Yesterday started with taking a very reluctant dog to the vet.  Poor poochie.  She’s healthy, though.  After that, it was yet another trip to IKEA to get more furnishings.  I had tokli chaat at Bombay Talk in Iselin on the way home.  Mmmm.  Then we assembled the furniture.  Woohoo!

Today was a great day, too, especially for the girls.  I brought them up to the old neighborhood, and they got to play all day at their best friend’s house with a bunch of the girls they liked from school.  I got to hang out with two of my own favorite people (not Gayle, even though she’s one of them!), and – bonus – I’d come up to get a crown replaced on a front tooth, and it was perfect the first time.  We stopped at the storage unit on the way back and got more boxes, and I also managed to squeeze in a trip to East-West for lemon grass and palm sugar and black bean cakes.  Tomorrow there will be much making of Thai curry pastes.  And samosas, which the girls want more of.  And painting of hallway so we can put up bookshelves and empty some more boxes.

Today was Carolyn’s birthday, and she decided she wanted Indian food – homemade.  I like to cook, and the girls helped.  We made onion chutney, mint chutney, tamarind sauce and samosas.  Then we had onion pickles, a cucumber raita, paneer pasanda, and curried cauliflower and black beans, with rice and naan.  Then birthday cake!  Good thing we have a dishwasher.

So while all this was going on, hubby set up laundrycam.  It watches the washer and dryer and folding table.  It’s very thrilling.

My folks came to celebrate with the kids, and a good time was had by all.  However, somewhere alonng the way, a vein in my hand spontaneously ruptured, so after mom and dad left, I headed to the emergency room, and am now trying to function with a brace immobilizing my right hand.

Here’s where we were today!

This was one happy dog.  She’s never been to the beach before, but she loved it!

The girls collected shells, which will either decorate around the new pond this spring, or get turned into jewelry.

Weather permitting, we’re thinking the beach trip should become a family tradition, along with Chinese food out for dinner.