Morada do Sururu

And then he turns 3!!

2011-05-30T17:40:00.000-04:00

I swear, it feels like yesterday. We had a small list of names in Fred's pocket, a little one at home who had no idea of how much his world would change (Bernardo was 1.8) and to be honest, I was dying to empty the biggest belly you have ever seen in your life! Baby came out, Fred goes around the table to take a good look at him and yells from the other side of the curtain - "He looks like Miguel!!". "Okay" I replied, "so Miguel it is"!

A few hours later, already in my room, the nurse brings my little bundle and I get to really look at him for the first time. Ugly as a duckling, with a head so round and a nose so spread across his face that to me he looked a lot like Samuel and nothing like Miguel. I told my mom: "this one is 100% Jewish!!"

Miguel, I love you. I love you with all that I am, with all my heart and some more. You were the best addition to our little family, the best son we could have asked for, the cutest and funniest blond I have every seen in my life and the best friend we could have asked for Bernardo. You're genuine, caring and ALL mine! I am the proudest mom and sooooo thankful for having the opportunity to take you under my wings, to give you your own and to one day, see you fly. I hope it takes a long time for this day to come.......

Happy 3rd Birthday Blondie! We love you beyond your wildest imagination :))

xoxo
Mommy

on my 8th month I think.... I wouldn't dare to post my last pregnant picture!!

Miguelito a week or so old.... looking better by the day!

cute as ever in Jamaica getting his weekly tan :) about 3 months old

in Puerto Rico strolling around Fort San Felipe - maybe 6 months old?!

Miguel's 1st Bday at home with Grandma Wanda, Popeye, Phil and Salua

with mommy at Luxembourg Gardens, Paris (1.2 years old)

tanning again, now at the pool at MGM Hotel in Las Vegas!

with mommy, daddy and Bernardo at the Grand Canyon - pretty!!!

with daddy at the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena, Colombia

Miguel's 2nd Bday at Bay Harbour Park with the Steinbekks!

Running around the streets of Zurich, Switzerland

Enjoying a chocolate freddo in Lindau, Germany

Watching over the scenery with Bernardo in beautiful Hallstatt, Austria

Pointing out an airplane flying by in Prague, Czech Republic

Legoland's water park in Germany

Up at Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro

With his big brother and best pal Bernardo in Colonia Del Sacramento, Uruguay

Yesterday with his new boyish haircut at his 3rd Bday party at Vovo Ana's house!

So long grandpa

2011-03-14T08:27:00.001-04:00

I haven't been around here for sooooo long.... and I wish I had had the time to come with happier news, stories of our travels, pictures of the kids and their journey at adapting in Brazil. Instead, today, I come with a broken heart to share another kind of journey, the one that my grandpa started today.

Those lucky ones who have met him, even if only for 5 minutes would agree with me - what a strong man! Strong in character, strong in ethics, strong in heart and strong physically: he could lift you up with one finger and oh boy we loved that!! He used to pretend he was a tug boat and pull us around the ocean in Bombinhas.... or pretend he was a ferry wheel and turn us around while singing a happy tune.

He was a visionary, a great businessman and an entrepreneur. A lover of tango, good wine and having his family around.

No one has ever cheered for Brazil during world cup like him... or to his beloved Botafogo. No one has ever had a bigger desire to live and to see life, to travel and to tell stories, to be proud of all that he accomplished in life coming from poor beginnings. He owned his first pair of shoes at the age of 8 and today will be buried bare feet.

Vo, you have been an inspiration and the best example in my life. Hope you find peace around those who already left us as we will by keeping you alive in our hearts.

xoxo
Mari

Payback time

2010-07-27T20:30:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-07-24T20:17:00.002-04:00

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.....

2010-06-09T11:11:00.000-04:00

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....

2010-06-01T10:40:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-08T22:19:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-08T22:04:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-08T00:05:00.001-04:00

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!

2010-02-22T22:03:00.000-05:00

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

2010-02-20T19:33:00.004-05:00

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

Hug them tight

2010-01-19T20:10:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to post pictures of the boys here forever but I don't know what is wrong with me and the holiday season... at least under my roof time completely flies!! I feel like I run around all day like a chicken without a head and still don't get a great sense of accomplishment at the end of my busy day. But I'll go back to these last couple of days on a future post.

Today I really wanted to let my heart speak out loud of all that I have been feeling this past week. To make it even more emotional, I just got home after a quick stop at my local grocery store and was helped by a nice man, Jean, that besides holding a low paying job and living a modest life, had more to teach me than anyone I have ever met before.

Jean, probably in his 60's, had his head down and was concentrated bagging all my groceries when I asked him if he was from Haiti. He looked up, concurred and proceeded to tell me that he had just lost most of his family members at the earthquake in Haiti, including his son - a young aspiring lawyer that certainly made his dad so proud. I wish I had had the guts to follow my instincts to give him a tight hug, cry with him and bring him home with me. As a parent, I can't even imagine what it is to loose a child on any circumstances, even worse when you are so far away and really cannot get to your loved ones one way or another. I would think I wouldn't even have the energy to get off bed, and work would be the last thing on my mind, especially when that entails seeing person after person filling their carts with groceries when your people have nothing to eat - or no one to feed.

