Baby, it's cold out there!

I'm a little hesitant to write this post, because as a southern Californian I know all about what it's like when people from colder climates scoff at your wimpy weather disposition. But I can't help it; I've never seen anything quite like the Bangalorean response to "cold"!

The weather in Bangalore is generally excellent. It's said to have some of the best weather in all of India, and is known as "India's air conditioner" because it is said that even in the summer it cools off enough at night that people here have to sleep with a blanket. I'm somewhat skeptical of this, but I'll report back in April and let you know!

Anyway, the weather while we've been here has been gorgeous. There have been a few slightly cooler days, it's true, but they were still warm enough that I, the consummate southern California girl, was comfortable in jeans, a t-shirt, and sandals. However, it's abundantly clear that even my definition of cold does not match that of Bangalore!

For instance, on the cooler days we see babies and toddlers bundled up in balaclavas, like this one that we saw having lunch at Prakruthi the other day.

The temperature that day was 80 degrees. We also saw several adults in earmuffs, though we were sadly unable to get a picture of that.

Today was another cool day, at 77 degrees, and apparently a temperature that low means bringing out the big guns. Prakruthi had placed several space heaters around the service stations to ensure that their staff were kept warm while they worked.

Another coolish day we saw an old man who had a scarf wrapped around his head and looked like he might be a sadhu (not because of the scarf of course, as that was presumably there to ward off the chill). "Namaste", he said, inclining his head at us.

Then his eyes fell on Liel and he smiled and reached out and touched her head. "Namaste, baby", he said, bending over her slightly and smiling even more. "Namaste baby!"

Another rainy Tuesday

On Tuesdays this spring the kids go to the homeschool session at Jewish Farm School. JFS is completely awesome and the homeschool sessions are fantastic! Which is a good thing because it has rained during every. single. session. this spring.

Yesterday there was very little rain, and the kids spent most of their time outdoors learning about the animals JFS raises: chickens, bees, and goats. Yesterday was also Rosh Chodesh Sivan (the first day of the month of Sivan), so they had a Rosh Chodesh parade, located the missing Sivan moon stone and placed it in the correct spot in the calendar garden. They also got to plant sunflowers. I'm going to ask them to each type about what they did in their own words, but in the meantime here are some pictures.

Liel in her parade costume, feeling pleased by the hole she's dug for her sunflower seedling (they planted the seeds that turned into the seedlings weeks ago).

Zion, digging a hole and wearing a fine feathery, um, thing.

Zion gently putting dirt around his baby sunflower.

The Sivan stone and month marker in the calendar garden.

Liel with the stones :)

In other news, I really want to try lacto-fermenting pickles. I'm looking around for the best type of jar for this, so if you have a suggestion (or better yet a large glass jar with a lid you aren't using), let me know!

She's sitting with you, but her eyes are on the door

Man, you would not believe the weather we are having today (OK, maybe you would, but I'm a 5th generation Californian, so bear with me). Last night we got 3-4" of snow. Overnight the temperature rose, and it's currently 37 and sleeting. A lot. So the snow is melting and slushing and icy and we've got nasty pouring sleet. Poor Zion had to stay home from school today because we only have one car, and Robert needed it to get to work. I tried to take Zion. I got us all bundled up, set up the stroller, put the kids in, and headed out. But I hadn't even passed our neighbor's house before I was slipping on the road (the sidewalks were totally impassable) and unable to get any kind of traction. We live at the top of a rather steep hill, and I seriously doubt my ability to get down the hill with an 80 lb stroller in these conditions without any of the following happening: 1. falling 2. losing control of the stroller, or 3. dislocating my knee (for those of you who don't know I have luxating patellas, which means I dislocating my knees very easily. I'd guess I've done it 50 times in the past 22 years). So, I turned around and went home. Zion was terribly disappointed and cried and cried and stood in the sleet and didn't want to come in. I felt absolutely awful. So I suggested we do something fun at home and gave the kids some of fancy (and delicious) dried/candied fruit we got for Valentine's day, and let them watch part of a movie.

This afternoon Zion's friend Valentina is having a Valentine's day party. Her parents very sweetly offered to pick me and the kids up, since they live a couple miles away and I wasn't too excited about pushing the kids home (all uphill!) in the dark. Now I'm extra grateful to them for that offer! Vivienne, Valentina's mom, even baked the cake with egg replacer, since she knows Zion is allergic to eggs. When I told Zion about that his eyes lit up (he's used to not being able to eat the treats at birthday parties) and he said, "I bet it will be delicious!...That was very thoughtful of them, mama!"

In knitting news I'm working on a shawl to use up all the bits and ends of yarn leftover from other projects. It's fun, and the knitting is super simple, but the color arrangement is challenging since I want to have it come together as a whole piece rather than look like, well, the bits and ends of my leftover yarn!