Go kart racing

When we are local and want to engage the kids.. the usual drive through Vasona park or playing indoors inside some Jungle type place are not options anymore.. we now have a "tween" and a "teen"!

They had tried this racing once in summer and gave it rave reviews. So we went again to give it a shot. It is 35$ for two races of 10 minutes each (14 laps where the kids average 35-40 seconds a lap) and a 30 minute break between the races to let other folks go. They treat the first race as a warm up!

 The little one likes to compete while Jr. was mostly happy going at her own pace and having fun.

They both yelled at me afterwads because I was cheering them from the side on the long leg where they come straight at me. Apparently it was not a good idea to take their eyes off the track to look at "cheerleader daddy" as it made it difficult for them to turn. How was I to know?! My job was to watch and cheer. Maybe next time I will do a race to figure this out. 

Strongly recommend this if you have teens or tweens bored out of their wits and it is cold and raining outside, when the rest of their friends are instagramming picutures from warm and sunny beaches! 

Some things are forever?!

Remember the post on Stone Temple Pilots?

Was not kidding when I said "someday, the little one will join in"

In spite of Chennai being rained out for 43 days, the one day that the kids visited Chennai on their 5 day India vacation, the rain let go temporarily. We made a quick trip to see my grandma and on the way meet my buddy Kabali. 

Jr. remembered the elephants and ran to it!

and this time the little one followed ! She needed help but enjoyed sitting on it. Their smiles brought back so many memories!

Some things seem to bring a constant into our variable lives. The stone elephants at the Kapaleeshwarar temple are one of those constants in our life!

Attention everyone: We now have a teen in the house!

Thirteen years ago, something magical happened!

Jr. came out and stared at me with those big beady eyes for the very first time.

The nurse said they were all surprised by a few hour old baby looking up at everyone with her eyes wide open. Given San was so overdue, we treated the newborn as a two week old!

That was my 30th birthday present from Sangeetha! 

Today that present has grown to be as tall as me and is funny enough to pose for a recreation selfie. 

We found her "poobie" for this special photo. 

My grandma used to say "eera peen akki, peena perichchaali akkakara madhiri unna ungamma valththurukka".. it loosely translates to "taking a small thing that lice eat in your head and growing it into a lice, then growing a lice into a large rat.. that is how hard it has been for your mom to raise you". I am sure something was lost in the translation there in spite of my best effort.

Relatively speaking Jr. has been an easy kid. She has been healthy and happy and easy going. She always cares about folks around her and holds us very very accountable whenever she gets a chance to do so.

Here's to our big baby!

It does not matter if you turn 13 or 30. Will continue to save that blanket somewhere in the house and if I am still hale and healthy when you turn 30, we can  recreate this picture on your 30th birthday! 

Here is to many more happy birthday's to my little girl who continues to amaze us everyday!