Category: Life

Baby Boy, Bun365, Life

Four And a Half

nainadg

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Four and a half is challenging. Its not the terrible twos…actually the twos weren’t that bad at all. The threes were a bit rough. But this has been the most challenging. Four and a half is defiance. four and a half is letting go off my hand and running off in the middle of the mall. Four and a half is back to back time outs. Four and a half is a constant state of negotiation. I can handle the dawdling over shoes or breakfast, I can handle the whining even. I can’t handle the defiance, that moment when he just says no when I ask him to do something. There are fewer and fewer cuddles, more and more jumping and wrestling.

But four and a half is also sweet. I adore the non stop chatter coming from the back seat when we drive around. I love that he wants to share everything with me and I’m still his favorite person. This conversation sums up all the awesomeness of four and a half

Me: Thanks for helping me with the laundry, you have been a really good helper today

Bun: yeah, I am a good helper Are you glad you borned me?

Me: Yes, I’m glad I borned you

Bun:I’m glad you picked me.

.:Heart Bursts:.

And the five minutes later we are back to the spitting and shouting and yelling.

Four and a half will also pass and maybe I’ll say it wasn’t so bad. But right now…its a challenge

Life

Summer in Durham

nainadg

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It will be my 10 year anniversary in Durham this august. I can’t believe this has been my home for nearly a decade now. One of the things I fell in love with when I first moved to Durham, were the Magnolia trees. Magnolia blooms are spectacular and they are all over Durham. This photo was taken on one of  Bun and my walks around our neighborhood park. Isn’t it lovely?

This summer is going to be hot and humid with ferocious afternoon thunderstorms and it will be filled with Magnolias

Discovering Durham, Friends, Life

This Last day of May…

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untitled-8 ..is bittersweet. All the sunshine and the flowers-intoxicating. A sweet distraction from the big changes that are happening in our lives. The first half of 2014 is almost over and I feel like I am just waking up and seeing all the changes that are still yet to come. Durham suddenly feels a little less like home.has been bittersweet.Our favorite family in Durham had to move away. They are now an ocean away and although I am looking forward to visiting them, Durham feels a little empty. Bun also  just finished his last day at Greenwood School which was a huge part of our lives for the last year and a half. Soon there will be new schedules, new camps and new Pre-K. We’ll have to find new buddies at the park and step outside our comfort zone to make new playdates. June will different. Thats the meaning of May The photos are from a recent visit to the American Tobacco Campus in Downtown Durham untitled-12 untitled-11 untitled-10

Discovering Durham, Life, Mommyhood

Cloud, Tree, Parents- Bun’s first photoset

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 Bun never expressed an interest in taking photos earlier, unlike other kids. But this Sunday, he very politely (unusual) asked to take a picture of a cloud, a tree and of J and I. Of course I said yes.  Like  aproud parent, I present Bun’s first photo set.

Photos are taken at Sam’s Bottle Shop in South Durham. All photos are by ADK and unedited

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Friends, Life

Friendships and The Other Woman

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Lucky in friendship. Its something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I don’t know how I’ve managed to hit the friendship jackpot over and over in my life, because personally I think I am such a crappy friend. If I had to rate myself, I would give myself a solid 6/10, so it amazes me that cool, hip, funny, wonderful women want to be friends with me. { Note to self: Increase friendship score}

Last night I went and watched The Other Woman with a friend in a real movie theater. I say real because I went from watching a movie in a theater every weekend 10 years ago to one movie every century. It was really nice to squeeze in some girl bonding time with my friend, who will sadly be moving away. I still haven’t processed how I’m going to cope with her moving away back to her home country.

The movie itself was everything I expected it to be, there were no big surprises just,  goofy Leslie Mann, Cameron Diaz looking slightly haggard and Kate Upton’s boobs having a fabulous time. There were lots of laughs, shots of tequila, lots of talk of lady part maintenance  and Nicki Minaj and her fabulous butt. It was comforting and funny and sweet.

Family, Holidays, Life, Love, Mommyhood, Toddler

Sickie Valentine!

