2007 comes to a close

So this brings us into December. Another crazy month but we all managed to survive. John traveled to Germany for a week. We were fortunate to go to Berlin last year around the same time and it absolutely beautiful there. I was jealous that he got to go again although it was for work and not leisure.

Noah's school put on a Christmas program that was fun to watch. He of course, didn't participate at all. He spent the first 10 minutes howling because he did not want to go on stage and spent the rest of the time watching his friends perform from the audience and was perfectly content with that. I was amazed however that the director of the school was able to get the kids organized enough to perform songs with memorized lyrics considering that the age range is 2 1/2 to 6 years old. I have a hard time teaching that age group to draw in a classroom setting let alone perform on stage. I can't say enough good things about the school.

Noah's language has just exploded this last month and I can't believe the vocabulary on that kid! He is definitely at the age where we have to spell things and really watch what we say. You only have to say something once and he has it down. He has also decided that it is fun to bug his sister, particularly since she is mobile now and into everything, including his toys. It is impossible to get anything done and keep an eye on them both simultaneously. If you turn your head for a second, someone usually ends up crying. But Noah is not to blame completely, Anisha is learning the art of manipulation and it's to the point now where if Noah walks by her, she screams bloody murder.

Anisha got her top 2 teeth this month and let me tell how fun that was! Not so much. She also caught a stomach bug a few days before John was to leave for his trip. She got so dehydrated because she couldn't keep anything down, that we ended up in the ER and that was the most awful experience ever. Once she got some fluids in her though she was slowly able to eat and keep it down and was back to her old, mischievous self in a week. Of course, Noah then caught it and so did I, although not quite as bad, so I felt like I was doing laundry all the time. I don't ever want go through that again. But I do finally understand why my parents get so concerned when we get sick. It's just an inherent part of being a parent to worry and feel so helpless. I'm not sure that is ever going to go away.

Moving on to fun and exciting things...Christmas Eve was pretty mellow with the four of us and my dad, but we sure had a lot of fun. Noah really understood the concept of a gift this year and had a blast opening presents from us. Our family has typically always opened gifts on Christmas Eve. John's usually did presents from Santa on Christmas, so our kids get the best of both worlds. Spoiled rotten, I know. Anisha had a really good time playing with all the packaging, so I'm not sure why we even bothered to get any gifts. John's mom came over Christmas morning and then we spent Christmas day at the Mullin's house in Hugo. John's dad side of the family is rather large so it's always a lot of fun to visit them. John's brother, Dan and his wife Paige, and their 3 kids, Kylie, Ryan and Jesse, were also there, so Noah ran around like a crazy person. He slept pretty good that night.

The best part of the month was the 28th, because my mom finally returned from her trip to India (she was there since mid-October). I felt such relief when she got home, I can't even describe it. Noah was pretty excited to see his Dida. Anisha didn't quite remember her and was a little cautious around her.

John and I ended up trading both of our cars in for new ones. His truck was costing basically a car payment in gas a month because of his commute to work everyday. So he ended up getting a sedan. My issue was a space issue. My SUV was awesome, but once you put the stroller in the back, that was it. No room for anything else. So I bit the bullet and decided being a mini-van mom isn't going to be so bad. Both of them have so many bells and whistles, it's ridiculous. That's the only way to describe it. They make these things so that you can live in them.

So we bring 2007 to a close and I can't believe how blessed we are. I am grateful for so many things, my family, friends, kids and all the opportunities presented to us that makes our lives richer (and I don't mean with money). Thanks to everyone for all your love and support, we wish you a Happy New Year!

Highlights from November

Noah is obsessed with trains. He has many train sets around the house and trains to drive on the tracks. Thomas is his favorite and he enjoys watching the movies as well. I'm not really sure if I like the Thomas stories or not. The trains are always fighting and teasing each other. Sometimes they make up in the end, but I'm not really clear as to what message the children are supposed to learn. They all seem kind of bratty to me. Anyhow, I never knew that we had so much railway history here in the Twin Cities. A couple of Noah's favorite places in the model train museum in Bandana Square in St. Paul. http://www.tcmrm.org/ It has a huge model train set up and running that duplicates what the railroads were like in the Twin Cities during the 30's, 40's and 50's. Noah could watch those trains go by for hours and it's funny because Anisha actually enjoys watching it as well.

