ve taking this chance to reconnect with all of you. Whether by mail or e-mail, we look forward to hearing from all of you around this time of year. Like always, our year has been busy but good!Douglas is just about to start his fifth year at San Quentin and was able to “make up” his own job just recently, which has conveniently included overseeing some of the construction for the new mental health building. So he has finally managed to have his dream job: being a psychologist AND a contractor! Douglas has been caught up with the political race this year and continues to be a Cal fan, and also more of a Virginia Tech fan than I will ever be. He has two happy kids to greet him after coming home from work – what more could one want? Oh yes, a frazzled wife. Yes, he has that too.
I am back to part-time work in architecture but I am not working too hard with only 10 hours a week. I found this great job through the architects I used to work for and it has worked out amazingly well. For Noble we have the same type of co-op daycare we did with Mahala: 4 babies, a caregiver and one parent. I host the co-op on Wednesdays. As Noble gets older and more independent, I find myself having a little more time to get back to cooking and art projects with Mahala, which I love. I am struggling with my favorite hobby, cooking/baking, due to Noble’s numerous food allergies. He is allergic to wheat, eggs, nuts, tomatoes and more th
ings that will be tested soon. Besides being awful news in general, this was even more horrible for an avid baker like me. So now, after experimenting, I have finally found great recipes for pancakes, muffins, and cookies but most importantly, a wheat-free, egg-free version of my favorite food: chocolate cake.Mahala and Noble are getting so much out of being with other kids in the mornings. We have watched Mahala, now 4, blossom in preschool, from being very shy and overwhelmed to being incredibly social and a good helper with the younger kids in the class. She is still a bit feisty and stubborn and we have been told that she has the highest pitch scream EVER (which is what we have been trying to tell people!) but when she is in a good mood, she is focused and very responsible. And as far as Noble goes, she often is annoyed by him but at the same time misses him when he is not around and could not wait until he got to sleep in the same room with her. She is still the slowest eater we have seen (dinners spanning up to 2 hours) and I am only comforted by the fact that she eats anything – and I mean it. She eats kale, Brussels sprouts, any ethnic food. Apparently, being such a gourmand requires that she savor every flavor, talk in between bites, and do plenty of wiggling during her nightly marathons.
Noble, now 16 months, is such a content little guy. Despite his ever present itch from his food-allergy driven exc
ema, he is very happy. He’s pretty goofy, loves to kiss and make funny faces, is an early walker/late talker and is a climber. His favorite thing to do while I am busy cooking is to climb up on the dining table and just sit there on top with a “knowing” expression on his face. He squeals with delight when he sees Mahala which makes her proud – and usually she squeals back. (It’s their secret language I think.) He is the oldest member of the co-op and adjusted to our separation fairly quickly considering he is quite a mama’s boy. We’re doing early potty training with him and surprised at his a success over the year. He’s never been a good eater or good sleeper but boy is he fun! It’s all about balance, right?Our house is virtually complete which I still cannot believe. Of course, now that it is done, we are thinking of moving…I know, I know…what are we thinking? Well, we can’t seem to stay put I guess. But really, we are thinking of moving closer to Douglas’s work and simultaneously moving into a good school district. Surprising to many that we may consider buying another fixer-upper!
Next month we are heading to India. We have not been back since 2001 so it is long overdue. We will be flying with my sister, brother-in-law and niece which should make the long plane ride more entertaining. My parents are already there at their flat and are so excited to have us all come at the same time. We will be there for about 3 weeks. I am looking forward to watching Mahala soak it all in!
It is sure to be an interesting trip and I am sure we will return with way too many photos. I hope to “blog” while I am there though so stay tuned for photos and videos.We look forward to seeing you in the coming year. From our house to yours Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Love, Sheeba, Douglas, Mahala and Noble - December 2008
