Category Archives: Alo

Oakland Zoo & Popcorn

Above – It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a … tortoise??

Robb sent these photos last week after they took a trip to the Oakland Zoo. Check out who’s in the gondola behind Robb & Alo’s. 

… and Sandra, Lilli and Mike were in the one in front.

Here’s Mike, Alo, Lilli and Sandra.

I love the looks on these faces …

We Skyped with the family Sunday night. Amazingly, Alo at only 2½ was able to rattle off the names of all but 4 US American Presidents! Akuch started working with a deck of cards, each one showing a picture of a US President with his name. She said at the end of the first day, he had already memorized 20 of them!! While Skyping, Robb held up a card with a photo and Alo said the first, middle and last name of all but about 4 of them. How smart is that??

A YouTube interview with Maya yesterday – “Kids Say the Darnedest Things …”

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/iMac with LOVE!

Togetherness

Above – Kando & Alo picnicking at Heather Farm Park. Doesn’t Kando look like he’s got a mohawk?

Below – A photo Alo took. I don’t know what’s up with the giraffe on top of the giraffe. But if it made sense to Alo, I love it!

Maya and the Sparts. Precious!

Class last Thursday night at my home studio – standing pose week. 

Neck curvature. This is one of the poses in the sequence I was given when I was in Pune 10 weeks post rotator cuff repair surgery. Randy, a friend who stayed with us Sunday and Monday night while he was here for the senior workshop, needed something to help relieve some neck pain he was having so I fixed him up. This is one of my favorite things to do when my neck ails me. It’s really relaxing and it takes all the kinks out.

This afternoon Maya is coming over to make Valentine’s Day cookies. I’m looking forward to flour and sprinkles everywhere!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook with LOVE!

It’s all about the Grandkids

Above – Happiness is dressing little brother in sissy’s dress-up clothes and having a photo to use against him the rest of his life!

C’mon already & sit in your car seat! That’s Sparty’s mischievous face.  

Bath time at Amma’s & Pappa’s.
  

Maya scored a new San Diego Gymnastics sweatshirt. It looks like she’ll be able to wear this at least a couple years.  

Maya helping Pappa in the electronics cabinet.
 

A blog wouldn’t be complete without a potty picture (Alo & Lilli). Another photo that may come in handy in the future.   
And looks who’s sitting!! Sweet baby Kando’s growing up. 

 
I’m in a workshop this weekend & it’s been intense. Hopefully I’ll get home today in time for the 2nd half of the Super Bowl & a glass of wine.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone from La Mesa with LOVE!

More from the Homefront

Above – Robb & Kando at Tilden Park

Below – Akuch & Alo also at Tilden Park

   

Lilli with her mom, Sandra celebrating Sandra’s birthday. Very nice people.
   

Here’s Sparty. He’s saying “cheese.” After music class he runs over to and climbs onto this little green chair for me to put his shoes on. He’s loving music class these days. It took a couple months, but I think he’s finally hooked!
  

Back at home on the little rocking horse.  

This was last Wednesday – Maya  on the rings at gymnastics.
  

I think playing on the rope wall in my yoga studio helped this little monster to have no fear when it comes to hanging upside down. I think she’s fogotten about the time she let go of the ropes and landed on her head (oops) …

 

I’ve been really busy. I’ve got multiple projects going on at the house, plus independent contracting work and teaching. I’m in a 3-day workshop this weekend starting tomorrow morning, which is why I’m squeezing this post in between teaching two classes.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone & iPad. 

(You may wonder why I need two devices to do one post. Or maybe you never noticed. Since you asked (or wanted to anyways), because I take photos on my iPhone, it’s simpler to upload to WordPress (the App I use for bloggins) from the iPhone. But it’s easier to type whatever I have to say on my MacBook, iMac or iPad. WordPress has some obstacles I have to work around. So that’s just the way it is.)

Rain, Cold, Wind

Above – Alo Akuch Kando Robb at Tilden Park near Walnut Creek.

Below – Robb and Alo at the German Festival (Akuch and Kando in the background). Looks cold. Robb said it hailed that day.  

  See Lilli in pink and wings.

Alo sticks with the smaller animals. Robb said he wasn’t too sure about the llama (didn’t pet it either).

Meanwhile, back in OB, Maya and Sparty enjoy some puddle splashing.

  

This aloe vera bloom was so beautiful last week. That is until the heavy winds hit Sunday.

The following photos show the upheaval that occurred in our patio Sunday night.
   The entire block of homes to the south of us beginning with just across Narragansett were without power most of Sunday evening. While we had power, I could see candles burning in windows across town. The wind kept me up most of the night. Around 3pm I looked out the window and saw people’s trash cans rolling around the street (Monday was trash day). When I put our trash can out Sunday night I got as far as the stairs before I heard it topple over. I ended up putting it back in the garage. Considering hearing news of a woman in PB being trapped and killed in her car when a tree landed on it and other incidents, we have nothing to complain about.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook with LOVE and gratefulness!

