Leapin' Lizards!

In India, having little lizards in your house is just a reality that you have to learn to deal with. My husband loves to point out to me that they do eat lots of bugs, and therefore we probably have way less bugs, which probably is true. So it's taken me awhile, but I've learned to be somewhat okay with the little "exterminators" in our bathroom, the occasional one in our living room, and even in our kitchen as crazy as that sounds (provided they stay far, far away from anything I want to eat, or cook in the future, which they surprisingly do). Even though they've never once even so much as offered me cheaper car insurance! But, in my bedroom? Completely.different.story!

A few days ago I discovered one of our little friends in our bedroom floor. Shortcake was so fascinated and amused by him. She scared him behind some other objects in our room and I couldn't really do anything about him, nor did I really have a plan as to what I should do at the time. Then last night I saw him again under my nightstand. I tried to scare him toward the door, in hopes that I might successfully get him to run out of our room, across our dining room and out the front door, a lofty endeavor, I know! He of course, ran in the exact opposite direction that I tried to get him to go in and JUMPED! I can't remember if it was at this point that I started screaming or when I discovered that there were actually not one, but TWO of them. Nonetheless, I remembered my trusty broom and went to get it to attempt to relocate the little guy.



I think that my big red broom was pretty intimidating because he got really still and would barely move. I persisted though, and it paid off. Somehow I was able to get the little guy all the way across our dining room and out our front door! I kept telling him that he needed to just go and never come back, out loud! Of course, just as I am having an all out conversation with a lizard and prodding him with my broom like a crazy lady, the security guard of our building's wife walked by. I'm sure she thinks I'm absolutely nuts now, if she didn't already that is! My one solace is that she speaks almost zero English and couldn't understand exactly what I was saying. But then again, do you really need to have a great command of English to understand that a crazy lady is chasing a lizard with a broom?! I think not!

Anyway, I got him safely outside to freedom and that is where I hope that he will stay, and not decide to come back and bring friends. Oh yes, and the other one got away, so yes, I still have one lizard living or at least visiting my bedroom from time to time. I'll save that one for another day and just keep praying he doesn't get in our bed between now and then.

Mundane Monday... a little late

I really love being able to chronicle my week with cell phone pictures. It's great for my terrible memory. I'm really bad about friends asking me what I've done this week, or even that day and I totally blank out because I'm so caught up in the moment to moment, chasing around an almost 2 year old! I wouldn't trade it though :)

With her BFF. She loves this stuffed monkey so very adorably much.

Our neighborhood security guard just taking a little snooze.

Ice pops all the way from America, mmmm!








Not sure what she was trying to do, but the following sequence looks like a yoga routine. Meet Shortcake, the yoga instructor:

Ok, let's start off with the cobra. Holding toys in your hands is very helpful.

Move into downward dog...

Cool down.

Done!

Happy Monday :)

Seven Street Sweepers

The other day when I took Shortcake down the street to play at the park there were some ladies having their breakfast at the usual Indian hour of about 11 o'clock. They are ladies who work sweeping the streets in our neighborhood, by hand with a little straw broom. They wanted to see S and called her over. She went right over to them and played catch with each one, throwing her little Finding Nemo ball to each woman, one by one. They were all laughing and thought it was so funny.She then proceeded to go around and shake hands with each of them. Then she wanted to sit with them, so they laid out a little towel for her to sit on, really sweet of them.

As we were leaving she turned and waved to each of them and blew kisses in a really dramatic way. Which of course elicited many high-pitched "oohs and ahhs." She had them eating out of her hand :)

In India, street sweepers are considered low caste and the profession is viewed as one of the most undesirable, since Indian streets are very not clean. I love how a small child recognizes them as what they truly are, people, just like you and me. I love that she made their day by stopping to acknowledge them and be friendly to them. Judging by the smiles she brought to their faces, I'm pretty sure they loved it too.