Traditions & Tea Parties

We're enjoying having Animesh's parents visit (aside from me getting some much appreciated naps in).

When they arrived they informed me that it was once again Rakhi time (Brother/Sister Day in India)...and I am forever grateful that they remember their son married a white girl who has enough to keep track of in her family's life--let alone those Indian holidays her in-laws hope she keeps alive each year.

So, thankfully, my MIL brought the necessary bracelets needed for the sister (Priya) to tie on her brothers' arms in celebrations of their sibling-hood. They also brought the gift for the sister from her brothers. Not necessarily the way most Indians do it, but it worked for us. And, we were happy to celebrate it again like we did last year.

Deven hesitantly bit into the Indian sweet
that his sister is supposed to feed him...

...but after he tasted how yummy the treats were,
he totally chowed down.
Unapologetically.

Another tradition when the grandparents come
is to have a tea party...complete with real hot tea
(and milk and sugar, of course)
and those yummy Indian cookies wafers
the kids love so much.
They totally dig this.

Deven and Dadu toast with tea.

Trevor sips with care.
He'd rather eat 15 Indian cookies,
but he didn't want to feel left out of the tea-sipping party.

Pretty girl...

Hope you have a minute to enjoy
a spot of tea if you get the chance...
especially if it's with some little ones.

Catching Some ZZZZZ's

It was, in my opinion, the perfect weekend.

No birthday parties. No committments.
No schedules to follow. No place to be.

Well, there was that little thing called the Dam '09 Triathlon I did
Saturday morning with my tri buddy, Jeanne.
But, that was over by 10am.

Afterwards I came home to an empty house
(Animesh had taken the kids GROCERY SHOPPING!).
I showered and curled up on the bed.

Where I fell promptly asleep. Fast asleep.
We're talkin' a very deep sleep.

It was heavenly.
I slept for nearly 2 hours.
Everyone arrived home later
and I awoke to the sound of my children laughing hysterically.
Never has there been a better noise to awaken to.
Never.

My in-laws arrived late Saturday afternoon.
At first I was a little sad about having them here.
For the last week before school started.
I kinda wanted the kids to myself for the last week of summer.

But, the joy and sheer happiness on my kids' faces
changed my attitude about that.
The kids adore their grandparents.
And, my in-laws adore the kids.
My in-laws can play with the children for hours. And hours.
AND my MIL will do the dishes and cook the best Indian food EVER.
And fold laundry that has been sitting in a basket for 5 days.

Yes, I have it pretty good in the in-law department.

Yesterday after church I napped again...
knowing that the kids were in great hands...
playing make-believe with their grandparents
and enjoying them fully
without Mommy interrupting their bonding.

After my nap I laid in my warm, soft bed for awhile...
pondering my existence and all its complexities.
I came to the realization that I have been depriving myself
of something so basic...something so simple...for so long...
I hadn't made it a priority in my chaotic life.

I had been depriving myself of rest.

Which is so ironic given the fact that I am a nazi
when it comes to my kids' early bedtimes.

So, here's to the last week before the school year begins.
Here's to rest, layin' low, and enjoying family.
And, here's to the much needed rain we're gettin'
in this neck of the woods.

Here's to the end of summer.

Teamwork

In the spirit of the Olympics...watch this and weep.
Thanks for sharing, Vanessa.
Another beautiful display of what parenting should be like.

Let the Games Begin!

Olympic Medal winners at NBC Olympics.com!

It's been a busy summer. I cannot believe it's almost over. The remainder of these lazy days of will be filled with me and the litlte Indians hangin' at the pool, me finishing this book (oooh, it's gettin' GOOD!), and all of us watching the Games. Cannot wait for the swimming (go Dara Torres and Michael Phelps!).

Oh, yeah, and the TRIATHLON events (which are actually 2 days after my second triathlon next Saturday)! I will watch with wonder and awe as those amazing athletes swim, bike, and run incredible Olympic distances. As for me...well...I'm not feeling as prepared as I was for my first triathlon back in June, but it will be fun nonetheless with my tri-buddy, Jeanne.

So, if I'm MIA around blogland for awhile...you can always visit me for an updated medal count!

Big D and Big T

"American Girl celebrates a girl's inner star--
that little whisper inside that encourages her
to stand tall, reach high, and dream big.
We take pride and care in helping girls become their very best today,
so they'll grow up to be the women who make a difference tomorrow." --American Girl mission statement

BIG D:
We gave my mother a trip to the American Girl store for Mother's Day this year.

So, of course it was the hottest weekend in YEARS to be in Dallas.
We enjoyed (not so much) 107 degrees both days we were there.

