Family Time!

I really need to vaccum and steam clean the carpet but everyone in the house is napping but me and the fish and I am not so sure they aren't napping too! So I am sitting down to post about Mother's Day.

But today was a blast! and I need to blog on that first!
We had a busy busy day today! Madhava painted ONE fence post before his arm was going to fall off (from pure boredom).Took longer to prep him to paint then it did for him to get tired of it LOL! Then he took on the job of entertaining Shraddha while Roger and I painted the fence posts. I still think entertaining Shraddha was a much harder job, but more fun. They were playing in the sprinklers and in the kiddie pool. Madhava was trying hard to keep his head above the 1 foot of water while Shraddha the Shark clobbered him. Then after they ate all the watermelon they could stand and were completely waterlogged they rode trikes. That was great fun until Shraddha got too frustrated and demanded Bubba push her around the property in her stroller. 4x4 hopping bumping stroller ride around our gofer holes and dog dirt mounds was screaming fun! The sprinklers that were forgotten were just too tempting for big brother and we ended our outside fun when Shraddha, self strapped into the stroller, was stuck out in the sprinklers. But I was very ready to be done painting fence posts anyway LOL!

Here is Shraddha waking Madhava up after naptime so they can go swing together with Daddy, notice her mouth is open wide so she can scream really loudly - just in case Bubba thought he could go back to sleep.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day May 13th, 2007
I haven't had a chance to post about my Mother's Day until now. After a nice French Toast breakfast by Roger, we all went outside to play. Ok well, Roger went out to bring our property up to fire code by doing some bushwackin' while Shraddha and I picked wildflower bouquets.

The weeds were so high and thick that we couldn't get to the flowers until a path was cut down at least not without stepping on any snakes! Shraddha was so excited to see the flowers... there were so many that the surrounding hillsides looked purple.

She was even more excited to get a chance to cut the flowers herself.


We broke out the Playdough and our new Mr. Playdough Head parts. One of the best toys we have ever bought! This is serious playtime as you can see, it goes on for almost an hour! The novelty still hasn't worn out she plays with it everyday that we are home.

Shraddha had to try the nose on herself just to make sure it was going to be a good fit.

Mother's Day Orchids!

Playing Opossum

Madhava was telling me yesterday that he would really like to see a opossum. I explained that they were sure to live out here but that I haven't seen even one. Then, of course, tonight I open my front door to see what the dog is barking at, to find a baby opossum hanging on the fence we put around our lilac tree.

Cutest little thing hissing at me and showing me his/her? 50 teeth when I got too close. But somehow decided it was ok to let me put it in my hat to bring in the house and show Madhava. I just now realized that those huge city sized rats that the dog/cat have been leaving at my front door were not really rats. It seems this opossum's siblings probably played possum and the dog/cat had their fun. This one here was the only one smart enough to climb UP!

Why was this little guy in my yard? I was thinking it was the dog food but since the first "rat" showed up we moved it. But our yard has a plethora of slugs, grasshoppers, frogs, lizards, mice and vegetation. A regular 'possum smorgasbord!

Here is the little marsupial in my hat and everyone but me the cat and dog are asleep. Check out that cute little prehensile tail.

Here are a couple other visitors that are not playing possum. A skink and blue belly lizard.

More posts to come.... Mother's Day pics, Mr. Play-dough Head, More on Potty training.

What am I doing today?

Well, besides spending lots of playtime and cuddle time with Shraddha, I broke out the paints and started on a picture that has been developing for some time. Shraddha enjoyed watching and painting with me. She went on and on about "Mama paint, Baby paint...MORE PAINT!!!! sigh.... I am cleaning the kitchen, the bathrooms and I hope to get to vacuum and do some yoga oh and finish planting my strawberries and herbs in my strawberry pot... nice and safe from gofers HA! but not babies LOL! I had to turn the A/C on it is HOT in here at 6pm 82 degrees and the sun shinning right in! - usually if I can make it thru 8pm I just need to open the windows.

This week I plan on...

1. hitting the gym - I even have a list of yoga classes.

2. Returning those library books for the kids - would have been cheaper to buy them by this point LOL.

3. Finding some time to play with my yarn.

4. Last and certainly not least.... make sure I have some structured meditation time every day. I certainly am meditative and receive much intuitive info during those times but it isn't structured where I can go deeper into meditation.

Funny how relevant this is with some conversations I have been having lately.

Sai Baba thought of the day...

Evil qualities like desire, anger and hatred may arise in you at times but
they should not be allowed to take root in the mind. When someone comes to your doorstep with his baggage, if you receive him and start exchanging pleasantries, he will immediately enter and settle down in your house. On the other hand, if you ignore him completely, he will seek lodging elsewhere. Likewise, when evil thoughts arise, just ignore them. On the other hand, if you entertain them, they will rule over you. When you come across something evil, do not look at it, talk about it or listen to it; just ignore it. You should permit entry into your mind
only that which is sacred. Do not allow evil to enter. Only then can you attain peace. - Baba

Good Job Shraddha!

Shraddha pooped in the potty! Whoo HOOOO! I will spare you the pictures on this one.
But if you could just see how proud she was and her beaming smile. Funny how poop can make a mom's day a little brighter!

I gave her a big hug and two stickers. Where did she stick the stickers? Right on her diaper of course.

Family Time!

