The-Courier-recoveringnoah

I thought this was a great article on CNN.com this morning:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/20/roland.martin/index.html

But reading through the comments left me with my mouth hanging open. What a bunch of angry, hateful, spiteful people! Wow.

Isn't Jesus the Reason for the Season??

As for me... I hope you all have a very Merry CHRISTmas.

P.S. Speaking of Merry "X-Mas"... this is a hilarious video that I stole from my friend Christine's blog.



Leslie

I stole this from my friend Amy's blog -who stole it from someone else's blog. That tells ya it's pretty good, doesn't it! lol.


AFFORDING THE GOOD STUFF

The other day while painting my daughter’s room, with the little kids safely cordoned off elsewhere, I actually had time to daydream. Mind wandering, I found myself wondering how it would feel to have enough money for a week in Hawaii. A kitchen remodel. A couple weeks in Europe. Or even the freedom to zip off to California for the weekend just for the fun of it. All the stuff that’s hard to fit in the budget while raising eight kids on a single income. For just a moment I wondered about the life we don’t have, the path we didn’t choose. What would be it be like if we had stopped having children after our first two daughters. If we’d chosen that other path, what might we have instead? We’d have a matched bedroom set, but no little kids bouncing on our bed in the mornings. We’d have the latest in video equipment, but no 4 year old pirouetting for the camera. We’d have video of Hawaii beaches, but none of Christmas programs featuring half a dozen of our brood. We’d see the Eiffel tower, but we’d never see 8 ‘stairsteps’ lined up on the beach grinning for a photo. We’d have a cool commercial range, but no pots big enough to properly test it. We’d have new living room carpet, but no rosy-cheeked 8 year olds to wrestle there. We’d have a nice lawn, but no teenagers gleefully chasing toddlers around the yard. We’d have a hot tub, but no little children splashing and squirt-gun-fighting. We’d have nice dinnerware, but the dinner table would be nearly empty. And what about our children if there were only two? They might have gone on a cruise, but they would have missed the eye-opening trip to another country to adopt a sibling. They’d have pictures with made-up Disney princesses, but none with tiny sisters looking adoringly up at them. Their college may have been paid for, but later they’d bear the burden of aging parents alone. They’d have designer jeans, but no mob of siblings to laugh with later in life over childhood memories. The individual present-piles under the Christmas tree would have been bigger, but I don't know how a small crew around the tree each year could compare to the ever-growing mob that comes from a big family, as children become adults and add their own spouses and children to the joy of the season. You know what? I think we’re affording the good stuff after all.

So, Sim came home tonight raving about some online geography game he heard about on NPR today. And I have to tell you...

I am addicted!

It is amazing how fast an addiction can grow. I think it took about 3.5 seconds for me to fall in love with this game.

It's so simple. Nothing flashy. Just has a world map and flashes up a city or a famous place and you have to see how fast you can pinpoint it on the map. And then it tallies up your score in the end.

It's my new obsession.

http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq/game1?284a=79d8

Leslie

Thought I'd take a quick minute to update the blog. The kids have just finished their late lunch, and now Nandini and Eli are running through the house playing, "Naked T-Rex Goes to the Beach". It's a bit like "Barney's Beach Party" - but without clothes.

And, it's just as annoying.

Honestly, I don't know why it bothers me so much. I think it's my conservative Southern upbringing. But man, it gets on my nerves. A closet full of color-coordinated outfits with matching hairbows and tights.... all going to waste.

Sim says I just need to get over it and kids will be kids. But he's European, and they just do things differently over there. :-)

But short of duct-taping their clothes to them, there's not much I can do. Plus, I give it about 2 more months (when it's gets really cold) and I bet they'll change their minds. Eli's already at the stage where he wants to use the bathroom in private (wish he'd give me that same privilege), so I'm just going to grin and bear it. And if I want to be a Glass Half Full kinda girl, then there's always the fact that it saves me on laundry.

So, Nandini and Eli are running around starkers and Noah's in his room playing with a toy. I'm about to get them dressed (hopefully) and load them all up in the car and drive around the lake. It's a terrible habit I've gotten into around this time each day. It's the only way they'll take a nap - and honestly, the houses are so pretty around the lake and the scenery is so gorgeous and it gives me about 15 minutes to unwind. And then I always play different mind games. You know..."If I had money which house would I live in" and "Which house would impress my in-laws the most" and my personal favorite, "What on earth do these people do to be able to afford a house that big".

Anyway, today is a very special day because it marks our one month anniversary of Nandini being home. A month!!! Somedays it feels like it's been forever and other days I open my eyes in the morning and think, "Oh my gosh, who is that child laying next to me?".

She has come such a long way in the last month. When we were in India, my mom and I would console ourselves by guessing how she'd be in a month. We'd say, "Oh, in a month, she'll be chattering up a storm" or "A month from now, she'll be so happy and smiling". And it's true. So much can happen in a month.. especially this last week. That's when things have really started to take off.

I tell you... my favorite time of the day with Nandini is when she wakes up in the morning. She toddles out of the bedroom in her winter pajamas with her eyes all sleepy and her hair wild as can be - and she's drags her little pink blanket behind her. Oh, it's magical. And every morning, my heart just skips a beat and I feel like I'm at Disney World or something. Like I'm witnessing a miracle every morning. And my heart just swells and I get that warm, fuzzy feeling and time just stands still.

And then she runs and wakes up Eli and I know that I've got about 30 seconds to warn the dog, put up anything breakable, and lock the markers in a safety box.

But for those few minutes - especially when she reaches her arms up and curls up against me and lays her head on my shoulder... for those few minutes, it's just priceless. The rest of the day may be utter chaos, but if I had to give up those early morning minutes in order to have a clean house and sanity for the rest of the day... well, I'd choose the chaos. Because seeing her first thing in the morning just fills me up. I don't know any other way to explain it.

She's doing really great. I'm pretty sure she knows this is home now. In the beginning, she'd go to anyone and everyone (everyone but me). But now, she's firmly attached to me and Sim and is leery about going to strangers. She's been around our family a few times now, and although she's slow to warm up, she's starting to recognize everyone.

Her little sideways head nod (to indicate "yes") is going away. She still does it about75% of the time, but has started to nod her head up and down now. Speech is probably the hardest thing. She was speech delayed in her native language, so a second language will definitely present some obstacles. She still speaks primarily in Marathi- about 99.9% of the time, but she can repeat anything you say, which is strange. She can literally repeat anything you say in English, but she has a really hard time with word recollection. You can lay down a ton of pictures out in front of her and ask her which one is a giraffe or a shoe or clouds and she can point to the correct picture (and we didn't even teach her half these words in English), but if you hold up a picture by itself and say, "What's this?", she can't tell you.

But she did say her first English word the other day.

