A Month with TWO Kids!

Yes! Its been exactly a month since my son was born. A month since we welcomed him to this world and our family. A month since he completed the final piece of our little family. It also meant that me and J* are now responsible for two tiny humans. While its not always rainbows and unicorns here, but we are getting there. I will jot down some things that I have learnt in the past month.

1.      The Newborn thing gets easier the second time – Because you know the drill. Although its been more than 6 years since Angel was a new born and I had forgotten a lot of things, I was mentally prepared for what is about to come. I know not to freak out at every tiny noise that he makes. The first time around we just had the theoretical knowledge, this time along with that I also knew the practicalities of it. I remember I was so scared to carry Angel when she was a newborn, now I know that he wont break if I give him his tummy time and he is not as delicate as he looks. I am also thankful to a wonderful book called “The Happiest Baby on the Block”. Recommended for all parents of newborns.

2.      I am a pro at multi tasking – I can now feed the baby, help Angel with her homework, carry out a conversation with J* and keep an eye at the stove all at the same time. It is also apparent from the fact that I took almost 6 months after the birth of Angel to get back to this blog and now I back after a month.

3.       Child birth is hard – No matter what the type of birth is – normal or caesarean, no matter if it’s the first child or the nth, it is no mean feat. Especially the first few days. You are leaking from everywhere and the everything is painful. Post partum blues are real and your hormones are having a party at your expense. I realized that breastfeeding is so exhausting, especially during growth spurts and its okay to hug your partner and cry it out because there is light at the end of the tunnel, it gets better, eventually.

4.      My first born needs time to adjust to my second born – Although Angel is six and is very mature for her age and we prepared her during the pregnancy and she did not say it in words and would steal hugs from the little one from time to time, we could feel it. We empathized with her as well, you don’t realize the enormity of the situation until it hits you. Until now she was the center of our world and now another human is in picture who is taking a lot of my time which used to be hers. We involve her with everything related to the baby, from feeding to diaper changes and even doctor appointments. She loves to know what is going on with her baby brother. We also try to make it up to her by spending one on one time with her, especially J*. He takes her with him for mundane things like grocery shopping and they talk and she loves it. I have taken 2 trips with only her and the baby at home to a café and to a store to shop for a present for her friend’s birthday. We also did something for the month of February as it’s the month of love, we basically gave her 14 reasons why we love her, one for each day until Valentine’s Day and it went on the door of her room. She used to eagerly wait for her heart of the day and on weekends would remind me to put one for that day!

5.      It still takes a village to raise a child – You need help and don’t hesitate to ask for help. We have been lucky that my MIL is here to help us for the initial few months and it has been such a huge relief. It means that even though I am not there for Angel’s meal times sometimes, she is with someone who loves her. It also means that I don’t have to worry about laying the meals on the table and I can focus on the baby.

6.      My heart has grown – A cliché, I know. But I had serious thoughts on weather I would be able to love the little one as much as I love Angel, turns out all my worries have been futile as my heart has expanded to accommodate that much more love. Parents are wired that way!

Life with two kids is hard. It is also my new normal. I know its going to be challenging and not everyday is going to end with a smile. It also means that the Valentine Day outing is a late night trip to a café after the kids have gone to bed. However, its worth it!

PS – As you know by now that I call my daughter “Angel” on this blog, though its not her real name, I am still thinking what I should call the little one in this space. Suggestions welcome 😊

Double Bonanza

We had a busy last week! It was Diwali, of course :) And to add to the festive mood, we had Halloween the next day!

Growing up, Diwali used to be my favorite festival. On further thought, it still is. First there were the new clothes, Diwali holidays(with lots of homework too, but we always tried to finish the homework before the festivities began), the delicacies prepared by mom (my mouth waters whenever I think of those), the prayers (and the subsequent rituals) and most importantly the fire-crackers (Dad used to get loads of crackers & we used to divide them equally amongst the three of us and then further divide our own share into three more parts, for bursting them for three days). We hardly cared about the environment those days and just had fun with our friends. Ahh, the good old days!

