Behind . . . .

Sorry life is crazy as you can tell. I have not had time to upload and play with pictures. I need to add pictures to several posts and I will soon. Just check back in the old posts to see pictures added later. It is a very involved process.I usually have to upload my pics to my pc. I then edit, crop and load into my kodak software, then I backup to my hard rive. I then add captions if I have time. The next step is to upload to flickr. I then have to make the slide show in another program and then add to my blog for you to enjoy. I enjoy this but it is time consuming and time is not on my side this week. Here is the silliest thing. I usually do my typing and thinking on teh desktop and then play with pictures on my laptop . So posting pictures is dependent on me being on the laptop. Right now I am on the desktop. Yeah! only I can be this crazy about preserving the moment. So keep checking in. Thanks for looking.

Happy Birthday Pravan

Today my little boy is six years old. He slept in and woke up to the smell of pancakes. His special breakfast order was pancakes with butter, syrup and M& M's. It is a treat once in a while. I sometimes make butterfly or mickey mouse pancakes. The kids enjoy this treat.

It was a busy morning. I had to pick up his friend Ashlynn and then we stopped at the bank for money. Seems like I always need more. We then headed to Chuckee Cheese. I planned a huge playgroup there to celebrate Pravan's birthday. He has wanted to go to Chuckee Cheese for a long time and this was the perfect day for him. He had so much fun there. It was great to see so many of his friends. Tara a good friend from Truckee also came with Stacy and there were so many kids.

I had another good friend Brandy who had four kids come and play with us. He had her mom watch the baby and brought the three tots along to have fun. When she entered the place there was no gate keeper. She waited for a while and then decided to walk in. Usually you get a stamp that matches the stamp on the kids hand. It can only be seen under a special light and the stamps have to match when you leave. Well when Brandy left they had no stamps. The guy checking them out was flustered and refused to let them out. I told him that those were her kids and she was okay. He takes his job seriously and he should. I was pleased to see that the system really works and the kids have protection from being kidnapped. That is a great thing. Well Brandy was not happy and I can understand why. She laughed at the guy and said " I already have enough of my own, I do not need anymore " As funny as it was , it was frustrating. Well he let her leave but he looked like he doubted his decision. I assure him that it was okay. So now you know Chuckee Cheese takes the stamp thing seriously.

As some of you know Pravan likes the girls. Well today he had three of his so called girlfriends there. Jaisyn, Ashlynn and Brooke .It was so adorable. I took some pictures of all three of them together. Several people that showed up today will not make the party so they gave Pravan his gifts today. He got two gift cards to toys' r us so we stopped there before coming home. The kid was excited and I did my best to keep him away from the transformers. He ended up picking a crystal growing kit from Liz. Thank you Liz and Jaisyn ( girl's name ) and family. He then got the globe of the earth from Brandy.Thanks to Brandy, Spencer and family. Ashylynn spent the rest of the afternoon with Pravan and they read books together. She wanted to cook in the play kitchen but he played transformers. So she cooked and he fixed his transformers. That was funny to watch.

While we were there he wanted the model of the human body. I could not get it for him as I already had it at home.I could not tell him that. I just steered him away. He was sad and he said " but that is educational. When I grow up I want to be a doctor that looks inside people's bodies . This will help me learn " That was so adorable. When daddy came home he brought an ice cream cake home for Pravan and we had burgers for dinner. That was what Pravan ordered. Daddy then gave him some transformers, and the human body. His eyes lit up and he played with his toys for a while. We let him stay up past 10pm. I finally tucked him into bed and this is what he said. " Mommy thank you for a fun birthday but how did daddy know that I wanted the human body ? " I smiled and said that we know what he likes and what makes him happy. I turned off the lights and a kissed him good night. A short while later his light was turned on and he was reading his transformer book. It was adorable and I let him do it. He was determined to stay up until midnight but he never made it past 11pm. It was a busy day and now we will get things ready for the party.

I will post pics another day. Thanks for reading my essay.

Last day of being five

Wow ! I certainly do not remember that. Today is the last day for Pravan to be five. Every year it is a tradition that I take the last picture of the child the night before their birthday. Every night like most parents I check in on the kids and make sure they are covered , warm and breathing. I adjust them if needed , plant a kiss on their forehead and whisper " I love you, sweet baby dreams into their ears and go to bed myself. Every year on the night before their birthday it is a very special time for time. I take their picture and reflect upon the year that just flew by and remember the good and the bad times. I then go to bed and decided that tomorrow is a new year, a new chapter and a new beginning. I plot out a strategy to deal with the bad habits, eliminate some of my techniques and plan on being a better mom. For me that is a struggle very day. Some days more than others. It is great that Pravan can talk and he can tell me what he wants me to change. I listen and implements some of his suggestions. I think it is important for kids to feel loved and respected. When I take his ideas his face glows and I can tell he is happy.

