Around here // September 2016

Nandini of course is only friends with one or two kids in her new class and basically refuses to talk to anyone else because it is just too scary to try.

So of course it was big news when she talked to another girl at school.  "Mommy! I talked to someone at school today. Landry! She got the same unicorn book as me from the library last week that I got this week.  It's actually a Harry Potter book."

When we got home Avinash couldn't wait to see this new Harry Potter book.  "Hey! This is not a Harry Potter book!"

Very quick, "Yes it is! Look at the last page!"  And, wouldn't you know the second to last page has a picture from the Sorcerer's Stone.

Score one for Nandini.


Lakshman still loves all things Pokemon.  We use the show as his reward in therapy, so basically all his meals.



He plays with the toys all the time too.

"Pikachu, go in your pokeball cause you scared.  Pikachu scared a yoda." Then he gives a very significant glance toward the hall closet where our robot Yoda is hidden away.

I guess he hasn't forgotten.



Avinash is doing drama this year.  He practiced his Spanish over and over because he really wanted to get the part of the pea green crayon, aka Esteban the magnificent! 

He got off to a slow start really reading his lines and practicing, but he and Ryan ended up bonding over it and worked hard together.  This is Avi's first year in drama and he is among the youngest kids in the club so we thought he probably had a better chance at something easier.

A few days after the auditions a friend texted me telling me her son had got a part.  We both started frantically checking our email.  Then we finally noticed a new voicemail on Ryan's phone.  He got the part! It was so cute to get an old-fashioned message like that, ha! We all freaked out together in the car.

I made the decision to cut back on chess and ballet for him this year so I could focus on Lakshman and spend a little less time just driving back and forth.  I'm glad that drama is working out really well in place of all that.


 I am getting back into my groove again at home.  I think it literally took four weeks to finish unpacking.  I'm just on top of things like that. 

My hair started falling out in clumps for a while so it's possible I was a bit stressed...

Since I did finally manage to lose a little baby weight, I decided it was time to get a few new things.  Every day I seemed to wear nothing but yoga pants and old ill-fitting t shirts.  They don't even pass for work out clothes since most people have fancy leggings and matching tops these days. 

I placed a nice order on J. Crew online and was presently surprised when everything fit or was a bit loose.  I've been getting into J. Crew since I got a bunch of Crew Cuts stuff for the kids at the outlet store.  Their headbands are such good quality and so cute. 

Ryan and I celebrated our 11th Anniversary.  We took a little day trip to a Spa Resort which was pretty much Ryan's best idea ever.  

How perfect is this wall for us?!!