I wish Angel could experience the same thrill for Diwali as I did. All I can do is try! Try to make Diwali memorable, something that she would remember fondly and celebrate spiritedly when she is grown up. 

And try I did. So I mailed her teachers explaining the festival giving some details & pictures. Next I heard is they read a book about Diwali to the class. They even tried to make rangolis. So the children colored the coarse salt and left it to dry one day and the next day they arranged it in different patterns. It was a beautiful effort!

We live in a carpeted apartment, so we couldn’t make the traditional rangoli (also, I have never made a rangoli before and I don’t have any creative genes) so Angel and me made play dough rangolis!

We also did 3D paper diya craft activity, just so that some excitement rubs off on her.

I made some sweets and snacks so that it feels like Diwali is approaching. 

Angel loved the ladoos, she gobbled them and requested for more. The 1^st batch of ladoos is finished already and I am already getting requests for the second batch. That is a huge thing for me since she hardly likes eating, forget about requesting something for making a second time!

We were so glad that Diwali was on a Sunday this time. So on the day of Diwali, we got dressed and headed for Arya Samaj. I had tried to call them a couple of times, but couldn’t connect with them and we found that it was closed. So we headed to a temple next and attended the prayers. In the evening we went to the same temple again to burst the fire-crackers. Angel was skeptical at first and even afraid, but after watching us for some time, she tried her hands at holding the sparkles and later told me that I was right and it was fun :) We had some time in hand so went to Swaminarayan temple next as J* had heard from his colleagues that it is beautifully decorated. To our great surprise, we could find the acharya khichdi in the food court they had specially put on account of Diwali which was missed the last time we went there. I had to eat it (even though I was done with my dinner) as its one of my few favorite foods. We left with full stomachs and beaming hearts.

Angel’s teacher had requested me to share the picture of Diwali with her so that she could share it with the class and Angel described to her friends that what was what. The teacher later told me that it was a great learning for other children and the children were sharing stories of Diwali with their parents J

The next day was Halloween and Angel, being the fan of 123 Sesame Street, dressed up as the Cookie Monster. 

We also carved a pumpkin for the first time which we picked from a pumpkin patch. Angel was not happy with the happy face and wants a scary faced pumpkin for the next Halloween. 

She also went for ‘Trick or Treat’ for the first time and returned with a bucketful of candies and treats.

We had a wonderful time this year while celebrating the double festivals!

Nazar Proofing

If you have delivered your baby in India, chances are that you have been through the 40 days of confinement period. The tradition arose from the need to protect both mum and baby from infection and help the mother recover from the exhaustion of child birth. One of the many restrictions is that the mum and baby can’t go out of the house. Though I was not having post-partum depression, there were blues nonetheless. I was tired and frustrated sitting at home with my days (and nights) doing nothing but managing or thinking about Angel’s feed, burp, massage, bath, pee and poop. Thankfully, my MIL noticed and understood this. She is one of the rare kind in the previous generation who doesn’t believe that traditions come before individuals and thus we went for a short drive along with Angel even though the 40 days were not over yet. I came back refreshed and definitely feeling better however Angel cried a lot and we were not able to comfort her. After trying everything, MIL suggested to utaaro her nazar (warding off the evil eye) and she did that. And guess what, Angel still continued to cry! She was a colic baby and not knowing any other way to express herself at that age she used to cry. We later sat and discussed that if she has a problem she will cry whether or not she has been out or seen by anyone.

That day I decided that I will never do this ritual again for my daughter! I have heard phrases like “nazar lag gai” or “nazar utaro iski” n number of times from well-wishers, friends and even my mother but I have stood my ground. I have convinced some of my friends to let go of this practice while some of my friends think that this definitley help their children. I most certainly want them to discard it but I don’t judge them as there is nothing call “bad parenting”. All parents want the best for their children and they do certain things as they believe that is the best for their child.

