had the grand daughters for about four hours today.
loved it as always.
Keira was extremely talkative and always asking “Why?” and Kayla was her adorable self and into everything.
She is starting to bite sometimes though and if you tell her no, she does this fake crying thing, like you broke her heart.

I so love being a grandmother.

well I didn’t get the girls tonight.
Rather disappointed but Keira wanted to stay at her other grandmothers instead so….we didn’t get to have them.
We will be gone on vacation the next two weekends so I don’t know how they will manage, but I’m sure they will.
I will miss them greatly but I know I can’t let my whole world revolve around them.

“The lord almighty resides in all human being orchestrating their movements. Surrender to him completely and you will receive his grace and eternal abode” Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Final Revelations of the Ultimate Truth, Verses 61 and 62.

Not just in Gita, all religions preach that God is within us. If we respect ourselves and others, we revere the almighty, all our actions and thoughts would be above board and we would commit no sin, just because God is watching us.

I have read in an email forward, there were apples and oranges in 2 baskets. The children in the school were lined up and asked to pick one from each. Above the apple basket it was written that “God is watching you, pick one”. The children diligently picked one from the apple basket but took how many ever they want from the orange basket, just because God is only watching the apple basket and not the oranges. This is funny if it is done by children, but adults should realise and be accountable for all their activities to thyself  first of all. Before indulging into action or quarrels, if people ask themselves, whether is it really required? What are they going to gain out of it? The gain will be either material or just an emotinal/ego satisfaction!

Before we expect others to respect us, we should respect ourselves. For us to respect ourselves, we need to be clean physically, mentally and in habits as well. To attain such a state we should realize our capabilities and limitations. Not all capabilities can be enhanced and limitations outsmarted, but yes we can realize our strength and desire/wish for what we are capable of and thereby we can shun jealousy and avarice.

Most relationships get strained because of jealousy, ego, and avarice. If one can overcome all these, there we start realizing our real potential/need and there by realize the power (God) within us. We become more forgiving; we develop optimism, which leads to strong desires within our reach which transforms into reality.

Desires can also be controlled by certain factors; the necessity driven control can be broken, but the control exerted through realization of what we want and what we need holds good always, and can never be broken.

As said in Gita, we haven’t brought anything when we were born, and we cannot take anything when we leave the world. When we look around the world today, crimes are the highlights in every news. Good news are least in numbers, and have become less prominent. Why would Maoists derail a train and kill the passengers? Why did the horrific terror attack happen in Mumbai, leaving many children parentless, many families fatherless and our country losing a few real heroes? Had the terrorists thought, why kill other human beings for just money and prove the potency of their religion? Why did the bullet proof vests go faulty even after repeated warning to the company? Had the bullet proof vests been good, our martyr’s lives could’ve been saved. The answer is again money, or ego.

In this uncertain world, with these many natural calamities, diseases, epidemic turning to pandemic, should one human being harm the other one? Shouldn’t we opt to live and let others live? I am not cynical, there are for sure certain good souls in this earth such as Sandra Samuel, the Indian nanny of the Israeli kid (who lost its parents in 26/11), Mosche, and Keira Moiley, the Australian legal guardian of the recently seperated Bangladeshi conjoined twins, Krishna and Trishna.

Deivam manushya rupena (God in the form of humans), not just the ones who help us, but refers to every God created soul. If we cannot raise our service bar to Sandra or Moiley’s extent, we can atleast refrain from being disrespectful to others, stop gossiping and spreading rumors, and hurting others physically or verbally. A little amount of service from each of us will certainly lead us to a happier world.

had dinner with my two of my sisters and one of my nieces.
It was enjoyable.
Learned my niece is getting divorced which saddens me but she has to do what is important to her.
Being true to herself….

now I have the grand girls for a while which is always a wonderful good time.

This is the conversation I had not 20 minutes ago with Keira:

Keira: Mummy

Me: Yes?

Keira: Can you help me write Father Christmas a letter?

Me: Of course, what do you want to tell him?

Keira: I want to say, Dear Father Christmas.  You don’t need to buy me a skateboard for christmas because Uncle Dan has got me one already (lifts skateboard to show me) and he says that he has saved you some time trying to find one.  Also, because Uncle Dan bought me a skateboard I don’t need rollers (roller skates) anymore. Oh but I do need some arm pads ’cause Uncle Dan forgot those.  Um, also Father Christmas, I would like pink laptop and some toys.  Father Christmas, don’t forget I’ve got a skateboard now and it’s very nice.  You can have a go if you would like, but Daddy has to teach me how to use it.  Thank you Father Christmas.  I love  you.  Oh no, wait – don’t forget to get Mummy a present.

