PICTURES WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS...

It has been a while since I posted here. We have been busy! We are looking forward to friends and families' visit for the next couple of months. But here are a few  pictures of our recent days.

Art: The art studio is two flights up, which makes it impossible for me to climb up(no elevators in this building) to join my art-friends. My kids have been attending the art sessions without me for the past few weeks. I was pleasantly surprised when my daughter brought her Tanjore Painting home (picture below) from the art studio. She has done a great job so far considering this is her first project in Tanjore painting :-). She is still working on her stonework but I am very pleased with the outcome. I tell her that she IS an artist and hopefully someday she will believe that she is one. 

DD's Tanjore painting

My Tanjore painting

a bit more work need to be done before it is complete.

DS' glass painting

His new mixed media project

(He IS crazy about Ganesha:-))

I have begun a new art project too(see below). This is my first project on Tanjore-mixed media art. I have just begun with the gold work and a lot more painting is left to complete this one. The art teacher is kind enough to send me supplies to work from home and sends me feedback through the children or over phone. Art is helping me stay sane, lol. I am enjoying it very much.

Birthday celebration: My baby girl turned 13 few days ago!!!! My sweet, intelligent little girl is turning out to be a beautiful young lady, loving friend and  sometimes even takes up a role of a parent to dh and I :-).

DS at his sis' birthday celebration luncheon...

New research projects: DS has completed one math research project and now beginning another one sometime in August. He is still continuing his science project and is thinking of beginning two more. One of them is a medical project, which is requiring a lot of work on my part to figure out legalities before he could begin. 

DS studying a firefly up close...

Mexican mint (Karpooravalli) - 

one of the medicinal plants DS is interested in studying further...

Monsoons: We are thoroughly loving the rainy days here. It has not stopped us from taking road trips, visiting friends and families and generally enjoying the cool season.

Yes, these guys are sitting at the back of a moving truck :-)

Origami: More Origami sessions with our Origamist are being enjoyed by all :-)

More Origami creations showcased...

Ayurveda: We have been struggling to follow a regimen of Ayurvedic food preparation and healthy lifestyle all these weeks and now we have found one that the entire family has come to love. Getting to balance healthy home-based cooking/ eating and an active lifestyle has been of utmost importance to our family. We are experimenting with our own recipes based on Ayurveda. It is surprising to see both kids showing interest in cooking as well as in collecting some of our tried and true recipes. I am hopeful that they would enjoy preparing some of these recipes in their adult years :-). Yes, I have come to enjoy the cooking too:-). I have begun to make recipe books for both kids and adding some of my own recipes along with all our families/relatives' classic recipes and pictures of some memorable moments. I am hoping it would be a great present for them when they are ready to leave home for college.

Kids help in the kitchen and house chores a lot more, in addition to managing their music, academic, enrichment and PE schedules. The days are getting more productive, efficient, lovely and enjoyable.  Though we have those testing/tough moments with two intense kids(is there ever a time this does not exist?), I am glad that things are looking better already with some communication, tolerance and understanding towards the teen-ness and brilliance showing the ugly head sometimes :-). Yoga/exercise, healthy eating/living/discussions, tons of family-cuddle/play time/outings, spirituality and community all is helping a ton. 

Latest: Oats, soy, ragi, whole wheat flour rotis with 

mung-toor dhaal, ginger/garlic and vegetables medley 

and red leaves curry

Family Time: Kids are loving their time with DAD discussing either Combinatorics, Physics, Calculus, Philosophy or playing board games. Dad has been accompanying DS to his telescope-making workshops. My recent visit to the workshop to see old friends was  wonderful and I realized how much I really miss being there with DS and his colleagues. The grinding is getting closer to completion and I cannot wait to see how they put things together to make it a functional telescope.

Despite so much space in the home, 

they always congregate in 'my' space (my bedroom), where I am still recuperating :-)