Cinco de Mayo

While searching desperately to cook something new for the day, I read through google headlines about Cinco de Mayo festivities.

So - Cinco de Mayo cooking it was.

Lunch today -
Homemade Guacamole - *THE* yummiest ever, from fresh ripe avocados.
Vegetarian Fajita - With onions, coloured bell peppers and chickpeas(ok, the chickpeas brought in a Mediterranean twist to it, but I love chickpeas and I didn't have anyother veggies at hand.

Guacamole - or what's left of it

The filling for Fajita

Note: A common misconception is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day (that's September 16th.) The holiday actually commemorates the Mexican army's defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. And what better excuse to celebrate some Mexican food!

Tired, sleepy and pooped out

A recipe for domestic disaster

I prayed and prayed over and over that I would not be writing these posts this time around. But guess I don't have any power over it.

Brinda.

She had been a good sleeper until 3.5-4 months. And then she changed.

At 4 months, she stopped going to bed at 9-10pm and would do 12midnight instead, but then sleep until 4am or 6am , nurse and back to sleep until 10-11am.

At 4.5 months she started fussing, fussing really bad between 8pm and 12midnight before finally succumbing after I gave her around 2 oz of EBM. Nothing would help the fussy periods - bath, massage, cluster feeding, nothing.

At 5 months, she moved back to going to bed at 9pm, but .... wakes up every 2 hours, and ... will wake up for nursing at around 1-2am, and then .... refuse to go back to sleep. She is wide awake and wants to play for the next 2 hours. I really don't care what she does as long as she let me drift in and out. But, she will not sleep in the dark alone, she wants someone to hold/play, the swing annoys her at that time, and nothing will do. So, Dad and I are in some weird dazed state for 2-3 hours, on the edge as Brinda's cries/whimpers might wake up Sudha.

The result - the next morning, I am exhausted, low energy levels. I don't want to do anything, but I have to work. So work it is, cooking suffers, housework is in neglect, tempers are frayed. Add to this a partner who considers sleep to be the greatest gift to mankind, and is way beyond respectable grouchiness because this precious gift has been messed around with for the past 3 years.

Makes a wonderful recipe for domestic disaster.

A Family Day Out

After a very very long time, we went out as a family. We initially wanted to go to the zoo (long story on why *someone* wanted to go on a day scheduled for 60% rains instead of the next day when it was supposed to be sunny and FREE). We packed a picnic lunch, and were halfway down when the thunder started rolling ominously. We took a detour and decided to go to the indoor Children's Museum instead.

Fishing!
This raincoat was like a fairy/pixie coat and really really cute.

Moonsand fun

She wanted to see the fishes at the Aquarium next door as well, and since I had an annual pass to the Aquarium I took her in for a few minutes to see the 3D show. She was tired out and it was the thunderclouds were looming once again, so up she went on Daddy's shoulder's to hitch a ride and escape the storm. We *just* made it to the covered parking garage before the rain came down!

Brinda rolled over!!!

Brinda went from her back to belly today. She had been trying to do so for quite a few days, but wasn't able to lift her head/shoulders far enough. Today she got it - twice, and promptly went on to cry because she was "stuck". Silly girl hasn't yet figured out that she can roll back the other way.

Sudha never did any of these milestones, so I'm all the more excited to see Brinda do all this.

Brinda on day 1

Well, actually Day 2, since she slept all of day 1.

She still likes to suck on her fingers/fist although she hasn't found her thumb.

For comparison - at 4.5 months

Spring Fling at School

They had a lot of fun, although the pictures are craptastic quality (I was supposed to go, and I'm the one with the camera always)

Kennesaw Mountain

We drove up Kennesaw mountain last Friday and hiked up a small distance. Sudha was confused with the steep hill and tried to climb on all fours. :)

"My Baby"

Wrapping my lunch

I seem to be on a wrap drive, loving all kinds of wraps. The other day it was sauteed vegetables with guacamole in a wrap, and today its this colourful salad.

Note: I couldn't resist eating this as a chur-muri also. Added a little bit of puri for one of my favorite snacks.

Earth day celebrations at the East Cobb park

The weather was just perfect for some fun at the East Cobb Park.


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Rolly Polly Smiley Baby

She's not really that rolly-polly. Just her cheeks and double chin make her seem so :)

Fun at the Kannada Koota function

Sudha had a total blast at the Kannada Koota function today. It was a Kannada comic and they had arranged something for the kids for the 3 hrs and

Playing Duck Duck Goose. She was totally hyperactive and kept running with everyone.

With the "princess" puppet she made.

Looking at everyone at the "puppet show"

Homemade Pita Pocket Pizza Lunch

The yummiest pizza EVER!! Hands Down !!! I can't believe I made something this good!




Recipe:
Pita Pockets
Homemade sauce (Puree Tomatoes. Powder pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Add to puree and bring to boil so excess water evaporates).
Layer pita pockets with sauce (don't separate the layers as some internet recipes tell you to)
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
Add vegetable off your choice (I added onions, tomatoes, and yellow bellpepper).
Bake for 10 min in a 400F oven or until cheese melts.

