Family Time!

Another beautiful weekend here again. Sunday was 80 degrees! How odd. It is supposed to still be cold and rainy with chances of snow LOL! It was so warm the kids were playing with the water-hose. watering the weeds, the mud, the house, the dog and eachother. We played with bubbles too but the hose was way more fun.

We went to Sunday service and started Madhava back in Buddhist Sunday School. Both kids enjoyed the Family Dharma Service and even Shraddha was singing along and participated in the sermon by demonstrating peek-a-boo with the speaker in front of the Sanga. Of course, she just looked at the speaker then hid her face in Daddy's chest.

Here is the Blue-tailed Skink that Madhava found. Unfortunately, the only picture that was in focus was the one after the little skink lost the last 2 inches of his cobalt blue tail!

Saturday we ventured across the street to look for the stream and waterfall that we hear all the time. We found a stream under the grass we were walking on. Madhava and Roger holding Shraddha slid down the side of a granite slab in a muddy slimy grassy water slide. A fallen tree stopped them from sliding the whole way down. Then Sadie went tromping up to them and slid down the slimy stream getting her head stuck under the tree. (I can still hear her "Scooby" feet trying to get traction LOL!) Her feet were slipping as she was trying to reverse out from under the tree and I was way back in a safe dry spot laughing at that goofy dog. I was laughing too much to snap the picture!

Then we found ourselves in a poison oak jungle! After we escaped that mess unscathed, we sat on the side of the hill picking flowers. What a fun adventure! We all slept for hours - well, everyone but Madhava he rested while watching hours of Scooby-doo! "Like that was fun! he he he he he he"

Shraddha is 21 months.

If you lay down with dogs....

It was another beautiful day here. Mid 70's and just right for gardening while Shraddha was playing with the dog and the water hose.

I was clearing weeds to prep for planting seeds and getting some much needed exercise and sun. Shraddha was just having a blast with the cat and the dog and the dirt. I was thinking how wonderful it is that she has so much to explore outside and she is being entertained without me, yeah! Until I looked back and noticed the dog digging in the dirt to make a nice soft cool damp place to sleep and Shraddha doing the same thing! She was using her feet to dig then laid down next to the dog. The dog is socializing my baby? That can't be a good thing. Thank goodness for advantix!

Shraddha's World

I found Shraddha busy nursing Elmo while watching Caillou and Rosie. I wasn't sure at first until she asked if he wanted the other side LOL!

She is on my lap nursing at the moment but let go to sing Elmo's world with her word for nurse. "me-me meme me-me meme Shraddha's world."

Here is the belt I crocheted for Shraddha in Gumdrop from Peaches & Cream

Ok, I think I'm done blogging today. Gotta eat, fold and wash, and other mommy and baby things to catch up on.

Adventures in Co-Sleeping with Shraddha

After spending half the day with Daddy, little Shraddha was completely worn out. She had no nap all day and was fighting a cold. She fell asleep on the way home but woke up as soon as we took her out of her car seat and said, "movie, movie, movie!" Daddy obliged and Shraddha was happy, at least until the movies were over and it was 11pm! She was full from nursing and still not asleep.
We took her to bed anyways and she was happy with getting under the covers and getting warm. But just as we were about to fall asleep she jumps up and says, "movie, movie, movie". We tell her it is night-night time. We sing her a song. She rests for a minute then jumps on our heads and says, "MO-MO, MO-MO....da-da? mo-mo dada MO-MO" (mo-mo = Elmo)
Again we tell her time to go to sleep. You can watch more movies in the morning. She then jumps between us and starts singing "ba ba baba ba ba baba...." All of a sudden Roger and I start laughing realizing she is singing the tune to Elmo's World. We sing along with her.
She eventually falls asleep using my face as her pillow.

