Luciana's Life and Thoughts.

Making a House into a Home

2012-01-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

Source: etsy.com via Ana on Pinterest

25 clever ideas to make life easier

2011-12-27T20:30:00.000-08:00

25 clever ideas to make life easier

Waiting for our child

2011-12-15T22:45:00.002-08:00

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food | Video on TED.com

2011-10-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

Another good good article. One thing that always upsets me is the children's menu in restaurants. Expensive and badly cooked Macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza or chicken nuggets are the main options in kids menu, together with crayons and booklets to colour. Horrible choices for our growing children. They are the ones with growing bodies and minds that need nutritious choices of food. How many times I've seen in the table beside me where the parents have delicious, colourful, nutritious dishes and they little ones are eating overcooked and overpriced macaroni and cheese. Shameful!

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food | Video on TED.com

Graham Hill: Why I'm a weekday vegetarian | Video on TED.com

2011-10-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

He has some good points here. Why it has to be so black or white, meat eater or vegetarian? Well, we cannot live without fish. Plus I must confess my mouth waters when I see a delicious steak. So I actually like his idea. We actually do that already. So I am sharing this video, hoping more people think about it too:

Graham Hill: Why I'm a weekday vegetarian | Video on TED.com

Should our kids be learning Brazilian Portuguese?

2011-10-14T22:48:00.000-07:00

Should our kids be learning Brazilian Portuguese?

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure:

2011-09-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure:

Preparing for Parenthood

2011-08-22T22:05:00.003-07:00

Adoption Information: U.S. Newborn, International, Foster Adoption Resources | Adoptive Families

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the cafeteria of our local hospital when people began streaming through the room. "Childbirth class," explained my husband, a physician. "You can tell because they're all carrying two pillows." Not to mention that all the women were pregnant.

Childbirth class is an essential part of preparing for the birth of a child, not only for the labor and delivery skills, but also for the camaraderie that develops between expecting families. It is the place where couples learn what to expect from their newborns and how to care for them.

In contrast, I remember the time I was invited to speak to a group of parents waiting for their first adoptive placement. At 6 p.m., the husbands and wives arrived-separately-many clutching briefcases (instead of pillows). There was nothing to telegraph the message: I'm about to become a parent.

Pregnancy is a time for growing a baby and a time of transition and preparation for parents. The mother's body communicates the urgency of making plans for maternity leave, preparing the nursery, and learning how to care for a baby. To those around her, it invites discussion and, in doing so, creates acknowledgment that her role is about to change dramatically.

Pregnancy slows down the mother's life. She needs more sleep, and her body makes it difficult to continue an active lifestyle. It readies her for the time after the baby's birth, when her life will be centered around an infant who needs almost constant care.

I really identify myself with this one: When I was waiting to adopt our first child, I didn't want to slow down. If I slowed down, I had time to think about a process that was out of my control. I was stunned when a friend pulled into my driveway one day with a crib in the back of her station wagon and told me, "It's time to get the nursery ready." I didn't want to get the nursery ready. An empty crib would be a reminder of the uncertain process that is adoption. But that crib forced me to start thinking about the transition my husband and I were in. Getting physically ready for the baby moved me to get emotionally ready. It might seem that emotional readiness is the last thing an expectant adoptive parent needs to worry about.

Haven't we longed for this child for years? For many of us, however, years of infertility and waiting for placement have caused us to arm ourselves against further disappointment. After our setbacks, we have a hard time believing we will ever be parents, so we delay readying ourselves for that new life.

It may take a leap of faith to overcome these obstacles, but it is important to begin. Getting Ready While waiting, adoptive parents can follow the lead of pregnant women (and their partners) in getting ready for a new child. You can slow down your lives and take a look at any unhealthy patterns, such as smoking or excessive drinking, that you want to change.

In the absence of outward signs of impending parenthood, you might want to develop a private ceremony in which you ask your close friends and family to help you begin the transition to parenthood. Friends and family could share stories, poems, or nuggets of advice. The waiting mother could be given some kind of outward symbol, such as a pin depicting a family, to remind those around her of this transition. If a baby shower is in keeping with your religious and cultural traditions, you should let those around you know if you want one.

Friends and family members are likely to wait for a cue before introducing visible reminders that you are still waiting for a child. Those who are waiting for an infant may find opportunities in their communities to learn the nuts and bolts of baby care. Some enroll in childbirth classes for that reason. Others are uncomfortable in such settings. Some adoption agencies run their own child care classes just for waiting adoptive parents. Another option is to take a community college course on infant and child development.

Getting Comfortable with Adoption The waiting period is also a good time to become familiar with adoption issues and to discuss how to talk about adoption with your child and with people outside your family. Research how the birthparents might be addressed or included in your child's life. Consider how information about your child's background will be revealed to him, and when.

In considering these and other issues, you may discover that some parts of your child's adoption story are distressing. You may find you have intense emotional reactions to imagined scenarios. Rather than saying, "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," this is a time to explore the roots of those feelings. Parents through adoption may have many issues to resolve. There is the loss of a biological child. There are questions about identity, sadness at the inability to nurture a child from conception, and uncertainty about whether the relationship with an adopted child will be a fulfilling one.

Parents who acknowledge these issues and explore how to deal with them are in a better position to accept an adopted child as their own, to feel entitled to be their child's parents, and to honor their child's genetic influences and biological connections. Many waiting parents have found it helpful to keep a journal during this time. Writing about your feelings can help you identify issues and work through them. An adoptive parent support group can be a good place to share concerns and learn what to expect as you raise your child. This is also a time to shelve the "how-to-adopt" books and check out books about life as an adoptive family.

Communication Is Key Couples often find that their relationship has been stressed by the demands of infertility treatments and/or the adoption process. It's easy to move from focusing all your energy on conceiving a baby to focusing it on adopting a baby, neglecting the marital relationship in the process. This is a time to nurture each other. Set up a weekly "date" and keep it. Waiting parents can use time together to talk about parenting styles, discipline, religious education, and other child-raising issues.

Adoption applications don't always explore these questions. At the time, they seem less important to waiting parents than race, age, or the health of their prospective child. Communicate with family members and close friends about adoption. People who have not adopted sometimes make comments or ask questions that are insensitive.

Let friends and family know how you intend to include your child's birthfamily in your life, how adopted children view extended family, and how they can be supportive. One couple explained to their friends and family that they would not share details of their child's background because they had been advised that their child had the exclusive right to reveal his "story." They provided general information about adoption and suggestions for explaining what was happening in their family to young children in the neighborhood and in their extended family.

This is also the time to start communication flowing toward the child. One couple asked family members to help them build an album of photos and memories that would become a treasured keepsake for their new child. One waiting mom made a keepsake quilt for her daughter with help from friends and family. The waiting time seems to go on forever, but keep your focus on the outcome. Your child is certainly worth the wait. Lois Melina, author of the highly regarded books, Raising Adopted Children and Making Sense of Adoption, has published Adopted Child newsletter since 1981. Melina’s newsletter has gained an international reputation as a trusted resource for adoptive parents.

No Arms No Legs No Worries

2011-08-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

Adoption Magazine: The 1000+ Questions

2011-08-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

Adoption Magazine: The 1000+ Questions: "author: Nicky One thing that parents have to be aware of when we adopt transracially is that our family becomes conspicuous. Anonymity does..."

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability

2011-08-05T21:41:00.002-07:00

Is running good for you?

2011-08-04T21:45:00.004-07:00

Running is good for you, right? At first I thought it was tough, you got sore, and I could find dozens of reasons not to run. Well, running is not for everyone, but it is one of the best exercises you can do for your heart, your body and burn some extra calories. It is also one of the most accessible activities, all you really need is a good pair of running shoes and the outdoors! No fancy equipment, no special skills...It takes time to build endurance to run even a short period of time, but don't give up! There are also a lot of reasons why running is good for you, and here are 9 of them:

1. BonesThe human bones are made to accommodate the demands placed upon them. When just sitting all day long, at the office, in the car, in front of the TV, we allow our bones to grow weaker. But if you run regularly, they meet resistance, which will lead to stronger bones.

2. HeartGetting your heart pumping a little faster for let’s say 30 minutes every day, and especially if you also include interval training is something your doctor, and not to forget you, will thank yourself for later. Training your heart and strengthening your cardiovascular system will lower your pulse while resting and sleeping; therefore also make you more fit to handle stress.

3. BalanceWhen running outdoors, you have to avoid and deal with curbs, dogs, stones, branches and other miscellaneous objects. These changes in direction and speed will strengthen your balance, so next time you stand in front of the door with 3 shopping bags and need to unlock your door with your key, this everyday manoeuvre will feel easier to handle.

4. PostureIf you run the right way, you quite automatically will lower your shoulders, use your arms to help pumping energy into your running pace and tilt your pelvis a little forward. All of this will raise your head and prolong your spine. So instead of looking like some sad, bent slave at the office, you are now a runner with your eyes set at the horizon, always looking for a challenge.

5. WaistlineRunning uses a lot of energy, and few other sports or activities are more efficient if you want to drop, let’s just say 10 pounds from your waistline. And especially if you include a few extra exercises while running, like suddenly running up a hill, or jumping over low fences parkour-style, you soon need to get down to your nearest mall for a new pair of trousers.

6. The sunWhen running outside, naturally the sun will sometimes stop by and say hello, rewarding you with a healthy color, to match your new slim and fit you.

7. Yes, I can!Ok, I won’t lie to you. It’s not easy at first. You will experience a burning sensation in your chest (it’s your lungs getting surprised), possibly a new sort of pain in your feet and legs (wow, we have to work now!) and you might get a headache, a pain in your back – or easily said, everything in your body might protest against this new lever of activity. But after a few trips, your body will adjust, and what seemed impossible (run 15 miles? Are you nuts?) Will soon be something you can easily manage. The first time you reach the goal you have set, you will be surprised how you feel. Ever heard of “runners high”? Get out there and experience it for yourself.

8. I believe I can flyThere is something about running that just feels right. Something eternal, like being a tough Greek from ancient times, that could run for days, without even getting exhausted. Running means beating the normal pace of the city, and very few things feels better than beating the bus in regards of getting from A to B – just watch those losers sitting stuck in traffic.

9. EnduranceSometimes it will rain. Your foot might ache. You feel tired, and the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. But you still keep running, and after another dreadful 25 minutes you enter your destination and relax. So, tomorrow morning, when you have to wait a few extra minutes for the elevator, or the meeting drags on for an extra hour, who cares? I mean, remember yesterday evening. That was tough, this is nothing! You kind of take the sexy “who cares” attitude on you.

Source: http://exercise.about.com/cs/running/a/begrunning.htm

Canadian Rockies Time-Lapse Montage

2011-08-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Canadian Rockies Time-lapse Montage from The Upthink Lab on Vimeo.

Another super well done video. This is pure art! So poetic, so beautifully done! I love the mountains, love the nature, the green, the life is all so me! I would love to have time to explore those areas more... Hope you enjoy this video as much as I did today!

Freshfield Icefield: A Skier's Journey Ep3

2011-08-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

Freshfield Icefield: A Skier's Journey Ep3 from Jordan Manley Photography on Vimeo.

We are in the middle of summer, but I came across this video and felt in love. So beautifully done, so moving, so lovely that I needed to share today... The beauty of the Rocky Mountains and the love of skiing.

Life is like Coffee Movie

2011-07-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

Life is like Coffee Movie: "Do you know people that just seem to be happier in general? Do you say to yourself, "I want to be more like them"? Often, the happiest people in the world don’t have the best of everything...they just make the best of everything!"

Wilderness cam catches thousands of wild creatures in Banff National Park Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Wilderness+catches+thousands+wild+creatures+Banff+National+Park/5054493/story.html#ixzz1RIfd86Mk

2011-07-05T22:28:00.005-07:00

Em homenagem e respeito pelos animais e pela natureza uma bela filmagem de uma pequena área do Parque Nacional de Banff. Pretty cool!

Rick Smolan tells the story of a girl | Video on TED.com

2011-06-25T20:53:00.001-07:00

Rick Smolan tells the story of a girl | Video on TED.com

Ideas Worth Sharing

2011-06-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

Mães em rede - Mães diferentes no mesmo endereço - Mães em rede: O Globo

2011-06-08T19:59:00.003-07:00

Mães em rede - Mães diferentes no mesmo endereço - Mães em rede: O Globo

(Amei este artigo, e aqui quero muito compartilhar com o mundo!)

Etiqueta da adoção

Ola blogueiras amigas. Miguel ja fez 2 meses (tem um mês e pouco conosco) e todos os dias penso em sentar aqui e escrever para vocês. São tantas novidades nesse comecinho, ne? Para mim, é uma emoção completamente nova ser mãe de alguém já tendo outro filho de 3 anos na casa. Ver esse amor de irmãos nascer, me sentir inúmeras vezes dividida entre os dois (sem tempo para nada) e comprovar na pele aquela velha piadinha de que um filho é um e dois filhos são pelo menos 5! Acreditem, assunto não falta e daria para lotar esse blog só com Miguelzices e Bobzices.

