Nana in Delhi

Mom is here! I didn't allow myself to fully believe she was really truly coming to visit us all the way across the world until I saw her in the flesh. Rich had given her a scary prepping for the airport just in case we didn't arrive, but when I got there to greet her I was surprised at how not-scary it felt the third time around on the receiving end of the airport experience. Both times we arrived in the airport I felt so disoriented and scared. But I guess sometimes you feel that way in Chicago or New York or wherever. Anyway, we waited around for an hour dodging mosquitos and trying to distract Russell from slithering on the floor and she miraculously arrived! Russell was nervous to see her at first and didn't understand why we weren't getting on an airplane, but he's warmed up to her nicely since then.

Our first day we stopped to get Isaac at the school. Then we had lunch at the cafeteria with Marcia, Ellie and Tom. Then went home and Nanna crashed. Couldn't blame her after 48 hours of almost no sleep. Rich came home early, but by the time he came home I had totally lost it between some tantrum-ing children and eight unexpected merchants who all showed up within a couple of hour's time (and no, I'm not exaggerating! Three men to collect money for the generator, two painters to talk about painting but not paint, a carpenter to talk about fixing the gate but doesn't have time to do it until next week, a delivery man from the grocery store bringing cheese we didn't ask for, and a guy from the gas company to refill our canister but it turned out to be the wrong company). So Mom got a taste early on of how out of control and angry I feel sometimes in this strange place where I can't communicate and/or can't understand.

So on Thursday we went to school and Nanna played with the kids while I went to my Hindi class. Then we went to Khan Market to find contact solution and I bought a skirt and a toy scooter for Russell. We went home for a little nap, then met Marcia, Tom and Ellie at the school pool for a swim. Luckily Russell decided to get in after swimming lessons there last week where he refused to even get in. We chatted with Marcia, which is always fun, and then went to pick up Rich at work.

Friday was Good Friday so Rich was off work. We went to this water park called Food N Fun Village and Nanna swam with the baby and chatted with our friends who had invited us while Isaac and Daddy and Mommy tried out the slides. I went on one that was sort of like a toilet bowl, and it's definitely a rush to go on a waterslide that you know hasn't been checked by any lawyers or measures up to any US standards of safety! All that sun was quite draining so we went home and essentially went to bed.

Saturday we were slow getting out the door but eventually made our way to the India Gate Children's Park for a picnic and play. Then we drove over to Connaught Place and went shopping in an underground market where Rich bought a sahib suit to wear to parties. Then we got him just in time for Mom and me to go get our pedicures and manicures at this exclusive French salon for way cheap. Mom said it was her best pedicure yet. It was my first pedicure ever . . . had to move halfway around the world to learn how to pamper myself! Then we got home and Rich and Nana went for takeout food and a movie. They came home with yummy spicy Indian vegetarian and a cheesy Bollywood flick. We started falling asleep halfway through (as usual . . . all Bollywood films are like 3 hours long!), but what we saw was great.

This morning Nanna woke up with the Delhi Belly. Yuck, yuck. So we had to leave her home and she missed out on seeing the truly unique church experience in Delhi. We had a beautiful Easter sacrament meeting program and Russell didn't cling to me for the first time at church and we didn't have any major dramatic moments at any point during the meetings. So perhaps we are at last adjusting to church life in India.