Shraddha teaches Daddy signs

Shraddha got to spend the day with Daddy while I was at work for a few hours. She had a blast, and got to goto the park with Daddy. She used signs to tell Daddy that she wanted an apple and when he said, "Sorry Baby, but I don't know what that means."
She said, "apple" while twisting her fist to her cheek.
Daddy said "oh, apple"
Shraddha nods enthusiastically. After Daddy hands her the apple she taps the apple and says, "Dada, apple" as she signs it again and taps his hand.
Daddy makes the sign for apple and baby nods enthusiastically again and claps and says, "yeah, dada!"

About work: It is going ok. I enjoy helping people and certainly need the cash. But I hate being away from my baby especially on a day like today where she was sick and just needed Mama. She started crying as soon as she realized that I would be leaving for work and she would be staying with Daddy without me. UGH it kills me.

Big Bad Beautiful Storm

Ok so we were told it would be a big storm with 55mph winds and 15 inches of snow at 3000 ft. It may have been impassable at 4K ft, but her in Squaw Valley, there wasn't much rain or snow. But the clouds were spectacular!

I was up late Monday

night doing who knows what LOL! and I heard it rain and hail a little then all of a sudden it was deathly quiet outside. I opened the front door and got blasted with a whole face full of snow. I felt like I was in a snow globe. It is just so weird how snow makes no noise.

Just before the storm... Can you spot the Thunderheads?

Here is how it looked after the storm in the early morning before the sun hit the mountains.

So tell me, after seeing this picture, do you still wonder why I want to get up early, or why I want to live WAAAY out here in Squaw Valley and drive so far to work?

Family Time!

Sunday was Family Day again!
We were all ready to go to play in all the fresh new snow but Shraddha was too sniffely and feverish. So we stayed home and cleaned house. I even got a chance to steam clean the carpet.

Daddy made another yummy breakfast and we played outside for a little while between rain showers, until it got too cold. Brrrrr!

So we did lots of other rainy day things, like build with mega blocks, play with playdoh on Doh-Doh Island LOL! We also read some books, painted with watercolors and took a nap! A LONG NAP! Even Mommy got to catch a few winks while Shraddha was nursing and the cat was on both of us, purring and drooling.

Saturday was so much fun too!
After having a yummy French Toast breakfast from Daddy, Madhava and Shraddha played together and Madhava asked me to take this picture. Don't forget to include the new Bionicle toy from PopPop.


We packed up the car, including the dog and went to play with some friends at The Discovery Center and had Taco Bell there too. After which we went to Woodward Park and fed the geese and ducks our stale old bread.

Our picky little eater, Madhava, the one that doesn't really want to eat anything unless at least 50% of the calories come from SUGAR, was begging and begging for us to let him eat the old-nasty-frozen-for-6-months-heels! Funny how he is trying out all the different techniques for how to convince us to give him what he wants. He made the rounds at the park....almost calmly he would say, "I'm sorry but... I really want to do that!". Then there is getting mad and not taking another step until he gets it. Then there is....crying, I don't want to do anything, you guys are mean, I am the most neglected and abused child there ever was. Next comes getting grumpy and taking it out on sister or the dog with lots of little passive things. Until we tell him to stop asking and find a way to acknowledge him then distract him. That works, at least until he finds something else he can't do like swim with the ducks in the dirty, stinky duck pond! LOL! When it is 50 degrees outside! Ha ha ha that's a good one Madhava! "I'm sorry but I wasn't kidding...."

It snowed again!

This time it snowed it was Thursday night at 3am after a bout of rain and hail. It was fun waking up Friday (2/23/07) to a couple inches of snow. It was even more fun having hot water for a shower - in the morning! No frozen pipes yeah! And even better yet.... the snow melted on the road before I had to be on it!

This pic is from Tuesday I was raking the sticker burr weeds I just pulled up and noticed Shraddha and Zoey were playing a game of cat and mouse. Apparently, Zoey got tired of being the mouse and ran for cover on the other side of the fence! What was she gonna do to the "mouse" with that bucket anyway?

