The Baha'i Temple of Chicago WON!!!


The Baha'i Temple of Chicago made it to the 7 Wonders of Illinois.
She won!! Yay!!

Check out the video of the winner of Chicagoland Wonder: The Baha'i Temple

It's really awesome!
The footage is just beautiful...

Mona & Ajay's Playdate

A while back I decided to have a playdate for Mona & Ajay.
As they are cousins and love each other so much, I thought it would be great to have them have a playdate on a regular basis.
So with my sister in law, we agreed on Mondays afternoon to be the playdate.
So every Mondays they come over in the afternoon, the kids play together while the mums chat.
But tonight after the playdate they stayed over for dinner, and the husbands also joined in.
We had a lovely time and specially Mona & Ajay!
They were so happy playing together, following each other everywhere, making a mess by taking all the toys out on the floor, eating yummy snacks and later dinner sitting side by side, feeding each other.
Now my house is like a war zone! Toys and toys and toys everywhere! Plastic bowls and spoons from Mona's cupboard everywhere... even in the bathroom!! lol

Raising Children of Light

RAISING CHILDREN OF LIGHT

Article written by Mrs. Bani Dugal
THE JERUSALEM POST - Apr. 19, 2007


To a child, the world must seem like a confused and perilous place. One need only to sit and watch the grim scenes unfold on television: hundreds of thousands of Sudanese children and mothers huddled together in refugee camps - their worn faces and bodies a testament to the rape and pillage they have survived. Or footage of mothers and children foraging for food in famine-racked North Korea. Or images of children in Southeast Asia, many infected with AIDS, sold to traffickers and living in slave-like conditions.
For many children, these scenes loom just outside the door. As mothers, what do we say to our children? How do we explain the seemingly ceaseless, senseless abuse, violence and killing? How do we do so truthfully and, at the same time, impart hope for a better future?
First, we must prepare ourselves. As the first educators of the next generation, we must seek to make sense of the world in our own minds. Much is said about the importance of education, but mothers themselves must be educated. Without an understanding of the forces at play in the world, of the hijacking of minds and hearts for power and political ascendancy and, conversely, the human capacity to hope, to transcend and to act justly - we cannot begin to help our children make their way.
As we reflect on our understanding of the world, it is our responsibility as mothers to examine our thinking, knowing that consciously or unconsciously children will absorb our attitudes, our habits and our worldview. In a world so painfully divided by political agendas, violent conflict, extremes of wealth and poverty, gender stereotypes, racism, religious disputes and other permutations of "us" versus "them," we must strive not to pass on the attitudes that perpetuate the prevailing order. We need to scrutinize our own thinking. This is perhaps our greatest challenge.
Second, we must tell our children that we are all one people, that there is only one human race and we have just one planet to learn to live together on. This concept of oneness and interdependence is the bedrock upon which we should build our efforts to educate our children. For, in an increasingly interconnected world, the capacity of any one individual to do good or evil increases exponentially. As such, we must consider that every child is potentially the light of the world - or its darkness.
WHAT ACTIONS, then, can help our children become beacons of light? I would begin by helping them to understand the idea of connectedness - connectedness to their family, their community, their environment and the world. Over the past century, our lived experiences, coupled with scientific and social advances, have gradually broken down the barriers that once compartmentalized our world and its people.
We know that girls and women have the same rights as boys and men and that the oppression of girls and women contributes to the breakdown of communities. We know that, despite sinister notions of racial superiority, we are part of one human race. We know that our commercial activity has a direct and negative impact on our environment and our health.
In other words, there is no "us" and "them," there is only "us." This is what I want to teach my children.
The paradigm of interconnectedness also raises the question of justice and responsibility. How can we impart in our children the sense of responsibility for making their community and their world a better place? How can we teach them about justice when we see so little of it in the world?
We can begin at home by cultivating the child's capacity for compassion - an awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it. We can encourage children to help at home or in the community. On a larger scale, we must also make them aware of the challenges in the world and help them to feel compassion even for those they may never meet. Even children as young as three years old are capable of sharing, refraining from hitting when angry and are beginning to develop a sense of right and wrong about how people should be treated.
In the midst of our chaotic and beleaguered world, we can also strive to impart hope to our children. Notwithstanding present-day human suffering, by many accounts the number of wars and conflicts is steadily decreasing. Awareness and intolerance of injustice and inequality are steadily building momentum. More and more children are in schools. The voice of women is increasingly heard in their communities, nations and the world. The degradation of our environment has finally captured the attention of the world.
We can tell them these things, then, and explain that despite what they often see in the media, many people are working hard to build a better world. History need not repeat itself.
As I consider these questions, I am drawn to the writings of the Baha'i faith. "God has given us eyes, that we may look about us at the world, and lay hold of whatsoever will further civilization and the arts of living," wrote Abdu'l-Baha, son of the founder of the Baha'i faith. "Senses and faculties have been bestowed upon us, to be devoted to the service of the general good; so that we, distinguished above all other forms of life for perceptiveness and reason, should labor at all times and along all lines... until all mankind are safely gathered into the impregnable stronghold of knowledge."

