Christine Chitnis: January 2013

Fighting

We've been fighting hard here these past few days- fighting coughs, runny noses, fevers, and chills. This winter will go down in history as our sickest yet. Vijay has an ear ache and cough, and I am in sinus hell and ended up in the ER at 2am with a raging ear infections (seriously, who past the age of like 6 gets ear aches?!). My poor sweet Vik has the flu, and had me in worried tears at the doctor with his 103 temperature. His flushed cheeks, husky voice and runny little nose were just so sad. Doesn't your heart break when your little ones are sick, and they can't tell you what hurts? He wants to be held, to nurse for comfort, and so that is what we are doing. Luckily, he doesn't mind if I knit while I cradle him in my lap and gently sway back and forth. The knitting seems to calm him, as it does me. My stitches are slow, steady and even, and they take my mind away from the health battles we are fighting. We all awoke this morning feeling better and brighter. Here's hoping a return to full health is just around the corner. Until then, slow and steady stitching.

Love and Buttercream

It is bitterly cold out today, the kind of cold where I know we won't be leaving the house. It's our first day back in Providence, and the boys and I are battling head colds, and feeling rather lousy. I think we're just going to hunker down, and while away the day playing, reading, crafting and napping (fingers crossed!). But I wanted to share a little something to warm the soul....a great bakery! In my humble opinion, there is nothing quite as satisfying as a perfect bakery- you know the winning combo- good coffee, fantastic treats, friendly staff and cute surroundings.

This new bakery near my parents, Love and Buttercream, gets it just right! They have this cookie that I will continue to taste in my dreams- a combination of butterscotch, pretzels, potato chips, and chocolate chips. It sounds a bit crazy- but oh my- it was perfection.

So while we shiver and sniffle indoors today, I will dream of a nice hot cup of coffee, and a few of these treats. If you happen to be in the greater Detroit area, pay Love and Buttercream a visit. You'll thank me.

This and That

We've spent the past week in Michigan, with my family, while my husband travels to India for work. Thank goodness I have hands-on parents who adore my boys, otherwise I would be done for. Alone with my two little ones for over two weeks- that would push me right over the edge! I don't know how people do this whole parenting thing alone. I really don't.

We've kept busy with swim lessons, long walks to the duck pond, Valentine crafting, and baking galore. I find baking to be a great way to pass the time with Vijay while Vik naps- a bit messy perhaps, but oh-so-fun.

My mom has been teaching me how to work with yeast. We've tackled hard rolls, and pretzels. I am addicted!

(is that not the look of pure adoration for grandma?)

Throw in a visit to the Detroit Zoo...

...and a wander around the Cranbrook grounds, and you have the perfect itinerary.

We're looking forward to more of the same over the weekend- soaking up every minute of our time here.

What's in a Name?

I grew up in a very homogeneous suburb of Michigan. My graduating class was all white- seriously, every single one of us. My knowledge of other races and cultures wasn't very strong, through no fault of my parents- how can you really teach something that doesn't exist in your community? You can talk about it, but it's hard to make that conversation a reality. Fast forward ten years, and I am in a mixed-race marriage, living in the incredibly diverse town of Providence, where people of all races, cultures and religions mix freely (many thanks to Brown University for the healthy mix) and trying to understand how to raise two mixed-race children.

Here's what got me thinking about this subject- the following scenario plays out on a daily basis, and it's hard to know how to handle it. I will get stopped while in line at the coffee shop, or while at the playground or library, and someone will ask, "Your baby is adorable. What's his name?" To which I will reply, "Vikram." Then comes the blank stare. Every single time...a blank stare, a pause and then some attempt at recovery. "Oh, how nice. Well he is certainly cute!" I'm never sure what to say (our boys do not look Indian, which adds to the confusion)- should I explain that my husband is Indian, and Vikram is a very common Indian name? Should I just say thanks, smile and walk away, despite the awkwardness?

