Ramayana...re-thought

Shriya:Paati, I think I know why Rama wanted to take Lakshmana and Sita with him to the forest

My Mom:Why?

Shriya: Rama was a prince and was used to having people help him, right? I think he took Sita with him so that she could cook for him and Lakshmana to do all the other work!!

Vaibhav: Also, Paati, I don't understand the bit where Lakshmana draws the line around Sita in the forest

My Mom: What's the confusion?

Vaibhav:Why could Lakshmana not take Sita along with him when he heard Rama shouting for help. I think it's silly to leave behind a girl all alone in a dangerous forest. If he had taken Sita with him, they could have both looked for Rama in different directions. And that way Sita could have also escaped from Ravana!!

Nobody like Paati!

"Paati, tell us another story",Paati, one last one..promise". And my mother will regale my little ones every night with story after story until I remind her that its way past their regular bedtime! Tenali Raman, Birbal, Ramayana, Gajendra Moksham have all been narrated. And my dancer mother, also a delightful storyteller, will add in sound effects, include her own side tales and enthrall the kids every night.

As I kissed the kids goodnight one day and left them in that darkened room with my mom, I was reminded of the days my brother and I would snuggle closer to our own paati and hear the very same stories mentioned above. It was a world where only the 3 of us existed.

Paati is indeed a special person and her stories even more so to every grandkid. The very same stories when retold by anyone else somehow does not have the same charm. Amma was not just helping me put the little ones to bed with her stories. She was creating such wonderful memories for them. I gently closed the door behind me and left the three of them to enjoy those precious moments in their own special world.

My Sous Chefs

I'm not one of those moms who take great pride in a spotlessly clean kitchen. I'm easy with a splotch here or a spill elsewhere. And of course, that kind of attitude can come to a person only in S'pore where we're lucky to have stay-at-home help :-).

So, V&S's entry into the kitchen started quite early. When younger, they would be perched on my hip watching keenly as I threw in a dash of turmeric into the boiling sambhar. They smelled, they tasted and they played in the kitchen. A small ball of dough or a bowl of water kept them engaged for a good half hour by which time I managed the evening's meal.

We've always tried to keep our kitchen a fun place. We have bright yellow flowers in an even brighter yellow jug, music, Shriya's pink play kitchen, an entire wall dedicated to all the art and craft that the kids churn out every week.We even used to have a kid-sized table and chairs where they used to draw/colour and chat with me as I cooked.

And of course, we share our kitchen with Lord Ganesha, who gets to taste everything that is cooked.Shriya will promptly grab a bit of everything- be it an omelette or noodles- and place it right under Ganeshji's nose.

V&S are good helpers to have around the kitchen- they will very willingly peel a dozen eggs for the egg curry or mash a mound of potatos for the bhaji. They can cook a decent cheese omelete, make blueberry muffins with the help of Betty Crocker and fix their own sandwich and milk. Not Junior Master Chef surely,but not a bad a star either.

These days, of course, they cant be entertained with just a bowl of water or a piece of dough. So they dangle their legs and sit on the workspace near my cooking area and watch intently. I love to watch their eyes grow big as the various spices change colour, their noses wrinkling up as I give them a sniff of asafoetida, and mouths drooling when something they particularly like is cooking away.

You guys better keep the interest going...I am still hoping for that cooked breakfast treat on Mother's Day sometime soon!

Geronimo Stilton...ur one cool mouse!

Vaibhav has always loved to listen to someone read. And started reading by himself when he was around 5 as compared to his sister who could read beautifully even at 4!If there is that rare silence (that every mother dreads especially when the kids are still at home)and I'm wondering what the kids are upto, I can be sure to find Shriya curled up with a book and Vaibhav very rarely with one.

But ever since Geronimo Stilton got into Vaibhav's life, he's reading and reading and reading some more. He saves his money to buy the 10$+ a copy of the Geronimo series.I was curious and read one. And I could totally understand why he was hooked. The quirky editor-mouse always got entangled in some sort of mystery which he solved by accident. The pages have little illustrations and the lines are not necessarily in order. They could go up a mountain, get suddenly squiggly and go all around a block of cheese depending on what was being discussed.


