Get Your Child Reading Early! As Early As Your Womb!

Children become readers on the laps on their parents. But did you know, they start from the womb? 

I truly believe they do! And if its in the genes, how can you stop them! Have you heard elders say that the baby 

kicks you when it likes the food or hears your voice? Well, if they have taste choices, shouldn't they have literary 

choices as well? 

When I meet parents at school and other parents my son's age, they keep asking me for suggestions of books they

 can introduce to their little ones. Most parents want to know how to start off books for their babies. Here are a few

 tips that have worked for me and a few others. It may be helpful, it may be a trick, it may just work out - parenting

 is always instinctive, so go by how our child reacts to the activity.

Ages 0-1

Enthusiastic new mothers always come up to me asking if they can read to their new born - OF COURSE! 

Why not? We wore those bangles during our pregnancy so our babies could hear them clinking in the womb -

 of course they can hear you read when they are out in the world! But what kind of books to read to a baby

 that young? Well, a baby who can make eye contact and respond to your voice is a baby who is ready to

 interact with you and steal your heart. It doesn't necessarily have to be a book you read to them,

 you can always just keep talking to them and holds their hands and make hand motions together.

Babies love noises! 'Daddy was driving the car and *zooooooom* we went past the big read *bussss*!

 Emphasizing on words can trigger their curiosity and make them want to listen to you more. Its lovely

 to see their eyes go where you guide their hands. Holding their legs and hands while telling them allows the 

bodily warmth of hearing the parent's voice and enjoying their touch. At home, we would put my son on the 

bed and do this while I massaged him before bath. I'm a very loud person but when I was speaking to my son, 

I would be so loud and the entire house could hear him gurgling with laughter while we were at it. 

Then I noticed a pattern - My family was doing the same. My parents, my husband, my brother would 

do the same thing while baby sitting him. It made such a load of difference because as a baby, he kept

 listening to all their voices. My niece who was around 2 that time would also try and mime us as she played

 with him. 

Lap time - Once babies can hold their heads straight and can balance on your laps is when books really do 

the trick. The thick picture books are a blessing for this time! Holding the book while your baby is on your

 lap is going to help both you and your baby see the book. Picking something like a picture book of farm

 animals is such an easy choice parents have made along the years - Why? - Because we get to make the

 animal noises~!! Which baby doesn't react to the *mmmaaaaaaa* of the cow or the *meeehhh* of the goat?! 

Showing the babies the actual animal later on excites them so much!! 

Age 1-2

This is such a beautifully curious age. They have just started teething, talking and gurgling their words.

 This is when you get them to repeat after you. I have the fondest of memories of my son saying 'Stawberry' 

without the 'r' sound. It was so cute, it stuck with us and we sometimes still say 'stawberry'. The same happens

with 'Oplane' and 'ikeem' (aeroplane and ice cream). 

Small books with fewer pages that have a continuity helps kids this age focus on whats happening in the book. 

They have just identified the object in play and they love the continuity of what happened next. By the end of age 1,

 they understand that the object's story continues and they hold their curiosity till the end.  They like to see how

 the cat jumped and tried so much to drink the milk. And when the cat does drink the milk - the end makes them

 so happy. 

Age 2-4

At this stage, they know their vegetables, fruits, gadgets, vehicles and so much more! Its easy to get bored with

 picture books at this stage - they need the motivation of listening to new things now! Stories stick with them 

at this age and they begin to relate the outside world and indoor objects to the story. Involving everything

 around them as they listen to the story helps them connect to the actions from the story itself. 

The joy of watching the little caterpillar eat so much and then magically become a butterfly is absolute bliss 

for this age! Stories help them connect to the world in a way nothing else can. A fantasy story helps the child

 imagine about the presence of a world like that entirely on its own. 

The age of 3 is when they do go to nursery and when they wean from parent's watchful hold. Its a new world

 altogether and it can be can be a scary time for a few. Stories are an easy way to getting them to bond with their

 teacher. As a part time teacher myself, some children would enjoy the new place and want to explore it 

on their own. Some would want the older person's comfort and stick to me. But one thing that had helped 

bridge the gap and get them all to become one and listen is stories! 

Its magical and its necessary. Reading is the escape that no one else can give except oneself. Its an amazing

 hobby we can instill in them at a very young age. Get your little ones reading! 