Now, granted, she did come home being able to say a few things:

"Mommy"
"Dahdee"
"Heloooh"
"Bye-Byeeeeee"
and
"Umbrella"

We're not sure how she learned umbrella, but she pointed to a cow figurine holding an umbrella and said "umbrella". Then, later when we were doing flashcards, I held up a "U" card and it had an umbrella on it...and she said it again.

So, she does know a few words in English and can repeat anything you say in English, but hasn't yet come up with a new word on her own. Until the other day.

I was in the shower and Eli came in to the use the bathroom. We have two bathrooms, but, you know, he had to chose the one I was in. So, he had a bit of a tummy ache and it was just plain nasty. I wasn't sure if I was going to pass out from the smell or pass out from holding my breath. Anyway, Nandini was perched on the tub ledge - as kids do - and she wrinkled her nose, pointed to Eli and said...

" Diarrhea".

Can you believe it? This is the same child who has had toast for every single meal for the entire last month and who still points and grunts at the bread box when she wants some... but somehow she was able to pull the word "diarrhea" from the recesses of her brain.

Awwww, her first English word. Do you think I should put it in her baby book?

Anyway, just wanted to log on here and give a brief update about Nandini's first month home. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see that she's gotten a hold of a black marker and she's got marks all over her mouth. I've got a sinking feeling it's not an washable one, too. So, I've got to go.

Noah's doing some really neat things lately, so I need to post a big family update soon. I know this seems to be the "Nandini and Eli" blog lately, so I need to really get back to basics, but I guess there's no going back now, is there? Our lives don't even resemble the lives we had 4 weeks ago. A massive 180 has been done on our family - but it's great and loads of fun - and we are soooooooo blessed..................................................................................................

Oh, man. She just peed in the floor. I am not joking. As soon as I typed out the whole "blessed" thing, she decided to pee on the floor. She just squatted and went all over my floor. My clean floor. Hmph. Obviously, there are a few issues we still have to work on.

I guess running around naked makes it a lot easier to just squat and go when you need to, doesn't it?

Ugh. I guess I need to go find a mop and get busy.

Hmmm...I wonder where Sim keeps the duct tape?

Leslie

I just wanted to take a minute and give a big blogging group hug to all you fabulous Mama's out there who responded to my "How Do You All Do It?" post. I know there are a few of you Dad's out there who read this (Hi, Mike!), but none of ya'll replied... so, sorry.. can't include you in this big Thank You post.

Honestly, I cannot tell you how blessed I am to know such a fantastic group of crazy, wacked-out women. Seriously...some of you can sure bring on the crazy, can't you? And I LOVE it. I was cracking up reading some of those comments. I had no idea any of you led insane lives that mirrored mine. Isn't it funny how you imagine that everyone else has it all together... and then you get the utter pleasure of realizing that they're all just hanging by a thread - ready to go loco at any minute. Isn't that awesome?

Are you detecting a bit too much glee in my voice?

Anyway, today, when I thought I was seriously going to lose my mind... I just imagined all you sitting in your house all stressed out, too.... and it made me feel soooooooooo much better.

Like right now... as I'm typing this... Eli is screaming because Nandini just hit him with some binoculars. Noah just did a stinky and I don't have any wipes because the other two got a hold of the box and pulled them all out - now they're covering my bathroom floor in a sticky, wet mess. Nandini is going through our magazine rack right this moment and throwing magazines all over the place. I can smell little perfume inserts wafting about in the living room. Oops.. .she just ran over to pinch Eli who has climbed into Noah's therapy chair and is stuck. Bad choice, Eli... she's gonna get you now. You can't run and you can't hide. Oh wait, what's that? Noah's opened the fridge and has a can of Redi Whip in one hand and a thing of biscuits in the other. And he still has that stinky. And there are no wipes. Eeew.

Normally, I'd be reaching for the chocolate... maybe shutting myself into the bathroom and curling up into a little ball... but not today. Not right now... because I'm rejoicing in the fact of knowing that this same scenario is playing out in homes across America this very moment.

So, thank you dear sisters. Please feel free to share your pain more often. It's much cheaper than a therapist and less fattening than a bag of Hershey kisses. (And typing does burn calories. I'm not sure how many, but I'm pretty sure it does).

Now.... if any of you can tell me how to convince my husband that a messy, toy-strewn house is perfectly normal... I'd really, really appreciate it.

And while we're at it... do any of you stay in your pajama's all day and then quickly change clothes, pop in your contacts and brush your teeth about 15 minutes before your husband gets home?

Not that I do that sort of thing, you know. I'm just asking for a friend.

Leslie

Yesterday, we drove to Houston to take Nandini to her required doctor's check-up with the International Adoption Clinic at Texas Children's Hospital. Well... we weren't required to go there... it was just highly recommended. Plus, our local medical clinic is really small and they don't do blood draws or stool samples for little kids..... and there was no way I was going to drive Nandini all over East Texas and parts of North Texas to get all of the necessary testing done. I wanted a one-stop shop experience....so off to Houston we drove.

Now... before you ask... yes, there is a doctor who "runs" an International Adoption Clinic in Flower Mound. Don't even get me started. He was our pediatrician for years. I would not advise him. He refused to believe that Noah had autism - even though he stopped talking, started stimming, stopped making eye contact, blah blah blah. His answer... oh, it's just the CP. Or... oh, it's just from being in an orphanage (despite the fact that he had been home for five months). His answer was to tell me that Noah was fine and that I needed to go on anti-depressants. So, no. I would not advise him.

And I would absolutely mention his name, but I don't want to get sued for slander. He might get that $1.67 that's been accruing interest in my saving's account for the last 10 years.

So... it was off to Houston for us. Which turned out to be great. The doctor was awesome!! Let me tell you, there is a BIG difference from a pediatrician's office that deals with some international adoptions and a hospital that has a clinic specifically for international adoptions. They were really on the ball. I cannot recommend them highly enough. I am so glad we went because... well.... because... okay, let me explain...

At first Sim wouldn't let me blog about this. He said absolutely not. Forbid me from even getting near the computer until is was all sorted out. But now that's it's sorted and we know she's okay, he said I could mention it.

A few days ago, we noticed something about Nandini. Let me say again.. it turned out okay... but it completely freaked me out. I'm not sure how to say it delicately, so I'm just going to get it out there.. we noticed Nandini had what you might call a fused buttcrack. The exact medical term for that part of the body is called a natal cleft.. but I know none of ya'll would have had an inkling as to what I was talking about, so I had to use the popular term. It didn't bother Sim, but it just sorta grossed me out. I mean, how exactly does that happen?

So, the reason I'm telling you about it is because I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else. You see, I am a major worrier. I think it is just deeply embedded in my genetic code. I can worry about the teeniest, tiniest little thing. And a fused buttcrack just set my mind into overdrive. Would it get infected? Would it hurt as her body continues to grow. Would insurance consider surgery to separate the buttocks as medically necessary? And how would she ever wear a thong? Was she destined to a life of wearing granny panties?

