The perfect vacation has come to an end. Monday is back to reality. Deep sigh...
It all started when a friend of mine from the Dominican Republic sent me an email to say that she was going to be in the US for vacation. I begged her to come visit - so she did. She came for nearly a week. In honor of her visit, I took the week off work to be with her.
We talked about things to do while she was here. Turns out that all the things she wanted to do were kid-friendly. So the boys stayed home with us and we had a wonderful time playing. Monday, after I picked Nadia up from the airport, she and I went shopping. Gotta love that. Then Tuesday, we went to the museum to see the animals. They don't have lemurs in the DR, so that was a big treat.
Wednesday we went to the pool, only to find out that they changed their schedule at the last minute and the pool was closed. So we played on the playground then went home and jumped under the sprinkler. It was still fun.
Thursday we introduced Nadia to Duke Gardens. She got to feed the ducks and the fish and roam around the gardens a bit. Then, after lunch, we went ice-skating. Talk about hysterically funny. Ice-skating isn't a common activity in the hot tropics, so it was new to Nadia. It was also the first time that Simi and Asher went ice-skating. Simi did absolutely great. So did Asher, considering that he's two and this was his first time on skates. Nadia did fantastic too. After ice-skating, we were all exhausted and went home to rest. The boys took the longest nap of their lives while us girls hung out and chatted. It was awesome.
Friday, the boys went back to school and Nadia and I hit the stores once more before her trip home. And then the sad day came on Saturday, when Nadia had to leave us to return back home. Gosh, do I miss her.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Fallen Heroes?
I recently wrote a blog entry about Fallen Heroes. After writing that entry, some folks pointed me to some articles that explain Mary Decker's innocence. And now, I'm reading a lot more about Floyd Landis and his "doping" test results. Turns out that Floyd did not test positive for testosterone as the press continues to say. The test showed a high ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone. The testosterone numbers were normal; it is the epitestosterone levels which were too low. Epitestosterone is nothing; it's not a performance enhancement. It's also known that after efforts of extreme exertion, an athlete's epitestosterone levels would get extraordinarily low. Now, anyone seeing stage 17 of this year's Tour de France would agree that there is no effort any more extreme than Floyd Landis' win at Morzine on stage 17. So, it's really a no-brainer that his e level would be quite low after that kind of performance.
Again, the issue is that the t/e ratio was skewed by 11:1, but the actual numbers, the testosterone numbers, were in the normal category. Floyd Landis did NOT test positive for testosterone. That's a fact.
Perhaps my heroes haven't fallen?
Again, the issue is that the t/e ratio was skewed by 11:1, but the actual numbers, the testosterone numbers, were in the normal category. Floyd Landis did NOT test positive for testosterone. That's a fact.
Perhaps my heroes haven't fallen?
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Laughing Leila
I know I talk about Leila's screaming and her stubbornness. She also has this amazingly deep belly laugh and beautiful smile. Her entire face lights up when she smiles. And even though she's a teeny tiny baby, she has an amazingly well-developed, deep, belly laugh. That girl just loves to laugh.
This evening, Simi was playing peek-a-boo with Leila. Leila was sitting in her high chair and Simi was running behind her, then popping out in front of her. Leila absolutely loved it and let out this laugh that had the rest of us rolling with laughter. It was quite a treat.
This evening, Simi was playing peek-a-boo with Leila. Leila was sitting in her high chair and Simi was running behind her, then popping out in front of her. Leila absolutely loved it and let out this laugh that had the rest of us rolling with laughter. It was quite a treat.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Week-end Bliss
Our week-ends are anything but relaxing. A typical week-end for us involves getting out of the house by 8:45 AM on Saturday to get to the sport du jour. Which means that Saturday mornings are chaotic and involves a lot of scrambling to find equipment, baby gear, Asher food, ...anything we'll need for that morning. Then, when we return home, it's rush rush rush to get the weekly grocery shopping and other household chores done. Sunday mornings are dedicated to getting together with friends or family - which mean even more rush rush rush to get where-ever we need to go Sunday morning - planning and carrying Asher's meals, baby gear, activities for the boys, etc. Inevitably, Leila gets really tired during these outings and begins to scream. In other words, it's very hectic and chaotic and not a whole lot of fun.