Me: Is that what you want to write

Keira: Yeah and can you put a heart on it?

Her innocence makes me smile

There are several things about childbirth and life with a new born that I think every mum should be duty bound to tell their daughters. 

Mine did not do such a hot job on filling me in on motherhoods little niggles.

I know why too….. Because if she had, I’d have probably said no to children:

1: The Pain

My mother failed to mention, despite several requests how much childbirth hurts.  It’s a bitch.  Don’t get me wrong: I loved the end product.  But the process, the labour.  Just awful.  The contractions, the pushing, the burning and ripping sensation ‘down there’.  Just the worst thing I’ve ever felt

2: Kiss your sex life goodbye

I like sex (or for the more sensitive amongst you, I like making love).  There I said it.  For the first time since starting this blog, I mentioned the ’s’ word.  It’s nice.  No wait, it’s pretty effing wonderful.  I used to like taking the time and making the effort where sex was concerned. 

That all went out the window when Keira came along.  Just as you’re about to get all fruity, the baby cries, poo’s and needs a change or requires feeding.  At 4am?!  Why?  Are they made with a built-in sensor?  It doesn’t get any easier when they’re bigger either.  In fact it’s worse: they could walk in on you????   Damn it. 

3: Goodbye figure

I am a shadow of my former self.  Quite literally.

You know that game you play where you lay down on the grass or in a field and look at the sky and wonder what shapes the clouds make?  You can play that game with the stretch marks on my tummy.

Ahhhh, but it shows you’re a mummy – that’s what I’ve been told when I complain. 

Really?  Stretchmarks? 

No seriously – is it just he stretchmarks that let you know I’m a mummy and not the screaming 3 year old who insists on following me round screaming ‘Mummy, you are NOT my best friend!!!!’

I know I had a waist once – I’ve seen it in pictures.  Pretty little thing it was too. 

Now I resemble a weeble that wont fall down

4: Southward facing boobs

I like used to like my boobs.  They were firm.  Positioned just right under my top and always looked awesome in any one of my fantastic bras.  Not any more.

They’ve lost their firmness – damn you breastfeeding – and they’re at least 2 inches lower than they used to be.  I’m not kidding.  If my new bras aren’t a lift-em-up-and-place-em-where-they-used-to-be bra, I aint wearing it!

5: Abysmal underwear

Untill very recently, my post pregnancy underwear (I realise Keira is 3 but sshhhh) was absolutely bloody dire.  In fact I wore my maternity knickers for a good 12 months after she was born.  Shocking isn’t it? 

My baby knickers were what my gran termed ‘apple catchers’.  They were so huge they sat over my tummy and could tuck nicely under my whopping great big maternity bra.  You know, the one with the four hundred grips at the back and the úber wide shoulder straps.  Boulder holders, that’s what they were. 

I no longer have the ability to wear sexy underwear.  Not because I don’t want to, it’s because I’m so out of practice with them.  My underwear draw used to be filled with thongs: practical thongs for work, lacy thongs, pink thongs, frilly thongs.  I even owned a thong that was made out of candy – although the though of actually wearing it filled me with dread, all those little sweets…. what it one inadvertently came away and got lost…. doesn’t  bear thinking about.

Now, it’s filled with big pants.  Comfortable pants that don’t slip into my unmentionables and drive me nuts.  Bras have become more practical too.  Big bras to keep my boobs pointing where they should.

Poor J – I’m not surprised he closes his eyes when we’re in bed together – looking down at at some of the worlds worst underwear.

But not all of it is bad.  On special occasions (like the rare night I might get to go out) my body is adorned by all manner of shapewear.  Item’s with wonderful names like ‘Banger Boosters’, ‘Curve Controllers’ and ‘Boobylicious Basque’.

They don’t make me a size 12 again, but they do iron out the lines and make my boobs fabulous once more!!!  They pull you in, push you up and smooth away the wobbly bits down the side. 

A very BIG thank you to Aunty Gok for creating them – mwah

My list is a lot bigger than this, but hey, it’s a start….

Those are the pleas I hear from my 3 year old most weekends about baking.

I love how our kitchen smells when filled with the aroma of vanilla buns cooking in the oven.  I love watching how Keira’s face lights up when I tell her it’s time to decorate the cakes with her favourite rainbow sprinkles – see below an example of the cakes we make:

yummy, sugary goodness....

They look like that for about 10 minutes.

I do not love coming back to the cake tub to find that she has eaten the icing and the sprinkles OFF OF EVERY SINGLE CAKE MADE!