I'm more than glad.....atleast all the money that he saves now goes into forming a collection of books instead of those ultra silly Animal Kaizer cards and GoGos.I pinch myself and stifle a grin everytime his friends and he start discussing plots and start exchanging the books they have not read!!

This complete change sounds a little too dramatic right? Especially for a bunch of sweaty boys who could not get enough of soccer and tennis!

Keeping fingers crossed.....I'm not sure if this is just a craze like the others or if its here to stay!

Best friend, Teacher, Playmate,Grandpa...all rolled into one!

My parents are visiting and the kids are having a blast. They can now play their favourite games anytime of the day, they can rush down for a round of TT whenever they please and can ask for any dish on a whim! They dont have to wait for amma to finish her office call and get off the computer. They have two willing, obliging and adoring stand ins who indulge them and revel in all their childish prattle.

Vaibhav, especially has bonded so strongly with my Dad that sometimes I wonder if he realizes that he's actually dealing with a 60 year old who has just undergone an operation! Dad and V are like two kids playing, arguing, teasing and petting. My dad can play endless rounds of Rat A Tat A Cat (the kids' all time favourite card game), return every tease and tickle, tirelessly match his every move at table tennis and discuss the pros and cons of the different GoGos (another current fave)almost on par with any of his 6 year old buddies.

My Dad's a born teacher. As a child, I've spent sevaral precious hours with him building my vocabulary and struggling over Algebra!And Vaibhav is his newest student.Mental sums, quizzes and spelling tests can be heard at all times of the day in our home...over a snack, while playing a game and even while taking a walk down to anywhere!

I guess having my Dad around adds a bit of thrill for Vaibhav when it comes to dealing with me!The best bit for V these days is that he does not have to take a simple No for an answer from his Mom. He will immediately go up to my Dad and say " You are her father, right, talk to her! Be strict with her Chanudu(their nickname for my Dad)!!

Vaibhav recently came up to me and requested that he and his Chanudu go on a vacation all by themselves." Friends need to spend time together, ma"! And after thinking about the non-possibility of his idea he asked, " Can Chanudu please stay for one year with me. I think if we go ona holiday he will decide to stay longer with us".

In Vaibhav's lingo, he's enjoying the longest sleepover and playdate with his best friend- my Dad!The buddies are having a great time. The fun starts the minute my little boy wakes up. And the fun, I'm sure, is only going to double when V's vacation begins next week.

Vaibhav, enjoy every minute with your Thatha. Learn from his experience, imbibe his wonderful qualities and most of all treasure every moment with him.

Religious or not, festivals we will not miss!

The Navratri countdown has begun. We've sent out all our golu invitations. Still figuring out dates and times to visit our friends' golus. Just anticipating the festivities and getting into the mood adds to the excitement!

But then last month has been quite a celebration too. Krishnashtami and Ganesh Chathurthi have always been special to us in the family. The kids love hearing stories of Krishna and Ganesha (or maybe because I only know stories with these 2 characters in it)and were keen to help bring in their birthdays.

To V&S, Krishna is the naughty little boy who loves butter and is always upto some prank and Ganesha is the clever, chubby boy who loves to eat and torment his little brother.And it was exactly in this spirit that our celebrations followed. We spoke about our little heroes as we had fun making the kuzhakattais and footprints. Shriya gave her favourite idols (see prev posts) a special shampoo bath. Vaibhav gave me a hand with the modaks (my very first time as well!!).Shriya wrote out a big and squiggly Happy Birthday outside our door with rice flour paste. Our Filipino housekeeper joined in and told us stories about similar festivals and sweets in her country.

There was no formal pooja or shlokha recitation. But the celebrations heralded the rest of the festive period for us in the most beautiful way. Eagerly looking forward to set up the golu with my imps.

Beyond boring beauties!