Please take a moment to think of what really matters in your life, and start appreciating them this right moment (yes, them, because I'm sure what you just thought about was a loved one and not your car, or house, or anything else you can put a price on). On my inexperienced life and almost naive comment, I told Jean I hope all the money that is being donated to his country falls in the right hands and helps his country to be rebuilt. "But what is money Mariana when you just lost a life?".

Jean, you are absolutely right. I'm off to hug my kids and my husband tight and tell them how much I love them.

Frosty the Snowman

2009-12-17T19:58:00.005-05:00

Yes he was a bit shy..... but so darn cute that melted our hearts. Hope it melts yours too :)

Here is Bernardo at his school's Holiday Show!

A full year of memories

2009-12-11T23:06:00.000-05:00

Speaking of new traditions.... and taking advantage of my favorite time of the year, I decided to start our first Christmas tradition. Really, is there anything better than photography and xmas time?? Only if it was photography, xmas and somewhere in Ireland! Or maybe Matchu Picchu :)

Our tree from now on will always reflect a year worth of great memories - and when time comes to take the tree down I'll put all the pictures together in an album. Good uh? Feel free to copy!!

Postcards

2009-12-11T22:32:00.001-05:00

I forgot to tell you..... I decided to start a new "travel tradition". Since it is a new tradition, of course I forgot all about it during my past two trips, but I'll strive to keep that in the back of my mind in all travels still to come :)

My brilliant idea? I buy postcards and send them home, addressed to the kids, telling them a little bit about where we were. Since they are so little and don't quite grasp all the beautiful places they have been priviledge of seeing so far, I hope the cards will strike their curiosity and make them itch to go back.... to see it all with a different perspective in life. It is all a big hope....... but for sure souveniers that I already treasure so much :)

Translating the one below:

Bernardo & Miguel

Tomorrow is our last day in Paris, at least on this first time here. Being able to see you both playing and running in front of the Eiffle Tower, without noticing the magnitute and grandiosity of this monument, already made this trip worth while. Your sparkle truly is much bigger than the Tower at mid night. Love you, Mommy

Giving Thanks

2009-12-07T21:57:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone... but I guess is never too late to register my gratitude to those close to me, one way or another.

To my handsome husband, that besides all the nagging and complaining I am capable of doing in a 24 hours period (and believe me, I'm a pro!!), has proven time and time again that there is no one better in this entire world of taking care of us, making us feel loved and protected :) Chiquito, you are the best at 6am in the morning when you let me sleep for an extra hour while you give Miguel breakfast, even when you wake up in the worst mood and make me feel guilty for laying in bed!! You are also the best for rolling on the floor and pretending you're a warrier with the kids, for giving me a tight hug when I need it the most, and for telling us that you love us no matter what - everyday. We love you too!

To my parents - for for teaching us what values really are, for standing up for what you believe in regardless of what the society tells you, for standing your hand and offering help even when we are not in need, for being humans and making mistakes throughout my up bringing so I don't repeat the same mistakes now with my own family but try some new ones :)

To my brother - that on his own special way teaches us day after day that we only have one take at this life and we better live it to the fullest

To my family - for being crazy and disfunctional, bringing much excitement and laughter at the right time (who would want a boring all perfect family???)

To my dear friends - for the experiences shared throughout the years, for the trust, for knowing I can count on you no matter what. You know who you are!!!

And to my kids - for being so special, for brighting up my day, for making me loose my mind just to a second later remind me that I truly am the luckiest person on Earth! I coudn't imagine my life without you and it has been a priviledge to be your mom and see you both grow into beautiful boys day by day!

XOXO
Mariana

Paradise Island

2009-11-16T21:53:00.003-05:00

Yep, we took off again for the long weekend (our long weekend I mean :)....... and this time it was my kind of vacation: 45 minutes flight - gotta love that! The itinerary of choice was the Atlantis hotel on Paradise Island, Nassau Bahamas. Everybody talked so much about this place that got us itching..... and as you all know, when I itch, I go!!!

The place indeed is all that I heard about: beautiful, full os attractions to guests of all ages (including my boys), gourgeous swimming pools, impecable service and of course, a little too pricey. But the positives by far outweight the negative..... and if you plan ahead you don't get trapped on any of the pitfalls.

Although a great hotel is a dream come true, my bread and butter is really the history behind the place and the locals. So off we went for 2 days with Tyrone, a great taxi driver, that besides taking us to 'unusual tourist places' told us all about growing up in the island, Bahamian food and beer :) Who can complain???

We also had two very windy days..... but when you have a 1 1/2 and a 3 year old, all you watch is Dora, Diego, Backyardigans, Little Einstein and Max and Ruby - and completely ignore the hurricane sweeping over the Caribbean. Thankfully it was just wind on our end...... and a lesson to at least check out the news online!! And for those of you doubtful that traveling with kids is no fun........... I guess a picture means a thousand words???

Til our next itch my fellow travelers! Cannot wait!!

Something 'old', something 'blue'

2009-11-04T21:43:00.012-05:00

In this crazy society that we live in, where people are always after the newer, bigger and better; where you can buy (and loose) everything you have in a split second..... it's always comforting to realize our objectives are a bit different than 'the norm'. Yes, my dad would say I have an expensive taste (who doesn't??) but at the end of the day give me my family, my few dear friends and the opportunity to travel, to see and to show the world to my kids and we're all set :)

Friendships particularly are few and further apart, some that started some 20 years ago and some that are recently blossoming but still so dear. An old friend is kind of like the love we have for our grandparents...... it's been there for so long that you just cannot imagine yourself without it . The newer friends is like a new boyfriend... so darn exciting and so much to learn from each other that you see yourself making plans 24/7.