Homemade Nutella

Of all mommies, we all know that those junk feeding mommies are the ones judged the most! Im going to make a confession - I'm a junk feeding mommy. I find bread with a spread is sometimes the easiest snack. I do allow biscuits and cookies more than once in a while. Nutella and Skippy peanut butter find a place in my shopping list and cupboard always. 

My entire family loves Nutella - well, who doesn't? But as my son grew, I realised that Nutella was becoming a part of our everyday routine. 

I recently did take a reroute towards more nourished eating and found Nutella 's nutrition was mostly fats. I wanted to find an alternative to this and found the Pick Up Limes Website. Pick Up Limes was a timely find for renewing my vows with nutritious eating. I began doing the job of reading labels before buying packaged food. Then slowly, I learned to go back to my old ways of not buying anything that came in a packet.

I wanted to learn to make a cheaper and more healthy version of a homemade Nutella. One of my visions in 2019 was to learn to make homemade sauces and condiments. Making Nutella or something similar to that was on my list. I researched a lot online to find doable recipes of nutritious everyday things that we can substitute instead of store bought items. 

I did the necessary shopping for Homemade Nutella - well, here goes the list of ingredients

Hazelnuts - 2 cups

Melted dark chocolate - 2 cups

Melted coconut oil - 3 tbsps

Dry Roast hazelnuts in a pan and add then to your processor. Start your processor on pulse mode first and then slowly increase the speed. As they grind, they let out their oils and get into a close to spreadable consistency. Add the melted chocolate and oil inside and blitz again. Once it becomes non granular and spreadable - shift to an air tight jar and refrigerate. Use on anything you like to accompany Nutella for!  It's healthier and tasty as well! 

Only Naughty Kids Go To Boarding Schools - FALSE. Breaking myths!

Being a boarding school child myself, I've always encountered this question when I say I'm a boarding school child - They ask, 'were you naughty as a kid?' Well, it's a common misconception that being sent to boarding school is because the child is naughty at home. False. Let's break it down and try again. 

Who started this?

Boarding school is what we call it now - but eons ago, princes and princesses were sent to gurukulams to live with their gurus and come home when they were ready to rule their kingdoms. Its called boarding school or hostel now but its something that has always existed. 

Why boarding school?

Boarding school helps children become self-sufficient. It teaches children the way of minimal living and time management. There is a routine that is followed everyday and it helps discipline the child's everyday attitude towards time. Parents keep a routine too and help discipline the child - yes, they can. 

Growing up with friends

Boarding schools are the only place that can give children the feeling of growing up with their peers. It gives each child their life in their hands. They design it the way they want, they find their own interests and learn from each other. Its a wonderful way of meeting children from other communities and parts of the world. It helps each child to respect one another and accept each other for who they are.

Boarding school children are not connected to their parents - NO. haha. NOT AT ALL.

Have you heard of distance makes the heart grow fonder? - Well, it does. There aren't enough words to put how happy that hug is when parents come to visit at school. It's just the best feeling. Corresponding over a letter and phone calls once a week gives children more focused parent time. Parents are not taken for granted. Their role is so important in keeping the sanity of the children in school safe. After school life, children have a certain dedication in spending time with their parents and are genuinely interested to do it.  

Boarding school children are all introverts - What, NO!

I have a huge bunch of friends who are all boisterous and very friendly! We all make friends easily and enjoy spending time with people - we've all grown up like that, so its easier for us to talk to someone new! The unsaid rule of boarding school is inclusion. Inclusion - making everyone feel loved. When there is a new student in school, its an unsaid rule that everyone around makes the newbie feel loved and help get them acquainted into the system of the school. I remember my first few days - I had a new friend with me all the time. They made sure I was familiar with everything and made me feel like I was wanted. I'm still friends with her and she will always be the one who made me feel included when I felt lost.

Although, why many people may say boarding school babies are introverts is - since they are brought up with a routine in place and a time a place for everything, they usually give their all to one thing at a time. They can multitask, of course. But their space is their space and it cannot be invaded for anything else. That makes them more concentrated on their work, not introverts. 

Boarding school children don't see what life at home is like.

True. That's a choice parents make for them. It's in the parent's hand to make the most of the child's presence at home during holidays to give them the feeling of home and to inculcate family values in them. 

What I see as advantages in Boarding School

The lack of technology - children get to watch tv once a week and get to use their time doing other activities that don't involve a screen. The raw truth of learning from the time you have away from a screen gives you options to explore. Living with your choices - every child makes their own mistakes, their choices and learns from them. Life's lessons are best when learned from experience! Organisation - children learn to organize themselves. Having friends and teachers close to you is a blessing! 