I could find no information on the subject. Googling "fused buttcrack" turned up nothing. It appeared that no one in the world had ever been in this situation. (And don't even try to google "stuck buttcrack" because that'll pull up a whole host of websites that you don't want to know about). I really didn't know what to do - and I drove Simeon crazy during the entire 5 hour ride up to the hospital with my incessant questions.

Well, we got to the hospital and met with the doctor and I told her of my concerns. It was a bit embarrassing because, although, I can write down the word, I felt very inconspicuous mentioning the "bc" word in front of the doctor. I tried using the medical term, "natal cleft", but felt like a big goober and turned bright red. Anyway, she checked it out and it turns out that Nandini has something called a "sacral dimple" -

which is different from the dimples I have on my bottom. Those are called cellulite.

Nandini's is much different. Apparently, her little bottom is completely normal, but at the base of her tailbone, she has a dimple that goes in right before her "bc" starts. So, it looks like it starts, stops, and starts again. Hence, the fusing. But it's not fusing. Her body parts are completely normal. She just has a deep dimple at the top of her "natal cleft"... which gave me great relief... but now my parents are going to know they paid good money for me to sleep through Anatomy & Physiology during my freshman year of college.

The important thing is that she's fine. And she's not destined for a life of visible panty lines.

Okay, seriously, though, we need to keep an eye out because in rare cases the dimple can fuse with the bottom of the spine and is common in patients with spina bifida. In some cases, it can cause problems with bladder and bowel control. So, we will get it checked out. But the doctor said it looks okay. Praise God!

But the whole reason I'm mentioning it is because if for some reason, some Mom is up at 3:00 in the morning like I was - googling "fused bc", it'll pull up my blog and she'll be able to know that her child actually has something called a sacral dimple.. and she can stop worrying. So, there ya go.

The fabulous doctor at Texas Children's also looked at all of Nandini's MRI results and CT scans and said that she looks amazing. She recommended us to seek out a neurologist just in case, but said that the brain cyst occurred either in utero or at birth and that, from judging how well Nandini's doing, that it looks like her brain rewired itself and other parts of her brain took over from the damaged parts. In other words, the cyst is static and will not grow. It won't get worse. It doesn't need to be drained. It's just there. That's it. Any damage that's done is done. She did say that Nandini needs to see a Physical Therapist and will probably need an AFO (brace) for her left leg, but overall she was really impressed with how well she's doing. She was also majorly impressed with all the medical information we received from India. (Big shout-out to Holt and BSSK!)

Wow... there's so much that happened. I need a laptop or something so that I can type as the events happen. There's no way I can remember it all.

I will say that Nandini was a trooper getting her blood drawn. I had prepared myself for the worst - after having lived through Noah getting numerous blood draws. We never even drew blood for Eli, but he goes into hysterics if an animal cracker falls on him (seriously, that's true). Plus, I've been through EEG's with Noah and witnessed Eli coming out of sedation after getting his teeth capped... there was no way I was going to have Nandini go through this without Simeon being there. I'd been there, done that. Nandini had just started to bond with me and there was no way I was going to hold her down kicking and screaming while they took 5 vials of blood from her skinny little arm. So, I made Sim come with me. At first, he wasn't sure if he could get the day off... so I had to do some persuading. I think the conversation included the words "over my dead body", "it's your turn", "my way or the highway", and "no way, Jose". A fly on the wall might tell you that the word "divorce" was thrown around, but I can assure you it was in jest. Because if that happened, I would be stuck taking ALL three to the doctor's by myself, wouldn't I?

Ask any woman who's been married for over 50 years what the secret to a long marriage is and I bet after some prodding she'll tell you that it's because the thought of raising her kids on her own scared the living daylights out of her.

So, Simeon went with me - and truly, he is the most wonderful husband ever. I got terribly lucky and do sometimes worry that one day the blinders will come off and he'll realize he's married to a crazy woman, but so far, so good. I am blessed, let me tell you.

Okay, back to the point.

Sim came with me, and I prepared him for the worst. I told him how he had to be strong and not let Nandini seem him panic. He needed to hold her tight and not let her squirm. I told him all the lullabies to sing in her ear as the phlebotomist drained a quarter of her life's blood through a tiny, little hose. I told him how proud I was that he came with me and was up for the challenge... and then with a quick kiss, I high-tailed it outta there. I wasn't about to ruin the bond I'd just established with my little girl.

Wouldn't ya know that little thing didn't so much as whimper? She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She didn't kick. She just stuck her arm out and took it like a champion. And Sim carried her out and said, "What's the big deal? That was easy." I'm sure he was also thinking... you made me drive 5 hours for this? But he didn't say it. Bless him.

Now, I'm glad Nandini didn't scream or cry. I really am. But come on. He was supposed to see what I go through everytime we have a doctor's appointment. It was going to be a "whoo hoo!" moment for Mother's everywhere. A sort of... "Don't You Appreciate Me?" Hallmark scenario. A pat on the back. A bouquet of flowers. And those fancy ideas just deflated like a popped balloon.

I'm sure she's saving it all up for when I have to take her by myself.

I just know it.

And that's it. That was our adventure to Houston. We stopped off at TJ Maxx in Conroe on our way back and finished up our Christmas shopping. (We found Dinosaur Stilts for Eli!!! For $3.99!!) And then we ate at the worst Long John Silver's ever - mainly because Nandini needed the toilet and that was the first place we came across that had one. And then we made it back to my parent's house, where I'm typing away on my dad's computer. (He just reminded me of that fact 2 seconds ago). We're off to Dallas in an hour for Noah and Nandini's cranial sacral appointment and then to Whole Foods to get a daily multi-vitamin that contains iron. And that's it.

Adios,

Leslie

I need some some major advice from all you wise Mama's out there (and Dad's, too!).

How do you do it???? How do you keep from going insane? And, more importantly, how do you keep your house clean????

Somehow, a few months ago, little fairies snuck into my room in the middle of the night and stole the part of my brain that loved messiness and replaced it with something far worse...

The obsessive need to keep a clean house.

Or maybe it was CIA agents or FBI agents or whoever it is that Tom Cruise usually plays in a movie.... maybe they're the ones who did it. Maybe they were on a top-secret mission to implant microchips into housewives across America and see what happens when messy women turn OCD overnight.

Because there's no other way to explain it.

I have become a neat freak.

I absolutely cannot stand a messy house. Well... okay, let me explain. I actually don't mind keeping a messy bedroom... and the bathrooms are in such a state that I'm sure the CDC is going to stop by any day now and barricade our doors with yellow tape. But I cannot stand having a messy living room. Maybe it's the wood floors that we put down... the ones that show EVERYTHING. Maybe it's the open floor plan. I don't know. But I have a serious problem. I cannot stand a mess.