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This is not the Valentine’s day I had planned for. No hearts anywhere. I tried making Bun a heart shaped egg but he rejected it like he has been rejecting most food. We are sick, Bun, J and I so all three of us are spending the day indoors sniffling and bundled up and watching way too much tv

We are not going out to dinner, we are not exchanging valentine’s and I had to cancel Bun’s valentine’s day party. But its okay, because, there will be dinner this weekend and a cupcake for Bun tomorrow and many more parties to come. Because I’m lucky enough that I get much more than valentine’s and hearts from these two boys of mine. Today, and everyday.

Happy Valentine’s Day. May yours be less snot filled than ours

Life, Mommyhood, Simple Things, Toddler, Uncategorized

Wagon and Other Happenings

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“I have a red wagon” is one of Bun’s favorite sentences these days. He tells me this, everytime we leave the house or return home, because the red wagon is parked outside with the cars. We got the wagon as a holiday presents from a good friend of ours and it has been a huge hit!

Last weekend, we had spring like weather and we took an impromptu family walk ( with the red wagon of course) to enjoy all the sunshine.

Bun: “I push Mama”

Linking the photo portion to the Simple Things Challenge over on Simple as that

Notes to Self:

Life in January seems to be starting out well. I have 2012 set aside to figure out what I want to do with the my life? Am I really a grown up yet? So many things to learn and figure out.

Some good friends are going to be returning to Durham for a visit this weekend. It is making me really happy to think we’ll get to hang out with them and even though they met Bun when he was baby, it will be like meeting him all over again, since he is completely different now. I’m also looking forward to some, fun, crazy grown up time with them as well.

Bun’s sentences and sayings are killing me these days. Faves of this week-

Me: Lets go upstairs and clean your poop and change your diaper

Bun: I’m sick of clean up

***

Bun: (Sniffs Layla’s bum) Layla need diapoo change

***

“I’m Okay” He says this whenever he needs some reassurance or has bumped his head, but not hurt himself enough to get any reaction from me.

“Daddy, you give me____” Usually followed by something I won’t give him aka blueberries, lollipop or candy

“What a Funny Fellow” My dad taught him this phrase and he says this with the biggest grin on his face whenever he or anyone else does something funny or silly.

Life, Mommyhood, Toddler

Not Resolutions. But Other

nainadg

I have a major case of the blaaahs this afternoon. I’m so over this cold weather, so this post is much needed. You know to motivate me. Also, I found this great pic of Bun at 24 months in my Picasa Stream. I love photo surprises

I’m not doing resolutions…don’t think I ever really have. Of course there are always goals that I’m working towards, but I don’t think they are related to the new year- Lose baby weight has been a goal since before I had a baby…its just that there is more of it now.

However, there are a few things I do want to do this year and just want a reminder for self.

***Send Holiday cards- Completely dropped the ball on this one, this year and it is making me sad. I love getting other people’s holiday cards and photos and I love sending them too.

***Ensure the existence of 4 family pictures taken in 2012. Meaning photos not taken with the iphone by me or J. It can be taken either by self timer or another person. Also, I’d like one for each season, please

***Do not wait till July to buy a swimsuit for Bun or self. All the cute ones are gone and they are still not on post season sale yet

***Cut bangs again or color hair again. Only not a boring brown.

***Cute flats. They are my best friend. I didnt’ really embrace being on the short side until this year. But there is now no going back. Comfort- Check. Style -Check

***More blog posts like this. A photo I’m loving of my kid, plus random thoughts. Some of the the big milestone blog posts stress me out because there are just too many photos to sort through. Like Bun’s party. Must post those soon.

***Find Answers. I need some about life, love, career, motherhood. I need to learn more and actively find answers

***Print. Frame. Display Photos. In my house. I have so many pretty frames with no photos

***Garden Again. This Summer.

***Disconnect Cable. Or think really long and hard about it. At least make the phone call.

Hmmm…I wonder if I’ll remember more once I hit publish.

Bun365, Family, Life, Mommyhood, Toddler

{Discovering Durham} Fox50 Family Fun Fest

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October 1st and on cue the weather turned crisp and cool.  Saturday was sunny and clear, with highs in the low 60s. J and I headed out to the Fox50  Family Fest for the annual duckie races down old bull river. Old Bull river is the canal flowing through American Tobacco Campus, one of our absolue favorite spots in Downtown Durham.

