Through The Eyes of a Toddler// Aos olhos de uma Crianca

Over the last few months Z1 has developed a passion for photography. He started by figuring out how to open the camera app on our locked phones while we weren't looking and shooting away at anything and everything. This new hobby of his was driving both my husband and I crazy; especially when we unexpectedly ran out of memory on our phones only to discover hundreds of pictures he had taken. However, amongst the scores of unrecognizable blurry images of headless forms, we also found some gems. A few weeks ago my husband wrote a short story about one of these gems that he found on his phone (you can read it by clicking here).  In order to save our sanity and the memories on our phones, I had the idea of giving him one of our old digital cameras to play with. It was around that time that I realized we now had a little window into his world. Looking at the pictures he had taken, we could get a little glimpse of the world through his perspective. Now, we often see him walking around the house camera in hand snapping away. Sometimes he asks us to pose, other times he just captures whatever he finds interesting. After the first few days though, we had to give him some basic ground rules like "no taking pictures of people in the bathroom!"

Ao longo dos últimos meses Z1 desenvolveu uma paixão pela fotografia. Ele começou quando descobriu como abrir o aplicativo da câmera em nossos telefones enquanto não estávamos prestando atencao e tirou foto de tudo e todos. Este novo hobby estava deixando meu marido e eu locos; especialmente quando a memória em nossos telefones acabava inesperadamente e descobriamos centenas de fotos que ele havia tirado. No entanto, entre as dezenas de imagens tremidas irreconhecíveis de formas sem cabeça, também encontramos algumas jóias. Algumas semanas atrás, meu marido escreveu uma história curta sobre uma dessas perolas que encontrou em seu telefone (você pode ler clicando aqui). A fim de salvar a nossa sanidade e as memórias em nossos telefones, eu tive a idéia de dar-lhe uma das nossas câmeras digitais mais antigas para brincar. Foi por volta dai que eu percebi que tinha agora uma pequena janela aberta para o mundo dele. Olhando para as fotos que ele havia tirado, podemos obter um pequeno vislumbre do mundo através de sua perspectiva. Agora, nós o vemos muitas vezes andando pela casa com câmera na mão capturando o mundo ao redor. Às vezes, ele nos pede para posar pra foto, outras vezes ele só capta o que ele acha interessante. Após os primeiros dias, porém, tivemos de dar-lhe algumas regras básicas como "não  fotografar as pessoas no banheiro!"

Yesterday I decided to finally take a look at some of the pictures in his camera and today, in honor of his birthday, I thought I would share a few with you. Although all of these pictures were taken by Z1, I did make a few of them black and white and made small lighting adjustments on a few others. Of course there are hundreds more in addition to these, but these are my favorites. He has sure improved since he started and I am looking forward to see what the future holds.

Ontem eu decidi finalmente dar uma olhada em algumas das fotos em sua câmera e, em honra de seu aniversário, eu decidi  compartilhar um pouco com vocês. Apesar de todas estas fotos terem sido tiradas por Z1, eu fiz algumas delas preto e branco e uns pequenos ajustes de luz em outras. Claro que existem centenas mais além destas, mas estas são as minhas favoritas. Ele ja melhorou muito desde que começou sua "carreira" =D e eu estou ansiosa para ver o que o futuro reserva.

his room is a popular place for his pictures//o quarto dele e um lugar bem popular nas fotos dele

Me in the process of cleaning his room// Eu no processo de limpar o quarto dele

my mother's day balloon looks way higher from here// meu balao de dia das maes parch be mis alto daqui

a random cat that showed up on our backyard// um gato que apareceu no nosso quintal