Well, while I was tearing out all the weeds (furiously I might add) I was dreaming of what I will be planting in the Spring. Right about the time I had giant sunflowers, flax and amaranth and fragrant herbs on my mind I almost fell knee deep into a gofer den! All that snow we got, that super hard freeze we had that lasted a week or more and the gofers and the weeds just flourished! Well, maybe that means that we will have TONS of wild flowers! I can't kill those! at least as long as I am not taking care of them and as long as the gofers aren't interested in them LOL!

Happy Valentines Day!

Ok so this is a late post. So sue me LOL! I forgot to put this pic up. Shraddha was very impressed with her outfit and especially loved her pink tights with hearts and flowers.

It was fun getting ready for the Valentines party Madhava went to at The Discovery Center. The whole family got to sit down at the table and be involved with making Valentines. Shraddha made it known that she was NOT being included enough at least not on anything as important. And was very happy to be handed a marker and a glue stick! I even made cupcakes with a frosting heart on top!

So is this the happiest little girl or what? She just loves her Bubba and was very happy to get a special hug from him for Valentines! Good thing Mama had the camera ;)

First big run of seminars...

Roger is in Indiana! He just traveled all night long and then went to a school to get their students to sign up for a seminar. They did. He then drove another 2 hours before he got to visit with another school owner and then go to sleep.

We have been so busy planning and preparing for this. And we are just so excited to finally be following through with our seminar plans.

Bummer is that the checked bags are lost. Funny thing is that I busted my booty buying, returning and exchanging clothes for him for the trip. Iron all the shirts, packed all the ties....etc... and the bags are lost. Too funny. So instead, he wears his scrubs. But scrubs and staying up all night, and he still makes an awesome impression on everyone.

Today, Shraddha and I got to stay home and just be. It was nice. I was scheduled to work but Beckie and her kids are all too sick and Roger is out of town, so we stay home.

Shraddha sucked down the fruit and yogurt smoothie I made and inhaled all the french toast. Well, so I thought. I picked up her tray to find half of it stuffed under it. She was full after nursing that smoothie.

Many times today she pretended Daddy was coming in the door. She was also asking for Bubba. I try being honest with her but i hate seeing her so sad when I say they will be here in a few days. So we went outside and made the best sandcastles because the sand was still wet from the rain. It was so nice and warm and sunny. It felt like 70 degrees. And Roger is stuck in 6-19 degree weather, at least the blizzard left before he got there. We also watched movies and played with the mega blocks....one of her top favorite toys.

I have a toddler poncho on the needles in light pink with some frilly fun fur for Shraddha. I also have a hat on the loom for Roger. And a scarf on the needles for Madhava. I did not start all of this today but I figure if I blog about it then maybe I will find time to finish the items. I am the most excited about the poncho at the moment. I just figured out how I am going to make it! Might need more yarn though.

Today Shraddha is 20 months old! She is doing better with me being at work today. Although, she isn't at all happy with it, she is making the best out of it with Daddy's and Bubba's help. And, of course Beckie somehow finds enough love and attention and fun time to go around. Pretty soon I bet Shraddha will let us remove her jacket while she is there! LOL.


Beckie's Sadie just loves Shraddha, and puppy's her LOL. She just loves to cuddle up to Shraddha for pets and hugs and kisses.

Beckie was telling me some of the funny things Madhava says to her..."You know...my Dad is a great spiritual teacher! (pause) and a monkey man!"
He also refers to Shraddha as "my baby". He recently decided to start speaking "Baby" and often forgets his "R" sounds just for fun. He says "I like to use my baby wo-ds for my baby".
- also explaining to me that he speaks like that so that "baby" can undastand him betta"

Shraddha is signing things like..."pretty colors", and "loud", she knows some of her colors. She signs and says "WUUUV EW' - for I love you. She loves Caillou but since she couldn't figure out how to say his name she said, "Rosie" (Caillou's baby sister). She also now says bee-bee for big bird, "AHM(taking a big bite out of the air) Yum-Yum for Cookie Monster. She also now requests, "me-may" for The Little Mermaid and "Shreik" Mooovie. She NEVER forgets to say, "Bye Saaaadie, Bye....See you!", whenever we drive away from home. She also always gives the kitties a big hug and kiss in the morning. Since the rain started she says and signs "wet and rain"....