Which is really not a good thing when Tornado Nandini and Hurricane Eli hit every morning at 6:00 am.... and make a mess of destruction until 9:00 at night.

I know it sounds like I complain all the time now, but it's just been a big adjustment. And if any of you say, "Well, you asked for it. Your hands were full before... what did you think would happen?"... well, you can think it, but please don't say it to my face. I might actually have to smack ya.

It's just an adjustment. I basically gave birth to a 3 year old. Who is exactly like my four year old. Which makes me sometimes behave like a five year old..... when I'm actually thirty-four.

The point is.... I need some time management skills. Some advice on how to keep the kids fed and entertained - oh, and schooled, and the house clean, and the dog water clean and filled, the husband happy... and still have time to watch Oprah.

Okay, that last part was a joke.

But if you can tell me how to squeeze in As the World Turns, I'd really appreciate it.
:-)

And, while we're at it... I would LOVE to hear from parents who have strong-willed, controlling kids - oh, and siblings who would like to kill each other. That last one is very important.

And is it normal for kids to run around naked all the time? Am I raising a future colony of nudists? Are we going to have to pack the kids up and move to Europe?

Which would make Simeon very happy, but it's too cold there to have a trio of pre-schoolers who shun clothing. Which means, we're stuck in Texas... because, you know, the weather is much more suitable for that type of thing.

Sending out an SOS. I need advice and chocolate ASAP.

Leslie

Sim and I are just sitting here - not quite believing what we just did. It all started with my trip to the Dollar Tree. You see, I took Eli to the church Christmas musical rehearsal (you know, the musical that he refuses to perform in, so we end sitting there watching all the other kids sing and be obedient and nice and all) - and since Noah and Nandini stayed home with Sim - and since I rarely go out anywhere with one kid, I decided that we should stop off at Dollar Tree.

You know, because everything's just a dollar and I really do think that it was created with me in mind.

So, we get to the Dollar Tree - not really expecting to buy anything - and I spot Santa hats, and I couldn't pass them up because, of course, they were just a dollar. Plus, my friend Amy posted a picture on her blog that featured her two youngest kids making peanut butter balls and wearing Santa hats. And because I strive to be like Amy, I decided that I would buy my kids Santa hats, too. Well, I actually bought Nandini one of those reindeer antler thingamajigs that you put on your dog, but she's really into headbands and she would never know the difference. AND, ever since Eli saw pictures of Mya and Aleigha making peanut butter balls while wearing Santa hats, I had promised Eli that we could do it, too. Thankfully, you can buy anything in the world at Dollar Tree and they had those hats. And did I mention they were only a dollar?

Well, we're standing in line with our Santa hats and reindeer dog ears when to my left I spot the most glorious sight on earth. Boxes and boxes of Toffifay candies. The most wonderful and amazing candy in the world.

Now, let me give you a bit of history with my obsession for all that is the Toffifay. Back when I was 19, I was living and going to school in England. And every time I came back home, I would go the duty free shop at London Gatwick and buy a box of Toffifay candy. To quote the box, it's "A Whole Hazelnut in Chewy Caramel with Chocolate Hazelnut Filling and Chocolate. All your favorites in one."

Need I say more?

Every single time I came home, I would buy a box and it would make that 9 hour flight worth it. I'm sure my parents thought I came home to see them, but really, it was all about my Toffifay. Which, I'm sure I could buy anywhere, but I always associated it with the airport, so that's the only time I bought them. Even after I graduated and moved back to Texas, Sim and I would go back to England every year (this was B.K - before kids - i.e. back before we were flat broke) and I would buy my Toffifay and the world just seemed like a better place.

So, you can imagine the sheer thrill I had when I saw that beautiful carmel covered box with the beautiful white writing across the front and the lovely picture of caramel chocolate discs with solid hazlenuts next to them. I immediately snatched up a box.

Now, I know myself well enough to know that any box would not be safe in my house and would enter my small intestines within minutes, so I exercised extreme self control and only picked up one box. Then, I figured.. .well, it's a sign. It's meant to be. I must buy another. So, I asked Eli to grab another box and he brought back two and I didn't have the heart to correct him and let him know that his math skills are horrible. After all, since we homeschool, I am his teacher and I had to accept with shame the fact that he can't tell one apart from two. So, I did what any decent mother would do and said, "That's right, baby. You bring Mama those two boxes." And with that, we paid our money and walked out into the bright sunlight.

Well, as fate would have it, he fell asleep in the car and when I got home, I discovered that the other two were asleep. All 3 asleep at the same time!!! With excitement in my voice, and glee that we wouldn't have to share our Toffifay with the children, I told Sim of my wonderful discovery at the Dollar Tree and with a flourish, I whipped a box out of the sack and said, "Look! Toffifay!" Now, Sim is a calm, laid-back guy. Never gets mad... never gets too happy. Just smooth and calm. But his eyes lit up with excitement and with exuberant gusto, he exclaimed,

"Rip those babies open!"

So, with the fervent desire of a young couple on their wedding night, we ripped off the plastic, threw open the box and bit into a little slice of wonderful. And it was. Wonderful.

If either one of us smoked, I'm fairly certain we would have both reached for a cigarette.

But we don't, so we just leaned back in our chairs and smiled with contentment.

Then I went to check my email and a few minutes later with a hint of shame and panic, I heard Sim utter the most awful words ever...

"They're all gone"

He had eaten the box. My (I mean, our) box of Toffifay. Gone.

Now, we have an equal partner marriage. What's mine is his is our's is their's... or however the saying goes. So, to be equal, I felt I had no choice but to eat the second box. And now we're both sitting here with massive tummy aches arguing over who gets to use the clean bathroom and who is stuck with the kids' toilet. And, that, my dear friends, is nasty.

So, like every year around this time, we make New Year's Resolutions that we will never do this again and that I am banned from Dollar Tree (and after Christmas, I usually get banned from Target and Walmart, too) and I can never ever ever ever buy anything that contains sugar, nuts, or chocolate ever again. And we learned the hard way that spending a dollar on a box of chocolates is not that great of a bargain when you end up having to pay $50 for a copay to the Emergency Room to get your stomach pumped. Which hopefully, it won't get to that point.

But a bottle of Pepto and a thing of Tums will knock ya back about $7.50 - so it wasn't that great of a deal was it?

Except that I don't get to go to London Gatwick anymore, so I had to have my once a year Toffifay fill and know I'm satisfied.

And now, I'm off to make peanut butter balls for the kids - wearing a Santa hat and carrying around a belly that wiggles like a bowl of jelly. Because I promised them.

But I will not eat a single one - because I'll get sick. Absolutely sick.

The End.

