Back to School

September 21, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

The kids started school a few weeks ago. They began going to school about a week and a half before classes officially began. That was nice because they got to adjust before having classes and a bunch of extra students. Not all of the students started early, so on the official start day things were much busier. The first day dropping them off was a bit rough because of course they were nervous. Sofia is in first grade and Leo is in pre-school, so they won’t spend time together and will only see each other in passing.

Leo actually loved school right away. At his old school a big complaint of his was that they made him eat soup, so we used to practice how to say “nao, obrigado” but he still complained. Every day we pick him up at the new school he ecstatically tells us that they don’t make him eat the soup. They just take it away and give him chicken instead! He loves his new school and apparently all it took was the option to not eat soup.

Sofia did not like school the first few days. We thought she would have an easier time because her teacher and some of her classmates speak English, whereas Leo’s teacher and classmates do not. Also, Sofia is much more extroverted and loves being around people. For about the first week she had a tough time and didn’t really like school. A few days before classes officially started she began to enjoy it more as she made some friends. Ever since classes began she has really enjoyed it. She loves math class.

Their school offers extracurricular activities, which we’re excited about. Somehow going to school has given the kids even more energy and they’re more crazy than ever when they’re home. So maybe some extra exercise will wear them out. Each of the extracurricular activities take place once per week after school ends and we will pay a monthly charge. We signed Sofia up for dance class, which will cost 22 euro for the month. They have yoga which I really wanted to sign her up for, but it costs 40, which is a bit steep, and the brochure didn’t say which day of the week it is, which we really need to know for planning purposes.

Leo is going to take judo class and that will cost 16 euro. They also have a class about understanding emotions which we really love for Leo, but since he is still learning Portuguese we’re not sure that he would really understand it quite yet. There’s also a chess class, which Sofia would probably enjoy.

You can also sign them up for swim lessons through the school and the school will transport them to swim class, but we decided to just do that on our own. The swim school was closed in August, so we signed them up to begin again in October. This time they will just take classes once a week (for now at least). So they’re already in school 40 hours a week now and come October they will be even busier. They seem to really love their new school, so Kyle and I are obviously really happy about that.

So we have been back to the grind for a bit now. We were planning on going to Disneyland for Christmas, but when I booked it I didn’t know the exact dates of the kid’s Christmas break. It turns out we would be going the week before. Sofia can only miss 10 days of school without a doctor’s note and we don’t want to use up 5 for a vacation, so we’re going to have to skip Disneyland this year. I’m really hoping to take Sofia to the Netherlands in spring to see the tulips, so that will be our next big trip.

In a few weeks I’m taking my solo trip to Seville, Spain. I’m really excited to see the city. It will be weird without kids but will also be nice getting to see palaces and other places on my timeline and without worrying about being too loud. My first day there I’m going on a two hour walking tour. I don’t think I have ever gone on a walking tour. Kyle just got back from his solo trip to Vienna. He had fun, but he ended up missing a connecting flight home so the trip turned out to be a bit longer than expected. But he made it home eventually and I survived almost a week taking care of the kids by myself.

London

August 12, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Today is our third day in London. I tried not to plan a ton so that we could leave lots of time for breaks and spontaneity. Our first day we went to Hyde Park and the Princess Diana Memorial Playground. I hadn’t gotten tickets for Kensington Palace because I didn’t think Sofia would enjoy it, but she wanted to go. She brought her camera with her and took so many pictures.

Yesterday we went to the aquarium, which she also loved. Today was the Natural History Museum but we barely stayed because she is just too tired. She doesn’t want to walk around anymore. We were going to visit the Science Museum but she won’t have the energy for that either. Right now we’re taking a break in the hotel and then I think we might head over to Oxford Circus. Tomorrow afternoon we have a tour of Buckingham Palace scheduled.

We’re staying in Victoria, which is pretty bustling but seems to be a great central location. Everywhere we have gone so far is easy to get to using the underground metro. We flew into Stansted Airport and it was easy to get here by train.

If I had come to London directly from the US I’m sure that I would notice lots of differences. Since I had a three year detour in Portugal, I’m noting so many similarities between London and the US. Most of them are silly, but still…they have ice cubes and drip coffee here. They say “hi, how are you?” Food here is much more familiar than in other parts of Europe, even though they have some dishes that aren’t at all familiar. Obviously the language is the same. Culturally London feels a lot more familiar than I expected it to. I’m not sure about the rest of England since we have only been in London.

