1, 2 ,3 .... click !

All the time while at work today I kept thinking of new things I wanted to photograph. The day was so long and slow and all I wished for was my camera.  I got home and immediately I started to play with my new "toy", as my husband calls it... Tomorrow, I'm going to work with my camera! I'm sure tons of amazing pictures will emerge from a fun day at work ;)

I present to you, my day <3

 

My amazing model Jill.  She was born to model and loves that I take her picture over and over!

 

 

 

Back in Thanksgiving, while I was making my traditional Pumpkin Soup, the kids took all the seeds and decided to plant them.  Here is my interpretation of our "pumpkin plant".

 

 

 

Playing around with the settings and "Macro".

 

 

 

All about homework on a nice Sunday evening...

 

 

 

Homework and color and more homework!

 

 

 

And we are done for the day! Princess fell asleep as I was "doodling" with all the buttons of the camera.  So much to learn and so little time!

 

 I'm completely obsessed!

<3

 

 

 

 

Waterworks

What happens when you have children sleep deprived from a sleepover?

What can you do on a... sort of, hot "Wintery" afternoon in Miami?  

 

WE TURN ON THE HOSE !

 

 

 

Paula and Lily hard at play!

 

 

 

Dancing with water sprinkles <3

 

 

 

Swirl it, swirl it ;)

 

 

 

Finally Ms. Rosie arrived at the party!

 

 

 

Rosie... I see you!

 

 

 

This is so much fun! I absolutely LOVE this picture of Ms. Rose !

Just Say Cheese =)

 

The day has finally come! I got my, Oh so wanted, camera! My happiness is so, I can't even put it into words! My cheeks hurt from smiling so much! The kids are completely annoyed by my endless picture taking.  I am taking pictures of them doing everything.. and I mean everything ;)

 

After much procrastination I decided the time had come to finally think of myself.  Waiting for someone (my husband)  to get the hint was driving me crazy, plus he will never understand how much I really wanted this.  To document my children's every move, to be able to remember a beautiful flower or catch a butterfly in pure flight... this are dreams I have had for a long time.  I've always had a passion for photography and I don't know why I have never actually pursued anything in this field. 

 

Looking back in time I remember my trips to Disney with my mom and how I would spend, probably about 20 rolls of film.  Worse, I remember how much money she spent developing those pictures.  Growing up, we traveled to so many places and the camera never, ever left my sight.  Trips to Hawaii, California, even as a grown up in Europe.  I took pictures of every piece of glass sticking out of the "Sagrada Familia" in Barcelona!  Pictures just make the smallest thing look so big an amazing! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! 

 

When I started my blog I had promised myself to write a post every day.  As the days passed I felt so annoyed by the fact their was nothing interesting to write about.  It's funny because, even though I am under no circumstances, anything similar or close to a writer... I felt what it was like to get  "Writers Block".  My friend Dawn helped me build this blog and she is my biggest supporter.  She is so awesome that an idea popped into her mind!  I finally know where to go with my Blog!   I will write daily "Picture Posts".  What better way of writing about my day and remembering  than with pictures!

 

Today I start with my new and reformed, Picture Blog! I really hope you enjoy my pictures and please remember... I have no clue how to use my camera yet! lol! Thanks to "You Tube" and continuous practice I hope to understand my camera better and I will try to get the best out of it as much as I can.

 

xoxoxo,

 

Mari

 

 

 

My Beautiful Parrot Fish, Jill <3

iWorld

Looking back through the years it is amazing to see how technologically advanced we have become.  I remember being in college and begging my mom to PLEASE buy me a beeper! I remember being at the local club dancing, loosing my first beeper and crying my eyeballs out because my mom said she would not get me another one.  Of course, as an only child, I knew very well how to change her mind ;) I remember my first "brick" Motorola, then the Ericsson, then the Nokia, the Razor and so on.

Now... its all about the i.. iPhone, iTouch, iPad, i...mamma mia!!! 

Apple has revolutionized the world to such point that we have created a babysitter out of it, lol! I remember when Paula was a baby how exhausting it would be to keep her entertained ALL the time... Now, three kids later, I have to say I'm kind of bored.   Looking back I enjoyed playing with her, now unless I log-in on Instagram, Facebook or play Minecraft I have zero to non of their attention.
 

 

Kids at the Bank...

 

 

Kids in the car...