Mas felizmente esse blog não é para corujar os meus pequenos e, sim, para discutir alguma coisa de interesse público! Então venho amadurecendo um tema para conversar aqui: a etiqueta da adoção. Acho que vale dar um toque não para quem quer adotar, como eu fiz, mas para quem apenas convive com adotados. E, como não são poucos, acho que o tema pode ajudar e interessar a mais gente. Juro que não estou legislando em causa própria.

Desde que o Miguel nasceu o tema da adoção voltou ao bate papo da minha vida com intensidade total. Invariavelmente, todas as pessoas que visitaram o Miguel perguntaram alguma coisa sobre ele e o processo. Amigos e familiares fizeram comparações — mais do que naturais — entre a historia dele e do meu primeiro filho, Roberto. Teve muita gente também que se aproximou de mim exatamente para saber como adotar e que passos dar. Outras amigas que ainda estao à espera vieram até aqui para curtir o momento e sonhar com a sua vez. Com tudo isso, o que ja era um tema IMPORTANTíSSIMO para o Roberto virou o assunto mais sensível do mundo. Ele pode estar lá do outro lado da casa, distraido com seus brinquedos, que se alguém fala a palavra adoção, advinha quem aparece na sala?

Comecei, então, a reparar que a linguagem é fundamental. Deve existir, sim, uma certa etiqueta para falar desse tema, principalmente na frente de crianças. Sou a favor da transparência e Roberto sabe que não nasceu da minha barriga, que nós o buscamos. Ele, inclusive, foi buscar o seu irmão. Mas Isso não significa que a gente possa falar na frente dele termos como "a mãe do Roberto e a mãe do Miguel" (se referindo às respectivas mães biológicas, quando falamos algum detalhe do processo de adoção). Ou algo do tipo "Ela entregou" ou "Ela não quis" ou "Ela abandonou". Uma amiga querida, por pura distração (é super gente fina, adoro, mas completamente avoada), comentou sobre alguém que ela ouviu falar que queria entregar seu filho. Ai veio o comentário na frente de crianças: "Como é que pode? Parece que ela está dando um cachorro".

Eu sei que não foi por mal. Pessoas que não são, digamos, desse universo, não frequentam Café com Adoção, nem estão envolvidas com a causa nem percebem que as palavras às vezes tem uma carga forte. Outro dia, viajando com a família, conheci um casal super simpático que encheu de elogios os meus filhos. Quando soube que eles eram adotados, a pessoa que eu mal acabara de conhecer falou: "Eu pensei que eles eram seus". Respondi que são, sim, meus. Muito meus. Aí ela respondeu: "Como assim seus? você fez barriga de aluguel?". Gente, o fato de não serem da minha barriga significa que não são meus? Não fiquei chateada, a pessoa não falou por mal. A adoção causa esse constrangimento, esse momento de "ops, caramba, por essa eu não esperava". E as novelas não ajudam na medida que vemos em capítulos decisivos a mocinha ouvindo da pessoa que a criou revelando em tom grave: "eu não sou sua mãe!" (me lembro de Paraiso Tropical... a personagem da Suzana Vieira dizendo essa exata frase para a personagem da Alessandra Negrini!).

Por outro lado, acho que não dá para poupar o Roberto desse assunto mesmo. Ele é forte demais e toda hora surge mesmo, mesmo que a gente tente filtrar ou medir as palavras! Fui numa festa esse sábado e conheci uma moça com uma filhinha de 5 anos, também adotada. Nós já nos conhecíamos de nome e, quando nos vimos, ela imediatamente avisou a sua filha: "Veja, o Roberto é como você, também não é filho da barriguinha não, é do coração. Vem aqui conhecer o Miguel. Olha que maravilha que Papai do Céu mandou para a casa da Tia Germana." Nâo deu nem tempo de combinar algo entre nós duas, ela saiu contando. A filha dela é mais velha, ela já deve fazer isso há mais tempo. Achei legal a naturalidade. Mas também é importante ressaltar que a linguagem usada por ela é COMPLETAMENTE cuidadosa e amorosa.

Só finalizando (esse post está enorme!), meu marido me ligou todo emocionado do Ceará, onde estava viajando a trabalho, contando que esteve em vários lugares onde estivemos quando fomos adotar o Roberto. A mesma pizzaria, o mesmo hotel, etc. Mas ele contou só para mim e não para o Roberto. Pedi que contasse ao filho, sempre com um sorriso no rosto, que esteve lá onde a gente foi buscar ele, no lugar lindo de onde ele veio e mudou a nossa vida. Mas meu marido é mais fechadão e o papo entre os dois acabou não acontecendo. Como se vê na adoção, escolher as palavras é complicado seja para falar demais ou de menos...

Um beijo e até breve.

AdoptionTalk: Japan: Adoption After Natural Disaster

2011-03-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

AdoptionTalk: Japan: Adoption After Natural Disaster: "It was only a matter of time before a question like this came up after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan: I've read many forums where peop..."

Last Days of Snow... (March 2011)

2011-03-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

Aqui algumas das fotos que tirei em Março de 2011. Talvez os últimos dias de neve até a chegada tão esperada da nossa primavera... Bom, oficialmente estamos na primavera, mas ainda temos tidos dias de frio e neve. Mas este dia especialmnte o dia estava muito bonito. A neve parecia cola, grudava em tudo, na cerca, nas árvores, nos galhos das árvores nuas, e não estava tão frio, assim me aventurei com a câmera e saí tirando fotos de tudo que via. E depois vi que tudo tinha um efeito muito bonito. Assim queria compartilhar aqui as fotos tiradas. Lindo não é mesmo?

Have a Wonderful Day!

2011-03-29T21:01:00.003-07:00

Eu pessoalmete adoro posters que usam sabiamente a arte da Tipografia como método efetivo de comunicação e arte. Não é mesmo demais este poster? É interessante ver o efeito de como a tipografia, seja ela Arial, Verdana, Sans Serif e Helvética, consegue transmitir uma determinada mensagem para cada público.
Eu encontrei este poster por acaso, olhando outros sites de arte. É um poster criado por Kal Barteski, este e mais outros posters foram usados em ônibus e estações de ônibus. A série de 7 posters pode ser encontrada em seu web-site http://lovelife.typepad.com/

Tenham todos um dia maravilhoso! Coisas lindas podem acontecer hoje... eu posso sentir...

Behind the Scenes...

2011-03-08T23:25:00.071-08:00

So here I am and finally I decided to be open to you about our adoption because soon our family may be growing. It can be a piece of information to many people, as we as a family decided that there is nothing negative about it, on the contrary, it is a time to celebrate, to cherish, to enjoy and to be happy. I apologize to some of my distant relatives and friends that may be surprised with the news, hope you can understand our absence and quietness about this matter.

So I decided to add chronologically, as best as possible our journey to our baby. Wherever you are we are to meet soon, very soon... It has been an intensive time, full of unknowns, and uncertainties, but well, isn't all pregnancies a little bit of that?! Well, this is my 'pregnancy' and I am cherishing and enjoying the fullest.

The following is a synopsis of our schedule since we decided to adopt in April 2010:

April, 2010 - My husband and I started to have discussions about the best options to grow our family, K agreed with the idea of researching and studying adoption possibilities. Request and received application package from Adoption Options and we started reading and understand about the process.

May, 2010 - In order to decide which country and what agency to work with, I made numerous phone calls and send numerous emails across the country and even to the States. Among country options were China, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Japan was our main choice. The Japan program is offered to families with one adoptive parent with Japanese heritage, also K and I share a special connection with Japan as we both lived there and there was where we met. We would love to go back to Japan. We both know the culture and the language well. I still have some relative and friends there. It seems the perfect country to us.

June 17, 2010 - We took the International Adoption Seminar with Liz Gifford from Adoption Options. We learned about International Adoptions and the process. My husband got on board and excited about it. So we decided to get the application ready.

June 29, 2010 - We submitted our completed application with all required documents to Adoption Options. We were officially on with adoption and this was a big step! We communicated to family and close friends. Some of our closest friends were our references and talk to them about it was very important. We were blessed with very supportive friends.

July 06, 2010 - Completed and submitted our medical records and blood work, that was the easy part as we are all pretty healthy. We don't drink, don't smoke and pretty much live a healthy life style.

July 27, 2010 - Completed and submitted our Police and Interpol records,

July, 2010 - Filled out all the personal information package, contacted all our references, home evaluation and all documents required by Social Services,

August 19, 2010 - After many attempts to find a national agency to work with (many had full quota applications, others were reluctant to work with families from a different province, some had some other issues). So, we finally found 'hope in the end of the tunnel' with Faith International Adoptions. I was so happy the day John Meske talked to me and gave me such a positive response. It was literally one in a hundred responses that was a little bit hopeful. We were super excited!!! K called John to and had a long conversation with him.

September, 2010 - Submitted an application to Faith International Adoptions and within a couple weeks we were accepted, all our fees were paid and we became part of Faith's family.

October 01, 2010 - First visit with our Social Worker, Sheila. A pretty nice lady. First visit was at our house, face to face. It went pretty well. About 5 hours in total.

October 06, 2010 - K's (my husband) individual meeting with our Social Worker. Meeting took about 4 hours (my husband enjoyed to talk)

October 13, 2010 - My individual meeting with our Social Worker. About 3 hours.

October 29, 2010 - Our last family meeting with our Social Worker. Our son took over this meeting. They both hit off well and had fun talking to each other.

January 17, 2011 - Our Home Assessment was (finally!) approved by Alberta Children and Youth Services. That was another important step. This means that we can be adoptive parents in the province. Soon after we submitted our approved Home Assessment to Faith International Adoptions.

February 2, 2011 - Completed and submitted our Canada Citizenship & Immigration (CIC) Sponsorship application form.

March 11, 2011 - Sadly on March 11 at 2:46pm JST a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake occurred near the northeastern coast of Japan, creating extremely destructive tsunami waves which hit Japan just minutes after the earthquake, and triggering evacuations and warnings across the Pacific Ocean. The earthquake and tsunami have caused extensive and severe damage in Northeastern Japan, leaving thousands of people confirmed dead, injured or missing, and millions more affected by lack of electricity, water and transportation. Travel to the country is restricted and not recommended.

March 12, 2011 - Canada Citizenship & Immigration (CIC) accepted and acknowledge our Sponsorship application form. Therefore, they are sending it to the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

2011-03-08T22:32:00.001-08:00

Lyrics | Judy Garland - SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW lyrics

I love this song... just started to listen it accidentally today and thought it is a song to our baby.
My baby, wherever you are, we are here, waiting for you. This song is for you, we are waiting for you.
My baby... somewhere over the rainbow... We love you!

Memory of Colors presented by Fotopedia

2011-02-22T20:58:00.001-08:00

Cores...
Eu estou tomando um curso chamado Teoria da Cor na Universidade de Calgary. Estou aprendendo tanta coisa que ando cada vez mais fascinada com o tema 'cor' e tudo que seja relacionado a cores. Achei este video lindo e gostaria de compartilhar com voces.

Brigadeiro e Casadinho

2011-02-13T23:03:00.006-08:00

Bom brasileiro tem sempre tem brigadeiro e casadinho em aniversário de criança. Lembranças meigas do tempo de criança é ficar de olho na mesa enfeitadíssima cheia de brigadeiro e docinhos. Coisa boa é comer um (ou dois, três, quatro, cinco...) brigadeiros e/ou casadinhos. Leandro Kyohei teve a sorte do mundo de ter tido estas lindas guloseimas em seu aniversário! E isto eu tenho que agradecer de coração à uma grande amiga e sua prima linda! Flãvia & Fernanda vocês sabem que serei eternamente agradecida, não somente pelos docinhos, mas principalmente pelo amor e pela atenção aos detalhes, pela ajuda na decoração, pelo carinho e paciência também. Estavam deliciosos e aqui algumas fotos dos docinhos para que vocês, caros leitores, também fiquem com água na boca. Pois eu vou olhar para estas fotos e também lembrar como estávam deliciosos!
Aqui deixo a receita em Inglês para leitores que queiram a receita e não sabem como fazer. Bom, só não sei se vai sair tão gostoso o quanto os da F. Bjs.
A good Brazilian will have 'brigadeiro' or/and 'casadinho' at their children birthday parties. It is a sweet treat made of condensed milk that many children just dream of having and love to see the birthday table totally decorated with these delicate treats. Here I am leaving you with the recipe, just in case you want to try to make your own.
"There is a great Brazilian sweet that is like a bonbon and extremely scrumptious and delicious called brigadeiro! This is a great type of sweet that is loved here in Brazil! Try it! You can make it in the microwave too, just remember to stir every minute."