I knew coming here that London is a massive city with tons of people. I guess I expected the people to spread out over the city a bit, but so far everywhere we have gone is pretty packed. The metro has been standing only more often than not. People are pretty quick to give up a seat for Sofia, which I really appreciate.

I haven’t been around crowds this big since we were in the US. They don’t make me as nervous as they used to. Sofia notices the crowds but doesn’t seem to mind them. I guess I finally wore her out though lol. She usually has a ton of energy and always wants to be out doing something, but site seeing in London has even worn her down 😂

So far London has been pretty easy, although expensive. I knew these things coming in. I’m not surprised by the prices but I guess being here is reminding me of somethings I miss. Me and Kyle always talk about how the main thing we miss from the US is the food. It has been so nice knowing the language here because I have no problem asking for things or how to do things. It makes me want to learn Portuguese even more because I really miss the ease of knowing the local language.

I am adding more because we just got back from Oxford Circus. All we really did was eat lunch and go to a few stores but we spent hours there. We stumbled upon what is probably the biggest toy store I have ever been to. It’s called Hamley’s and it was something like 5 levels. We spent hours in there. They had a puppet show and the staff did all kinds of fun things, like dance parties and toy demonstrations.

We have been really enjoying London! I think we would both love to come back again soon.

Peniche

July 22, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Our babysitter recently moved to Peniche, so she hasn’t come to our house to watch the kids for a while. She has been missing the kids and they have been missing her. She texted to see if we wanted to drop the kids off with her for a few hours in Peniche. Peniche has been on our list of places to visit and somehow we just hadn’t made it over there yet, so we agreed.

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and when I first moved out on my own I moved to Santa Cruz, CA. Peniche brought back some memories of Santa Cruz. Driving around Peniche we saw tons of people in wetsuits carrying surf boards and the main beach seemed really popular. You can’t see it from the road because there are steps leading up to it, but the street lining that beach was the only time we ran into traffic.

We dropped the kids off and headed to the restaraunt that Kyle had picked. It’s called Profresco and he chose it because it’s seafood and has tons of reviews. We decided to splurge since we haven’t gone out in a long time and we got the lobster and prawn rice pot. It was amazing! The restaraunt also has a small seafood market that you see when you first walk in. Everything seems really fresh. The decor was nice but casual. Some people were there in swimsuits, towels, and sandals. I really liked the beach town casual vibe.

After lunch we headed downtown. On the way there we drove through the city walls. I only know Obidos is walled, I didn’t know that Peniche is too! At least some of it. Most of what we did was outside of the city walls, but some of it was inside. We went to a cafe downtown and it had the best cake we have had since moving to Portugal. Actually some of the best cake we have had ever, anywhere in the world. I am very much a pie and cake girl. Pie is my love language 😂

We both love carrot cake and this one came with a cream cheese frosting, which we haven’t had since the US. It was amazing. The second peice we chose because of all the caramel on top. I already love caramel more than chocolate, but caramel in Portugal is one of the best things I have ever tasted. You really can’t go wrong with caramel. It ended up being a Snickers Pie and it was also amazing. I can’t wait to go back there. There was another cake with caramel and chocolate on top and that’s the one I’m going to try next time!

There is a fort in Peniche and we made our way that way, passing lots of restaurants along the way. Most of the them have their menus on display. There is an Italian place with pesto gnocchi and there was another place with California Rolls. I haven’t seen California Rolls since we were in the US. The fort had some beautiful views.

Lastly, we walked along some of the cliffs. The views are amazing. I’m terrified of heights, so I didn’t get very close to the edge. There was a really cool ladder that lets you climb down into the rocks a bit, but I was too scared to even get to it. To get to the ladder you have to walk across a couple of the rocks. It’s near the edge. Obviously you can make it to the ladder without falling off of the rocks, but when I’m really high up I tend to freeze, so my body physically wouldn’t even let me make it to that ladder. Kyle made it there, but he was too tired to climb down it. We found an area that felt a bit safer for me, with some bridges to cross. I loved walking along all of the cliffs and it’s definitely a non kid-friendly activity, so it was time well spent without the kids.

