Happy Birthday, Jaya!

My beloved Jaya,

Today was your third birthday. Your Daddy and I let you do a lot of special things because it was your birthday.
You chose to eat ice-cream for breakfast, and rice and curry for lunch and dinner. I think you could be content eating only rice, curry and mango shakes. You love singing so much, we sang you Happy Birthday three times today, and Nanny and Poppa sang to you on the computer from across the ocean. And you love dancing, so we had a dance party after the ice cream breakfast. And another one in the afternoon. We read your new books, The Shape of Me and A Pocket for Corduroy about a dozen times. We read Olivia a lot too. Your favorite gift was a wooden tool kit with wood screws, nuts, and a wooden screwdriver - Raja liked that one too. Daddy made a robot out of your new toy, and you danced with the robot and made us laugh. We played with Play-Doh and just generally had a blast. It was a wonderful day for a wonderful girl.

Jaya, we are so honored to be your parents. You are growing into such an amazing little person. You are kind, loving, full of empathy, affectionate, precocious, hilarious, smart, chatty, articulate, agreeable, inquisitive, fiercely imaginative, bossy, generous, witty, analytical, polite, opinionated, thoughtful, passionate, beautiful, and charming. You are so pleasant to be around. You turned your Daddy and I into parents, and you teach us things every day about that very important job. We adore you. We're not the only ones. Lots and lots of people love you Jaya, because you are just that lovable. You make friends everywhere you go. I want you to know that my life has been immeasurably improved because you were given to me to raise for a while. The world is better because you are in it. I hope as you grow, you keep doing what you're doing now, exerting your influence for good on the universe. No matter what anyone tells you, it does make a difference. What you do does change the world. It changed ours.
Love,
Mama

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Christmas Eve festivities

Jaya really enjoyed playing Mary in our Christmas Eve nativity play.
(We didn't think Raja would sit still long enough to play baby Jesus, so Baby did.)

Merry Christmas!

Because gettin' down with Buddy the Elf should be part of EVERYONE'S Christmas

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Happy Birthday, Raja!

My little Raja,

It's hard to believe it has been six months since the last time I wrote to you. The last few months have flown by, and you have grown so much. Today was your first birthday, and you had quite a fun day. You are laying here next to me, asleep. I put you to sleep almost every night. This night, I had planned a blog post and video for your birthday, so our friends and family could see what you have been up to, the highlights of your first year. That didn't work out though, because you took a long time to go to sleep. I was getting impatient with you for taking so long. I tried to get in a comfortable position, to balance you, the computer, and the camera all on my lap. Nursing you at the keyboard just isn't as easy as it used to be, now that you're so big. I was fidgeting, frustrated, wishing you would just go to sleep already. I looked down at you, in some feeble attempt to will you to go to sleep, and I saw your dark liquid eyes just staring at me. There was barely any light; I had to squint to make out your face. Yet there you were - quiet, still, but not asleep - just watching me.

Since you were a tiny infant, you have often fallen asleep this way. I used to sit with you on my lap, talking to your Dad or someone else, and you would just lay on my chest, staring up at me with heavy-lidded eyes and a milk-drunk smile, and you would slowly drift off to sleep, still watching me between blinks until the exhaustion was too much for you.

You are older now, but you still do this. Especially if I have been working a lot, or busy, you will lay in my arms, barely nursing, but watching me intently. It's often the only time in a day that you are still. You will let other people put you to sleep at night sometimes. However, if someone else puts you to sleep, you will wake up within an hour looking for me. You've got a very sensitive mommy radar. So sensitive, in fact, that if I enter the room after someone else has put you to sleep, you will wake up within five minutes. Literally, five minutes. And if we've had a day where we didn't get to hang much, well, then we get our hang time anyway - in little three minute intervals throughout the night. So I've learned to make sure we connect often on days I have a lot of work. And on the rare occasion I'm unable to, I don't mind so much when you wake me, because I've missed you too.