Speaking of rain.... It just started pouring... I think the snow will be coming down to 5-6,000 ft tonite. Wow not just pouring... make that pounding! I'll log off now before I lose phone and electricity! Off to find candles!

Angela

Just let me finish this row!

Ok so the title isn't original LOL! But I do love to knit and I would love to figure out a way to find more time to knit without experiencing knitus interuptus. At least not having to put down my work in the middle of a row or for heaven sake in the middle of a stitch and then to come back and find that the Dog/cat/baby/son, became as enthralled in my work as me.

There is something about knitting though. It isn't like photography, or painting or drawing. It really isn't that permanent. There is comfort in the fact that we can, if we so choose, rip it out cause it is hideous and start fresh. Where else in life can you have a mulligan or redo like that?

In order to combat the overwhelming amount of weed seedlings flooding our property (we are talking full on green property spam here!), we are considering getting a goat or a sheep. All I can think about is all the free wool yarn or angora goat yarn. Of course that would involve carding and cleaning and who am I kidding?

Where's the Sandman when I need him?

Ahhhh, so that is how she looks when she is sleeping? I seem to have forgotten, since it has been so long since she has actually slept!

It's 11pm and Mommy and Daddy are exhausted b/c last night Baby would wake up and cry - not wanting to be touched then fall back asleep every hour or so, and Bubba with his asthma was coughing almost all night long needing numerous medications and treatments.

Time to go to bed baby... "no"

Mama and Dada are going to turn off the lights and go to bed.....(baby turns off lights and crawls in bed and just as my head almost hits the pillow......"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

Come on baby, let's have me-mes.... "no, MOVIE!"

"MOVIE MAMA MOVIE!!!"

Mama can't take anymore.... Mama puts on a short movie, hoping to fall asleep on the couch while baby falls asleep in the chair. Baby Einstein, she hasn't watched that in a while.

"MAMA! MAMA! MAMA!" Terrified little baby runs to me covering her face with a blanket and her hands on her ears. You'd think I put in Scooby Doo by mistake! Oh wait, THAT scarey show, she likes. Monsters, Inc.? nope, she loves that one too! It's definitely Baby Einstein, scaring the diapers off my baby. I'm totally perplexed here.

Makes me wonder how much she is NOT appreciating me going back to work - even if just for 8 hours. It means I am away from her for at least 5 hrs each day that I work. That just sucks!

This morning as we were getting ready I told her, "Today, Mommy is going to go to work..."

Before I could finish the sentence I get a really loud shrill "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

I wasn't really thinking she could understand what I was talking about. Then when I went to leave Beckie's she sticks out her lower lip and gives me a really sad face and refuses to look at me. Boy was she mad. I know she has a good time there with the kids and I know that Beckie and Danielle give her lots of attention. I just can't help feeling like I am really letting her down.

Ha! Five minutes of Signing Times video and she brings her blanket to me and asks for me-mes. Five more minutes of nursing and she sleeps while I blog.

Off to take my precious princess to bed...

Finally a full sized Blog

Now I have one more thing to cross off my list of things to do this year! I just updated my template and now have a full sized Blog... YAHOO!

So watch out! that means more pics and bigger pics!
It also means what ever stupid thing I have to say will be spread out all over the screen. great.
I think I'll go replenish my blood sugar before I continue.

Besides I have to get back to dishes and diapers and laundry, while my little princess sleeps.

Back to work

Just started back to work on Monday. I'm only working 8 hours or so a week. And Shraddha is enjoying her time with Beckie and playing with Danielle and Jack-Jack. She was giving Beckie hugs yesterday, and believe me.... not everyone gets hugs! She tries to say Danielle and Jack-jack.

The otherday I was at Beckie's house and Shraddha was asking "Mama? Mama? I want Danielle."