P.S. Simeon has noticed that this blog has majorly digressed from being about "Recovering Noah". And now, after blogging for awhile about the rest of the family, I'm beginning to wonder if Noah is the only normal one in the bunch. I think he might be.

Leslie

Okay, so I'm sitting here and the kids are taking a nap (except for Noah who is watching a video - and who actually spelled out v-i-d-e-o for me on the stencils, which made me feel really good because I'm been severely lacking on the homeschool front). Anyway, Trouble 1 and Trouble 2 are down for a nap and I've been debating on whether to update my blog or clean the house. It's actually a difficult decision because when you don't blog for a week, you have soooooooo much to tell and it could take a while. On the other hand, if I don't do dishes, then I'm going to have to tell Sim to run by Walmart on his way home and buy a thing of paper plates and a pack of plastic utensils. So, because we recycle and use earth-friendly cleaning products, I decided that the paper plates won't be that bad, and really, if I don't catch up on my blogging, I'll get even more behind and then just throw my hands up in the air and not do it.

So I decided to blog.

Where to start? Maybe I should fill you in on why I've been absent for the last week. 7 letters. N-A-N-D-I-N-I. Oh, and add 3 more. E-L-I. As for Noah... he's been good as gold. You know, I always wondered why God allowed Noah to have autism and I'm beginning to think that maybe it's because he knew that 3 typical children would drive me absolutely insane. I mean, honestly, Noah is an angel. Such a sweetie. Absolutely no trouble. My beautiful baby boy. Sure, there are issues and worries and worries and worries, but he is so wonderful behaviorally.

I can't quite say the same for the other two.

Whom I still love and adore... but who try my patience big-time.

Here's a run-down of the first few weeks with Nandini.

Week #1: I hate this woman who calls herself Mommy.
Week #2: I still hate this woman who calls herself Mommy.
Week #3: I guess I have no choice but to depend on this woman who calls herself Mommy.
Week #4: Let's see if I can drive this woman who calls herself Mommy to Prozac.

She's getting very close on #4, folks. Very close.

So let me fill you in on what Nandini AND Eli have been up to.

A few days ago, they opened a 10lb bag of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (that we keep for the squirrels) all over my utility room. Now, if you've been to my house, you know that the lady who lived here before us LOVED the color green. Green mini-blinds in every room. Green ceiling fans. Green carpet everywhere - including the bathroom. (We ripped all that up). It basically looked like a field of leprecauns exploded in our abode.

She even decked out the kitchen and utility room floor to look like green and black marble. Which makes it awfully hard to see black sunflower seeds all over them. But let me tell ya, you can't miss a 10lb of them scattered everywhere. And your bare feet can't miss them either. Ouch.

So, the kids open up the bag and spill it all over the floor. Then, Eli decides to take 1/2 his toys and play with them in the seeds. It was only a few hours before Sim got home and I decided not to clean up the mess b/c I wanted him to witness firsthand the sheer torture I go through every day once he leaves for work. Well, Eli decided to make mounds out of the seeds for his toys and I said, "Absolutely not! Pick up those toys right now!"... to which he replied...

"Right don't you just throw them away?"

And if you pictured a sinister sneer accompanying that statement, then you'd be right.

So I listed them all on Freecycle and got rid of them. ALL of them. And there were some great toys in there. His Little Einstein toys. All of his Toy Story toys - including the pull-string Jessie and Woody. His Shrek toys (the dragon alone was selling for $20 on Ebay). And I stuck to my guns and got rid of them. It about killed me because some of those he'd just gotten for his birthday, but I wasn't about to let a snot-nosed 4 year old dare me down. And I was still fuming from The Sunflower Seed Incident... so they were GONE.

Then, the next day, I had to make an appointment to take Nandini to the International Adoption Clinic at Texas Children's in Houston. And you know when you see a new doctor, it takes forever to give all your health insurance info over the phone. I think I was on the phone for about 10 minutes. When I got off the phone, I discovered that Eli and Nandini had gone into my bathroom and opened up two boxes of tampons and a box of maxi-pads (the expensive organic kind that I collect Noah's urine with for pee tests... you know... slip them in a diaper and then wring it out in a specimen cup the next morning. Ahhhh, the creative things we autistic moms come up with). Anyway, they opened up 96 tampons and had them all over the living room. They were sword fighting with them and I caught Nandini sticking one in her ear like a Q-tip. Then, of course, Eli started throwing them and yelling "Fetch!" and Nandini would run over and put them in her mouth. It all happened in slow motion. Oh... and I forgot to mention that they had also gotten into some pull-ups and both were wearing pull-ups over their head like a stocking cap. They each had a pull-up on over their jeans and had their arms through them as well. I think I might have actually broke down and cried. Thank goodness I had bought their Christmas stocking candy the day before because I ripped open a bag of Hershey Peppermint Kisses (the BEST tasting thing in the entire world EVER) and went to town.

And if you're thinking right about now... Leslie, it sounds like you have a problem... then you're right.

But is my problem my kids or the fact that I comfort myself with chocolate???

Then, yesterday, Nandini poured an entire bottle of handsoap into Eli's tennis shoes and whacked him over the head with our cordless phone. She also peed on a stack of clean laundry.

So I opened up the other bag of Hershey's kisses that I had stored away.

But in a sick way, I'm loving it! No, not the peeing on my clean clothes. I'm loving having 3 kids. I do think it will drive me insane. I may eat a lot of chocolate in the next few months and dabble in presciption medicine. I might even be tempted to buy cheap wine in a box (just kidding!), but I'm loving it. It keeps me active and on my toes. It challenges me. My life has taken a 180 and I can't wait to see where I end up. And knowing that God has blessed me with these 3 kiddoes and somehow felt I was equipped for it... that I was THE one that was meant to be their mommy... well, that amazes me and frightens me at the same time... but it keeps me going.

Well, THEY are up and awake and demanding my attention. So, I'll bring this post to an end.

Looking forward to seeing what the next 10 minutes brings. As you now know, a lot can happen in 10 minutes in our household.

Leslie

Yea!!! Yes, we're still alive. I know it's been more than a week since I last blogged - but, believe me, there was good reason. First of all, I ended up in the ER with severe dehydration from my non-thinking decision to have a Sprite (with ice!) at a McDonald's in Delhi. I was finally able to hold food down come Thanksgiving and overindulged just a bit. Well, the bacteria or amboeba's or whatever it was had a field day and I really paid for it. Let's just say that I got seriously acquainted with our toilet - at eye level - and I will never, ever, ever go that long without cleaning it again. Eeeewwwww.

The second reason that I haven't blogged is because I've been 100% sleep deprived. Sim, too. Nandini decided that she could manage just fine sleeping only 4 hours a night. And, actually, that's about how much Noah slept for the first 9 months he was home, but he was our first so we were able to adjust to his schedule. But, now, we've got 2 others at home and 1 who decides that he has to wake up about 6:00 each and every morning. So, there's not been anytime to rest. Fortunately, though, she started sleeping through the night a few days ago, and it has been WONDERFUL!!!!

