Deer Park

Before leaving the Dells, we had to stop at Deer Park. I have many a memory feeding the deers here with my family. Growing-up, every summer we would spend a week in water park heaven.

Ashish and I always have mixed feeling about visiting these types places for animals. Deer Park does have a lot of acreage for their animals to roam and they do seem very well cared for. (Get ready if you visit though! Arm yourself with plenty of deer food. The have a Pavlov response when the gate opens to let visitors come in!)

DELLS

We made it to the Dells...we are now ready for some R&R before driving the rest of the way home. Ashish found a nice little beach front hotel in the Dells called Sunset Bay. http://www.sunsetbayresort.com/ It's not really a resort, but it is a nice location. The indoor pool was nice...and the beach was peaceful.

Chicago Bound

Chicago Bound. May 12-15th.

Monday faced us head on with the not-so-speedy Illinois Tollway. Why must we keep paying for roads that are habitually being worked on and are even worse after they are complete? When we lived in Illinois someone was making a lot of money from the tollway- and now that we moved to Minnesota...they still are making a lot of money of the tollway! I'm also glad we filled up in Wisconsin, which was higher for gas than Minnesota, but not the price shocking $4.19 a gallon for regular in the city.

...LaLo's here we come! They just don't make Mexican food like this back in Minnesota! However, with Chicago size portions and no calories spared, it's a good thing that this food isn't as accessible! Nishad was eating salsa by the spoonful...spicy salsa. Since we were in the neighborhood, we also stopped and took pictures of the boys in my Mother's garden at my old childhood house.

We loaded up the kiddies, and headed east to downtown. After living in Minnesota (only second to California with wind gust/power), the windy city didn't seem nearly as windy as I recalled. Chicago get it's nickname from all the political "wind" that flys around... We checked into our hotel, The Avenue http://www.avenuehotelchicago.comwhich/ is right on Michigan Avenue (The Magnificent Mile) and Huron. It was one of the most beautiful rooms I've ever stayed in.

Need I say, Gino's East (one of the best places to eat pizza) and Garret's Popcorn where right across the street! This city and FOOD! ha,ha. We were also a few blocks away from Fire House, Engine 9 that had a park adjacent to it- which was a hit with Nishad. He *loved* the non-stop sirens and trucks. I on the other hand could do without the diesel and hustle and bustle.

This time around, I learned first hand that Chiacgo is not a very family friendly-child oriented city. They have revolving doors at every store-front. Try getting the Cadillac of double strollers through that! It was about then that I missed the family friendly, "nice" people of Minnesota that see a struggling Mom of two and actually hold the door open for her with a smile instead of rushing right by.

We walked Ashish over to the Hyatt, where the BEA conference was being held. He registered and went to the meet & greet while the boys and I started shopping (yes, already!). This was also prime time for me to catch-up on my snap-shots! With the city as a backdrop, one can only feast with photo opps (see, a reference to food - again). We walked a few miles to Frontera Grill (Rick Bayless' place), but it was closed on Monday's! Instead, we headed back and ordered pizza to go, and crashed.

Tuesday morning Ashish got all decked out in a suit and tie (I haven't seen him in one since our wedding). While he attended the conference, the boys and I painted the town blue! We went to the Chicago Stockyards, shared a sundae at Ghirdelli, had a picnic style lunch, played at the fire house park, went to Millennium Park, and missed Daddy a whole lot! After the boys woke up from their naps, it was time to go and meet Daddy for dinner. We went out for Indian food- and made a pit stop for some Chicago popcorn for dessert.

Wednesday we met up with Auntie Audrey at LaLo's- again. Audrey and I did everything together back in h.s....I'm so glad we've remained in contact through the years.

This was such a short trip we didn't plan to make it a social visit- especially since we weren't going to drive to the burbs, but I had to have some...out of the city time. :) After the boys, Audrey, her Mom and cousin Colby (5), all played at Proska Park (the same place I grew-up playing). It was so neat to see!