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, butter and condensed milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle.

Form into small balls and eat at once or chill until serving.

Creating Dinosaurs

2011-01-25T21:49:00.005-08:00

We've been sick with a horrible cold these weekend. With no much to do outside, we got creative at home and started to use some of our cardboard to create dinosaurs to use in L's birthday party. Recycle the cardboard into party poster boards was so fun Well, the birthday party theme is going to be dinosaurs. So we decided to paint some of them in the used cardboard. L got involved in the process painting and deciding the colours. It is becoming a memorable party already, in the planning process. Check out our progress:

Brachiosaurus. The largest known dinosaur, cropping or nipping vegetation as high as possibly 9 metres (30 ft) off of the ground. We used two tons of green tempera paint, some brown, white and red. Leandro did a great job painting the legs, neck and tummy!

Here is our fierce meat-eater Ceratosaurus getting form. Did you know he had over 70 saw-edged fangs? His name means 'horned-lizard'. Leandro had to applied a lot of paint on this huge dinosaur. We used light green and blue-green tempera paint. Jurassic Period.

He may be a variation of a Panoplasaurus. Panoplosaurus means 'completely armoured lizard', with spikes on its sides, but with an unprotected belly. We used golden-yellow tempera, blue-green for his back armor and white horns.

And last but not least, our reference book. Great illustrations and tons of information. Fun for kids and for big kids too!

The Disappearing Male - Doc Zone | CBC-TV

2011-01-09T23:16:00.002-08:00

The Disappearing Male - Doc Zone | CBC-TV

The Disappearing Male

Sunday February 14, 2010 at 3 pm on CBC-TV

November is National Adoption Month

2010-11-22T20:28:00.007-08:00

November is National Adoption Month: 10 Common Misconceptions about Adoption

November 13, 2010 9:00 am by Shannon LC Cate in Family

(* I really liked this article because it is honest and uses the right words! My favorite ones are no.5 and no.6)

November is National Adoption Month, and although the main purpose of the month is to encourage adoption of children in foster care, all things adoption seem to make the Internet rounds each November. This seems as good a time as any to clear up some of the most common misconceptions people outside of adoption tend to have about it. Here are the ten that came instantly to mind, based on my own experience of talking to people about adoption:

1. Birth mothers are all teenagers

Birth mothers (sometimes called “natural” or “first” mothers) — international and domestic — come in all ages and from all walks of life. Some are teens, but the mythical “unwed teen mother” that many people think of when they imagine adoption is a hold-over from the 1950s and 1960s when single and teen motherhood were less acceptable in certain areas of society than they are now. These days, the reasons for placing children in adoptive families tend to be more diverse than mere age or marital status.

2. Open adoption is confusing to kids.

Most international adoptions are “closed” by default, because the first parents are unknown and perhaps untraceable. But there is a growing trend in domestic adoption to open the process and maintain some connection between birth and adoptive families. While this idea is often hard to grasp at first thought, the fact is that closing adoption records is a fairly recent phenomenon and fairly limited to industrialized societies. Even in the United States where formal, legal adoptions have been closed for the past few decades, there are subcultures in which informal and open “adoptions” have always been the norm. These might include extended families, neighbors or close friends raising each other’s children in times of need, temporarily or permanently. Such practices have been common throughout human history. Research is starting to show that adopted people who at least know a little bit about their first families have a better chance of adjusting healthily throughout their adolescent years of identity formation and on into later life.

3. They hate girls in China.

The circumstances that lead to so many girls being available for adoption in China are complex. But, in short, it is more the tradition of wives being absorbed by their husbands’ families that is the root of the problem in China. When you combine this with an economy that relies on adult children’s care of aged parents and a law restricting most families to either one son or two children (when the first is a daughter), the problem is seriously exacerbated. Some families — by far the small minority — with a first-born daughter feel pressured enough to have a boy on their second try, that a second daughter is sometimes abandoned so they can try again for a boy.

4. Black babies are the latest trend among celebrities.

If a celebrity does something, we hear much more about it than when Bill Smith from Peoria does it, right? When two celebrities do the same thing, we hear enough about it to make it feel like a “trend” simply by virtue of the percentage of space it takes up in the media. The fact is, African American babies are still the last to be placed in adoption in the United States. African American boy babies are at the very bottom of the demand pyramid for healthy newborns. Perhaps the reasons more than one white celebrity has a Black adopted son is because celebrities live such cosmopolitan lives that when the social worker doing their home study asks “are you open to adopting a Black boy?” they say yes more often than other people. And if you say yes to a Black baby boy, you will probably get one — and fast — because not many people say yes.

5. Adoptive parents are saintly for adopting.

Adoptive parents are always hearing how great they are for having adopted. People always mean well when they say this, but the fact is, most adoptive parents adopted because they wanted to be parents. Period. Not because they are special saints. This also sometimes sounds to adoptive parents like their children are somehow less lovable, and therefore, loving them is a heroic act. Adopted parents just love their kids like other parents love theirs. It doesn’t require any special effort!

6. Adopted kids are lucky.

The knee-jerk response that adopted people are lucky is also a misguided attempt to be kind. I think most people mean, “rather than dying on a roadside in China, your daughter gets a loving family — what luck!” But in fact, the adopted person had the rotten luck of getting stuck on that roadside in the first place. Now she’s been utterly displaced from her culture, language, religion, and country and sent to live with strangers. Those things are not magically erased by adoption. Yes, it’s wonderful to have a loving family, but all people deserve this. People who only get to have it after — even as the result of — incalculable loss aren’t lucky. Often though, adoptive parents will tell you that they feel lucky to have their beloved children.

7. Adoption costs a lot of money and only rich people can afford it.

Some adoptions are more expensive than others, but some are virtually free. (In the original spirit of Adoption from Foster Care Awareness Month, I will mention here, that many state adoptions are free and/or come with financial subsidies to assist adoptive families.) There are a number of factors involved including what kind of professionals are involved (social workers aren’t in it for the money but they do have to get paid something), whether travel is required and how much of it, whether an employer gives adoption benefits and many more. Don’t assume an adopted baby is a “luxury.”

8. There is a high level of risk that once adopted, a child will be given back to/taken back by biological family members.

Cases in which children are moved after they have been living with “adoptive” parents for many months — even years — get so much publicity they can scare people into doing as closed an adoption as possible to defend against this outcome. But the fact is that adoptions are almost never overturned, once final. The hugely publicized cases are not only a minute percentage of adoptions, they are usually — nearly always, in fact — cases of would-be adoptions that are not yet final because of issues the adoptive parents have been aware of since the placement of the child. In other words, there was always a risk and the prospective parents took it willingly.

It’s also important to note that the courts in the United States favor adoptive families so strongly that when a child is removed from a prospective adoptive home, it can almost always be assumed that the reasons were excellent and much more than fair.

9. Birth mothers are saintly for placing their children in adoption. OR Birth mothers are demons for getting pregnant unintentionally/being “unfit”/not loving their children enough to raise them.

Birth mothers are women who have experienced a crisis pregnancy and dealt with it as best they can under their particular circumstances. Nothing else can really be assumed about them. Birth mothers and adoptive mothers are not in competition. Both are important to adopted people and both love their children as often as the general population of mothers love their children, that is, nearly 100% of the time. Birth mothers are severely judged in U.S. society. Doubt it? If you are not a party to an adoption, think about the birth mothers you know. If you’re having trouble coming up with a birth mother you know, that’s largely because most birth mothers are not hasty to share their adoption placement story. Some never tell a soul for the rest of their lives. Try to remember, the next time you’re talking about adoption, that the woman you’re talking to might in fact, be a birth mother. It’s time to make it safe for these mothers to “come out.”

10. Adoption is the opposite of abortion. As long as we have one, we don’t need the other.

Adoption is one option in a society with reproductive freedom. Adoption requires motherhood of a woman — both throughout a pregnancy and delivery and throughout the rest of her life — even if she never sees her child again after birth. For a woman in a crisis pregnancy who doesn’t want to be a mother, abortion is an important option. For a woman who doesn’t personally feel comfortable with abortion, but neither feels ready or able to raise a child, adoption is an important option.

These misconceptions are so popular, I think, because most media representations of adoption draw on them heavily. Racism, classism, xenophobia and national pride all contribute to simplistic understandings of adoption as well. I am an adoptive mother myself, and I have heard all of these many times in many places. I don’t mind clearing them up in a friendly conversation, as long as my children’s privacy isn’t being invaded. Most people who are not personally involved in adoption have little reason to learn the facts. But as adoption becomes more and more open in the United States, and transracial and transnational adoptions make adoptive families more and more visible, it will be helpful if everyone can learn a little bit more about those facts.

"All that you have is your soul." Tracy Chapman

Surviving the Future - Doc Zone | CBC-TV

2010-10-22T00:22:00.000-07:00

Surviving the Future - Doc Zone CBC-TV

Future Earth 2025 - The Passionate Eye | CBC News Network

2010-10-22T00:13:00.000-07:00

Future Earth 2025 - The Passionate Eye CBC News Network

My Happy Feet: Halloween 2010

2010-10-19T22:46:00.013-07:00

I am so proud of my little son for wanting to be Happy Feet this Halloween!
Most kids his age wants to be Spider Man, Batman or Sponge Bob for Halloween...
But he wanted to be sweet and wonderful Happy Feet! It was hard to find a Happy Feet costume, but luckily Gymboree had one and he was pleased. Although for some his costume may look more like the guru character Lovelace, he believes he is Happy Feet and that is all that matters!

Most of you know may already know the story of Happy Feet, a computer-animated family musical film, directed by George Miller by Warner Bros., released in 2006.
The story is pretty interesting, it also has great music, great voices and a great moral background.

In my opinion, it is more than just a children's movie because it teaches children about penguins lives in the harsh environment of the cold Antarctica, it teaches about ecosystem and endangered species, it shows the direct effects human overfishing is causing to the marine life. Also teaches empathy and that it is OK to be different. That is important to be proud and to believe in yourself. Happy Feet is a baby penguin who learns important lessons about believing in yourself and as he mature he explores new lands, makes new friends and win back the affection of his friends, and also makes a big difference in the World.

In the film, every penguin sings an unique son called a 'heart song', but Happy Feet has a talent that no other penguin has ever seen before: tap dancing!
That's right, tap dancing! Although as a result he is discriminated and ostracized.
He was misunderstood, forced to change and conform to the crowd but fought for his ideals and beliefs.

Happy Feet in the end changes the entire World of humans and penguins, a research team is interested in the penguin dance. They bring footage to the Human World and a Worldwide debate has arise. The World governments realize they are overfishing the Antarctica waters and conclude that the penguins are trying to communicate that to them. Antarctic fishing is banned and the fish population is recovered, helping all marine life to survive and to thrive, specially the Emperor Penguin.

Halloween Window Mural 2010: Winnie the Witch

2010-10-19T22:38:00.008-07:00

Oi gente! Happy Halloween para todos! Esta data especial para toda criançada está chegando e a gente aqui em casa anda a mil preparando a casa. Meu pequeno L tem me ajudado um bocado: decorou o seu pumpkin, colou insetos e baratas na porta da entrada, ajudou a colar aranhas nos vidros da janela dos fundos e outros decalques pela casa. Já está todo animado com a sua fantasia de Happy Feet (Penguim) e me ajudou a pintar a nossa janela da frente com a personagem do livro favorito dele: Winnie the Witch!
Levou exatamente três dias para terminar... Que sufoco! Ela é uma personagem com muitos detalhes. Mas para pintar janelas de vidro determino mesmo três dias, pois primeiro preciso traçar os detalhes em preto. Depois deixar secar pelo menos umas 12 horas. Depois pintar a primeira base, as cores ficam meio apagadas, e deixar secar novamente por umas 12 horas. E no último dia repassar as cores e terminar os detalhes, e então novamente deixar secar.
Fico esperando que outros amigos me peçam para fazer desenhos nas janelas deles, mas até agora ninguém me pediu... assim continuo a pintar na nossa janela de casa.
Minha família AMA! Que já virou tradição, no Halloween e no Natal!

Our contribuition

2010-10-18T21:29:00.014-07:00

Ok. Now you may ask me, so what is your contribution to reduce the consumption of Earth's resource and ecosystem degradation? Specially living in one of the most consumerists countries in the World. Canada seems to be high in resource consumption, land use, productivity and waste. Canada is pretty close to the USA according to the Living Planet Index report!