Now I have utmost respect for our ancestors and genuinely believe that they were way more knowledgeable than we give them credit for. Take for example our age old home remedies, they are much better than any medicines and antibiotics. Whatever rules they had, made great sense at their time, like not cutting the nails in dark. At that time there was no electricity and it made sense to not cut the nails in dark lest they find their way in food, however it doesn’t hold water now when we can see clearly during the night time as well. Similarly, this confinement practice must have been made to ensure that the mother is well rested and gets enough bonding time with the baby.

However, our generation has to take some initiative to stop the age old rituals if it doesn’t agree with that little thing called “logic” and make sure that we don’t pass them on to our future generations and instead take care of their health and immunity, help them learn the life skills and make them independent and confident!

Angel Speaks...

.. and does not stop :) She loves to talk, so much that there are times when I have to literally beg her to stop.. And when she does not talk, she expects me to talk.

This is primarily because I have talked (and still do) so much to her. Now basically, I am a quiet person. I don't like much talking and I need some quiet time in a day, while Angel is just the opposite.

Below are a few excerpts from our day to day conversations:

She was asking me one fine morning, that where is chhota chate(its a powder which aids digestion in children) ka dabba?

I told her to find it out on her own as she had took it the previous night. She was not in the mood so was insisting that I find it for her, to which I politely declined.

Angel : Mumma is a good girl. Mumma will find it :D :D

She sure knows maskabaazi !

***

I was telling her to out of the tub after her bath.

Angel : Angel will do chhap chhap in the tub first and after that will come with you (She refers to herself in third person)

Similarly, when grandma is in a hurry to take her to the park and she is peeing,

Angel : Angel is peeing, grandma wait

My yet to be 2 year old toddler know to be assertive!

***

We had gone to a birthday party and she got a return gift – a compass box in a fancy polythene

Angel : What is this?(That's her favorite phrase these days)

Me: Its a polythene

Angel : No, what is this?

Me : Its the handle of the polythene (for the lack of better word)

Angel : Just like the handle in my cycle

She retains things and connects them J

***

JN is here these days.

She asked me whether I have washed her hair that day. Since there were unseasonal showers, I hadn’t and I replied to her that since the climate is not good, I haven’t. Angel was there listening and said : Even Angel does not like climate.(Without having the slightest hint on what climate is) :D

She sure is mumma's girl!

***

Our maid comes twice, once in the morning for washing clothes and later to do the dishes.

When she came the next time, you said, "Fir se aa gai”

Next day, “Baar baar aa gai” :D :D:D

***

On 29/5/2014 morning the first thing she said after waking up “Ab 14 june oj ka bday aa gaya “ :D (I assume she was dreaming about her birthday)

I asked : What will you do on your bday?

Angel : Angel will cut the cake with the knife, pink knife no blue knife, dark blue

I will have to arrange a dark blue knife for the cake cutting J

***

We had a trip to Wayanad with my SIL and family. On our last day, she did not want to come back. “Wayanad me hi rehna hai, isi room me” is what she kept on saying

***

Few days back when I was bathing in the morning, she was vehemently knocking the door and shouting, “Angel's mumma, please come out “

It made my day!

***

She has found out a new, innovative(even if I say so myself) way of making me understand what she is saying.

Few days back, after our dinner, we were having a walk. We were as usual chatting, when all of a sudden she uttered something which sounded like "Cha-do". I was like "Kya doon","Play dough" and a few unsuccessful attempts to decode what she said. Now the thing is, she does not give up, and nor do I. So she pointed at something and asked me, "What's this?"

It was a shadow. And that was what she meant!

She is fascinated by shadows. Next came, "Baun" and I was clueless again. So she asked me, "What's the colour of this shadow?"

So any guesses on what she meant!! :)

Learning Curve

I have learnt a lot of things in these 6 months, a few being:

-pacifying a baby – considering the fact that I had never held a baby that small for more than 2 minutes, 

-decoding her cries – yes there is difference when she means ‘I am hungry’, ‘I want to be held’, or simply ‘I am bored’

-sleeping anywhere and anytime of the day,

-swallowing meals – they are no longer eaten,

-loo breaks do not depend upon nature’s call but on baby’s call,

-quick showers not lasting more that 5 minutes - having a long, relaxing bath is a luxury

-getting ready in 5 minutes – no matter what the cliché about women and dressing up is, the moms of infants know how to dress up in 5.