FaceTiming with the grandparents

Train Tracks// Trilhos do Trem

Towards the end of last year we decided to get a bike with a trailer to carry the kiddos. I guess you can say we were inspired by the nice fall/winter weather in South Texas. We are blessed to have a nice bike trail that starts close to our house and leads to a playground on one side and a park on the other. The kids get some fresh air, I get some exercise, what's not to love?! =D On a late November morning we took a trail to the train tracks nearby and decided to take some pictures. It was a very windy day and pulling the trailer against the wind was grueling, even in the lowest gears. Thankfully, the hubby was following me and was happy to switch bikes when I couldn't pedal another inch. When we finally made it there, we had fun taking pictures, walking the tracks, exploring a parked train cart, and just throwing pebbles around. Just some good ol' family time =D

No final do ano passado, decidimos comprar uma bicicleta com um carrinho para levar os pequenos. Podemos dizer que estavamos inspirados pelo agradável clima de outono/inverno no sul do Texas. Somos abençoados por ter uma trilha para bicicletas que começa perto de nossa casa e leva a um parquinho de um lado e um parque do outro. As crianças tomam um pouco de ar fresco, eu faco um pouco de exercício, nao da pra reclamar ne?! =D Em uma manhã no final de novembro, pegamos a trilha em direcao aos trilhos do trem que fica perto do parque e decidimos tirar algumas fotos. Foi um dia de muito vento e puxar o carrinho contra o vento foi bem cansativo, mesmo nas marchas mais leves. Felizmente, o maridinho estava me seguindo e ficou feliz em trocar de bicicletas quando eu não conseguia pedalar mais nenhum centímetro. Quando finalmente chegamos lá, nós nos divertimos tirando fotos, andando pelas trilhas, explorando um carro de trem estacionado, e jogando pedrinhas para o ar.  =D

 

Of Glasses and Good Pediatricians

I am finally getting a chance to write about the latest development in our household... glasses.

Before I go any further with this story though, I have to tell you a little bit about our pediatrician, Doctor Argenal (from Argenal Pediatrics). He was recommended to us before Z1 was born by a close friend of ours who worked in the pediatric floor of one of the local hospitals. Our friend was very impressed with Dr. Argenal's work ethic, how well he managed his patients, and how kindly he dealt with the nursing staff. Hearing this from a pediatric nurse meant a lot to us. So, before Z1 was born, we scheduled a FREE prenatal consultation at his office and we have been going there ever since. I have yet to meet another pediatrician who cares so much about his patients. Just so you have an idea, the first day we had Z1 in his office, he was probably 5 days old at the time, we had some concerns and Dr. Argenal gave us a cell phone number and urged us to text him in the evening with an update. In my disbelief, I neglected to do so only to get a text from him later that night asking how things were going. I was so impressed! Not only did he give us that number, he urged us to contact him with ANY concern and made sure we did. As a new mommy, I can't begin to describe how reassuring that was. Over the years, we have reached out to him with many questions and he (or another member of his staff) has never failed to answer them. If I am concerned about a rash, I know that I can just send a picture of it and he will reply with an idea. If he thinks the issue needs further examination, he will tell us to come to his office. The ability to communicate in this fashion has saved us many needless trips to his office or even to the emergency room. After Z2 was born and the complications that followed, Dr. Argenal was on top of things, acting as a link between us and all the other consulting physicians. He made sure to keep us informed to the best of his knowledge every step of the way. Besides the awesome service I have already described, Dr. Argenal and his staff strive to keep his patients well informed of current pertinent trends in the medical field, office news, and even local disease patterns through their facebook page. Even the set up of their waiting area shows a higher level of thought and care with sections designated for sick patients and well patients at opposite ends. If you have a newborn or young baby there is also a special area for you. The truth is that, even though we had to move 1.25 hr away last year, we never even considered changing pediatricians. We absolutely do not mind making the drive when we know our kids are so well cared for.

So why am I writing all of this? Well, I guess I am just grateful. I feel that our family has been truly blessed with someone who cares and does his job well. I hope more medical professionals can learn from his efforts and be inspired to provide a higher level of care. I am also writing it so you will have a better understanding of how the glasses came about...