At the Family Fest Rubber Duckies are raced down our little canal to raise money for local non profits. This annual race has been going on for years but this was the first I’d heard about it so it was a brand new experience for us. really is a community affair- high school marching bands, wildlife rescue centers, alternative arts and craft supplies- these were the exhibitors and entertainment. Nothing fancy, nothing elaborate- just regular Durham families spending a day out in the autumn sunshine.

One the big attractions were the animals from Noah’s Landing Mobile Nature center. Bun adored the animals on display. He touched a baby alligator, petted a exotic wild cat from Africa, spent 20 minutes just staring at the owls. We also ran around on the grass, played with bouncy toys, drank beer, ate super garlicky fries. Cheered the bright yellow ducks as they made their way down the river.

We brought home a tired baby who went to sleep immediately. J and I had a mellow night where we sat out on our deck (mosquito free, since it was so cold) and spent all night talking. A date night and a family day all in one. A much needed break from our daily grind.

Life, Love

Thirty

nainadg

30. 3.0. Wow! I did it, I turned 30 and have now been successfully alive for 12 days since then. Nothing to worry about anymore. Well there are new worries, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

When I was 16- 17, something like that, can’t really remember, but a long time ago anyhow. My friend Jessica {from the most rocking blog- Happier Still} and another friend Katie M were returning from an MUN conference.-We were cool like that, going to Model United Nation Conferences and all but anyway, on this trip-  I told them that I was going to die at 30. They laughed at me and said I wouldn’t die at thirty, but I kept insisting, I was so sure that I was going to die at thirty that if it didn’t happen on its own, I would be more than happy to do the deed myself. I was very morbid and I guess had a flair for the dramatic. Both Jessica and Katie told me that I’d be married and have kids and wouldnt’ want to die and you know what they were right they were oh so so very right.

Because I dont’ want to die. At thirty, my life is filled with so much love and craziness and laughter and life that now I really truly fear the thought of dying and leaving my peeps.

But enough with death and dying and turning thirty and all that. I had a wonderful birthday. I woke up to a big box of Godiva chocolates from J and when I went to go get the Bun from his crib he started singing Happy Birthday and I conveniently chose to ignore the fact that it is his favorite song and he sings it all the time and requests everyone to sing it all the time, so it really wasn’t for me.

For my birthday lunch my mom, Bun and I tried out this new Indian restaurant called Saffron and had some delicious Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer , Lamb Nargisi, Seekh Kabob, Basil Naan and Mango Lassi. My mom and I went to the mall where my mom surprised me with a Pandora Charm bracelet and let me pick out two charms to get it started.

Bun’s face in this photo is priceless!

 

In the evening, we celebrated with cake and candles and more singing on “Happy Birthday.” This time Bun even added in Happy Birthday Mama, which was very sweet. After Cake and photos , J and I went out on our birthday date. We went out for dinner and a  movie, a real movie, still in theaters!!! This was very exciting because we have seen exactly two movies in theaters since Bun was born- Avatar and Inception. Its something I miss a lot- Going to big summer blockbusters was one of J and my favorite activities back in the pre baby days.

J picked a great new Sushi restaurant and I picked Harry Potter as our movie because it was in Imax and 3d. When you only see one movie every 10 months, it better have all the bells and whistles.  Our dinner was fantastic- Shiki Sushi was a new place for us and it did not disappoint. We indulged ourselves with Sushi and sushi and sushi and round after round of cocktails! We ate so much that we were worried we wouldn’t be able to stay up for the movie. The movie started at 9:15 and my bedtime is 10, but we drank some caffeine and very much enjoyed the 3d extravaganza. It was especially sweet of J to go to all out and celebrate my special night because he had to leave for a work trip at 6 am the next morning.

It was such a wonderful birthday and the best part was yet to come- a few days later I left on a birthday trip to Philadelphia with Bun and my parents!

The Big 30 was given its proper due. And I say bring on a 30 more because now I know that I have a lot more living left to do.