Don't get me wrong, at least they are bonding and playing with each other... but still, their is absolutely no talking, fighting or physically interacting.  This needs to be fixed promptly! Some "sibling punches" must be thrown at some point, lol!

School starts on Monday and I am currently evaluating what new "iRules" I will create.  What
happened to playing Jacks, Chinese Checkers or even Parcheesi? Since 2013 is all about re-inventing myself, Phase 1 will be detaching the children from electronics, at least a bit.  I know, I know... Good luck! But, I think if they want it bad enough, its my way or no way ;)

This might have become an iWorld but I'm bringing old school back! That's my mission this January.
Lets see how it goes...  For tonight, it's all about the TWISTER!

 

Note to self... Do not invite Oddie to play!

 

 

 

Kids, ended up falling and Camila crying lol! Next time, dog OUT! 

Wish me luck! =)

 

Xoxoxo,

Mari

LCD Love!

Today's entertainment is powered by Brookstone, Americas technologically savvy store!

It all started one Christmas day when Santa Clause got the kids the most amazing gadget, or so it is for me ;)  I introduce to you, the Boogie Board! An LCD writing tablet.  This device lets you write and erase as needed without the waste of paper and killing of trees. 

After a long, long LONG day at work and the usual soccer practice I got home to find the best hubster in the world cooking dinner.  Well.. sort of because I got to season the steaks, make the rice, set the table... ok I guess he just went to Costco and bought food, I did the rest, lol!  Naaaaa!!! He got to grill the steaks! ;)  Any who, after an interesting dinner I just sat at the table watching the kids play with their Boogie Boards while the Best Hubster in the World cleaned the dishes.  Of course what would a responsible adult do at the moment... that's right, send them to bed!  Once the kids were out of sight I got my hands in one of those things. After an hour, I introduce to you the end result:

 

 

I believe in a past life I was an artist or a tagger who knows...  Additional to my photography obsession I, as well, have a small craving for art.  If I had the time I would sit down sketch and paint weird graphics or landscapes, I would paint anything and everything in sight!  I love sketching hidden words in swirls and twirls. Betcha you can't find the hidden words in this sketch! ;)  The point is, this Boogie Board has been the best investment ever!  Unless I get my camera, which in that case this will come in second place. But so far this piece of electronic device is up in my top 10 list of useless stuff to have fun with! lol! Only setback, it does not have a "save" button. So after all is set and done all I have to remember my "art" with is just this picture.  If I actually want to use it one more time I need to press the "clear" button and start all over again.  Which sucks!

 

So Brookstone, if you are listening... please, Generation 2 of the Boogie Board should have some sort of adapter so we can download and save our work. Or maybe Wifi so it can be sent to an email or something.  Either or, this stuff is AmAzing!!  This thing totally made my day! ;)

 

 

Untill next time... Happy Blogging, Happy Reading and Peace out!

xoxoxo,

 

Mari



Back to Reality - Take 1

Out with the old, In with the new they say... And with that mentality I started my day.  So excited to see what the day brings and eagered for the day to end so I can get home to my computer and write about it.  Starting a new year, returning to work after a day of rest, new goals, new plans, new thoughts, yada yadi da...  Well, the day totally sucked! I finish the day thinking... what's up with the whole "New Year" thing, after all It's just another day in the calendar.  Maybe a new one, if you didn't buy those 18 month Mommy Planners.  Work was crazy, people were rude and I just wanted to send everyone back to bed so they can start their day over, because obviously they woke up on the wrong side of the bed and they are ruining my mojo!  Any who... I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, so I do what I do best, flipped my frown upside down and just smiled.

 

School, Dance and Swimming wont be up and running till Monday but Soccer started today...of course! Because, why would we give a whole two week break when we have this 9 year old "Messi's" running all over (rolling my eyes) lol!  Looking forward to practice so I can test out my new camera, which I'm still not to convinced about but... it is what it is and that's all I can get right now.  First in my list of dreams: 1. Photographer Extraordinaire ;)  I want to have a good camera so bad it hurts! I want to learn, and play with light, and wind and water and fire and... ok, you get the drift... My new camera is what they call a "bridge camera" with an amazing, out of this world zoom.  It's a "point and shoot" so I can't really play with the "out of focus" pics I would like to take.  Here is a sneak pick of what little I was able to take while trying to understand all the different modes on the camera. Bare with me and remember I am NOT a professional!