I just finally uploaded my pictures to the computer. I had this post saved as a draft since Monday!

Another Big Family Weekend!
May 5 & 6, 2007
Saturday:

Roger cleared out some high grass and made room to get the truck out and room to plant some trees! The grass was so thick and so high that you couldn't see if there were snakes. So it was totally inaccessable to us. And I have had enough of chopping up rattlesnakes for this month!

We purchased some trees that we have been wanting since we moved here!

Fuji Apple, Asian pear (Apple-Pear), Almond, Pomegranet, Cherry and Apricot. Redwood for the front yard.

I still have a bunch of herbs and strawberries to plant and even have some sunflowers starting to pop out of the dirt. I was just thinking it was getting late and I really wanted to get some basil planted when I noticed that all the little weeds where the basil was last year are actually basil seedlings YEAH! I have a TON!

We also went to a carnival for Centerville. I met a friend I haven't seen in 4 years! And remembered why it had been 4 years. Somthing about her husband being my ex's best friend. That is a little hard on a friendship. I think I was the one that just let it go. Plus she abruptly ended the conversation with a patronizing pat on my shoulder when she asked if I was working and I said that I was only working a few hours a week b/c I really wanted to be home with my baby. It is amazing to me how you can be so close to someone and have many of the same values and common interests - until you have children and go in opposite directions.

I am very lucky and happy to have the opportunity to surround myself with moms and friends that are supportive and that have the same parenting ideals that I have.

Sunday:

We went to play at a garden center and purchased some more plants and gofer bate. Blueberry Misty and Thompson seedless grapes YEAH! and chocolate mint YUM!

We decided we want a tree for shading the roof and the front yard but haven't picked it out yet.
Chinese Pistachio, Liquid amber? Ginko, Aspen? Silverdoller eucolyptus? maybe something that flowers? or a ornamental purple red plum? - ah maybe not by the front door. And we want a kumkwat tree and a meyer lemon! roses, jasmine, and gardinia.

I just could barely get the laundry clean and hung out to dry and all the meals (but breakfast) and all the dishes cleaned as well as watering the plants. between all that and babytime and time at the nursery.... I still didnt get the laundry folded. and I am stealing my sleeping time to get caught up on emails some peaceful time alone and blogging.

Ok, time to fly

That's right, I'm going back to making lists. I've got lists for everything. Nothing seems to get done if it isn't on a list. And why create a list when one has already been made. So, Flylady, hear I come!

I'm also working on a time log so I can figure out where all my time goes. I feel like I bust booty all day sometimes just so see that it looks I did nothing all day.

And I absolutely need to get back to yoga, working out, a regular meditation time and knitting and crochet . It is absolutely amazing how much creativity comes back when your house is in order. (Now to just keep it that way) I keep thinking about getting back to painting and already have the picture in my head.

Oh and blogging. LOL I need to update this page - I still have a snowy pic up there. And believe me it is NOT snowy here right now. Had the A/C running this past week! Tons of wildflower pics and beautiful yellow hills. Have to upload those tomorrow.

Babyfest is over!

Shraddha loved Gymboree and I was happy to steal some time away to play with her. Usually Daddy gets to take the kids to all the fun entertainment but this weekend he was in Indiana doing a seminar. Shraddha got to be in the Sling Fashion show but wasn't about to wave b/c she didn't want to drop her water!

WHEW! This year I was much more involved and somehow involved in many more projects! But it was a success! It was nice that we could reschedule the fest to this past warm sunny weekend. The weather had it in for us last weekend. We not only got rained out... we were full on WASHED OUT! We retained almost 70% of our vendors for the "re-do" and even had new ones sign up at the last minute! We even had our highest attendance ever with 1000 people.


Now I get to catch up with my house and my family. Roger says I was kidnapped by Babyfest!

Shraddha wasn't exactly selling T-shirts but she was wearing one! It was so warm she was sucking down Evian like crazy! She was even sweet enough to make sure I had some water too. "Mama wawa, Baby wawa"






To learn more about Babyfest see FresnoBabyFest.com

catching up and Shraddha Says

I have tons of pics to post and tons to say but I am still catching up with my Fresno Babyfest job and the house. Last week I was very busy with work and this week I am really behind.

But I will take a micro moment here to talk about some funny things Shraddha says before I forget.

Yesterday someone said, "Hi cutie" to her and she looked up at the woman and said, "Hi pretty!"

She also calls things that she wants "shrieky". And at times refers to herself as "Shraddhie"

She also asks for Daddy and Bubba in the afternoon. And she looks at me to wait for an answer. Then is sooooo sad when I tell her that Bubba is with his other mommy.

Good news is that I have been able to leave Shraddha with Beckie now 2 or 3 times without all the crying and screaming for Mamma and Dadda!

Back to Babyfesting and Homekeeping.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

Mad Libs?

Whatever happened to my last post - I will never know. It looks like Mad Libs or well it did till now. That used to be my favorite game... It always cracked me up, but I had not intended that on this blog LOL. Communication difficulty anyone? Problem? what communication problem.


I know I _________ the words but you just didn't ___________know what I mean?

Well, all is better now. LOL. at least the words are in place now... it may still need deciphering though, especially for those with less estrogen.

Here is my drive home. Can you believe there is still snow in the mountains when it is 88 degrees outside? There are actually tons of wildflowers now! Can't wait to get those pics up!

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!