13 Hours of Rain

A New Cubbie My son, you were grinning from ear-to-ear as your got ready for your AWANA (Bible Memory Club) evening. "I am going to school today!" "AWANA is your school?" I asked. "Yes!" Lately, you have been inspired by school. Earlier in the day, you spend lunch with your sister, munching ham and pineapple pizza, with your eyes wide open, taking in all the sights and sounds of her castle-esk elementary school. I could almost read your mind, "Wow! So this is where A. goes in the morning. It's not scary at all!" "Three more minutes until my school!" you proclaimed, holding up three little fingers as I changed your clothes. The countdown began, until you announced "0 more minutes!" once we left the house. How excited you are, how different from the last two weeks when you didn't want to leave your Mommy's side. You are growing up, my little man. During the car ride after AWANA, you recalled a game you ...

It has been over a year, and I am still struggling with acid reflux. In January, I was diagnosed with GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease, were stomach acid causes damage to the esophagus. I was told to make some lifestyle changes such as avoiding fatty foods, citrus, caffeine, mint, and spicy foods. In addition, I was prescribed Nexium , a proton pump inhibitor (shuts down some of the acid pumps in the stomach), and Ranitidine , commonly known as the over-the-counter (OTC) drug Zantac . Sounds good? No, not really. Why? Because I still don’t feel 100% normal. When I approached my M.D. with my concerns, she informed that this may be chronic and some relief is better than no relief. And if I experience larger attacks, I should just up my medication and add more OTCs to my day. Drugs, drugs, drugs. Not my style. I decided to see a Naturopathic Doctor in August. I walked away from the appointment with hope. I was impressed with her holistic approach. The appointment was not ...

Over the last couple of weeks, a whole set of "firsts" arrived in the life of you, my daughter. And for me. First day at school. First bus ride. First backpack full of forms for Mommy or Daddy's attention. First parent meeting. You are excited. And anxious. (Me too.) Though, I've noticed something interesting. You come home and orginally you really don't want to talk too much about your day (don't tell me, this is happening already!). Instead, you kind of go "wild" and forget our rules. It's probably because you've had to hold it in all morning so you could focus on listening, obeying, and following a whole new set of procedures. When you come home, you probably want to relax and do whatever. I need to understand where to insist on the rules and where to let go for the sake of your sanity. Eventually, you start spilling tidbits of your day. "There were a bunch of girls who didn't want to share the flowers," you mention. ...

This month we are trying something different: banking in the now instead of the tomorrow. Oh, it is nothing new, really. I used to operate like this in my single days. But then the lure of credit cards with reward programs persuaded me otherwise. While I never gave Visa the joy in collecting any interest payments from our bank accounts and I always payed our credit card bill before the 21 days of grace were up, I probably spent more than I should have some months. Why? Because I didn't have to pay for it immediately . It was not until last year that my credit card habits started to bother my conscience. Up to that point, I felt proud of the fact that the credit card company was paying me to use their plastic. I received stuff for free, even after paying my annual fee. Free fuel. Free flights. Free hotels. Free is good, right? My perspective started to change after I read a blog post penned by my sister. Her and her husband cut up their credit cards after a series of events, o...

The month of August has been filled with many family gatherings to celebrate significant events in people’s lives. While my side has fourteen members, your Daddy’s side has more than double the amount. At our most recent gathering, twenty-six individuals (plus three dogs) ranging from age 3 to 85 partook in a meal together at the many tables in and outside the house. It was a good time. I grew up in a more formal household. The formality was partially due to my East-Indian ethnicity as well as the educational background of your Nana and Nani, who were both teachers. As a result, there were big expectations attached to yearly events such as Christmas and birthdays. And there was even bigger expectations placed on those one-in-a-lifetime occasions like a wedding or a significant anniversary. These events tended to be professional, extravagant, and over-the-top (and if you scored a deal while securing gifts, decorations, or food, it was even better). It seemed like it was a matter...

This is your family on your Mother’s side: Thirteen + 1 (soon-to-be*) members gathered together, f-i-n-a-l-l-y , after more than five years. I believe five languages are spoken fluently amongst us. Plus tidbits of others. English is common to us all. Languages fascinate me. English is my preference, of course. I know key phrases in French and I can read a wee bit (your Daddy is much better than me). I can give a taxi driver instructions in Cantonese. I understand Hindi/Urdu (or better described as Hindustani) and, for the most part, can carry on a decent conversation. In the end, I would say I am fluent in 1.5 languages since I cannot read and write the language of your Nana and Nani as I do with the current Roman script (maybe one day, in the next decade?). For the time being, I converse with you two mostly in English and sparodically in Hindi, hoping you will comprehend my inadequate attempt at teaching some aspect of your Indian heritage. And, for the most part, you do. Sometim...

Old Faithful - spouting every 90 minutes or so! We made it. Safely. We were fourteen family members celebrating an anniversary milestone for my parents. We arrived from three countries to spend four nights in cabins, two intense days touring Yellowstone National Park while having one memorable time. Our personal family unit added over 1600 km to our odometer as we traversed prairie, ranch country, foothills, and mountains. Thankfully, all within budget. :) Truthfully, I never had a real desire to see Yellowstone National Park . I assumed it was like any other national park in Canada: mountains, lakes, rivers, rock (repeat). And while I absolutely revel in immersing myself in natural wonders, I didn't feel the need to drive across the border to explore something similar. But this park in Wyoming, U.S.A. was the more economical central location for everyone, can-you-believe-it. Thus, we drove down. Once we experienced some of the park's famous features, I realized thi...