As a boarding school baby myself, I've always wanted to bust this misconception of boarding school parent's choices - Its a choice made for the childlike every other parent does. It has its pros and cons! Don't be judgemental when you meet a boarding school child - who you are meeting is a self-sufficient child who has grown making their own choices!

My son's first curse word.

My son's first curse word. Sh*t. Well, if it was just that, I really would have let it be but my 6 year old used the F word yesterday and I stamped the brakes on the car to check him again. When I asked him to repeat what he said, he casually said it again and smiled.

Keeping to the tone of the situation there, I casually asked, 'What does that mean G?' He said, 'I don't really know. I heard it somewhere.'
I swallowed the very big lump that was stuck in my throat and told him, 'It's not a very pleasant word. It hurts people. Could we use 'What on Earth!' instead?' He nodded and said, 'Like how we say chubby and not fat?' I said, 'Yeah, exactly like that. Except lets not use that word at all, shall we?' He replies, 'Yeah, ok.'

A part of me wanted to do the emotional drama of 'Who taught you this word? Who is using these words around you? Who taught you to react like that?' But here it is - Mommy woe.
We all go through these moments where we may want to react differently but instead we just let the wave thrash on us and soak in all its casual coolness and deal with it.

Revisiting Tuesdays With Morrie

An old man, a young man and life's greatest lesson

Every book I read gives me a sense of perspective depending on when I read it. I underline what I like and when I read the book later or lend it to someone, I like how it comes back with new sentences underlined and a fresh perspective. Around 15 years ago, my dear friend Aarti and I fell in love with the book and ever since, we've shared this love for the author across continents.

Now, I'm reading the author's The Next Person You Meet In Heaven and I cannot start without reading Tuesdays With Morrie again. The book is a beautiful eulogy to a mentor. I re read the book recently and had a new perspective. There is a line from the book that says "The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We're teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own. Most people can't do it." This line has given me a fresh take on life and given me a whole new inspired perspective on parenting.

#tuesdayswithmorrie

Power of Vision - how 2018 was and how i hope 2019 could be

At the end of 2017, I was inspired to create a vision board for myself. I sought out inspiration and it was so close to home in Durgesh Nandini. I created my vision board and at the end of 2018 I saw my vision board and understood how much a clear vision for something helps allow you to focus towards it better.

There were many things that fell into place with a little more focus and patience. Some things didn't go close to getting done or even planning - for over five years I've wanted to see The Taj Mahal and I havent. I had it on my vision board for 2018 and it didn't happen, I will be putting it on my 2019 board as well. Most of the visions I had for 2018 have now become a part of life. Mentally, it has changed my thought process so much - or may be I'm just getting old.

While I envisioned my 2019 - I knew I wanted to change my food habits and include a lot of fruits. I wanted a menu set in place and a meal plan that made sure the three of us ate healthy and tasty. I started off early last year on prepping meals for the week. Although I couldn't stick to a menu on a weekly basis, I did cook all three meals till Swiggy made it's way into my life. Our relationship with Swiggy is super strict and she knows it - once a week only if we haven't eaten non veg anywhere outside the whole week. Swiggy understands.

Food prep is a fun thing I've been doing. Grocery would be bought - veggies washed and cut and put into boxes for salads or poriyal. Fruits washed and cut and put into ziplock bags for smoothies. Handbag salads would be emptied on days of work. It was such a fun routine to start with and now has become a habit. This year I plan on learning to make sauces and condiments at home - like peanut butter and Nutella. Healthier I'm guessing!

I did the occasional workout sessions but couldn't keep up with their time table because of lack of time. Netflix and Prime had me hooked. I know, but also, I did read a lot in 2018 so I'm kinda say we can catch up with workout refreshers in 2019. So, that's one that still needs work on - and stays on my board.

This year, I've decided to finally dust off the DSLR and shake up the hidden photographer in me and try taking more pictures again. I still do on my phone - but no Pixel can give that awesome look of holding a dslr and squinting for a lovely picture.

G man and I have decided to document all the books we read. Pictures, review and since my son can now write and give his opinion - he's going to review his books on paper while I review every book I read on my blog. Hoping to keep this alive forever!

Looking forward to keep 2019 a healthy and inspired year and hoping to make these little changes a part of life!