I can see Bernardo starting new friendships in school and that to me is just so beautiful. I don't expect him to be close to all his new friends forever, but I do hope he keeps these memories close to his heart for as long as he can remember (last not forget, he's only 3 years old!!).

Jay has been his buddy since they were 9 months old; and Christine mine :) Watching them grow together has been a privilege and a blessing.

Victoria and Erna have also been a good surprise these last couple of months. Great family from Iceland with priorities and goals similar to ours. My weekly breakfasts with Erna (when I can remember) and our family outings are just tremendous!

This post is then dedicated to the little in size but huge in heart friends of Bernardo :)

Mouth Wide Open

2009-11-02T16:09:00.016-05:00

This one is loooooooong overdue but better now than never - plus the pictures are so worth sharing that I couldn't resist!!!

Halloween came and went and we already miss it :) This year our Halloween was very special to us, since Bernardo now incorporates a new persona depending on the polyester costume he has on for the day. It was just amazing to see his little eyes looking at all the good and evil doers out and about asking for treats, with their big pumpkin bags. Between Tinkerbell, Spiderman, Superman, Captain Hook and the cutest little ghost I have ever laid my eyes on, I think that was the day Bernardo kept his mouth wide open and his stare look on the longest :)

Even more magical then watching your kids live this fantasy world? Seeing the parents, some dressed up from head to toe (not me sorry, just thinking about storing all these costumes gives me chills!!), adding fuel to our not-so-little-ones amazing imagination! Bjorn, you did it again!!

When it came time to eating his treats, all I heard from Bernardo was 'this is too yucky' - with the exception of M&M's. Daddy is not complaining....... nor Miguelito with all those lollipops!!

Til next year Halloween :)

xoxo

Mari

Swing

2009-10-26T16:14:00.011-04:00

I absolutely LOVE swing pictures!! I'm not sure if is the joy of seeing my kids with a big thrilled smile on their faces or if is those cute curly locks flying around, but I just really enjoy them.

Bernardo keeps asking to "fly higher mommy", while Miguel starts shrinking into his seat and dreads the moment I start pushing him to the sky. I hope he comes to like the swing one day as much as we do :) In the mean time, I keep trying!!

xoxo

Home Sweet Home

2009-10-18T10:02:00.009-04:00

It can be grand or a tiny shack. It can have fancy furnishings, big plasma and all that shiny appliances. It can be owned or rented. It really doesn't matter. If it doesn't have your heart and soul into it, if it doesn't bring a huge smile to your face every time you open the door, you better keep looking :P

.... our handmade wedding invitation.....
... some of the dolls I bought during my travels :)

.... can you tell I love ceramic dolls?

.... my kitchen wall :)

Super Heroes

2009-10-17T22:18:00.010-04:00

Just for those of you wondering......... super heroes still live strong under my roof. One day is Mr. Incredible, the other Spiderman, Superman or maybe Super Why. Whatever the hero may be, it's just a pleasure to see my little man get into this magical world and live it like there is no tomorrow. A kid's imagination is so powerful that Bernardo pretended to be invisible at the doctor's office while they gave him the flu shot....... and he literally did not feel a thing :)

We are also taking advantage of all the costumes out there for Halloween: buying capes, masks and all that polyester-long-sleeves-super-hot-costumes left and right! Like Be told me this week while at the store: "oh my lord mommy, this is my favorite! and look, it says 'Bernardo'"

I simply cannot resist :)

Mr. Incredible

Super Miguelito
Super Why

Sharing his costumes with BFF Jay

Super cape

A month to remember

2009-10-12T20:33:00.012-04:00

These past two weeks have been great. Bernardo turned 3 and got 2 birthday parties, we got to go to Brazil to see our family, my grandpa turned 87 and we all helped him blow his candles :) Really, isn't that the meaning of life?? Forget the fancy car, the big house and all those other crazy dreams we all have. When push comes to shovel there's nothing else that matters but being close to those you love. Period.

Here is Bernardo with all his friends from school at his 3 Years Bday Party, watching a puppet show
Be blowing his candles with the help of Max :)

Bernardo's Bday take 2! Here in Brazil with all of our family at my parents' house. Look at granpa how proud with all his grandkids and great grandkids!

Be in odd, watching everybody singing happy birthday at his Spiderman party in Brazil - not sure if the shock was because he didn't know we had a family this big or because he didn't understand the birthday song being sang in Portuguese!!

Enjoying his spiderman cake next morning for breakfast. Yummy :)

Now it was my grandpa's turn.... his 87th birthday at my uncle's house with the family all around him plus this pretty panama hat cake

He was so excited!!!!!!

Bernardo enjoying his time at gramma's house in Brazil with his favorite ride: Nei's tractor!!! Uncle Gui tagged along....

Running back and forth, enjoying his liberty and spacious grounds!

Miguelito throwing/licking every single rock he could get his hands on.... always with that brat smile on his face that nobody could ever resist!!

