Mini me..

We had a quiet fireworks celebration in our backyard. Wanted to have a few pictures of this. So I set up a tripod and had the camera on self timer.

The first few round of sparklers was marked by me constantly requesting that all four of us start around the same time and look into the camera etc. Always get good shots with the black background, so I push for pictures.. 

After the third photo the little one yelled "Appa, I want to enjoy vedichiying the pattasu! So just come here and do this with us!" 

I promptly switched the camera off and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the pattasu vedichiying! (crackers bursting).

Watching the little one enjoying the fireworks with such intensity brings back so many memories of me bursting crackers as a kid.

If there is a "pattasu" gene, it has definitely been passed on to the next generation! 

Pumpkinography 2013

Halloween is here already!

As is now a family custom, we carved pumpkin at the cousins place. The men did one pumpkin and the kids in each family did one by themselves. 

Here is our creation for this year.. Drac and a Mummy.. 

and here is the entire lineup including the skull and moonwalking cat from BB and family!

The kids have to get creative this year for costumes!

Navarathri Golu 2013

I know it is a bit late given that Navarathri came and went almost two weeks ago! Halloween is already here..

This year, yours truly did not make it to all the golus. We visited around 8 golus as a family over the first weekend. The second weekend was interesting this year. 

After watching Sadhguru explain things on Youtube over the last few months, decided to go listen to him talk for an entire weekend and go through his meditation class as well. Friday evening and all of Saturday and Sunday went to that. For the first time in as long as I can remember, there was no Saraswati pooja or Vijayadasami pooja in the house. I did get to learn something very important with respect to meditation on Vijayadasami day! 

Most of these photos were taken using my iPhone. The quality of pictures suggests that the 4 should be replaced with a 5S! 

The doll displays are getting better and better.. you can go through Golu pictures from previous years from some of the same households and you see that 3 steps became 5 and five became seven! A five feet wide step became a 10 feet wide step! 

The dolls are also very different from the usual ones. This year we saw some unique sets. 

The kids are getting creative with a side "golu" of sorts near the big displays. Just felt bad that I could not visit every golu we were invited to. Next year I should train Jr. or the little one to go take pictures with a point and shoot to cover the golus that I miss!

Next stop.. Deepavali!