parenting

The Parent's Tao Te Ching

Make the Ordinary Come Alive

Do not ask your children

to strive for extraordinary lives.

Such striving may seem admirable,

but it is a way of foolishness.

Help them instead to find the wonder

and the marvel of an ordinary life.

Show them the joy of tasting

tomatoes, apples, and pears.

Show them how to cry

when pets and people die.

Show them the infinite pleasure

in the touch of a hand.

And make the ordinary come alive for them.

The extraordinary will take care of itself.

By William Martin

summer fun 2013

this year there are no hot summer days at all. lots of rains and chilly evenings. my veggie garden is evidence for it, trice i sowed the seeds and almost all the seeds washed away and the survived ones didn't grow their fullest. 

In summer holidays we did our best with the kids to keep them busy and occupied. how can we live without you guys to how did i end up in this house to few tears, so much laughter, hugs, arguments involved doing these activities with kids.

Slip n slide
Swimming
zoo
firefly's mini golf
swings n things 
sleep overs
play dates
Tae kwon do
watching TV
playing video games
birthday parties
visiting temple
library reading programme
watching ball game @ stadium
strawberry picking
dance classes
bike rides
walking
visiting Ice cream shops
July 4th fire works
museum of natural history
brook park water park
Amusement park for kids

Mentor beach and picnic 
meditation

Strongsville homecoming parade 
cedar point
outlet mall
Hocking hills
Canoeing
hot tub and stargazing
Zip line
Hiking and visiting caves

after all these activities at the end of summer break i ask them how do you guys think you spend the summer this year and the answer is with out a question "well, not bad and a little BORING!!!"
thank you kids, we are honored to hear that!

Believing IS the only way to success!!!

When I am writing this post  I was flooded with doubts, fear, degrading myself, listing to others and taking their view point rather than what I have to do to achieve my dream!

but soon i achieved the dream and realized

Strength doesn't come from what you can do
It come's from overcoming the things that you once thought you couldn't!!

just keep believing in you, try until you achieve what you want to achieve, get rid of what's blocking to achieve and keep trying...

 in the finding Nemo Dory says:
keep swimming

JUST KEEP SWIMMING
JUST KEEP SWIMMING
WHAT DO WE DO?
WE SWIM SWIM
OH OH OH OH OHHH


 

change of course

changing life course is not that easy.
life is full of unknowns, some changes happen with out your concern or consciousness and some you deliberately try and on the process you found a lot about you and assumptions about you.
you dream, plan what you wanted and prepare (mentally, physically, socially) for it, learn new skills and attitude for the goal, your brain and life style started to change for newly added information for reaching that goal.
some days with in just half hour you discovered how belittle yourself or how utterly confident you are.
you wanted to reach the goal fast, don't wanted to be failed, you reach out for help but none of these helped and come to rock bottom thinking what piece of puzzle that stopping to make the picture, that you couldn't figured it out even though you pick yourself up and search for new ways and adopt the new ways to reach the goal and you finally come to the edge and you are afraid to jump.
what am i supposed to do NOW?

Leaving comfort zone and leaping in to unknown scares the hell out of me, the uncertainty is scary!!
 I want my comfort zone so cozy and permanent, yet fulfilling this dream itches in the core, if i am transparant i may show my flaws and have to face the judgement or i may fail while i am trying or i may find new awesome things about me that i never even think of.

what the heck 
I will just jump we will see what happens!!!!! 
i am not going to lose anything! or am I ? 

welcoming new year!!

picture taken in the universal studios, Orlando FL .... Dr. Seuss land

It's always important to keep things in perspective.

you didn't go to sleep hungry last night,

you didn't go to sleep outside,

you had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning,

you hardly broke a sweat today,

you didn't spend a minute in fear,

you have access to clean drinking water,

you have access to medical care, you have access to the Internet, you can read.

some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.

- viahttp://www.marcandangel.com/

"Dear past, thank you for all the life lessons you have taught me. Dear future, I am ready now!"

tooth less wisdom

My son finally lost his first tooth.
He is 6 years 11 months old!!

all his friends lost a lot of teeth and got them back too.

he is so sad and worried, drinking a lot of milk to grow fast so he could catch up with his friends, checking his teeth every minute in case they started wiggle.

finally a week ago the bottom tooth started wiggling and boy! he celebrated like crazy, running around the house and announcing the news to everyone!

yesterday brushing his teeth suddenly it fell in to sink, Yeh!

he lost a tooth!!!!

He said amma, if you wait and wait and wait things happen, see i lost my tooth eventually! 

i am like no wonder people say "listen to the wisdom of toothless ones".














text by ME

Perfect place

I move things in my house daily basis. arranging and rearranging until i felt this is the right place for this tree or this cup or this chair.

i bought a teeny tiny Ganesha statue in a Connecticut town called Nor-walk. I went to a neighborhood American convenient store and i saw Ganesha in a glass box, and several magnets and posters of movie actors in their outfits, they are all in a designated corner.

