"Can we go eat at a restaurant with chopsticks?"

Amara found some disposable chopsticks somewhere in the house on Sunday and has been asking when we can go to a "Japanese sit on the floor" restaurant. On Tuesday we decided to have a family dinner out at take the girls to their first Thai restaurant. At least this would be there first time actually eating there. They have been several times as babies and toddlers but not eaten anything more than perhaps some sticky white rice. This time both girls ordered their own dinner. Annika wanted chicken. When there was not chicken nuggets, she decided to order just chicken. It came steamed. White, paste-y, limp looking dead chicken flesh sitting in a bowl. I thought for sure she would be grossed out. But she was starving and excited about chicken.. she ate it plain! Then she tried dipping it in soy sauce and mild peanut sauce to her delight. She muddled through some pineapple fried rice but mostly ate chicken. Samir did his best to help her with chopsticks but she was not really interested. Her best comment of the night was, "Dad, how can you eat octopus? That is so gross". I answered with but Annika you eat fish and chicken? Her answer, "But that is because I like to eat it and it tastes yummy".

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Amara decided to teach herself how to use chopsticks. We look over and there is Amara with a piece of baby corn in her chopsticks chomping down. This was her second feat. The first was when Samir's seaweed salad came and she took a huge chuck and starting eating the seaweed with her fingers like spagetti. She picked up a few different ones slightly confused and kept asking, "I can eat this? Is this a plant? ". She was mesmerized with Samir's fish sushi and even decided to take a bite of raw salmon and tuna. "Its so pretty and looks yummy". She was not that happy with taste though. She ploughed through several of my veggie sushi rolls and loved eating the "wrapper" by dipping it in soy sauce.

In the end everyone was happy and tired after a great evening of laughing and appreciating a new cuisine palatte for the girls. Perhaps next time it will be Korean. Be Bhim Bop - Here we come!

Updates on new milestones for the girls

Annika -

Competed in FOGANA and won third in at Cincinnati in Minor Folk Dance on July 16th. She said she is not interested in doing FOGANA ever again but would be willing to do it again next year. She has the same love/hate relationship with cultural commitments that I have.

July 20th - Asked to eat a salad with her dinner at LaRosa's completely unprompted.

Early July - helped Samir catch a fish in a friend's pond and then the asked to eat it. Samir actually did gut and clean the fish and they ate it. Not sure how I feel about this but am impressed with her commitment and courage.

Amara -

Tried to catch the rain while moving in the car by holding her mint container outside the window. She kept saying, "Slow down, Mom, I need fill this up."

July 16th - Fell asleep in the back of the convertible at 11:00pm on the way back from Preeti's house after FOGANA. The top was open and the wind was blowing her while the moon was full and beaming down onto her.

Early July - Amara realized that she is in love with Jeeps. Annika helps her determine she is wants a Jeep Wrangler with an open/soft top. Amara now can recognize any car that Jeep makes so I guess "JEEP" is her first sight word.

Mid-July - Amara asks me how to build a television. I don't her I have no idea and have never thought about how. She says that she is going to learn and build one in her room. Then she will build one for Annika's room next. So kind. : )

Adorable things said on Friday, July 22nd.

Conversation with Annika at 1pm>

Annika - "Mom, can you come upstairs and play with us. I packed my suitcase and put in a lot of effort to set up Vegas."

Me - "Why are you in Vegas?"

Annika - "Because I am here for a wedding. Come on up and put on your swimsuit. We are just relaxing by the hotel pool".

Me - "Well, I am in the kitchen unloading and then loading the dishwasher but I have some great music on. Why don't you come down and we can pretend its a dance club in Vegas."

Annika - "Mom, I don't there are any dance clubs in Vegas."



Conversation with Amara at 3pm>

Me - "Amara why are you naked, its almost 3pm and we need to go for a nap."

Amara - "Because I am going to a baby shower in Vegas".

Me - "And what happens at a baby shower in Vegas that means you need to be naked?"

Amara - "Babies take showers, Mom!" (exasperated with me for being so clueless).

Let me count the ways I love my IPAD2

I just realized how easy and quick transferring IPAD photos are to my blog. Still not sure how to do it but Samir did it so one day I can learn. This means I don't have any ridiculous excuses for why our profile photo is 4 years old. There are two things in modern life I wish I could enjoy more but my fear/battle/disgust with technology keeps me from succeeding at: Photo albums and listening to music. While the rest of the world works out the their favorite up-beat music, I still spend 5 minutes untangling my earbuds to plug into an eliptical because I don't have an IPOD with music on it. I do have IPODs, 3 in fact have made into my hands from someone or another. But none of them have any of my work out music on them. Also, I 3 beautiful digital cameras. One without a charger cord, one with a broken battery recharger, and one that is small and perfect but I have never downloaded pictures from yet. I am pathetic. Career and business success. Even motherhood is overall a success. But technology keeps me under its thumb and I have allowed myself a sob story of being a victim too long. I am taking on the challenge of learning something new. Forget med school. I am starting with downloading photos and creating albums online. Simple and so rewarding for me and my future generations.

I will also post a pic of my new closet soon. Still figuring out how exactly to do that and Samir is not here right now.

And God has thrown down the gauntlet!

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This is my public admittance of my shopping obsession and having too many clothes - this shot does not even include my pants. I believe this a challenge to minimize - I am going to research what a healthy closet looks like. Perhaps a lighter closet will mean a lighter body, mind, and spirit.

Location:What is left of my closet

Our first dance recital

An evening to myself finally so I am trying to utilize the art of blogging to capture such a momentous day. Annika had her first stage performance today and she was a bumblebee in her pre ballet class. I was tear-filled twice as I got her ready and combed her hair into a slicked back bun. However once she took the stage I was just in awe of her. Beautiful, confident, beaming, moving with elegance. This little girl was mine? Somehow I thought my daughter would be the one who refused to go on stage. Or worse the one people told horror stories about how she peed on stage from just fear. How did I get so lucky? I would be happy if she was just following along most of the time never expecting my kid to have a shot as a heroine. It's crazy to me that she is so talented. Perhaps this is really a reflection of me thinking I am not that talented so can she be bursting with skill? She can sing and even writes her own melodic songs with rhyming words that make sense. I am not saying she is avril igneous or anything but I have no idea how to keep her head focused on learning life skills like math, science, and reading but also encouraging the arts. I had very little arts exposure so how do you prioritize it? Can it simply be a family hobby? My own interest in anything artistic was squelched away and not part of myself that was shared, even with family or friends. The only full-on dancing I have ever done is my room by myself when my parents, roommate, husband, etc. are not around. My passion for design and fashion has always literally been hidden In my closet with taped up magazine photo shoots or the layering of images. I still don't have any version of an iPod with a music playlist of songs. I know what I love but never hold my own preferences high enough to justify the effort. The concept of having both creative, artistic expression and also being a gifted and driven student are strewn throughout tv and successful stories however in my family it has always been an either or situation. I hope Annika's life can be more like Gilmore girls and less like grays anatomy.


I told her she was a rock star this morning and she said "no I am not - I don't like to live on a stage". So wise already. I just pray that she keeps this level head 12 years from now.

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From 4 to 14 - this picture makes it hard to guess Annika's age and that terrifies me. She is not even in kindergarden yet but she is giving me advice about how to have more fun, how to accessorize, and reminds me to keep my voice calm when I am upset. Today was Easter and she was horribly upset about forgetting her new white bunny at her uncle's house. She came to me and said "I know people matter not things but I am just so sad about missing my new bunny.".


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Location:Cooper Rd,Cincinnati,United States