So...back to the glasses. About a month ago, we took Z2 to her 15-month appointment. It so happens that Dr. Argenal's office recently acquired a neat little machine to do vision screenings on his patients during their well-child appointments (awesome right?!!).  She was screened and, long story short, we left the office with a referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist who, after thorough examination concluded that indeed she needed glasses. Had she not been screened, we probably wouldn't catch this until much later in her life and she would have been missing out on better vision.

Although I can't say she is a big fan of wearing glasses, she doesn't complain about them much. One time she even asked me to put them on for her, which leads me to believe they are making a difference. I also noticed that on our last trip to the zoo she was a lot more interested in observing the animals that were further away. I hope things are a lot less fuzzy for her now. Personally, I just think she looks even more adorable =D 

                      

Daddy's Birthday Celebration Trip// Viajem de Aniversario do Papai

I can't believe it has been three whole months since I was last able to post. So many things have happened I wonder if I will ever be able to get caught up. Not to mention that I still need to finish the posts from last summer (sigh). It turns out life with two toddlers makes days go by in a blur. One of the reasons why I like keeping up with this blog is because it forces me to stop, reflect, and immortalize these moments so that they don't just become lost memories in my mind. So, I am going to continue to make an effort to write and, who knows, maybe I will even go back and finish the posts from the summer one day =D

Eu não posso acreditar que ja fazem três meses desde que da ultima vez que pude postar aqui. Tantas coisas aconteceram eu me pergunto se algum dia eu vou ser capaz de colocar este blog em dia. Isso sem contar com os posts que eu preciso terminar do verão passado (suspiro). Acontece que a vida com duas crianças faz com que os dias passem voando. Uma das razões pelas quais eu gosto de manter este blog é porque ele me obriga a parar, refletir e imortalizar estes momentos para que eles não apenas se tornem memórias perdidas em minha mente. Então, eu vou continuar a fazer um esforço para escrever e, quem sabe, talvez eu ainda vai voltar e terminar os posts de verão um dia =D

This picture was taken and edited by Anamel Photography

January is a fun month for us Seiferts because it is Daddy's birthday. Since we moved back to Texas, it has become sort of a tradition for us to meet with Marlon's cousin and his lovely wife, who also live in Texas, for a restful weekend of fellowship and celebration. For those unfamiliar with the size of Texas, our families meet at a half-way point which is about a 5.5 to 6 hr drive for each of us. For a family with two small toddlers, that much time in a car is definitely an adventure! In order to accomplish this feat, we made sure to schedule the drive during the kids' nap time and brought lots of snacks and some sticker books to keep them busy while awake. I am happy to report that the trip was a blessing and we made it both ways without having to stop even once.

Janeiro é um mês divertido para nós Seiferts porque é o aniversário do papai. Desde que nos mudamos de volta para o Texas, tornou-se uma espécie de tradição de nos encontrarmos com o primo do Marlon e sua linda esposa, que também vivem no Texas, para um fim de semana tranquilo de comunhão e celebração. Para aqueles não estao familiarizados com o tamanho do Texas, nossas famílias se encontraram em um ponto no meio do caminho, que fica a cerca de 5,5 a 6 horas de viajem para cada um de nós. Para uma família com duas crianças pequenas, esse tempao em um carro é definitivamente uma aventura! A fim de realizar esta façanha, nos temos que planejar sair na hora do cochilo das crianças e trazer varios lanches e alguns livros com adesivos para mantê-los ocupados enquanto estiverem acordados. Estou feliz de informar que a viagem foi uma bênção e nao tivemos que parar uma vez sequer nem na ida nem na volta.