There are simple actions I believe each of us can take to reduce the gap between Ecological Footprint and biocapacity. The following are the things our family is doing to help (and we are happy to do them, it is not a burden in our life-style):

We recycle (magazines, junk mail, cardboard, milk containers, juice boxes, drawing papers, cereal boxes, etc.);
We ONLY use rechargeable batteries
Support our Green Party and Green politicians;
We turn off our computers at night and when not on use;
We don't smoke, and we don't like smoking;
We donate old clothes and other items and never throw them away unnecessarily (unless broken or when a hazard);
We read a lot about environmental issues and share the information with friends, family and others (like this blog!);
We use mostly All-Natural, Plant-based, Biodegradable cleaning products;
We are a ONE car family (actually ours is on the top 30 green cars), a small car, reducing air pollution and saving on fuel;
I carry a mug for coffee/tea and drinks I buy to go;
We turn off all the lights that are not necessary around the house (My son is big into that one too! Often reminding us to do so);
I store most of our food in reusable containers instead of aluminum foil;
We COMPOST and we use our compost in our vegetable garden;
We turn off the water when brushing our teeth;
We support local farmers and local business owners;
We read news online rather then the newspaper;
We only wash our laundry when we have a full load to do, and we own a Energy Saver frontloader;
We only run our dishwasher when it is pretty full;
We NEVER eat at MacDonalds;
We are against hunting for sport;
We don't litter;
I let my hair dry naturally;
Most of our fruits and vegetables are organically grown;
We don't watch TV;
We go to our local public library

So, there you go, those are the few things our family do daily to support the environment, and we are constantly looking for other options and alternatives to help a bit our planet.

Above all, we accept that small changes can make a BIG difference. And here we encourage others in their effort to make those changes. I have my son as my biggest reason to do whatever is possible to create a clean and prosperous World for him and all the next generation...

Sadly, reading the report's results the impact of environmental degradation seems to be greater in the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. Reduce access to clean water, proper food, fuel and goods, these people cannot break out the poverty trap they find themselves in and cannot prosper.

People need to be aware that right now, it is a reality that renewable resources are being harvested faster than they can be generated, more wood is being taken from forests each year than it can re-grow, and more fish are being harvest than are replenished every year depleting the resources faster than imagined.

The problem is being ignored because people are just ignoring the problem by moving to a new fishing area or another forest, clearing new land for farming, or targetting a different population.

What is the biggest effects? Easy answer: increase concentration of CO2 in the air, trap in the atmosphere, leading to increase global temperatures and affecting climate changes, and ocean acidification, etc.

Ecological Footprint Index

2010-10-18T20:47:00.003-07:00

Living in harmony with nature from WWF on Vimeo.

The ecological footprint index is a measure of human deman on the Earth's ecosystems. It compares human deman with planet Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate.

It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area needed to regenerate the resources a human population consumes and to absorb and render harmless the corresponding waste.

Using this assessment, it is possible to estimate how much of the Earth it would take to support humanity if everybody lived a given lifestyle.

While the term ecological footprint is widely used, methods of measurement vay. However, calculation standards are now emerging to make results more comparable and consistent.

Living Footprint Index

2010-10-18T20:01:00.005-07:00

Human well-being is directly connected to the way we treat our planet's natural resources. Deforestation, pollution, extinction, loss of biodiversity directly impact quality of living. Destroying nature makes life harder for all of us and even more for those who are already vulnerable.

Not Another Nature Film from WWF on Vimeo.

The Global Footprint Network promotes the science of sustainability by advancing the Ecological Footprint, a resource accounting tool that makes sustainability measurable.
It works to further improve and implement this science by coordinating research, developing methodological standards, and providing decision-makers with robust resource accounts to help the human economy operate within the Earth's ecological limits.

a-ha - Foot Of The Mountain

2010-09-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

Why One Day for Peace? Lives ARE being saved

2010-09-21T22:37:00.002-07:00

From the PeaceOneDay.org website:
To some it’s just a single day... But to us, 21 September is a 24 hour-long platform for life-saving activities around the world and an opportunity for individuals - particularly young people - to become involved in the peace process. 21 September is the UN International Day of Peace, a day of global ceasefire and non-violence: Peace Day.
In 2009, millions of people were active on Peace Day, in all 192 UN member states. There were life-saving activities focused on Peace Day in 18 countries. In Afghanistan Peace One Day spearheaded a campaign, which over three consecutive years (2007/8/9) has resulted in the immunisation against polio of over 4 million children as a result of Peace Day agreements by all parties.
On Peace Day 2008 in Afghanistan the United Nations Department for Safety and Security, which monitors security related incidents, recorded a 70 per cent reduction in violent incidents on the day itself. Why one day matters?
The short films above are testimonials from leading figures and supporters of Peace One Day on the importance of Peace Day, 21 September, and why people from all four corners of the globe must commit to taking action on the day. Watch them and then use the site to commit to taking action on Peace Day yourself.

☮Happy World Peace Day - September 21st, 2010 ☮

2010-09-20T22:14:00.020-07:00

９月２１日は世界平和の日です。今回、私はお久しぶりに日本語で書きます。いつも英文かポルトガル語で書きましたが、今日の平和の日に日本語で書く事にしました。実は、非暴力というのは私の信仰の第一条です。この前の８月４日、広島の平和記念日公園で原爆死没者の霊を慰め、世界の恒久平和を祈念するために人多数参加のしまいました。

その時の事を忘れられない用に今回は日本語で書きたいと思います。今日は世界平和の日ですよ。どうして、今までも人は殺しあうんだろうか。戦争や紛争や暴力はこの世から無くなられないのかな。

一人のイギリス人の俳優、ジェレミー・ギレイ（Jeremy）は一つのドキュメンタリーをしました。映像の力を知っていた彼は、映像を使って平和に関するドキュメンタリーを制作しようとしていた。彼は平和の日を作る事を決意しました。

国際連本部は世界中の若者から平和のお話や平和のテーマの文章を探しています。国際連本部はその問題の決定案をまだ検索中だ。その答えは、未来の若者達が持っています。

私も、世界平和は実現出来るために、こんなメッセージを多くの人々に伝えて欲しいです。

Minha receita de Kabob ou Espetinho estilo Asiático

2010-09-19T22:11:00.019-07:00

Eu adoro fazer kabobs (espetinho grelhado no churrasco). A história mais conhecida é a de que a palavra kebob tem origem turca e significava ‘carne frita’. Somente em um segundo momento ganhou a tradição de ser um grelhado, onde era consumido por soldados em campanha durante o império turco-otomano. Encontrado desde o Norte da África, passando pelo Oriente Médio até a Índia, com nomes árabes, turcos, persa ou indianos, seu formato também varia. O kebob pode ser uma carne, peixe, fruto do mar, legume ou fruta. Assado, chapeado, salteado, cozido de panela, grelhado (em uma grelha a carvão, em um forno tandoor à moda indiana, entre outras possibilidades), ou preparado em espeto giratório elétrico ou a gás. Também pode ser servido em forma de filé (típico no Irã), de espetinho, ou em tiras de carne. Eles são divertidos, coloridos, e deliciosos quando bem feitos. Eu tenho uma receita que gostaria de dividir que sempre faz sucesso na mesa, entre familiares e amigos. É uma receita do tipo asiática. Meu filho adora comer e ele não é lá muito de comer carne. Bom, ele prefere pescado e até tofe, mas de jeito nenhum come galinha. Mas carne bem feita, ele gosta. Bom, voltando ao assunto do kebob, eu vou aqui deixar a minha receitinha de kebob, e espero que um dia você tente fazer em casa e receba muitos elogios!

Ingredientes:
- 1 xícara de chá de molho shoyu (molho de soja para culinária)
- 3 colheres de molho teriyaki
- 3 colheres cheias de mel
- 1 1/2 colher de alho em pó (pode ser 1 dente de alho bem amassado)
- 2 colheres de gengibre bem ralada
- 3/4 copo de azeite de oliva ou óleo de soja (mais ou menos 10ml)
- 1 talo de cebolinha bem picada
- 1kg de fillet mingon (carne) cortadas em cubos (mais ou menos 3cm de largura e 1cm de espessura)
- 1 lata de abacaxi em conserva
- 4 pimentões coloridos (eu gosto de usar um de cada cor, o amarelo, vermelho, verde e laranja)
- 2 cebolas vermelhas
- sal e pimenta a gosto
- espetos de metal ou de bambu (deixar os espetos de bambu de molho em água por algumas horas antes de usar)

Modo de preparo da marinada:
Em uma tigela funda misturar bem os seis primeiros ingredientes (o molho shoyu, o molho teriyaki, o mel, o alho, a gengibre e o óleo). Colocar a carne cortada no molho dentro de um recipiente com tampa. Deixar no refrigerador no mínimo umas duas horas, muitas vezes fica gostoso se deixar por umas 12 horas (fazer antes de dormir e usar para o almoço).
Corte o pimentão em tiras quadradas, corte o abacaxi em conserva em pedaços de 1cm cada, e cortar a cebola em quadrados também. Tire a carne da geladeira e tire um pouco do molho. Misture a cebolinha picada com a carne.
Arrumar carne no espetinho, alternando com o pimentão colorido, o abacaxi e a cebola. Depois de prontos tempere por cima com sal e pimento à vontade.
Grelhe os espetos na churrasqueira a carvão. Acho que mais ou menos uns 20 minutos, mas ficar de olho para não deixar queimar! Se preferir use churrasqueira elétrica, ou asse os espetos em forno pré-aquecido, por 20 minutos ou até dourar, virando-os quando for necessário. Sirva a seguir, acompanhado de arroz.

Bom, espero que gostem!

Calgary Art Walk Fetival

2010-09-18T19:26:00.023-07:00

My girlfriend F & sweet little L invited me and my son L to go to her mother-in-law (grandmother) Art Exhibition today in an art gallery located in Inglewood. I soon realized it was part of the Calgary Art Walk Festival happening this weekend (September 18 - 19th 2010) around various galleries throughout the city. Downtown, Inglewood and the Beltine art galleries put out their finest and most interesting arts for this fun and enjoyable art venue.
The Art Gallery is called ArtPoint Gallery & Studio Society and is located at 1139 - 11 Street SE in the Calgary's oldest neighbourhood of Inglewood. One of my favorite neighbourhoods in Calgary. This place reminds me a lot of my past neighbourhood when I lived in Edmonton, the White Avenue. But in my opinion, homey and smaller! Many art galleries and little antique stores. White Avenue is getting to commercial and trendy, little small family coffee shops being replaced by mega famous Starbucks and Second Cups, and little bookstores not able to compete with Chapters, etc. I think Inglewood still keeps this feeling of simplicity and warmth of small stores. When you enter this old dusty bookstore, or find an old gentleman sitting behind the counter of an antique store, or little restaurants with live music, etc. I really like that heterogeneous, historical and deep feeling.

Inglewood is the home of the famous Spolumbo restaurant too. Do you know about the Spolumbo sausages? Personally I think they are lean, tasty and delicious. Perhaps I should dedicate a whole blog story about them, because in fact they are so good that they deserve a special mention. Their story is quite interesting too. Nowadays you can find them literally everywhere: Safeway, SaveOnFoods, Sobeys, etc. and they cater to business around the city. My company use them in their meetings and I often get to savour them at our lunch and learns.
Inglewood is located immediately across the Elbow River from Fort Calgary and was established in 1875 after the fort was built. These days, the neighbourhood is a shopping and art district and home to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary (previously mentioned in my other blog story).

ArtPoint Gallery has an eclectic group with about 25 artists showing art in all sorts of different medias. ARTPOINT is open Thursday & Friday from 1 to 5 pm, and Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm. My friend's mother-in-law name is Charlene Turner Kroeger and her exhibition was called Myths & Stories, an artist who loves to paint portraits and people.

Thank you my dear friend F! We had a great time there today! My son L chase your little L all over the gallery, but he had fun specially at the waving and spuning gallery area. Wanted to see more, but we had other plans for the day and we're running out of time. But it was a fun thing to do! I LOVE art galleries...

We also made sometime to pop into the Calgary Moms Trade Fair this afternoon.

The Sundial Way of Living: Carpe Diem

2010-09-14T20:59:00.019-07:00

Today I would like to talk to you about the Sundial Way of Living Concept. But what exactly is the Sundial Way of Life? As you know the sundial is a device that measures time by the postion of the Sun. And as the sun moves across the sky the shadow-edge progresses aligning to different hour-lines in the plate. By tradition sundials have a motto. The motto is in a form of a epigram (witty poem): Sometimes sombre reflections on the passing of time and the brevity of life, shows transience of the world. 'Do not kill time, or count only sunny times...'

A more detailed information regarding the Sundial Way of Life can actually be found in a book called Seimei no Jisso (Truth of Life), Vol. 7 by Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi. Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi founded a non-denominational institution called Seicho-No-Ie in 1930 in Japan. I grew up being part of Seicho-No-Ie thanks to my Dad. It is part of me since childhood and now as an adult and having my own family I've been trying to practice and understand its teachings. And more I am finding it to fits well my life and my beliefs.

One can learn and practice the Seicho-no-Ie philosophy through simple actions, such as positive thinking, spreading kindness, and being joyful. As you begin practicing the Truth, you will begin to understand Truth in its entirety. "Seicho-No-Ie" literally means "the Home of Infinite Life and Growth.

