Wanderin' with Gail

Anusha is sitting on my lap waiting to watch Elmo while I type this quick, pictureless update. After Cara and Andrew left, we had our nephew stay with us for a week while his parents were at a funeral, then picked up Gail and Steve Miller, friends from college. A day after their arrival, we put them on a bus to Pokhara where they embarked on a 6 day trek. They were sold and think everyone should come and do it. We've been conspiring who's on our hit list for coaxing to come to Nepal!

We had a few days in Kathmandu with Steve before he headed back to Albuquerque for that evil thing called work. Anuraj left for Vienna, Austria for a work meeting (I'd be jealous if Gail weren't here with me!). He must be staying outside of Vienna because he just wrote and said that he is staying in a 13th Century castle! I'll give him points for saying that he would if he could send me to the US on business class (that's how he flew to Vienna).

So, Gail and I are here hanging out, wandering around Kathmandu. We're trying to get a discount on a beautiful hotel in Dhulikhel where we can get out of the city for a day or two. Otherwise, we're walking, riding micro buses/tempos/taxis, and enjoying each others company.

Gail will be my first featured guestblogger, so stay tuned for her thoughts on Anusha and Nepal!

Cara and Andrew

Cara and Anusha looking at a book...(more pics to come)

So the highlight of last weekend was having Cara and Andrew Jeeves visit for the weekend. Cara and I are cousins and grew up down the street from each other. We went down to their pool almost every afternoon in the summers and I babysat Cara when I was about 6th grade and she was in 2nd? : )

We had a fabulous time having them and preparing for them! I spent the week spring cleaning the house and washing linens, and we cleared out the guest room/office/pile-it-there room and made it into a lovely guest room.

While we were most excited to see Cara and Andrew, of course we were excited about the large suitcase that occompanied them which was packed with stuff from my mom and sisters. Favorite items included: new doll stroller for Anusha, I just broke it out today and she loves it (she was happy to discover she can chase her cousin around with it!), new shoes for Anusha - which she enjoys putting on and off (this morning I had asked her to put on her shoes and socks and was shocked to find she had done it to her right foot...she has a little trouble with the left foot!), freeze dried apples, Anuraj's books, hand me down magazines, smelly Mary Kay lotions. So much more but we'll stop there.

Anusha loved having them. We have their picture on the fridge and the days leading up to their visit I was telling her they were coming and we were practicing their names ("Kiwa and Andu") and Anusha LOVED them! She was so excited she was showing them all sorts of things and playing and talking talking talking!

Cara, Andrew, Anusha and I spent Friday afternoon in Thamel where they found some bags for the backpacks and some pashmina scarves. We hung out in a nearby Garden then headed for pizza. Saturday they did a mountain flight and came back with lots of great shots. They napped, we chilled, did laundry, hand-rung their laundry because the electricity went off before the spin-cycle finished in the washing machine, stopped at one shop, then saw Patan at night...which means a whole lotta nothin'!!! We thought the lights would come on and we'd be able to see the temples, but no such luck. So we stopped at our favorite sweet/South Indian/snack place and got some delicious jaleby's (batter deep fried and soaked in syrup) -- Andrew even liked them! Sunday it was packing and Pashupati Temple (aptly known as Monkey Temple to Anusha) and off to the airport!

It was short but oh so sweet!!! We were all sad when they left and were glad that they cried too! We are so glad they made a stop in Kathmandu. They are traveling around India for another week and can't wait to hear about their adventures.

At home with Happy

Anusha with her cousin Parth

A few updates are in order. The first one related to the picture that cooperated with the uploading process...Anusha's cousin Parth (known as Happy to his family). He is staying with us this week while his parents and younger brother are away at funeral. Packing his lunch, getting him to school, enjoying the benefits of his dad's car (and driver) are just a few things that have affected our routine. All for the better. Anusha loves waking up knowing that her cousin is here and we're enjoying the additional company. If I were him, I would sight his highlights (thus far) as: skipping school on Sunday to see off Jill's cousins at the airport or go to Pashupati Temple, going to dinner at Roadhouse Cafe on Monday, getting a haircut (by Jill), trying out new foods (like hummus, burritos and the like), and getting a snack size Snickers bar in the lunch bag everyday. Parth is working really hard to lose his loose front tooth since the tooth fairy comes to our house!

Meanwhile, Anusha loves her cousin, but is having a hard time sharing things occasionally. It's not consistent, which is the funny thing. My friend just said that 2 year olds (which she is 2 months shy of) do not have the capacity to understand "sharing"...this gives me great relief.

Enjoy the pic! More to come!