Shriya is perched on my lap and we are reading a story from the brand new Usborne’s Stories for Girls (that I’d absolutely enjoyed purchasing). It has 20 lovely tales, all very appealing to the girlie heart. I was excited just holding that juicy fat pink hard covered book and couldn’t wait to read all 20 at one go.

After a while, I heard a groan. In all my excitement, I kinda missed that groan. And then she did it again. I stopped and asked what the matter was. We were at the very first story: The twelve dancing princesses. Shriya asked me “ Why are all these princesses always dancing or marrying? Won’t they get bored of doing the same thing?"

I challenged her and asked what they should be doing instead. And she goes “ See amma, when I’m a princess, I won’t just dance and marry any prince. I will do all that only in the weekends and during playtime. The rest of the time I want to be a doctor. I’m going to be a Doctor Princess!!!”

Three cheers to my little heroine!!

Of Tooth Fairies and Fitting In!

Finally it happened! Vaibhav lost two of his lower teeth last week and boy is he thrilled!!Being the absolute youngest in his class, well actually the entire school, his teeth were all strong and intact while his classmates’ fell like skittles. And then one of his friends from outside of school lost his teeth and he is a good six months younger than our man. I think that’s what did it. 

Vaibhav stopped brushing his teeth at night “Its ok, let the germs come and live on my teeth, then they’ll have to fall, right”? I’ve caught him many a time in front of the mirror carefully checking if any of his teeth were shaking…..even a wee bit. And I guess with all that checking two of them did startto wobble. 

Now, just to give you a bit of background. V’s school has an in-school dentist, lovely lady, I hear, whom the boys are very fond of, especially the first graders. Of course they’ll warm up to anyone who’s kind and reminds them vaguely of mommy during recess. Vaibhav is no exception and has been making regular visits to the dentist to check for cavities, get a new toothbrush and off late to beg the doc to pull of his loose teeth.

The other day he came home with his teeth in a Ziploc. “ The dentist said they were now loose enough to pull them off, oh you should have seen the blood, ma”!! He was super excited to say the least and gave me his biggest toothless grin!

I am personally petrified of the Dentist and I don’t think I’m a minority. How in the world did this boy just go by himself and get 2 teeth pulled off? Wasn’t he scared? Didn’t the blood freak him out even a little? Didn’t he need to hold mamma’s hand? 

I guess not! And I guess I better come to terms with this new ultra independent generation that just casually takes in everything in their stride. I was thinking to myself, Wow, my little boy is growing up. His teeth have started to fall, in a few years he’s going to get all hairy and then one day he’ll tower over me.

But I had nothing to worry about…as yet. That night, Vaibhav carefully placed his teeth under the pillow and double-checked if the tooth fairy will know the address and remember to come (remember, he’s Buffett Jr?) and give him his 2 dollars. My big boy was still little :-)

Oh, the toothfairy gave us a visit, alright. And the smile she put on his face that early morning, is one that I’ll never forget!

A new kind of religious....

I still find it adorable to find them both in front of the prayer altar reciting their shlokas. There's something so wholesome and heartening watching two squeaky-clean, hair combed kids in pajamas praying.
But these days, they might not be there at the altar every evening. Vaibhav will demand why he has to go there when GOD is everywhere. And then will add "Amma, I always count my blessings before bed, which is like a prayer, ok?" Fine by me.
Shriya on the other hand is 'friends' with GOD. She has this little Ganesha idol that will go everywhere with her. To school, to bed, inside her dollhouse and most times in her pocket. Everyday, she will give the idol an elaborate bubble bath with soap and shampoo which will be followed with some vigorous drying and chiding 'You could catch a cold, you know'! And then she'll feed Him. Ganesha has been introduced to cheese, chai and crackers. But the ultimate in friendship was when I caught her feeding him a piece of her omelette!! When I told her that He may not like eggs, she quickly replied "But you've told me that we can't say No to anything without trying, right? He might grow to like it".
Oh well, He just might. ...and I wont be surprised :-)

