Shane's favorite books

Our little guy is quite a reader. He literally spent a hour the other morning bringing Libby one book after the other. Of course, he loves reading just before bed, too. But during the day he reads everything from the newspaper to the back of the cereal boxes.

And, although he can't read nor say any words, there is a lot of sounds. Like "tick-tock" whenever a clock is in a picture. Or "mmmmm" (low sound) when there is a cow and "mmmmm" (high pitch) when there is a cat. You get the idea.

So without further ado, here is the list of Shane's favorite books from birth through age 17 months!

• His first favorite book was "7 Days of Creation" which has plastic objects he loved to touch and feel. This was a great gift from the Yates family in Hood River.
• Then he went crazy over Sandra Boyton books ("Horns to Toes and in Between" and "Snuggle Puppy").
• In the "slightly odd, but funny" category: in February we picked up a board book on Thanksgiving at a conference in Thailand. Shane couldn't put it down for several weeks.
• Then we got two Dr. Seuss board books ("ABCs" and "Mr. Brown Can Moo. Can You?") which make him smile and rivet his attention. We also have "The Eye Book" which is a longtime favorite.
• His current favorite, a gift from Uncle Nathan, Aunt Trisha, and cousins: Classic Sleepy Time Tales (a Golden Books Collection). He's almost destroyed the binding from reading it, carrying it around, and generally obsessing over it.

So there you have it. Fun times!

Buh-Buh

Shane new favorite these days is "Buh-buh." Depending on the situation, "Buh-buh" means: bubbles, ball, bye-bye, book, and probably a few more I've missed. I never realized how many household objects began with the letter "b" until his discovery. Recently after a routine rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" during our nap-time ritual, I laid Shane down as always. But this time, instead of rolling onto his side with thumb-in-mouth he gave me a huge smile and said, "Buh-buh" (including a wave). Taken by surprise I waved back with "Bye-bye" and closed the door with a big grin. He slept his routine two-hour nap and ever since has been telling us "Buh-buh" after being laid down. I really don't think I could ask for a better new ritual in our routine!

Summer Fun

It's summer in India and that means keeping cool from the raging sun. Fruit, Shane's all-time favorite, is a great summer snack. We play indoors to keep cool(er) and then retire in the late afternoon for a swim. Enjoy your Springtime in the meatime!

What is costly non-veg?

As many of you know, we've moved and now live three houses down from our former home. During the last minute (which took three weeks) touch-ups on the interior decor', I experienced these comments from our curious painter.

As he touched-up the paint in Shane's room, he asked if the crib was Shane's bed. I said Yes to which he replied, "Wow, if I was a baby I would be so happy!"

When finishing the work in the kitchen, he said/asked, "You use olive oil?" I replied Yes I do. He commented, "David (in the bible) was anointed with olive oil. Good you use olive oil."
I realize that buying imported olive oil is a huge splurge on my part, but I've come to peace with that. The health benefit trumps cost.

When cleaning up paint chips he asked, "What is the cost of a plane ticket to America?" I referred to Ben and said I was bad with numbers.

After polishing the TV stand with a smelly solution, he asked "What is costly non-veg in America?" (translation: What meat is expensive?) Not exactly a meat expert myself I said, Umm, Beef. Beef and duck. "Duck?" He then added, "In America Indian's eat lots of meat but when they return home, they don't." I didn't have a comment for that one either.

It's easily to get caught up in the normalcy's of life, but there are cultural learning moments at every twist and turn!

Shane is walking

Okay so we think it's cute to see our once immobile baby all over the floor walking like tipsy sailor. It's been about one week of progressively stronger walking and we still think it's cute. Two short clips to capture the moments of Little Boy Growing Up. Yes, that's a hot-pink feather duster he couldn't put down all day. Today it's mama's shoes he wants, what will it be tomorrow?

Sacrifice is a 10-day Internet fast...involuntary

This was intended to be a simple family update but my thoughts got the best of me. It should be under my personal blog, but since I can't move it, it remains under the family blog name.

We are. Officially moved.

These days moving isn't just toting a car-load of clothes on hangers to your new house, or setting the tea cups in the correct just-reachable shelf in the new kitchen. These days moving means getting cable hooked up again, re-wiring the large "battery" which ensures we always have electricity, and getting Internet up and running again.