NTR (Telugu movie actor) and his famous roles as Rama and Krishna are the highlights in one of those magnets and posters. 

I can't believe it, NTR in American convenient store!! how did that happened, so i went to ask this middle aged white lady, her face lit and started sharing her recent adventurous trip to India and she bought the road side stuff to sell in her store. 

I told her that i wanted to purchase Ganesha statue, she is so happy that Ganesha is going to a loving family. i am so blessed and humble that he choose me.

I move him across the state, apartment to home, every corner in the house over the years and finally under the Ginseng Ficus Bonsai tree!!

I bought Bonsai several days ago from home depot, cup and saucer planter came last year and waiting for me to use it and finally all in one as a visual medley.   

perfect place for him to stay with us for ever and so peaceful to see him.

{picture taken by me}

Question

my son had a doubt last night

so he ask me,

mom, when we cry, are tears fresh water or are they just like spit out of your mouth? 

Kids Summer fun list

summer is around the corner and kids already bored by the fact that summer is coming up!

Cleveland is heating up and my son turned from caramel skin color to dark chocolate in two days!!! he looks yummy but i don't want him turned charcoal by the end of the summer.

i told him you need to play in the shade, he said swing set is not in the shade, what if my skin gets dark? uh! nothing changes Ma! nothing! 

he is right but I need plan B 

I sit with my son who is graduating from kindergarten;) and ask him, what he wants to do in summer?

his face lit up and he started to think, and i took advantage of the situation and told him that he is not allowed to go out
before 6PM

he look confused, before he says anything i told him i am going to convert the basement for summer get away, you could invite your friends who wants to play and i don't have to bug you about the tanning, is that a deal? he got so excited and we started the list.

list contains indoor and outdoor fun combined.

i guide him with ideas but list is completely his not mine:)

Rule: we are not spending a lot of money, using our imagination and exploring our neighborhoods and parks and having a great time together and with friends.

1. swimming after 7 pm

2. play in the basement from 10am -6pm

3. out door fun after 7pm (be specific so when they started arguing about it we have an agreement on the paper)

4. watch movies

5. board games

6. Wii sports

7. playing Cards

8. practice Tabla

9. zoo

10. Museums

11. lake Erie shore

12. Hiking in the Cuyahoga valley National parks

13. Library Summer reading programme

14. exploring ice cream shops in the town

15. go carts in swings n things

16. chuck e cheese

17. Crocker park outdoor mall 

18. bike riding

19. practicing 1st grade curriculum

20. Ice skating

21. roller skates on side walks

22. play cricket

23. kite flying

24. baking (cookies, cake, brownies)

25. basket ball

26. making crafts (Martha)

27. movies in open air theater (Aut-o-rama)

28. exploring downtown Cleveland (lolly the trolley)

29. exploring our cute small town (Olmsted Falls)

30. bungee jump in the mall

31. face painting

32. pump it up

33. cedar point Amusement park

34. Cleveland botanical garden (amma likes it so he wants to go) 

35. great lake science center

36. Children museum of Cleveland 

37. visit Plain Dealer news paper production center

38. West side market 
(akka's favorite)

39. boat rental or jet skis

40. camping in the backyard

41. water balloon fight with friends. 

42. tug of war

43. music and dancing

44. going to the carnivals and fairs and July 4th fireworks.

45. Canada side Niagara falls 

46. African safari wild life park & put in bay island

47. having sleepovers

48. July 4th fire works in our backyard

49. watch tv now and then

50. little computer
51. white water rafting 
52. tennis classes 

list goes on and on and on and on and on ............. :)

Can't deny it !

Every thing seems perfect and spotless today but if for some reason i feel blue tomorrow or day after,  i want a wise man sing for me telling "That's life", can't deny what he said or can't remember all the time that 
world spin'n around around .........

voneelu ceremony

  
first listen the song

 My daughter is my first love and i always tell her that.
we have our fair share of arguments, yelling at each other, i wish i have a nice mom stares and what not, but it's a separate post, not in here;) 
because this post is about love sharing not other side:)

she is the first grandchild from my side of the family, younger girl in my husband side of the family.

girls grow faster, she is a pre-teen now. she grow up observing all the stages and traditional ceremonies of our nieces in India through phone conversations and photos.

she never attend them but saw the pictures of those ceremonies numerous times, she asked all sorts of questions, why they dressed up so pretty and colorful, when i am going to get that kind of attention.

she dream of the attention and love the girls get through those ceremonies. 

i started dreaming along with her because there is nothing wrong of giving some deserving attention to your daughter and tell or show her how many people care about her, and love her!

voneelu ceremony is one of them. 

in telugu society pre-teens wear a langa-oni or half saree  while friends and family bless her for her bright future, then change in to saree that symbolizes the transition from girlhood to womanhood.