On a more serious note, I have rediscovered myself. With Angel I am a bundle of patience, which I never knew existed. But, its just with her. With others I am plain old impatient me. Or maybe even more impatient to balance out the patience levels, you see. I have met a more loving, caring, sensitive and responsible me.  Incidents of robbery, abuse and rape affect me like never before and I wonder if we have done the correct thing by bringing a new life in this unsafe world, but soon the optimist in me awakens and lists all the positive things and I realize that world is not such a bad place after all. There are so many beautiful places to see and so many things to do that one lifetime is just not enough.

I value my relationships much more now. Most important being my mother.  I think you realize the importance of your parents much more after you become parents. Now when I get up at 3 am for Angel’s feeds, I realize that my mother would have done the same for me. She is a working mom who led a very busy life with three of us and at a time when not many amenities were available. Yet, I can count on my fingertips, the number of times she had lost patience with me. (Maybe because I was not a difficult child. Or so I believe. Anyways, I am digressing.)  She is always very encouraging and very patient, strict just where needed. Next comes my father. Although his involvement in raising us, as in spending time with us was considerably less as compared to my mother, but he was always there for us,  just like a rock, providing steadiness. He was always available in the evenings, giving my mother some breathing time. He balanced his work and family life perfectly. I remember we used to patiently wait for him to come back in the evening and he used to give me and KayCee a ride around the colony on his scooter, every single day. He then used to take us for a walk, sometimes to a park, sometimes to a temple or airport, telling us stories or talking to us all the way. I believe that even if I do half of what they have done for us, I will be raising a very beautiful individual.  Just when I thought I knew him in and out, I discovered a completely new side of J* too. He is a wonderful father and its such a pleasure to watch both of them. They adore each other and completely enjoy each other’s company. And thus he gives me a much needed breathing space after he comes back from work. At that time, I just watch TV, read a book, surf the Internet or simply watch both of them, from a distance, of course, lest her mood changes and she wants to come back to me.

This turned out to be a pretty long post, longer than I intended too, but then, Angel is sleeping longer than she usually does!

Happy Birthday :)

Today is MN's birthday. She is all of three years today. On this occasion, I will dedicate a poem to her (Its not written by me, I got it from somewhere and have modified to suit her, so the copyright is not mine but reflects my feelings :P )

Now listen up, young lady, I'm talkin' to thee
You've reached the age that they call 'Tantrum Three'.
An age that drives many a young mom mad
While helplessly looks on, the err... helpless Dad.

I see you've started on the path
of terrorising your parents already
There's a naughty twinkle in your eye
Your gait's no longer unsteady

Gone are the days when you only knew
how to pee, poo, eat, gurgle and crawl
Now you've discovered the power
Of the prolonged high-pitched bawl

You make so much noise, you drive ‘em neighbours insane
Every now and then they come-a-knocking to complain
But when I plead, "Sing for me, put on a show?"
You toss your tiny little head and say a flat "No".

You’ve spilled, broken, shrieked, and still refused to eat
You have thrown things out the window on to the street!
You’ve taken red crayons and scribbled on the white wall
When you grow up, here are some things for you to recall

Some day when you’re all grown up
And feel that your parents are driving you mad
"Mom doesn’t get me at all!” You'll rant.
“And don't even get me started on Dad!"

I'd like you to come back here
And read all the things you did
At Tantrum Three, you drove ‘em mad abundantly
But they still loved you, you naughty li’l kid.

A lesson learnt

Few days back, we were taking MN (my niece) to her Ma’s music show. Didi has started learning Indian Classical Music (vocal) and their academy had organized a show wherein all the students were supposed to perform solo and group songs. Since Didi was also performing, she left MN with us. We were doing our usual masti on the way to the venue when it started raining heavily.

 All of the a sudden, MN stopped everything and  said :

“Mausi, dekho kitni barish ho rahi hai.