The other place that we found is the Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul. It has actual train cars that kids can play in, train sets that the kids can play with and a little gift shop with, of course, Thomas and Friends toys. The best part of this museum is the caboose ride. Noah was pretty excited about riding in a real train car, but he wasn't so fond of the noise.


John is still at Boston Scientific in a management position and I'm sure you have heard about all the layoffs. His job is safe for now but it requires a lot more of his time and he has been traveling quite extensively lately. While this has been a little rough for the family, he has been fortunate enough to see some exciting places. He spent a week in Japan during the month of November which turned out to be perfect timing because Noah's school has been studying Japan this month as well. There was lots of material for show and tell. I'm jealous of all the fabulous sushi he got to eat. There is link to his photos on the left.

This was Anisha's first Thanksgiving and we were spent it at the Mitra's house, close friends of the family. Noah had a blast playing with his cousins, Natalie and Nicholas. Anisha had fun too, but she is at the age where strangers and large crowds are a bit overwhelming, so she stuck close by me most of the night.



A couple of days later, we went to the Mustaphi's house to celebrate the engagement of Rai and Scott (finally!). We had a lot of fun catching up with everyone and we are looking forward to another exciting wedding-reunion! Although we will have to wait until 2009...

Highlights from October

October turned out to be an exciting month for us. Noah went on his first field trip with his school. They visited a local apple orchard and I was fortunate to be a chaperone. The day ended up being pretty cold and rainy so we didn't actually get to go and pick apples from trees. But we did make apple juice and all the kids picked some apples from the boxes in the giant cooler. This was also Noah's very first ride on a school bus. I thought he was going to explode with excitement.







Anisha had a big month developmentally. She cut her first teeth on the 20th and started crawling shortly after. She doesn't do the typical crawl though, it's more of an army crawl and man, can she move!

It was also Anisha's first Halloween and true to form, I waited until the last possible moment to buy both costumes. Anisha was a peapod and Noah was Thomas the Tank. He was a little confused about walking up to the neighbor's houses and ringing the door bell, but once he saw what they were giving he had a good time. The turnout was pretty low this year in our neighborhood and so we had a lot of leftover candy. Noah's a big fan.








I was excited to get some girl time and visit my friend Monisha in Chicago over a weekend. Rai came in from D.C. and the three of us had a fabulous time eating, shopping and relaxing. We are already looking forward to next year and making this an annual event.

Highlights from September

So it's literally been almost 3 months since I posted anything and I can't even believe that much time has gone by. So I am going to take it one month at a time to catch up here. September started off with Anisha's Annaprasan on Labor Day weekend. Everything went off without a hitch and was a ton of fun, but I felt so rushed that it seemed like it was only 15 minutes long. Anisha was a complete angel and really enjoyed all the food. She ended up picking the gold bracelet which I think means wealth...but so does the money, so I'm not really sure. All I know is that since then, she has shown an interest in any type of jewelry so I'm sure the teenage years will be a blast. There are pictures from the Annaprasan in link to the left.

Noah started Montessori school in September and this was a really huge adjustment for the both of us. He still attends 3 full days a week like he did at daycare, but the school is 20 minutes away (instead of 2 minutes) and the school day begins at 8:30am. Those of you who know me well, know I am a huge night owl and 8:30am is early. Especially since we need to wake up at 7:30am to get there on time (kind of). The first 2 weeks there, they really focused on manners, like standing in a single file line with hands behind their backs. And when they sit on the floor during group time, they have to sit with legs crossed (which they call criss-cross applesauce) with hands in their laps. Noah immediately caught on to this and liked it so much that we have to sit like that at home. He really connected with all the teachers and enjoys the structure of his day, which is something I couldn't give him at home. My schedule changes so much from day to day that I was thankful he adapted so quickly.