Be gettting ready (meaning naked) to go jump in the COLD FREEZING pool

From the cold pool to the warm outdoor tub... or Juca's shower (the dog) as he calls it.

Time flies

2009-09-20T19:39:00.014-04:00

It really is true.... time does fly. My little one is not so little anymore and went from saying 'mommy' to 'hey guys, that is so cool'! Who could have imagined that, not me for sure!!

But truth must be told. Bernardo is growing up to become a beautiful and decent man, with the prettiest eyelashes and smiles you have ever seen. Get ready girls! And happy 3 years old Be... we love you very much :)

Mommy, Daddy and Miguel

Bringing my "small" 9.6 lbs package home from the hospital on Sept 23/08

At 2 months old at grandma's house in Brazil.....

At 6 months, strolling around Lincoln Road

9 months and growing! In Brazil again, enjoying all his handmade toys from grandpa

His first time inside a hot and synthetic Halloween costume... but daddy didn't let us get out of the house in pink :) The things that we subject our kids to.......

Having a fun day at the pool with daddy at 1 1/2 years old, just before brother Miguel made his grand entrance to the family

His first 'birthday crown' at Le Petit... he was so proud!!

At Ocean Drive doing some 'test driving', 2 years old

Key West, trying on grandpa's new hat

At his 3rd birthday party, having fun with his friends and enjoying his music

Fort Wilderness

2009-09-15T14:12:00.015-04:00

For those of you that have been following our adventures in life, you probably know already that Friday we get this itch..... to go somewhere or do something different! Unfortunately it is not always possible to go where our imagination take us, but we keep trying :)

Well my imagination has been taking me to this adventuress RV trip to anywhere really... so after years of bugging my other half and after seeing RV after RV on the road in France and now at the Grand Canyon I guess Fred was curious too - so off we went to Orlando! It was an easy choice since it's only a 3 hours drive (meaning manageble with the kids) and it was about time we took Bernardo back to Disney at an age that he can actually enjoy.

Let me start by telling you that when we went to the renting place to look at the RV's for the first time we were so excited! Bernardo didn't want to get out of 'the bus' and I was just amazed at the possibility of having a more rustic kind of trip with my own bathroom and kitchen attached!! The day of packing I just didn't realize we needed to take so much more stuff than usual... like disposable plates, cups, cuttery, spices, food, linens, pillows... but off we went to our house on wheels! We arrived at the campground around 9pm... really late for us, and after hooking the RV to all the plugs we were off to bed (Fred and Be slept on the bed above the cabin, me and Miguelito in the back.

Next morning I stepped out of the RV to take a look around and oh boy...... we were the poor kid on the block!!! My RV suddently looked like this tiny little thing compared to all those big buses with shiny metal, awnings and a golf car being towed in the back. These people really know how to travel!!! But regardless we were so excited that off we went to cook breakfast, enjoy some family time together and walk around the woods collecting pine cones with the kids.

Next day we were up bright and early, took the campground boat to Magic Kingdom and started hitting the attractions on the top of our (I mean Bernardo's) list: Mickey and Minnie Houses, the flying Dumbo, Peter Pan, Monsters Inc, Buzz and the race track. We had suck a good time!! At 4pm we went back to the RV, BBQ some nice dinner and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Monday morning we packed our stuff and while me and the kids were inside the RV waiting for daddy to unhock us up, I was almost crying from what my eyes could see through the mirror: Fred with the sewer connection clogged (yep, you read it right!), filthy water going all over the place and him running to grap a stick and trying to fix his BIG mess!! Only if you could see what I saw... it was the funniest!!!! My hubby is not the most handy guy in the world... so it really was a sight to be seen! I guess that was the end of our RV experience.... but to be honest, I really miss room service too :)

Bernardo & Miguel at the pretty grounds of Fort Wilderness

The campground with beautiful pine trees

Be grabbing some pine cones for his 'show & tell in school'

Handsome Fred waiting for the Disney bus... and later with kids and Buzz

Magic Kingdom is ready for halloween!

Flying with Dumbo

Fred and Miguelito at Dumbo's ride... and than Miguelito taking on Main Street

Familia trapo and pretty marching band (Be loved it!!)

Miguel feeding popcorn to the ducks...

dinner time at the RV

Grow with me

2009-09-11T09:26:00.010-04:00

A little over a year ago I bought a 1 year photoshoot package with UDS (Unique Design Studio) here in Miami, to register brotherhood with Miguelito and Bernardo growing up together. I can't even tell you how much I have enjoyed meeting with Christy (the photographer) throughout this past year and how pleased I am with the end results!

For a photography junkie like I am, being able to see my kids becoming friends through somebody else's eyes has been truly a miracle :)

Here is a taste of our last photoshoot... enjoy!

The four of us having fun at the Miami Metro Zoo, playing picaboo with the monkey in the back
Family bike - great way to have fun and exercise! Thankfully I brought 3 changes of clothes for all of us :)
Carrousel ride with Bernardo.... priceless!
Just plain cute - daddy and Miguelito
Be watching the elephants from the bike. Christy was tickling him so he would look at the camera, than asked him what was written on that little sign by the wheels. "It says don't tickle me Christy"!!
Miguel with his little safari outfit, so cute!
Now it was my turn to be tickled... by a huge giraffe!
Giraffe feeding... so much fun!
My adorable little jaguar, tiger.... whatever that is :)
"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight"........
Just precious, right? This is the brotherly love I was talking about :)

Good-bye Bombril!!.... I mean, baby locks!

2009-09-07T16:05:00.008-04:00

Yes, finally. After talking about getting Miguel a haircut EVERYDAY at bath time - that's when we really saw how much we were slacking with his hair almost covering his nose - we took our blondie to Cut 'N Play for his first haircut. The secret to get our 'bueiro' to stay still?? Lollipop, of course! 3 in a row to be more exact, and hands and face that would stick to anything at the end of the ordeal. But hey, whatever it takes, right? Here is the before, during and after shots :)

Before:

During:
After - can you see the shine around his mouth??

Here is big brother Bernardo that we tagged along for a haircut of his own:

Bernardo who??

2009-08-27T22:23:00.008-04:00

So my son is no where to be found. I can call him all day and keep getting a stare look as if I was completely insane. "Spiderman mommy, I'm spiderman"!

Welcome superhero phase, welcome! I guess I'll have to be washing you at midnight and have you ready in the morning for another hot and long day! And did I tell you that to get my 'spiderman' to pull down his pants and use the bathroom is also a battle? "Yes mommy, I want to do pipi... but don't take my spiderman off okay?" or "Oh my gosh mommy, the bad guys are coming! Hurry up we need to fight them!"
Not even Bernardo can believe his eyes when he looks at himself in front of the mirror!

I know what you're thinking... I need to get my video camera out of my closet!

Yes you can!

2009-08-20T21:09:00.013-04:00

Every time I tell someone we have been away on vacation, I always get the same question and puzzled expression from my friend - but how??

One of our foremost priorities when we decided to start a family was to never stop doing the things we loved to do because of the kids. Just the opposite, we've always thought that our kids would add on to all that we loved to do: spending time with family, friends and traveling! Hopefully by experiencing all the differences that are out there, we will be raising decent and curious human beings. Like my dad likes to say, 'curiosity is what makes the world go around'!

But back to my survival tips.... grab your better half, a world map, some of my tips and start dreaming!! Here they are:

#1. A hands-on spouse. Seriously, you can't pack your bags and kids and take off anywhere, not even to your neighbours, if your spouse doesn't help you. I mean someone that changes diapers, gives them a bath, lunch, dinner and all that is necessary to get through the day.

#2. Take advantage of your early risers. Your kids are up around 7am? Get them dressed, fed and out the door. It truly is one of the best times to wonder around the city, attend local street markets to buy some fresh pastries and fruits, and take your pictures.

#3. Still related to #2, be respectful of your kids. Are they used of taking a nap? Maybe you can stretch it to be a little later than usual, but it has to happen. Do they generally sleep around 8pm? I'm sorry to tell you but you won't be doing much late dining with wine and candles during your trip.

#4. Be smart when spending your money. We barely do any shopping when on vacation.... but we spend a little extra when choosing accommodation. It has to be center located, it has to have enough space to accommodate everyone comfortably and whenever possible it has to provide us with kitchen appliances. In Europe is easy to rent actual apartments instead of staying at a hotel, and we always jump at that opportunity. The extra living quarters (kitchen specially) are always welcomed. I even try to cook home made meals whenever possible - there's just so much nuggets, fries and pasta your kids can eat on the road!

#5. Research, research, research. Make sure you go places that will spark some interest in your kids, regardless of age. Also plan accordingly so your little ones have time to crawl around, go up and down elevators, run around the park or playground. I use tripadvisor.com a lot, I love their forums and all the tips from real travelers.

#6. Rent a roomy car with car seats. Two less bulky things you don't have to drag around. First time I did it I brought an extra/clean cover for the car seat... but taking it apart and putting it back together, after a 10 hour flight and a cranky toddler, it's a task easily forgotten.

#7. Pack lightly. You've heard this before, but you really don't need to carry a whole lot to travel. For a 14 days trip I bring about 8 outfits for each person, and half way through the trip I send some essential pieces to be dry cleaned at the hotel. Yes, it is expensive... but who cares? Much better than tagging along 4 huge suitcases and a cranky husband for 2 weeks.

#8. Laundry/Dishwasher essentials. I always bring a bottle brush, a little plastic container with detergent, a small laundry brush and a coconut bar soap. All our underwear is washed while we take a shower with the soap and little brush... and the kids bottles we wash in the bathroom sink.
#9. Don't have a microwave to warm up your milk? Don't panic!! Close the drain in your bathroom sink, fill it up with hot water and soak your bottles there for about 10 min. Perfect temperature every time! Make sure you buy those travel size milk cartons that don't need to be refrigerated.

#10. Last but not least.... here goes my check list of things to bring so I don't leave any important item behind!!

CLOTHING:
1. PJs
2. Socks
3. Shoes
4. T-Shirts
5. Pants
6. Shorts
7. Jackets / Sweaters
8. Underware
9. Hat
BATH TIME / PERSONAL HYGENE:
1. Towel
2. Shampoo
3. Lotion
4. Q-tip
5. Corn starch
6. Baby Powder
7. Hair Brush
8. Tooth Brush
9. Tooth Paste
10. Diapers
11. Wipes
12. Foldable potty top
FIRST AID:
1. Nose drops
2. Tylenol
3. Thermometer
4. Nail clipper
5. Nose suction ball
6. Teething tablets
7. Nenedent
8. Allium cepa
9. FeverAll
10. Sun screen

FEEDING:
1. Sippy Cups Bernardo & Miguel
2. Cookies
3. Cereal
4. Milk for flight
5. Juice
6. Bows
7. Spoons
8. Bottle brush
9. Detergent
SLEEP TIME:
1. Portable crib
2. Inflatable mattress
3. Crib sheet
4. Pacifiers
5. Security Blanket
6. Blanket
7. Pillow
MISCELLANEOUS:
1. Small toys
2. DVDs
3. DVD Player
4. Flight entertainment (coloring book, crayons)
5. Coconut soap
6. Laundry brush
7. Bottle warmer for car
MOM:
1. Camera
2. Camera charger/cables
3. Video Camera
4. External HD
5. iPhone
6. Phone charger
7. iPod
8. Laptop
Please don't forget I'm always striving to improve... more tips are always welcome! Happy travels!!

Hot like hell vs. Pretty like you've never imagined

2009-08-10T19:49:00.021-04:00

Yes you've guessed it.... we were out and about again! And yes, we do have wheels instead of feet! Even worse, we've been back for only 2 days and I'm already dreaming about our next adventure: a RV trip to Orlando with the kids! But we'll leave the RV trip for a future post...

So we wanted to go to Alaska on a cruise... but having emptied our piggy bank on our trip to France, we just couldn't afford it. One day for sure! But before I knew we couldn't pay for the cruise, I had sent my good friends Crica & Vudu (aka Cristina and Antonio) an email asking them if they wanted to join us on that trip. To my surprise, those two were already booked to spend a couple of days in Vegas and then the Grand Canyon and invited us in. I was so excited to see them again that Chiquito booked the tickets that same night :)

A little bit of a background: Antonio and I met during our MBA in Halifax, Nova Scotia... and became instant friends. Better yet, he immigrated to Canada with his better half, Crica, who became a sister to me. We spent 2 years glued by the hips... and I was there glued to her right leg even during the delivery of their daughter Buzuca (aka Victoria). Got the picture? I LOVE these people!!!

Back to the trip. I don't want to whine too much but Vegas is not my bread and butter kind of trip. It's all about sex, gambling, alcohol and cigarettes. urrrgggg. To make matters worse the heat is like I've never felt before in my life. You don't know if you run from the heat into the smoky casinos or vice-verse. But hey, we had our friends so in some ways we were in heaven!

Now the Grand Canyon was a different story. We arrived at the hotel, dropped our bags, went for a 5 seconds pipi stop and immediately headed over to the park. As soon as you start driving into Grand Canyon National Park, you see all these cars parking on the curb and folks leaving the cars in a hurry, armed with their cameras and curiosity. We were no different.... and WOW!! The first time you see the Grand Canyon it literally takes your breath away! And the second, the third, the forth... there's really no end to it. The magical thing to me was to see how the canyon changes before your eyes during sunrise and sunset - yes, we've attended both spectacular occasions - and it was unbelievable! The other amazing experience we had was the helicopter ride... what a treat!! Again, it took our breaths away! Like I told the pilot Ryan... I don't blame the rich and famous anymore :)

Crica, Vudu and Buzuca - seeing and spending time with all of you was priceless! It's really like we've been together all these years. The jokes, the friendship, the love has never left us. Thank you so much for everything, we had a blast! Seeing Antonio enjoying the boring lecture about rocks, plants and billions of years, shaking his head like he's in heaven was great! Seeing Crica paying $225 for the helicopter ride to later throw up all her fears was also funny (sorry), and Buzuca you are so smart and funny, I'm not sure who you got that from! And thanks for being so sweet to Be and Miguel... you indeed would have been a great big sister! Hey, you can be their big sister, how about that??

Love you all and miss you already...

:) Maricota

Here are the Fogaca-Goldins at hot like hell Las Vegas

Be and Buzuca having fun at the pool at MGM Grand

Be and Miguel astonished by all the lights and neon on the strip

Fake, hairy and tacky Elvis Presley

Miguelito and daddy taking a first glimpse of the Grand Canyon

Familia trapo....

Familia trapo #2

Lucky guy :)

Sunset at Hopi Point

Sunrise at Mather Point with freezing temperature at 5:50am

Be looking for the 'bald eagle' - when in reality he was looking at the condor!

Miguelito with his signature 'trouble' look!

Here he is just plain adorable!

Guided tour about the Canyon... and Bernardo still looking for the bald eagle! I think he is just in love with his binoculars, period.

Family that travels together......

Helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon - and Miguelito slept through the entire flight!

Aerial view of the Grand Canyon

One more.....

Bernardo playing pilot and having a blast!

Fogaca-Goldins with the Gama-Da Silva. Crica still looking good... but not for long!

Monkey

2009-08-01T09:37:00.005-04:00

No words necessary on this one :) Enjoy!

Bath Time

2009-07-30T23:13:00.006-04:00

Getting Miguel to dive head's first in the tub is no problem.... now to get finicky Bernardo takes a little bit of persuasion and creativity. A guitar concert one day, a bubble bath the other... but at the end of the day it is all so worth it - and daddy's favorite time of the day! This is for you daddy, that has been traveling all week and away from your little ones - and big one too :)

Paris!!