 Achha hua na hum Activa se nahi aaye, nahi to hum pure bheeg jaate.

Thank You God, aapne hume bacha liya! “

My little tapori taught me a valuable lesson that day that we should always count our blessings no matter how small they are.

Thanks MN, YOU are one such blessing in my life J

I was scolded

by a 2 year old... :-O

Now it happened one day me and J* went to didi's place. I was as usual playing with MN(my niece) while J* had some meetings and calls to attend from home so he was in another room busy on his laptop.

I asked MN : Mausaji kaha hai? (Where is your Mausaji?)

MN: Wo andar kaam kar rahe hai (He is working in another room)

Then we got busy with our masti, reciting her rhymes. She was telling teaching me the new rhymes she had learnt, about her teacher and what all she did in school that day.

Now being the epitome of impatience, I asked again : Mausaji kaha hai?  (Where is your Mausaji?)
I dont know why I asked it as I already knew, but I did.

MN (in a stern voice) : Maine aapko ek baar bola na wo kaam kar rahe hai! (Haven't I told you once that he is working)

:-/

Food Tales!

Life can never be dull if there are not one but two kids around! These days J*’s Niece, let’s call her JN, is also here and we never cease to get entertained. J JN is 7 years old and she came some 20 days back alone from J*’s native place to Bangalore and has gained popularity as a brave kid J My sister in law joined us recently.

Oh, I digressed.  Anyways, below are the few excerpts from the dining table :

************

Didi-Jiju(My elder sister and BIL) being staunch vegetarians, were telling My Niece, will refer her as MN(She is 2 years old btw), about it for the fear that she might eat some non-veg stuff at her friend’s place. Jiju went one step ahead and made her learn one sentence :

“Maans khana paap hota hai”

(It’s a sin to eat meat)

After one day, when we were having food, MN thought something and suddenly asks her mother

MN : Ma, paneer paap hota hai? (she just loves paneer)

Didi : Nai, paneer paap nai hota hai

MN : Haan, paneer to paneer hota hai na

We : ROFL

************

JN is a foodie. She loves food to an extent that she wants her plate full always even after she is done!

So we were having dinner where didi (sister in law) was serving hot puris to her. Now JN said she wanted more.

Didi : You finish this first.

JN : I will

Didi : Pehle finish kar do, fir aapki ichha hogi to aur lena

Literal meaning : If you wish, then you take more

Supposed meaning : If you need, then you take more

JN : Ichha to hai na meri

We : ROFL

************

MN has been taught to recite a shloka before having a meal. Now even if we forget, she reminds. After the recitation didi has told her to greet everyone with “OM”

So while having her meal few days back, the following conversation happened:

MN recites the shloka.

MN  : OM Ma

Didi : OM MN

MN : OM Mausi

Me : OM MN

MN  : OM dahi.. OM khichi

We : ROFL

************

And these are just a few incidents. We get to experience some, every single day these days.

No doubt my blood is increasing and I am gaining weight :P 

Welcome back!

Yes, my  tiny tapori is back in my life and I am soo loving it. J I am talking about my niece Yukta. Didi and Yukta had been out of town for a good three weeks and me and J* so missed her. Suddenly she seems to be grown up J she is as talkative and lively as ever! She remembers everything. Kay Cee, being interested in astronomy, shows her moon, stars, constellations and stuff like that. She remembers and repeats the same things in front of us. Ma had taught her a song. She remembers and dances on its tunes.

We had eaten some chocolates in my room a month ago when didi had left her at my place. She is back now and we were sitting in the same room, she suddenly said that “Mausi, I had eaten chocolates here yesterday na?” (All the days before today are yesterdays for her )

I was not able to recall it, so I came up with : No Yukta, you must have eaten them at Nanima’s place.

Yukta(emphatically) : No mausi I have had it here yesterday.