Lean on

I was watching my friend patiently answering her younger son. At the end of every answer he would say - why?

Amma, why didn't we come for class so many days?
Because we had winter holidays.
Why?
Because it was Christmas time.
Why?
Christmas time is when school gives us holidays to be with family.
Why?
Don't you want to be with family?
Why?

And after waiting for his response he knew his prank was understood and he smiled at us all and left the place. What a cutie. Why? Adorable little fellow. Why?

These boys all had Hot Wheels that they carried so they could play with them in the sand pit in the corner. To them the half hour before class was the time they could officially take out the Hot Wheels from their bags and act all cool about it cause it wasn't school and it was still the same bunch of friends.

After three years of this class, we we're closing in to the end of the coursenot- a small batch of mothers who had been there for each other through their kids birthday parties and picked up each other's kids from school when once couldn't make it. We had become close enough to be invited for family weddings and closer enough to rush to homes of one of us who had lost a family member.

Somewhere during the course of these three years, we had created a community of mothers who could laugh together and listen together. At the end of the day, it's your girls who get you - and when your girls have children the same age - Hallelujah!

Today was such a day where we had discussed our holidays and plans for the kids once this course was over. Some were taking kids swimming, some drawing, some skating and some straight home. We had seen each other's kids grow, shared paediatrician numbers, exchanged views on  everything under the sun and  pretty much heard each other out.

Support systems and morale blankets are those that we choose. Every mommy deserves a support system apart from family - to grow with.

A day in the life of Me.

A day in the life of Me. 
Wake, brush - jiggle wiggle.
Try opening my eyes with sleep stuck in the middle.
A steaming coffee, a slice of bread,
Oh, how I'd like to just snuggle back to bed. 
Hug, shake the little piece of my heart,
Always lie to him, that in his sleep he did fart. 
Hurried bath and hurried breakfast,
After which my eyes do get some rest. 
Oh no, wait! There's another boy to wake,
After our vows, his name I did take. 
Another coffee, a little meal idly,
Bid goodbye to the husband, by the doorknob that's fiddly. 
Devour the paper and Instagram,
Till I realise, there's work to do - let's scram. 
A quick bath and a scurry,
Off to meet the kids who are waiting for their story. 
Hugs and screams for stories to share,
When with these kids, there's nothing else to care. 
Bid goodbyes to the teenies after class,
Pick up the heartlet and head out at last. 
Extra class and sand play for evenings,
And then it's time for tea - Twinnings! 
Then it's the debate of whats for dinner,
The hubby or the sons choice - who's the winner?! Dinner's at eight,
Everyday a date. 
With a handsome little boy,
Who's so shy, he cannot be coy. 
Then comes the the days best,
Two little knees nudging into my chest,
Sleep comes with conditions - Kicks tosses and turns,
Bedlight has to be on even if ur eye burns. 
Try asking your child,
Everyday in their sleep,
Who's your favorite?
Daddy or me?
Ours says both in his stoned sleep,
No matter how annoying long our pranks we keep. 
Date number 2 is grown-up and subtle,
Till we hit the bed and cuddle. 
Wake, brush - jiggle wiggle. 
Wake, brush - jiggle wiggle. 
If you've read till the end, 
You should remember,
I'm doing stories in the form of poems,
With children in December. 
I'm trying to rhyme and at a loss of words,
I just realised I can now use the word 'turds'. #storypoems #dayinthelifeofmeLet's listen to your day in the form of a poem.

Little this, Lottle that.

With a bunch of friends sitting in a circle in a class we all chose to send our kids to - we were all yapping while we were on our phones. We had overpaid for an overrated class for our 6 year olds. We had 2 hours of time to kill and we chose to still stare at our phones while talking to each other. With kids going to different schools, Priyanka and Nick's wedding pictures and a bunch of other worldly things to chat about - we went from one random useless topic to another.

Just then, another common mommy friend had posted a picture of her baby from when he was 1 month old (she obviously waited a year cause if she posted it as soon as he was born, AYYYOO KANNU PATTRUM). The picture was this little button of a boy dressed with a crotchet hat and mittens and a diaper sitting in a wicker basket with a truck very tastefully placed near it - truck na boy aama. And of course, blue hat and mittens - so we know its a boy. The picture was captioned - 'I know a little boy. He stole my heart. He calls me mama.' I did melt for the picture and the others went 'Aww' but there was that sarcastic part of me kindled by Chandler Muriel Bing that just blurted out 'There is this thing. Its called a mobile phone. It has ruined my life.' The others went into boisterous laughter and silently liked the picture of the baby and laughed again. 