Krabi, Thailand

We took off to Krabi in the first week of June! It was sudden, spontaneous and without an aota of any expectancy. 5 days of island hopping, bumming on beaches, long massages and pigging out!Just what we all needed :-)

The quaint little resort had a lovely pool but no cable connection. Despite our initial dismay over not being able to watch all those dvds that we'd lugged along,we discovered that we could happily entertain ourselves for hours with rock- paper- scissors, scrabble and fruit ninja!! There was absolutely no structure to our day- we ate when we were hungry and idled away like never before. The kids were game for anything and everything. Vaibhav tried a fish spa (where hundreds of teeny tiny little fish come and nibble away dead skin at your submerged feet...felt vey icky just watching him). Shriya had her hair done up in several braids decorated with colorful beads. Both of them thoroughly relished their daily body massages which allowed us to enjoy our massages without having to worry about what to do with them.

I didn't need to fuss over meals, keep them entertained or worry about bedtime. They plunged into the holiday mood and played along beautifully!

Happy Father's Day!

Dear Vaibhav and Shriya,

Today is father's day! And you have been super excited about giving your dad his gift and the 3-page card that you had so lovingly made (I especially love the page where you've stuck pics of all the things that your dad loves- nokia, desserts,Indian thali, coffee, cricket, india, tennis etc).Your dad is a great guy! And I'm sure you'll agree. A glance around the playground and you'll find not one other dad playing and fooling around with their kids. And remember, your dad is no less busy than the others. Its just that you guys are top priority and your dad wants to savour every minute with you.

When I was growing up, I did not know about Father's Day. I've never made my father a card or officially thanked him for all that he's done for me. Like you guys always say, "Never Mind", I can do it today, now.

You guys know your 'Chanudu' as an indulgent and very affectionate thatha. He is all that and more as a father. When all the other dads were a mere presence in their children's lives, my dad actually took time out everyday to teach us, talk to us and listen to us.And it was not a favour he was doing us, he absolutely enjoyed every minute just being with us. It was his abundant patience that has made me a patient mother, it was his trust in me that has seen me married to your dad, it was his pride in me that  has goaded me to move forward and try new things.

They say, that a girl chooses her husband who is just like the man that her father is. Your dad and my dad are very different people but I guess what makes them both very special men in my life is the fact that they are GREAT dads!!

Cherish them !

love,
Amma

My Budding Buffett

Scene on a flight back home:
Vaibhav- Don’t open the wrapper (puzzles+stickers+game), Shriya!!!
Shriya- But, the lady (stewardess) gave it to me so that I can play with it..I'm bored!
Vaibhav- Pleeeeaaase don't open....I can sell it and if you listen to me then I will give you 50 cents

This has been going on for a while. A long while, actually.

Vaibhav LOVES money. His sister and he get two dollars ( it’s the absolute minimum… we started this sytem as an incentive and also as a way to learn to handle money) at the end of the month if they have x number of gold stars (good behavior)  more than black marks ( bad behavior). 

It is Vaibhav’s happiest moment when I hand him his two dollars. He will tirelessly count his money endless number of times, he will compare, add, trade coins with his extremely naïve sister , who will give all her money to her brother. And if I butt in and suggest that she saves, she will turn her cute nose up and defiantly say “I want to give it to him“!!.

I know, I hear, I read that it’s a good thing to like money. But sometimes it can get a tad embarrassing. Like the time, he bought a hair band for 30cents and tried to sell it to a building resident’s daughter for a dollar. The little girl screamed and threw a fit because she wanted it and the mother who knew that it was daylight robbery refused to give in. My little man just stood there, adding fuel to fire with his slick sales talk!

Last month, Vaibhav’s class had a show and tell session where they had to talk about their favorite toy. Our man took a transformers toy that came free with a McDonalds Happy Meal. But when he came back from school, he didn't have the toy. I thought maybe he’d lost it. But he very happily told me that he had  SOLD it for a dollar to a boy who wanted it badly(Grade school allows boys to carry canteen money). I thought of it as a one off case and anyways, there was no more show and tell and so no more toys. The next day he came back with two more dollars. Vaibhav had digged up more of the free toys that came with the Happy Meal and had sold them all for a dollar each!