A New School Year

I have completely forgotten how busy this time of year is. Trying to get schedules coordinated with 40 different accounts, hiring and training teachers to teach those accounts, attending open houses...yikes. I am tired and I have 2 more weeks of this before things become a little more manageable. I haven't had time to post anything from Anisha's Annaprasan yet, but I will soon. I did add a link to the photos though. More to come...

State Fair 07

The State Fair is a highly anticipated event for John and I. Although it usually marks the end of summer, anyone who knows us, knows how much we love to eat. So many foods on a stick and it's all so greasy, mmmmm.... So it's a little disappointing that our own son, doesn't enjoy eating the same way we do. This year however, he surprised us both by wanting to at least try everything we were eating. We started with corn fritters, fried green tomatoes, quesadilla, fried apples, scotch egg, corn dogs and roasted corn. Anisha spent the whole time staring at us like we were so cruel to eat in front of her and not offer anything. I am finding that breastfeeding is the perfect time to go stuff yourself at the fair because I never get full. We will most likely be going again before it ends on labor day, but the kids will not be with us.

You will notice in the photos that we are all wearing an obnoxious orange t-shirt. John's employer, Boston Scientific, provided these shirts for the family along with discounted tickets, so I felt a little obligated to wear them. I have to say though, that when your toddler takes off into the crowd, it's easy to spot him wearing such a bright shirt.

Photos and Facebook

So I found the camera and here are some pictures of my baby girl and Noah at the wedding last weekend. She is growing up so fast and already making crawling motions. She will be 6 months already on September 7. Her Annaprasan ceremony is next weekend. Noah is growing up too. He will be attending a montessori school next month. I am very excited for him to actually learn something, but I know the change is going to be difficult for him. His new favorite phrase is "Gimmee dat." And when I give him the mom look, he says, "Gimme dat, peez."

I have recently entered the realm of Facebook and I am intrigued. This blog has been added to my page and I am trying figure out what 'poking' someone means. I started with 1 friend (thanks Suman!) and in a couple of days I am up to 8! Yippee! This is all just more stuff I have to keep up with (in all the spare time I have) and yet for some reason I can't ignore it. We'll see how it goes. If anyone has tips, please find me and share them.

Busy Times

So I've been reprimanded by many people lately because it's been a month since I've posted anything. I'm not sure where the month of August has gone, but it's been a whirlwind of activity.

The beginning of the month started off with the Uptown Art Fair. We usually miss it every year so this time I was determined to go. We ended up meeting our good friends, Amy and Jose, there and wandered around. John and I fell in love with a beautiful photo, but decided it would be better not to buy it so impulsively. It was pretty expensive and I think we made the right decision. Although, when I walk past the spot I planned to hang it, I shed a little tear. Just a small one.

The next weekend, John's cousin, Erica, got married. I was her maid of honor and it was a beautiful ceremony.

This past weekend proved to be the most hectic as a very close family friend got married. I grew up with Ina and her family, and she is basically like a little sister to me. It was a 3 day event and so much fun! A lot of people who used to live in Minnesota came to the wedding and it was so great to see them and catch up. My dad and I decided that there should be a big wedding every year so we can all hang out and enjoy ourselves. (Did you get that Rai?)

Next weekend we are going to the state fair to pig out and then the following weekend is Anisha's Annaprasan (rice ceremony). I can't believe she is almost 6 months old!

On top of all this, Noah has been quite challenging up until a couple of days ago. He was not sleeping which caused him to be VERY cranky and whiny. He has entered his "Noah's turn" phase so we pretty much have to do everything twice. The first time I complete a task, because I forget that he wants to do it. This is followed by a lot of whining and screaming and then I have to undo everything I just did, so that he can do it himself. It's impossible to get out the door on time. He surprised everyone tonight however, by opting to skip his milk and cookies and decided he wanted to go to sleep. I am still in shock. I had so much time on my hands I didn't know what to do with myself.

