#22 Pixie Dust
Pixie Dust is an apparently common expression related to Disney.
Rodrigo heard it for the first time at an important meeting, and the dictionary meaning is: "a substance or influence with an apparently magical effect that brings great success or luck." I'm convinced that in Southern California you don't need to go to the dictionary to understand the concept of the expression. It's cultural.
As a good Portuguese girl, nostalgia and melancholy are part of my way of being.
This writing exercise started out as an easy way to tell and describe to our friends that although we are apparently crazy and adventurous as well as melancholic, we are also capable of being grateful for the experiences that come our way, and having fun with it.
We send a lot more color photos than gray ones, of course, but right now, if I don't write to give you news, it seems like I'm missing something.
It's not just because of the news, it's also because this is a good therapeutic exercise, listing a series of events that over time have filled our lives on this side of the earth, and our awareness of the pixie dusts that happen to us.
At the beginning of September, Renata, who always welcomes us so well and guided us through the choices to be made for Maria at high school, invited me to share another family tradition and attend a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. I immediately smelled a top program.
We started with champagne on the bus, and it just got better and better from there. An incredible atmosphere on a warm summer's evening, good conversations, even better sharing and when the music started I immediately surrendered.
I'm not sure how it happened, but Natalia Lafourcade has passed me by all these years. And if I wasn't a bit obsessive myself, she's the artist who's been around the house the most for about a month now. Mexican, small in height and a monster on stage at the same time, she managed to get us all dancing and singing in unison after 2 or 3 choruses.
Hasta la Raiz is nostalgic and melancholic. It also seems like a therapeutic exercise for those who have music and poetry in their bodies and don't need blogs to express themselves when they're away.
"I think that every moment survived the walk
And every second of uncertainty, every moment of not knowing
Are the key of the fiber I carry beneath the skin
This is how I protect you. This is where you stay"
And one person bursts out singing the chorus with a bunch of equally melancholic and nostalgic Mexicans in a mutual understanding, almost a hymn to "Saudade".
What a wonderful evening.
In the meantime, before starting the year of scouts, Maria had to present the volunteer project she had been working on over the summer with two other friends, under Pamela's guidance, as part of a "Silver Award" program.
The theme of Maria's group was related to an app to improve the "Food Insecurity" of a community of university students.
They studied and discussed the problem, got their hands dirty, and made it a reality. In the end, they gave a presentation and answered our questions.
The projects of this group of girls alone would take up an entire chapter, and all the projects presented were equally inspiring. The creatures' mothers got emotional during the presentations, and we couldn't have left this meeting more hopeful for future generations about empathy and concern for the well-being of others.
What pride.
And as a novelty, the soccer season - "football played with the feet" for those who don't know what foot-ball means - began with a delicious team.
Parents Nate and Rodrigo embraced the challenge of the U-6 level, and in addition to the cutest mascot and team name, they called on my two favorite players, Matias and Kingston.
Although the Red Pandas have only won one game, they have learned to look at the ball from time to time, wait their turn when it comes, and follow simple orders—very simple—not least because the team is young and there are more promising four-year-olds than six-year-olds.
I'm unsure if they've learned anything about soccer, but team spirit and sharing snacks are a plus.
The assistant coach has obviously taken care of the banner, which has already received the best compliments. It is clearly a winning bet.
Our Cuca, in the midst of her siblings' schedules, has enjoyed her time as an only child. Adapting to not having a fixed class and going from room to room like a butterfly, with no playtime to socialize with her friends as she did last year, is undoubtedly a challenge.
Cuca no longer hides in the bathroom, but she doesn't overexpose herself either.
And she's been making the most of her only child moments.
As Mimi joined one of the thousand choirs at her high school, between rehearsals and concerts, we began to get a real glimpse of a teenager's schedule.
I've lost count of the Fridays and Saturdays when in the evenings we are four instead of 5.
At the opening of the Show Choir season, Maria sang and danced so well that, of course, it moved the mothers. She and her friends are our favorites, but I'm convinced that even if we weren't biased, they would have moved us just as much.
What a fantastic Broadway show.
Apart from all the energy, the production, etc., the best part is seeing how happy Maria has been, integrated into this group, at the new school and on stage.
The highlight for me was the reproduction of "Suffs," an American musical that is completely up-to-date and has won two Tony Awards.
https://www.instagram.com/suffsmusical/reel/C1ICCYovrwR/
As a mother of daughters, I began by raising my expectations in the first sections. Then Arina (Renata's daughter), who sounds like an angel in her voice and looks, did a solo that gave me goosebumps. Then Maria and all the other girls joined in unison, with the chorus focusing on women's rights.
“Cause your ancestors are all the proof you need
That progress is possible, not guaranteed
It will only be made if we keep marching, keep marching on.”
At a time when the elections are just a few days away, it makes you want to keep singing in the streets every day. And the awareness of all of this they have been exposed to is crucial and necessary.
