out, feeling a bit low. When I asked if something was wrong, he said he wasn't feeling well. He felt feverish, weak, and tired. He said he would try to stay until the end of the June festival at my sister's house, but he wasn't sure. So, we left the orphanage party and went to my sister's house.
When we arrived, the inflatable toy was already set up. At first, you didn't want to slide; you were very scared. You only agreed to slide when I went down with you. This toy is only for children up to seven years old, but since you and your cousin are so small, they let me slide with you. Your cousin loved it; he kept climbing the side ladder and sliding down into the ball pit. But you only liked staying in the ball pit. You had slept the whole day, so you were cranky and tired, which was hindering your fun. I knew that if you didn't rest or sleep a bit, even though it was late, you wouldn't enjoy anything about the party or the toy I had invested so much in. So, I took you to my sister's room and got you to sleep. It took a while, but you fell asleep.
Meanwhile, my friend arrived with her family, having traveled from far away for our party. We spent a lot of time talking with them and your dad, chatting and sharing. After you woke up, it was almost 9:00 PM. I knew that if you slept too much, the night would be a terror. Not to mention, the inflatable toy was only available for 4 hours of the party, and you had already slept through half of its duration, leaving only 2 or 1.5 hours to enjoy it. So, I managed to wake you up. You didn't cry; you were still a bit tired, but you soon perked up.
During the time you were sleeping, your cousin had a blast with the inflatable toy, spending all his time there. Even if you didn't get to enjoy it, it would have been worth renting the inflatable just to see your cousin's happiness. But I was a bit sad that you weren't having fun, as I had hoped you would. To my happiness, after you woke up, with almost an hour left to play, you started enjoying it a lot. You got the hang of it and began having fun with your cousin. Now I was happy; you and Rafinha enjoyed the inflatable toy just as I had imagined before renting it. I know it's a high cost, but it was worth every penny to see you both having so much fun. You were finally ready for the slide!
After the inflatable toy time was over, my friend left, and your dad and I took you home as well. It was a struggle to get you to sleep at night as we had anticipated, but in the end, we managed, and it was a very pleasant day for me. However, your dad still felt unwell. On the other hand, I went to bed happy for having enjoyed the whole day with you and happy for having shared more events and consequently stories to tell.
This inflatable toy would have been my and my sister's childhood dream when we were kids. But in my time, there were no inflatable toys. Actually, there were, but they were very expensive, and no one rented them for parties; they were usually only found at country clubs and amusement parks. My sister and I used to go on one of these toys every year, but a bit bigger, in Caraguatatuba. Every January and July vacation, our parents would pay for us to play on it for about 20 minutes in the park, and it was already quite expensive. Imagine renting one of these privately for a party; it was impossible. Back then, when my mom threw parties for me and my sister, she would rent a party hall and rent a ball pit and a trampoline, and that was already very fun for us. And look, we were older. If we had had an inflatable slide that landed in a ball pit, it would have been paradise! Now, it’s a much more accessible toy, and I have a bit of financial means to provide you with that. Even though it’s still expensive, just seeing the happiness on your children's faces makes every penny worth it. Your happiness is mine, and I promise that everything within my reach to make you happy, I will do. Of course, I will always teach you that you can't have everything. I don’t want you to become spoiled and think you will get everything you want, because if I raise you that way, the impact you will feel when life gives you your first 'no' will be very strong.
22/06 Chapter 274: Spinning 'round and 'round