Each pita pocket is 70calories.
Low fat mozzarella cheese adds 5-10 calories/pizza.
Sauce - negligent amount of calories because it has only tomato and spices in it.
Toppings - 0 calories since its all only veggies. The more the veggies, the more filling the pizza is.
So a complete mini-pizza is only about 80 calories.

Guilt free lunch of 3-4 pizza per person. :)

Need better time management

I'm usually good at organizing my time. Work wise (and in school) I never procrastinate. I always am well prepared in advance to meet deadline. I keep my workplace clean and organized so I can find anything I want quickly. I am NOT a person who brings out their best work during stress.

But - throw in housekeeping and 2 kids in the mix and I am overwhelmed. My house is a mess, like a tornado ran through it all the time - and it has nothing to do with my toddler, although I take cover behind the that excuse. I procrastinate, I find excuses, I am out of ideas, I cannot purge, I cannot organize, I go to do something and just plop back doing nothing. I try taking babysteps, but I just give up after a while.

I feel I have so much "stuff" at home. All these toys, that Sudha will start playing with if I pack it up. All these "storage" for her stuff that in turn adds more of a mess. The rooms upstairs that are collecting dust because we never use them. The bedroom which is a place for everyone and everything.

I start to do a deep cleaning, then something else needs to be done. Brinda is hungry, Sudha needs something, cooking needs to be done, some work on the computer comes up, something or the other - all the time. I get someone come in once a month to clean up, but even that is only in parts, because I have all the other junk lying around.

I . am . just . overwhelmed.

All things Easter

Started with the egg hunt at YMCA. We decided to go on an impulse and she didn't really know what an egg hunt was. We were a tad late, and the kids (and their parents) had cleaned out the field in just 10 seconds. Poor baby found only one discarded egg, and that had gum in it. We had a mock egg hunt at home when we got back to make up for it. I had empty eggs from last year and filled it with nuts, crackers, little clips, and some snacks for her.



She went swimming with Daddy after that and joined in the dancing and other activities outside. She enjoyed dancing the Zumba, but did all the dances facing backwards. Only later I realized that she was actually looking at the huge easter bunny and dancing - she would not go near the easter bunny though.



Then came her Easter/Spring party at school. We baked cookies for her class the night before(shhh ... I cheated and got the Nestle Toll house ready to bake ones). They had already had the egg hunt in the morning. Apparently Sudha was quite used to the egg hunting routine by now and she would pick eggs, open them and devour the candy. And looking at her, all the other kids did the same as well. So they all had candy for morning snacks that day :)

BFF

A substitute for "Zari Langa"

Because I ripped the zipper off the one she wanted to wear.

Birthday gift - Finally!!

I am NOT a fan of the Disney Princess, but it was the only basket they had left. And it was worth the squeal of "oh so pretty" that she gave when we put up streamers. And she loves the bell.

First day of spring weather

It was gorgeous and mild. We decided to go picnic at the East Cobb park. Could not stay too long with both kidlets, however the short time was nice.





Sudha had her first store bought sandwich(Quiznos) and she devoured it with "shark bites" :)

First Adventure out with both kids

I took the kids to the Georgia Aquarium today. First time I took both of them out someplace and it wasn't all that bad. But it was way too crowded (Friday before the Spring break) and we really did not see much other than the 3D/4D movie.

Sudha was a little scared at time in the movie, but we got through it.

(I forgot the camera and so the couple of photos I got are a little blurry and dim from my iphone)

A little too young for this, don't you think ?

Setting up the playmat

I just finished "installing" the little playmat for Brinda with its little toys hanging off. Need to make sure that Sudha doesn't pull them off.

Adventures in Tracing

I started working on tracing lines and letters with Sudha a week ago and she is doing wonderfully !!! I had Kumon workbooks from long back and got her to work on them - top to bottom, left to right and she is picking up wonderfully.

Yesterday she did sheets and sheets of L, T and H. And I didn't even have to ask her. She would've kept going had I not insisted that she had to eat dinner.

Just goes to show that I really need to take an interest in spending just 20-30 minutes each day and teaching her stuff, because she obviously enjoys learning. And I need a tad bit more patience than I have. I sometimes forget that she is just learning and expect her to be perfect. Sigh ... I am going to be on a learning curve as well. But I really am excited to teach her, just because she is so enthusiastic about learning and wanting to do things.

Struggling

Sometimes I struggle to let the past go.
Sometimes I struggle to forget and forgive.
Sometimes I struggle not to remember the past in times of the the present.
Sometimes I struggle not to place all the blame on someone else.
Sometimes I struggle not to take all the blame on to myself.
Sometimes I struggle to learn how to makes things different.
Sometimes I struggle and don't have the patience.
Sometimes I struggle to understand.