Fall has arrived

 It had been warmer than usual but it looks like its all changing now. Leaves are changing colors from vibrant reds and oranges to brilliant golds and yellows and there's something about the air- its clean and refreshing and the days are getting shorter. I can feel a cool gush of air on my face as I take a brisk walk outside. Its time to take out the sweaters and jackets out from the closet.... fall has arrived !!!.

Having brought up in a cold hill station of Shimla in India, I hate winters. Its not at all exciting to be confined indoors for months without sun. Fall is the only time which appeals to me and that's because of the fall colors. Right now one song that comes to my mind is... "All the leaves are falling down, orange yellow red and brown....." Anvesha loves to collect leaves and since the streets are full of yellow, orange, red leaves her both hands are full of these lovely maple beauties. She is totally intrigued to see how leaves have changed color from green to yellow. 

The onset of fall also means deserted parks, windy - rainy days and runny noses. We have Anvesha up to date with her flu vaccines as prevention is better than cure. We are all set for our India trip and when we will come back from our vacation, the trees will have a barren look and days will be even more shorter. Anvesha will miss the Halloween this year and I will miss dressing her up in the cutest Halloween costume. But on the positive side, this will be the first time we will celebrate Diwali with family. So there's gonna be lots of crackers, Diwali mithai, and of course the wedding..... but more on that later :)

Till then happy Fall and a very happy Halloween !!!!

Fun in the Sand !!!

One of the fondest memories that I have of my childhood is playing with the mud and building sand castles. I would love to spend the days at the beach, but that's not always possible. Children have been intrigued by sand for so many generations. They love to play with the outdoor material found around them and this includes mud and sand.

Anvesha loves to play with sand too and derives some fun  by digging, sifting, pouring and exploring it all throughout. Just like playing in water, playing in sand is very entertaining for her. Though she is too young to use her imagination to build castles, or anything like that, but she, nevertheless uses her pail and shovel to pour sand all over her :) Its also a great exercise for the upper body.

Whenever I take her out to Grass Lawn Park, she is drawn towards the sand pit and plays there endlessly. I really don't mind if she gets all dirty there.Its so much fun to watch her play with other children in the sand pit. This involves a lot more than just playing in sand, It involves sharing the sand tools, negotiating for play space- thus enhancing the social skills of children.

Here are few pics of Anvesha enjoying in the sand

Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkins are out for picking !!!!!

Fall- to many of us is the best time of the year and one key ingredient to a picture perfect autumn is visiting a pumpkin farm. Its not just about picking out a pumpkin- its about winding your way through a corn maze and taking pics of the kids on a hay stack and admist those lovely yellow pumpkins. These are attractions built specifically for families. You can take the kids for a country side experience, buy them a treat and burn a couple of hours off of the day.

I have been teaching Anvesha about fruits and vegetables and there is a rhyme on pumpkin that she likes these days- "Peter- Peter pumpkin eater". So this year when we went to visit the pumpkin farm she could relate more to what she was seeing around her. She tried to lift pumpkins, ran around, sat on pumpkins, studied the dirt, the leaves, the bugs, the pumpkins and everything else she could see.

Picking out pumpkin isn't just about buying it and carving it- its about exploring and learning about the world around you, seeing how things work and how they grow. Its also about creating wonderful memories with your children that you can cherish for life.

Here's a pic of our art work for Halloween this year.