And then it struck me that she is talking about an incident a month ago. Its then I realized how much a teeny weeny brain can remember J

***** 

Last night, while we were having dinner, I gave her some daal-rice and she was eating all by herself (Yes, she thinks that at 2, she is big enough to do that) and in that process was scattering it everywhere. I was staring at her and she saw that, so she innocently came up with : Mausi, ye to gir gaya. Ye to aap utha loge na? (Its scattered. You will pick it up, won’t you?)

I was like: Yes, yes. That’s what I am here for :P

*****

She was doing her usual masti (Read throwing things, talking nonstop, running and entertaining me fully J) when she threw a rubik cube and was looking for a reaction.

J* (pretending to be angry) : Tiger hai kya? (Are you a tiger?)(Just like that, suggesting that are you so strong?)

Yukta: Main to Yukta hu. (I am Yukta)

Oh, so logical! J

*****

She is very attached to didi whom she calls Ma. She wants her Ma to do everything.  She is so obsessed with her Ma that till a few months back, she used to tell the housemaid, not to sweep the house as Ma will do it. (Thankfully, she has stopped now.) You got the point?

So when J* gave her a pair of old specs, she refused and haughtily said that I have one.

To which I said : Yeah we had brought a pair of pink goggles for you right? (I had indeed went to buy the gogs)

Yukta: No, only Ma had brought it!

Me : :-/

So welcome back you tapori! With you comes back liveliness in our otherwise monotonous lives. J

PS - I am going home next month for 10 days, so hopefully I will stop cribbing that I have not been home for a year  :P 

Ma

Caution : I am in one of my senti moods, and so a senti post coming in. You can avoid reading if you are not in that mood.

Recently, a friend shifted from Bangalore to Pune and he finds Bangalore a better place after much consideration. (Refer here). Since I have lived in both the places, couldn’t help comparing. Although with Bangalore, a new chapter of my life commenced altogether, in Pune I tasted independence. I got my first salary. I made some very good friends, with whom I hope to be in touch for many years to come. I reinvented friendship with old friends. We were fresh out of college and with each other’s support, life was bearable, away from home and fun too. The best part about Pune was, I could rush home anytime I wanted, which is not the case with Bangalore. I haven’t been home for around a year L My friends are shocked too because they know that I am a very home loving person and I went home at every possible opportunity.

The one person I miss the most is my Ma. I have been lucky to receive unadulterated, unquestioned love from my mother. Even though I talk to her often, it’s not the same. I like her physical presence, even if we don’t talk, just the thought that she is there near me is soothing enough. I was lying down the other day and thinking that how easy and comfortable she made my life then. How she used to be worried about every little thing about me, it brings me close to tears. And how far away she is from me now. I am really thankful to her for all that she has done for me and my siblings. I thank God from the bottom of my heart that I have her as my mother.

Today, I see youngsters, both boys and girls, behaving so rudely with their parents that it pains my heart. Not that I have never spoken rudely with my parents. I have, more than once, but I have always regretted it later. Now that I am away from my folks, I have all the more, realized their importance.

If you are a girl and you are not married I have to say this to you: I love my husband. My in laws treat me like their own daughter and my mother-in-law would not stop gushing about how perfect their bahu is. Yet. Yet, there is nothing like home. Nothing like your own Ma and own Papa. No matter how modern your thinking is, a part of you does get divided after marriage. You are a part of two families. So all you bachelorettes, you belong 100% to your parents. Make full use of it. Please cherish every moment spent with them.

Bidding Adieu to 2010

2010 was a memorable year for me in many ways. It started with a high and also ended with one (and everything in between was also on a high J )

With 2010, I welcomed J* into my life. We got to know each other in and out during this time. When I moved to Bangalore, the first task was to set up a home. Setting up a home was fun and exhausting at the same time. We lovingly converted a house to our home. During all this, we had our share of differences, fights, ruthna-manana and all.. but it goes without saying that there was a lot of love too (I think fights between couples are a must J ) But even with all these differences J* is perfect for me (J*, in case you are reading this, I am just too good for you, okay ;-) ).