The third and final reason I haven't blogged is because.... drum roll.... Nandini won't let go of me!! Can you believe it??? She spent the entire week in India hating me and our first week home pushing me away, but as soon as Sim went back to work, she started clinging to me. She won't let go. Ever. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to go the bathroom with a child sitting on your lap? (I bet all you moms are nodding, "Yes. Yes, I do".) lol. She is getting so attached to me. She screams everytime I leave her sight. It's really fantastic. Exhausting, but fantastic.

So, things have been good. She gets along really well with Noah. It's weird, she just kind of knows that Noah is a bit different - and she's so cool with it. She brings him toys and always makes sure that he has whatever she and Eli have. If we leave to get in the car, she takes his hand to make sure he follows her. It is just so sweet. I was changing him today and she was handing me wipes. She is just so unbelievably sweet with him.

As for Eli... well, the first week was like a honeymoon. He was SO excited to have a playmate, but now the excitement has worn off. They fight ALL the time. He hates to share and she loves to hit. I've never experienced this whole sibling rivalry thing, but it has hit the Thomas household with a vengeance. One minute, they're playing peacefully and I hear laughter coming from the bedroom. The next minute, I hear screaming and "Mooooooooooooommmy!!!! She took my toys" and then Nandini laughs and rattles off something in Marathi. She loves to push his buttons.

To let you know how Eli's adjusting, here's a conversation we had today:

Eli: Mom, is Nandini going to be with us forever?
Me: Yes, she is.
Eli: I want her to go back to India.
Me: Why?
Eli: She messes up my things.
Me: Well, she's your sister and she's going to be with us forever and ever.
Eli. (Pause) Well, then can I go back to Guatemala?

Siblings, eh?

But besides that, things have been great. I LOVE having a little girl. It's so much fun and soooooooo different from having two little boys. She is just so happy and playful. It's a complete turnaround from the grieving little girl that went into Emotional Shutdown just 2 1/2 weeks ago. I am absolutely in love. Exhausted, but in love. :-)

I'll post some pictures.... because I'm sure after me posting pictures everyday that you've all gone through a Nandini picture withdrawal. :-)

Oh, and Christie. You wanted to know why there are so many pictures of Nandini and Eli, but not any with Noah. Well, although Nandini loves Noah, he doesn't exactly hang around her like Eli does. He still doesn't know how to play or interact with people, so the only pictures we can get of the two of them together are when they're eating or strapped next to each other in the carseat. And it's really hard to to get Noah to look at the camera and smile. But I'll keep trying!

Hope you all had a great week. We did!

Leslie

We're home!! Well, we're at my mom's house - but we're headed to our place in a few hours.

We managed to get through the maze of both the New Delhi International Airport and the atrocious Charles De Gualle airport. I am never, ever, ever, ever, ever, going to fly through CDG again. It's a nightmare - especially if you're flying American Airlines. Speaking of which.... I am never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever flying AA again. I'm not being anti-patriotic by saying that. I just can't stand the airlines. They make international flying so difficult. I understand and appreciate that they are being as thorough as possible with security checks... but we waited in line for over 2 1/2 hours to get through their security. And we were the 4th in line! Can you imagine my mom standing there for 2 1/2 hours with a fussy, impatient baby. And no, I'm not talking about Nandini. She was good as gold. I'm talking about me. I about lost it... nearly becoming an embarrassment to our country, but I bit my tongue. I was about ready to hire a car, drive to Germany, and fly out that way. Anything to get out of that dreaded, slow line. My next visit to Paris will be via the chunnel from England. No more Charles De Gualle for me.

The whole airport thing... I can tell you right now, it was far worse than any of the snags we went through with our adoption. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Okay, I'm going to let it roll right off. It's over. It's done. It's finished. Moving on.

Nandini was amazing. Her Emotional Shutdown Mode comes in handy on the airplane. Out of two flights and a total of 19 hours flying time, she slept for 17 of them. Some people didn't even know we had a baby on board. She was fantastic.

There was a mini-welcoming party waiting for us at the airport. She's loves herself some helium balloons! lol. We then went to Aunt Wese's and had pizza, cake, and ice cream. Can you believe I made it all throughout India without catching the tiniest bit of Delhi Belly, but I get home, have 2 slices of CiCi's and a fourth of a Mountain Dew and all of a sudden I'm in severe gastrointestinal distress? I am still reeling from it. I'm just hoping I can handle the drive home. But, on the bright side, I might be able to zip up my skinny jeans now. :-)

... which would actually be good... seeing that the airport lost my luggage. My camera, my video camera, my cell phone... Nandini's clothes, most of my clothes... all gone. Hopefully they'll arrive in a few days. Everything I bought Nandini is in that suitcase.

But all in all, I am so glad to be home. Nandini went straight to Simeon. Actually, she went straight to everyone except me. I'm sure we broke every single adoption rule by immediately having a little party for her and letting everyone hold her... you know, it's probably not the best for bonding. But everyone enjoyed holding her and we live an hour and a half away from all of our family (and a continent away from Sim's), so I'm not too worried. When we get home later today, she'll have no choice but to bond with us. And we'll be home all the time, because I don't dare take her out anywhere for fear she'll be one of those kids who knocks over the pyramid of canned goods that some poor stockboy just finished stacking up. Plus, I don't know how to manage the whole shopping cart thing. Noah always goes in front and Eli gets the basket. But now, Nandini will have to go up front and Noah will get the basket and Eli will have to walk. And Noah can't have the basket because he mouths everything... and you cannot even imagine the stares you get when people see a child mouthing away on a package of cellophane wrapped raw chicken. So now... the real world begins. And I have no idea how to handle it.

Point being, though, that I have no worries that she's going to bond with me. I mean, a little, but I'm feeling better than I did when were in India.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who prayed for us while we were gone. I really appreciate it and felt those prayers. There's no other way we could have made it through.

So far, Nandini is doing really good. She's still weary of everything and is scared to death of the dogs. She seems to enjoy Eli, although he can be a bit overbearing at times. I think they will be the best of friends. She hasn't really noticed Noah yet, but Noah hasn't really noticed her, either. The effects of his diet for the last 9 days has hit him hard. He didn't go to bed until 6:15am this morning. He pulled an all-nighter like a college kid cramming for finals. Then, he was up with major tummy trouble about 4 hours later. But my dad says he's had a blast, and I think he's gained 5 pounds.

Right now, Nandini is chasing Eli through the house and Noah is hanging out with the Cars toy that A. Jayne got him. I hear the laughter and sounds of 3 children.... and it's beautiful.

Will try to upload some pictures later. My camera is in my lost suitcase, so my mom will download the photos she took later today.