2009-07-30T16:05:00.014-04:00

As I mentioned before, although I've always been sure Paris was a very romantic and beautiful city, for being so popular it never topped my own travel wish list. I like to think that the more secluded places are the most memorable... but oh boy was I wrong!! Everything about Paris took me by surprise: the monuments, the architecture, the history, the gardens, the patisseries, the bike tour... it is all so magical!

We started and finished our 4 days in Paris with the Eiffel Tower. Our Parisian apartment was just 2 blocks away from the 'yellow elevator' as Bernardo used to call it and we couldn't have asked for anything better. There's something about seeing the tower in person that makes all the images you had in your head completed null. To me, it was pure MAGIC. Seeing my kids run (or crawl) up and down Champs de Mars without any idea of how huge of a scene they had behind their back was even more magical... because believe me or not their sparks was even brighter than the Tower at midnight!

Another magical moment for us was the bike tour - thank you Big Fat Tours! We quickly put our fears aside - mine of not being able to balance my big butt on the bicycle, hitting my head on the floor and taking my kid with me; and Chiquito's of being forced by his lovely wife of doing something he really did not sign up for - and were loving every single moment of it after a few minutes on top of the cruiser. What a treat!!! The only draw back was my tiny little shirt pocket... it looked like a handy little thing to put my lenses cover in until I saw my pictures... urrrrrgggg!!

Last but not least and totally worth of sharing. As you may imagine, while in France we've visited numerous churches in every little town that we've been too. In every one of these churches, Bernardo used to ask daddy for some coins to donate to the church so he could light a candle - and they we prayed the "Now I lay me down to sleep" prayer. When we finally got to Notre-Dame, the lines to go inside were humongous and the silence inside was just broken by the sound of feet sliding across the nave or by hundreds of people praying in whisper. Bernie, again, asked daddy for his coins and off they went to buy their candle. Daddy puts the candle on the stand, lights it up and tells Be: "now we pray son'. Be quickly and LOUDLY responded: "no daddy, now we sing: happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you....." SOOOO funny!!

Miguelito, although only 13 months, also had his share of memorable moments. As you might have noticed, I LOVE photography, and thus my little one first official word, besides mommy and daddy, is 'cheese'!! So we are on top of the Eiffel Tower and Miguelito cannot see a single camera, mine or yours, that he will put up his picture perfect smile and scream 'cheese' from the top of his little lungs. What makes this so funny? He only has 2 teeth, peaking at you like a warm welcome on a cold day!!

Here some of the pictures from our 4 days in Paris.

Rue de Montessuy, our home away from home

On the cruiser during our bike tour.... I warned you, but go ahead and laugh!!!

Miguel saying 'cheese' to whatever camera crossed his path!

Miguel trying his first steps in front of the Eiffel Tower

Luxembourg Gardens with its pretty wood boats...

Be sipping his cappuccino at Luxembourg Gardens

Batobus boat ride... and please try to convince this little man that it's time to get off the boat!

Champs Elysee Avenue

Sacre-Coeur - 3 metro lines later to just enjoy it for a few minutes before the rain got us off guard

I guess we were not the only tourists strolling around Paris...

Inside the Louvre Museum's famous pyramid

One of many pretty flower shops in France

Be enjoying some good music at Saint Germain Des Pres - we even bought their CD!

Last shot of Paris, and could not have been any prettier :)

C'est la vie II

2009-07-24T09:37:00.017-04:00

Okay, it's time to finish telling you about our trip to France before we go on to our next adventure (surprise, surprise!!).

But before I do that, let me go back and pay homage to the prettiest carousel we've seen to this day: in Avignon. To our luck, the carousel was in the square right in front of our hotel, and Bernardo and Miguel went crazy! We started buying 2 tickets at a time and ended up buying in bulk, 'cause these kids would not step off of the spinning horse. Fred and I used to take turns inside with them, afraid they would get dizzy and hit their heads on the floor, but they could not be more pleased... while me and Chiquito were dying for the darn horse to stop so we could go seat on the bench outside and look at anything but the carousel, at least until our heads stopped spinning :)

Now, homage paid let's move north! From Lyon we drove to the Loire Valley, and let me tell you that athough the drive was long it was not tideous in any way, shape or form! Every 5 minutes I used to scream of joy and squeeze Chiquito's arm so he could stop and let me take pictures. We drove through miles and miles of the most beautiful farms and fields of wheat, lavender and sunflowers! Too bad I could not manage to get really close to the lavenders and sunflowers... but I did get close to a field with all those gigantic hay rolls on our way to Chenonceau's Castle

The castle was also the prettiest and most interesting we've seen in the Loire. The history, the women, the kitchen, the grounds and the meal we had at the restaurant were all lovely!

Next day we went castle hunting again... first to Azay-Le-Rideau and then to Villandry. This time I got lucky and went inside a wheat field... oh so pretty! There's something about raw nature that maybe only the smell of wet earth on a rainny day can beat!

Here is Villandry's pretty gardens:

Paris I'll leave to a brand new post... too much to tell about that magic city!

C'est la vie!

2009-07-14T15:43:00.016-04:00

Get your cup of coffee or tea 'cause this post will be a long one...

