Hold On To Your Hats And Keep Your Arms Inside the Car

Planting with Oma on Mother's Day

Beep, beep, beep!!! While that may be the sound of an alarm clock in most households, in ours, it is the signal to hold onto your hats and keep your arms inside the car; the roller coaster of life is leaving the station with mommy, daddy and a two and half year old in it. Navigating our way through a busy day can bring the thrill of a 50 foot drop, the swell in your gut that comes with making a loopty-loop, and timeless uncontrollable laughter when the fun you're having makes the realities of the world disappear. Our amusement park like attraction is only 34 and 3/4 inches tall, weighs 23 pounds and answers to the name of Deviroo.

The other night, I was standing at the front door chatting with our neighbor Carol. Daddy and Devi were just returning from a walk and joined us on the porch. Devi ran up to Carol and gave her a big bear hug and said, "Carol, would you care for a glass of wine?" We all burst out laughing...she has become a little hostess all ready!

A few days later, the three of us were blessed to find some sunshine on our front stoop. We were all sitting there basking in the rays, when Devi noticed that we had had a new phone book delivered and she asked if she could read it. She took the book, and with her back to us, squatted down with her hands in her lap and began to flip the pages. I just love it when kids do this squat position...it is so darned cute. Anyway, she entertained herself for a while, flipping a page or two and then slammed the book shut and came running back to us saying, "I'm done with the book...it was a boring read!" Another gut wrencher! I don't know where she picks up this stuff, but her comments flabbergast us every time.


Making cookies, even those made out of Play-doh, can only be for one person....Santa Claus! We made a whole plate full of tasty morsels for old St. Nick in every color in the rainbow. When playtime was over we began squashing our delectable treats back into the containers when Devi said in a very sad voice, "Sorry Santa, sorry Rudolph, sorry Olive the other reindeer" It was very dear that she felt bad that we were not leaving them out overnight for them to try. We explained that Santa and his reindeer are at the North Pole making toys for good little girls and good little boys which spawned, "Am I a good girl?" :) (An angel...most of the time!)

Lately, she has become very interested in all things India. Devi is very aware that she was born there, but mommy and daddy were not. We frequently find her saying "Namaste" to her animal friends and she has taken to drawing on my hands with sidewalk chalk. She tells me the chalk is henna and she is doing mendhi on my hands for me. She loves Indian food which we prepare often, but you could tell her a pb&j was Indian food and for her, it would suddenly become more delicious!

Just like last year, the weekly farmer's market is still a huge source of entertainment for us. Devi has a much better understanding of it this year and asks every time, "The farmer's grow the vegetables? The farmer sells the vegetables? We buy the vegetables?" We let her carry her own cloth bag, pick out a piece of fruit and pay for it herself, which is the highlight of her trip. Daddy and I prefer a tasty baked good, but to each his own.

Cooking away on her pretend stove top the other day I over heard Devi adjusting the temperature of the burners. According to her, her stove has "Hot", "Cold" and "Mirium"!

Daddy & Devi make Eirekuchen!

Thus ends another couple of weeks of life's roller coaster ride. The highlight of this week was breakfast on my second Mother's day made by my hubby and daughter....Eirekuchen, or German pancakes. She gets a bit over zealous cracking the eggs, saying Uh-oh and invariably we end up scooping them off the counter and into a bowl. The recipe calls for slightly beaten, so there you go.


We spent the afternoon taking a delightful walk through a Rhododendron garden and Bonsai tree exhibit with Oma. The sun managed to peak it's head out just long enough for us to complete both and then came the rain drops. In a dry spell of the afternoon Oma and Devi shared a fun moment planting flowers in pots together. Devi chose marigolds, which seems so appropriate since they are a flower used to celebrate festive occasions in India. With the planting we came to realize that Devi can't stand to get her hands dirty. Shoveling, adding plant food and watering are okay, but don't try and make her touch the dirt!! "It' yucky" and that is a quote. A wonderful grilled fish dinner topped off with my personal favorite - rhubarb pie rounded out my wonderful Mother's day. The day was like heaven - a true gift to spend it with family...our family of three created by the selfless act of a woman half a world away. It is to honor her - Jhuma - that Devi's marigolds bloom.

Marigolds for Jhuma