Sometimes it's hard on me that you need me so much. Sometimes, like tonight, I get tired and impatient. I think especially because sleep usually comes easy to you - so when it doesn't, I get unnecessarily aggravated. I needed a reality check tonight. Were you trying to teach me a lesson? Were you telling me something? Something like...Mama, one day, you will be missing this. You will miss the days when I was so in love with you that I needed to see you every night before I fell asleep.

I will, son, I know I will.

I want to never forget the weight of your sleep heavy body in my arms, your damp hair against my half-numb arm, your warm smooth skin, the faintly sour-sweet smell of your breath, the impossibly long eyelashes finally fluttering to complete stillness, your pursed lips, still moving as you dream-nurse. It is one of my favorite memories of you, of us. Thanks for reminding me to enjoy it. Happy birthday, my adorable little guy. I love you.

Love,
your mama

P.S. You woke up three times while I wrote you this letter. I learned my lesson, I promise. But could ya go back to that long-stretch-of-sleep-in-the-evening-so-Mommy-can-do-stuff thing again? Thanks.

The 5-tooth Badger

Raja is walking. And much to my relief, he is being cautious about it, venturing out just two or three steps at a time. He is just so happy and proud of himself, standing on his own and getting around. Every time he stands or takes a step we get to see this:
I've never seen a baby's teeth not come in pairs. Has anyone else? His missing front tooth just adds to his overall adorableness. I seriously cannot get enough of his grin.

Jaya-isms, almost three

"Why is Daddy mad?'
"The Raiders lost."
With a look of alarm, "Where'd they go? Who took them away from him?"


She is definitely bossy, but still so sweet - she ends every command with a lilting "Alright?" As in, "Pick that up, alright?" or "Bring me that mango, alright?"

While we're getting ready for a wedding reception, "When I'm a big girl I'm going to marry Daddy and you come to the reception, alright?"


At a restaurant, sitting on a chair, "Mama, can you get me that pillow? I want to be com-fu-ble."

While flying paper airplanes, a friend's plane doesn't fly too well: "Not like that! You have to do it proper-ly. Like this."


Jaya has a tantrum. Then an hour later, she says, "Mommy, I'm sorry for being mean, but I was so tired. And my body was so achy."


Raja falls down and cries. "It's ok Raj, it just was an accident. You didn't do it on purpose."

Upon seeing a live pig, legs bound, flopping in the back of a pedicab, "Mama! We have to go save that pig! That poor pig!"


"Raja! Don't really eat it, it's just pre-TEND!"


Watching Daddy carry a large box, proudly exclaims, "Daddy, you're such a big, strong boy!"


Standing on the scale, triumphantly announces, "I weigh thirteen-six."

7 quirks

I've been tagged. (a long time ago, I know)

7 of my quirks

- When I see a digital clock, I manipulate the numbers mathematically until they equal one. I can use any operation. I can introduce negatives and repeat numbers ONLY if all other attempts to equal one fail.

- I am equally left and right brained. I score equal on tests that try to determine what you are, and I scored about equal on verbal and math on the SAT and GRE. This might help explain why I have a lot more than seven quirks.

- I am addicted to reading. I will read ANYTHING, books, magazines, things I have read a hundred times before, boxes, commercials, recipes, trash, prescription bottles, etc. My idea of a perfect afternoon would be sitting at my kitchen table with my feet up on another chair, eating a variety of delicious things and reading a variety of equally delicious things. Give me some chicken curry with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, my mother's parap with spinach with some Tagore, then let me end with strawberry cheesecake and an article about public health or fashion - perfection.

- I like to imitate people, usually loved ones. But I can do a pretty accurate Smeagol/Gollum too.

- I am not grossed out by blood or guts or bodily fluids. However, repetitive patterns on skin, like clusters of insect bites or patterns left from leaning against, say, a ribbed couch cushion - that is like nails on a chalkboard for me. Give me a full out autopsy or an intensive surgery over a scraped knee or heat rash any day.

- I hate being photographed or videotaped. So much so that if I know a camera is around and on, and it is not in my hand, my body language, my speech, everything will change. It takes a lot of self control not to throw my hands in front of my face and say, Don't take my picture!