Simply the Sundial Way of Living say that we should see only the bright side of people, things and circumstances. To reinforce it in our life, one of good ideas is to write the diary recording only good parts of our lives (I guess that's where this blog comes handy). Upon starting the diary, you will find good results lining up on your way. Because we try to recall what good things happened at the end of each day, write it and appreciate it by writing the Sundial Diary. I found this cute example online. I think you may find quite interesting!

We use the power of words by thinking good, and expressing with words (praising, thanking, etc...) and facial expression (smile, etc...), over time. This will enhance the power of goodness on you and others around you. Caution: it can be contagious! What we think will manifest into the world. This is obviously going to result into more good things inyour life, we would attract more good things into the lives of people around us. Lets try to put this wonderful idea into action...

Come along and grow old with me; the best is yet to be.
Let others tell of storms and showers; I mark only the sunny hours.
Be as true to each other as this dial is to the sun...

Vulnerable Children Society - FAYA Orphanage Support

2010-09-11T19:22:00.006-07:00

Here I would like to introduce you the new FAYA Orphanage website and supporter: Vulnerable Children Society. Vulnerable Children Society is a non-profit organization created by a committed team of Canadians volunteers and long-time Faya Orphanage supporters.

Their partner organization in Ethiopia manages an orphanage for HIV children. They are also helping to expand a community program which provides care to children and families affected by AIDS/HIV in Ethiopia. Our family are life-time sponsors and we would like to spread the word to our family/friends and blog friends out there!

It takes so little from us to make a child happy... There are many ways you can help. Money is the easy way to help because it can go directly to Ethiopia. When shopping locally you can indirectly help the country and small family business, so it is also good for their economy. But there are other ways you can help. If you can donate items (see the website for the most update list of items in need), there are people going to Ethiopia every year, and they can deliver these items as well.

This organization is not religion affiliated. Hope you can give these people a hand and your heart.

Casamento e os anos...

2010-09-06T22:54:00.010-07:00

No dia 4 de setembro nós fomos a um casamento de uma amiga querida. Parabéns L & C! Estava tudo maravilhoso! Aos recém casados desejamos toda a felicidade do mundo! Mas já fazia anos que nós não íamos a um casamento... Pois maioria de nossos amigos já estão casados há muitos anos, alguns com crianças pequenas outros já grandes, alguns divorciados, e os que são solteiros acho que estão por escolha. Assim que foi tudo um evento emocionante, e aqui gostaria de compartilhar meus pensamentos... Acho que é natural que durante um casamento acabe-se pensando no própio casamento, na cerimônia, com todas as emoções durante aquele momento acho que a comparação é mesmo inevitável. Não digo comparação material, como a escolha do vestido, do terno, das flores ou da decoração. A comparação que eu digo é sentimental, de todas as emoções envolvidas naquela hora única e tão especial. Os votos dados, os sorrisos, a alegria estampada, o nervosismo não só dos noivos mas de toda a família envolvida. Foi uma doçura ver a alegria singela, toda aquela expectativa e o nervosismo estampado no rosto dos noivos. Também a perspectiva, o desejo e a esperança nova, pura e pronta para ser explorada. A gente acaba revivendo cada segundo do própio casamento, cada instante vivido que parece estar no passado, empoeirado na memória e um pouco esquecido pelo constante agito do dia-a-dia. Durante a cerimônia religiosa foi inevitável a troca de olhares entre eu e o meu marido, e um sorriso maroto trocado junto com um firme aperto nas mãos com os dedos já entrelaçados. O segredo no fundo, é sempre renovar o casamento. Isso exige alguns cuidados e preocupações que são esquecidos no dia-a-dia do casal. De tempos em tempos, é preciso renovar a relação. De tempos em tempos, é preciso voltar a namorar, voltar a cortejar, seduzir e ser seduzido. Aqui gostaria de dedicar esta mensagme ao casamento. Mesmo que ás vezes com brigas e arranca-rabos , de vez em quando é necessário casar-se de novo...

Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen!

2010-09-06T19:25:00.001-07:00

Just love this video!

Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen!
By Mary Schmich (Chicago Tribune) - Baz Luhrmann

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97 Wear Sunscreen!

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, "sunscreen" would be it.
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice NOW!
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind.
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.
But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future.
Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind,
The kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss
Don't waste your time on jealousy.
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives.
Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll divorce at 40.
Maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can.
Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance
Even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings.
They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in "New York City" once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in "Northern California" once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old.
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund.
Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse.
But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia.
Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.

Birthday Celebration at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

2010-09-01T21:56:00.003-07:00

Um belo dia de sol, uma brisa suave e muita energia para passar o dia de aniversário no Inglewood Bird Sanctuary com a família: O melhor presente de aniversário do mundo!!! Esta reserva verde de 36 hectares fica bem perto do centro da cidade de Calgary. E oferece mais de dois kilômetros de trilha para caminhada leve ao redor de uma linda e tranquila lagoa, e cerca de um kilômetro de trilha natural perto do rio Bow. A estação da primavera e verão são as melhores épocas para apreciar a variedade de pássaros que o parque oferece, mas com olhos afiados você pode ver muitos animais durante o ano inteiro. A entrada é franca, mas o parque aceita doações para a manutenção e promover educação sobre a fauna e a flora. Sempre procuramos deixar pelo menos uns 5 dólares na caixinha! As trilhas têm acesso o ano inteiro. Visite também o pequeno Nature Centre com informações sobre as espécies de pássaros encontrados no parque com datas de aparecimento e o número de pássaros logados pelos visitantes e apreciadores. No parque foram catalogados mais de 270 espécies de pássaros, 21 espécies de mamíferos, 2 espécies de anfíbios, 2 espécies de répteis, 7 espécies de peixes, 27 espécies de borboletas e mais de 347 espécies de plantas. Vale a pena uma visita!

Article: The Japan's Baby Hatch - A view on International Adoption

2010-09-01T21:39:00.007-07:00

TOKYO (Reuters) - When a newborn baby girl was left in Japan's controversial "baby hatch" last week, the child's life may have been saved, but her chances of finding new parents were slim due to a cultural aversion to adoption in Japan.
The baby is one of four tots -- one of them three-years-old -- so far left at the "stork's cradle" baby hatch at the Catholic-run Jikei Hospital in Kumamoto, southern Japan.

A small door in the outside wall of the hospital opens to reveal a tiny bed inside, allowing parents to leave their child safely and anonymously. Once they do, an alarm goes off to alert hospital staff to the new arrival.
Similar facilities exist in Germany, where babies are offered for adoption after an eight week period during which birth parents can change their minds.
But the many vocal critics of the first "baby hatch" in Japan are afraid it may encourage parents to opt out of their responsibilities. And legal barriers and prejudice against adoption in Japan may mean that children abandoned in the "baby hatch" will be raised in institutions rather than by adopted parents.

"There is a feeling that it is somehow natural for children who can't live with their parents to be in an institution," said Masaki Takakura, a journalist and author of a book on adoption.
"This is a hangover from the post-war years, when children whose parents had died were rounded up and sent to orphanages."
Local officials will not comment on specific cases, but if Japanese courts do not define the "baby hatch" children as officially "abandoned," they may be left in children's homes for years, theoretically awaiting the return of their birth parents.
The vast majority of the 30,000 children in Japan's children's homes -- which are struggling to cope with increasing numbers of abused youngsters -- will stay put until they are old enough to work.

Research shows growing up in an institution often leads to disadvantages in emotional development as well as education and employment, which is why many say attitudes towards adoption need to be changed in Japan.
"I used to have a very negative image of adoption and I think a lot of other people do too," explained 38-year-old housewife Tomoyo Suzuki, adding that her thinking changed after she went to a seminar about it. She and her husband went on to adopt two babies now aged three and one.
"I think a lot of people are concerned about blood ties."
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe -- who criticized the "baby hatch" for encouraging parents to opt out of their responsibilities -- and his wife, Akie, themselves rejected the idea of adopting.

CONFUCIAN ROOTS
Last year, Akie went public with her fertility problems and said her husband had suggested they adopt.
"I could not accept this and was not confident about bringing up an adoptee properly, so it did not happen," she told a Japanese magazine.
Those who do adopt often move house immediately afterwards to cover up their child's origins, said Kazuko Yokota of Motherly Network, a volunteer group that supports women coping with unexpected pregnancies and arranges adoptions.
Attitudes are shaped by everything from Confucian teachings to a detailed household registry system that can dog unwed mothers for their entire lives, even if they give their child up for adoption.

Confucianism, which spread to Japan from China and Korea more than a thousand years ago, emphasizes the importance of a child's relationship with its birth parents and reverence for ancestry.
"Children in need of adoption have been stigmatized by notions of pure and impure or good and bad blood," Peter Hayes of Britain's Sunderland University and Toshie Habu wrote in their book "Adoption in Japan."

EXTENDED FAMILY
For much of Japan's history, adoption has therefore remained within the extended family, with childless couples often taking in a nephew or other relative to carry on their family name or business, rather than because the child was in need of care.
"Special adoption," of needy non-relatives was not introduced until 1989 and only a few hundred cases are approved each year, compared with three to four thousand in the United Kingdom, which has around half Japan's population.

The difference lies not only in the shortage of willing parents, but also the small number of available babies, many say.
When women give birth they must enter the child's name on their family register, a powerful incentive for single women to end a pregnancy or even abandon a newborn rather than risk its being discovered by a potential employer or future husband.
"We have campaigned at least for minors to be able to leave this information off their registers, but we have been told it won't happen," said Yokota of Motherly Network.

Children's homes, which are subsidized by the government according to the number of children in their care, are partly to blame because they are reluctant to recommend candidates for adoption, says sociologist Roger Goodman of Oxford University.
"We need to spread the message that adoption is an important tool for helping children. How do we do this, given that there is no background of Christian values here?" said author Takakura.

Shocked by the fact that some adoption agencies charge huge fees to introduce Japanese babies to adoptive families abroad, he is working with sympathetic members of parliament to try to pass a law encouraging more Japanese to take in unwanted children.

Calgary Zoo's newest addition: The ENMAX Conservatory Butterfly Exihibit

2010-08-24T22:58:00.006-07:00

Another one of our family's favorite spot in the city is the Calgary Zoo's newest addition: the ENMAX conservatory's indoor butterfly's botanical green house. Hundreds of colorful and beautiful butterflies fly around the glass dome surrounded by flowers and plants. Visitors are welcome to see and take pictures. Touching the tiny wonders are not recommended, as their are fragile little creatures. It is all part of the butterfly conservation initiative. If you are lucky enough to see a zoo keeper there, take the initiative to ask lots of questions. They are quite knowledgeable about butterfly biology, butterflies in your area, butterfly gardening and much more. Butterflies capture our eyes, heart and imagination for so many reasons. Their beauty, unique life patterns, migrations, and adaptations inspire people worldwide. The Calgary Zoo encourages visitors to learn as much as possible by visiting its butterfly garden. I recommend trying to plant a butterfly-friendly garden/habitat, reading more about these marvellous insects and get involved!

We went there with sweet little L and his mommy F. F is a super good friend and her baby son is so much joy! Thank F for your company and friendship always!

A fun place to visit: Calgary Science Centre

2010-08-08T22:12:00.005-07:00

Leleo pediu, pediu e pediu para ir no Calgary Science Centre no final de semana passado. Ele queria ir ver a exibição do Body World's & The Brain. Mas a gente achou que poderia seria um pouco pesado para ele. Assim Kerry foi primeiro para ver como era, e ver se o Leleo iria gostar. Bom, enquanto isso Leleo e eu fomos para a exibição geral do Calgary Science Centre chamada de Creative Kids Museum e nos divertimos à beça! Aí eles tinham uma bela exposição de LEGO chamada Wheels, Wings and Waves que estava muito legal, mostrando o histório dos meios de transporte em diferentes épocas e etapas. Tinha uma réplica do Titanic feita todinha de peças de LEGO. E o meu favorito era um carrinho de F1 tamanho quase original toda de LEGO também. Muito bem feita, e melhor, o patrocinador é a minha firma, a Stantec! Estou orgulhosa por eles estarem suportando um trabalho tão bonito. Bom, sobre o Body World... achamos que estava um pouco cedo para o Leleo ver, claro que a exposição era interessante, mostrando o corpo humano de uma forma única e clara, mas Kerry achou que seria um pouco aborrecido pois era repetitivo e não era interativo, com muita leitura detalhada, talvez mais interessante para uma criança no Grade 3 e acima.

Hiroshima Marks 65th Anniversary

2010-08-06T20:17:00.003-07:00

Paper lanterns float in the Motoyasu River in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 2010, to mark the 65th anniversary of the World War II atomic bombing. Representatives from more than 70 nations, including for the first time the United States, joined tens of thousands at the emotional event.