After a long day, we headed back- in a commuters nightmare. Just when I started to tear-up about not living close to those special people in our lives...traffic gave me a reality check! Daddy was a party-animal (at least in Ashish terms) as he stayed out with the folks at BEA (they have an evening arranged for them all with a tour and dinner). The boys and I ate Gino's- again! And we loved every bite of it. :)

Goodness For Dan: Ashish's co-worker, Dan (Ashish's previous boss), became my savior a few different times turning this trip. Every time something happened- he would magically appear. For instance, my room key wouldn't work. So I'm trying to back the boys out of the elevator (mind you, I was already frustrated) and there he appears with a smile and a helping hand.

Then there was the Gino's East "incident"~ Remember how I spoke of revolving doors? Well, I ordered take out for the boys and I, and I couldn't get in to pick it up! So, I called Gino's and they had to send out security to open one of the regular doors. Just as they did, a PACKED trolley pulls up and unloads a million hungry people who trample over us to squeeze through any and all doors. So the security guard is yelling, "I'm looking for a stroller!" Nice huh? Well, it get's better!!

While waiting for our order, Nishad takes out his disposable camera (with a flash) that Mom picked up for him (so he would leave MY camera alone) and he takes a picture of 10 drunk business men. Thank goodness for beer...they were all happy! So, on the way out...I couldn't open the door again!! So, I was ready to give up and open the pizza right in the middle of place when Dan comes out of nowhere! He opened the door for us- Which, of course, I'm thanking him on the sidewalk in front when all of a sudden we hear, "Whoa, What Was That?!" and I turn and Dan says "Watch out!" as I simultaneously try to move the buggy...that a blind man just walked into! The nice blind man keep saying, "What was that?" Dan kept saying, "Your okay...Your Okay....You walked into a buggy." That was my cue to get back into our safe hotel room! Enough of letting us loose on the streets of chi-town!

The Perfect Spot: FREE Parking in front of the Lincoln Park Zoo. I knew it was going to be a good day when I landed a free parking spot in front of the zoo in Lincon Park. Good timing and my oh-so-awesome illegal u-turn abilities combined with my parallel parking skills paid off! We spent the morning at the zoo, along with every other elementary school in the Chicagoland Metropolitan area, visited the botanical gardens and at lunch before (The Gorilla Grill- Good Enough to beat on your chest about) heading back to pick up Daddy. Nishad loved how close the animals were- similar to a very beautiful zoo in Saint Paul, Como Zoo.

Off to the Dells!! Bye Bye, My Kind of Town! Despite 1hour detour, we made it to the Dells where Daddy booked a lakeside, beach room for us to relax in. And, boy...did we need it! I think we were all in bed by 9p.m. The following day we went to Deer Park and heading back for home!

Grandma Wanda

The Day after Mother's Day, the Day before my Mom's birthday. Though we went back to Chicago for Ashish's IT convention, in which he was a guest speaker, our fist stop was to pay respects to Grandma Wanda. She passed on January 23rd of 1992 from an aggressive form of breast cancer. I was 17 years old, a senior in high school. We brought her grave site the most beautiful flowers we could find. Oh, how she loved her garden...

This was the first time Baby Arun was there- the second time for Nishad. We were back last May for Audrey's wedding. Little did we know that we would be back again- almost exactly 1 year later!

I still cry at her last resting place. But, I cry for a different reason. I cry tears of joy because I know she is watching over us all, she is happy- and I feel in my heart how proud she is of me, Ashish and our boys. I know that she lives on in Nishad's vibrant spirit, Arun's smile and my laughter.

Mother's Day!

THE Perfect Mother's Day! May 11th.

This is the holiday that I use to attempt to avoid. All the commercial Mother's Day 'stuff' reminded me of the one thing I didn't have and wanted most- my Mother. Ironically, my mother's birthday is also on May 13th.

The year I became pregnant with Nishad, that all changed. I did a little tap dance right into the card section and bought every mother that was of inspiration to me a "Happy Mother's Day" card. It's not that I don't miss my Mom. Like the moon and stars, feelings come in cycles. However, being blessed with Motherhood has also given me a new perspective. I now understand that, like the caterpillar that evolves into a beautiful butterfly, it was not an ending for my mother- but rather a new beginning. Just as the boys and Ashish have given me...a new beginning.

