he says. Monday, February 7, 2011   Judah: “Okay, I really need to focus.” Judah: “Maggie and Anju are my best friends.” Judah: “Bye Anju!  I’ll text you when I need you.”  

  losing the fortress. Sunday, February 6, 2011   A good friend Arvind and I (David) struck out into the countryside for a second hike to a second fortress.  I’ve grown to crave these respites from exhaust fumes, car horns, and shoulder to shoulder people.  This time we drove an hour and a half north to find unmarked fortress remains atop a rocky ridge in our state. After walking around the base looking in vain for a path, we gave up, and made our own over thorns, brambles, and rocks.  We brought sticks to beat the ground in front of us to scatter potentially sleeping cobras.  Cut, filthy, and exhausted…

  christmas in february. Friday, February 4, 2011     Thank you, Grandpa and Mum-Mum!!!  

  bath time. Friday, February 4, 2011      

  birthday party. Wednesday, February 2, 2011   Sunday night was my birthday party.  The girls –- Colleen and Keli and Maggie –- came at 8:00-ish.  Colleen set up all the little tea candles she brought around the living room and I turned on my new Regina Spektor album, and the four of us kicked back and relaxed. We caught up on our week and talked about our favorite TV shows back home and ate the Death by Chocolate cake David got for us (Yes, that’s really what it was called.  And it was to die for). David had asked the girls to come prepared to share a way that…

  birthday-ing. Monday, January 31, 2011   Lot’s of birthdays here at the end of January.  Kenny’s.  Mine.  Two of Judah and Amelie’s playground friends.  So it was a birthday-ing weekend here. Saturday evening was Dhruv’s two-year-old birthday party in the all-purpose room at our apartment complex.  And Sunday afternoon was my friend Asma’s youngest daughter birthday at a little cafe down the street (incidentally, the cafe from this post). Here are pictures from yesterday’s festivities.  As you can tell, birthday parties are a big deal here.  At one point yesterday, Jonathan said, “This doesn’t feel so much like a birthday party as a rave.”  There was techno music blaring,…

  january 30. Sunday, January 30, 2011   Today, January 30th, my brother Kenny turns 27.  I wasn’t there for his party on Friday night.  I will not be there for his birthday dinner today. Today is one of those deaths – the hundred little deaths that sneak up on you and catch you by surprise and are part of counting the cost.  You miss birthdays.  You miss milestones.  You miss the little victories and the big ones.  You miss bad days and hurt feelings and forgiveness and laughing until you cry and all the things that make up being a family together. And you grieve and you trust God…

  gratitude, #389 – 409. Thursday, January 27, 2011   Annie started school this week! Judah: “Annie comes to my school to keep me company” sweaters in the morning, short-sleeves in the afternoon our apartment’s Republic Day celebration homemade samosas, banana-walnut bread, and my first taste of pani poori Judah and Amelie got invited to their first birthday party – a Cars party! many, many friends who are pregnant that I am not pregnant Judah and I played house outside yesterday afternoon two new kurtas on sale our landlord, who responds right away when something breaks Judah words: “wolly-pop” (lollypop), “int-ster-sting” (interesting) hot chocolate in the evenings, thanks to my…

  just for fun. Thursday, January 27, 2011     Our boy at eighteen months old.  

  republic day. Wednesday, January 26, 2011   Today is Republic Day, the celebration of our country’s constitution coming into effect (this happened awhile after its Independance Day on August 15). Judah had the day off school, so we decided to spend the morning celebrating – breakfast at Koshy’s and the best omelet I’ve ever eaten, roaming downtown and in a used bookstore, and checking out a Republic Day festival.