dangly earrings.

We have been trying to get Everett to walk and he usually just pulls his feet up and refuses or stands for a really long time and then plops right down.  It is no wonder, because he really is very fast and efficient at crawling.  If I turn my back for just a minute or two, he has made his way somewhere in the house or outside and is pulling things off the shelf, getting into the trash, pulling at wires, climbing up the loft, onto chairs and tables or has found some water and is completely wet.  Who needs to walk when crawling offers so much mobility?

Last week we went to a little friend's 5th birthday party.  Everett decided to take his first steps motivated by a lady's dangly earrings across the room.  I should have known that this would do the trick.  He loves jewelry that he can pull on and try to eat.  We are glad this milestone didn't happen when Graham was gone on his project trip.  Graham kiddingly instructed me to push him down if he tried to walk while he was away.  He hasn't done much walking since, but still was a moment that we will remember!

"No I will not put my feet down and walk daddy!"

Standing is no problem.

You did it!

Before we know it little Everett will be running around like this guy.

a glimpse.

I had to capture this.  Hudson has dropped his naps on most days but still has quiet play time while I study Hindi with a tutor.  As I walked into our living room after my lesson, this is what I came upon.  A glimpse of boyhood.

reflections on monsoon...

The rain should be tapering off at this point, but of course this year we are having a record amount of rains and the dampness and downpours continue with not much relief.  I wish I understood more about monsoon in the Himalayas.  It has something to do with the wet air off the Indian ocean condensing above and around us which pretty much causes non-stop rain and moisture for about 3 months(July to September).  Therefore, the habitat of Mussoorie changes from clear, sunny and dry to a very wet, green, lush, misty, and damp one.  There are moments about once a week when the sun comes through the clouds and shines on the saturated beauty around us.  During these moments, I love monsoon and often think that it is my favorite season.  The peaks emerge through the clouds and the natural light brings refreshment to our bodies and souls.  Radiant.  

Day to day life in monsoon consists of dealing with mold, a wet dog who is afraid of thunder, lots of inside play, a musty smell, umbrellas, rain boots, checking for leeches on our feet and ankles(only Graham has had one this year), rain coats and the sound of precipitation on our roof.  I will say that it could be much worse because we invested in a dryer and borrowed a dehumidifier so that we have the option to dry things!  The pace of life here seems to slow down with the rains.  I will miss the peace that the monsoon brings, but look forward to the crisp, clear mountain air that autumn will yield.

Monsoon has been hard for Hudson.  He doesn't like getting wet.  He cheered up quickly on this walk once we found some monkeys to "shoot".

Under the big rainbow umbrella.

On our daily walk.  Graham took this picture from eMi's office balcony.

Attempting to find things to do inside.

Apparently, this bright red plant blooms at the end of monsoon.  An encouraging sign!  We went for a hunt to find them and put them in a vase later to find out they are "poisonous"?

   

The radiance of a passing storm viewed from out our kitchen window.

I am humbled.

School days.

We decided to send Hudson to preschool.  It was a hard decision.  There is a very well-known international school here, but it ended up being too expensive for preschool!  We looked at a couple other places and decided on a preschool fairly close to our house.  It has more of an Indian model of early education and Hudson and Priya(who attends twice a week) are some of the only foreign kids.  I hope to accomplish a few things...1.  Have the kids learn Hindi.  2.  Give them some cultural immersion.  3.  Engage with kids who aren't as "well off" as we are.  An added bonus is that they are able to get out of the house and have some time away which they both seem to really enjoy.  We will see how it goes.  They have to wear uniforms which makes for some cute photos.

The other day, I was walking Hudson into school and a petite little Indian girl from school walked with us and said in Hindi, "Where is Priya?"  I said that she would come to school tomorrow and asked what her name was.  She said with a sweet little smile, "Priya".  It was a special moment where I felt in some way that Priya's "beloved" name is helping connect us to others in the community.

Token first day photo.  Notice Priya's window face smash!

Tuesdays and Thursdays they get to go together.

Graham trying to provide cover from the monsoon rain.

Token little brother left behind face.

Their good friend Corin.