Payback time

I was 22 years old, had just graduated from college and had a broken heart. Wanted to get out of the city at any cost, meet new people, explore new territories, fall in love again. Destination? Halifax, Nova Scotia, who took me with open arms and changed my life.

The deal? Spend two years on that slice of the world so full of warm and inviting people, complete my MBA, drink beer, party like I had never partied before but also study harder than what I had previously done in 4.5 years in school. After that it would be time to go home, to go back to mom and dad and to help in the family business.

Well, that was 12 years ago. I guess I have no more excuses to my dear dad, who turns 70 now in September and who has been waiting for me so patiently for all this time without asking much of me.

Dad, I am coming home tomorrow. My heart has been fixed, my diploma is on the wall, I have two of the most gorgeous boys in the entire world making this trip with me and a partner in crime that completes me.

Thank you for waiting.

Love you,
Mari

Guten Morgen!

Europe has thankfully become a yearly tradition for our family. June came around and off we were again, even though in the mist of a huge move and busy like we've never found ourselves before, to that side of the globe that I find so full of history and mysteries. Our itinerary for 2010 included a quick arrival in Zurich, Switzerland, and then off we were to Southern Germany, Austria and Czech Republic -  we had 25 days and were aiming for 20 cities. My mom and my brother also joined the fun this year and traveled with us for 2.5 weeks :)

Our port of arrival was Zurich, Switzerland - but that being said forget all about day 1. By the time you get to the hotel and digest the 6 hours difference with two young kids, you're dead already. I'm not sure how but we still managed to walk around a little and take a taxi boat ride around lake Zurich, but that was it. On day two we walked around Alstadt (old town), took a guided bus tour , and walked along Bahnhofstrasse (fancy shopping street) both ways, stopping for pastries at Sprungli (yummy!!). To me, Zurich is all about business and lacks that ease and laughter that we found all around Europe, but besides all the seriousness of the people and the town, we still managed to have a great time!!

     Day 3 is when our trip really began. We rented a big van and off we were to Southern Germany, or the Bodensee region. Our bags were filled with excitement, summer outfits, matching Brazilian t-shirt for the boys (to be wore during Brazil's games at the worldcup), one pair of sneakers and one crocs for each member of the family. Instead, all we got for days on end was very cold weather (in the 30's) and rain every morning, afternoon and night. After a couple of days of braving the streets with our poor layering and shoes, I went shopping for umbrellas, rainproof boots and proper winter outwear for the family :) Ended up having to buy an extra luggage for the first time in 10 years of travels towards the end of our journey, but that's the cost of doing business as my hubby would say!

Our first city in the Bodensee was Konstanz. We walked around the main street, bought our first set of umbrellas and a rainproof jacket.

From there we took the ferry to cross Lake Konstance and landed in beautiful Meersburg! We did some art and craft shopping, strolled around main street and visited the Meersburg Castle. At the entrance of the castle there was a medieval soldier at the door collecting the tickets - and Bernardo felt he wasn't dress appropriately for the occasion. After a quick shopping at the castle store, he puffed his chest, put his 'bad face' on and went back to say hello to the man at the entrance - from one armored man to another :) He also could hear his princess Victoria asking for help throughout the castle.... but looked all over for her with no success :(

 

 

 

Stay tuned for more!

To those.....

To those that don't say a lot.....

That prefer to stay on the background

But that in their own way, participate in all

To those who have lived the American dream

Or any dream

And reached the other side of the finish line victorious

To those that found true love

To those that moved ahead

To those that saw the world

To Popeye, for a speedy recovery

xoxo

Mari

It is almost time....

My heart is getting smaller by the day...... tighter, sadder, in anticipation of what is ahead. Two more months to some, to more weeks to others, but the goodbyes are almost here.

We will be getting on the 'band wagon', heading home to our friends and family that have so patiently been waiting for us for the past 12 years. Kids are excited of having grandmas, grandpas, cousins and uncles/aunts around, being able to run free at grandma's house, being able to live in a house, have a yard and ride their bikes up and down. We are excited too...

... But oh so nervous. A huge part of us will be staying behind. Bernardo and Miguel's friends from school, we will miss you. Moms and Dads at the school gate, I will miss you. Ms. Trista and Ms. Karen, you are my heroes and we will miss you tremendously. I hope Miguel continuous to walk around the house asking for Lucia and Lila for a while. I hope Bernardo keeps very close to his heart his memories with buddies Victoria and Jay.

Miami was a stranger to me for so long.... and somewhere in these past 8 years it became home. Our kids were born here, took their first steps here, spoke their first words here, made their first impression in life and friends here. Fred and I married here (although looking back and at the pictures we both looked so scared and unsure of what we were doing!), bought our first home here and really fell in love here. But at the end of the day, this has been home to us because of the few and close friends that we, as a family, have been able to form.