Let's give our children the vision and the tools to further our civilization and to perfect the art of living.
The writer, a native of India and a lawyer,
is the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the UN
and serves as a member-at-large on the UN's NGO Committee on Human Rights.
She is the mother of two sons.

Bedtime Story for Mona



Meeting 'Abdu'l-Bahá



"Mona"



Mona looked at 'Abdu'l-Bahá.

He was dressed in dazzling white.

His turban was pushed back a little from His face.

His blue eyes twinkled.

He looked at her and smiled.


Then He reached down

and lifted her up.


Little Mona felt warm and safe

in the arms of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.


He kissed her on both cheeks.


"Are you French or English?"

He asked her.

Mona was too shy to answer.

'Abdu'l-Bahá smiled again.


"If the people ask you whether you are English or French," He said,


"Tell them you are a Bahá'í."



Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket From the Bahá'í Magazine for Children "Dayspring", Issue 66 Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Dinner & Gold Class Cinema

hmmmm... what a romantic evening we had tonight.
We decided to spend a little "just the two of us" time today.
We haven't had any alone time together since my parents went back home from their holiday with us in January! So it was much needed for the two of us to spend a few hours together...
So this evening, we dropped Mona at her grandma's place, who had kindly offer to babysat her for us, and headed for the cinemas.
We went to the Gold Class Cinemas and let me tell you, once you tried it, you cannot go back to 'normal' cinemas!!
We had been there before Mona was born and we totally forgot how good it was to go to the gold class cinemas. (we haven't been to the cinemas for over a year now... since Mona was born!!!)

As soon as you enter the gold class cinemas (which is in the same building complex as the cinema) you enter into a new world, a world of luxury and class!
We had dinner in the exclusive bistro bar and then ordered our desserts and coffee to be served during the movie.
The cinema itself is very spacey and intimate at the same time.

It was so romantic and wonderful to be pampered while having a great time laughing and enjoying a movie which didn't have any cartoon characters in it!
Here are some pictures that does the talking(writing) for me:

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Oh and yeah, the movie that we watched was "Wild Hogs" with Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H Macy. It's a rollicking comedy-adventure about a group of middle-aged friends who decide to rev up their routine suburban lives with a freewheeling motorcycle trip. Taking a long dreamed-of breather from their stressful jobs and family responsibilities, they can’t wait to feel the freedom of the open road. Naturally, they encounter a world that holds far more than they ever bargained for. The trip begins to challenge their wits and their luck when they run into a real-life bikie gang who are less than amused with their novice approach. As they go looking for adventure, they soon find that they’ve embarked on a journey they will never forget.
It was really a hilarious movie! Great laughs!!

A little bling here, a little bling there, makes a lot of bling-bling!

Too much bling-bling never hurts...
You might go blind.... but who cares as long as it looks good right?!? lol

Here is a list of bling-bling must haves!!

Bling-Bling 1: Crystal Rhinestone Computer Mouse
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Bling-Bling 2: Ice Diamond USB Drive
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Bling-Bling 3: Sliver Computer Mouse
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Bling-Bling 4: Lamborghini Laptop!
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Bling-Bling 5: Sexy Red Samsung Washing Machine
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The Calendar for the Wired Family

I keep several calendars in our house: a small one in my purse, a Fridge Grid Pad in the kitchen, etc. However, I'm usually the only one who updates them, and soon something will get missed because my husband never wrote it on the calendar. I can't blame him entirely - he's very busy with his clients and on the phone much of each day, so it's hard for him to remember to update the calendar. But he's usually near a computer 18 hours a day, meaning if he had a virtual calendar he could be better at writing everything down. Plus, I too often forgets what it was that I needed to write down!