And we have this absolutely lovely play structure in our backyard and rarely get to use it because we're never home.
I promised that this past week-end would be different. And other than going to the last T-ball session, we intentionally made no other plans.
It was sheer bliss to wake up on Sunday and know that we're not expected anywhere at a certain time. We lounged around, then went off to the backyard to play on the play structure and the sand box. The boys had a blast watering the plants (one of Asher's favorite activities). Leila had a wonderful time on the swing, and we all took a trip to Jupiter while "riding" in the fort - with Simi at the helm. (Simi's pre-school just finished a module on planets and he's still talking about them.)
The boys talked about how fun the day was. I agree. Can we have another week-end like this past one?
And we have this absolutely lovely play structure in our backyard and rarely get to use it because we're never home.
I promised that this past week-end would be different. And other than going to the last T-ball session, we intentionally made no other plans.
It was sheer bliss to wake up on Sunday and know that we're not expected anywhere at a certain time. We lounged around, then went off to the backyard to play on the play structure and the sand box. The boys had a blast watering the plants (one of Asher's favorite activities). Leila had a wonderful time on the swing, and we all took a trip to Jupiter while "riding" in the fort - with Simi at the helm. (Simi's pre-school just finished a module on planets and he's still talking about them.)
The boys talked about how fun the day was. I agree. Can we have another week-end like this past one?
Stubborn Girl
Growing up, during those times when I was being particularly ornery, my mother would shout, "When you grow up I hope you have a daughter JUST LIKE YOU!" When I learned that I was having a girl, I wondered if my mother's curse would come true. And although Leila is only a mere six months old, she's showing signs of true stubbornness.
Today, after Simi, Asher, and I returned from a trip to the Dollar Store and the pet store, Leila was in her entertainment center when we walked in. The boys were busy opening their booty and I was busy putting the shopping away. Leila was all excited and wanted to be with me. Except I was busy. So Leila got loud. And mad. And by the time she got my attention, she was pounding her fists and stomping her feet. She was MAD.
That's my girl.
Today, after Simi, Asher, and I returned from a trip to the Dollar Store and the pet store, Leila was in her entertainment center when we walked in. The boys were busy opening their booty and I was busy putting the shopping away. Leila was all excited and wanted to be with me. Except I was busy. So Leila got loud. And mad. And by the time she got my attention, she was pounding her fists and stomping her feet. She was MAD.
That's my girl.
Orange Car
A few years ago, when Simi had just turned two and it was getting close to Christmas, we asked Simi if he wanted to ask Santa Claus for anything special. Simi nodded his head and said he wanted an orange car.
An orange car? Both Raj and I thought that was an odd request. We waited a few days or a week or so, then asked him again. Same response. We waited longer and then asked him again. Same response.
By that time, it was nearly Christmas. I ran out to Toys R Us in search of an orange car. I browsed the match box section - no orange cars. I looked through the working vehicles. No orange cars. I scoured the entire store -- and finally found one orange car. It was a scaled-down model replica of the #20 Home Depot NASCAR car. I bought it, wrapped it up and put it under the tree for Simi to find in the morning. Simi was thrilled. He liked all the other toys, but the orange car is what he really wanted.
Fast forward nearly three years. Today, that orange car is still one of his favorite toys. And lately Simi's been watching NASCAR on the television. He jumps up and down whenever he sees his #20 car on the track.
I wonder if NASCAR is a clean sport. Do the drivers dope like they do in track & field and cycling? Anyone know?
An orange car? Both Raj and I thought that was an odd request. We waited a few days or a week or so, then asked him again. Same response. We waited longer and then asked him again. Same response.