The babysitter took the kids to two different beaches and they had a blast. We are heading back to Peniche in two weeks to do it all again, although maybe with some variations. We will try one of the restaraunts downtown, although I want to go back to the same cafe. Peniche is known for an island off the coast, but I’m not sure if we will have time to go there. I’m excited to go back. Obviously I know that we’re in Portugal and I love Portugal, but something about Peniche reminded me of some of the things I loved about growing up in California. The surfers, wetsuits, rocky beaches, fresh seafood, sandals…I just really loved it.

This week I am taking the kids to a resort in Nazare for two nights. The summer gets harder the longer it goes on, so we’re trying to make it through without completely losing our sanity. Leo is going through something and tells us he hates us every single day when he gets angry. I’m hoping that we can have some fun at the resort. Kyle will stay home and get the house to himself. Then when I get back a day later Kyle is going to take the kids to Aveiro and I will get the house to myself!

CenterParcs Zandvoort Part 2

July 9, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Well the week is over and I can say that I have not come to love this CenterParcs like I thought I would. Actually the longer we stay the more I dislike it. I don’t want to make a whole post complaining about a hotel, so I’ll just say that things here feel harder and more inconvenient than at the other CenterParcs.

There were just lots of small disappointments over the week. The trip would have been so much better if things were a little different, but I have been trying to appreciate the important things. Leo is having fun and has no idea of all the things I was hoping to do. I got an entire week off of work and got to spend it all with Leo. We have never taken a trip just the two of us.

The weather has been awful. I have been kind of shocked. I didn’t know it could be so cold and rainy during summer! It has rained every day that we have been here, but there have been some breaks. The worst has been the wind though. It has been so cold and ugly out.

Yesterday the weather finally changed and we were able to get some beach toys and head to the beach. Leo really wanted a big pirate shovel so hopefully they will let us carry it onto the plane because it’s not fitting in a suitcase 😂

I will be at home for a few weeks and then it will be my trip to London with Sofia. I’m so excited to go to London. This trip has made me realize that I need to find some inside activities, just in case London has crappy weather when we go. Leo doesn’t mind hanging out inside and being a bit lazy, but Sofia would hate that.

This trip has been good for a Leo. Since he’s the baby of the family he can be pretty reliant on Sofia. He has gained some independence this trip. He even made some friends all on his own at the playground. It has been great to see. Since him and Sofia won’t be in the same class at school anymore I am happy to see him making friends all by himself and gaining that confidence.

I’m surprised that Leo doesn’t seem to be that homesick. 7 days is a long time for him to be away from home, his dad, and his sister. He hasn’t talked about home while we’ve been here. I thought he would get homesick but I think he would actually love even longer vacations. Leo loves routine and he has fully adjusted to our vacation routine. This morning he has even been trying to convince me to stay.

We’re at the train station now waiting to head to the airport. Even though it wasn’t the trip that I envisioned we are both sad to be headed home. I’m back to work tomorrow already. It’s always tough getting to spend so much time with a kid and then going back to work and not getting to see them nearly as much.

Amsterdam

July 4, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Today there was a break in the rain so we took the train into Amsterdam. The Zandvoort train station is an easy 10 minute walk from the hotel. Buying tickets was super easy. They have yellow machines at all the train stations. You can also buy tickets online. From what I understand you don’t even need to buy tickets, you can swipe your credit card at the machines to enter and exit the stations. I didn’t want to do that because kids age 4-11 cost less so I wanted to get a kids ticket for Leo. Kids under 4 are free and kids 12 and up cost the same as adults.

I looked online and saw that there are trains to Amsterdam about every 30 minutes, so we decided to just walk to the train station when we were ready. A train arrived a few minutes later and it was so quiet that I didn’t even hear it approaching. I only noticed it because the whistle blew. The train we caught was scheduled for 9:20. It arrived at 9:09, doors closed at 9:19 and it left at exactly 9:20. The train has screens in each car telling you what the next station is. Taking the train in the Netherlands has been one of the easiest things I have ever done.

It’s not raining today but it is really windy and cold. We went to the NEMO science museum because it’s only 10 minutes from the train station and would give us a break from the wind. Leo was not into the short walk at all. He did love the museum though.