At the show's end, I told Maria, when she asked me, "Mom, you were really crying, weren't you? - I was, and I had to blow my nose afterwards. Maria, I loved it. I really did. All of it. It was my favorite time seeing you on stage." Since they were three years old, they've been on stage, and I've always told them the truth, nicely and sometimes with delay. But their mother has always had the most honest opinion when they've done things less well. Maria believed me almost immediately.
"Zero repairs? Zero, Maria, it was spectacular."
If it's like this after a month's rehearsal, I can't imagine what it will be like at the end of the year. But they are national Show Choir champions. And they are spectacular. What a privilege...
The routine is settling in. Matias is becoming more and more attached to his Miss Barr. He brings her the most beautiful drawings, picks up treasures in the morning along the way, and refers to the teacher as "my Miss Barr." I think it's mutual, but obviously, I'm suspicious.
With September kicking off like never before, Rodrigo decided it was an excellent option, unlike last year when we celebrated hum just being 5, to invite all the people who have been genuinely important to us over the previous year and have contributed to our stay being much better than any expectations we could have had.
He invited almost everyone, so 48 people came to celebrate Rodrigo.
I confess that I even got tingles in my eyes the night before because, according to our origins, the best way to show love is to cook for everyone.
The problem was that our fridge wasn't the same as the one we were used to in Parede, and it was a real workout to keep all the food fresh until Sunday lunchtime. With ice and coolers to complement the camping style in the kitchen, plus a barbecue on the balcony, magic happened.
We managed to set everything up on time, the food was great, the company was even better, and the only thing we missed was not taking photos with the whole group before they started to leave.
It was so good, and Rodrigo was thrilled and grateful for the presence of so many good people.
To finish the birthday celebrations, and after another generous Pixie Dust from our Janet, we could return to the children's favorite place to celebrate Dad. With his birthday badge on his chest, all the staff congratulated him.
A year ago, full of uncertainty and high expectations, we blew out Rodrigo's candles in fantastic five-and-one Mel team-building mode.
This year, he received good wishes from hundreds of people, including Goofy and Pluto.
After the show, the mega party, and Disney, preparations were underway for Maria's Homecoming, the first massive party of the high school year.
I was pleased with the outfit chosen, which looked like the Lion from the Wizard of Oz, which was the theme of the party. Despite having a big woman at home, in terms of humor, opinions, insolence at times, and maturity at others, the mega necklines, glitter, clingy dresses, and short outfits will certainly not be long in coming, but for now, she still retains her style and the elegance approved by her mother.
May it continue for as long as possible, please.
Mercedes also had a program with friends that day, so Matias had a girls' break and spent the day with his BFF. Their self-management makes it easier to have them as a pair than to have them individually.
For Rodrigo's birthday, we discovered some delicious cookies whose recipe comes from certain families in Egypt... they're buttery, dry, go well with tea, and are in the shape of an upside-down "S". Does anyone know them? Well, they're now called ESSES egipciotugas. We could taste them at Rodrigo's party, and a few days later, we received these delicious treats at home again... It tasted like home with the smell of a family of Egyptian origins, which made everything a little more magical.
I don't know if those who provide pixie dust are fully aware that they are providing it, but the effect of positive reinforcement, spontaneous praise, delightful surprises, or the facilitation of any logistics or situation is so powerful that in addition to cooking for almost 50 people, I hope Karma will be able to give back to everyone and in good measure what has happened to us.
To round off September's celebrations, thanks to a spectacular gift for Rodrigo, we had an evening without any worries or interruptions in a delicious restaurant, where I even enjoyed a rum cocktail. Unheard of!
Also, realizing that spending an evening alone with the person you've chosen forever, and enjoying it - is top! We haven't had the chance to do this for months, and if having friends stay with seven children instead of 4 for others to enjoy isn't called pixie dust, I don't know what is.
When people ask us about the future, we answer with what we know, but living with uncertainty is hard to get used to.
Mercedes was less distressed when she realized that she could call Seal Beach and Parede home without betraying her roots or offending either house. We also reassured her that she could take in all the places, people, music, and traditions she wanted; she didn't have to choose. They all fit.
With genuine relief, she said, "Really?" - Really, you're taking more and more inside, and that's just spectacular, Mercedes, homes, people, everything. It makes you even more interesting, only good things! - "Oh good..." - I think she fell asleep less than 10 seconds after that conversation.
At Natalia Lafourcade's concert, I realized that this feeling is commonplace for those who move away from home and gain a new world and perspective, just as they gain nostalgia and learn to value what they used to take for granted.
I carry you inside me
To the root,
And no matter how much I grow
You'll be here.
Though I hide behind the mountain
And find a field full of reeds,
There's no way, my moonbeam,
That you will go away.
No matter how much we carry inside, and no matter how convinced I am of our ability to adapt, as Natalia says, "every second of uncertainty, every moment of not knowing" makes everyone shudder. Whatever the wait. Whatever the project. No matter how many we've lived through. Cold in the belly is good, but it's also hard.
When I can't sleep, this exercise of reviewing and giving thanks for what is happening to us is very comforting.
Quoting Peter Pan "all it takes is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust".
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