Am I still sane?

Every now and then I get these very sympathetic messages from friends and family.
"Poor you, 4 whole months with the kids without school. You must be going nuts"!!Occasionally I even get the appreciative ones which go " Well done, Harini. You've managed to push one month, its now down to three. How in God's name do you do it?"!

Well, I know it does sound pretty horrific especially in a new environment where the little ones don't even have friends to play with! I'll be lying if I said that I was not scared imagining how it would be. I was actually worried when I learned that the kids wont be going to school till August which is when the new term begins here. How was I going to set up a house without any help? How could I cook? What about my work? What'll they do the entire day? God, how did I get myself into this?

After nearly 2 months I can say that I had panicked for nothing. Things have a way of falling into place and the kids have risen to the occasion way beyond my wildest expectations.

The little ones pretty much take care of themselves -bathe/brush/dress, make their beds, get home-schooled in the mornings and help me out in the kitchen. Afternoons are for music, craft, balvihar, cooking and art. Its all done at a very relaxed and comfortable pace. They are learning tons and above all I feel we are connecting and bonding deeper with every activity done together. With me playing mother-teacher-instructor-playmate-friend, at times roles and boundaries do get a wee bit fuzzy. But that's the beauty of it all! I'm a friend teaching them Math, a mother playing soccer and a playmate teaching them a song.

I sometimes wonder if these 2 are the same kids who were used to a hugely different life and routine in Singapore. Besides putting their toys back in place and their plates in the sink, they did little else around the house. They had too many friends, attended way too many birthday parties and dabbled in a bunch of after- school activities. And with my crazy schedule thrown in, we never knew where the weeks went by.

Here in Helsinki, the pace has somehow changed- not sure if its because the kids don't go to school or because some of my work commitments like teaching have been put to rest(atleast for the time-being).And for the record, I've not gone bonkers! On the contrary, very much alive in the company of two inquisitive, imaginative and adventurous kids. We have been having a fantastic time exploring the wonderful museums, parks and major sights. Helsinki has so much to offer in terms of family activities and entertainment, that we have to actually prioritize what we want to do every weekend. Exciting times, indeed! And with a fantastic summer setting in, it only promises to get better. August is still a good while away :-)