After the museum Leo had a bit of a tantrum because he just wanted to go back to the hotel. I guess he is all waked out even though we hadn’t even walked that much at that point. After stopping to get a snack I was able to convince him to go on a boat tour. I figured that would be a unique way to see the city since Leo definitely wasn’t going to let me see the sites on foot.

The boat tour was an hour and it was a nice break. Leo had a few toys that he played with so he (mostly) let me look around and take pictures. The houseboats in Amsterdam are amazing. Before the boat ride I had made a deal with Leo that after the boat ride we would get lunch and then head back to the hotel. He was really done with walking and luckily we saw a hot dog stand in front of the train station. He’s a pretty picky eater but he loves hot dogs!

Finding our train back was a little more complicated but still easy enough. The Amsterdam Centraal station is really beautiful from the outside. I don’t really remember the inside because I wanted to make sure we didn’t miss our train. We’re on the train right now. Fingers crossed there’s not another meltdown when we get off because we still have a 10-minute walk to the hotel.

Amsterdam looks like a beautiful city. I spent about 4 hours there so I really didn’t get to see much. Obviously it’s on my list to visit again some time. I don’t think we will come back this trip, but we’ll see.

CenterParcs Zandvoort Part 1

July 3, 2024July 3, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

We made it to CenterParcs Zandvoort! When I booked this one I noticed the reviews are quite a bit lower than some of the other CenterParcs Resorts. I see why and I don’t like it as much as the one we went to before, but I chose this one more for its location than the actual resort.

I chose this one because it’s right on the beach and there is a train station that’s about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. The train can take us to some cute nearby towns, and Amsterdam is only about a 30 minute train ride away. Sofia loves site seeing and traveling, but Leo needs more breaks and down time. Sofia is much more independent, but Leo doesn’t like to do things on his own.

I’m like Sofia in my travel style, so I figured this specific Centerparcs would be a good compromise for me and Leo. He gets lots of down time and we can go to Amsterdam for a few hours of site seeing. We can be together 24/7 which Leo loves, but we will also have lots of different things to keep us busy when we want to be.

We haven’t even been here for 24 hours yet so I really can’t give a fair assessment of this place. It’s not as charming as the last one and just has a different vibe. It also doesn’t have quite as many activities on site, but that’s okay because there is so much more nearby. The other resort we couldn’t even really leave because we didn’t have a car. Unfortunately it has been raining all morning, so we haven’t gotten to venture out much. We did check out the indoor playground. It’s not as big as the other one, but it’s still nice and Leo loves it.

This CenterParcs has cottages like they all do, but it also has a hotel. Leo and I chose the hotel for a few reasons. First, it was hundreds cheaper. We’re staying for 7 days and I think the cheapest cottage was €400-€500 more. Plus the breakfast buffet is included with the hotel, so that’s one less meal to pay for. It doesn’t have a kitchen though, so we can’t cook. It has a beach view, which I really love.

Last night we walked to the main dome, which has the pools and the restaurants. We haven’t gone into the pool area yet, so I’m excited to check out the pools later. The rest of the dome was okay, nothing particularly impressive. They also have a farm/petting zoo here somewhere.

The weather makes me realize how lucky I was on my trip with Sofia. If it had rained it would have really sucked because we were outside the whole time. At least here we have inside activities to keep us busy. Even so, I really hope the rain lets up soon so we can go into the nearby town and maybe head to the beach. And go to Amsterdam of course.

I will make a part 2 once I have actually gotten to see the park. Like I said, we really haven’t seen much. I don’t dislike this place at all, but I bet I will end up loving it by the time we leave.

Summer Vacation

June 16, 2024June 16, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Right now Kyle and the kids are in Castelo Branco and I finally get a little bit of peace and quiet. I took the kids to Castelo Branco for a day trip a few weeks ago and it’s nice there. I need to go back and see more because we barely got to see it.

Summer vacation has been kind of rough, but we’re making it work. It’s so much easier when the kids are split up, so I’m taking Sofia on one more trip before school starts. Sofia has been wanting to go somewhere where the kids will understand what she is saying. I have been wanting to go to London for a long time, so that’s finally on our agenda for August! Obviously the language will be easy and I think that Sofia and I will like the food. I love palaces and gardens and London seems to have plenty of those. I love natural history museums and really miss them. London has one so we will definitely visit. Even better is that it’s free!