It's good to be home.

Leslie

This is our last day in India. In fact, we leave for the airport in a few hours. Can you believe I'm going to miss it here? I know, I know, I must have a multitude of problems, right? Just a day ago, I was crying and boo-hooing over how I couldn't wait to get home, but now that the day has actually arrived, I'm a little sad. I know part of it has to do with the fact that I dread getting back to my routine - dealing with autism and diets and Eli (oops, did I say that? lol) and temper fits and Walmart. :-) But I'm also going to miss India. I have just gotten used to it and now we have to leave. I wonder if mom and dad will watch the kids for 10 days next year and Sim and I can go on holiday here. That would be really cool - although I have a feeling my parents will say, "no". :-O Or more like, "HECK NO!".

We went out today with my friends Sudhir and Kavitha. They're a riot - a lot of fun. Nandini refuses to come to me and Mom had to carry her for 5 hours. Her back is killing her. Finally, I demanded that Nandini come to me and she threw a wall-eyed fit. Everyone came out of the shops to stare. They all had these looks of amusement at the gora who was trying to calm the screaming Indian child. Sudhir said I was lucky that he was with me or they'd have thought I'd kidnapped Nandini. I'm not quite sure if he was joking or not.
Afterwards, we came back to the hotel and I went out with Ben, the guy from CT, and his daughter Ruchi. Mom and Nandini stayed in the hotel. I finally know my way around and since I'm dressed in a kurti, I don't stand out so much. It was funny watching the tourists looking lost and getting scared over the traffic, while we darted in and out and walked with a purpose - like we'd been living here for years. Oh my gosh, some of the tourists.... don't they read the guide books about what not to wear? I've seen tube tops, see-through pants, spaghetti straps... you name it. I'm not walking around wearing a salwaar kameez, but I am wearing Indian tops and I feel so much more comfortable doing so. I cringe when I see the other foreigners walking around half-dressed. It's really embarrassing.

Well, we're having one last meal and then off to finish packing. Mom is dreading the flight home - esp as Nandini will be sitting in her lap the entire time. Poor girl is in for a rude awakening when we get home and Mom goes back to her place. She's really coming along, though. I have my hands FULL. She is into EVERYTHING. She's already broken our room key, emptied my purse, gone through the mini-fridge, unpacked everything I packed. Oh, and she took her entire sticker collection and stuck them all over the bed frame. Nice, Nandini. Very nice.

But she is so funny and so sweet. I am feeling so much better, and so is she. It's all going to work out. It's all going to be okay.

I can't believe it's all coming to an end. A whole new chapter starts in a few hours. It's exciting to think about what lies ahead, but I'm a bit sad about closing the current chapter. I definitely need to keep Nandini in touch with her roots.

Do you think a little sister would do the job?

JUST KIDDING!!!!! Are you crazy? Did you really think I was serious??? lol

Leslie

Wow, this has been a FANTASTIC day! I'm so sorry for all the doom and gloom of my previous posts. I know it makes for pretty depressing blog reading. But I think it must have gotten a lot of you to pray for us - because today was a complete turnaround!

Nandini spent the morning crying, but she perked up as soon as we left the hotel. We finally had another "A-ha!" lightbulb moment when we realized why she hates the hotel so much. She loves the hustle and bustle of India. That's what she's used to - not the quiet room of of just three people. Remember, she shared her room with 22 other kids. She's used to the noise and the sound of the traffic outside.

We were gone all day today. We started off at the doctor's office. We went yesterday at 4:00 because it says he's open from 4-6 pm. But he wasn't in and we were told to come back today. So we got there at 9:00 and waited for an hour and 40 minutes. At 10:40 his Mercedes pulled up and he came in. The whole examination lasted less than 3 minutes. Then, we were off to the Embassy, where we whizzed through in record time. We waited about 30 minutes, our interview was about 2 minutes and our visa was granted in 15 more minutes! We then headed off to Pizza Hut. It's funny because my favorite food in the world is Indian food, but I'm not used to eating it 3 meals a day. That Pizza Hut menu was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. After that, we headed off to the Central Cottage Industries Emporium on Janpath Rd (you have to specify which one or the drivers will take you to the State Emporiums) and I bought a book on Indian Folk Tales for Nandini when she gets older. After that, we headed back into rush hour and made it to the hotel.

Nandini was a real trooper. She has taken to Mom like you wouldn't believe. She's been climbing all over her like a little monkey. She's been saying, Mommy, Daddy, Nonna, Papa, Eli, Noah, Bye, Up, and No-No-No-No while shaking her finger at us. This is the first time she's talked to us. She finally started playing with Ruchi, the 5 year old whose family is here from CT and she's been giving smiles out like crazy. She still doesn't like for me to hold her - she cries and reaches for Mom, but she is coming around. We also bought her a toy with 5 wooden pegs that has different shapes to slide on the pegs and she arranged them all by shape on the first try. She's really smart. We were really impressed.

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know how fantastic today went. Who knows what it'll be like tomorrow - but today was an answered prayer.

Tomorrow is our last day here (!!!) and we're meeting one of the international students I worked with at UNT. He was at UNT when we came here 5 years ago to adopt Noah and his wife showed us around. Now, he's back in India and we'll meet up with him and his wife at 10:00 in the morning. Then, we leave for the airport around 10:00 at night. Our flight is at 1:20am and we go straight to Paris. I think it's a 9 hour flight. Then, we have a 6 hour layover and fly straight to DFW. That takes 11 hours. Whew. Just look for the three tired and cranky chicas and that'll be us. :-)

Thanks for all your prayers! We appreciate them.

Leslie

I miss the boys so much that I can't stand it! I can only imagine how much their lives are going to be turned upside down when we get back home. All of our lives. It's worth it, of course, but we are SO tired and Nandini is SO fussy and grieving. It's just been really hard.

I woke up with a rash all over my chest this morning. Nandini's been itching her hair. We checked for lice, but didn't see anything. I'm praying it's not lice. Can you imagine us doing a lice treatment on the whole family? How on earth would we be able to do that to Noah? The chemicals alone would set him back months.

Nandini is still having a very hard time. In my head, I know this is normal and will last months and months, but in my heart, I just want it to stop. I want to comfort her and she won't let me. I feel completely helpless here. She just cries and cries. We do get a few smiles every now and then, but then she realizes she's letting her guard down and she puts it right back up.

This morning, she found her leg braces in the suitcase and just started bawling. She seems to want outside all the time. She can't stand being in the hotel - she wants to be near Indian people and see them all the time. As soon as they're out of her sight, she just comes apart.

This adoption thing is so tricky. I know we are giving her a chance for a future - a chance for an education and she's going to get all the therapies and medical care she needs. But at the same time, it's heartwrenching to see her grieve so much because we know WE did this to her. She doesn't understand that in the long run that having a family is what she really needs. And then you feel so guilty for taking her away from everything she's ever known. Adoption is a ball of emotions.