2010 has a lot of family time as well. During the year, I was grabbing all the attention at my in-laws’ place as a “nayi bahu”.(Even after an year, I am still treated as a newly wed there and people are coming to meet me and I love it!).  All the year either we were travelling home or folks were coming to visit us. We went to J*’s native thrice and to my place once, the other time I went alone when J* went onsite for around 15-20 days. That was the only time during the year when we were apart. Then, my in laws visited us, my parents and brother came. My didi has now come to permanently settle here. As they are staying with us for a while, we had a blast during Christmas and New Year as well with them. With so much time spent in the company of family members, time just flied and before I realized the year was over.

I also travelled abroad for the first time this year. J* had an onsite and I tagged along :P We were there for around 2 months and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would definitely love to be there again. We booked our two-wheeler and four-wheeler this year (None of them have arrived yet, but are expected soon). We also celebrated our first anniversary this December.

Overall, the year has been extremely good. I don’t think that it could have been any better than this, but then all I want is everything J So here’s hoping for an even better and successful 2011. Have a beautiful 2011!!

(PS – I just realized that I have written J* and about J* ‘n’ number of times in this post. Well that is because, he has been the highlight of the year for me J )

Happy Birthday YUKTA

Yukta is my niece. Difficult to believe, but she completed two years today! It seems like yesterday was the day she was born, but as I am writing this, those two years are floating by my eyes. I was working in Pune when she was born and luckily I was home when our bundle of joy arrived J She is the first member of her generation in my family, so she is pampered like anything! Since Didi-Jiju (My elder sister and BIL) have shifted to Bangalore and are staying with us for a while, me and J* are having a great time with Yukta and of course, with Didi-Jiju as well. We could not be there for her first birthday so we ensured that we didn’t miss anything on her second one.

We went to Aryasamaj temple first thing in the morning. We reached just on time for the completion of the havan. “Varshikotsav” was going on there so the place was buzzing with energy. There were girls invited from Varanasi who are appointed as the “Cultural Ambassadors” of India by the Indian Government and have travelled the world for creating awareness about our rich culture. They are trained in Classical Music, Bow and arrows and the like.  They sang bhajans and different ragas.  

After that we went for shopping for her presents and some decoration stuff for the party in the evening. We bought a colorful tricycle for her. In the evening a few kids from the colony were invited and she had a gala time with them during the cake cutting, photo sessions, dance and games.

Yukta is very smart for her age as she can understand a lot of things and speaks almost everything (not everything is clear though). She is very inquisitive and asks a lot of questions. She wants to know everything as in who is going where, what am I doing on laptop, what is there for dinner and why her favorite thing is not there, why is the comb kept there, and the list is endless. You got the point? She knows how to coax her Ma by being nice (for a while) and hugging her. She is full of life, always talking and when she is not talking she expects us to talk or play with her.  She is an attention seeker and does weird stuff (Read – Forbidden Stuff) when we don’t pay attention to her. Her kiddish talks and queries, her smile just makes my day. No matter how horrible my day was, I always end up smiling when she is around!

The big girl will be joining play school from next week. I hope she enjoys it and the rest of her academics as well.

Happy Birthday again SweetheartJ

May you have a wonderful life ahead!

God Bless You!

Love,

Mausi

PS – Below are some pics.

KayCee

I am super excited today! My brother – KayCee(as he likes to call himself)  is coming to visit us and he will be here for about a week J We will be seeing each other after 9 long months and that is the longest duration till date that we have stayed apart.

I had the opportunity to grow up with a younger brother. During the years our relationship has evolved and grown in many ways.

When I was young I always wished that I had a younger brother, then he came and changed my life. Its 20 years now and I still clearly remember the day I held him for the first time! It was something out of this world.

I remember since early days, I wound up protecting him as a big sister and eventually that turned into a friendship.

Now we are both adults and he has become a great friend. Someone who knew me as a child and stood beside me, looking up to me as I changed and grew. However, we were, are and will always be partners in crime J

This one is for YOU KayCee:

I've been blessed to have
A brother like you,
You're my pal, my buddy
And my best friend too.
And it means a lot
Having a brother like you!! J

Love You,

Sneha