OMG! I explained to the kid that wanting to make money was a good thing but selling stuff at school was wrong and he must NEVER try it again. He coolly said that this was much easier than waiting till the end of the month for his measly 2$. He had made more money in 2 days than what I give him at the end of a month and that too after considering his behavior!

Ever since he has realized that he can make more money than the 2$ at the end of the month, he’s been AT IT. He has offered his cleaning services to neighbours, relatives and of course ME. He carried all the recyclables to the bin in the basement and earned 50 cents. He cleaned my uncle’s car and earned $5. His  eyes gleamed when I returned from the market with some very juicy lemons. Very innocently he asked me if he could make some lemonade with them. Caught off gaurd, and very touched by his offer, I said, off course you can. Make some for everyone". It hit me only when he said 'Don't worry, I'll make lots ma, but you'll have to pay me 10 cents for a glass"!! 

Little minds at work

V- Amma, does Kali know English?
I- Why? Maybe she does
V- I have a question to ask about her that she might not like and I don’t want her to know that I’m saying something she might not like!!

V- My teacher asked us all to pray for something that she’s lost
I- So, what is this thing that she’s lost?
V- We asked her that and she said that it was a private and personal thing
I- Oh ok, so then just pray for her and hope that she finds it
V- But amma, I think that maybe she’s lost her underwear because that’s only private and personal. I don’t know why the whole class has to pray that she finds her underwear!!

S- Dada, don’t feel bad that I love amma, more, ok?
Dad- And why do you love her more?
S- Come on Dada, she's the one who laid us, not you!

Shriya asked me a question and I was not very sure about how to answer (it was one of those complicated thingies).
I- I'm not sure, will check and get back to you
S- Its ok ma, just google it and we'll then know for sure
I- Excuse me, and how does google know everything?
V- Hey ma, computers know everything!!

Such a blessed birthday!

Shuffling, scurrying, giggling, conspiring. I could hear it all but was strictly forbidden to look. I heard the ping of the oven and the gentle thud of the refrigerator. And then after assembling everybody (my husband and housekeeper) they led me to the table with my eyes shut.

And there was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. A grilled cheese sandwich topped with gummy bears, decorated with  candles. Vaibhav explained- “It only looks like a sandwich, ma, but its actually a cake’! Shriya sweetly offered - “If it's difficult to blow out all the candles and eat all the gummy bears, I can help with some?”

I could feel a sting in my eyes and a grin in my heart. What a wonderfully, thoughtful thing to do! And what impressed me was how amicably they worked together without  bickering or fighting. I blew one candle, popped in a gummy bear and cut into the crispy toasted bread and oozing cheese. What a clever idea, to combine my cake with a good breakfast, I exclaimed. I should have stopped there. But then I added that as I didn’t have a sweet tooth, I did not favour cakes that were not made out of toasted bread. This was perfect!!

Uh-oh!

In front of me was my husband with a scrumptious looking black forest cake, candles and all!!:-)

Dreaming...Twirling!

Shriya has finally started ballet lessons. She has been waiting, pleading to start classes. It was I who delayed things. As a bharatnatyam dancer myself, I knew the right age to start Indian classical was around 7-8. But ballet apparently can be started around 4. Much to her delight, I finally relented and let her start lessons.

So, every Thursday, she dons her tutu and ballet shoes and dances all the way to class.  Its cute…oh so cute! And deep inside I attributed all this interest in ballet simply to the chiffony tutu. I assumed she felt like a princess ballerina (after her favourite tv character, Angelina Ballerina) and did not want to break that pretty little bubble. But the other day, the instructor told me that Shriya is extremely determined and being the youngest in her class,  tries doubly hard.

I can see that Shriya is genuinely keen to learn and her seriousness touches me. Twirl on, little one!

Summer's here!!!

3 ponytails and counting!

