Laughter is the best medicine

This Sunday, we went to watch Indian Independence day parade in Fremont. As we were waiting on the street, someone dressed as a bear or a dog (the costume was really confusing) handed out candies to the children. On our way back home, Neev was recalling the event and practicing his vocabulary. He got stuck at the candy part and started asking whether it was bear or dog who handed out the treats. After listening to Neev's bear or dog question for 5 minutes Avi got really irritated and said, 'we don't know if it was bear or dog so lets just call him a man, okay !'



The day before was Janmashtami and we went to Livermore temple where the community organized a grand celebration. While waiting in the line for Krishna Darshan, I explained to Neev that we were there to celebrate Bhagwan Ji's birthday. His response, 'where's cake?'



Upon returning from the temple, Anurag changed Neev's favorite nursery rhymes CD to Celtic Women . Neev is used to getting his way with choice of music in the car .Usually it's better to just listen to 'I am not a baby anymore' , 'hello everybody so glad to see you' and 'hickory dickory dock' than listening to his do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti pitch of shrieking but that night Anurag was just not ready to suffer through 'ta-ra-ra-boom- de-ay' for the filiionth time (First I have to explain this Fillion word .One day we were talking about numbers and Avi asked me what's the highest one. I said, ummm..........trillion.......may be gazillion . He asked, isn't any number higher than that. I said no. He said, yes there is , its Fillion ! So folks, if there is ever need for counting after trillion, gazillion, its the term Fillion and for patenting purpose I declare its my son who coined it :) . Back to our music story -Anurag told Neev in a rather straight and firm voice that Daddy likes this music and he just has to learn to enjoy it. Anurag finished the sentence with 'daddy likes it'. Immediately and together Avi and I said, 'me too'. Neev thought for 5 seconds and then said, 'me three'. For few minutes, there was a burst of laughter in the car instead of music and then we enjoyed 'we're floating in the air' and other songs by Celtic women for the rest of the trip.

Potluck Feast

This Saturday we had a Potluck Party with our friends at Cypess Lawns. I love our apartment community. Its a HUGE complex comprised of 6 buildings and managed by the Irvine Company. So I still have a piece of Irvine and its famous upkeep even after leaving Irvine 7 months ago. When we drove to San Jose in January, it was raining and trees were bare. I knew that not many places exist like City of Irvine .They polish their streets like obsession ,rebuild them even when according to me they are perfectly smooth , their shopping centers are great entertainment places and they are children friendly, have water fountains everywhere, surrounded by Palm trees which are covered in lights even when its not holiday season and the trees have speakers on them playing music all the time. They have beautiful, manicured parks and so many of them. And, you can't beat 15 minutes drive to ocean. A dream place !

Moving to silicon valley here was exciting but we were leaving Irvine, not a town in Missouri so obviously I was skeptical. Amidst the rain , cold and exhaustion from our trip to Disney the day before , we entered the North Park Village and I knew by looking around that I still would have a bit of Irvine with us. The community is around a rectangle shape city park followed by another GRAND rectangle shaped building which reminds me of a Las Vegas Hotel. This building is surrounded by Palm trees, has a huge pool. spas, cabanas, grills, fire places, couches, dining tables around the pool and then a gym, indoor basketball court, spinning room, yoga room , a large round water fountains surrounded by sofas and an Internet cafe. Did you think I was describing a resort? Very much like it ! It has 6 communities and all of them have their own facilities what I just mentioned and the residents have access to all of them . For a jog, picnic, barbecue or a pool party you never have to leave this place. Don't wanna cook lunch, the complex has Quiznos and tables outside looking over the park. Want to have coffee with friends , Starbucks is right here. Its late in the evening and you run out of milk, the community has even a store . Read a book in the library , play billiards , work out in a cardio-theater , shoot hoops in the full indoor basketball court, have a swim , get the chair massage at pool side and eat barbecue all the times. A perfect vacation spot, if only we did not have to work to pay the rent.


We have made a great group of friends here and we try to get together as much as possible. We had a pool party few weeks back and yesterday we had a great Indian lunch. Shahi Paneer, Chicken Biryani, Dahi Bhalle, Dal Makhani, Pulao, Idli, Sambhar, mixed veggies and Gulab Jamuns. We ate and ate and packed left overs for dinner. All the husbands took the kids for a nap while the ladies stayed for heart to heart discussions on blessings in life, aspirations, frustrations, kids and husbands.

A great lunch and a greater conversation , even the dinner and Sunday's lunch was taken care of. Life is good and doesn't stop here since we decided to do high-tea next time.

And I am thinking, I gotta send this to my community manager - she should agree to make my next year's stay rent-free :)

Rakshabandhan

I called my brothers and wished them happy Rakhi. I have memories of us getting dressed in new clothes and doing tilak and tying Rakhi on their little wrists. I did not get to make memories of tying Rakhi on their grown up wrists since we NEVER got together to celebrate this festival in person in last 19 years. I moved to the hostel in 1992 and we were never together on Rakshabandhan after that. So the memories I have are of me and my younger sister in yellow frocks and skirts and my brothers in black shorts and striped shirts. Mornings started early as we told our brothers to shower and get ready soon (we could not eat before tying Rakhi, a rule which was not strictly followed). We would put a long and straight tilak on our brothers' forehead and tie Rakhi followed by feeding them something sweet and since I am the oldest in siblings , my brothers would touch my feet for blessings. I couldn't care less about customs and traditions at that time but now I know they were not just that, they were what I would call constituents of whole, whole which is me, my life so far. It affected my subliminal self , the reasons I have for my being today -Family ! And I know its not just with me, its with all of us. We all have memories, sweet and sour , relationships , sweet and sour and they all get credit for our concealed or obvious personality. They have made us what we are , they have formed our beliefs. They are the essence of us. And I don't know where I am going with this declamation. So I called my brothers and wished them well, bestowed my blessings on them, sent my love and missed them. We received Shilpy's Rakhi (my sister-in-law ) just in time for Anurag, Avi and Neev. And what lovely Rakhis - silver and sandalwood. I have to mention that Shilpy is one of the few people I know with an excellent taste in things. Avi enjoyed smelling them and Neev was cute beyond word trying to copy his big brother and taking big sniffs . Their tiny wrists look beautiful with them. I told Avi all about the festival . He is at the stage where I would love for him to have Bua, Masi and Mama around who could be other COOL grown-ups in his life who are part of his family.


It was a lovely day which we spent talking about Rakhi, playing with friends at basketball court and park in the morning, swimming and hot-tubbing in the afternoon and then going to Santana Row in the evening where Anurag and kids got ice-cream while I got a massage at Club One Spa, one of four visits my thoughtful husband gifted me for Mother's day this year.


Why don't we do this every day?

August trip to Gilroy Gardens

Yes, we are making use of the membership. Made another trip to this place. I love it for its scale (small) and the thoughtfulness put to details keeping families in mind. Well shaded, lots of eating places and MUSIC everywhere.
Today we enjoyed the water play. While Neev preferred to get wet in my arms and not setting his foot down, Avi totally got in groove. He loved aiming water guns at different objects - barrels, wind chimes, watering can, water wheel . Got in a water fight with another older boy on the other side of the circle and held the ground pretty well.
Saw a bird show - a white cockatoo riding bicycle, scooter and even roller skates. She even did her shopping by wheeling a toy shopping cart and putting juice and bird seeds in it. Very impressive -I must say. Heard a talking red tailed Cockatoo who apparently is a celebrity bird and has appeared on Jay Leno and David Letterman show. It was cute. Neev preferred watching a 5 months old enormous owl sitting very obediently on the presenter's arm. Another Cockatoo flew through the hoops which the audience held in the crowd. A Pelican flew and danced for us on stage.
On the way back home , kids fell asleep. Avi refused to walk when we reached home. Anurag kept him going from garage to the front door but he was so irked at not being carried that as soon as we entered ,he dramatically fell on the outside rug , holding the door open with his legs. I tell you it was hilarious to watch a 4 years old putting this show ! Avi and drama are synonyms. Why not, after all he is his mother's son, my husband tells me .Well, Anurag had the Flip so we got a chance to record the scene.
Recording just so we can read it years later.