A little Rod Stewart...

Remember the song, "If Ya Think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart? Well, don't laugh but that's been ringing in my head. Want to know why? I FIT INTO MY OLD CLOTHES! Yahoo! Woohoo!

If you have felt any earthquakes around you it's probably me dancing to my own tune and feeling like me again. Three long months after delivering Sohan and the time has finally come that I can actually take a pair of pants off the rack in my closet and put them on vs. staring at them as if they were an old dinosaur.

Every time I wear something Saloni tells me that I'm not fat anymore and that my "buttocks are small"! Gotta love the honesty of children. But more than anything a huge piece of my self esteem is back and I walk straighter and feel happier. A girlfriend of mine asked me over lunch what is it that I want to feel and I told her that with everything keeping me so busy, I want to be organized. And she said "Nope, that's not a feeling. Try again." Well, the first word to pop out was "sexy". Yes, I want to feel sexy and attractive. There I said it.

So, on goes the deep red lipstick and my favorite chinos and my polo shirt and on goes a good dose of confidence. Confidence that I haven't had in a while, but you know what? It was always there, it was just hiding under that excess weight...

Poem for a Blistery Day

Crashing down the rain comes
in droves
in buckets
in dollops with wind,

The trees dance in a poetic kind of way
Once to the left
then to the right
then back and forth in a swaying motion,

The sounds of the storm
seep through every window
Entering the room
like a squeaky wheel down the street,

Flashlights and candles ready for action
Bundled in blankets and sighs,

Waiting, commiserating,
Till the evening falls onto the day
like a high tide onto the sand,

Goodnight oh wind and rain
and stars and moon
and land and trees
and to the song of night I swoon...

Surprise!

Surprise Sohan!

The call came Thursday night that Uncle Brijen from Scottsdale, AZ, had to come into town for a meeting. We got excited as did the little pumpkins that company was coming. What we didn't know was who else was at the airport when Sunil went to pick him up. Surprise! Aunt Bijal arrived in tow! I didn't know until they all came home that she had come along too. It was just great. Lots of hugs and smiles all at once. Nothing like the feeling of family in town, you know? Mom and Dad came over for dinner and we had a jolly weekend talking, eating, watching the Olympics and splitting time between the Jaguar game and the beach. After Khushbu left, I was pretty down and out, so having Bijal come to cheer me up was really sweet.

Sunil and I can already tell they're going to make great parents as they were all over Saloni and Sohan. We even thought it would be fun for them to take Sohan back to Scottsdale and surprise Aunt Ragi whose sons are heading to college this week. Wouldn't that be fun? All in all, we made the most of their short visit which seemed longer than a weekend - good times are like that. I've always believed that good company makes the days seem longer and sun feel brighter...so thanks for the visit guys...and come back soon!

Sandcastle Queens

Time to head back before dark

















In Good Company

Baby Steps

It's funny how so many people told me that I wouldn't get to spend enough time with our second child. Of course, the attention is much more divided, but it's still there and I often linger longer holding Sohan than I thought I'd get a chance to. When I stand back to see the growth in Saloni who will be three next month, I'm amazed at this young lady in progress. I absolutely love being able to see how genetics work and how her personality has developed. Her biggest thing right now is her obsession with wearing clothes from "the boys' section". No pink, no dresses and certainly no hair ornaments of any kind! This photo is a rare moment when the teacher had to change her clothes because she spilled jello on them, so of course, I had to grab my camera! The last time I saw her in pink she was two.

Holding a mock cotton candy she made from school

Baby steps

Sohan will be three months old next week and is just a hoot! He's been grabbing at things, smiling at the sight of people and the sound of music and making the cutest gurgling sounds. I love calling my parents in CA who can't wait to see him and putting the phone to his mouth while he says all he can say in his language. I was feeding him the other day and when his foot kept bouncing off of mine, it really made me pause and think...wow...from baby steps to leaping steps, he's going to grow into a man someday.

You see, some days, my days are pink, some are blue, and some are just full of moments and memories that I can't wait to share when they are older.

It's Sweet to be Seventeen

A Jag fan for just one night!

This summer we've felt our youngest. With our 18-year old cousin Anooj visiting us from Scottsdale, AZ in June and more recently, our 17-year old cousin, Khushbu from Plano, TX, having them share their last days before heading to college were some of the best days we've had. Admitting that Sunil and I are pretty much twice their age revealed itself in how easily they could stay up late and how hard it was for us to do the same each night! But we loved the humor, the stories, the help and the overall attitude they have at this point in their life.

Swinging with Saloni

Khushbu came last year for about a week, but this time her 13-day stay was full of fun. I can't even begin to tell you how lucky I felt that her parents let us have her for that long. Honestly, she spoiled us with her adorable personality and ever-smiling help with the kids. There were countless times when she had to jump in the backseat while I'm flying down the road to feed Sohan or run upstairs to get one of the 100 things Moms must remember to bring when taking the kids out. We did a million projects around the house while eating, laughing, telling embarrassing stories and even stopping to take naps. And oh, did I mention how many lovely errands she joined me on? I got so used to her company that the day after she left, I spent the morning at a girlfriends house because I didn't want to feel the empty sound of our home without her. Sniff sniff.

I'm so excited for her and her future and am so happy that she sprinkled so much happiness into our hot summer days. I miss you Khushee - no one but us knows what the wonderful meaning of being pinkie friends is. I love ya girl!