Oversized Googgles on Undersized Googlies

Coca Juice (as they call it!)

One cool Spidey Baby

Our Beijing Break

We just got back from Beijing! I can now safely say that we had a whale of a time! I was not too sure about this trip right from the word GO. Would the kids be keen on a serious sightseeing trip? Are they old enough to understand it all? Will Shriya be ok with the local food? Will we all be ok with exactly 10 words and 2 sentences in Mandarin?

We were more than fine and manage we did quite well. The kids were on a high, right from the minute we got to the airport. Separate seats, the entertainment systems, the movies, the kid’s meal..everything was regarded with super excitement. I felt a tad guilty for taking them on Tiger Airways a little too many times to India so much so  they had forgotten what it was like to travel Singapore Airlines!

Beijing is a HUGE city and I had no clue about the amount of walking we’d have to do. The Forbidden City and Summer Palace, however gloriously beautiful are also painfully strenuous! Not a whimper or whine... …atleast not from the kids. They covered it all except that they never walked once. They ran and skipped, hopped  and imagined they were trains and dinosaurs!I tried their way but realized that walking at a steady pace was safer at my age!

I must say that our trip was made extra special because of the Beijingers. So much warmth and love, they were completely charmed with V&S. And of course my little ones played to the gallery! They sang the Mandarin rhymes they knew and happily posed for photo after photo with strangers. They were hugged and kissed and petted! And to my glee they were even given discounts at the markets, that I used very well to my advantage :-)

A wonderful trip in all! But when I look at the photographs and think back, it's not the Great Wall or the Tianamen that bring back memories. It's that afternoon at a little pizza joint where the kids laughed through mouthfuls of stringy cheese watching their father enact something. It’s the hour long steaming bath that they took together while blowing soap bubbles in the hotel bathtub. It’s the bumpy ride that we all took on a trishaw to nowhere. It’s the smiles and giggles, cuddles and kisses, questions and observations that make me smile and bask in the aftermath of a lovely vacation.

Veggies Vs Birthdays

Me: Finish up those vegetable on the side, please
Shriya: :-( ( Grumpy face)
Me: But if you don't eat your vegetables, how will you grow?
Shriya:  Vegetables don't help me grow, birthdays help me grow!
Me: What?
Shriya: Amma, just because I eat more vegetables, am I going to be five sooner than October? No, right? So I actually grow older and become 5 only in October and not because of some vegetable that I eat today.

Shriya has an answer and most times a more logical one than mine for every question!A friend who was at the table cheered Shriya for her 'thought provoking' statement and added to that said, he was quitting on his veggies!Grrrrrrrr

Siiigh, if only I said eat and they ate!!

Emergency Drill

I heard a loud sound and then a bang. Rushed from my room to the kids' room. Everything seemed ok except that there were lots of lego bits near Shriya. I was reminded very clearly that the brother had purposely thrown lego bits near but not on Shriya. Aaaaaaalright! Nothing new happening here. Vaibhav, like most older brothers I know, gets a kick out of annoying, bothering and teasing his little sister.

I just looked at him. No words. Everything had been said several times before. He looked at me gauging my mood ( I presume). I waited wondering if he was going to deny it all, claim that it was an accident or simply say a sorry. But Vaibhav, after some very quick thinking and a solemn face, came up with "Amma, I didn't mean to hurt her or anything. I threw it only on the side and do you know why?? Imagine there is a bomb blast or an earthquake happening very suddenly. Shriya would not even know what to do. I was just giving her some practice and that's why I threw the lego to make the noise like a bomb to just see how Shriya would react. And you know what? She doesn't run fast enough"!


Wow, Vaibhav...not bad at all! I was trying very hard to hide a smile till I heard a menacing "Amma....are you just going to smile and not say anything?? Give him a blackmark, cut a treat, do something. Ammaaaaaaa"!!

To worry or not?

Shriya was sitting on the pot. She usually has a book that she's flipping through. But that day, she had this glazed look and was staring into space. So I asked her what was up and she said that she was very, very worried.