Not in San Diego

Above – Ron atop the mountain. I have no idea what mountain, but it’s clear he’s not at the bottom.

Kando, the happiest baby in the world …

Lily and Alo sporting their matching OB sweatshirts. 

 I found that orange sock in our dryer so I mailed it to Alo.

Alo’s new dinosaur shirt we ordered for him when we were in Walnut Creek. It finally arrived. From China.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

No LA for Me

Above – Alo wanted Kando (& Ernie, of course) to nap with him. It doesn’t look like they’re getting much sleep, but isn’t this the cutest thing ever??

I’ve been fighting another cold and yesterday it started kicking into my chest. Later yesterday sinuses were achy and congestion thickening. I’m staying home and laying low today so I’ll hopefully feel better tomorrow for the “Big Day” with Maya and Sparty.

Out for a ride. 

After the storm – towing the cars away that got twisted up in the garage like a washing machine. News 8 was there to document this.

Wednesday with Maya at ‘nastics.

Getting her foot tattooed after class. 

 

It was rainy and cold so we decided to have hot chocolate and popcorn. Silliness abounds.
  

  
  
  
  

The shipment arrived!! Pedro Ximenez Gran Reserve cooking vinegar. Oh, the possibilities are endless, but we bought it for brussel sprouts. After checking online for other cooking options, there are a lot of good ideas. This stuff is the real deal!

Here’s a photo to show the final cooked brussel sprouts. They were delicious. It was an eclectic meal alongside a taco with left over grilled salmon and left over risotto. Yum!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook from BED with LOVE!

Family Jewels

Above – Brothers sharing a swing on the last day of 2015 (courtesy of Robb).

Below – Breakfast at Rancho’s on the last day of 2015. You know you’re going to have a good year when Sweet Baby Jesus is looking down on you … 

FaceTiming Jamie (in her robe …) on her 44th birthday.
  

This is what it looks like outside Jamie’s window. She claims the sun comes out there …

What the … ??? What ARE those things hanging outside the window?

I broke out the family jewels for the last dinner of the year. They will now be tucked away in the safe where they will remain (you guessed it) safe until another opportunity arises for me to wear them.

Are you a “Resolutionary?” That’s what I call people who make new years resolutions. It started when I belonged to the Escondido Athletic Club back in my racquetball days. For the first couple weeks of every year, getting a court or a swim lane, let alone a parking place, was nearly impossible. I couldn’t wait for February to roll around so things could begin to get back to “normal.” I always figured if something is important enough to a person, they shouldn’t have to wait for a new year to implement it. But that’s me.

Here’s something important to me – not wearing shoes in the house. I have absolutely never allowed shoes in the yoga studio out of respect and cleanliness, but we more recently, with the addition of grandkids, implemented a no-shoes-in-the-house policy.

When I went to India the first time in 2013, I realized no one wears shoes in their house. Shoes there are either kept on the porch or on a rack just inside the front door. Even most establishments require patrons to remove their shoes before entering. I got used to it and by the time I left, I enjoyed walking barefoot on tile floors and the cleanliness that goes along with it.

Come to find out, not wearing shoes in the house is the custom in many countries – Canada, Japan, Southeast Asia, Thailand, China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, to name a few.

Why is this, and why are more and more Americans implementing this policy? I checked into it and found out some astonishing reasons why you should remove your shoes before entering the home, especially if you have small children or grandchildren. Here’s an interesting article I think everyone should read:  http://healthywildandfree.com/this-is-why-you-absolutely-need-to-stop-wearing-shoes-in-your-house/

I’ll leave you with that thought and a great big HAPPY NEW YEAR. I hope 2016 brings good cheer, laughter, love, friendships new and old, happiness, good health and fuzzy socks.

Cheers to another year of blogging on Amma’s iPhone, MacBook, iPad and/or iMac with LOVE!

Goodbye to 2015

Above – (courtesy of Akuch) Kando and Alo watching Polar Express. You can tell already these two boys are their own individual selves.

These two, on the other hand are both trying to squeeze into the very small wagon. 

Daddy’s kids. But that’s only because Mommy’s not around …

Sparty kicking back…

Yesterday on our walk at the cliffs the ocean was beautiful and the surf was high. Here the spray was washing up over the arch! 

And look …  you can see the water rushing over the arch like a waterfall. I’ve never seen this happen.

Happy Birthday to Jamie and a safe New Years Eve to all!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with best wishes to everyone for a peaceful and healthy 2016!