That’s right.  She didn’t just lick it off of one or two: she did the whole chuffing tub.

Me: Keira Bridget!

Keira: What mummy

She bats her baby blues at me

Me: Did you lick the icing off of all these cakes we made?

Keira: No.

Me: Who did?

Keira: Daddy?

Nice.  Blame reassignment already and not yet 4….. Great.

Me: Really?

Keira: Yeah, Daddy said he like the sprinkles

Uh huh……

Me: Keira, what have I told you about telling fibs?

Keira: But I don’t like the cake bit.

Hmph.

Please explain to me why I go through the pain of the weighing, the mixing and the baking only to be left with a tub full of half eaten, half licked vanilla sponge cakes?

Answers on a post card please.

This sounds about right.....

She’s 3 years old.

I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t have to answer those kinds of questions till she was about 7 or 8.

No such luck.

I was enjoying a nice mug of tea after another long shitty day in telecoms when I look at the face of my 3 year old: innocent and pure. 

Then she hits me with it:

Mummy.  Where do babies come from?

You’re kidding me right? 

Me: Erm… 

In steps J with his scientific ‘man’ approach:

J: Babies live in their mummy’s tummy before they’re born

Keira: How do they get there Daddy?

I raise an eyebrow that suggests if this goes wrong, we’ll be having words….

J: OK, think about your tomato plant.

…. this should be a corker…

J: Your tomatoes grew from seeds didn’t they?

Keira: Yeah

J: Well, babies are kind of the same

Keira: How?

J: Babies grow from seeds and live in their mummy’s tummy until they’re ready to be born

Keira: Why?

J: Because babies can’t live in their mummy’s tummy forever.  Look at you, you’re not in mummy’s tummy now are you?

Keira:  No. 

Just as J was starting to look the cat that got the cream, he hears:

Keira: Daddy, do babies come from tomatoes?

It’s about now that J looked at me, I’m guessing, for some kind of back up.  I decided to sit back and let him roll with it.  He was doing so well after all…..

J: No Keira, babies don’t come from tomatoes. 

Keira was just sat there, big, wide blue eyes not quite getting it.

He scratches his head in bemusement..

J: Babies grow in their mummy’s tummy and then they’re born.  Does that answer your question?

Keira:  Mummy, where do babies come from?

Me: Love.  Babies come from love

Keira: Ahh, that’s lovely mummy

That’s where babies come from…..

¿Qué tal amigos?, tenemos nuestra primera encuentra de nuestro WeBlog “NV”, donde votas quién es “La Actríz+ Sexy”.

Cada Jueves pondremos una cuesta, la cuál estará sólo una semana, semana en la cuál tendrás chance para votar por el artista/ jugador/ cantante favorito, el ganador tendrá todo un día dedicado a él en “NV”.

A continuación colocaremos seis hermosas actrices, de las cuales debes votar por una. ¡Aquí están!

Jessica Alba, es una actríz estadounidense de 28 años, conocida por su actuación en las películas de “The Fantastic Four (Los Cuatro Fantasticos)” y “The Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer (Los Cuatro Fantasticos y Silver Surfer)”.

Natalie Portman, es una actríz de Israel de 28 años de edad, conocida por su actuación en “El Ataque de los Clones”.

Keira Knightley, una actríz británica de 24 años, muy famosa por actuar en “The Pirates of the Caribean (Piratas del Caribe)”.

Scarlett Johansson, una actríz norteamericana de 24 años de edad, actuó las películas “Match Point” y “The Island (La Isla)”.

Elisha Cuthbert, actríz canadiense de 26 años, participó en las de películas de “La Chica de Alado”, “La Casa de Cera” y “El Silencio”.

Megan Fox, es una actríz norteamericana de 23 años de edad, famosa por su actuación en “Transformers” y “Jennifer’s Body (Diabólica Tentación)”.

La encuesta inció el día Jueves 05/11 11:27

Terminará el día Jueves 12/11 10:30

Pre-holiday Sale at Bliss this week only. Take 20% off your purchase of $99 or more. Some restrictions apply. 225 Newbury Street.

Loeffler Randall’s newest, hottest shoe, Keira, has arrived at Moxie. 51 Charles Street, Boston and 24 Church Street, Wellesley.

Do you make the perfect LITTLE BLACK DRESS? Boldfacers wants you for its next pop-up shop. Contact: Info@Boldfacers.com

Corey Lynn Calter brings a perfect blend of stylish and wearable looks for fall. This striped petal skirt with a button at the waist is both fun and practical. Available at Twilight, 12 Fleet St.

