The Very Hungry Catepillar

Tonight for dinner, Luis partook in a slice of pizza, chicken nuggets, macaroni & cheese, a piece of buttered toast, a banana, and some rice & chicken soup mixed together. I say "partook in" instead of "ate" because he in fact, only ate a small, small amount of each dish. I'm not sure exactly what was going on with him. He has been, his whole life, a very easy-going eater. That seems to have changed (for me, Pauline doesn't have this problem) in the last week or so. And only sometimes, not all the time.

Since I was a child who would not eat sliced cheese if the cheese became torn to any extent during the unwrapping, put ketchup on almost everything that was put in front of me, ate only salad, carrots and green beans from the veggie food category, ordered plain hamburgers - no bun, and proved to be more stubborn than my FATHER (and who still, at one-day-shy of age 33, doesn't like onions, mustard, and black pepper), it would be entirely fair for Luis to have some period (or a whole childhood) of picky eating. But it would be nice if he didn't.

(PS - In case you didn't quite catch the subtle hint, tomorrow - 3/19 - is my birthday.)

What We've Been Up To - Ten Days in Pictures

Luis enjoys the garden in front of our building, playing on the swing and the slide. He also is quite happy to just walk & run around. Usually, I'm throwing the frisbee for Ashley, so it's a bit of an obstacle course for everyone.
Shabina & Luis play in the kitchen every day while Shabina makes dinner. She bought Luis his own little chipati maker set (the rolling pin and round "stool" onto which they are rolled). He likes it, but still prefers Shabina's set.

Luis likes to go swimming. As the temperatures are heating up here, Luis spends a lot of time in his pool on the balcony - somedays taking as many as 3 dips per day. Since last swimming season, Luis can now crawl out of the pool, walk across the balcony, get his broom, and then get back in the pool.Parvati made Luis his own broom. To simply say that he loves it more than life itself would, in fact, be an understatement. He sweeps our apartment from morning until night.

Anwar and his family came to visit one night. His children are 9 mo and 4 (or maybe 5). It was a lot of fun to watch the kids play together.

I went back to college for one week, or so it felt. Dodie let me read a draft of his dissertation. I spent about a week learning all about Arab settlemen in and influence over East Africa in the mid- to late-nineteenthe century. Even ate pizza for breakfast one day.

Luis learned how to blink (at will).

Read to Me

Luis will sometimes play in his crib for a while after he wakes up but before he asks/demands to get out of his crib. But when he's ready to get up, he's very clear. He'll start by throwing his stuffed animals out, one by one. Then the blankets. Then, he'll flip over each of the mirrors that hangs in his crip. However, when I hear the pacifier hit the floor, I know that time is up!!! For a while, I couldn't keep toys on the bedside table next to his crib; when he dediced that NOW was the time for me to come get him, he would throw these toys onto the ground.

This afternoon, I was studiously reading Dodie's draft dissertation in the office when I heard a small thud in Luis's room. There was no other sound after that, so I didn't tell Pauline (who was working in the kitchen where it's a bit hard to hear Luis's room). Some 2o minutes later - after 3p which is a LONG nap for Luis - Pauline looks in to see what's going on. She says to me, "Ma'am, he's reading."




Sure enough, I had left 4 books on the bedside table from earlier in the day. He had pulled two of them in - a "peekaboo" lift-the-flap book (a gift from Sarah) and a book called Read to Me (a gift from Bettie Traxler). He was very content in his crib reading. I wonder if Pauline hadn't gone in there, how much longer would he have "read"?

(By the way, there is NO staging in this picture - this is exactly how Luis looked when I came in.)

When Did He Learn This?

This morning, Diego was still in bed (he got home from his trip to Dubai after 3a) and Luis and I went in to wake him up. I asked him if he'd like some water and he said yes. So, I get off the bed and walk into the kitchen to get some water. As I'm reaching into the cupboard to get a glass, I look down to my left (those of you who know my kitchen arranging rules know that the glasses are right next to the fridge) to see this:

(this picture was actually from the day before, but I didn't have my camera with me today)

Stay Tuned

I got a couple of posts done today, trying catch up on our news. Then, I got via email, a draft of Dodie's dissertation to read and provide comments on. By Thursday. It's 195 pages.

