Jimmy's Day

Usually I am sound a sleep and I hear this sound sort of like the sound that a car makes when it backs up or maybe a truck or something regardless it is quite irritating, still it continues until I realize it is my Dad telling to get out of bed. He is driving some kind of crane type thing in the middle of my bedroom and hooked to the cable is my left leg and he is dragging me out of bed and I say, " come on man it is too early" " it is 7:30 and time to get up, do you want me to drag you out of bed or carry ya?" Carry ya" and so it goes...


07:35 Mom I am starving can I have some scrambled eggs, three and can you make me some peanut butter toast while I wait, please and I did my homework last night can I have some chocolate milk too. Being that I am only 6 I have not yet figured out sentence structure and continue to rattle on and on but anyway, where are my eggs...



07:57 I am rushed into my school uniform because Saravana will be here at 08:00 to take us to school..Brush my teeth and fiddle around with some stuff, drive my Dad crazy trying to get dressed my Mom batty not paying attention finally I am in the car and on the way to school and I can rest for the first time of the day...parents



08:30 We arrive at Goplan National School where I am in prep and really like school. I have several friends and they are cool and sometimes we have play dates. I study pretty good and always get stars for math and English. My Mom and Dad think it is funny that I am the best in English in my class..Hindi is hard but I am learning the consonants and montras, in the US we call montras vowels. I sometimes have art or sports but most time I am learning using my brain and thinking a lot and I get a snack around 10:45 and Mom has learned not to pack junk food because my Ma' am gets mad at me...



12:30 Saravana and my Dad come and get us kids and we go home. Raj and Florence are always there when we get home and sometimes when I am really hungry Raj will make me green chicken I eat the whole thing. I also like red chicken and spicy meat and rice and the my favorite is Maggie's noodles, yummy yummy. I do not usually take a nap any more so while Raj and Florence get Billy and Kay fed and into bed for a nap my Dad and I go out to play.

12:30-4:00 I am usually trying to learn some kind of sport, badminton,soccer, baseball really any sport that involves me running or chasing something seems to be my Dads favorites! we sometimes give the sports a rest and we go off to the pool and swim and I even get french fries..
My favorite thing though is when I can go to my friend Gautums and have a play date, it is the best. Deedee, Gouthams nanny makes the best Maggies noodles and chicken nuggets even though I had lunch at home I can't help but to eat some.
Then we play and play and finally my Dad comes and gets me and we go back home because it is time for dinner.

4:45-7:30 I am mostly playing my new drums as LOUDLY as I can. I am getting pretty good and I also take lessons. I sometimes have homework and my Dad makes me do it before dinner. I also like to watch a movie and then I will also color with my brother and sister. We at times like to finger paint and that always ends up with Dad dragging us upstairs for showers/bath because I mean you can't just finger paint on paper with you brother and sister easy targets! Dad says that when we takes bathes at least the bathroom floor is really clean.Dinner is sometimes hard for dad because Billy and Kay are slow and picky eaters but not me. I like to have a couple of chicken burgers some frozen peas a couple of oranges or a pineapple along with a quart or 2 of water, YUMMY.

7:30-Onwards is usually taken up with painting or coloring and I sometimes play on the computer. I have a list of about 30 favorite websites that I keep adding to because I know how to log on search for spider man or any other superhero website and start defending the universe. I can not wait until June 13th because the new Hulk.com will be ready, I know this because I can now read and that is what it says.

Like all kids I resist going to bed until I am so tired that I fall asleep in a chair practicing my guitar.

Quick scenarios of life in India

I do love living here, the daily amount of amazement and laughs is enough to cover me the rest of my life! There days I drive home and think ... Wow, I really DO live in India... crazy....



Some examples...



~ Angela got a great photo on the way to work yesterday... a tiny calf riding in between 2 guys on a motorcycle. The best part, the calf was completely complacent and looked very relaxed. Not sure where he was going, but he definitely didnt mind. Other interesting animals on the highway have been the donkey riding in the autoricksaw, his head out one end his butt out the other, a camel wandering down the 4 lane highway pulling a cart and the ever present bull carts pulling loads of construction equipment.