By that time, it was nearly Christmas. I ran out to Toys R Us in search of an orange car. I browsed the match box section - no orange cars. I looked through the working vehicles. No orange cars. I scoured the entire store -- and finally found one orange car. It was a scaled-down model replica of the #20 Home Depot NASCAR car. I bought it, wrapped it up and put it under the tree for Simi to find in the morning. Simi was thrilled. He liked all the other toys, but the orange car is what he really wanted.
Fast forward nearly three years. Today, that orange car is still one of his favorite toys. And lately Simi's been watching NASCAR on the television. He jumps up and down whenever he sees his #20 car on the track.
I wonder if NASCAR is a clean sport. Do the drivers dope like they do in track & field and cycling? Anyone know?
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Growing Pains
Today, the boys and I went to Stride-Rite to buy new shoes. I knew Asher's size 7 trainers were too small, but much to my surprise, he jumped all the way to a size 9 and 1/2 in a mere 3 months. Growing that fast has got to hurt.
We knew the steroid we had given him for his EE had kept him from growing. He hadn't grown a millimeter in the year that he was on it. Now that he's not taking the Flovent, he's growing like a weed in the sunshine. Amazing.
Both Simi and Asher picked out their shoes and proudly wore them out of the store. Asher loved his so much that he wanted to wear them to bed. It took a lot of prying to get them off him.
We knew the steroid we had given him for his EE had kept him from growing. He hadn't grown a millimeter in the year that he was on it. Now that he's not taking the Flovent, he's growing like a weed in the sunshine. Amazing.
Both Simi and Asher picked out their shoes and proudly wore them out of the store. Asher loved his so much that he wanted to wear them to bed. It took a lot of prying to get them off him.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Fallen Heroes
Most of you who know me know that, pre-children, I was an avid runner. Indeed, I ran track all three seasons throughout high school. And even though I don't run now, I still consider myself a runner.
When I was in high school and college, Mary Decker was America's top female runner in my events. She just tore up the track. In fact, I traveled to Los Angeles for the 1984 Olympics just to see her run. I managed to get tickets somehow and visited my grandfather, who lived in Los Angeles at the time. I used to run with my grandfather too, and was so incredibly excited that he and I were going to go see Mary Decker run. The day my grandfather and I went to watch the 1984 Olympics - to watch my hero Mary Decker run - is a day that's indelibly etched in my memory.
Then the race. If I remember correctly, it was the 3,000 meter, which was my favorite distance in high school There they were, all on the starting line. The shot of the gun, signaling the beginning of the race and they're off. Mary Decker quickly found herself boxed in. Zola Budd of South Africa (running on the British team having fenagled a British citizenship at the 11th hour based on a very distant relative) was running, barefoot, directly in front of her. Having been boxed in once during a race, I felt this lump in the pit of my stomach. Being boxed in is horrible. You can't move; you're stuck. You can't get around them and it messes up your pace. Here was my hero - boxed in. Then it happened - Mary Decker tripped on Zola Budd's foot and fell. She went down. No medal for Mary Decker. I saw her fall. It seemed like the entire stadium gasped. And instead of getting up and continuing to run, she decided to get off the track. What? Keep running, Mary! Even if you come in last, you have to finish! She walked straight to her coach and the American team lodged a complaint against Zola Budd.
In my eyes, my hero had fallen. What I saw, in my opinion, was very unsportsmanlike. Zola didn't cause Mary Decker to fall. Mary Decker caused Mary Decker to fall. In fact, Mary hurt Zola by clipping her bare foot. Mary, the American favorite on American soil, played her trump card against Zola who was just trying to run a fair race. And that really bothered me.
Many years later, I learned that Mary Decker Slaney tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and had probably been using them her entire career. I was crushed. I envied her speed. I relished her wins. With the exception of her poor behavior at the 1984 Olympics, I admired her. She was my hero. And then I learned that she had been cheating the entire time. It crushed me.
This past July, all of us were watching the Tour de France. Raj and I became avid fans of The Tour while watching Lance Armstrong win these past several years. This year, with Lance retired from the race, it promised to be a more dramatic Tour. Drama we got after watching our favorite team, Discovery, fall by the wayside and watching our other favorite, Floyd Landis, plow up the mountain. The drama continued when Floyd lost steam in the 16th stage and fell from first place to 11th overall. Then the very next day, stage 17, Floyd crushed his opponents in an amazing feat of strength and speed. That day we saw our all-American boy-next-door, the kid with the wholesome Mennonite upbringing, perform a phenomenal feat - while keeping his eye on the goal of winning the Tour. We watched him reach the podium in Paris in the yellow jersey and we triumphed and celebrated his victory with him. And we showed, through Floyd Landis, to our children what hard work and preserverence can do.
Then, we learn that our hero, Floyd Landis, cheated while climbing the mountain that day on Stage 17. He had taken performance enhancing drugs. Our hero had fallen.
Both Mary Decker and Floyd Landis lost sight of one important thing: if you have to cheat to win, you didn't win. They deceived themselves, the public, their competitors, and the people who believed in them, who looked up to them. In the end, even if you've manage to lie to the entire world that you deserved the win, you still have to live with yourself and the knowledge that you did not earn it honestly. It's a lie. It's just not worth it. It's not worth living that lie. It's not worth gaining that shiny medal object for the price of a lifetime of lies and deception.
It was a different lesson for our children than we expected.
I think instead of watching track and field or professional cycling, we'll have to watch futbol or hockey - or some other sport that utilizes teammanship and strategy -- and fairplay.
When I was in high school and college, Mary Decker was America's top female runner in my events. She just tore up the track. In fact, I traveled to Los Angeles for the 1984 Olympics just to see her run. I managed to get tickets somehow and visited my grandfather, who lived in Los Angeles at the time. I used to run with my grandfather too, and was so incredibly excited that he and I were going to go see Mary Decker run. The day my grandfather and I went to watch the 1984 Olympics - to watch my hero Mary Decker run - is a day that's indelibly etched in my memory.
Then the race. If I remember correctly, it was the 3,000 meter, which was my favorite distance in high school There they were, all on the starting line. The shot of the gun, signaling the beginning of the race and they're off. Mary Decker quickly found herself boxed in. Zola Budd of South Africa (running on the British team having fenagled a British citizenship at the 11th hour based on a very distant relative) was running, barefoot, directly in front of her. Having been boxed in once during a race, I felt this lump in the pit of my stomach. Being boxed in is horrible. You can't move; you're stuck. You can't get around them and it messes up your pace. Here was my hero - boxed in. Then it happened - Mary Decker tripped on Zola Budd's foot and fell. She went down. No medal for Mary Decker. I saw her fall. It seemed like the entire stadium gasped. And instead of getting up and continuing to run, she decided to get off the track. What? Keep running, Mary! Even if you come in last, you have to finish! She walked straight to her coach and the American team lodged a complaint against Zola Budd.
In my eyes, my hero had fallen. What I saw, in my opinion, was very unsportsmanlike. Zola didn't cause Mary Decker to fall. Mary Decker caused Mary Decker to fall. In fact, Mary hurt Zola by clipping her bare foot. Mary, the American favorite on American soil, played her trump card against Zola who was just trying to run a fair race. And that really bothered me.
Many years later, I learned that Mary Decker Slaney tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and had probably been using them her entire career. I was crushed. I envied her speed. I relished her wins. With the exception of her poor behavior at the 1984 Olympics, I admired her. She was my hero. And then I learned that she had been cheating the entire time. It crushed me.
This past July, all of us were watching the Tour de France. Raj and I became avid fans of The Tour while watching Lance Armstrong win these past several years. This year, with Lance retired from the race, it promised to be a more dramatic Tour. Drama we got after watching our favorite team, Discovery, fall by the wayside and watching our other favorite, Floyd Landis, plow up the mountain. The drama continued when Floyd lost steam in the 16th stage and fell from first place to 11th overall. Then the very next day, stage 17, Floyd crushed his opponents in an amazing feat of strength and speed. That day we saw our all-American boy-next-door, the kid with the wholesome Mennonite upbringing, perform a phenomenal feat - while keeping his eye on the goal of winning the Tour. We watched him reach the podium in Paris in the yellow jersey and we triumphed and celebrated his victory with him. And we showed, through Floyd Landis, to our children what hard work and preserverence can do.