Tonight we will kiss the Feisty five's goodbye and in the morning we will welcome the spectacular six's.

Here is a list of how I see the ages.

Fabulous one's

Terrific Two's

Trying Three's

Fantastic Four's

Feisty Five's

Spectacular Six's

I am not sure what the seven's will be. I just make them up and truly believe it to be fitting to my kids. Maybe ....

Sweet Seven's

Nonsense Nine's

Testy Ten's

Well I may change it as my kids get to that age group. Here is my last picture of my baby and he will no longer be five in a few hours. I am ready what the six's will bring. Seems like I need an adjustment with how I parent and I am actually resorting to reading. As you may know I cannot sit still long enough to read but I can do it. For the kids I say I can. I need to be a growing mom and grow with the kids.

Fun ! Fun ! Fun !

Now these are the joys of childhood and in my case motherhood. I am the biggest kid around and my kids are fortunate to have me as their mommy. When I was a kid my family did not have a lot of money and my childhood days were filled with simple pleasures like a yo yo , a top and string, marbles and rocks. In today's world with technology every where we turn it is just amazing. I embrace it all everyday. My hubby and I can sit together while he plays with his blackberry and I play with my cell phone. Our idea of quality time together is him on his computer and me next to him on my laptop. No really, we never plan it that way but it seems like it works out that way. We are both silent and never have an argument.Who could ask for a better date that costs no money. So what has happened to the world. It is fast paced and no matter how fast it gets , it is never fast enough or are we all just impatient people. I am for sure. Oh come on..... 60 sec rice , 3 min mac n cheese it is all crazy convenience but not necessarily good. Well since technology is taking over , telephones have replaced telegraphs, cars have replaced horses, e-mail has replaced hand written letters, ipods and mp3 players have replaced cd's and cd's have replaced tapes, computers have replaced typewriters, DVD's have replaced VHS tapes . The list goes on and on and there may be more you can think of. Well my fight is to help my kids remember and appreciate the simple joys in life. Kids today are spoiled with technology and my kids have so many toys that needs cartridges as they have a chip in the toy that makes it work. Well unfortunately for me I was not the one that invented the cartridge toy so I am not raking in the dollars. That was nothing short of brilliant and you and I together with many others are helping make the toy companies rich. Not a bad thing but my point again is it is good to remember the simple good old fashion days whilst we embrace the age of technology in the hopes that our kids, the future of the world are given a fighting chance with the amazing tools available. Just some food for thought. Okay enough of rambling. If you have been following my blog you will remember a post from a few months back on bubble magic. I love bubbles and so do kids. It is fascinating and makes everyone smile. The thing I do not like about it is the mess. It is also no longer very cheap. The cheap one at the dollar store is weak and a waste. Well when we were in Oregon I bought this special bubble thingy. I did not believe it will work but took my chances. It was just amazing. i made my own bubbles and here is a recipe for all you moms out there. BUBBLE RECIPE : 12 cups of water 2 tbsp baking powder ( not baking soda ) 1 cup of cornstarch 1 cup of dish soap (joy, dawn, ivory ) Put it all in a bucket or store in bottles. It is an amazing solution. Check out my pictures and be amazed !

Go have some fun and help the kids experience the simple joys and pleasures that life can offer.

Count down begins

Okay just two more days for Pravan's birthday. Today I made a list of everything that needed to get done and decided to tackle a few items. I had a few returns and with the store credit Pravan was able to get two more transformers. He was thrilled about that but he won't get it until Wednesday. I am busy sewing loot bags for the party. Pravan loves to help me get things done when it is for him. I was impressed that he wanted to sew with me. I told him that talking while sewing was just as dangerous as drinking and driving. I also taught him how hard to push on the pedal to control the speed of the machine. He reminded me that there was a pedal just like that in the car and he learned it was called an accelerator. He also learned that he needed to keep his eye on the needle at all times to make sure his fingers did not get sewn. It was so adorable and extremely nerve wrecking to watch him. This was the second time he helped me sew and he likes it. I am not sure if he should enjoy sewing. It would be great when Priyasha shows me such interests. This afternoon we had his friend Dylan over and his sister Raya as well. Raya is six months older than Priyasha and all four kids play great together. I will post some sewing pictures later tonight. Until then take care. If you need help with a transformer party let me know. I have lots of ideas.