Marlon's cousin and his wife are a very creative and adventurous duo. You can definitely guess their adventurous side just by the mere fact that they continue to join us for these short celebration getaways despite the knowledge that they will probably get less rest during these few days then they would if they had stayed home. Between the kids' early wake up time and their unquenchable thirst for attention, they are toddlers after all, I am always pleasantly surprised when Otavio and Paulinha join us again each year. I am so glad they do though, because we really enjoy their company and the kids absolutely love them. I also don't know anyone else who could come up so many games for toddlers out of wooden coasters =D

O primo de Marlon e sua esposa são um casal muito criativo e aventureiro. Você pode definitivamente ver o seu lado aventureiro apenas pelo simples fato de que eles continuam a juntar-se a nós para estas escapadelas celebratorias apesar de saber que eles provavelmente terao menos descanso durante estes poucos dias do que teriam se tivessem ficado em casa. Comecando pela hora das crianças acordarem e sua insaciável sede por atenção, elas são crianças, afinal, sou sempre agradavelmente surpreendida quando Otavio e Paulinha  juntam-se a nós novamente a cada ano. Porém, fico muito feliz quando eles vem, porque nós realmente desfrutamos de sua companhia e as crianças adoram passar tempo com eles. Eu também não conheço ninguém que consegue inventar tantas brincadeiras com apenas 6 descancos de copo = D

This picture was taken and edited by Anamel Photography

One of my favorite parts of this trip, besides being able to spend time with our family, was getting to spend the Sabbath enjoying nature. In a pastor's household, opportunities like this are rare since Sabbaths are my husband's busiest day. As much as I enjoy the fellowship of our church family, it is always a blessing to be able to calm the pace of our lives and take time to cherish the Creator's amazing work. This particular Sabbath we got to enjoy a beautiful view of Canyon Lake from the lake's dam. We walked along the dam as well as down on the lake shore. Despite the cold breeze, the weather was just perfect and the kids really enjoyed exploring around as well as finding pebbles on the shore to throw in the water. Of course Z2 tried to get in the water but at least this time I was able to stop her before it was too late =D I think the only thing that could have made that day better is if my allergies weren't so crazy the entire day.

Uma das minhas partes favoritas desta viagem, além de poder passar tempo com a família,e poder tempo no sábadoa desfrutando a natureza. Na casa de pastor, oportunidades como esta são raras desde que sábados são os dias mais corridos para o meu marido. Por mais que eu desfrute da comunhão da nossa família da igreja, é sempre uma bênção poder acalmar o ritmo de nossas vidas e ter tempo para valorizar a obra incrível do Criador. Neste sábado especial, pudemos desfrutar de uma bela vista do Canyon Lake de barragem do lago. Nós caminhamos ao longo da barragem, assim como ao longo da margem do lago. Apesar da brisa fresca, o tempo estava simplesmente perfeito e as crianças amaram explorar ao redor, bem como encontrar pedrinhas no chao para jogar na água. Claro Z2 tentou entrar na água, mas pelo menos desta vez eu fui capaz de alcanca-la antes que fosse tarde demais = D Eu acho que a única coisa que poderia ter feito aquele dia melhor é se minhas alergias não estivessem sido tão fortes o dia inteiro .

The rest of the weekend we did various activities like mini-golf and swimming. The kiddos also loved digging dirt around the playground (Z2 is especially fond of getting her hands in the dirt) and the "old" people enjoyed playing Frisbee and taking pictures. I think between the two families we had at least 6 different cameras and we used them all! I should probably add a disclaimer here that Paulinha is a professional photographer and the nicest pictures you see here are probably hers. She is very talented and is always kind to give me tips and teach me a thing or two every time we get to spend time together. For more of her awesome pictures you can check out her website http://anamelphotography.com/ Now is probably a good time to add disclaimer number two...the editing was mostly done by me (with the exception of a few that I did not think need any ediditng and a couple of others posted above that were edited by Paulinha at my request) was done by me on our very old laptop with an uncalibrated screen. Just in case you are wondering why all the pictures look too red or too bright...I promise they look great on my screen ;)