Thus the hiatus from the Internet. I have just participated in an involuntary fast from blogging, emails, Skype calls, and CNN updates online. Our Internet connection was reconnected (although it is gone elsewhere in the city) only just this morning. It wasn't that long really, only 10 days, but when the men in charge did not return our phone calls for service, I began to feel antsy. This wasn't a voluntary fast with the intended results of me being less materialistic from the computer or a spiritual act to "feast" rather on God than on what the web is talking about (which I do believe to be important disciplines). I didn't choose this fast, a fast which kept me disconnected from family and friends, albeit 10 days.

And that was the hard part. I didn't choose it. But I've had time to think (imagine that!) and aks myself over the last 10 days...What if I had chosen to fast from email and blogging for my own personal reflections (fill in the blank for a zillion other things we depend on: food, TV, Ipod, exercise, etc)? At the conclusion of the fast, would I be less dependant or more aggressive for what which I'd abstained from? Realistically speaking, I'd much rather choose sacrifice than be given sacrifice.

Heroic singer, song-writer Rick Mullins writes, "I'd rather fight you for something I don't really want, than take what you give that I need." In college I was doing my level best to get over a relationship, and I pinned these words on my bedside. It was raw and real and cut me to the core. And those words have stayed with me ever since because it's not just about getting over an unhealthy relationship. It's about my focus and where it lies. It's about fighting for the right stuff and being okay when the good stuff is gone. Internet, blogging, email and Skype are all good good stuff. My husband couldn't do his work without it, and I couldn't stay connected with family and friends without it. But sometimes those things which make me comfy are taken away and I don't have a choice about it. At other times I do have a choice. And I guesss that either way, I want the outcome to be the same. To know it was good for me.

I'm glad this was good for me.

Moving Day

We are moving this Saturday, and expect to live in a bit of chaos for the the next week while carpenters finalize, painters clean up, and we as a family set up. It'll be fun to have a home all our own with two patio's and lots of room for Shane and his siblings to play in. A few snap shots of whats-to-come.

Front view of home
What's the blue tarp you ask? Covered parking of course, free with the house. The term we use is "character."Our very own banana tree pressed up against the side of the house. Let's see if I can get to them before the local kiddos! Lord Ganesh, or Lord of Success. He is a permanent fixture on our front porch.Our neighbors. Stained glass windows, columns, chandeliers. Where's their covered parking?

We love our neighborhood!

Oh, I forgot to mention

Boxes and lots of them. We're moving! We have one more week in our current house. Come next Saturday this place will be filled with a handful of local friends who've committed to helping, with only a small bribe of pizza afterwards. It should take a few trips in the car and a few trips by foot. We're only moving three houses down. See what good things the Lord does! We can in fact see the second level of our two-story from our current kitchen window. And for the first time in our whole entire married life (okay so that's only 3 1/2 years) we'll be living in our own place without friends above or below. We're all grown up. Thank you, thank you Mary and Lavonne for your die-hard all-day work last week. You came and conquered. You were a bless-blessing.

There are some qualities about our newold house that make it "special" like the leaky left side of the house that leaves pools of water all over, but we won't be deterred.

The guest room is waiting your arrival (we'll take care of those leaky windows while we wait)!

It's my party

But there's no crying here! Ben became one year older on Easter Sunday and we think turning another year is cool. To tell you the truth, Ben will often refer to stories he's gonna tell his grandchildren. Woh. Here are a few fun facts you may not know about the birthday boy.

Fact 1: Ben is a fly-fisherman (not to be confused with fishing with a spinning rod). Finding a good fishing hole is difficult (though he has fished India's holiest river, the Ganges). But he hasn't skipped a beat and reads anything he can get his hands on about his all-time favorite hobby. Fact 2: Ben missed his calling as a tour-guide! He LOVES giving tours around the city to family and friends. He's actually energized afterwards (while I'm exhausted). Here he is taking my mom-in-law through our favorite market.
Fact 3: Meet Mr. Detail Extraordinar'. Here he is on the phone during our USA visit last fall, receiving the good news of Shane finally receiving his visa. The task of obtaining a little sticker was no simple task at all! Ben spent months photocopying, detailing, recording, note taking, and contacting officials for this very official sticker. And it doesn't stop here. This is "the norm" for Ben: when stuff needs to get done, it gets done (even the not-so-important stuff)! Fact 4: Ben is a fruit snob. Chalk it up to a PhD fruit-scientist dad who travels the world for work to get his hands on fruit. Or chalk it up to 135 blueberry bushes in his front yard (childhood), all different species (who knew there was more than one type of blueberry!). Or chalk it up to a family owning a wooden apple-press that they've been making fresh apple cider with for the last how-many years. We were able to join the age-old tradition last year and enjoy cupfuls of the sweet nectar.
Fact 5: He's a great dad. Aw, but you already knew that! Happy Birthday Sweets. Another year filled with stories to someday (let's make that very someday) tell your grandchildren.

