Happy Day Before Halloween!

Since we'll be driving to NM tomorrow (Halloween) for a friend's wedding, we arranged with some neighborhood friends to come trick-or-treat tonight. We biked around the neighborhood with Satvinder, stopping at the houses of those who agreed to indulge us. We got invited in for milk and cookies, some of our friends dressed up for Satvinder, and it was a really sweet trick-or-treat.

Satvinder in her Halloween costume. Our friend, Sat Kaur, made this costume for her.

Satvinder said that she wanted to be a "diamond" - but, luckily, Sat Kaur was able to determine what that really meant: Lots of Pink, lots of sparkles, lots of girlie stuff!

The Pinky was pleased.

Sweetest Sweetness of the Sweetie

Satvinder said the sweetest thing to me today. I came into her room, where she was playing, to hang out with her a bit before I went to a class. She stopped playing and just looked at me, smiling.

I asked, "Am I disturbing you? Why did you stop playing?"

She said, "I just like to look at you. It makes me want to stop playing and come cuddle with you."

Nothing melts a momma's heart like that sweetness.

Boo!

More Halloween fun - this time at "Boo at the Zoo" with our friends Har Kaur and Ananda.

Kids got to brush the goats

Photographic proof that for a moment they sat still

No zoo visit is complete without the carousel ride

Photo op!

Racing down a spidery path

Halloween Fair

Costumes were on for a Halloween Fair at our friends' school.

Continuing the baby wearing theme, Mata Bunny and the Princess



Satvinder and her friend, Nirankar

Baby Wearing

I am big fan and supporter of baby wearing. This is something that I want Satvinder to see and remember as she grows up. We wore her in a sling a lot when she was a baby - but now that she's older, I have to show her in other ways. So I got her this "Mini Moby" wrap. In this picture she is actually wearing two baby carriers - one on front and one on back.

Aw Yeah...

Satvinder has never actually seen Hannah Montana, the show. But she's all the rage on the primary playground. Hannah Montana! She's been begging me for about a year to buy her Hannah Montana clothes and....ahem....I have declined.

But that's what Grandma's are for! Today Satvinder got a Hannah Montana costume in the mail from her Mimi. She was VERY pleased.

So, Mimi, this pic is for you...

Pumpkins and Reptiles!

We made our annual fall visit to Mother Nature's Farm for pumpkin season fun. This time there was the added bonus of the Phoenix Herpetological Society showing off a bunch of reptiles.
Satvinder on the hayride

Mangala Sadhu Sangeet Singh holding one of the many snakes - showing Satvinder and our friends, Hari Kartar and Ananda

Mangala Sadhu Sangeet Singh and the snake checking each other out

Satvinder and Ananda picking out pumpkins to decorate

Satvinder thought this giant tortoise was very nice to let her sit upon him

Satvinder and Ananda in the hay maze

This is why its hard to share a bed with Satvinder

Pinky the Jungle Girl

At our last visit to Flagstaff, Satvinder enjoyed cable tv and the discovery of Bindi the Jungle Girl - the daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter, who now has her own animal adventure show. Satvinder loves Bindi so much that she wants to move to Australia, just because that is where Bindi lives.

Now I find Satvinder in her room doing her own role play of Bindi the Jungle Girl. She gets out her animals and talks to an imaginary audience, telling them "Bindi the Jungle Girl will be right back!"

And, of course, I tried to take a picture of her doing it. This is as close as I got - teaching her audience about the wonders of the exotic puppy dog. Crikey!

This is it.

Always we hope
someone else has the answer.
Some other place will be better,
some other time
it will all turn out.

This is it.
No one else has the answer.
No other place will be better,
and it has already turned out.

At the center of your being you have the answer;
you know who you are and you know what you want.

There is no need
to run outside
for better seeing.

Nor to peer from a window.

Rather abide at
the center of your being;
for the more you leave it
the less you learn.

Search your heart
and see
the way to do
is to be.

-Lao Tzu, translation unknown. (This particular version is found in a book called A Grateful Heart, edited by M.J. Ryan.)