I hope I don't come across as regretting this. Absolutely not. I love this little girl so much. I just feel helpless because I can't comfort her - and it kills me to see her hurt so much. Plus, we're so tired and just ready to come home. India is so funny that way. When I come to India, I can't wait to leave. And the moment the plane lifts off, I can't wait to get back to India. India tugs on your heart and finds a way to make a permanent mark on you. I love it here, but, oh, I don't know. It's just so hard to explain.

The cornflakes just came and she's calmed down. She's good at feeding herself and she's potty-trained. She's 3, so she should be, but she does have delays - so everything she does we just watch in wonder. I can't wait to see where she'll be a month from now - or a year from now.

We're off to the doctor's this morning and then for our visa interview. I'm wearing a ridiculous long-sleeved outfit so that I won't look like a weary backpacker for the the interview. Oh, did you know I wear an XL here? Nothing will crush your self-esteem faster than realizing you can't fit into the smalls and mediums here. Yep, XL for me! lol. (I bought Sim a shirt and it was XXL! ).

Will write more tonight.

Leslie

Well, we made it to Delhi. It took us over 2 1/2 hours to get to our hotel. I spoke to a friend of mine in New Delhi and he said the area we're staying in is the most congested area of all New Delhi. Good for cheap shopping, but even he said he only comes to the Karol Baugh area once a year.

The traffic is unreal. 4 lane roads condensed to one lane because people park their cars in the middle of the road. And that one lane is crowded with cars coming both ways... not just cars, but motorcycles, bicycles, cows pulling carts, people pulling carts, people pedaling on bike rickshaws, people walking, cars honking, and stray dogs running across the road. I have never seen anything like it. It is so unreal. Our driver couldn't find our hotel, so he just stopped the car in the middle of the road and left us. Didn't say a word. We had no idea where he was, we were just left in the middle of the road with all these faces staring at us. Finally he came back. I guess the directions he got were useless b/c he continued to drive us around, while swearing in Hindi for at least another 45 minutes.

The trip to the Embassy went well, but the doctor was out, so we couldn't get Nandini's physical done. We'll do that in the morning and then go for her visa interview tomorrow at 11:00. I pray we can get it done in time.
Nandini has reverted back to Emotional Shutdown mode. It's all too much for her. Right now, she can't stand the sight of me. I planted a kiss on her at the embassy and she had a breakdown and cried and cried. She is attached to Mom, but cries everytime we put her down or even try to sit down with her on our lap, so we just end up pacing back and forth with her all day. I know it'll get better, but we're in for a rough adjustment.

Okay, our food is coming. Plus, I'm so exhausted, I just can't really think of much to say.

Maybe I'll more tomorrow.

Leslie

Okay, it's 8:40am on Wednesday morning. We leave for the airport in a little over an hour. I should be up in my room packing, but wanted to nip down to the computer station and send a quick update.

Nandini is really sick right now. She's been running over 100 temperature and has a bad cough and cold. We think she has a double ear infection, too, as she's been pulling at her ears and whining. We are REALLY dreading the flight to New Delhi. Fortunately, it's only 2 hours. Now, if the ear infection is not cleared up by our 28 hour journey home on Saturday then I'm thinking that Mom and I might just have to take advantage of the free alcohol they serve on the plane.

Just kidding.

Well, maybe.

Nandini didn't sleep well last nigt. We kept taking turns laying her on our chest and elevating her head. She's so small for a 3 year old. She's tall, but just seems so small. She's got the tiniest little face I've ever seen.

She finally went #2 in the potty. Poor girl had such a belly ache. She hadn't gone since Monday. Fortunately, Mom was helping her at the potty and had to deal with it. What a stink! How on earth can such a tiny little thing make such a stinky mess. Mom was gagging and I was doubled over with a giggle fit. Mom was having such a hard time - squatting on the floor holding Nandini over the potty while trying not to throw up at the smell. And, you know, it really doesn't matter what you're doing... toilets just don't smell good from that angle.

Poor Nandini. I hope we didn't add to her already fragile ego.

I really hope her cold clears up. She's so out of it right now - you know how you get when you're all congested. She's just in such a daze. But, boy, she looks pretty! :-). She cracks us up with her love for all things glittery. I think she's going to get some Disney Princess costumes for Christmas this year. :-)

Mom had her first meltdown yesterday. We took an auto rickshaw to Pune Central and it's a bit like a jeep in that there are no doors. It's open. Well, we stopped at a busy intersection (whatever image you have in your head... just erase it... unless you've been to India, there's no way to explain what a busy intersection looks like. It's unreal). Anyway, this little beggar girl came up and started tapping Mom on the leg. Then, she started doing backwalkovers and gymnastic tricks to get Mom to give her some money. Of course, I couldn't help myself. I gave the little beggar girl our taxi money and then had to beg money from Mom. Oh, the irony!

The thing that got us the most was that she just stared at Nandini. She looked at her leg braces and then at Nandini and then at us. The look on her face was indescribable. She knew exactly what was going on. And really, there is no difference between Nandini and that little girl. As horrible as this sounds, and I don't want it to be taken the wrong way, the only difference is that Nandini was fortunate enough to be placed in an orphanage (at BSSK). Her future was secured when she was cleared for adoption. And this little girl that lives on the streets will do this for the rest of her life. She will not go to school or get an education. Her future is already set. And that broke Mom's heart. Of course, it didn't help that a little boy came hobbling up to Mom and shoved his ampuated leg in her face and held out his fand for money. It just really set her off and she broke down. And then, going in to Pune Central, which is a fancy department store and seeing the prices and the designer clothes and furniture... when right outside the door are homeless street children. It was just too much for her to take.

She's doing much better today, though.

Okay, I need to run upstairs and back. The hotel here in Pune has been great. The food is cheap and great. Touch wood, we haven't gotten sick yet. Oh! And Nandini refuses to eat Indian food anymore. After tasting pizza for lunch yesterday, she's developed a taste for Western foods. Mom ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and potato chips, but I ordered Veg Thali for us, and Nandini literally turned her nose up at it, shook her head, and pushed it away. She then reached for Mom's sandwich and ate 1/2 of it. For breakfast this morning, she had a bowl of cornflakes, toast, and fresh fruit. She also doesn't want to drink out of a glass. She wants to drink out of the bottled water like we do. lol. She's a character, I tell ya.

Off to pack now. Not sure if the computer at the Sri Nanak will be up and running or not. Haven't been able to post pictures, but will see if the CT couple will take a picture and download it to their PC and I'll try to add it. Hopefully, we'll have some pictures posted by tomorrow night.

Wish us luck at the Embassy!

Leslie (will forgo the whole Noah's Mom thing, as it's just not PC anymore, is it? lol)