A friend asked me to try out COZI, and once I saw what it was I could barely contain my excitement! Cozi is a software program that includes a family calendar, shopping list, and message center. You can download the software onto your computer for quick, easy access to your family calendar, but you can also use the Web login to check and update when you're away from home. Each family member is given a color code, so you can easily sort out who is doing what. You can see the overall family calendar using the "All" tab, or look at each person's individual calendar. Adding a meeting or appointment is as easy as double clicking the day and filling out the event, time, and choosing who is involved. You can also set up recurring appointments or events, like birthdays or regular meetings.

This calendar is amazingly useful for the family. Nays can update the calendar from work or where ever he is, via the Web, while I'm adding appointments to it from home using the downloaded software. The two versions sync up right away, so you always have the most up-to-date information. Also useful is the shopping list that Cozi provides. I updated it from home, then pulled it up online when we were out so I could remember what I needed at the grocery. Nays was also able to update the list with things he needed while at work. And best of all? You don't even need to write it all down before going to the grocery. You can either ask Cozi to text the list to your cell phone, or you can call the Cozi free number and have a computer read the list to you. How cool is that?

Cozi has other features like a family photo collage screensaver (which looks really cool) and a messaging system. And you can customize the color assigned to each family member, as well as select a family photo for your Cozi Central homepage. But the most awesome part of all of this? It's free. Yes, you read that right: f-r-e-e.

I'd recommend COZI for any family who has little time at home, a lot to do, and has at least one or two techno-geeks with a computer attached to them for a significant part of their day. But even the non-geeks in the house can use this simple, intuitive software to manage the family calendar.

Walking, Eating, Playing

Meeting with ATC

Last night, the Area Teaching Committee had a youth gathering in the new Baha'i Center of Learning Building in Adelaide City.
It was a very nice and casual meeting.
Here are some pics.

Welcome to Toddlerhood Sabby!!

You know the old saying:
"Be careful what you wish for - you just might get it."
I spent a good part of the first 8 months of Mona's life wishing things would get easier. I prayed that she would get over that colicky period, sleep through the night, and start taking solid food. Daddy and mummy wished that our little princess would soon become less of a "blob" and more like a little girl with whom we could both play with. We both looked forward to the day Princess would say her first word and take her first step. We happily envisioned the day she'd pick up a pen, put on a sock, say the alphabet and someday - please God - go potty by herself.

Now that our baby is a toddler, our wishes are coming true!
Dear Sabby & Nays: Welcome to what is probably the most strenuous and awe-inspiring stage of parenting!!

The dictionary defines a toddler as "a small child roughly between the ages of one and three." Other books marks this phase of childhood when a baby first begins to "toddle", or walk with short, unsteady steps. Either way, we have a toddler on our hands, and trust me, no matter what a book tells, we know we have a toddler at home!!

I've been really watching Mona lately...
Even though my little toddler may be a tad shaky on her feet, my little darling seems now truly ready to explore people, places, and things - without my help, thank you very much!
She is becoming social too. Mona loves to imitate. She can clap, sing (well sounds like it), dance, and play side by side with other children.
In short, Mona is more like a miniature person now than a baby.
She's wide-eyed with curiosity, full of energy, and courts trouble constantly. lol.
I feel like i am under-siege - every container, every box, every object my darling Mona can grasp, every electrical outlet, every cherished knickknack is fair game to her.
From Mona's perspective, it's all new and exciting; from our perspective, it feels like an assault on us, our house, and everything in sight!! lol.. no but seriously!! I can barely recognize my couch and my living room has disappeared and in it's place is not this big huge playroom!!

Toddlerhood clearly marks the end of infancy. (...sniff - wipe off a little tear in the corner of my eye here...)

I read that it's also "a sneak preview of adolescence". In fact, many experts think of this period in the same vein as the teenage years, because a similar separation is under way. The mother and father are no longer the beginning and end of a toddler's world, in fact, as a toddler rapidly acquires new physical, cognitive, and social skills, they also learns how to say "NO" - a skill that also will serve them well in adolescence!!

