Michigan

We had another great trip recently, our last big one before baby #2 arrives! We spent a week in Ann Arbor, visiting Shail and my parents.

Some highlights:

Ann Arbor Art Fair--it was alternately hot and rainy, but we got to hear some live music and create some neat art of our own.

Hands-on Museum--what a great place for kids 1 and up! We could have spent all day here!

And of course, some quality time with nana and nani:

On a related note, Suchitra finally learned her first Gujarati words during our trip! "Nana" means maternal grandfather, but Suchitra decided it should be equitably applied to all non-parental relatives! So we have lots of "nanas" in our lives now :)

San Diego

Lessons learned from our most recent travels:

1. Suchitra absolutely loves new places and people. Doesn't really matter where, as long as its "outsiiide".


2. Any trip involving water is bound to be a hit. Or incite a tantrum upon leaving. Probably both.


3. Ditto for trips involving animals.


4. Suchitra is more flexible than both her parents when traveling. She'll sleep in strange places as long as we turn on some "sleep sounds" (radio static). She's getting better about long car rides. As for food, she's not a great eater, but definitely less picky than dad or mom.


5. If baby #2 is anywhere near as a good a traveler as Suchitra, we're set!

Stay-at-home child

Today was officially Suchitra's last day at daycare...she might "drop in" now and then over the summer, but otherwise she's staying home with mom for the forseeable future!

I've got some mixed feelings about this change. On the one hand I'm so grateful to have the next 3-4 months alone with my little girl, before super #2 arrives. There are so many art projects, music classes, and bike rides that I've been planning, and now we finally have time for all of them. No more coming home after a full day of work and daycare, everyone (except Suchitra of course) too tired to do anything but eat, bathe and go to sleep. We have all day to play and learn! What more could a teacher want?

On the other hand I already feel sadness on having to leave behind most intellectual pursuits for at least the next year. I've got a few part-time gigs in the works, but nothing compared to the daily immersion in history and politics afforded by an actual classroom.

I also think that Suchitra genuinely enjoys social interaction with other children and adults...as well as the variety in play afforded by a school setting. So I'm looking for part-time care options for her. Hoping to find a well-respected preschool that also offers a toddler program, so she doesn't have to wait until 2 years old to start. It probably won't hurt her to have other adults showing her attention once the baby arrives, either.

In the meantime, we'll enjoy our days together. And I'll switch over some of my "light" bedtime reading to more substantive historical tomes :)