2010 Vegetable Garden

2010-08-01T22:57:00.004-07:00

Aqui algumas fotos do meu cantinho favorito depois de um longo dia de trabalho, ou um dia bem cansativo. O meu cantinho de aconchego é mesmo o meu pequeno jardim... Deito na rede com o Leandro, e fico apreciando o verde... Este ano plantei ervilhas, alface, cenoura e pepinos. Mas percebi que o que cresceu foi muito mais do que o que tinha plantado. Conclusão: Algumas sementes do ano passado resolveram germinar este ano!! Não germinaram no ano passado e ficaram dormentes no inverno e resolveram então aparecer este ano. Agora meu vegetable garden está cheio também de feijão e algumas ervas. Mas está bem cheio e me dá gosto ver tudo crescendo e enchendo cada canto da caixa que eu mesma montei no ano passado. Sem ajuda de meu marido é claro! Fui eu mesma na loja de hardware, cortei a madeira na medida certa e martelei cada canto e cada detalhe da minha caixinha. Poderia ter ficado um pouco mais alto, pensei quando queria ter plantado milho este ano. Mas estou satisfeita com o resultado. Ah... como eu gosto do verão... que aqui é curto e agente aprende a dar valor ao verde, as flores e as árvores.

Nossos berries

2010-08-01T22:32:00.005-07:00

Os frutos plantados no ano passado este ano estão sendo colhidos! Nossas plantinhas estão mais bonitas este ano, e estão com frutinhas saborosas. Orgânicas, frescas e no nosso própio quintal. Meu maior motivo de orgulho são os meus pézinhos de blueberries, em Português é conhecido como mirtilo. Lá no Rio de Janeiro uma caixinha de nada é super caro, aqui existe abundância. É uma super frutinha. Rica em atioxidantes, reduz o colesterol e é super nutritiva. Também tem propriedades anti-sépticas, anti-diarréica e anti-hemorrágica.

Você que agora mora no Canadá e tem um espaço no quintal, plante um pézinho de blueberry, vai valer a pena! Ele cresce todo ano, você poda ele depois do finalzinho do outono para que cresça forte e seguro na primavera. Existem várias espécies diferentes de blueberries, verifique na casa de plantas locais de sua cidade.

Como se livrar do óleo de cozinha (bom artigo!)

2010-08-01T20:06:00.004-07:00

Nos tempos atuais se discute com grande preocupação formas de diminuir o impacto da ação humana no meio ambiente e como adotar medidas simples, que possam ser realizadas na própria casa, alcançando resultados satisfatórios.

Uma das formas de contribuir para a conservação do planeta é separar resíduos de alimentos e descartar adequadamente o óleo de cozinha, grande vilão poluidor.

De acordo com a Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo, um litro é capaz de poluir um milhão de litros de água. Para Franz Souza, diretor de planejamento da Mariano e Souza Ambiental, empresa que realiza tratamento dos efluentes e outros poluentes gerados por diversas instituições, "o óleo e a gordura utilizados em frituras não se misturam com a água, pois são insolúveis. Se o mesmo for despejado na pia ou descartado inadequadamente, os riscos ao meio ambiente são enormes, podendo causar entupimento das tubulações da própria residência ou mesmo das galerias e redes de esgotos".

Despejo

O problema ambiental é ainda maior quando o óleo de fritura chega aos rios, córregos e lagoas, pois, segundo o especialista, "com a formação de uma camada sobre a água, serão aglomerados entulhos e lixos dos mais variados tipos, o que dificultará a passagem da luz, evitando a oxigenação e evaporação da água. Causando imediatamente a morte de qualquer tipo de vida aquática".

Em caso de despejo diretamente no solo, a impermeabilização da terra pode dificultar a infiltração da água de chuva, causando enchentes.

Veja abaixo uma lista de como fazer o descarte correto do óleo de cozinha:

1- Em hipótese alguma, despeje o mesmo na pia, ou, mesmo, nos esgotos de sua rua ou avenida;

2 - Realize o tratamento de sua caixa de gordura eventualmente. Isso irá contribuir para que os dejetos gerados por sua residência ou comércio chegue da forma correta ao esgoto;

4 - Espere o óleo esfriar, coloque-o em garrafas PET e envie-o a uma instituição que faça a coleta do produto.

Butterfield Acres Visit

2010-07-25T19:56:00.004-07:00

We had the pleasure to receive in our house this weekend an old friend and her beautiful family. It's always so nice to spend time with them and now with that we are both parents the visits are getting more and more interesting and fun! They arrived on Friday and I decided to surprise them with a Ethiopian feast from a restaurant in Calgary with the best reviews in Ethiopian food: Fasil's Ethiopian Restaurant located at 3608 - 17 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB. On Saturday we headed to Butterfield Acres Petting Zoo and the children had a lot of fun feeding and petting the animals. The pony ride was a hit among the kids!

Article: TV-watching guidelines

2010-07-25T19:34:00.005-07:00

In our modern lives where TV is a basic part of people's daily lives it can be difficult to analyze the long term effects of such commonality. I found this article from Baby Center worth sharing with you today. It actually puts in words our feelings as a family on the TV subject and also helps us to realize we are doing OK. TV is not entirely off our lives, as we don't have cable but basic anthena channels with good national content. But we watch a lot of selected interesting DVD programs together as a family.

The best way to approach television is to think of it as refined sugar: You want your kids to enjoy the seductive stuff without consuming it to excess. So you'll need to stay on top of the time your child spends in front of the television. The average American child watches three to four hours a day, despite the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that kids 2 and older watch no more than one to two hours daily. The AAP recommends that kids under 2 watch no television at all.

Starting out tough from day one is the key to keeping viewing time under control. It's a lot easier to relax your standards later on than it is to wean a 5-year-old from a three-times-a-day Barney habit. Here are some tips on how to monitor your child's television viewing:

Monitoring your child's TV Viewing
• Limit the amount of TV your child watches. More than two hours a day is too much. To make it seem to your child that he's watching more — and to keep his little brain from going on autopilot as he watches — break up viewing into ten- to 15-minute increments. You should also keep the television out of your child's bedroom and turned off during mealtimes.

• Avoid setting a firm TV time "allowance" for your child. This seems counter intuitive, but it's surprisingly effective. You may want to let your child come to you when he wants to watch and keep to yourself what the absolute maximum is. That way, you'll avoid tacitly sending the message that there's a certain amount he "should" be watching.

• Make television physically inconvenient. Too often, television is a backdrop to family life: It blares away in the den or great room while the kids are playing, Mom's cooking, or the family is eating. Consider putting the TV in a small, out-of-the-way room in the house (on the second floor, if you have one). Another way to keep the TV from being front and center: Keep it in a cabinet that remains closed when the TV is off.

Choosing what to watch
• Go with calm, quiet programs. Slower-paced viewing gives your child time to think and absorb. Lots of random activity, like the kind in action/adventure cartoons, confuses children. Also, some research suggests that children who watch violence on TV are more likely to display aggressive behavior. Stay away from scary shows, too. Choose simple programs that emphasize interactivity, such as Blue's Clues. Ideal are shows that inspire your child to makes sounds, say words, sing, and dance.

• Watch programs, not television. Rather than allowing your child to sit down and watch whatever is on, use the TV listings to select carefully what he is going to watch. Turn off the set when that program is over.
Your role
Watch TV with your children whenever possible. Try not to use the set as a babysitter. A recent study looked at three groups: children with unlimited access to television, children with moderate access who watched without a parent, and children with moderate access who watched with a parent. The last group scored significantly higher academically than did the other groups. That aside, just being there says to your child, "What you do is important to me."

Help your child become a critical viewer. Even young children can learn to watch television without "tuning out." Explain what's going on in the show and in the commercials (and clarify the difference between the two). Encourage your child to ask questions and relate what's happening in the show to his own life. If you have a DVR, consider recording programs. Then you can watch when you choose, and you can pause to discuss what's going on.

Make yourself a role model. Children are most affected by the example parents set, so don't channel surf or keep the TV on as background noise. If your kids see you eagerly sitting down every so often to watch a specific show and concentrating on what you're seeing, they'll recognize the potential for enjoyment TV actually promises.

Cochrane our favorite hit spot

2010-07-07T21:31:00.003-07:00

Nós gostamos muito de passar os finais de semana em Cochrane. Cochrane é uma cidadezinha vizinha ao Norte de Calgary. A nossa sorte é que moramos bem pertinho de Cochrane, menos de 15 minutos de carro. Muitas pessoas fazem ciclismo até Cochrane, e um dia eu também tenho vontade de realizar esta façanha.

Bom, mas o que Cochrane tem de tão especial? Bom, ainda bem que você me perguntou pois tenho muitas coisas para contar sobre esta aconchegante cidade tão acolhedora. Primeiramente, você precisa parar para almoçar no Schooners On First, o melhor Fish & Chips da área. A comida é caseira, bem do jeito que você encontraria em Nova Scotia (lado Leste do Canadá, chamado The Maritimes). O Boston Clam Chowder deles é delicioso. Depois de tanta comida, você precisa carregar o seu 'water bottle' e dar uma longa caminhada ao longo do Bow River. Uma vista bonita, uma trilha tranquila e fácil para crianças. E é claro, antes do dia terminar você precisa dar uma paradinha especial na loja do sorvete local mais famoso de Calgary: o MacKay's Ice Cream. Eles estão no mercado desde 1948, e os sorvetes são cremosos e são tantos sabores para escolher que você fica perdido! Os recomendados por nós são so Tiger Ice Cream, Chocolate Fudge Chunk e o Butterscotch Ice Cream.

The Marsh

2010-07-07T21:10:00.002-07:00

I called it 'The Marsh'. Medium is KROMA Acrylic. I painted it from a photo given by my instructor during my class. I really like the contrast between the trees in the ground and the reflection in the water. It gave me such a good feeling when it was done. It was probably a picture of somewhere in the mountains of Alberta just after the winter, when the first signs of Spring started to show in the ground and in the sky.

My favorite paints are the KROMA paint colours. Love their texture and consistency. I ONLY use KROMA!

Soccer U4 2010

2010-07-05T22:34:00.001-07:00

Este ano colocamos o Leléo no futebol. O trabalho da equipe técnica é voluntário, e o programa é dirigido pela comunidade. Com tantas crianças no nosso bairro, cada time consta de mais ou menos 10 crianças entre 4 e 5 anos de idade. O time do Leléo era verde-limão e preto, e o nome escolhido foi 'the green machine' (as crianças que escolheram). Ele gostou tanto de jogar que nós estamos seriamente pensando em continuar. Mas estamos procurando. O U4 da comunidade começou e terminou em um piscar de olhos. Começou em meados de maio, mas como fex muito frio e chuva (ás vezes até neve!) o time não jogou quase nada em maio. Depois veio junho e as crianças puderam jogar bastante, mas com alguns cancelamentos devido ao mau tempo. E no final do mês de junho o futebol já acabou! Muito rápido. Parece que como o trabalho é voluntário, muitas famílias não querem se comprometer para realizá-lo durante todo o verão. Pois muitas famílias vão viajar no verão. Mas achamos muito curto o tempo para eles jogarem. Pois quando o Leléo começou a gostar, correr, chutar a bola de verdade o programa terminou. Nós estamos tentando colocar ele no programa U6 do West Soccer Club:

Apple Muffin Family Recipe

2010-07-05T21:57:00.003-07:00

Oi gente, aqui algumas fotos do Leléo me ajudando a fazer a nossa receitinha de apple muffin. Uma receita muito boa, gostosa, de dar água na boca. Geralmente a gente faz uns 12 e não duram nem uma semana. O Leléo sabe fazer direitinho, e como ele é o chefe e eu sou a ajudante, aqui algumas fotos do mestre em ação! Mas como eu gosto de compartilhar coisas boas com as pessoas, vou passar a nossa receita não muito 'secreta' (com um poquinho do meu toque eu variei a receita para que ela se tornasse mais saudável, orgânica e muito mais deliciosa). Aqui segue ela em Inglês:

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups of Bob's Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats

- 1 1/2 cups of boiling water

- 1 cup of organic wheat flour

- 1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour

- 3/4 cup organic unpacked brown sugar

- 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/4 cup of Safeway organic wild flower honey (or clover honey)

- 1/4 cup of unsweetened organic applesauce

- 2 egg whites

- 3 tablespoons of organic butter melted

- 1 1/w cups of peeled, cored, and finely chopped organic apples (I like Gala and Braeburn)

- 1 teaspoon of organic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 325

Pour boiling water over oats in a medium bowl. Stir and set aside for about 20 minutes.

Combine flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, egg whites, butter and vanilla. Add applesauce mixture to oats and stir until smooth. Add ot mixture to flour mixture and stir until dry ingredients are well moistened. Fold in chopped apples.