Indian celebrations are full of fun and colorful, 

bangles, silks, 

henna

 curls, up do, tearra

 spicy food,

 goodies for kids

thambulam (goodies)for woman
1.betel leaves 2.pakuchekka 3. quarter 4. banana 5. senagalu
6.egg whisker 7. vendi ginne 8. sweet 9. incense 10. blouse piece 11. kumkum 12. pasupu 13. apple 14. putarekulu

 i purchase this cutie from beau coup
to put the silver goodies (vendi ginne) 

 all the arrangements, invitations, last minute party hall changes, decorations,  menu decisions, help from India (sisters pulled in for purchasing clothes, gold, necessities for ceremony)
at least once a day while doing these for a while i started wondering why the heck i started this, but at the end while looking at her pretty face
in the pictures it's worth million bucks.

For about two solid months we are talking about her, planning for her ceremony, guests are there for her, blessing her, praising her how pretty she turned, patience, grace and smile i hope she felt the attention she deserves.


girls bring color, smile, tears, love, attitude, emotions, what not!
and i still have time to enjoy her presence before she leave the house for college and i cherish with all my heart.
ceremonies are just the reminders of the time the families share together!

Wimbledon 2010 ....part 2

 after three days playing in "court 18" they finally pack up, but i don't think there is a loser, how come we call opponent a loser, when the sportsmanship is as awesome as the winner, they both are winners

Match duration: 11 hours, five minutes
Fifth set duration: Eight hours, 11 minutes
Total number of games: 183
Fifth set number of games: 138
Total number of points: 980
Isner aces: 112
Mahut aces: 103
Combined aces: 215
Isner winners: 246
Mahut winners: 244

incredible!!!!!

photos: Wimbledon 

Wimbledon 2010

 Men's singles In Wimbledon 2010 1st round match between john Isner and Nicolas Mahut is one amazing and historical match i witnessed today and it's definitely mind boggling

4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 59-59

59 what??????

unbelievable

and the best part is i didn't miss the game  

the players are not done with 59-59, they stopped because it's 9pm in England and it's getting dark so they have to go home!!

players coming tomorrow to continue the game ..........
9 and 1/2 hours in the court today and still not done!!!
to be continued....

photo from: the New york times

Summer fun!!

Summer holiday's are started and our entire street, filled with kids laughter and fun games.

we started road trips as a family,
visiting Historical landmarks
the Dan Waugh nature trail, Olmsted Falls, Ohio

natural wonders
Niagara Falls

Downtown, Cleveland

 Zoo

Lake Erie beaches 

Cleveland museum of Art

 

Cleveland Botanical Garden

still there are more things to do and enjoy, in summer holidays and explore the life with kids and recharge the enthusiasm through them, that's the summer and holidays all about!

Indian eyebrows

when we are teenagers we do all sorts of experimenting and regret later for doing that. i have one, shaping my eyebrows! my friends are doing, so i ask beautician shape my eyebrows too, and she did. from then on i am not happy by my decision. 

after i moved to America it become more hard for me to maintain because when ever you need a threading expert she is always out of town or moved from here! forget about waxing in salon, they have no idea what they are doing and it's $30 and threading is $10! you do the math;)

 so you have to do it by yourself and oh boy! i did all sorts of things plucking, waxing, using hair removals(not recommended at all)

when ever my daughter watching this drama while i am cleaning my brows, i am keep telling her that never ever ever ever ever do this to herself and waste time for damn brows!

one day i had enough! and

i decided to learn the technique by my self.  

Indian way 

 Indian eyebrows are perfectly shaped
but threading technique is kinda hard. one thread they put it in their mouth and twist the thread with other hand and do amazing job but doing by your self that way? it has to be better way! so i never even imagine learning that.

but mark my word it's damn easy in Arabic way, after all, we learn this technique from them, right? i find this beautiful young girl in youtube. she saved me from my own prison and i am free!!!

arabic easy way, thank you who ever you are!!
 

all you need is Dual-Duty sewing thread spool and is $1.50 at the craft store, patience until you get hang of it, keep practicing and you are set for the rest of your life!!

isn't it amazing what youtube is doing for us!! all you need is curiosity and attitude to learn.

eyebrow threading is becoming a phenomenon in America, every magazine and makeup artists are talking about it 
all major cities in US know about threading by now, but Cleveland is still working on that!
that's why people in the mall ask me all the time who did my eyebrows and you guess my answer;)