Holi Celebrations

While much of the West celebrates this holy Easter holiday, much of India is celebrating something Holi as well. It's called well, Holi. And this morning we awoke to shrieks of laughter as young and old chased one another through the streets throwing handfuls of brightly colored "colors" onto one another. Ben left the house for a mere two minutes and wasn't even able to return untouched from the gaiety (after being covered in colors, Ben was asked to join for liquor. He politely refrained). Holi is a Hindu holiday said to be a joyful time of celebrating good over evil. The story? A King became proud and wanted to be worshipped like a god. His son refused, as he was already a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. So the boy was made to sit on his aunt Holika's lap as it was said that fire could not touch her. But when the aunt and boy were lit alive in the center of a bonfire, she was burnt to ashes while the boy lived! Obviously he was saved by Lord Vishnu and so good triumphed evil.

There is a ring of laughter and cheer in the air today. Maybe even around the world, as the West celebrates Easter Sunday's theme of triumph over evil, death choking finale'.

I guess the question remains for me... when we the people celebrate our various cherished holidays, do we understand what we're doing or is it the motion of tradition? And do we have purpose when we celebrate or is it just another reason to gather, be it to search for eggs or throw the colors?

I challenge myself with these thoughts.

Yes, we were there.

Four years ago today. March 19th, 2004 was a little girls dream unfolding. There were vows and a kiss, a tent and a chocolate fountain which had people afterwards saying , "You were at the reception? I just remember the chocolate fountain. Ohhh, that chocolate fountain." Yes, we were actually there. We got married, me at 28, him at almost 31. We'd run hard up until that point. Eventually we looked over and saw the other running just as hard and in the same direction. We decided to run together. So joining hands, the rest is history.....

The Always Education Way

My husband and I believe in The Always Education Way, as in, both Life and classroom is a Teacher waiting to explain the facts and figures, teaching through stories and telling the wild realities that accompany this big huge world that we inhabit.

Which is why... our friend, Erica has the coolest program running and wouldn't you know it, she started it from within her own family! It's the Kids Immersion Spanish "classroom" that takes her kids and other kiddos into hands-on experiences in learning the language as well as the culture of the Spanish-speaking world.

Erica describes that Kids Immersion Spanish gives you the tools you need to teach your children Spanish in Spanish. You will be speaking Spanish with your kids as you play games, sing, study the calendar, numbers, alphabet, weather, clothing and more. It is a fun interactive approach to learning a language in an immersion setting (which means you don't need to use English while learning Spanish!). When I decided to begin teaching my kids Spanish, I was shocked to be unable to find a program designed for young children. I developed the Kids Immersion Spanish curriculum by searching for quality music, books, games and resources that could help us develop our Spanish skills. After several years of development and research, the project will be ready to share with others in May of 2008. You can read more at my blog http://www.blog.kidsimmersion.com/.

If you and your children are interested in becoming a part of the most popular trend in America---as in, knowing more than one language!--check out Erica's stuff and then look her up. This could be the opportunity in your life time.

A little poem for you

And it goes something like this...

Roses are red
Violet's are blue
We're having a baby
No kidding! It's true.

Announcing...the very real and exiting news of our pregnancy! I am at the start of my fourth month, which means I'm entering my second trimester, which means I'm at week 14, which finally means I'm due in early September. Which means the kiddos will be about 1 1/2 years apart.

Today was our first ultrasound. The pitter-patter heart-beat, the baby's body swimming and kicking its delicate toothpick legs and toes, the fingers curled and elbows rocking; can this baby contain our love? Shane watched, munching apple pieces and commenting with grunts and smiles at the black-and-white images.

I knew I was pregnant even before we took the test. A sudden and fierce craving for apples came instantly over-night and for weeks I was eating three to four apples a day. Even after the (first) test said "negative" I even then knew I was pregnant. There was no denying those lower stomach crampings, those cravings, those tears, oh those tears! I caught the last ten minutes of a reality show and balled my eyes out during the contestants final speech. Ben was speechless and offered me a Kleenex. Two weeks later I took another test--positive. And 1 1/2 months later, today's ultrasound. I'm a little tired of course but continue to feel good.

With culture and pregnancy playing a major role in my life once again, I look forward to sharing the in's and out's of what I'll be learning, how Baby is growing, and maybe (mayyybe) a picture or two along the way.