-When I smell something bad, I pinch my nose like anyone else. But I don't breathe through my mouth either - because I don't want molecules of the odorant settling into my olfactory chemoreceptors. So I just don't breathe until I can get away, or I start breathing with my nose again. Because I figure I'd rather have foul molecules in my nose than in my mouth, even if I have to deal with a bad smell.

I tag whoever blogs. The vast majority of you who read about us wild things don't blog, I know. That's ok. I tag Marei too. We're all quirky in this family! (Though I admit, I may be the quirkiest thus far). Maybe he'll do it if you all help me and request a Marei quirk-list.

Raja and the slide

Raja loves climbing. I mean LOVES it. So much so that he figured out how to stop sliding and start climbing up the very first time he went down the slide.

Yes, I am totally impressed with my son's athletic ability. I am one proud mama. But to be completely honest, a part of me is also terrified. I've gotten nauseous watching Marei fly off cliffs on a snowboard and dive headfirst off towers. I figure Marei's daredevilishness is one part athleticism, one part mental acuity, one part optimism and one part pure recklessness. I think we know for sure Raja has the first three things. It is too soon to tell if he has the fourth, but I am hoping instead he is tempered with a healthy dose of the cautiousness Jaya and I have. Or I am in for a lot of bouts of nausea...

Our holiday in Bohol

We decided to take a trip to the neighboring island of Bohol to spend our long Thanksgiving break. It was wonderful! We ate fresh seafood and ice cream instead of turkey and pie, relaxed on warm white sand instead of snuggling on the couch with a blanket, and watched wildlife instead of football. It was definitely different - but it was awesome! Jam (short for Jamaica) helps us with the kids during the workweek, and she is so good with them. We invited her to come along with us. The children were so excited to have their beloved Ate Jam, and having a third adult along made going on vacation with kids actually feel vacation-like. We traveled by speedboat to Bohol and back, about a 100-minute ride. We left Thursday morning, and returned Saturday evening. Here is what we packed into three days:

Day 1
Arrived in Bohol, checked into motel.
Visited Bohol Bee Farm - ate their delicious food and toured their farming and livelihood areas. Got to do some fun things like hold bees and pretend to eat worms.
Visited a small wildlife sanctuary, where a monkey reached out of his cage and grabbed Jaya's hand. Jaya first freaked out, then sternly but kindly reprimanded the monkey.
Went to Hinagdanan Cave. Jaya thought we were going to swim in the cave lagoon.
Went to the mall arcade to eat pizza and let the kids get some run around time.
Sleep!!

Day 2
Beach day!!!!!! Fine white sand, gorgeous palm trees, lunch overlooking the ocean, clear turquoise sea....
Went to a playroom for a while (these are at all the malls here, they are large rooms full of toys and fun to take your kids to play for a fee)
More sleep!

Day 3
Chocolate Hills - Jaya climbed the 214 steps to the viewing area without being carried, not once, but twice. We were impressed with that as well as the gorgeous view.
The Hanging Bridge - made out of bamboo. Rickety. Supposed to only have ten people on it at once. (that was totally ignored). We watched a guy strip a coconut of its husk with his teeth, which Raja immediately tried to do himself.
Drifted down the Loboc River in a floating restaurant, ate a buffet lunch while being serenaded and we even got to see a dance performance.
Tarsiers! Cute little primates, like ours. But even smaller - they could fit on your palm. This was Jaya's favorite place.

We also got to see a lot of beautiful countryside while we drove from place to place. It was a great trip, and we hope to go back to Bohol before we leave the Philippines. Now that we have seen the sights, we'd love to just go and spend a weekend on the beach....none of us can seem to get enough. There are lovely beaches in Cebu as well, but the sand at Panglao was so fine and white, the water so clear, and the beach so not crowded. Marei and I kept saying to each other, I can't believe we're really at a tropical paradise like this.

(It's a long video, feel free to skip it, we just couldn't bear to cut out any more of our great little adventure).