So for the next couple of days, I'm going to be holed up, reading about the mis-representation of the role the Arabs played in the development of East Africa in the mid- to late-19th century, and Dodie's attempt to set the record a bit straighter. (Dodie, did I get that right??) Today, during Luis's afternoon nap, I read the first 20 pages or so and typed up some notes/questions to send to Dodie. Sounds like a lot of work? I had a great time doing it. I think it's going to be a fun project. I just hope that, when I'm done, Dodie doesn't regret sending me a copy. :)

I'll try to sneak in a post or two of Luis. He's so much fun these days with loads of new tricks and talents and tons of cute pictures.

Ashley - Back in the Game

Friday morning, I took her back to the vet for bloodwork, which all seems to have been normal. Her incontinence is gone (save a few small driplets here and there). Hopefully, she just had some passing bug, that has now passed. This picture was taken Friday afternoon (it was a busy afternoon of Luis on the swings, me taking pictures of the kitten, Ashley playing frisbee with Vikram, Luis playing on the balcony with Vikram). She seems to be feeling much better. Her appetite is back, as is her energy level.

Of course, Ashely does get tired from time to time, and likes to curl up in a quiet, out-of-the-way spot. Like this one:

The Kitties

Before Christmas, I notice a Momma Cat and her three little kittens hanging around the rear of our complex. The kittens were t-i-n-y, still nursing. I decided to bring the Momma Cat food each night, to help nourish her so she could help nourish her babies. Maybe I felt an extra connection to her because I was still nursing my baby. So each night, before bed, I'd bring down some left overs from dinner. It only took two trips down for the Momma Cat to be waiting for me. And when she'd see me, she'd call out MEOW. MEEEEOOOOOOOWWW. MEEOOOWWWW. Her babies would be close behind. I loved feeding them. Unfortunately, on about the 10th night, they weren't waiting for me. Nor the next night, nor the next. I didn't see them again. I was worried that something had gotten some or all of them - but preferred to think that they'd just moved on to another place.Well about 2 weeks ago, I saw two of the three kittens hanging out with the night gate guard (there is a door guard and night guard, each post has two shifts 8a-8p and 8p-8a). And in the morning, when I'd take Ashley and Luis out, the two kittens were again hanging out with the night gate guard. Sometimes I'd see him sharing his dinner with them.

I decided to take up feeding the kittens. So again, each night before bed, Ashley and I would come down to a. let Ashley potty and b. feed the kittens. I've discovered that even street cats can be picky - they like chicken and chapatis and mashed potatoes, but won't eat any vegetable. Bread is OK, but chapatis are better. And they'll eat the mashed potatoes, but only after everything else is gone.
One of the cats is mostly white with patches of orange and black. She reminds me a bit of Muffles. (I say she, but I don't actually know the gender of either kitten.) The other one is a rippley grey color - what I would call "normal cat color". The Muffles Look Alike is more brave - she'll come up and eat out of the bowl or even sometimes my hand. The Grey Cat will only perch under a car and pick up the scraps that I throw to her.

On Friday, when Luis was playing on the swing and Vikram was throwing the frisbee for Ashley, the Orange-Black-White cat was perched on top of the wall next to the gate. When she saw me, she was very friendly and let me get quite close to take some pictures. I'd like to think she likes me, but I'm sure she was just hoping I had food. I didn't see the other kitten, so I don't have any pics of her. These of the OBW cat will have to do for now.

The Gardener

The Gardener - who we called The Gardener because no one knows his name (I asked Babu what his name was an he replied 'Gardener') - has been coming every day (except Sunday) to water our outdoor plants and to clean off the balcony. He spends about 30-45 minutes here each day. He earns ~ $13.50 a month for this work.

Luis has been interested in The Gardener for a long time. About 2-3 weeks ago, Luis started watering the plants with his sippy cups, with his stacking cups, and sometimes with an imaginary hose. He'll spend 30 minutes walking around and around and around the living, watering the plants. When The Gardener comes, Luis stands on the inside of the sliding glass door and watches The Gardener work. I had Shabina explain to The Gardener (who doesn't seem to speak a word of English) that Luis waters the plants and he loved it. I took a picture of Luis helping The Gardener out on the patio and gave a copy to him. He loved that, too. And as Luis has mastered waving "Ta Ta" and giving Flying Kisses, he is the most consistent with the Gardener.

So, on Friday, when The Gardener came up and Luis wanted to go outside with him, I wasn't surprised. And when The Gardener picked up Luis and took him out to the patio, I wasn't surprised. And when I looked through the kitchen window and saw this:

I wasn't surprised. But I was touched. It was such a sweet and tender scene.

