Author Archives: beverly

Hello, June!

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It’s been while– I know! I’ve had to channel my love for writing into papers and research for my classes at St. Catherine’s University. But, it is all worth it and what a trip it’s been down this new exciting journey! And, starting out my new road down academia with a 4.0 is icing on the cake. But, enough about that! Though it’s not officially summer solstice, we’ve already begun celebrating it in our household! We have some wonderful things planed this summer, which include some of our special friends.

The boys, like my garden, are growing, growing, growing! Nishad is quite the gymnast that loves playing soccer! He even made his first goal for his team two weeks ago! They are all so cute in their uniforms. They named their team “The Dragon’s.” Nishad told me the other night at bed time that he wasn’t to be a doctor that is a fireman that drives a race car! My kind of kiddo! His school ended on a high note- literally. This year the kids performed songs associated to traveling our beautiful country at the end of the year program. Adorable! He was quite amazed that Mommy knew the lyrics to “Route 66,” “This Land is Your Land,” “Country Roads,” etc. He has also become quite the social butterfly. He still has a crush on the cutest little girl in class and his best friend is still Joseph. He’s writing and an emergent reader — which is so exciting to experience when it’s your kid… I’ve witnessed this many times before with students, but it’s different when it’s your baby. 🙂 I’m so proud of him for his love of learning, which begins at home but is largely influenced at the most excellent of schools. We feel so blessed that he is enrolled at the best Montessori school around, with the best teacher who not only guides, but loves him. Nishad has one more year of pre-school, Monday thru Friday, for three hours a day, and then he will have his Kindergarten year at this school as well as a full time student, Monday thru Friday from 8:30 to 3:30p.m. He didn’t need to take a pre-school screening because it’s only the law if you enroll your child in public K, which we are not.

Tiger…wow, it’s been 9 months since we’ve been out of diapers. What a blessing that is! He enjoyed his first year of school in the Toddler Community. He learned some wonderful things (he can count to 11 now and has started sounding out letters) and made some wonderful friends. Next year he will join the casa, like Nishad, but he will not be in Nishad’s class as they are siblings. I think it will be a very smooth transition for him as he’s already familiar with so many of the teachers, the school and children. When people ask me if he is in a “big boy bed” I have to smile. He slept on a floor bed as an infant and then a toddler bed and has been in a twin size bed for about a year now. So, I don’t have any transitional stories to share as it was so smooth and natural. (Just like Nishad.) He does love his bed and his room though…and when it’s bed time, he never has issues falling asleep.

Ashish is doing well– running things for his work and inventing better ways of doing things, new projects and being an overall leader…I’m proud of him and I’m glad he can do something he really enjoys. I was contacted by someone to help out with a project, but because of school, I refereed Ashish to it, which may be even more passionate than I in this subject area. So, I know he’ll do well. I can’t say what it is yet, but Ashish and this person are attending some seminars and something big and wonderful is on the horizon…not just for us…but for many people…especially, children in this area! So much focus is on college in this country— which always shocks me as 0-6 is when the brain is most absorbent. Lay the foundation NOW so that they can excel later!

I can’t be a slave to the computer today! It’s beautiful outside and I have two little boys itching to go explore with their Mommy! Peace!

Maple Grove by Maze

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Our pals S and D turned us on to this cool, new place- the Maple Grove Library! The Architecture is beautiful and inviting. All of the children’s books are at their reach complete with kid-sized tables and chairs…even interesting games, that seem more like objects of art, displayed on the walls, for a “hands on” learning experience.

After spending time at the Maple Grove Maze and enjoying a picnic style lunch, the Maple Grove Library was a pleasant short walk down a path lined with flowers and a pond. Ahhhh, summer.


Last Day of School

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Congrats to Tiger for graduating from the Toddler Community to the Casa and for Nishad on completing another year at their Montessori School! Next year will be Nishad’s “official” pre-school year and Tiger’s first year in the Casa. In celebration, after returning home on the last day of school, we had an impromptu splash session! Welcome, Summer Vaca!

Picnic Time

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Being that the end of the school year is near, it was time to have our annual end of the year picnic with the J’s! I picked up a pizza and Mama J made special rice-crispy bars (YUMMY!). Everyone needs a best friend…Nishad and J continue to be two peas in a pod. Next year J will be in Kindergarten! Little J will be starting up in school next year as well. He and Tiger will be in the Casa, though he like Nishad’s buddy, is a full grade ahead of Tiger. Grades and age don’t matter though when you find a kindred soul! The only thing that matters is memories to build on. We are proud of all 4 boys! Congrats, boys!

Mother’s Day

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It’s hard not to think about where I was a year ago…I was almost to the point that I was paranoid about not getting sick this year. It was last year, at this very function that Nishad started to shiver and I took his temperature to find that it was 101.8! That night, I prayed over him– as only a mother can. I asked that whatever he was fighting off be released into me as I was older, bigger and stronger than his little body. Regardless of what you believe, I believe that I just may have took that on. I would do it again in a heart-beat too. The following day I woke-up in extreme pain, vomiting and was alternating from a fever to the chills. Around 1p.m., I told Ashish that we should go to Urgent Care. My friend L, celebrating Mother’s Day with her own three children, unselfishly dropped everything and came over to watch our boys. It was at Urgent Care that they sent us directly to the ER as my white count was at almost 27,000. Something was very wrong. Hours later, we would find out that I had pneumonia. I would go in 10 days later, on my last dose of meds, to see how things were progressing. Ironically, unknowingly, my sister (12 years my Senior) had a doctor appoint for her health as well back in Chicagoland on that very same day. I would get a thumbs up, and she would be sent to the hospital. She wouldn’t leave the hospital. She died that night, 10 days after Mother’s Day, 7 days from my Mother’s Birthday– the same age as my Mom when she passed away from breast cancer; 47. Though my sister wasn’t in the best of health, they had no warning that she would pass away. They actually admitted her into the hospital to stabilize her glucose level. She had just come back from taking a group of people to Walt Disney World. Apparently, she was in poor condition prior to leaving as well as when she was there. Her death certificate says that the reason for passing were cirrhosis of the liver (non-alcoholic) and staph. Though I wasn’t 100%, I knew I had to head back to Chicagoland to support my niece and be there to say goodbye to my sister. Though she and I didn’t have the best relationship, I loved her and I know she loved me. I know in my heart, she has found my mother and has found peace. Like my Mom, she was gone too soon. There is an unsettling feeling that rests in your bones when you wrap your head around losing your Mom at 47, and your sister at the same age as well. I don’t want to rush past the next 13 years, however, please forgive me if I REALLY celebrate 48.

Tiger giving me some love in his classroom.


Nishad proudly posing with me after we shared a strawberry short cake.


Nishad and his bestie. I’m so glad they found one another. J is a great kid and Nishad just adores him and his family– as a matter of fact, so do we!