Then, we learn that our hero, Floyd Landis, cheated while climbing the mountain that day on Stage 17. He had taken performance enhancing drugs. Our hero had fallen.
Both Mary Decker and Floyd Landis lost sight of one important thing: if you have to cheat to win, you didn't win. They deceived themselves, the public, their competitors, and the people who believed in them, who looked up to them. In the end, even if you've manage to lie to the entire world that you deserved the win, you still have to live with yourself and the knowledge that you did not earn it honestly. It's a lie. It's just not worth it. It's not worth living that lie. It's not worth gaining that shiny medal object for the price of a lifetime of lies and deception.
It was a different lesson for our children than we expected.
I think instead of watching track and field or professional cycling, we'll have to watch futbol or hockey - or some other sport that utilizes teammanship and strategy -- and fairplay.
Leila at Six Months
Leila just celebrated her six month birthday. That means another trip to the doctor for some shots and a weigh and measure.
Here are her stats, for those keeping score:
length: 26+ inches
weight: 20 lbs. 3 oz.
That puts her firmly in the 50Th percentile for height and over the 100th % weight. She's a fat girl, just like her mum.
Developmentally, she's doing great. She sits by herself nicely, despite having to haul up so much weight. She's doing everything she's supposed to be doing at her age, plus a few things she's supposed to be doing in later months. So, it's all good.
While it's still too soon to see her personality, little bits of it are coming out. When she smiles, her entire face lights up. It's beautiful. She's a happy girl. Sometimes she's very laid back, and sometimes she just REALLY wants things HER way and no other way will do and heaven help anyone who stands in her way. She's also very determined. When she drops a toy, she does everything she can to get it back.
Every time she screams and screams and screams because she wants things HER way, I remind myself that this really is a good trait that will be to her advantage as she grows up. Heaven help me....
Here are her stats, for those keeping score:
length: 26+ inches
weight: 20 lbs. 3 oz.
That puts her firmly in the 50Th percentile for height and over the 100th % weight. She's a fat girl, just like her mum.
Developmentally, she's doing great. She sits by herself nicely, despite having to haul up so much weight. She's doing everything she's supposed to be doing at her age, plus a few things she's supposed to be doing in later months. So, it's all good.
While it's still too soon to see her personality, little bits of it are coming out. When she smiles, her entire face lights up. It's beautiful. She's a happy girl. Sometimes she's very laid back, and sometimes she just REALLY wants things HER way and no other way will do and heaven help anyone who stands in her way. She's also very determined. When she drops a toy, she does everything she can to get it back.
Every time she screams and screams and screams because she wants things HER way, I remind myself that this really is a good trait that will be to her advantage as she grows up. Heaven help me....
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Super-Speedy Fast
Remember last year when the movie "The Incredibles" was released? The boys absolutely love that movie (they STILL love that movie). Simi identified himself with Dash, the boy super who ran "super-speedy fast". Asher identified himself with the baby Jack-Jack, who has quite a few super capabilities. When talking about Dash and Jack-Jack, Simi would run around the house saying that he was "super-speedy fast". "Yes, Simi", we replied, " You sure are super-speedy fast." Simi soaked it all in.
I'm not sure if it's because he really thinks he's fast or if because, by nature, he is fast, but Simi sure is fast. He can out-run everyone on his soccer team. He can really move down the field, even while wearing sandals.
I say, "Simi, you sure are fast". "Yes, mommy.", comes his reply. "I'm super-speedy fast".
I'm not sure if it's because he really thinks he's fast or if because, by nature, he is fast, but Simi sure is fast. He can out-run everyone on his soccer team. He can really move down the field, even while wearing sandals.
I say, "Simi, you sure are fast". "Yes, mommy.", comes his reply. "I'm super-speedy fast".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)