Ashley, however, is a different story. The Gardener is deathly afraid of Ashley. Most days he comes up in the elevator, rings the bell, and then gets back into the elevator to wait for me to open the door and assure him that Ashley has been put into a bedroom. And when he's done working, he calls out from the sliding glass doors and again waits for specific confirmation that Ashley can't get him.

Earlier in the day on Friday, Pauline took Luis and Ashley down for a play in the garden. I told her I'd be down in a minute - I wanted to get my camera to take some pictures of Luis playing. When I got down there, I saw this:

I was surprised!

PS - Yesterday - Saturday - I looked out through the kitchen window again and saw The Gardener, sitting on the balcony playing with Luis, pushing his bike & wagon around. The both of them were smiling their big smiles. And even though I couldn't actually hear anything, I knew they were laughing. It was great!

PPS - I told Pauline that no one knows The Gardeners name. So she asked him. It's Vikram.

Ashley - On the Mend (I hope)

On Sunday, Ashley seemed a bit sluggish and less interested in her food. More so on Monday. On Tuesday, she didn't eat the cookie out of her kong. This was a very, very bad sign. Wednesday morning, I had barely opened my eyes when Diego said, "Mary, Ashley's being weird." What do you mean? "She's just staring at me. Sitting here, staring at me in the bed." I knew what that meant. Luis was just waking up. I grabbed him, pushed the elevator button and got Ashley down to the grass as fast as possible. She barely made it...

A trip to the vet later, Dr. Ranjiv thought she had an irritated bowel & prescribed meds. Thursday, Ashley had a terrible case of incontinence. Terrible. (I washed 3 towels and 4 hand towels last night.) I called the vet back and he said we just wait and watch and hope she gets better. Had she been in contact with a street dog? Could she have rabies? I spent most of yesterday imagining the worst. What was wrong with Ashley? Had she picked something out from our many walks? Had she eaten something off the sidewalk? Did she have rabies?? Would she get better? Would I have to put her down. It was a very tough day.

Last night, I talked with Dr. Kate, our vet in the US. She said it sounded like a bladder infection that a simple test would determine. And if it wasn't, there a good meds for dogs with incontinence. Sigh.

Today, she looks better, has her energy back and her appetite. I took Ashley back to Dr. Ranjiv for a blood test. I'll feel better seeing that her kidney & liver functions are normal and that her white & red blood counts are OK. I won't have the results until tonight, but already I feel a bit of relief.

100 Minutes of Happiness

This afternoon, while Luis napped, I had a very, very delicious lunch of left over Black Bean & Orange Chicken over rice, finished reading a very, very nice book about dogs (Dog Days, by Jon Katz - a gift from Lucy) - both enjoyed out on the balcony - and made a batch of very, very yummy (and comforting) No Bake Cookies. (As a special treat and gift from Mercedes & Hernan, Jules brought with her some cocoa from Tamesis, the small town in Colombia where Hernan is from; I just had to grind it up in the blender). All the while, Ashley was curled up near me.

Mmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmm. What a treat. Too bad the cookies contain peanut butter, which Luis can't have for another 9 1/2 months. Less to share! :)

Just A Cool Picture

This is a reflection of the apartment building behind ours on my computer monitor. On bright days, it's really bright!

Baby Got a New Pair of Shoes

Now that Luis is walking more and more, he needed some shoes he could wear outside. The Robeez we have are perfect for inside, and on the balcony. But he needed something sturdier for navigating the garden and the driveway downstairs. Mom very sweetly sent Luis two pairs of shoes, including these sandals.

Cochin, Kerala

Not sure where the last week has gone. But here it is Monday again, and it seems there is much to report.

Jules has gone back to Colombia and we miss her. The last weekend she was here, we went to Cochin, down in Kerala (the southern-most state of India). Jules, Luis and I flew down Thursday morning and Diego joined us that afternoon. We had plans of doing touristy stuff like walking around Fort Cochin and Jew Town (that is the actual name) and taking a house boat tour on the back waters and maybe even a trip to the beach. Instead, we spent almost the entire long weekend at the hotel. We were tired and it was nice to relax and nap and play on the grass outside (something we do very little of around here). Luis loved exploring the big lobby at Le Meridian and I loved how sweet and kind and playful everyone was with Luis. By the end of the weekend, almost every lobby staff knew his name. He enjoyed watering the plants (just like he does here), looking out the big glass doors, walking around the lobby, climbing the stairs and kissing the 4' miniature elephant statue that was in the lobby (he also like riding the elephant; and in India, you can do that - it's even encouraged). Luis also got to go swimming a couple of times, which he seemed to really enjoy.