Work is kinda weird for me right now. I am trying to figure out what MY role is... or what will be important to me. In the past case management has been very important to me. I would even stay late to make sure everything was taken care of before I left. Now, Mothering my children is most important and I am leaving exactly on time.

I have very much enjoyed getting back intouch with a friend of mine. It seems I am replacing her as she is out on maternity. I really love her theory on being a per dium PT at a SNF. Usually (as case managers) we are pressured into seeing what the patient can do for us. No significant progress.... means no reimbursement... which means no further PT. But Kyndra's thoughts are, "What can I do for the patient?" That's IT! That is the exact reason I became a P.T. Not to be the intrument for the contracting company(AKA PT Pimps) or the SNF. I realized THAT is the very reason I have turned down so many other great paying jobs in this field. This is the theory that we use at our office but it feels good figuring how to apply it to inpatients too.

Momentary Mom Time

What am I up to?

At this very moment I am taking a break from deleting old emails. Found a few important ones that got lost in all the junk. Why didn't my spam folder catch the junk? Oh that is easy, That is because I signed up for the junk or already answered the important stuff but didn't take the time to file it into another folder. Down to 905 from 1024! WHOO hoo!

Shraddha is sleeping nicely on the floor near my feet. She is all wrapped up in her fuzzy pink blanket and working on cutting a few more teeth. I found an eye tooth peeking thru today.

Yesterday when I was changing her diaper, she noticed that I dumped the solid contents of her diaper into the toilet and flushed. Shraddha says, "Bye-bye, bye-bye poo-poo. See you..."

LOL "see you?" like "see you later?" I really really hope not!

What I want to be doing?

Besides getting this house cleaned up, I want to work on the layout of this blog... but all that takes time. And since we are woodland folk, up in them thar hills... we have slow slow slow dial-up and that makes anything on the internet very very slow...

I would also just love to have some more time to knit or crochet. I can catch up on reading while nursing but other than that, my time is baby's time. And since I feel so blessed to have her, and since time seems to just fly by... I just want to play and sing and cuddle with her and enjoy the here and now.

Madhava's mini interview

What is your favorite movie? Scooby Doo

What is your favorite toy? What my favorite toy is one of my Transformers
What do you like to do with your family? Go Outside and play and go to Target and play with toys.
What is your favorite color? Red
What is your favorite thing to do with Shraddha? Play in sandbox
What is your favorite thing to do with your dog Sadie ? Play fetch
What is your favorite book? Frosty the Snowman
If you could go anywhere in the whole world where would you go? Target, Disneyland and India.

The Journey

There is no WAY to happiness.

Happiness is the WAY,

So treasure evey moment you have

and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special,

Special enough to spend your time with.

Remember time waits for no one.

Happiness is a journey not a destination.

Of course it always helps to surround yourself with Giggle Goddesses and Doodle Buddies and MONTY PYTHON!

The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama

Family Snow Day!

It's Family Day again!

We still have small patches of snow! that is 14 days since the last snow day!
But not enough snow to really play in so this weekend we went up to 7000ft up by Kings Canyon and found a foot or two. That is just enough to go sledding! The sled is a perfect way to get the kids back up the mountain and back to the car too! Shraddha had a blast riding on Bubba's back while he held on the sled, all the way back to the car.

Shraddha is 19 months and LOVES to slide down the snow with Daddy. I am afraid that my screaming down the mountain isn't quite as fun for her. Madhava (5yrs) got to slide down all by himself this time! He even learned how to bale out to keep from crashing! And Sadie loves to run down along with us while all three of us slide. She has a blast in the snow. And of course we all sat and enjoyed a bit of a winter fresh snow cone including Sadie! Silly dawg was chasing snow balls but ate them while bringing them back to us.

We all went to bed early that day, but we plan on going up to the snow more often... as soon as we get more LOL!

More Frosty Fun!

Swamini

From an interview with Clea McDougall, Ascent magazine, Spring 2006:
Clea McDougall: You are the spiritual leader of your Ashram in Southern California. How did you become a teacher?