Alright, she had more than my attention now. More probing and she told me in her cute lisp "Amma, I'm so worried about the time when I become a mummy. When I have children, who will clean their poopo?"

Aah, big worry indeed. And here I am worrying about the insane property market and the next assignment to finish on time!I told her that as a mummy she will love her child so much that she wouldn't mind cleaning them.And to that, I got " I will love my kids, but I just can't touch their bums, ma".

Before I could think of the next thing to say that will comfort her-  "Amma, will a meteor hit earth again just like it did many years back and killed all the dinosaurs"?

Shriya was onto worry #2 even before I had addressed worry # 1. I stopped her and asked her about the baby bum issue. She coolly said that maybe either her parents or grandparents will take care of it as they are already used to doing it!!!So, every worry did get sorted out with an answer from within.

There's so much going on inside that pretty little head- worries about the future, worries about motherhood, worries about the planet and god knows what else!

Reading we are!

Vaibhav started reading around 5 and picked up very quickly from there. The Dad and I read to them ALL the time- bedtime (of course), early morning, after school, maybe during snack time and they sneak a book in during potty time :-) I started him off with a very basic Peter and Jane 1a, primarliy because it brought back a million memories and also because I thoroughly benefitted from the series. Vaibhav started late (as per S'pore standards) but picked up very quickly and now loves impressing grandparents and friends with "Ask me a word, and I'll spell it for you".

Shriya on the other hand never did complete her round of kiddy books that V went through and directly advanced to the books her brother was listening to. She wanted Arthur and Berenstain, Curious George and Dr. Seuss and the cute little SPOT books were disregarded as 'baaaaby books'. I should have known, especially when the little missy has always been a little ahead of her age. She's 4 and reads beautifully. I love listening to her and watching her diligently go through every word. Of course her school has played a huge role in supporting her.

I'm glad that the kids get excited about  weekly trip to the Library and even more glad that they dont consider a Book present any inferior.  I've been waiting for the day, when the four of us can peacefully just sit around and read our own books! We're nearly there and I can't stop smiling :-))

Such A Pleasant Afternoon!

The boys were to go bowling all afternoon. Shriya and I had three glorious hours stretching ahead of us. We were like two best friends making plans- what to do first and where to go, how to make the most of it!


We first went to Shriya's favourite shop- Lollipop Shop. It sells little knickknacks, clips, rubberbands, bracelets and everything little girls love. After 20 minutes of leisurely choosing we made it to Bishan Junction 8 where we first spent an enjoyable hour at the library. On the way back we stopped by at the Icing Room. This is a magical little shop all decorated in white and candy pink with lace doilies and sugar sticks. Shriya had saved up her pocket money (well earned through her gold stars) and wanted to spend it all here. We got a small cake- all covered in plain white vanilla icing. S chose 5 tubes of coloured icing cream  and a pack of sugar hearts to decorate her cake. And what a time she (and I had)! When we were done, there was no white to be seen.A little too much decoration, if you ask me...but oh so creative and we couldn't wait to eat it for dessert that night.


After a relaxed tea of muffins and milkshakes and some idle people watching my eye caught some sales that I couldn't resist. Picked up some stuff, tried them on and finally chose a few based on Shriya's expert advice. Such a pleasure shopping with a little girl!I could very well imagine the scene if I had brought the boys along. My husband would have been breathing down my neck to hurry up while my son would have mentioned a million times that he was getting BORED. Incidentally his favourite line these days when I even glance at a clothes/shoe/bag shop is "Dont even think about it, ma"!

We made a pitstop at the art supply store and headed back home.We didn't really do anything extraordinary . Just simple pleasures, relaxed time, enjoying each others company. Definitely an afternoon to cherish!

Met the boys at the door. They were sweaty and tired.We were all talking at once about our lovely afternoons. Seems they had a great time too.But oh so different from ours, for sure!!

My ACSian

Vaibhav started grade school nearly a month ago! Its been a month of excitement, whines, celebrations and lots of adjustments.