I only ran into this reaction a few times pre-Vik since Vijay is a pretty easy name for people to understand. Most think it is V.J.- a nickname of sorts. Either way, it is easy for people to recognize and pronounce. My husband and I put so much thought into our boy's names- we know they will be going to school here in the States, so it was important that their names be easy for people to say, to avoid frustration and potential ridicule. Vijay is a family name, meaning victory. Vikram, also a family name, means valor. They are beautiful, strong names that I hope will be fitting for my boys. But it is beginning to hit me- they will have a lifetime of answering questions surrounding their names. I can't really help them with this from my personal experience, so it is my duty to better educate myself on how to guide them on this part of their journey. How do I begin imparting to them how their diversity makes them unique and special, how it is an honor to be linked to a place as indescribable and awe-inspiring as India? How do I make them proud of their family background and histroy? I know that one day soon we will travel to India with our boys, and introduce them to this half of their make-up. Until then, I wrestle with the question of how to guide my boys when it comes to the question of who they are.

*photos from our earlier photo shoot with Heidi of White Loft Studio.

The Call of the Wild

Let's put sleep issues aside for a moment (ahem!) and try and focus on the beauty around us, shall we?! Life has a funny way of coming full circle, using our past to influence our future. I was an environmental science major in college, and I had dreams of becoming a park ranger. Living in a little hut in a majestic National Park somewhere out west, studying the ecosystems and saving endangered species. After spending a summer on Cape Cod trying to protect shorebirds, and a stint in New Zealand studying an endangered skink (a member of the lizard family) species, I decided I wasn't cut out for conservation work. It can be incredibly tedious, and often it seems that no progress is being made. I was too impatient. I cut my losses, and fled to the city (Chicago, that is) after graduation to work in the non-profit world.

I occasionally have regrets when it comes to my choice of majors...especially these days, when I am passionate about writing and photography. I can't help but imagine what I could have done if I had studied those in college. And yet, my background informs so much of what I write about these days. Conservation, sustainability and the natural world continue to be my favorite subjects. Case in point- while in Michigan, I took an afternoon to check out the owls at the Cranbrook Science Center's Bat Zone. The owls who call this place their home were all injured, and after being rehabilitated, were unable to be released into the wild. Aren't they extraordinarily majestic?

I often wonder how different my life would have been if I had followed my original plan. Perhaps I would be living in that hut right now, saving the world one species at a time And yet I am so thankful that my winding path has taken me here, to a place where I get to be a mom, a writer, a photographer, and an educator. Now, I pass along my knowledge to my boys, and it is my hope that I will infuse them with a great love of the natural world. I am quite certain it's the most important job I will ever have.

So Very Tired

I have been feeling a bit lackluster lately when it comes to blogging, and life in general. After the holidays, after all the anticipation, and celebration, family time and cheer, I guess I feel a bit blue, a bit letdown. Now we are staring into the long winter ahead, without much to break up the months of cold. In addition, I am on the brink of exhaustion. Vik- the world's sweetest, happiest baby (during the day)- is giving us a run-for-our-money during the night. He is still waking up every 2-3 hours to nurse throughout the night, which is newborn behavior, not that of a 5 1/2 month old. He has slept through the night a total of 2 times, ever. I am becoming increasingly tired. In fact, the world feels a bit foggy. I'll be in the middle of a conversation and forget what we were talking about. I"ll walk upstairs to complete a chore, and once I'm there, forget what it was I was doing. We'll be out for a walk, just a few blocks from home, and I'll get a wave of exhaustion that makes me wonder how I'll ever make it home. Exhaustion is permeating every cell of my being. And so I ask you- have you tried any sleep training methods? Did they work? Do you have any book, or website recommendations you can send my way? I'm at the end of my rope, and I'm hoping the advice of fellow moms might help me hang on.

Winter Quilts

We have been recovering from an epic plague over here at my parents house. There have been cases of strep, the flu and pneumonia being passed around and around. Miraculously, the boys never got sick, and for a few days, when our family was the only healthy family, we stayed at a hotel to escape the germs. It has been an intense week, to be sure. As everyone is now on the mend, I am in the mood to share something bright and cheery. For Christmas this year, I made each of my boys a quilt. With strong colors, and graphic patterns, they feel very boyish...and that's just the front. The backings are where these quilts really shine!

For Vik's, I chose a combination of green, blue, gray and white. For the backing, I used an adorable, car and truck fabric called Peak Hour, that happened to perfectly compliment my color scheme. I love how this quilt turned out.

For Vijay's quilt, I decided on a very clean and simple color palate of gray and white, laid out in a herringbone pattern, which allowed the backing to shine. Nothing but diggers, dumpers and construction stuff for my boy! I hope the boys will treasure these quilts...and use them to stay warm for years to come.