We're so happy to share this journey with you.

India Daily life

As I mentioned, the following pictures were taken by my mom (except the first one, thanks to Maggie) during her recent 10 day visit. Sometimes visual images are helpful to "fill in the blanks" when words do not suffice (although we do try, don't we?!!)

Although this picture was taken on Shane's birthday, it represents daily life. Sujatah, our house helper, plays with Shane every day as he follows her around the house.Zam Zam fruit stand. He sells amazing apples, great strawberries, watermelon, pomegranates, banana's... you name it. And all at a price I'll never share or you'll steal my prized shop!
Though I've never dialed a number from these two phones, I do buy eggs, veggies, bread, and on occasion a razor blade. The owners just moved from Kolkata so our bond was immediate. That and the baby on my hip.
Dr. Sharmilla our pediatrician. Trained and educated in the USA, now working back home. A real gem.
She hems Ben's pants from a shop the size of closet which fits two chairs and one sewing machine.

Happy belated birthday pictures

Happy birthday Bugs!

I was reminded that today is the last day of February. Which means, amongst other things, that Shane's birthday is almost "last months big deal" and I have yet to post his pictures. I am just now making the time (I was going to say "finding the time") to post them. Enjoy a few belated birthday pictures. Included nearby, are also pictures from my mom's recent visit. She took pictures of daily-life as well as Shane-fun. My hope is that these visual images will offer a little window into our lives.
Blowing out the candle. It does take three!
Yummy strawberry cake
What-cha doing down there? Sweetest, dearest Nisha and birthday boy.

For the faint of heart

For the faint of heart. And oh yes, there is more to come. These are only a few samplings of pictures from Shane's first birthday party. Don't you wanna squeeze him and swoon with all that sweetness? Or is that just me? You be the judge.

I de-robed Shane's because I expected him to cover his face and body with cake and icing. But no such thing. He happily picked at the strawberry cake, pinch by pinch taking one nibble at a time. Kinda anti-climactic, but he was happy.

Can you guess the name of this game?

It goes something like this.

Mamma: Where's Shane? Whererererer's Shane?
Shane: I'm invisible. Find me find me find me!!








Mamma: Shane?
Shane: Mamma?
Mamma: Peek-a-boo (and tackle with smooches)!
Shane: I'm here! Found me found me found me (undergoing much smooching from Mamma accompanied with shrieks and giggles)!






Delightful game with adorable boy likely to take place anytime, anyway, all day long wherever the curtains blow.

Birthday boy has something to say....kinda.

Okay so he really didn't have that much to say, but as an entertainer he had lots to "say."

His birthday party is being delayed until the 17th. Ben is out of town. But when daddy does return, Grandma Crawford will be short on his heals. That makes it an extra-special day for us all! Birthday pictures of cake and festivities will definately be making an appearance at that time.

11:41 a.m.

Februray 8th, 2007. First-born son of Elizabeth and Benjamin Spotts. 7 lbs. Bald, and blue-eyed. Shane Daniel Spotts is his name. Hyderabad, India.

Surprises. What a surprise this baby is! Watching you touch, you feel, you smile and laugh, and all for the first time. Is there anything more miraclous than witnessing these fresh, untainted, innocent discoveries? We know not what life is like...otherwise.

I will Never Forget your newborn days. I cannot even put it into words.....I will not try.You've changed our lives. Your love for others, your smiles and squeals at perfect strangers, your outstreched arms to the buffalo, cow and stray dog. Your complete adoration of daddy.

Chubby-fingers rolling-thighs buddah-belly baby boy. You climb all over my legs as we snack on apples, the necture running down your chin and you happier beause of it. You play bravely, independantly; you glance back checking in on Who is watching. People comment "He's happy. He's just so happy." You make Us happy.

Happy Birthday Shane Daniel.

home again home again jiggity jig

The fam is back from Thailand where the last 10 days was spent on both business and pleasure. Our company's annual meetings were held there so to Chiang Mai we went. My first, Ben's second and of course, Shane's first as well. This was our hotel.... ...and the hotel staff having a hard time saying goodbye to Shane, Libby enjoying the necture of the gods, or Thai iced tea,

Ben and Shane at a curb-side outdoor eatery "with character" which is said, by Ben, to have The Best Pad Thai known in all of history.

I have never in my entire life (no kidding) been to a place that teems with tourist quite like this before. A little unnerving at times, but overall Chiang Mai is a good place for meetings and more. And the perks such as Thai iced tea? Well you already know how I feel about that.