The boys gave me a beautiful heart pendent that was thoughtful and symbolic. Then they took me to the most awesome place for breakfast! French Meadow Bakery in Minneapolis. http://www.frenchmeadow.com/ It prides itself in organic ingredients...and it was the best French Toast ever! Ashish ordered the breakfast burrito- which I also sampled. I plan on ordering that next time!

After breakfast we headed to Madison Wisconsin. We were heading to Chicago for Ashish's business conference, and planed to stay over for the night. We toured the most impressive gardens at the Olbrich Garden's. http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/Olbrich/Outdoor%20Gardens/outdoor_gardens.htm If you are ever passing through, you need to check them out. It's free, and they often have concerts. Get there a head of time as parking is limited.

I'm so glad I was able to share this day with my boys and Ashish.

Festival Of Nations

Another great Saint Paul Festival- Festival of Nations!
http://www.festivalofnations.com/

Festival of Nations should be called Festival of food as there is a lot of it! Unlike the International Children's Festival, you do have to pay to get into the Festival of Nations, and food isn't that cheap. (We were rather disappointed with the Indian food, but the Hungarian food was great!)
Nishad sampled everything we did- and liked it! He got out with me and danced on the dance floor. I paid a $2.00 for the worst kolacky ever. They just aren't like Vesky's back in Berwyn.

There are plenty of cultural performances and demonstrations representing over 90 countries. Pretty impressive!

Who's a Little Chicken?

April 20th brought a day of sunshine- finally! Off we went to the much anticipated "Farm Baby's" exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo.

This zoo isn't as great as Brookfield Zoo https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/(which I grew-up living only 5 minutes from but it does have some nice 'natural' exhibits.

One of our favorite things to do while at the zoo during "Farm Baby" time is feed the goats.

http://www.mnzoo.com/

Pizza Via Grill

Grilled Pizza is where it's at! On of our favorite menu nights is BYOP (Build Your Own Pizza). Sometimes people stare blankly at me when I tell them this. I think once you try pizza on the grill, there is no turning back! The dry heat makes it a perfect condition to cook in. You don't get all the grease that delivery pizza has. I've made my pizza crust from store bought and homemade. Each to their own, ability and more importantly- time factor.

We had our good friend's the D's over for a luncheon grill. It was fun to see the different combinations and the kids joining in. You can cook them directly on the grill- or as we prefer (easier clean up), we use a base. Pictured are two pizzas that our 2 year olds made.

The Boys are Vegetarian, and I only eat chicken and turkey so we use lots of veggies. Try grilling your veggies first and then adding them onto the pizza as a topping. Think outside the box when you think of toppings and sauce. Who said pizza has to consist of red sauce and cheese? Why not a spicy black bean pizza? I am looking forward to using toppings from my very own garden!

Crust Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Preparation:Combine water, oil, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes or until it bubbles. Mix flours and salt together thoroughly in a food processor or mixer. Add water mixture while blending. Let mix for 2 minutes. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. Place in a large oiled bowl and let stand in a warm place for 2-3 hours. It should double in size. Once the dough has raised, lightly flour two cooking sheets. On a floured surface roll out 1/4 of the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place on cooking sheet. Repeat process until you have four rounds. Place one pizza on a clean, oiled and preheated grill. Grill pizza crusts for about 1 minute on until the bottom is brown. With tongs, gently flip it over and grill for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from grill and repeat with remaining pizzas. Let cool. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and return to a preheated grill for about 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. It's best to grill one pizza at a time.

http://bbq.about.com/

He Danced into my Heart

Long before his first shuffle, hop, toe- Nishad danced his way into my heart. While I was pregnant with him, I would glide across the living room with my hands wrapped around my tummy doing a duet with him. For the first month of his life, he only heard our voices, and classical music. The combination of having dancing in his blood and an early exposure to classical music (pre-natal) is why I think he is so musical.