~ We ordered pizza for the kids last Friday night as a special treat (yes, we do have Pizza Hut here!). Tom ordered a large cheese and a large 1/2 peperoni and 1/2 black onion (I told you, our kids have weird tastes, see Kay's blog). The pizza came and we had 4 boxes. That's weird we only ordered 2 pizzas.... We open the boxes and I almost pee my pants I am laughing so hard - they have cut all the pizza's in 1/2 and put the 1/2's in separate boxes. I am sure that we are now known not only at the loudamericans, but those weird americans that want us to put their 1/2 of pizzas in separate boxes...



~ They have been doing construction work on the driveway to our building for the last month.
This has been entailing jack hammering, cement pouring, and sewer rebuilding. While this would be a challenging (and fun) project in the states, it brings construction to a whole new level here.... Most of the workers dont wear a helmet and the main jackhammer operator has been "operating" without a helmet, eye protection and in flip flips. My 1st thought was "holy crap, just dont look". WWOS? (What would OSHA say...) or as Angela says ...at least they look like they know what they are doing....

~ Your dreams here are SO vivid. I think its the sensory overload you get each day. Your brain just doesnt shut off. Some recent examples ... I dreamed Sean Penn was my driver. He was using it as method acting experience as he was going to play an Indian driver in an up coming movie. He insisted on calling me ma'am and no one at work could really appreciate that SEAN PENN was my driver! Angela and I were in awe. Then, I dreamed that Tom saved a giraffe from drowing by giving it mouth to mouth rescisitation. The zoo was so happy, they let Tom go into the giraffe pen and get his photo taken with the other giraffes. Did I mention that they were thrilled because the giraffe was pregnant with twins? Finally, and this was a while ago, I dreamed that I successfully recruited Britany Spears to my Target India team. That is what we could now call, a bad hiring decision.

I am sure there is more, but for today, this feels like MORE than enough:)

Our Native Village or My Name is Village as Kay calls it...

The following blog is long overdue and blatantly plagerized from our friends site, but... when you are home alone with 3 kids, no power and therefore no internet, you can get a little behind on blogs. So... bare with us, we'll get back into the swing of things again soon:)

" It didn't take long after reaching Bangalore to decide we needed to make some plans to get out. I spent the next weekend, and our dating anniversary of 12 years (an occasion Wade really finds special; don't get me started) with Target visitors in town touring. I enjoy it, but the six-day work week followed by what feels like four jobs (cruise boat hostess, manager of the team represented by visitors, manager of the teams not, and admin assistant) gets long.And so the following weekend was time to head out of town, but this being Bangalore, not too far out. Wade has frequented a place called Our Native Village several times now and I hadn't been, it's only 20 km outside of town, and has the quiet serenity of a farm. Perfect.

After the two hour drive (yep, about 10 miles all told) we had reached the countryside. The kids embraced the occasion with befitting enthusiasm while the adults strolled behind comforted by the fence around the perimeter.Kay, Caden and Jim take a spin on the bullock cart. As it pulled away out the gates, Tracy and I briefly questioned the wisdom of the trip...briefly. And they had fun.

The swimming pool is a natural one, with reeds and frogs to support the eco-system. The kids had a blast while the adults enjoyed the weather. (Suddenly, MN in Feb doesn't seem to grand.)

I do have to repeat though a thought that I've noted before. The Indian massage is...uh...really something. Violating. To say you have to experience it to experience India is sort of like saying you have to spend quality time in the red light district to understand Amsterdam. So I'll just tell you to trust me and opt for the head and shoulder massage. I'm sure the ayurvedic principles are solid, but I wouldn't describe it as relaxing unless you can "go to a happy place" during the process. Which takes place on a solid wood table that looks like something out of Princess Bride and involves enough oil to make Dubai nervous. And ends with a green goo soup to get the oil off "but not too much" in the words of my masseuse. Anyhow, I've decided not to do that again. I digress...

We also made pottery. Caden had a blast and it was a beautiful setting for a getaway. We also rode bikes, sat in the sunshine and put the kids to bed to enjoy the evening hooka. Not a bad day at all.It was a great getaway - and a great place...20 kms can be so far away. The drive home brought that thought back just a little bit... :) "

Kay Marie and the Terrible Horible No Good

Really Bad Day

And we are moving her to Australia.... (Watch out Gertners!!!)



Kay Marie of late has had a somewhat rough go of it. She being 4 and1/2 ,which we can not believe, has had the 1/2 year hormone monster show up and the monster is currently kicking our butt. We are not looking forward to prepubescence.




