Maddie's Gallery Walk

Maddie had a Gallery Walk at school where she was able to show off what she has learned this past unit. They have been studying about Natural Disasters, and the disaster that her group displayed was Avalanches. They made a model and poster, and then the parents went around to each station and the kids taught us all about each disaster.

Primary Program

Our branch had its Primary Program on Sunday and the kids all did an EXCELLENT job. They required the girls to all be wearing red dresses, and the boys to wear black pants and a red tie. They also asked all of the girls to wear their hair down. As we arrived at the church at 8:30 to practice the morning of, they were all decorating and putting makeup on all the girls. After the program, they took pictures that they were going to send into the church magazines. Hopefully it will get picked and you'll see this picture in the New Era, the Liahona, or the Friend.

Alan said after seeing this picture that our kids stand out because of the dresses I bought with the white polka dots on them. My reply was..."Our kids stand out because they're white!"

I think the dresses are cute.

 After they got the picture of the kids they wanted to add the leaders.

Then they decided to add the nursery... and the kids started to get silly...

Then they decided one with just the leaders...

Left to Right...

Sister Pradhika (Counselor) Sister Sujatha (President) Sister Serah (Counselor) District Primary Leader and Me (just in case you didn't know who I am) Choirester/Pianist/whatever needs to be done.

Mama Mia

Ellie was chosen to dance in the school fundraising musical of Mama Mia. She loved being involved in it, and worked hard to perfect all the dance moves. She even had Alan coaching her on smiling and making faces with attitude. (His sister has worked ALOT with drill team)  She had practices after school for a few days, and didn't get home until 9:00 on a few nights.

 Before any big production here they have an invocation. It's not the usual prayer that we are used to back home. Its a dance inviting the Gods to be with the program.

Ellie did an excellent job, and afterwards they had a dinner. At the dinner Alan and I decided that we are finally starting to get use to the spices here. We both liked at least 1/2 of the dishes that were served, and commented on how they weren't too spicy. I'm sure they had the spice toned down because they were serving all of the International students parents, but I  know the lady next to us was also sweating, and she was just here for a vacation. I took some video of the program, and Ellie really wants me to post them so that her Grandparents can watch the dances, but I can't get them to load right now, so you'll have to wait for the video.

STS (Skyline Transportation System)

Today as we were driving down yet another crowded street in Bangalore, we turned the corner and came to a "full jam" as Vijay puts it. It was a parking lot of sorts, and cars and bikes were trying to squeeze into every available space. I soon began to hear the sirens of the Ambulance, and thought to myself, I'm glad I have not had to rely on an Ambulance here. No one makes way for it, they just keep going on about their business. As the sound got closer and closer I turned my head, and had a flash back to my sophomore year in High School when my cousin drove a group of about 10 of us to school everyday in an old white van.

This picture isn't of the one I saw, but one I found online that was similar. The one I saw was almost exact replica of STS.

2 Years Old!!

I can't believe that my baby is 2!!! She acts like she is just one of the other kids. During the days when they are at school, I try and entertain, but I know I can't compare to her brother and sisters. She gets so excited the minute they walk in the door! She loves Ethan and always calls him "Buddy". She also loves it when it's bedtime and she runs for his bed. He likes to cuddle her until I come and take her to the crib.
At 2 years old her favorite things are:
Apple Juice, Bambi, Baby and Vijay, Toys, Outside and Swimming

At the Adarsh Vista Pool the older girls have to wear a swim cap for their hair. As soon as I got her suit on she insisted that she needed a "hat" and something for her "eyes"

I was shocked that she actually wore this for an hour of swimming.

I am also surprised at how un-scared of the water she is. She just jumps right in and doesn't care if she is completely under the water.

Again Baby wanted Annie to have a big party for her birthday, but we opted to just have our family. She did insist on decorations though, and wanted to have "lots of balloons"

That night we went to the Forum Value Mall and played on the train and cricket cages. (Kinda like batting cages only for cricket). They also jumped in the bounce house, and had dinner at the food court. By the time we got home it was 10:00 at night. Just enough time to cut a cake and go to bed.

More Ganesha Festival

As I was going through the pictures on the camera I found some more pictures of the Ganesha Festival.

ENJOY!

Cut Power

So, Saturday as I was getting ready for the day, there was a knock at the door. I answered it and it was the Adarsh Vista Electrician, along with some other guy. They were talking really fast in some language I don't understand, but for all I could tell, it could have been English, just a really fast Indian version.  Anyway, I went and got Baby (thank heavens I have her!). She came to the door to be my translator. Apparently we hadn't paid our power bill, and the man was there to cut the power. I asked him what I could do so that he wouldn't cut the power. He told me that I needed to give him a check for the 4000 some odd rupees that we owed. This is where India gets difficult. We have been here a year, and I am still not added to our checking account. Only Alan could write a check, but at the time he was on hole #6 at Clovergreens. I tried to explain that I would bring a check as soon as he came home. He told me to give him cash and Baby quickly advised me not to give him cash. I told him I didn't have the cash (a lie) and that...all of the sudden mid sentence he walked to the side of my house and started cutting wires with some scissors!!! AUGHHH!! My power was cut!!! The man quickly left and was on to the next house that hadn't paid their bill.

I hadn't seen a bill for the month so I called Vijay on the phone. He is always the one to get the mail and pay the power bill. I asked him if he had it and he told me no.  Baby and I searched for about 20 minutes for an old power bill so that we could get the account number off of it and go pay it. Baby ran out the door and to the power office to pay the bill. In the mean time, I took Annie for a walk and ran into a friend in the neighborhood. I asked her if she had ever had her power cut and she told me no, but that someone she knew had and it took 2-3 days to rehook it up!! I told her what had happened, and she immediately got on her cell phone. She was yelling at someone, (in another language) and when she hung up the phone she told me that the electrician would be back to hook up the power.
I am so glad for people in the neighborhood that look out for each other, and for people who can speak Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil!!
And come to find out Vijay did have the bill. He forgot that he had it, and didn't pay it. When I looked at the bill, we were only 5 days late paying. Whoa!! I haven't had my power shut off in the US, but I'm pretty sure you have to default for a few months before it is cut off.