I have my girls, and although this will say it is November 1st, it still is the 31st.
Both girls were asleep before nine thirty and I am going to head to bed soon because knowing they are asleep this early can only mean they will be waking up early.

We have had a good night although Keira has been rather fussy tonight.
It still is wonderfully great to have them and enjoy them with our one on one time.

I so love being Nana to these beautiful babies.

I had the girls last night and Keira woke up at five am and demanded we get up.

so we have been up since then
Kayla  was up by five forty five.
Probably due to the fact that I turned the water on in the tub for her sister to take a bath.

At any rate it is almost seven thirty and she is ready for a nap.
this usually happens when she gets a bath.

They have Shrek on and Kayla is mesmerized by the TV.
She is standing here dancing as the music plays.

She is also trying to be sneaky and pound on my lap top keys.
She tries to be shy about it and I tell her “no no” and she grins at our little game

I so love my time with my little girls

Alrighty then, I love the weekends, even if I do nothing and have nothing planned, I still love being home and not working.
oh if only I could never have to work again.

I’m tired, and I would love to take a nap, however we are heading to Iowa City to have supper with my eldest son before he and his family leave in the morning to visit my eldest child in Wisconsin.

We are going to have Keira and Kayla with us and we had planned on getting groceries too but as tired as I feel, I’m not sure I am going to be up for it.

Maybe tomorrow or Sunday.
but we shall see.
Maybe after I eat I will  have all kinds of energy.
Plus it depends on the girl’s moods too.

Anyway I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend doing what ever makes you happy.

What’s in a name?
Keira Knightley’sFree Professional first name may mean “dark one” in Gaelic, butBonusThemes it’s no excuse for these heavily lined eyes a la Captain Jack Sparrow.
OverdoneDesign homage
Avril Lavigne played a possum in Over the Hedge—unfortunately when it comes to makeup she gets her style cues from other animals.
Attention-getters
Kim Kardashian is famous for her amazing body, and these overly lined eyes are also going to get her noticed — but for all the wrong reasons.
How is it possible that a look so unappealing could come from nature’s cutest critter?Rihanna nails this tough-to-tame effect. Maureen
Kelly, founder of Tarte makeup, explains how to get the perfect lids.
“The key to the smoky eye is to blend, blend, blend,” she says. Start with a primer, then apply the liner in a
dark color and sweep a light base shadow
over just the lids. And as a final touch, keep your
lips nude because it will

Zion National Park

Mt Rainer, Washington State

The Arches National Park, Utah

Blackstone Bay, Alaska

    Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee

  a beach in Costa Rica

a river in New Hampshire

Where ever it is, or where you need to go to find it.
God’s beauty is all around us.
All we have to do is open our eyes and look.

   my back yard in West Liberty Iowa

  or in my living room

Just look for it.
Everything around us is God’s gifts to us.

My darling Keira is sick and she told me last night that she has a “Fussy Headache”
I asked her what that meant and she just said it was fussy feeling.
I assume she meant because it hurt it felt scrambled or something.
not the ordinary way she feels.

I want to call my daughter in law and see how she is feeling but I don’t want to wake them up either so I will wait until 9 am or so…..

I have my girls and have had them since ten am this morning.
Their mother said they would be here to pick them up by ten tomorrow morning since they have plans to have their pictures taken for Christmas cards and Kayla’s first birthday pictures tomorrow at ten thirty.

I love having them but it is a tornado here in the house with their toys all around.

I hope and pray they sleep all night tonight.

My angel, what is she thinking?
Is she thinking, what will I be when I grow up?
Is she thinking, man I am tired?
is she thinking…..do I really have to walk down that isle with every one watching me?

I would love to know what she was thinking at the very moment the picture was taken.
She is my darling little love.
I so adore her.
A true absolutely wonderful gift from God.
I can’t hold her and cherish her enough.

With her and her little sister and their cousin Mirielle and the baby coming in May…..I can’t help but think God has given me everything I will ever need.
Just by blessing me with these wonderful grand children.
Thank you Lord.

these children are my greatest loves and of course the new baby coming in May!
I love being a grand mother and there is no greater joy in this world for me, then being Nana to these three beautiful girls.
Can’t wait for my little peanut in May!

my little rock star!

my Mirielle showing off her rock collection

and my darling Kayla, my precious little angel.

the top picture is my daughter in law Crystal and Keira

the second one is my daughter Emily and the groom Brent

and the one directly above is my son Matt and his wife Crystal

this is Keira and the bride Courtney

my son Matt and the bride Courtney

and Keira and Crystal dancing with the groom Brent during the dollar dance