But apparently, that's the good news! lol
"It is indeed through the toddlers explorations and struggles (mostly with the parents), that they begin to gain mastery over their environment, and most important, gain a sense of themselves as competent and independent beings; even though at times the process is maddening."

Well I'm ready! At least i feel that way!
Although I am very well aware that parenting a toddler isn't smooth sailing all the way, and that raising any child is a huge responsbility and comes with heaps of frustration and brick walls, not to mention tears and tantrums, but I am also ready for all the joy and excitement of every "first"s that are soon to come!!!

BRING IT ON GIRL!!! MAMA IS READY!!!
lol

Shopping, French Manicure & Footy Stars

Went to Westfield Shopping Center in Marion this evening (they open late till 9pm on Thursdays and that's when it's most busy there).

Got my nails done.
I have a new full set of French Acrylic nails!!
I wanted to get them done for so long, but was a little bit scared that it might hurt Mona, but now that she is a bit older i can finally have them.
It took an hour to have them on and it sting a bit at times and having your nails buff with an electric buffer was a little bit scary, but everything turned out good and i survived it all and came out of the salon with the most beautiful nails ever!!
I must admit that they are very comfortable to wear. I thought it would be hard and rough and would be hard to have things done with it, but the proof is here... i am typing as usual on the keyboard. And even when it comes it contact to the skin, it feels soft because the edges are not sharp and rough, which is good for me when dealing with Mona. (pics of nails at the end) After getting the nails done, we went to do some shopping.

Got some clothes for Mona (a pair of jeans and a hot pink hooded jacket) and we bought some books for each member of the family. Nays got some business related book, I got a parenting book on toddlers, and Mona got like 5 board books (1 on Alphabets - 1 on shapes - 2 on first words and her first drawing book with a pack of washable non-toxic crayons!!)
This morning she was drawing for the first time. She looked so cute!! (Pics & video of Mona drawing at the end)

While shopping we went into Rebel Sports Shop and they had a cue of Power Fans there. (Power fans are fans of the Port-Adelaide Footy club - the one we support in our family).
They had a special in store event where two lead players of the team was there to sign autographs and give out gifts. So we went into the cue because we were so excited, there was on the youngest player of the team (and i must admit, the cutest too), Daniel Pierce.
Then we realize we have nothing on us for them to sign on, so we quickly grab the smallest t-shirt of the team available (for Mona - it was a size 4 though and Mona is only a size 1 lol...)
So they signed on the back of the T-shirt and we got a sport bottle as a gift, on which they signed too. lol
Anyways.. was a fun time at the shopping mall.

Here are the pics & video.



Prayers for the children

My heart is heavy to read of the news about the most precious gems of the world, the children, being increasingly harassed and abused.
Specially the Baha'i Children and Junior Youth of Iran.

It is my commitment to pray earnestly for the children who are suffering.
The plight of children all over the world rest heavy on my heart right now.
The children who are being persecuted for our beloved Faith must be prayed for.
How can we forget the children of Africa, of Asia, of South America and other parts of the world who are only losing parents to AIDS and violence and are suffering that terrible loss of not having the feeling of safety, love and nurturing but are often looking after their siblings as so many adults in their community are ill or have died.
And all the children who are facing big problems right now like child abuse and predators are causing heartache weekly in families all over the world.

If we unite in prayer, a difference can be made.
Can we also perhaps each commit to looking around us for children who require our love and attention and perhaps do just one act of love and which assists education for a child outside our home each week.

To read the full story of Baha'i Children being persecuted by school authorities in Iran click here.

Her first steps in video!!

This video of Mona making her first steps this morning.
She had been walking little steps like those all over the house all morning and i've been trying to record it!!
I was so happy and excited that she was making steps without holding on to any furniture and each time she walks the steps keeps getting longer!! lol

Here is one of her big first steps for your pleasure to watch.
Enjoy!



lol... did you hear how excited i was!! lol

And as a bonus, here are some pics of Mona this morning:

THE POWER IS BACK!!!

Oh my, oh my, oh my!! What a game!!

