Lala started doing yoga today. Apparently she learned how to do it by watching me- now when I say "Let's do yoga" she stops doing whatever she is doing at that moment and takes the yoga position. In fact she is doing it much better than me- I guess babies are natural yogi just as they are natural swimmers. Which makes me think- maybe I should register to a yoga class with her.

Right now I am sitting on my sofa, listening to Teoman's Gemiler . Lara is asleep upstairs, and Levent is working with a friend on the dinner table. It has been a mild February day, we woke up with bird chirping on the pines and oak trees - I went out to the patio and threw a handful of cashews to our American squirrels - they keep overfeeding, and I am partly to blame I am afraid. I am lately enamored with Teoman, I listen to his old songs and what a voice- makes me feel back in Turkey, and I imagine I am in Bodrum, living there and not here in Sterling, and even the thought makes me elated for some inexplicable reason. Deep down I guess I long for the Mediterranean warmth, the labyrinthine streets and even the seagulls and the crowd. It is a world so apart from my world here- and I long for the little imperfections that used to make up my life in Istanbul. Lara is talking, she says ac (open) and also cay (tea) and she is moving at rocket speed. We are literally left breathless trying to catch up with her when we go out to the mall. I do not go to Starbucks that often now, what is the point when I can not sit for even 20 seconds to drink a cup of coffee- instead I am running after Lara who is enchanted by the glittery and shimmery coffee cups, toys etc there. I do miss my barista friends though. It is hard to imagine how they can smile and be so full of energy when they start work at 4:30 am every day- these people are amazing. And funny. And if I happen to go there without Lara they say "Where is my little girl?". Ok, now I am going to listen to some more Teoman.