I enrolled him in a dance class for two sessions. He wasn't as excited about it as he was dancing in the basement with Mom- little does he know Mom's connection to dance.

I had to laugh though, as he knew more than he let on while in class... I have videos that would have made his teachers head spin. haha... Now, that is the bias, proud Mamma in me! :)

Stop & Smell the Flowers

April 4th. A Day at Como Zoo and Conservatory in Saint Paul. The the flowers are blooming despite the conditions outside. It started to rain mid-way through the zoo, so we 'escaped' in the conservatory...along with everyone else from the zoo! Como Zoo and Conservatory remind me of a downsized Gateway Park in San Francisco. The zoo and conservatory are free- though donations are accepted and appreciated. At fist I was worried to let Nishad freely walk among all the beautiful flowers- I was worried what would happen if he picked a flower... Then I quickly came to the realization that I'm sure that he wouldn't be the first child to do so if he did. Part of learning is exploring... So, I let him explore. He leaned over and smelled many flowers. Even gently touched a few- he didn't pick even one petal.

We were also there in time to view the Corpse Flower. This rare tropical plant is native to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Due to over-harvesting and habitat loss the corpse flower is vulnerable to extinction. When it blooms it smells like rotting flesh for two days. Lovely, eh? I can see why over-harvesting was a problem!

http://www.comozooconservatory.org/

Jackson Street Roundhouse

Full steam ahead to the Jackson Street Roundhouse and Museum. Nishad loves trains, hence his 2nd birthday was a train theme. We thought this would be a fun destination on yet another cold Minnesota day. Where else can you ride a caboose for $2 a ticket? http://www.mtmuseum.org/jsrh.shtml

We don't want our kids to be slaves to commercial products and marketing, so we take special delight in showing him 'real' trains. He really has no idea what Thomas the Train even is- and we like it that way. Occasionally, we encounter something 'Thomas' and I just make a silly face and say, "That's so silly. Trains don't have faces." And he laughs and says, "That's not a real train. We don't like that." Woo-hoo. Or should I say, "woo-choo!"

Our kids don't watch TV programs either. Occasionally, we do let him see 'real' animals...or if he is sick, an episode of this or that, but that just started a few months ago. Nishad does have a "Curious George" stuffed animal that he knows as "Bunder" (which means monkey in Hindi). People will come up to him and refer to "George" and he's often quiet as he isn't quite sure why they are naming his monkey.

An inspirational article that Ashish first read at Oak Hill Montessori was exactly about how children 3 and under shouldn't watch TV. TV takes away from their sensory skills. It also allows marketing directly to your child- watching 'shows' cuts out the middle man. This makes marketing so much easier as they manipulate your child and tell them what their needs and wants are. Here is a great article on this topic: http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/blog/2007/10/television-and-montessori-child-part-1.html

All in all, I think Ashish and I have done pretty well so far at sheltering our kids from the Batman's, Thomas', etc. I don't think we are alone in our beliefs either. Ashish made me feel so good when he commented, "I'm glad that our son learned how to count from you teaching him- not a DVD."

MN Children's Museum

Fun for ages 0-100! We all piled into the suv and headed to the Minnesota Children's Museum today with Krista, Jaxson and Vada! Bugs and animals were Nishad's thing, while bubbles and water were Jaxson's cup of tea. Baby Vada and Baby Arun pretty much slept the entire time despite the noise from a ton of field trips. The museum does post "quieter times" on their web site. http://www.mtmuseum.org/jsrh.shtml

Nishad enjoyed dressing up like a fireman as well. He thinks his Daddy is a fireman because he 'puts out fires' at work. I think he'll be a little disappointed when he visits Daddy to find he doesn't have a pole you can slide down, nor a firetruck to ride...just a desk and a computer!

We ate lunch and headed back home around 2PM. Before we knew it, the giggles stopped and our precious angels napped their way back...of course! Only to be up and ready with more energy by the time they arrived home! This Momma was pooped! I think after Arun turns 1, we'll get a membership. It's a neat place to spend the day!