Christine, although you feel you're surrounded by chaos, you have always been in inspiration to me. You are always capable of picking up the pieces at the end of the day and head out to the park, the beach or whatever with your kids so you all can enjoy each other's company. You're there for them day and night, and the love you feel for both Liv and Jay we are all able to feel it from a mile away :)

Erna and Bjorn, I love you both. For the sincerity, for the good laughs, for being here, there and everywhere. I love you Erna for all that you feel and not always tell; and Bjorn for all that you tell no matter what. I will miss our outings, our dinners, our jokes.

Actually...... I think I miss you all already.

xoxo
Mariana

Kitchen Helpers

Can you tell I've missed writing??? :)
So much to tell, so little time!!! But my 'novela' has been paused so I can post, post and post tonight!

Just wanted to share pictures of the boys helping me in the kitchen while daddy was in Brazil - they wanted banana bread and their wish is an order to me - sometimes ;)

I love being in the kitchen with Bernardo and Miguel. Everything takes double the time to prepare but I love the interaction, I love seeing them dragging their step stools across the house, going up the steps with those tiny chubby feet and trying to peak what I have going on inside the mixing bowl - on the highest step but still on their tippy toes. So cute!!

Then they line my muffin pan while counting 'til 12, help me scoop the dough into the liners, lick the bowl until their hands and faces are shining like a full moon, sit in front of the oven and keep starring at the banana bread rising. No, they've never set through the entire 30 minutes but they keep coming back to peak at their treat's progress!!

Humm.... all this talk about banana bread - guess what we're having for snack tomorrow after school??

Cheers!

 

Just in time

I can't even talk about surgery and being busier than normal without mentioning that all it took was one phone call for my mom to jump on the plane and come up to Miami to help me out. This brave little hippie woman, who always thinks will get lost inside the airport and ended up in Thailand but not in the States, somehow always manages to arrive in Miami, on time and full of stories (thank you Mathilde!). This time around it was no different..... and even with all that was going on we were able to squeeze some shopping trips, a visit to the Fairchild Botanical Garden and a visit to Knaus Berry Farm in Castro land! I mean, Homestead :)

Here are some of the best pictures of our time together. Thank you mom & Gui for coming!!

 

Adios Mystic Pointe

Sooooooo much has happened during this past few weeks that, although blogging has been on my mind, I just never got to it. Between just being plain busy with life in general, I had a big medical scare, had surgery (all is well), hubby went to Brazil, sold my dear condo and moved into a new/full of stairs temporary house. Argh... just the thought of all this gets me tired - not to mentioned that I still haven't finished unpacking but already feel like throwing up just with the sight of another brown box :(((

Today was our closing and I have to say we will miss Mystic Pointe tremendously. It was our first place,  the place where we brought the kids home when they were born and where they took their first steps. Those who have been there can attest: it was a real home. Seeing it empty and lacking it's soul was a bit sad... but we will keep all the memories from that place close to our hearts. Like Aunt Eleanor would say, "So Long"!!

Try, try, and try again!

I heard this 20 thousand times but with my kids being so finicky about eating for the longest time I never thought it would happen to me. Bernardo has been a picky eater (to say the least) since he started teething at astonishing 13 months old! He could eat rocks before that...... but when those darn teeth started pooping out, so did his finickyness. Is that a word???

I have been trying to get him to try new fruits, veggies and foods all the time, and this weekend we took the kids plus friends to Homestead to a German Baptist farm where they grow organic veggies, strawberries and have the best cinnamon rolls and smoothies on this planet (my extra 2 pounds in the last 48 hours can attest to that :). Bernardo has always said no to strawberries......... but look what a little bit of peer pressure and farm setting can do to my 'big boy':

YAY!!

Miguelito, on the other hand..........

And or course, better than the kids having fun is having special friends around us and sharing these special and memorable outings: the Benitah's and the Steinbekk's! Here are some of our best pictures...

Knaus Berry Farm rocks! 

  

Cartagena de Indias

After a full year of having Cartagena on my travel list, we finally made it to Colombia with a sick Miguelito, a curious Bernardo and anxious mom and dad! Besides Miguel being sick the whole entire time, that place really lived up to our expectations - from the people, to the beautiful restored walled city to the amazing food, we had a great time!! 

 

 

The hotel was also amazing - a 400 years old monastary converted into a beatiful hotel. After a long stroll downtown with the kids Bernardo would start asking to go back 'home'. "Home Bernardo? Do you want to go back to Miami?". "No mommy, I want to go back to Sofitel, door number 319". Or - "mommy, when are you going to get me a perrito"

Where he learns these things I would also like to know.... but in the mean time, we are sure having fun and grateful of having the opportunity to take the kids around and show them different cultures and parts of our small world!

Til our next travels......

xoxo

Mariana