O resto do fim de semana aproveitamos o mini-golfe e a piscina. Os pequenos também amaram cavar a terra do parquinho (Z2, especialmente, ama sujar as mãos de terra) e os "velhos" aproveitaram pra brincar de Frisbee e tirar fotos. Eu acho que entre as duas famílias levamos, pelo menos, 6 câmeras difierentes e usamos todas elas! Eu provavelmente deveria adicionar um "disclaimer" aqui que a Paulinha é uma fotógrafa profissional e as imagens mais bonitas que você vê aqui são, provavelmente, as dela. Ela é muito talentosa e é sempre bondosa o suficiente para me dar dicas e me ensina uma coisa ou duas sobre fotografia quando passamos tempo juntas. Para conhecer mais sobre o trabalho dela você pode verificar o website dela http://anamelphotography.com/ Agora é provavelmente um bom momento para adicionar o "disclaimer" número dois ... a edição das fotos, com excecao de algmas que eu achei qe nao precisava de edicao e as duas primeiras imagens que foram editadas pela Paulinha, foi feita por mim em nosso laptop velhinho com uma tela não calibrada. Caso você esteja se perguntando por que algumas imagens parecem muito avermelhadas ou muito claras... Eu prometo que estava tudo lindo na minha tela ;)

The last highlight of this trip was our short visit to Hamilton Pool Preserve. I can't believe this amazing place was only about 1 hr away from where we were staying. According to my "very reliable" friend Wikipedia,the water hole "is a natural pool that was created when the dome of an underground river collapsed due to massive erosion" a long time ago. Whatever it was, sure contributed to an awe inspiring experience for us. To get to the pool we had to hike about 1/4 mile down a steep rocky path. This was a bit challenging with the kids, but we made it without any problems. Seeing so many big rocks was definitely a new experience for the kids who have spent most of their lives enjoying the flat landscapes of South Texas. Once we arrived at the pool, they had a blast. They climbed on the rocks, played with sticks, threw pebbles in the water and dirt in the air. I should also mention that Z1 did most of the hiking on his own with only occasional assistance from us. He also was fast asleep the moment his head touched the pillow that night =D As in the previous days of this trip, the weather was perfect and warm enough to go for a swim if the water wasn't only 47 F. I think the place would be even more beautiful in the spring with all the green to increase the contrast with the rocks. I guess we will just have to go back again and see.

O último destaque desta viagem foi a nossa curta visita a Hamilton Pool Preserve. Eu mal posso acreditar que este lugar incrível ficava apenas cerca de 1 hora de distância de onde estávamos. De acordo com o minha  amiga "muito confiável "Wikipedia", a piscina natural foi criado pelo colapso da cúpula de um rio subterrâneo  devido à erosão maciça" há muito tempo atrás. O que quer que tenha sido, com certeza contribuiu para uma experiência inspiradora para todos nós. Para chegar à piscina, tivemos de caminhar cerca de 1/4 de milha por um caminho rochoso e íngreme. Esta parte foi um pouco difícil com as crianças, mas nós conseguimos sem problemas. A vista de tantas  rochas grandes foi definitivamente uma nova experiência para as crianças que passaram a maior parte de suas vidas desfrutando as paisagens planas do sul do Texas. Uma vez que chegamos na piscina natural, eles amaram. Eles subiram nas rochas, bricaram com gravetos do chao, jogaram pedrinhas na água e terra no ar. Gostaria também de mencionar que Z1 fez a maior parte da caminhada por conta própria com assistência minima da nossa parte. Ele também dormiu no momento em que sua cabeça tocou o travesseiro naquela noite =D Como nos dias anteriores desta viagem, o clima estava perfeito e quente o suficiente ate para dar um mergulho, se a água não estivese tao fria (8C). Eu acho que o lugar ainda deve ficar mais bonito na primavera com tudo mais verde aumentando o contraste com as rochas. Agente vai ter que voltar la e ver.