When the kids are in school we won’t be able to keep pulling them, so traveling will drastically slow down (for the kids anyway). Kyle and I agreed that we can each go on a 2-3 day trip by ourselves during the week while the other parent stays home. We will probably each take a trip every few months. In September Kyle will be going to Vienna to visit his sister. I’m excited for him. Vienna is on my list- really everywhere is on my list!

My first solo trip is going to be to Seville, Spain. I have been wanting to go but have heard about how hot it is during the summer, so the timing hasn’t been good. I think October or November will probably be a good time to visit. I’m excited to go but it will also be weird. I traveled before I met Kyle, but we met when we were 26. Then we had Sofia and Leo in our mid thirties. Things have been pretty loud and hectic since Sofia was born 5 years ago. It will be really strange to have so much silence and to not be showing the kids stuff. Whenever I go out without them I notice things that they would like and that I wish I could show them. I haven’t traveled completely solo since my early to mid twenties, which was a few decades ago now! I’m a little nervous about solo travel just because I have really come to appreciate the company of my family even though they drive me crazy sometimes.

In a few weeks I’m taking Leo to a Centerparcs in the Netherlands. Leo and I haven’t gotten a trip together, so it will be nice to spend a week with him. I loved Efteling, but that trip was hectic and busy so I am happy for a more laid back trip this time. Then I will have another hectic and busy trip when Sofia and I go to London. The Centerparcs Leo and I are staying at will be really close to a train station and only a 30-minute train ride from Amsterdam. I’m planning on going into Amsterdam for at least a few hours and hopefully we will be able to check out a town or two nearby.

This year has been absolutely insane travel wise. Once the kids are back in school I will have to start saving money, but that should be pretty easy. We have been bleeding money this summer. Entertaining kids is expensive! Kyle has been taking them out while I work and we have been paying a babysitter once a week so that Kyle and I can go out for a few hours. I suppose that all of the travel isn’t helping my savings account either, but after paying the bills I will almost always prioritize traveling. We have finally gotten used to living in Portugal, but it does still feel surreal how much we are getting to travel Europe and that we will get to do so for years to come. Especially now with Kyle and I planning on taking trips for 2-3 days at a time. I will get to see a lot of different places next year.

It has been different splitting up to go on these trips. It’s weird making memories with only half of my family, but I also think these trips can help future family trips. Now Sofia and I have a pretty good feel for Efteling, so when we all go as a family we will know what rides we’re excited to take Leo and Kyle on. Sofia and I will get to know London, which will definitely help in future trips because we will know which neighborhoods we do and don’t like. Kyle will know a bit about Vienna so whenever we all go together he can show us around. It has been an adjustment to go with only one kid, but it does make the trips a lot more affordable!

Efteling

June 7, 2024June 22, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

Today was day 3 at Efteling. Tomorrow will be our fourth and final day. When I booked this trip I knew a lot of people compared Efteling to Disneyland and said that Efteling is better. I definitely on board with that! We go back to Disneyland Paris for Christmas so I will be able to compare again, but I think I Efteling will always be the winner in my book.

Efteling has so much green space and beautiful flowers. They have tons of fountains and ducks. Sofia has developed a sudden interest in ducks because there are so many here. Efteling has an abundance of benches that are in the shade, which I really appreciate since we have been getting 18,000 steps each day! I also appreciate how Efteling uses scents to add to the ambiance.

We meant to spent a day in each area of the park, but on our first day we were so excited that we walked around most of the park. We went on the big rides we wanted to do. The second day we went to a part of the park we hadn’t seen yet. Today we stuck to the fairytales and playgrounds in the park. Tomorrow we will have to revisit our favorite rides.

Sofia’s favorite ride is Max & Moritz, which is the family racing roller coaster. We both like Max best- the blue side. My favorite ride is droomvlucht, which I just call the fairy ride since I have no idea how to say that word. I love the track on the ride (it’s above instead of below). I love the displays you see and at the end you go up a bit and then down semi quickly. It’s cute and it’s fun.

Sofia also loved the Carnaval ride. It’s fine although the music is kind of annoying and gets stuck in my head. I liked the gondola ride. A few people said to skip it but I really enjoyed it. It was a nice way to rest for 20 minutes and to see parts of the park from a different view. There is a train here with two stations, but one of them is closed right now which is why we have been walking so much.