Kay does not have a scheduled normal type day, more of a day that happens in bits and pieces around chocolate and when she got the last piece, when she will get the next one and then Kay stings these moments of chocolate induced highs into what eveyone else would call a schedule.. We will let Kay explain.





0:700 Mommy I want Chocalate for breakfast. I want it right now. Do we have any of those other things I like? What things Kay you know those chocalate things? My parents are strict in th emorning and I never get any chocalte for breakfast.:( Mostly I eat scrambeled eggs, sometimes cereal or what ever is left from last night Mom makes into breakfast.





0:730 I like to get right out of bed and get dressed all by myself. Daddy puts my clothes for the day on the table where I can reach them and I get dressed. Sometimes I like to pretend that I can do it just to she what Mom and Dad will do and you know what most of the time the still make me do !





07:50 I try to watch Tv sometimes because we are always waiting for Saravana, our driver and lots of times I make it outside and find something that I should'nt be doing and start doing that until I hear Mom " Kay Marie...get in the house and brush your teeth" I am consatantly be bothered to " brush my teeth" for cripes sake they are going to fall out anyway so why go through all this wasted effort.





08:10 Finally Saravana is here and off to school I go to get my first piece of chocolare for the day!! You see I have this plan that works pretty much everyday. I convince Saravana that if he promises to bring my chocolate for the ride home after school I will behave on the ride there. Ok Kay Kay you promise, Yes Saravana Ok. That being fixed I turn my attention to the teachers.





09:10 My first stop after assembvly is Billy's classroom. I simply let his teacher know what a good job she is doing and bingo a piece of chocolate for being such a nice child. Then it is off to my class and for this particular piece of chocolate I must work for it. I can count or sing or use any of the many other talents I have to obtain that piece of nirvana.





12:30 School is over for the day having secured two pieces of chocolate I now turn on the smile and ask Saravana. "What have you brought me today Saravana?" Chocolate Kay Kay. Thank you Saravana" being polite is a very useful tool when planning for my future chocoalte needs.





1:15 After arriving home I am somewhat jazzed up on all this chocolate succuss it is hard for me to concentrate on anything else, like sitting still or sometimes making any sense at all. My Dad says it is because of all the sugar but what does he know, he makes me brush my teeth rememeber! Raj and Florence finally interceeded and I am off to my room for a hand feed lunch and then a bath and by that time I am wiped out and ready for a well deserved nap.



4:15 Dady usually wakes me up from my nap and then after a few minutes of screaming hystecically I calm down and we go outside to play. I on most days try and talk Daddy into taking me to the store for you know, chococalte but he usually never does. But sometimes if we eat all our dinner and listen to Daddy he will take us to Baskin and Robbins for ice cream. I am not a big fan of chocolate icecream but Mango Black Currant rocks, go figure.



5:45 we head back inside from playing before the bugs come out. Daddy makes dinner while I demand to color, paint, glue, cut or whatever other artistic talent wants to emerge. Sometime we have body painting competion and it drives Daddy nuts!! We love it !



6:15 Dinner is served and of course I can not sit still and wiggle around in my chair and do not eat. Jimmy and Billy are always done before me and I end up on a time out or two before I finally wear down Daddy and convince him I have had enough. After dinner it is back to the arts! I love painting coloring and I really love glueing. So much so that I can go through two glue sticks in one night. Daddy tells me to learn about inventory management because we are always out of glue. All this generally makes a big mess but I have a plan. ' Daddy if I clean up this mess can I have chocolate?" I always get the same answer " No Kay it is to late" but a girl "has got to try what happens if you don't try, you have to try, so after much consideration could you make mine a cheeseburger?"



8:00 The bewitching hour. Daddy fortifies himself and sets off to the task of getting us to bed. The nightly ritual takes on a spirit of it's own. There are the rare days that I actually go to bed the first time Daddy ask's, but as I stated before you must not always give these grown ups their way. I like to wait until Daddy has Jimmy in bed and then Billy tucked in and has given us kisses and hugs and just as he heads out the door " Daddy, I am hungry can you bring me some food?". No Kay I told you before that if you do not eat at dinner time there is not going to be another dinner!! "Daddy can I have some cold water in a sippy cup with ice, and I mean cold water,PLEASE" " Ok Kay but if you get out of bed there will be no water!!" "Ok I won't" I get my water and wait for the final phase of my plan.