Spray large muffin tin with non-stick spray. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle each lightly with cinnamon sugar, if desired.

bake for about 25 minutes. remove from pan and let it cool.

Soccer Fifa 2010 Celebration

2010-07-01T23:19:00.008-07:00

Spitz-Cherry

2010-05-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

Practice Makes Perfection: Shading with Charcoal exercises

2010-05-15T19:53:00.001-07:00

I've been going to a new art class called Acrylic Painting - Introductory Clinic. It is a 8 class course with lots of hands on activities and right until now (3rd class), we've been practicing using pencil and charcoal. This course is aimed at beginners but will also provide an interesting and fun review for those experience who wish to refresh and improve upon their skills (like me!). I am truly enjoying this class and hope to get better into shading in the future. I know I need lots of practice! But I wanted to share with you some of my practice drawings in class.
Instructor: Bill Bewick.

How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World

2010-05-15T19:17:00.003-07:00

Though fashions may change, certain things never go out of style- like your favorite little black dress that can take you from a business meeting to a dinner party to a night on the town. But what makes it work is not the dress, it's how you present yourself while wearing it. A woman who is polite, well spoken, gracious, charming, and thoughtful is always welcome- though such women appear to be in short supply these days! Despite the headline- grabbing antics of certain flashy celebutantes, most of us would rather have respect- for ourselves and from our family, friends, and colleagues. Young womens lives today involves boys, trends and full-time jobs, and Christy shows modern ladies how they can be beautiful, intelligent and a whole lot of fun while retaining values and morals. A good recommendation to any young girl (teen and preteen) to know it is important to be classy and respect herself.

Angra dos Reis, Brazil: Brazil mudslide death toll reaches 64

2010-01-12T12:57:00.003-08:00

Angra dos Reis, Brazil: Brazil mudslide death toll reaches 64

Firefighters using heavy machinery, shovels and bare hands dug for survivors Saturday but only found corpses under a mountain of red earth and crushed lodgings — the worst of a spate of mudslides and floods that has killed at least 64 people in southeastern Brazil.

At least 26 people died in the New Year's Day slide that buried an upscale resort on the island of Ilha Grande, including the 18-year-old daughter of the couple who built the waterfront lodge at the foot of a cliffside covered with rain forest.

Authorities said no foreigners were known to be among the dead.

A torrent of mud tore a 1,000-foot scar down the hill, pushing parts of the Pousada Sankay resort and three neighboring houses into the sea shortly after guests had retired to their rooms following New Year's Eve celebrations.

Minutes earlier on the mainland, a torrent of reddish mud cascaded into the Carioca slum in the nearby coastal city of Angra dos Reis, killing at least 13 people and reducing rickety shacks to rubble.

The dual mudslides early on New Year's Day were triggered by 10 inches of rain that had drenched the region since Wednesday.

"We came to celebrate the New Year and then all this sadness happened," Fernanda de Oliveira, a witness to the mudslide on Ilha Grande, told the O Globo newspaper.

Oliveira was staying in a house beside the Pousada Sankay when she heard a rumble in the middle of the night.

"We couldn't see what was happening. It was raining hard and the water was leaking into our house," she told the newspaper. "Suddenly, we saw people in the sea and we went down to rescue them. They were people staying in the Pousada."

Nearly 80 other mudslides have been reported throughout the region in recent days. Together with flooding, they have killed at least 64 people — 39 people on Ilha Grande and Angra dos Reis and an additional 22 people in other parts of Rio de Janeiro state.

Please DONATE: Help victims of mudslide in Brazil

2010-01-12T12:49:00.003-08:00

Please let the victims of the mudslide in the Prefecture of Angra dos Reis, Brazil: http://www.angra.rj.gov.br/asp/index.asp

DECLARE 2010 THE YEAR OF PEACE

2010-01-09T21:52:00.007-08:00

"For centuries, governmental and private organizations have tried to envision how to make peace a reality. Extensive studies have been conducted to identify the conditions for bringing about lasting peace. Many initiatives have been launched to help create conditions where people could live in peace. The charter of the UNESCO says ‘Since wars begins in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defense of peace must be constructed.’

“While everyone agrees on the philosophical truth behind this statement, little progress has been achieved towards making this vision a reality. No one really knows where to start or how to go about it. Prem Rawat speaks of a peace that is more than the absence of war. A peace that institutions cannot bring. A peace that needs to be established by each individual. To establish peace on the outside, he says, peace needs to be established first on the inside."

(In behalkf of son's future: DECLARE 2010 THE YEAR OF PEACE)

Peace on Earth 2010

2010-01-09T21:19:00.006-08:00

Peace on Earth 2010!
(In behalf of my son's future

Please Donate, Spread the Word and Just Think About it...

2009-12-31T23:22:00.002-08:00

Project-Peace on Earth is an annual worldwide telecast concert of Superstar musicians performing Sacred Music from the most mystical concert venues on the planet: Egypt's Great Pyramids, England’s Stonehenge, Australia's Ayers Rock, Peru's Inca Pyramids, Japan's Mount Fuji, and California's Mount Shasta to name a few. Mike Mitchell (Executive Producer of Live Aid and producer of 8 Olympics) and Hal Uplinger (Producer of Live Aid) are engaged to produce this event. Steve Robertson is the Creator and an Executive Producer of Project-Peace on Earth.

Project-Peace on Earth represents a daring idea to transform global consciousness, systematically end hunger and related diseases, empower those in extreme poverty, and provide food, clothing, shelter, safety and education for tens of millions of children worldwide. Proceeds generated from the live Concert telethon will be immediately used to address pressing issues of hunger, poverty, shelter, health, and the safety of children worldwide. Use of these proceeds will be tracked through a weekly Reality TV series called “Project - Peace on Earth”. This Extreme Village Make-Over TV show will feature a celebrity host and/or philanthropist, supported by a team comprised of experts in the fields of science and technology, medicine, education, fundraising and logistics, construction, business, and international politics. All together, they will engage in a 7 day humanitarian effort to make real progress toward meeting these issues of food, clothing, shelter, safety, education, and economic sustainability.

AOMUSIC-Project Peace on Earth 2010

2009-12-31T23:14:00.001-08:00

AOMUSIC-Project Peace on Earth 2010 promo vid

AOMUSIC, AO | MySpace Music Videos

Wish you all a very peaceful and blissful New Year 2010.

2009-12-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2010

2009-12-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

The lady-bug's little NASA astronaut

2009-11-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T20:21:00.002-08:00

Jack-o-lantern, Jack-o-lantern,

You are such a funny sight.

As you sit there by the porch,

Looking out into the night.

otsuka Ai - Planetarium

2009-10-23T23:43:00.002-07:00

A Beautiful Visit

2009-10-16T23:05:00.001-07:00

This week we had the opportunity to meet my girlfriend's gorgeous daugthers 'Sugar' and 'Spice'. They came all the way from Kelowna by car. We were planning to head to the Saddledome to watch 'Go Bananas', the Wiggles Show. Unfortunately, a sad accident changed everything. Despite Spice's broken collarbone due to a fall from the stairs, the girls were quite cherful and enjoyed a full morning snow play in the backyard. It was awesome! They just loved the snow and all the fun that comes with it!

I believe - AYAKA

2009-10-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

絢香 ayaka - I believe

I believe
作詞: 絢香作曲: 西尾芳彦

この胸の中に隠れてる
不安のうず
目の前にある　自分の進むべき
道はどれか
人に流されてた日々
そんな自分に「さよなら」
I believe myself　信じることで
全てが始まる気がするの
I believe myself　あたたかい光は
まちがっちゃいない　歩いて行こう
I believe

偽りの中でウソの微(え)み浮かべて
生きる人を
幼き自分と重ねて見て
ため息つく
どんな色にも染まらない
「黒」になろうと誓った
I believe myself　信じることで
全てが始まる気がするの
I believe myself　あたたかい光は
まちがっちゃいない　歩いて行こう
I believe

今　目に映る　この広い空も
素直に生きる　この気持ちも
I believe myself　信じることで
全てが始まる気がするの
I believe myself　あたたかい光は
まちがっちゃいない　歩いて行こう
I believe...

Get ready to take a virtual tour of 11 Canadian cities, Google-style

2009-10-08T19:59:00.001-07:00

Get ready to take a virtual tour of 11 Canadian cities, Google-style

Shared via AddThis

Canadian Family | Give Your Child a Moral Compass

2009-10-05T11:52:00.002-07:00

Canadian Family | Give Your Child a Moral Compass

Posted using ShareThis

Rio 2016 - Olympic Games - Just Beautiful!

2009-10-03T00:10:00.002-07:00

Rio 2016 - Olympic Games - Master Plan

2009-10-02T23:49:00.002-07:00

Amount of sodium in many restaurant items heightens risk of high blood pressure and other serious problems

2009-10-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Children's menu items at popular restaurant chains across Canada contain dangerously high amounts of sodium – in many cases, enough to raise a child's risk of developing high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and other serious health problems.
It's a troubling reality that is fuelling anger and frustration among a rising number of physicians, scientists and health advocates who have been urging the federal government to take action to prevent food companies from adding excessive amounts of salt to their products at the consumer's peril.
This week, two of the country's prominent hypertension experts described sodium as one of the most urgent public health matters facing Canada in an article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
But it seems the message hasn't gotten through to the restaurant industry.
Many restaurants offer a specialized children's menu, which often contain kid-friendly items such as grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken fingers or French fries, in smaller portions than those offered to adults.
- From Monday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Tuesday, Sep. 22, 2009 08:54PM EDT

Living Planet Community - My Account

2009-09-28T13:14:00.001-07:00

Living Planet Community - My Account

Shared via AddThis

Dicas - Regina Brett

2009-09-22T19:18:00.013-07:00

Escrito por Regina Brett, 90 anos de idade, Cleveland Ohio.

"Para celebrar o envelhecer, uma vez eu escrevi 45 lições que a vida me ensinou. É a coluna mais
requisitada que eu já escrevi.

Meu taxímetro chegou aos 90 em agosto, então, aqui está a coluna, mais uma vez:

01. A vida não é justa, mas ainda é boa.
02. Quando estiver em dúvida, apenas dê o próximo pequeno passo.
03. A vida é muito curta para perdermos tempo odiando alguém.
04. Seu trabalho não vai cuidar de você quando você adoecer. Seus amigos e seus pais vão. Mantenha contato.
05. Pague suas faturas de cartão de crédito todo mês.
06. Você não tem que vencer todo argumento. Concorde para discordar.
07. Chore com alguém. É mais curador do que chorar sozinho.
08. Está tudo bem em ficar bravo com Deus. Ele agüenta.
09. Poupe para a aposentadoria, começando com seu primeiro salário.
10. Quando se trata de chocolate, resistência é em vão.
11. Sele a paz com seu passado, para que ele não estrague seu presente.
12. Está tudo bem em seus filhos te verem chorar.
13. Não compare sua vida com a dos outros. Você não tem idéia do que se trata a jornada deles.
14. Se um relacionamento tem que ser um segredo, você não deveria estar nele.
15. Tudo pode mudar num piscar de olhos; mas não se preocupe, Deus nunca pisca.
16. Respire bem fundo. Isso acalma a mente.
17. Se desfaça de tudo que não é útil, bonito e prazeroso.
18. O que não te mata, realmente te torna mais forte.
19. Nunca é tarde demais para se ter uma infância feliz. Mas a segunda só depende de você e mais ninguém.
20. Quando se trata de ir atrás do que você ama na vida, não aceite "não" como resposta.
21. Acenda velas, coloque os lençóis bonitos, use a lingerie elegante. Não guarde para uma ocasião especial. Hoje é especial.
22. Se prepare bastante; depois, se deixe levar pela maré...
23. Seja excêntrico agora, não espere ficar velho para usar roxo.
24. O órgão sexual mais importante é o cérebro.
25. Ninguém é responsável pela sua felicidade, além de você.
26. Encare cada "chamado" desastre com essas palavras: Em cinco anos, vai importar?
27. Sempre escolha a vida.
28. Perdoe tudo de todos.
29. O que outras pessoas pensam de você não é da sua conta.
30. O tempo cura quase tudo. Dê tempo.
31. Indepedentemente de a situação ser boa ou ruim, irá mudar.
32. Não se leve tão a sério. Ninguém mais leva...
33. Acredite em milagres.
34. Deus te ama por causa de quem Ele é, não pelo que vc fez ou deixou de fazer.
35. Não faça auditoria de sua vida. Apareça e faça o melhor dela agora.
36. Envelhecer é melhor do que morrer jovem.
37. Seus filhos só têm uma infância.
38. Tudo o que realmente importa, no final, é que você amou.
39. Vá para a rua todo dia. Milagres estão esperando em todos os lugares.
40. Se todos jogássemos nossos problemas em uma pilha e víssemos os de todo mundo, pegaríamos os nossos de volta.
41. Inveja é perda de tempo. Você já tem tudo o que precisa.
42. O melhor está por vir.
43. Não importa como você se sinta, levante, se vista e apareça.
44. Produza.
45. A vida não vem embrulhada em um laço, mas ainda é um presente "

* Muito obrigada Luisa por este lindo email. Agora vou lembrar destas palavras a cada dia e tentar passar adiante esta linda mensagem...