Anisha continues to be an angel, so far. Although I think she is teething so she has her moments. But those moments are short lived and she usually just falls asleep eventually. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she stays this way.

I will post some pictures soon. Noah hid my camera and I have no idea where he put it. Sigh. Life would be boring without him I think.

Milestones

Well, both of our kids have reached important milestones. As of today, Anisha is rolling over on to her stomach. Although she hasn't quite figured out how to get her arm out from underneath her body. It's pretty funny. She is growing so quickly, I don't know where the time goes.

Noah is talking in sentences now and he gets better everyday. I'm sure I am one of the only people that can understand what he is saying, but it's still pretty amazing to be able to converse with him. His favorite sentence is "What's [insert name] doing?" I think if I counted how many times he says that in one day, it would be over a hundred. Lucky me...I get to answer him that many times in one day.

Road Trip

This past weekend, we (the Mullin's and my parents) took a VERY impromptu road trip to Milwaukee to visit my aunt and uncle. John was returning from a business trip from Ireland and happened to reach him during his layover in Newark. He courageously agreed to go with us and so we rented a minivan and departed from my parents house at 5:30pm. It took about 6 1/2 hours to get there. This was not Noah's first trip, but he did so great. And Anisha, well we didn't hear a peep out of her all weekend. Ok, that's not entirely true. On our way up, we stopped at Taco Bell because Noah's favorite food are tacos. I was ravenous and ended up eating way more than I should have. I paid for it the next day and so did poor Anisha, but it was short lived.

We had such a great time just relaxing and catching up. Road trips are great, but driving home is always such a chore. The highlight of the trip home however was that we had to stop in a small town for a diaper emergency. All of a sudden we heard a train whistle and it started to come by about 100 feet away from us. Noah is obsessed with trains, so you can imagine how excited he was (and a little scared, it was pretty loud).

The 4th of July

Independence day was spent with the extended Mullin family in Hugo, MN. (Close to Stillwater) Every year, John's uncle Jim, hosts this very important celebration. He views it as an incredible teaching opportunity for the next generation(s) as to why this holiday should not be taken lightly. In short, without this holiday, we would not be able to celebrate any of our holidays, regardless of race or religion.




We began the evening with an enormous feast and lots of catching up. We only see some of John's cousins once a year at this gathering. Next we get ready for the parade. The entire family decorates bikes, tractors, wagons...you name it! We also put some decor on ourselves to get in the spirit. Then we parade through the neighborhood and make our way back for an inspiring talk about the significance of the 4th and a ceremonial raising of the flag, followed by the pledge of allegiance. This year we were entertained by a hilarious magician and the kids (and there are A LOT of them in the Mullin family) participated in minnow races. Noah even came in 2nd overall! He was very proud of his little minnow. The evening commenced with fireworks in the backyard. Anisha slept through the whole thing and Noah enjoyed them very much...from inside the house and daddy's hands over his ears.

Noah is 2 1/2 years old now and Anisha is 4 months. I'm not sure where the time goes. Watching them grow up is so amazing and already their interaction is heartwarming. Here is Noah reading to his "bonu" (which means little sister) in the morning. They both adore eachother. Noah is already very protective of her and gives her many hugs and kisses. Anisha recognizes his voice and stops whatever she is doing, even if it's eating, to turn her head and find him. Watching him play is one her favorite activities.

Here is the most recent photo of the both of them taken on July 3, 2007.

Hiking at Minnehaha Falls

Noah and Anisha are both outdoor kids. I call them my "granola babies." So John and I decided that this summer we would take them hiking any free weekend and take advantage our beautiful state. Our first adventure, was to a very local destination, Minnehaha Falls. John and I used to visit when we were first dating (almost 13 years ago...yikes!). The city has made many changes and updates to the park area. There is now a bike path along the upper park area. There is a restaurant adjacent to the parking lot which features seafood, but we haven't tried it yet. Noah had a great time exploring the path and was mesmerized by the falls. Anisha loved hanging out in the baby bjorn with mom and never made a peep. It was a successful outing and we're looking forward to many more.