the whole world in your hands

my son, niko, loves globes.  anything with a map on it, he is immediately captivated. even the mall directory brings him joy. 

so when a friend told me about the cool globes exhibit in san francisco, we were excited to take our boys.  it’s an outdoor public art installation of 35+ larger then life custom-designed globes.  each planet communicates simple solutions for a greener life like “eat a meatless meal once a week” or “wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot.” 

needless to say, my niko was in heaven.  and with the beautiful backdrop of the golden gate bridge and crissy field shoreline, it was, dare i say, out of this world.  just make sure to bring a jacket to fight the wind.

take a peak at our cool globe outing…

 

a day of firsts

yesterday was the first day of first grade for niko.  new teacher, new classroom and new friends.  

niko was so excited and so ready to start school again.  he didn’t even flinch when the parents had to leave.  i wish i could say i was that strong.  it was a bitter sweet moment for me.  where did the summer go?  how did my baby become a first grader?  

take a look at our boy…

family matters

i am a proud auntie of 5 nephews and 1 niece.  all of these cuties live out east in new jersey.  i don’t get to see them very often but we try to stay in touch with visits, photos, emails and phone calls.  it warms my heart when i do meet them and they run to me without hesitation.  as if i saw them yesterday.  as if no time has ever passed.

i miss them terribly now that we’re back home.  and of course, so do my boys.  can you imagine the chaos of 7 little ones under the age of 6 together?!  it’s wonderfully loud and fun.  take a look at my peeps…

arjun is five and LOVES star wars.

deven is five and already an athlete.  watch out tiger woods!

naveen is almost five going on twenty-one.  he is both talkative and persuasive.

krishan will be four soon and always has mischief in his eyes.

they call three year old ajay, “mr. disgruntled” but i think he’s a sweetheart.

the only gal in the pack, one year old anika is petite yet feisty.

MIA no longer

yes, i’ve been slacking on my blog entries.  my family has been away on a whirlwind family vacay on the east coast.  we visited florida and met all our relatives in new york and new jersey.  it was a wonderful trip and a much needed break for us.  but now we’re back and trying to get everyone settled back into our home routine.

in the meantime, i’ll post some of my favorite images from our trip.  i’ll start with the big apple. we took our boys to new york city and showed them our favorite old haunts.  this magical metropolis is where i had my first apartment, my first big job and met my husband.  it holds a million memories.  

i adore the energy and excitement of new york.  it’s a bit hectic for us now with two little ones, but you can’t help but fall in love with the sights and sounds and smells of the big city.

here are some images from a water taxi tour we took from south street seaport.  the city installed waterfalls as public art that were just stunning.  take a look…

 

me & my very tired boys after touring the city 

my birthday boy

today is my son, niko’s bday.  it’s hard to believe that my baby turns six.  where did the time go?  its been amazing week celebrating with our extended family.  take a look at my bright-eyed boy who teaches me something new everyday.

just peachy

it’s wonderful to be on vacation and visiting our family.  we don’t see them often being on opposite coasts.  we spent some time in my husband’s hometown in upstate new york.  it’s a beautiful place on the hudson river…rustic countryside, small town Americana.  there are windy roads in between acres of farmland.  

we decided to go peach picking one sunny day.  our boys marveled at the idea of actually plucking their own fruit off the tree.  they zig zagged among the trees.  they pretended to ride tractors.  it was a fun-filled day that ended with 6 huge bags of fruit weighing 94 lbs.  here are some images of our peach pickers…

home away from home

it’s vacation time for my family.  we’re visiting our hometowns in new york.  it’s wonderful to share the homes we grew up in with our boys.  so many memories…like marco polo in the pool, my mother’s colorful garden, wiffleball in the backyard, delicious curries cooking in the kitchen.  but most of all, i love the comfort and ease i feel within the walls of my youth.  it’s so nice to be in my home away from home…