We rode all three tracks of Symbolica. We both really liked the treasures one. Sofia isn’t quite tall enough for most of the roller coasters yet. We did go on the wooden one which I really thought she would like. She ended up hating it because it was too intense.

We want to bring Kyle and Leo here of course. I think next summer we will try to come visit. Efteling seems like a great park for so many ages. Sofia’s age (5) is great but I could see older kids liking it too because of the coasters. The dark rides are nicely done and I think most people would appreciate them. I love Efteling- it is definitely one of my favorite theme parks and I’m excited to come back. Next time we’re going to stay at one of the Efteling hotels. We’re staying off site this time which is fine but next time we want to be in one of the hotels on site. They’re building a brand new one right next to the entrance with a sign saying it opening in 2025!

School Registration

May 7, 2024May 11, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

I’m still trying to figure out the Portuguese schooling system, but here are a few things I have figured out so far. School becomes mandatory the September after they turn 6 years old. For Leo this is pretty easy since his birthday is in February. So Leo will turn 6 in February of 2026. That means that school becomes mandatory in September 2026. For Sofia it’s a little more complicated, but not much. Her birthday is in September. She is only 5 years old right now and will turn 6 just a few weeks after the school year begins. They do have an exception if the birthday falls between specific dates. I can’t remember the exact timeline, but it’s something like if the student turns 6 between September and October then they can begin school when they are 5 instead of waiting the entire year until they turn 6. I’m not sure if school becomes mandatory this year for Sofia or not until next year, but she is definitely ready now and everyone I have talked to has said she can start when she is 5.

Mandatory school here starts with 1st grade. They have cycles and I have only really learned about 1st cycle, which includes grades 1-4. Prior to 1st grade kids can start with pre-school and then kindergarten. Here is our experience with enrolling them for kindergarten and 1st grade.

We registered them for private school, so the process might be a little bit different than public school, but I imagine it’s probably very similar. It all started by contacting the school. I think it was around March that we emailed them for a tour. We showed up and they told us that the next step would be to come back on a specific date to register them. We showed up on that day and they gave us a folder full of paperwork and a list of the requirements for registration and they told us to come back at a specific date in 3 weeks.

They asked for photocopies of documents (residency permit for student and guardian). Since they’re a private school who bases tuition on income they also asked for a recent rent receipt as well as our IRS tax return. They asked for the student’s residency number and utente number. They did ask for social security numbers but since the kids don’t have those yet I just left that part blank. They also had us fill out some of the usual stuff like who to contact in an emergency, if the kids have any allergies, and who is able to sign them out of school. There were a few things we had to plan out a bit, like getting their vaccination records from the Centro Saude and a letter from their doctor saying they are fit to attend school.

While doing this we also had to register them online at the Portal das Matriculas. I thought that this was only required once school becomes mandatory (at 1st grade), but the school told me I need to register Leo too. Through the Portal you have to submit a lot of the same information that the school asks for- residency card, proof of address, and approve or decline some releases. You also have to choose your school- I think you can pick up to 5. Our school told us to just pick them as they will approve our kids. I think the selecting up to 5 is more for the public schools just in case your top school is full you need a backup or two. Registering Sofia was a bit of a pain just because I had to translate so much, and even once translated not everything made sense.

The school and Matrículas wanted passport sized pictures of the kids. There are tons of apps that will convert pictures to passport sized ones. I found one with a bunch of different countries (since passport photo sizes are different in Portugal than in the US) and a 3 day free trial. I took a couple pictures, uploaded the digital ones to Matriculas and Kyle printed out two copies of each kid. Then I cancelled the trial.

We showed up to school yesterday to complete registration. Apparently I was supposed to make an appointment, which I completely missed during our last conversation. The woman doing regisration at the school does not speak any English, so I have been trying to get by with my super limited Portuguese. Luckily she is amazing and said she would do the registration. Once she entered all of the information she had me pay a fee for each child. Overall it was pretty easy, but a little bit tedious. The first day that we decided to tackle the paperwork took us a few hours to translate and get a lot of the documents together.

