Tamil New Year Function

Tonight we celebrated the Tamil New Year with the Tamil community of Colorado Springs. I am not sure how many people attended but the planner was expecting about 175 (including children). In Colorado Springs alone, there are 175 folks from a single state in India that is about the size of North Carolina. It always amazes me how tight-knit the Indian community remains even though they are more than several thousand miles from their homeland. I love being an outsider allowed to look in and observe the strong bonds that they form simply because they are from the same state in a foreign land. I have never experienced anything like this in my life and I don't think it exists among Americans... as far as I can tell. I admire the dedication they exhibit in passing on their culture and traditions to future generations and I only hope my children will embrace it through many more programs like this. Here they are all dressed up for the event...



Here's a little video clip of one of the kid's dances... perhaps next year, our kids will get on stage.

Boys and Their Weapons

So I think Sanjay has become the three year old little boy that I never wanted Priya playing with or being influenced by when she was three. At the time, having only a little girl who was so gentle, compassionate and caring, I didn't realize that boys are innately different. In my naivety, I blamed all the bad behavior I'd seen from other little toddler boys on their upbringing... not realizing that boys are just born this way. No matter how much we as parents try to steer them clear of violence, they still seem to find it in such unlikely places.

Anything that Sanjay comes in contact with can be made into some type of weapon... usually something with firing power. He has a set of Lincoln Logs... you remember the little wooden logs with cutouts that you can so creatively use to build houses and fences? Rather than cute little log homes, Sanjay prefers to build jets with them, then he walks around the house piloting them and shooting everything in sight. The sound effects he makes for guns and engines are so realistic. It reminds me of my childhood days playing with the neighborhood boys who made gun sounds that well outdid what my sisters and I could produce. I remember specifically feeling inferior in this realm as a young girl.

Anyway, enough of my memories... and on to the new ones. As Sanjay was flying around the bedroom this morning I jotted down the proud descriptions he gave of the jet he built.

"These are the wings, ok? On top is the shooting bomb thing. The power is on the side on the wings. The power is right there, Mom. This is the shootings. Shootings come out of here. I have to hold it tight because maybe some bombs might fall out and not shoot. Oopsie, one power fall'd off."

Preschool Parking Lot

Every day when I drop off and pick up Sanjay I see the same thing... the tell-tale sign of a preschool parking lot... this row full of minivans. Finally today I remembered my camera.

The Injured Foot

About 4 weeks ago, you may recall that I posted about my participation at the state swim meet. In case you don't remember, let me remind you that I hit my foot on the wall during a backstroke turn. Well, it plateaued in its recovery and the pain has not completely disappeared. So today I made a visit to my primary care doctor and he ordered an x-ray just to make sure it wasn't broken, all the while telling me he suspected it was just a badly bruised ligament. After checking out the x-ray he comes into the room with a smirk on his face and a business card in his hand for the podiatrist. Yep... its broken. For 37 years I've managed to avoid breaking any bones and when I finally break something it happens during the most low-impact of sports... the irony. So, it's off to the podiatrist in the morning probably for a boot of some sort to wear on my foot until it's all better.