9:00 ish Mommy is home! "Mom you know Mom I have to tell you something" What Kay?" " Daddy didn't feed me dinner I want to have dinner with you because I love you and we didn't get to talk today" " No Kay it is bed time go to sleep!!' Mommy wait, wait I said I have to tell you one more thing" Yesss Kay..Mommy if I stay in bed can I have chocolate for breakfast....



That is how my days usually go....

Billy The Kid

Oh Oh what I want to know, where does the time go?





So sorry for the lack of communication over the past several days we have been without internet, AGAIN. This time it appears that some cables off the coast of somewhere were cut by something and therefore we needed to watch TV to learn when internet would be back, it is not my fault, Sir.....





Meanwhile Billy has been bery bery busy doing things that three year olds do, like keeping sibling rivalry up between the brother and sister, working on his cars and not eating.





Billy's typical day would be somewhat like:






04:13 Hey it is kinda scary here I think I will make a break for it and go bother Mom and Dad






04:15 I better slam this door so the monster doesn't follow me in here. Hey Mom move over I am cold





05:00 Somebody get me Chocolate milk right now...loud screaming ensues until either Mom or Dad get the Chocolate milk. ( side note: Many of you may know that Billy actually does not drink chocolate milk. When he was about two we would add chocoalate Pedisure into his Milk, per Raj, because it would give him strength, Raj did not know about Guniess, anyway once we ran out of chocolate flavored Pedisure, we simply stopped putting it in his milk and he would ask for chocolate milk, we would give him unflavored white milk and he was fine, so we went with it:)


06:30 My chocolate milk is gone so I may as well bang my sippy cup on the bed for awhile and see what that does.



06:31 Dad takes my sippy cup away. No matter I am really tired so I think I will take a nap for awhile


07:20 What is that grabbing my arm, Oh it is Dad hey I am not getting up it is too early. If you wake me up I will scream like crazy and then I do. Everyday this same thing happens. I get carried downstairs screaming my head off, placed in my high chair and Mom makes me breakfast that I refuse to eat. All I really want to do is play with my cars but can I do that?? NO, I have to take a bite, now swallow, I said swallow, this is painfull. No cars and I have to eat food or...Oh yeah, I forgot, no stickers, & "don't you give me that look".






08:00 By now I have calmed down after three or four time outs eaten all my rice and dal and just to get even just before we get in the car to go to school I like to, poop, it drives my parents crazy:)






08:15-12:30 I am at school, not. I go to this daycare place where they let me play with cars and trucks and go potty on the floor, it is great. I then have some scheduled time with an actual teacher but so far I still color out of the lines and mostly use the wrong color but I get treats. Sometimes they bring in animals like a turle for me to play with. I also like to talk and keep a running banter up with the other kids.


12:30 Most days my Dad comes with Saravana to pick us up but sometimes it is just Saravana and he gives us treats too.


1:00 I get home and I am really tired so Florence takes me and my sister upstairs and feeds us lunch. I eat a lot and then get a bath and take a nap for and hour or so and then Dad comes and wakes me up.


4:00 I am usually cranky and whinny when I get up but that usually only lasts forever my Dad says and then joy of joys outside to ride my bike. My friend Caden gave me his bike that he used when he was three and I have become very possive of it. So much so that if anyone even looks at my bike I will have a meltdown, can not be helped just the way I am. I ride my bike up and down the street, around in circles and sometime to the park and or the store. But I can not ride off our street with out Mom or Dad or I will lose my bike, and I know that is true because one time Jimmy did and boy was Dad hot. Jimmy did not see his bike for a whole day.


When we go to the park I like to dig in the sand or slide down the slide or sometimes swing.




Then we finally head home and my Dad and I get into a big fight around dinner as he has not figured out that I am not going to eat... ever. Only this time I announce that I have to go potty and this take his mind off trying to feed me and I actually go potty on the potty like a big boy. Well sort of like a big boy I am not tall enough so I climb on the rim and stand there and go.



After the dinner bout is over, Dad 150 Billy 151, I color with my sister or play cars with my brother and then it is bed time. For the most part I cooperate here but you know having a reputation I have to pitch a fit now and then. I also have to give hugs and kisses. Just recently I have developed this unique kissing system. First I kiss Mom and Dad on the mouth then their left check and then their forehead, for some unknown reason I ignore the right check, Oh well.




Finally I fall asleep until "THERE IS A MONSTER UNDER MY BED" and my day starts all over