Crazy Weekend

Wow I am so exhausted. The weekend was crazy. On Saturday we split parenting duties and kids. Todd had a date with Priyasha and I had a date with Pravan. I took Pravan to Alan's sixth birthday party. Yes we have been to one every week so far. It was so peaceful to have just one kid. Pravan enjoyed the fact that he had all my attention and I could tend his his every need and pamper him like I used to when he was the only child. Priyasha and Todd hung out in the sprinklers and had a great time bonding. I was beat when I got home and I discovered a ton of sheets that needed to be washed as Priyasha had an accident in her bed. I picked up a little and rested before we planned a delicious steak and mash potatoes with green beans for dinner. After dinner Todd decided to take the kids out to ice-cream. I stayed home and enjoyed my overdue alone time. It is getting better as Priyasha gets older and Todd can manage them both better. There is hope at the end of this parenting tunnel. Today, Sunday was a family day and we all went to the pool. I packed lunches and gathered up towels, sun block and toys. Priyasha has this new doll that can swim in the water and I could not wait to try it out. I forgot that it needed batteries so we will have to wait for the next pool trip. I spent the afternoon shopping all by myself. I was very tired and it was extremely hot. I got Pravan some outfits for back to school. I also discovered the science section in toys r us and got Pravan an ant farm, the human brain model and the human body model. He is very interested in the human body and learning all about the different parts. This would be great for him. I cannot wait to see his face. He will get lots of transformers as well. Only three days for his birthday.

Hot August nights

A tradition year after year and stroll down memory lane for many. Here is Reno they host this spectacular event. Here is a clip I got off their site for you to read to get a better vision of what my day was like today. "Shine your Chevy, detail your Deuce Coupe and hustle your hot rod over to Reno and Sparks' Hot August Nights for a celebration of America's love affair with cars and rock & roll August 1 - August 10, 2008. This "blast from the past" allows baby boomers to relive the "happy days" and it provides an opportunity for those who didn't experience the 50's and '60s firsthand to enjoy the era.During Hot August Nights, cars are "cherry" and cruisin' is "too cool." More than 800,000 people flock to the Event where cars are the stars and rock 'n roll rules through dozens of concerts -- most of them free -- throughout the Event.There is a Prom night, where you can take your sweetheart and dance the night away. Controlled cruises and show-n-shines, where you can watch rolling Rembrandts on display. " Today I took the kids to Victorian Square and we walked around and I told Pravan all about the cars he thought were cool. Both the kids picked out their favorites. It was 90 degrees and there was no breeze. I do not use the stroller very much these days so it was not in the car. I was half way to Sparks when I realized that I may need it. Well I did not go back home. I decided to chance it. Priyasha was very good about walking and I carried her when she was very tired. Surprisingly she only needed to go to the bathroom once in 2.5 hours. That was unusual but a good break. We made a quick stop at the toy store on the way home as Pravan got a check from grandma and he was excited. This morning we stopped at the bank and the teller asked him to sign his own name on the back of the check and that made him feel so grown up. His face lit up with joy and was thrilled to get his money in exchange for a piece of paper. We got him a huge transformer jet and he has spent all afternoon playing with it. Thank you grandma and grandpa. Todd got home early from work today and after a short nap we all went back to Victorian Square. Every night they have the streets blocked off and then they have a cruise down the streets. Hundreds of people line up against this barrier that is put up and watch the cars go by. There were cool ones, old ones and awesome ones too. We were next to a very knowledgeable couple that knew about every single car and obviously these were from their days and it was great listening to them. The biggest thrill for the kids was catching the candy that was thrown to them. It was almost 10pm before we headed home and the kids were asleep before we even left the parking spot. I have hundreds of pictures and need to upload them soon. Well I have more to report when I can steal 10 mins or so. Until then take care !

Donner Lake

What a perfect day it was for the beach. I got up early and packed up the car. I loaded beach toys, towels, sunblock, food, the potty seat,the wagon, blankets wipes, hand sanitizer and drinks. Was that all. Oh yeah I forgot the kitchen sink. Well it seems like I pack everything when I go anywhere. It was a mission getting everything to the beach from the gate but we made it. I picked up another friend Meghan and her daughter Elle who is four. We met them at swim class and Elle plays very well with Pravan and Priyasha. Candice was going to come to the beach and meet us there. It was a blast hanging out with all the kids and they had a great time. Being with other moms made it easier to watch the kids. It seemed like one of us was always making a trip to the bathroom with one of the kids. Just a phase with the younger ones I suppose. Well it was a long and enjoyable day. The summer almost seems over and this was my first trip to the beach. Oh yes almost forgot to mention I packed my cell phone and the camera. But I guess you already know that I am never without either of those twe gadgets. I would take my laptop with me if possible. Just kidding. ( No I'm not ) I will upload some pics when the kids are in bed and you can see my slide show. The beach is a great place to be. I grew up on the east coast in South Africa and I was about 10km away from the beach. I practically grew up on the ocean. The smell of the seabreeze is refreshing and you can almost taste the salt. The Indian ocean is spectacular. The only fear would be the sharks lurking the waters but citizens safety is taken care of with the use of shark nets. I love the sand in my toes and enjoying building sandcastles. The kids enjoyed themselves too as I am the biggest kid and played right along with them when I was not behind my lens. Hope you are having a great summer as well.