Priya, Mom, and I flew to Dallas last Saturday to spend a day
in a dreamland for girls...both young and old.
Meanwhile, Dad was a sport and drove to Dallas with all of our stuff.

While Priya has never really been into dolls,
that all changed the moment she stepped foot into this store.
And, who wouldn't love a place that exists to
celebrate a girl's inner star?
Oh, yeah, and make a few bucks from all the doll outfits available for purchase.

This place thought of everything.

There was a clever rack inside each bathroom stall
where Priya could carefully place her doll while she went potty...
notice the mismatched shoes.
Still looking for the matches in her room somewhere.
Good thing her doll got some new outfits this weekend.

The restaurant provided a high chair for her doll.
So she could sit at the table with us while we dined.
Very clever.

They even have a doll hair salon where your doll can get primped.
And, yes. Priya's doll had her hair done, too.

Three generations.

After our American Girl visit, we indulged in some manis and pedis at the Galleria.
Priya loved her "Princess Pedicure."

Later that night we babysat my nephew, Drew, in the hotel room
while my brother, Jeff, and Steph went out for a quick bite
celebrating their anniversary.
Priya absolutely adores her baby cousin.

Sunday we attended Baby Drew's baptism.
He didn't even cry when the priest poured the water on him.
But, afterwards?
Well, it was time to eat, and he let everyone know it.

BIG T:
And the update on Trevor?
Yes, Daddy took the crib out of his room while we were gone.
Trevor and Deven slept in Priya's bed while she was away,
and night before last Trevor spent the first full night
in his "big boy bed."

Last when I put him to bed he begged me
to stay with him till he fell asleep.
I settled in for a long wait...but he was snoring within minutes.

And, then he joined me in the middle of the night for some cuddling
(Daddy was working).
I loved how I could hear Trevor sucking
his fingers while laying nearly on top of me.
So precious.

Till he kicked me in the face.

Oh, well.

I didn't really need two eyes anyway.

It's Heeeeeere!

It is finally here.

After a whole month of waiting (I know some of you have waited longer...), I can now begin the 4th and final book in the series.

This was waiting in my mailbox today.
And, after I finish this post, I'm headed off to begin the process
of finishing the 700+ page book.
Where all of my questions will be answered.

My sister got me hooked. I was skeptical.
I mean, a teenage romance involving a VAMPIRE?

C'mon, people. Let's get real.

But, I take back every negative word I said about the books.

I am officially hooked.

I'll have to tell you later about our Dallas weekend
and whether or not Trevor transferred to his "big boy bed."

For now...I have some "bloody" good reading to get to.

Busy Bees

I'm tired. My weekend away was amazing...as usual...but there was little sleep to be had. Foolishly, I scheduled the kids for Sea World camp the day after I returned from the retreat. Too bad it started at 8:30am Monday morning. And, too bad it takes us an hour and a half to get there. In rush hour traffic. Oh, yeah. And, TOO BAD it was the hottest week of the summer.

In spite of the exhaustion, heat, and traffic woes, we had a great time. The boys and I did our thing in a parent-child program. We had so much fun.

Feeding the dolphins...my favorite Sea World animal.




Henry the tortoise was fun to pet.



Deven answered an educational beluga whale question correctly and got to dress up like one. He got the biggest kick out of that.



The boys LOVED petting a baby alligator. I must admit he was kind of cute.



We got to meet Chester the Clydesdale horse up close and personal. He gets new shoes every 6 weeks. Just like most women I know.



I would have been up a creek without our trusty Radio Flyer. Since I have boys who tell me daily they can't walk. Because their feet run out of gas.



Other highlights included petting a baby shark and some stingrays. I don't have pics of Priya because this year she was old enough to be in the all-day camp. Without her mommy. I was so nervous to let her go off with perfect strangers all day everyday, but she had an absolute blast and cannot wait to do it again next year.

Sigh. My baby girl is growing up.

Tomorrow she and I head to Dallas for a trip to the American Girl store and to go to my nephew's baptism. Our girls' weekend will include pedicures and shopping, and she is so excited she can hardly stand it. Daddy will hold down the fort with the boys...taking in a Backyardigans show and golfing till their hearts content.

While I'm gone I've given Animesh the daunting task of taking Trevor's crib out of his room (it's literally falling apart and is, as Deven would tell you, a "safety violation"). I reminded Animesh that if I could birth 3 kids, nurse them, potty-train them, and witness every doctor's visit that includes shots...he could spend a couple rough nights helping Trevor adjust to his big-boy bed.

I'll let you know how it goes. Should make for an interesting blog post.