A Day at the Beach!!

It started with us planning to go to bed early, so that we can leave early to the beach next day. Michu had different plans. She would not stop crying. She did not seem hungry, definitely sleepy, but cannot sleep. It was a really hard sight when you see your little baby crying like that. It got to a point where we were going to call our mom in India for ideas. That's when Sridevi realized we had the magic potion. It was worth trying!!

We started with a little bit from the lid of the bottle, she semed to like the taste. Not even a minute later, she threw up bringing out all the milk she had before going to bed. That seemed to have done the trick. She was a little more comfortable and started responding. But still not good enough for sleeping. We said, why not a little more. Again, it did the trick, off she goes to sleepy land.

So we have proven the age old formula to stop crying babies. An old ad in Tamil, says, "Kuzhandai Azhududu, Woodward's Gripe Water kudukka chollu", meaning, "Is the baby crying, ask them to give Woodward's Gripe Water".

So this is our magic formula!!



After some good zzzzs that night, We ended up leaving the house at 11 AM vs our plan to leave at 9. We forgot michu's suite and had to come back losing another half hour, spent an hour at shop rite feeding michu, took the wrong direction in the parkway and reached Ocean Grove, NJ at 2:30 PM. We had beaten all odds to make it here, we were hell bent on making it a good one. Ocean Grove is a very special place for us. We had come here two years ago before Michu was born. Michu seemd to love the sand and we directly took her in the water. she seemed to enjoy it and Sridevi and I had a blast. The day turned out to be a glorious one at Ocean Grove, NJ. Thanks to the magic formula of the age old celebrated Woodward's Gripe Water.

The Google Dirt

You are familiar with Google Web, Google Maps, Google Video; where does Google Dirt fit in here. As Google Web searches the web, Google Video searches videos, Google Dirt searches dirt. Only difference is, it is not in the computer, it is done in our living room and bed room. The engine would be our ever curious daughter - Nimisha.

She has an enviable knack of finding the tiniest piece of dirt on the floor, Mr.Dyson will be proud of our little dirt devil. Perhaps, he'll be intersted in this technology for his future generation of products.

It is quite the exercise to protect her from putting everything she finds in her mouth. Our carpets are a happy bunch nowadays. They get frequent vaccuming to help in this regard, a relief they were not used to earlier.

First (White) Diwali!!

My first taste of Diwali started with shopping in Babies 'R' Us. A cute yellow frock and pant, and a few sleep blankets for the upcoming winter were on the bill. Mom made tasty Gulab Jamuns. I wish I could taste them. Kaara Sev, Ribon Pakoda and Baadushah were also on the menu ordered from Flushing Temple. Spirit of Diwali was on although not a match to what happens back home.

On the day of Diwali, I woke up at 6:30 AM like any other day. Wished bye to dad who went to work like any other day. Mom prepared Thayir Vada, Paal Payasam, Pusanikkai Kuttu, Paruppu and pachidi to get the day going. My day was not much different from any other day - play, sleep and eat except the oil bath with boilled Nallennai instead of the regular coconut oil.


That evening daddy came home litle earlier and we all got dressed with new clothes. We did the prayers and took some photos to capture the moments. Best part was about to begin when we left to the Ranganatha Temple for the special events. On the way, it started snowing. Winter arrived quite early in New York. My first Diwali turned to be a white one.

At the temple, mom did Lakshmi Puja and I was hanging out with daddy. Had my dinner and slept at my usual time. People seemed to like me and kept waking me up. Eventually at about 11 PM, we left the temple, the last to leave from there.

On the way back, snow had changed the landscape and made my First Diwali White and memorable...