Swamini Turiyasangitananda:
It started with taking the sannyas. That was a total mystical experience. It was God's deliverance of His anointed mercy on me. I was told the night and time, and to be prepared, so I got ready and put on a white dress and all, and I noticed when the time came, the colors of orange were poured into the cloth of the dress. And I just watched it happen. I just watched as everything turned into the saffron color. And my name was given, of course, and the whole outline of the duty, the work and mission were also revealed.
One of the directives given to me was to start the Ashram. I felt I could serve in any way that God wished. If He wants you to do charity work or humanitarian work or however He wishes to utilize you, maybe just talking or giving musical concerts is fine. Many people have a musical ministry. Whatever was ordered, I would have been happy to receive.

http://www.alicecoltrane.org/index.html

Here are some samples from her recent album:
Hymn
Satya Sai Isha

"Alice Coltrane was the most humble, spiritually profound person I have ever known. She was my meditation teacher; and, for years I have prepared for this day. All I wanted was to have the spiritual clarity to continue in God's will after her leaving the physical plane (January 12, 2007); and, I have that now. For this I am eternally grateful. I love her with all my heart, my spiritual mother. And, my communication with her is not over. Om." - Roger

Holy Frozen Flurries Batman

(This pic was taken the next morning AFTER the snow plow drove by!)

It is COLD! We had our first real snow. Over 2 inches and looking at the temp of 24-27 degrees at 8pm... the snow is likely to stay. The road was so frozen over that I couldn't get the car up over our hill and around the corner to our driveway. Something about the slippery slope into a rocky ravine really freaked me out. The nice icy slope up the measly little curb didn't make me feel much better either! I wanted to just walk the 600 ft but that was almost as bad. Ever tried walking up hill on ice? When Roger was placing the chains on his car (thank goodness he was right behind me), he leaned on his car to keep from slipping and the whole car slipped a bit! When I left home this morning it took a little while to melt the frost off the window. The frost was so thick the frost had frost. At 8am it was clear and sunny and appeared to be warming up. Tons of stars tonite and no clouds anywhere. I guess that is why they call it flurries LOL.

ok, taking my frosty self to bed.

Sleepless in Squaw Valley

Shraddha was soooo tired when we got home last night and so was I so we went to bed relatively early. She was in a light sleep....THEN Daddy came home LOL. She got her second wind and in an attempt to compensate for how tired she was she went WACKO! Running around screaming and laughing. I was still in bed when I could hear Roger pleading with Shraddha to come to bed.

After 20 min or so of me being exhausted and Shraddha doing nursing aerobics and jumping back and forth over me to be with Daddy then to nurse(with Mommy LOL) then beat on Daddy then sleep on Mommy's head.... I gave up and gave in. "Hey Baby....You wanna watch Elmo?" It worked like a charm. She watched Elmo and Mommy slept. When it was over she came back to bed and went to sleep somewhere around midnight.

So I'm still tired and so is Roger. Only he is far more tired because he gave up at the same time I did and went to sleep in Madhava's room. And then Madhava woke up around 4:30 am. I have to laugh... this is like some sort of torcher test right?...like for the CIA? Is it passwords that you want? My cell phone # for telemarketers? Whatever it is I will give it up just let me SLEEEEEEEEP. I'm so weak LOL.

Tonite I was just thinking about watching a little bit of ANYTHING BUT ELMO before I went to bed. But how can I resist....Mama Mama? Mo-Mo Mo-Mo? PEEEEAAAASE? with her head cocked to the side and leaning forward looking into my eyes with the perfect pleading expression on her face? Where did she learn that? NO FAIR.....

La la la la La la la la Elmo's World....

Pics.... Madhava's Choice

Halloween Jamboree cookie eating contest with the twin spidies.


2% Sugar and spice and everything nice, 98% Breastfed! Shraddha 16 months.

This is ZOEY 2 years old, and this is MOUSEY 19 years old.
Madhava on top of the WORLD!
Shraddha bouldering on a mini boulder! 17 months