We went to the Port-Adelaide Game today!! It was so great!!
We won of course!! lol... and it was Mona's first Aussie Footy game!! She really enjoyed it, even though she slept in the middle a bit, but was so excited when the crowds cheered, she would join in by clapping her little hands!! lol.. so cute!!
She was also the center of attraction in the stand we were sitting in.

Nays is thinking to get some premium season tickets, he's been wanting to get them ever since i knew him... lol, so i think i will encourage him to get them. I am so pumped by the game! It was really great and where we were sitting was so nice and shady, we were behind the goals and we could see all the action on the field.

Here are some videos and pics:

She walks!! She walks!!

Mona started making her real first steps today.

It's been a week now since Mona started standing and taking a few steps without holding on to any furniture or other objects or us, and it's been only once or twice a day.. nothing too big to make a big deal out of it...

But today, she did it like at least 10 times. She would be in a standing position and when she would want to move, just take a few quick steps and throw herself in our arms or to the object she wanted to reach. lol.. It's so funny, because it's really quick steps.
She walked from the coffee table to the couch several times today, and she walk from the office desk to me sitting a bit further, she walked from the door step to a few inches away where daddy was standing, etc... It was so exciting for us and her too, because we would cheer and clap at each steps she took without holding on, and she would get really excited about it... lol

Hopefully this week, her confidence will grow and she will eventually start walking.
(sorry, no pics or video this time... the steps are really quick and you cannot predict when she will make them - cause when we ask her to walk, she just wouldn't budge!! lol)
Maybe next time.... Stay tuned!

Mona in her bath

Today Mona was so cute in the bath. I couldn't resist taking pics & video of her.
I was combing her hair in the bath while she was reading her bath book and she absolutely wanted to grab the comb from me and comb her hair herself. lol...
Her hair is growing a lot by the way. And it's all curls.
Here are some pics:


This is a short video of her slipping in the bath and getting right back up! Lol...

Roses for me!!

Woke up this morning, gave Mona breakfast (see video below) while hubby went out on an errand for work. He came back with those gorgeous roses for me!!
I was so suprised and happy!!
When i asked what was the reason for the roses? Are we celebrating something special?

Could be that i have missed an important date in our calendar!
Just because you are you he says!! :))
Don't you just love days like thoses!!





Mona eating breakfast

My Little Ray of Sunshine


"What are you up to now?"
I ask ten times a day.

"Where are you going?"
"How did you do that?"
Are the words I most often say.


Then just as I think you are settling down,
You jump up and crawl around;

Emptying cupboards, making a noise,
Throwing your toys on the ground.


But I wouldn't change a single thing.
I love you the way you are.

You're my little ray of sunshine,
You're the very brightest star!



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She loves books - can't you tell?

One more video

This is another video of Mona.
This evening she was playing with her kitchen set and pull it down to the floor and started climbing in and out of it.
She would climb in it and then climb out to go get a toy and put it in the kitchen, then climb back in, and then back out to get another toy, and on and on....lol
It was so scary and funny at the same time to watch her doing that.
NB: Mona didnt hurt herself at all during this experiment of hers.
Also did i mentionned before that she can climb up and down from the couch, chairs and beds!! She is turning into a dare-devil... and that really scares me!!
Anyway, here is the video:

Some recent videos of Mona

Mona playing with her book:


Mona playing with doll:


Mona reading her book:


Mona enjoying her ice pop:

Cricket World Cup

The Cricket World Cup is on.
And my hubby is watching it right now.
Snuggly lying on the couch, and watching cricket all night long!
Oooohhh how i love this game!! lol

Engagement of Nasim & Farzad

Sunday was the engagement of Nasim (Naysan's cousin) & Farzad.
For the occasion, both Naysan & myself had our hair done at the hair salon. I had a new cut and extremely straight hair, and Nays got some copper highlights in his hair.
Mona was wearing the beautiful dress that aunty Patricia from Mauritius had send for her. She was so beautiful in that dress and knew it very well indeed!! lol
We had such a great time, specially Mona.
She was in the arms of almost everyone, saying hello and showing off her cutie dress, dancing on the dance floor, and sleeping in everyone's arms also.
Here is a video of her dancing in the arms of Nasim's auntie, who everyone thinks looks exactly like my mum.
I'm sorry for the bad lighting of the video, i really need to upgrade my digi cam.

And some pictures: