Arrival

create your own visited country map

So, I know this map is so last year, but since I wasn't blogging yet, here it is now. With a significant addition.

We arrived in India on Wednesday night. I've heard from a number of people that it takes 6 months to acclimate and get comfortable with the dramatic differences. I didn't believe them. Now I do.

I will, of course, post more... maybe once my kids are sleeping at something approaching normal hours. That had better not take six months.

10.11.07

Happy Birthday Baby N!


I really can't believe that a year has gone by. Here's the rundown:

He's recently started walking.
He's started to use his voice more to express himself, still no obvious words, but increasing volume.
He's always on the go, and is incredibly persistent when it comes to getting his hands on whatever he sets his mind to.
He's got a contagious smile.
He's a huge flirt, as long as he's in Mom or Dad's arms.


Here are some of our favorite pictures from the last year:

And here are a few from the D-1 babyphotoshoot from early summer. I just got my hands on a CD that works:

Just imagine...

S's imagination in action. I'm not sure what he was battling here, but I think he won.

I Hope it Burns

We spent the weekend in Dallas moving stuff around in our storage unit. I didn't actually get a picture of it, so instead you get a picture of one of our valuable boxes. Just imagine that this is a 10x20 storage unit, looks just the same. We opened the door and all I could think was how much time and energy I'd spent getting it all packed up and out of our house in June. I don't miss any of it. I had a hard time figuring out what it was we'd come to retrieve to take to India with us. I guess I shouldn't say that I hope it burns, since then the insurance might come knocking, but really...

Life Goes On

Last Thursday was my last day in our sublet apartment. Phil will be there until middle of this week, but N, S, and I headed to the states to wrap things up in Dallas and visit family. Which also meant that it was S's last day of school. Let's just say he wasn't overly sad to say goodbye to the teachers and students. I however, was. One of my favorite parts of the day has been the twice daily walks to school.

I love the morning walk especially. There are always lots of people out getting ready for the day, unloading delivery trucks, washing sidewalks in front of restaurants, selling tamales. The weather has been lovely the whole time, it usually feels fresh and clean in the morning after the evening rains have moved on. The intense city smells haven't picked up yet.

So as we rode the elevator downstairs on Thursday morning I was allowing myself to feel a little nostalgic already. I will definitely miss this apartment, this walk, this neighborhood. Then the elevator doors opened and I heard the words, "Oh bla de, oh bla da, Live goes on." The portera (she runs the garage in the building, takes care of the common areas) was listening to the radio. And my life had a soundtrack. Finally. Always thought I deserved one.

Ingenuity II

On our walk home from school one day this week, we walked past this knife sharpener. The picture is a little confusing because there is a bike parked right behind the bike of interest. The knife sharpener had all his tools on his bike, and his rear tire was up on a stand. He turned backwards on the bike and pedaled backwards, and thus provided the power to his sharpening stone. The stone revolved and he held the knife to the stone. Yes, we watched for quite a while. Yes, I acted like S was fascinated, but really it was me.

La familia Hamilton

The Hamilton's came to visit this past weekend. We loved having them. A few highlights:



Spent Saturday downtown and


climbed to the top of the cathedral for the bell tower tour. I've been on better tours, though the 12 pesos was worth it for the view, and watching everyone gather round the bull horn guy to hear the stats and names of the various bells.

M went to school with S, where they made Mexican flags for independence day. They waved them all the way home, which people found very entertaining.

And lots of trips to the playground. N seemed to fall in love with C, and was always giving hugs, or poking her eyes out. He did that a lot. She mostly put up with the attention.