Yes, we were on the road again.... I mean, airplane! No wonder my kids cannot see a flying beast that they go bunkers about it! This time around we went to France (yeah, I know what you are thinking!!) for two whole weeks! Let me start by telling you that France has never been at the top of my travel list, I've always had (and still have) places like Ireland, Norway and South Africa at the top instead. Regardless, Chiquito really wanted to go there and hey, France sounds great too! I am SOOOO thankful we went there... that country is DROP DEAP GOURGEOUS!

We started our journey in the South of France, Nice to be more exact, after a looooong 30 hours trip (missed our connecting flight in London). Nice was our base for 4 days and we loved everything about it. The best though, in my opinion, was the pebble beach... the sound of those pebbles rolling every time the ocean came ashore is unbelievable! The kids also loved playing with all the rocks, and Bernie stripped himself down to his underware as soon as he saw the beach :)

Still in the South of France we also visited Monaco, Eze, Vence, St. Paul De Vence, Tourrettes Sur Loup, Grasse, Aix-En-Provance and Avignon. By far St Paul de Vence wins the prize of the most charming and magical/historical place we've visited while in that area. Imagine an old villa stuck at the top of a mountain, like a cherry on top of your sunday.... that's Saint Paul :)

Moving north, we stopped at Lyon for 2 nights and it was GREAT! Best accomodation and by far the best food we had in all of France. I also had some time by myself... as on a rare occasion hubby and kids head over to the hotel for a 3 hours nap after lunch and I hit the pedestrial shopping mall street alone! Yep you heard me.. ALONE! Ask any mom of two small children and they will all agree... what a blessing!! Armed with my curiosity, time and some money let me tell you... I had a ball! Tasted some great orange slices with dark chocolate and wish I could say I shopped until I dropped by that really wasn't the case... but taking it all in at my own pace and more importantly, taking my pictures with no complaints along the way was awesome! Here is Lyon ladies and gentlemen:

to be continued....

Miguelito turns 1

2009-06-01T08:36:00.004-04:00

This post is long overdue!! My little one turned 1 on May 30th... which makes it official: my blondie has had a smile on his face 24/7 now for a full year!! You can't beat that! Here a pic of the little one on his special day... the only difference is that he now has 3 teeth peaking out and 2 more on its way!

Biggest help ever!

2009-03-16T09:09:00.008-04:00

Fred changed jobs and went to Brazil after his clients... and just the thought of me, here, all by myself, 'sem pai nem mae' as my brother would say and with two cranky kids at 6pm gave me chills!! The answer to my prayers? MOMMMM!! She promptly packed herself and Gui and came to the rescue, all the way from Paciencia/Brazil! They were here for 2 weeks and oh boy did they help! Too bad these two weeks went by quickly and they went back home last night, for my dad's sake! Here are some pics of their time here :)

Miguelito & Be

Mom drooling over the kids

still drooling...

God Mothers

2009-02-20T21:00:00.007-05:00

The name says it all: God Mothers. Mothers sent by God to help you in the difficult and pleasant task of raising decent human beings. In our case, not family members but two close friends from my undergraduate years.

Manoela is just like me... bossy, always in charge, passionate about the things she believes in and with a heart bigger than yours and mine together. She got Bernardo. Jujuba is on the sweet end of the spectrum, the one that holds a lot in but her eyes can tell it all. She got Miguel.

Let's not forget the other halves of these amazing women. Binho completes Mano in every way, shape or form. Sweet, understanding and oh so patient! Gaspar brings spontainety and a huge heart to the table. Oh and did I mentioned that Jujuba and Gaspar are expecting their first baby?? YAY!!!

Mano & Binho

Binho, Bernardo, Mano and their little one, Lorenzo

Jujuba & Miguel

Jujuba, Gaspar & Miguelito

El Viejo San Juan

2009-02-18T19:31:00.008-05:00

We have just returned home after spending 4 days at beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico. That is just my kind of trip: historical narrow streets that transport you back to the 16th century, excellent food (YAY mofongos!!) and both husband and kids in a blessed good mood. Want more? Not me!! Here are some of the pictures we took :)

Sunset Calle Del Cristo Viejo San Juan

Kites flying freely in front of Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Bernardo playing picaboo - El Morro

El Morro

Beatifully restored Viejo San Juan

Proud Momma

Proud daddy

Say Cheese!

2009-01-28T22:11:00.005-05:00

That I've always been crazy about photography everybody knows. There's something about capturing that naughty smile on the other side of the lenses that moves me, specially if the subject are my beautiful children. The problem is trying to be in the picture as well, since everytime my 'not-so-artsy' husband grabs the camera the shot is less than admirable. With that in mind, we have signed up with a photography studio here in Miami called UDS with their program called 'Watch Me Grow'. Until Miguel turns 1 year old, which is fast approching, we are taking family pictures every 3 months. The results have been tremendous and I am sure these will be pictures we will cherish for the rest of our lives! Check out our last session at http://marianagoldin.photoherald.com/ and keep saying cheese!

Dinner is served!

2008-09-03T22:00:00.001-04:00

A good friend of mine had a baby girl last week - Liv Joan! She is adorable, and has received so many gifts from so many people already, including her crazy mama, that I found myself looking for some creative way to gift them - the family. My brilliant idea? I have been delivering home made meals every day for their dinner, for a full week. So far so good!