Ben Underwood

2009-09-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Canadian Snow Birds at the Lethbridge Air Show 2009

2009-09-19T22:08:00.002-07:00

More: Perspective from a 3 year old Toddler

2009-09-19T21:57:00.003-07:00

So, isn't amazing how much a 3 year old can capture while holding a digital camera? Isn't that interesting and creative? I just LOVE it! So creative and imaginative! I know I am bias to give such a statement , but details apart , those are very artistic pictures, don't you think? Leo took those pictures while watching the Air Show in Lethbridge this year. I will post two amazing videos of this extraordinary event.

Leo camera-boy: the photo of Mommy

2009-09-19T20:34:00.002-07:00

This is one of many Leo's pictures of mommy. He has been taking interesting pictures with my digital camera lately. As you can see in these samples, he is framing the main object really well. I want to later display some of the awesome pictures he took in the Lethbridge Air Show this year. There is a unique perspective when you are toddler height. There are a lot of things people my height miss when you are so close to the ground!

Leandro's Music Class: Orff Music for Children

2009-09-19T19:58:00.012-07:00

I am so excited to tell you about Leandro's new music classes at the Orff Music for Children! He was a bit anxious at the beginning and not so sure about it, but after the first class now he just L-O-V-E it!

This class uses an approach to music education which combines movement, singing, speech, listening and instrument playing. The teacher, Wendy Rae, emphasizes the joy of music-making in a small group oriented structure. She uses a series of different sizes home-built xylophones based on the melodic barred instrument of the Indonesian gamela. They are tiny, small, medium and large xylophones. Very neat!

The instructor is a fabulous fun lady, she is so good with children. She talks about stinky feet and she makes all children jiggle and wiggle with laughter. She makes the parents laugh out loud again and again and so many awwws I hear when the children sing and say something cute. There are fun games and fun sing along songs. I have fun just watching them!
I strongly recommend this class. Leo is currently on Step 1. He has so much fun he has been asking me everyday: 'Is today music class?' or 'Do we have music class now?' Pretty cute!

A good-bye to a memorable actor and an awesome dancer: Patrick Swayze

2009-09-14T22:24:00.006-07:00

He is well known by his heated performance in Dirty Dance.
But to me, he will be forever remembered by his charismatic smile and dramatic performance in Ghost.
After reading his biography at wikipidea, we decided to pay a tribute to Patrick Swayze by watching many of his movies again. Perhaps once a day if possible.
I will be looking forward going home after work, cuddle with my hubby and watch many of his movies after my son is deep asleep in his bed.
Ghost, the Outsiders, Dirty Dancing, Red Dawn, Next of Kin, Ghost, City of Joy, Father Hood, Donnie Darko, 11:14, Christmas in Wonderland, etc.

May you rest in peace.
You will be dearly missed and forever remembered...

SPACE AVAILABLE AT FRANKLIN'S CHILDREN CENTRE

2009-09-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

Make Every Day Count...

2009-09-13T23:10:00.003-07:00

Make every day count…

Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.
Most importantly, if you love someone tell them, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store. And learn a lesson in life each day you live. Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, for a meaningful purpose, to teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are and when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way. Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

* I really liked this Message from a page called 'Sometimes', author unknown

Just for fun: Sending you some sunshine!

2009-09-10T23:08:00.000-07:00

First Day of Preschool and volunteering at the preschool: Success!

2009-09-10T12:53:00.007-07:00

Today was our official first day of preschool after the open-house last week and a fail attempt on Tuesday (this is a long story...). But we all did pretty well. This morning we prepared the snacks. I've sliced watermelon, cut cheese in cubes and add some blueberries for his snack and he was quite pleased. Got some other ideas while watching the lil'ones snacks. For example, chicken salad, cheese strings, whole peas in a pod and some peroggies too.
There was a lot of hands-on activities. But I think today, because I was around, he was clinging on me and ask me to join in the activities. However I was quite busy with my own tasks (fill up the glue tubs, cleaning after the children, witting the children names on their art so they can take them home, etc.) Although Leandro is going to a very good Day Care when I have to work. Going to this preschool makes me more involved into his education and force me to take the days to spend with him as preschool is only in the mornings. I will be volunteering every month and spending those afternoons with him at home. Great, isn't?!

There are a few openings in the three days afternoon classes. And if you know anyone interested. Please see the contact information below:

"We offer a nurturing and stimulating environment that is Reggio and Project Approach inspired. With the teacher in the role of researcher, the children contribute to and negotiate the curriculum in partnership. The daily schedule provides time for interactive play in a variety of interesting centres, a gathering time, a snack, and group activities (e.g. yoga, drama, art, drumming, etc.) The students display and revisit their learning through photos, text, artwork, and artefact gallery"

"Family and community play an important role in supporting the children's inquiry and learning in our program and parents volunteer on a rotational basis. We offer trips, in-class guests and visiting artists."

St. Matthew's United Church
2035 26A St SW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
T3E 2B9
403-465-1141

How does Leandro count to ten?

2009-09-09T23:32:00.005-07:00

Some people tried to 'correct' Leo before when he was counting to ten with his fingers. I can show you how he can count to ten using only one hand and it may seems odd at first, but there is a reason behind that! He learned to count using sign language. Here is the video where you can learn too! Enjoy!

Caterpillar Dreams

2009-09-09T23:22:00.010-07:00

I hope you enjoy one our favorite signing songs. There are a lot behind this simple and delicate song. It actually has a strong and powerful message. We sing this song at bedtimes sometimes when Leo is upset or had a bad dream. It is one of our bedtime songs. We know the words and can sign and sign together!

Books we selected for the children at FAYA Orphanage

2009-09-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

I wanted to show you the books we selected to send to the children at FAYA Orphanage.
We thought it would be nice to send sturdy hard cover books and fun educational game cards such as the snap cards shown above. I

My First Pair of Havaianas

2009-09-07T14:04:00.006-07:00

Havaianas are Brazilian popular flip-flops. They are the everyday slippers a typical Brazilian would use around the house, at the beach, at the swimming pool, at the grocery store, etc. Just about everywhere and every time type of slippers.
Leandro got his first pair from Batian and Ditian all the way from Brazil. His Havaianas are blue and so small. Mine are pink and I also have gold pair with tiny beads on top. Kerry has a orange pair and a green pair with a tiny Brazlilian flag on it. We all love them and use them almost all the time!
Havaianas are made of rubber and nowadays is exported internationally. They have a massive variety of trendy colors and distinctive styles. These rubber sandals, which are popularly known as flip-flops, are extremely comfortable.
Since 1962, São Paulo Alpargatas, a manufacturing company in Brazil , have been making these one of a kind flip-flops. The inspiration for the Havaianas innovation is the Zori, which is a Japanese style sandal and the term Havaianas, which is Portuguese for Hawaiians, serves as homage to the crystal clear waters and white sand beaches of Hawaii.
Many years ago I brought some pair and gave away as a gift to some Canadian friends, but I believe not knowing what exactly they are, people could not really appreciate them. As they have simple and somewhat plain looking.
Note: Batian= grandma and Ditian=grandpa

Long Weekend - Drumhelelr & Grandparents

2009-09-07T13:43:00.004-07:00

On Friday we had a nice visit with little A and his mommy L and later that day we headed to Drumheller. It was a nice and quiet drive East with Leandro sleeping through the whole trip. He was exhausted after a fun morning with little A. We arrived around 4PM and decided to explore the city. We stopped at the Information Centre and then he noticed the big dinosaur and his jaw dropped. It was big! We then can climb the giant T-rex and admire the badlands from inside her jaws. On our way up, we saw the mural paintings by the local artist Gary Cox, as well as the black light area, which features fossils and dinosaur bone displays. Pretty cool! Leo politely asked me if it was scary there and at first he was a bit reluctant to go up. But then holding hands we went all the way up singing and admiring the fossils and bones. The view was superb! He said then: 'Lets go explore more!'
But we had to meet the grandparents and stayed overnight as it was getting pretty late. We visited the Royal Tyrrell Museum the next day. After having dealt with a roof nail in the tire. It was busy and Leandro LOVED the Nexen Science Hall with all those bouncy foam balls and its shooters. Not quite into the dinosaur bones yet... But liked going from one display to another! Fun day! Thank you grandparents!

A wonderful Birthday: Spent with Family & Good Friends

2009-08-30T23:14:00.001-07:00

I can't express in words how wonderful my birthday was today. A enjoyable day spent with my dear family and friends. But just watching little Leo playing with his friend E was the best of the presents. For me, seeing a life-long friendship growing is amazing. I know from heart these two will spent many and many wonderful 'buddy' moments together.

I can talk with a friend and walk with a friend
and share my umbrella in the rain.

I can play with a friend and stay with a friend
and learn with a friend
and explain.

I can eat with a friend and compete with a friend
and even sometimes disagree.

I can ride with a friend and take pride with a friend.
A friend can mean so much to me!

Thank you M & M for the delicious BBQ!

Yipee! They are coming home!

2009-08-25T22:45:00.010-07:00

A Mother's Long Journey...

Someone is holding me,
arms around me,
soft breath in my hair,
Hand on my hand.

And I am holding someone (or two)
hair on my cheek,
soft breathing on my chest,
my arms are full,
and the great wheel of stars turns around me,
rocks to music of chimes
as I round myself around two I love,
safe in my arms of two who loves me.

* Modified Poem by Unknown Author

Luciana's Life and Thoughts.

Making a House into a Home

25 clever ideas to make life easier

Waiting for our child

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food | Video on TED.com

Graham Hill: Why I'm a weekday vegetarian | Video on TED.com

Should our kids be learning Brazilian Portuguese?

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure:

Preparing for Parenthood

No Arms No Legs No Worries

Adoption Magazine: The 1000+ Questions

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability

Is running good for you?

Canadian Rockies Time-Lapse Montage

Freshfield Icefield: A Skier's Journey Ep3

Life is like Coffee Movie

Wilderness cam catches thousands of wild creatures in Banff National Park Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Wilderness+catches+thousands+wild+creatures+Banff+National+Park/5054493/story.html#ixzz1RIfd86Mk

Rick Smolan tells the story of a girl | Video on TED.com

Ideas Worth Sharing

Mães em rede - Mães diferentes no mesmo endereço - Mães em rede: O Globo

Etiqueta da adoção

AdoptionTalk: Japan: Adoption After Natural Disaster

Last Days of Snow... (March 2011)

Have a Wonderful Day!

Behind the Scenes...

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

Memory of Colors presented by Fotopedia

Brigadeiro e Casadinho

Ingredients

Directions

Creating Dinosaurs

The Disappearing Male - Doc Zone | CBC-TV

The Disappearing Male

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THE DISAPPEARING MALE

November is National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month: 10 Common Misconceptions about Adoption

Surviving the Future - Doc Zone | CBC-TV

Future Earth 2025 - The Passionate Eye | CBC News Network

My Happy Feet: Halloween 2010

Halloween Window Mural 2010: Winnie the Witch

Our contribuition

Ecological Footprint Index

Living Footprint Index

a-ha - Foot Of The Mountain

Why One Day for Peace? Lives ARE being saved

☮Happy World Peace Day - September 21st, 2010 ☮

Minha receita de Kabob ou Espetinho estilo Asiático

Calgary Art Walk Fetival

The Sundial Way of Living: Carpe Diem

Vulnerable Children Society - FAYA Orphanage Support

Casamento e os anos...

Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen!

Birthday Celebration at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

Article: The Japan's Baby Hatch - A view on International Adoption

Calgary Zoo's newest addition: The ENMAX Conservatory Butterfly Exihibit

A fun place to visit: Calgary Science Centre

Hiroshima Marks 65th Anniversary

2010 Vegetable Garden

Nossos berries

Como se livrar do óleo de cozinha (bom artigo!)

Butterfield Acres Visit

Article: TV-watching guidelines

Cochrane our favorite hit spot

The Marsh

Soccer U4 2010

Apple Muffin Family Recipe

Soccer Fifa 2010 Celebration

Spitz-Cherry

Practice Makes Perfection: Shading with Charcoal exercises

How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World

Angra dos Reis, Brazil: Brazil mudslide death toll reaches 64

Please DONATE: Help victims of mudslide in Brazil

DECLARE 2010 THE YEAR OF PEACE

Peace on Earth 2010

Please Donate, Spread the Word and Just Think About it...

AOMUSIC-Project Peace on Earth 2010

Wish you all a very peaceful and blissful New Year 2010.

Happy New Year 2010

The lady-bug's little NASA astronaut