 

 

Here is Niko at practice.

 

 

Here is the super friendly "Field Closed" sign that was really, really, REALLY, far, far, FAR away!

 

 

Trying to get a nice pic of Niko kicking the ball... mission fail! :(

 

 

Classic pic of Niko's coach yelling at him...lol, I know it shouldn't be funny but the thing is, he is yelling at Niko in Spanish and my poor baby boy doesn't even understand "agua".  I keep telling him Niko doesn't understand him but he is convinced that he DOES understand... after many attempts and many more of this loud tone of discussion, comes the next pic. 

 

 

Coach Tito with the "WTH" face, frustrated because Niko DOES NOT UNDERSTAND! lol!

well, not so funny because bad practice = practice tomorrow an hour earlier, grrrrrr!!!! You would think after almost a year together both of them would understand each other.  And, they sort of do...but I guess one week is way to long to be apart <3 oh, the wonders of athletic love!

 

All in all, I guess the day didn't end up as bad as it started. Which brings me to my bottom line. Work puts me in a bad mood, and my kids make it all better.  I really like what I do, don't get me wrong but I kind of...I don't know need something more I guess. I love the end of my days and the beginning of my madness.  It keeps me alive and happy.  Hopefully I will figure out soon what can I do to make my days exciting and fun from beginning to end.  Maybe, I will end up changing my camera to a "real" one, learn how to actually use it and picture my life away! maybe... I'll just go back to reality and get ready for take 2.

 

Happy blogging, happy reading and peace out!

xoxoxo,

 

Mari

 

  

Happy New First Blog Ever 2013 Year !

This is so freaking exciting! My first blog post on the first day of the year! I've been wanting to do this for a long time and finally, I got it done!  Thanks to my dear friend Dawn Minney Cope that helped me get this whole thing started, I could have not done it without her <3  Now, it is up to me to find time between Tutu's, Goggles and Cleats to write and document my day's adventures.

It all starts with me Mari, wife of 1 mother of 3.  Ice cream scooper extraordinaire, nanny, taxi driver, shrink, housekeeper, accountant, chef (certified), teacher, friend, psycho tiger mom  and on the road multi-tasker.  My entourage includes Paula (11), Niko (9), Lady Camila the  I (6)... , let's not forget the "Master of the house" my hubby Sir Gus, and my adorable, loving, perfectly behaved Fox Terrier puppy, Oddie.  Yes we are a big family, considering I come from a house of 2... it is for me.  But I love it and they all help keep my days, oh so entertaining!

A typical day in our house consists of: up by 6, out by 7:30 (which already makes us late for school), work till 5, dance by 4, swimming by 6 soccer by 6:30, home by 9... interesting I know! And none of it could be completely done without the help of my super awesomest, best grandma/mom ever... My mom, Super Mina.  She fills in the blanks and is a definite help with the overlapping schedules.  Her schedule is a bit worse... she goes to work at 5am so she can get the kids at 3pm from school and back at her second job by 5:30pm.  Some day I'll be able to convince her to stay with one job and enjoy her life a bit more.  In the meantime it is a lost cause.

Where is the hubster in all this you might ask? well, he is living the dream of the poor spending his days around luxury cars.  Lathering himself in fresh leather and hot engines. Dreaming of one day having his own... Porsche.  He usually doesn't get home till 8pm so dinner is usually on him ;) or so he says....

We are all on our toes every day and I consider myself to be very lucky to have so many loving people around me to help and support my madness.  My support system is great! and even though people say I need to slow down or ask, How I do it? Well it's easy... I absolutely adore and love my kids! For them I would run around the moon and back infinite times and again.  Which brings me to my first "Blog Pic". Yeeiii!!!!  I took this last night, right after midnight, trying out my new camera.  And guess what... after midnight, on new year's, the moon is not really that round :s lol!!

I love being on edge and busy and complaining and doing it again.  That's just me. And this year I plan on documenting my days with this blog.  A day in the life of me =) I am so excited and eagerer to do this! Tutu's, Goggles and Cleats will be the therapy and "me" time I've been searching for so long.

Hope you enjoy my future stories.  I leave you with a visual aid of my madness and reason for being, my lovely children ;)

 

 

 

Happy Blogging, Happy reading and Happy 2013 <3

 

Mari