Tall Twigas are scaling our walls

We finally have an adorable nursery

This is a picture of half of S's nursery wall. The second half, to the right of what you see, has another tall giraffe. Or Twiga (pronounced tweega), which is the word for the animal in Swahili. 

I love that word. Reminds me of twiggy... which is kind of how giraffes are. Graceful, sure...but awfully tall and lanky as they tower above the shorties around them. Sort of awkward, wise and geeky. 

Is there a word for words that conjure up images of the object they describe? You know...something like onomatopoeic for something that sounds like it is said.

No, I'm unfortunately not learning Swahili, though it is on my bucket list. My friend P is staying with us for a few days this week. She was in Tanzania last year and told me the Swahili names of some animals. Tembo = elephant. Sounds like the word for strength in Tamil, thembu. And who would have guessed?! Simba = lion. Sounds like simha, the Sanskrit (and multiple other Indian languages) word for Lion. 

Big thanks to S and J, the couple who gave us these cool wall art stickers. You guys have fabulous taste. We finally have a nursery rather than 'the room where the crib is'. 

Precious loves the giraffes.  Also, she has progressed from waking up and excitedly pointing, waving and calling out PUPPY! to now yelling GUH! GUH! at the giraffes. Cutie pie.

A Chinese-American wedding

Our friends D&B's wedding was held at the Rockefeller Chapel in the University of Chicago campus area. There is something about churches that make me feel calm and serene- maybe it's the high ceilings... Maybe it's the earthy colors. 

This is the chapel

I need a new camera. This pic doesn't do it justice

When A, S and I got there ten minutes late for a 4 PM wedding, we panicked, displayed a fine show of hysterics and I felt a tiny bit guilty for spending five extra minutes at home painting my toenails a different color at the last minute. Hey-toenails ARE important! Come on- it is summer. A gave me a fine lecture about how this isn't an Indian wedding and how we need to be more on time and how no one cares about my silly toe nails and blah blah yadda yadda...Men. BAH!

As we climbed... no, clambered up the stairs to enter the chapel, the kind photographers told us "you're fine, they aren't here yet" and we slowed down. Whew! 

This is what we sat behind

 And this is what was behind us

Gorgeous 

At this point, S, of course, started asking for milk. She is 14 months old. So she does NOT tap me on the arm and politely ask "Amma, may I have a spot of milk, if you please?". Instead, she launched into full-on 'WTF is wrong with you, my incompetent parent-nincompoops?! Can't you SEE that I need milk? And I need milk NOW' type behavior. She started yelling "PAI! PAI!", which is what she calls paal- the Tamil word for milk. To her credit, she wasn't really screaming, just saying. But in a deadly-quiet church where you could hear a mosquito fart, a 14-month old sounds like a friggin banshee. 

This is when all heads turned towards us. Most people smiled with "aww! she is so cute" expressions. I smiled in response and woman-handled (is that a word?) my toddler out. 

Glorious freedom

S spent most of the remainder plucking flowers and yanking out grass. 

Oh and chasing shadows

Spot the toddler trying to wriggle free from the mom's deadly grasp.

 A bus passed by and S started to run towards it waving Hi and blowing kisses. 

All's well that ends well. D&B were officially married, exchanged vows and crap! I totally missed the "you may now kiss the bride" part. THE PRICE OF PARENTHOOD, people. 

Hope you can't see their faces cos I'm trying to protect their privacy

The stunning couple walked past us towards their limo and we showered flowers on them. Almost Indian, I must say. Not the limo part, the flowers part. The entire ceremony (whatever I saw with A's comments peppered in) was more contemporary American than traditional Chinese and was elegant, graceful and very touching. 

CONGRATULATIONS, you two, and see you around.

From take-it-out to put-it-back

S is great at taking things out of their place and scattering them all across the universe that is our home.

Wonderful news this week is that she is beginning to put them back in their place. New, and I must thankfully say, USEFUL milestone. 

Whew! This saves me 20 minutes everyday. Attagirl, precious and here's to being mommy's little helper.

P.S. can you see why I simply had to repaint my nails?