On Saturday, feeling a bit of pressure to do SOMETHING while in Kerala, we hired a car and driver from the hotel to take us "into town". We went into Fort Cochin area first. It seemed more like a strip of cart vendors next to the water than a town. We cruised from end to end, seeing much of the same things we've seen in other parts of India - handicrafts, shawls, clothing, and jewelry. No matter how many times I see the same things, I'm always compelled to take a look, just in case.

One of the stalls in Fort Cochin

a great, old tree at Fort Cochin

What was interesting to me was the animals we saw. Here in Mumbai, there are dogs everywhere. You can't go more than a block without seeing a street dog. On the promenade where I walk Ashley (and Luis, really), I probably see 50 dogs every day. And while the cats aren't as visible, they are almost as populous. (I'm not sure if they are out of sight for fear of falling prey to the hawks and other animals, or if cats are just less social than dogs. Maybe a combo?) In Cochin, there were almost no cats OR dogs. In fact, I think I counted 2 cats and 3 dogs the whole trip. In their place were goats. Lots and lots of goats. Goats lounging on the beach. Goats eating watermelon rinds. Goats in trees. And goats walking along the sidewalk. Luis even got to pet one of the goats! We also saw some cows. But no camels, no elephants, nothing exotic.

There were a couple of small seafood guys selling fish. We were shocked to see prawns and lobsters, side by side, the same size. Granted, the lobster was a bit small, but those may have been the biggest prawns I've ever seen!

Prawns (l) and Lobster (r)

a man works on a fishing net

After about an hour of walking around, we stepped into a hotel/restaurant for lunch. The food was OK and the service was slow, but we've come to expect as much - and so enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. Luis had fallen asleep in the Ergo (backpack). I was tempted to let him stay there, sleeping, expect it was about 95 degrees out and we were both sweating profusely. The waiter was kind enough to get us a towel, so Luis napped on the floor. After he woke up, he explored the hotel, the restaurant, the stairs and the smallest pool I've ever seen (of which I'm sorry I don't have a photo - it was about 4' x 8').

After lunch, we walked the other way along the water, and stumbled across the actual Fort of Fort Cochin. I debated about whether or not to inclined a picture because I don't think I have one that doesn't indicate complete neglect or show lots of graffiti. Suffice it to say it's a nice concrete fort at the edge of the water.

Along this part of our walk though, we did bump into a beautifully dressed young woman who was eager to chat us up and share a peacock feather with Luis. She acted as if she was just out for a walk - decked out in an embroidered & bedazzled sari with fancy jewellery and a wrist full of bangles. The man that was with her - with a professional-grade camera who stood just beyond us the whole time and snapped about 60 pictures - led Diego and I to believe that they are with the board of tourism (and that Luis just became the new poster boy for Kerala and/or Fort Cochin). Diego and I agreed to be a part of whatever they were doing. However, about 15 minutes earlier, some guys had asked to take a picture of Luis. When Diego said, "Sure; for 50 rupees", they were shocked. Of course, when we want to take pictures of the locals it's sometimes as much as 100 Rs. In the end, the guys declined to pay the "fee" and didn't take a picture (the second fact being the surprising part).

Shortly there after, we piled back into the car and drove over to Jew Town; originally populated by a Jewish Community (and where a really, really old synagogue still stands). By now, both Luis and I are over heated and over tired, so we stayed in the air-conditioned car while Jules & Diego took a quick look at an old "palace". We then joined them for the shopping part of Jew Town. We were all surprised at how pleasant it was to shop there - not the usual pressure from shop keepers and store clerks to come and look (after all, as most shop keepers in India love to say, "Looking is Free"). Unfortunately, it was still bloody hot, so we didn't last long. Before heading back, though, we came across this old entryway. It only cost something ridiculous like USD 2k and could be shipped anywhere in the world for free.

who said chivalry is dead? (note man holding umbrella over his head while his wife and daughter walk beside him, unshielded)

tourist bungalow??
this scene at Fort Cochin reminded me so much of Stone Town in Zanzibar