Dining out twice in one day

Some would call today the type of lifestyle they would love to live. Today I went form having no plans to having too many. How can that happen in a few hours. Well it is a typical day in the life of a mom. I had planned on having Candice come over with her kids but she had to cancel as she remembered her sons hair cut appointment. We then decided on meeting at the playground later around 11 am. I then received a phone call from Maya to join her and her son Alan at Micasa two , a Mexican restaurant at 12:30 to celebrate Alan's 6Th birthday. I had to go so I went to the playground first and then to lunch. I ordered myself a guava margarita and one of the moms asked me if it had alcohol. Well what good would it be without any. It was delicious and I felt like I deserved it. Well I surprised the moms as they all ordered non alcoholic drinks. Well I am over 21 and entitled even though it was only 1pm. The afternoon was mellow and then Todd called. He said that the guy that bought the car had a hard time registering it at the DMV and needed us to sign one more paper. We decided to meet him half way and since I planned on eating left over we the opportunity to eat out for dinner. Well that was twice in one day for all of us including Todd. We ate at new Asian restaurant and tried Filipino food. It was good. I really loved the sauces and our waiter. George Michael was his name and he was as gay as they come. I just loved him. He told me how to make the sauces and said that he will come to my house and cook with me. Todd was amused that I chuckled like a high school girl while he told me how to make these sauces. Well ever since I watched my best friends wedding I have been wanting to have a gay guy be my best friend. I will have all the compliments I want about things like crafts, sewing etc that I would not get from Todd .The way I want them anyway. Speaking of gay men, I met another one the other day at Michael's craft store. He works there and since I was doing a return and had to wait for the managers approval we chatted for a while. I found out the he worshipped the Hindu god Shiva and studied Hinduism. He knew more than I did and I was impressed. For those of you that do not know... I am Indian and was raised as a Hindu in South Africa. I found him rather fascinating as he was a gay and knew so much about my culture and we had a lovely conversation and I used Hindu terms that I almost forgot about. The way I see it I cannot get into too much trouble with a gay man right ??? Okay that's it for tonight. It was an entertaining one for me.

Franklin faces

Okay so there are two songs playing. To fix it and just listen to the one in the slide show all you have to do is hit the arrow below the menu button on the ipod. That will stop the ipod songs and you can enjoy the slide show.

Finally we sold the Xterra. Yeahhhhh !!!! Today we went to the library for story time. Due to the voting the room we usually hang out in was closed so we were in the kids section and there was only one story time instead of two. As you can imaging (maybe not ) it was a zoo. Utter chaos and total madness. I left a while after with a headache. We were armed with lots of books to keep the kids brains fed and stimulated. I was determined to settle down on the couch with a cup of tea and I did but that was short lived as I realized I had a ton of laundry to fold. I finally caught up on that and was motivated to clean.

The couple that looked at the car yesterday stopped by again and this time with cash in hand to buy it. I do not think I have seen so many Franklin faces together or any for that matter.The largest bill I am familiar with is a $20. Well this car was the one Todd got me on mother's day in 2002. I was pregnant with Pravan and it was a surprise and I got to drive it off the show room floor. It has been my baby for all these years. I was sad to see her go and could not resist and had to have pictures of me with the car taken with the money. We have had several armed robberies in the area so that was not the smartest move but we are all okay, no worries.

When they left with the car and we had the money we locked the front door and celebrated with a glass of wine. I had my own celebration with the kids. They were so cute counting and playing with the money. We all had fun rolling in the dough. Well sadly it is now gone into paying bills. That was short lived but not many kids or grown ups get to play with it. I have preserved the moment in pictures frozen in the moment. Have a good laugh if you will. I am so silly as my hubby and kids put it.

FRANKLIN FACES !!!!!!

This is the best picture and I could not have planned it better. This was a spontaneous shot. I was not ready but clicked the camera anyway. I am very pleased with this and it is my favorite.The one on the left. No franklin faces or kids were armed in this photo shoot. The money since then is no longer is in our hands. Some bills are now paid off. Thanks for looking.