Vaibhav knew he was starting 'BIG' school where he can have lots of fun and make more friends! What he did not know was that he will have to wake up EVERYDAY for 5 days a week at 6.30am. He just cant understand why anybody in their right sense would start school so early. Why ma? Why cant they start an hour later? Why do you have to put me to bed when I'm not tired and wake me up when I am? Siiigh. My poor little thing has also to adjust to a recess bell, a weeee bit of homework and all the ways of a 'propah' school!


But he's also having a great time! I know it because he clearly told me so. One Friday I asked him if he was thrilled that he didn't have to go to school the next day. He gave me one look (one that said ' you just don't get it , do you?') and wisely said "Amma, I like my school, ok? I just get a little cranky in the mornings. That does not mean I dont like school"!
Ok, got it Sir!

Academics wise, I was very relaxed, confident that V would be fine...except for maybe Tamil!But he was out to surprise me there as well. He turned in a worksheet in which he had done only 2 sums out of 14. And the teacher had  asked him if he did not know how to solve the sums. My smartypants told her that the sums were too easy and so he was bored and that's why couldn't be bothered to finish it all!!!Anyway...that was the first week. Now he's on a winning high- after having tasted what it is to get a ten on ten :-)

Its a very sporty school! They take great pride in their tournaments and coaching. And it definitely is an all out Boys school. Vaibhs and his dad are super excited to be a part of the Adventure Club where they will be bowling, treking and camping with other Dad/Son teams!

Vaibhav through some previous Karma got into the very competitive and difficult-to-get-in tennis coaching. ACS is known for its tennis and he is getting a huge kick swinging his racket on his shoulders,  enjoying the lessons. Table tennis is his new favourite, though. He plays it during recess (the school halls have several tables strewn across for the boys to hone their game), he plays it after school and he plays it on the weekends.

Vaibhav, soak in the ACS culture and enjoy every minute of your boyhood!The best is indeed yet to be!

Hmmm... moments

Shriya- Amma, why do you always call me 'Chakkarai'?
Me- Because you are the sweetest thing to me
Shriya- But amma, chakkarai is sugar, right? And sugar does bad things to us, right? So how can you call me that?
Me- Hmmmm
Shriya- Call me by the things I love, ok?
Me- Ok henceforth you will be my avocado dippy dip, my kutti idli girl


Vaibhav- It's not fair!! ( an oft-repeated phrase these days)
Me- what's not fair?
Vaibhav- You are big and you get to share your bed with dada but i am smaller than you and I have to sleep all by myself!! Not fair!
Me- Hmmmm




Vaibhav- I am not sleepy as yet
Me- But you have to wake up early tomorrow, school starts at 7.30!!
Vaibhav- Amma, why do you put me to bed when I'm not sleepy and wake me up when I am??
Me- Hmmmm


Me- Hey Vaibhs, its the weekend.... aren't you glad there's no school today?
Vaibhav- Amma, I like school, ok? I might be cranky sometimes in the mornings but that does not mean I don't like school
Me- Hmmmm....ok sir, I'm glad to hear that!

Dakshina Chitra

Before the wedding madness began, we spent a few magical days in and around Chennai. Dakshina Chitra, on the ECR road was one such trip where all four of  us were mesmerized.

Besides going back in time while viewing the different styles of homes  ( Tirunelveli Brahmin, Syrian Christian, Telugu Farmer's Hut etc) we got to try our hand at pottery, kalamkari, mask making and block printing. We were thrilled to watch an authentic Oriya Yakshagna type of performance depicting the Narasimha avatar. I was amazed to see the kids sitting spellbound during the 2 hour show. A hand puppet show depicting Hanuman's visit to Lanka, glass blowing demonstration, kili josiyam (where a little parrot will predict your future)  were all some of the other stuff that we immensely enjoyed.

It was a beautiful slice of South India to showcase to the kids. They were especially excited to try their hand at the various art and craft activities. It was a memorable day- happy times, teachable moments! We'll definitely be back!