I am so happy that they are registered and just about ready to go for September. The only thing left to do really is order their uniforms from the website the school gave us. The woman in the office told me that there is a parent meeting the night before school starts. Hopefully we can find a babysitter and learn a bit more Portuguese by then. When we did the tour there was a woman who spoke English and she told us that the parents go to school with the kids 3 days during the school year and we’re hoping that the first day is one of them. I’m sure they will have a lot of helpful information at the meeting, we just need to be able to understand it!

Getting Pulled Over in Portugal & Even More Updates

April 22, 2024June 22, 2024 / bashleyf / Leave a comment

So much has been going on the past few weeks and everything just feels like such a whirlwind. I’ll start with my favorite update- travel is back on! I guess I should take a few steps back first. So we heard back from the guy doing our taxes (he charged 185 to file the return) and it turns out I owe quite a bit less than I expected. This year work has been slow, so I have been trying to work as much as I can and save money because I thought we would owe way more in taxes. Work has been picking up the past few weeks and I even got a new contract that I’m really excited about. With that contract comes a lot of training, so I have been busy trying to get training in as well as learning the ropes of the things I will be doing in this role. So now that I’m not having to save so much money each month we can afford to travel again. I’ll talk more about that in a second.

The accountant we used charges 75 euro per month to do everything tax related. He will file all of my green receipts and social security. He will tell me how to pay my social security (and how much), and I can prepay some of next years taxes if I want to. We decided to go ahead and work with him because I still have not looked at how to file social security and clearly I need some help as far as taxes go. I signed a year long contract and that price will also include filing my tax return next year. I am relieved because the last 2 years that we have had to file taxes we scramble around in January/February tying to find someone who can help us file. It’s a huge weight off my shoulders to barely even have to think about taxes anymore.

I guess I should touch on the title as well! Kyle got pulled over a few days ago. We have had the car for a year so I am kind of surprised we hadn’t gotten pulled over until now. Two police officers were standing on the side of the road looking at cars and he said he knew he was going to get pulled over because they looked at his plate and then did a double take. They waved him over to the side of the road. They were pretty upset that he still has his US driver’s license, so we’re going to try to get started on the license exchange again soon. That’s going to be a huge headache. Kyle got pulled over because our inspection expired in December. We had thought we had more time but were wrong, so we got a 250 euro ticket. Ouch! Kyle schedule our inspection for next week.

The school closest to our house had a spot open for Leo. We went and got all of the paperwork and will have to bring it back to the school on May 6. We need Leo’s residency card so Kyle went back to the place I originally applied for it in Lisbon. The lady there said that they are really, really backed up and it will probably show up at some point. She gave us a paper and said to give it to the school. I didn’t translate it, but I’m assuming it says something about us paying and having to wait for them to send the card. I’m hoping that providing that letter as well as our receipt will be enough. I finally registered Sofia online today at the Portal de Matriculas, which is required from 1st grade on. It wasn’t too bad, though it did take me about 45 minutes or so because I had to Google a lot of things to understand them. Sometimes even when they were translated into English they still didn’t make sense. Once we (fingers crossed) get them officially registered I’ll make a post all about that.

We finally got the kids signed up for swim lessons, which is something we have been meaning to do for a long time now. They’ll stop going to school next week and won’t go again until September 1 at their new school. Hopefully they will have tons of fun this summer. They will go to swim lessons twice a week. Kyle just went to our local public pool and they had tons of options to choose from. I think it cost something like 128 for the both of them for 1.5 months of classes 2 times per week.

I have been busy getting back to vacation planning and have 3 booked for the year. In early June Sofia and I are going to Efteling. I have been wanting to go there ever since I heard about it. This will be our last trip together for a while. Leo and I will be going to Amsterdam in early July. There is a CenterParcs about a half hour outside of Amsterdam that we will stay at. He really loved CenterParcs and it makes things easier for me. For the Christmas holidays this year we are going to Disneyland Paris! We will be there the week before Christmas and we’re going to stay on site. I’m really excited because the kids are going to love it and it will be great to see Dinsey all lit up for Christmas. We haven’t gotten their school schedule yet, so fingers crossed they actually have the week before Christmas off. I have been trying to find out how many days of school kids can miss in Portugal but am not having much luck.

So that’s what we have been up to. And now I have to get back to my ever growing to-do list.