Have you ever experienced this awkward silence between two topics when a bunch of people are sitting together? Well - this was it. An engineer, a half-baked chartered accountant, an ex Infosys employee and me an ex-Googler - here we were after quitting our jobs wondering what topic to talk about while we knew in our heads we were just worried about what to make for the kids at home for dinner. It happens. Its happening everywhere. Our phones have taken over us, haven't they?

What was a remark that was true to its very sense was something we never think about let alone say out loud. What then happened was wonderful - we all went into a confession zone. Our guilty pleasures being Koffee With Karan but for serious times, we'd do re runs of FRIENDS and Game Of Thrones. One of us even liked comedy shows on Vijay Tv, cause you know - Ennama Ippadi Panreengaley Ma. Netflix, Prime & Hotstar had pretty much ruined it for many. With running around for the kids and putting their schedule before ours - I guess the little let out we had as mothers was this. Some chose the gym. Some chose movies. Some chose their girl gang. Some chose shopping. Some of us just chose to stay home and do this one our phones. That moment I took to asking my friends - if you had to explain yourself in one sentence, what would it be? 

'I'm a montessori mother of two who loves to cook and create cute clothes for my kids'.

'I'm a mother of a strong-willed boy who loves to scribble on my walls and i make art out of them.'

'I'm a crotchet mom with a cooking blog.'

As much as I would have loved to say the truth, I made it cute and sugar coated with and topped it with a red jujip and said, 'I'm a mother of a 6 yr old who hugs like a teddy and reads like a dinosaur.' 

Who was I kidding? And who was I to judge the girl who posted the picture of her little boy with a stolen phase from Pinterest? In my head, I clearly knew I was a housewife an online streaming addiction hook attached to my eyes. 

Towards the end of 2018, I had made amends - I didn't allow myself to use my phone until I was alone and was in need of timepass. I had read considerably very few books in 2018 - so I bucked up and finished Michelle Obama's Becoming. And what a book it was! (Will be another post altogether) I did what I always do, I decluttered. With a week of mind cleansing, singing out all the Varnams I had learned as a kid - I had finally realised how much could be done when the mobile phone wasn't around. 

2019 - Id like to mend the ways of how technology has me hooked. Little Netflix, Lottle Books. Little posting, Lottle Writing. Little Meat, Lottle Veg. Little Reacting, Lottle Responding.

Have you weighed out your Littles and your Lottles for this year?

Back to the grind

With the start of the academic year here, life is almost back to the grind. School is priority uno for both G boy and me. This year looks promising with him learning cursive writing and more in his second and third languages. For me, storytelling has taken it's roots after four years of toiling hard. Classes and workshops for parents and teachers have started this year. On my toes already! Let's hope for a good reach this year!

Wiggly Tooth Won't Go - Part 2

After a long day of trying to get Gnan to yank off the wiggly tooth, Mommy G was tired.

Lunch time went by. Tea time went by. Milk time went by. The grand finale of dinner happened and the dangly tooth got more dangly.. if that's even possible.

That's when Mommy G and Grandma G took things into their own hands. And by things, they mean G man. After putting him on their laps, one held him down and the other yanked off the dingly dangly tooth without any pain or blood but loads of tears.

What turned out to be a painless and useless tooth had caused a lot of worry in little G man for many days. He was smiling finally, toothless smiles of course!

Kids, worry is a small thing. Wait, adults and kids, worry is a small thing. Stop chewing it over and over in your head. It's all going to be a nothing at the end of it.

Wiggly Tooth Won't Go!

G man and his wiggly tooth

Gnan was beyond worried about his dangling tooth. For over two weeks it had been dangling by the root and giving him so much trouble while eating.

He wasn't able to bite into his favorite Nutella sandwich because when he did, it was there.

He wasn't able to clean the delicious pull off the ripe mango seed because when he did, it was there.

He wasn't able to brush his teeth properly because when he did, it was there.

G man got worried. He found a corner where he could try and wiggle his tooth off with his tongue.

For three days, he would eat minimal and would find a corner where no one disturbed him and try wiggling his tooth off but in vain.

Every night he would go to sleep praying that when he wakes, his tooth would have fallen off in the morning but in vain. His mommy suggested he wait till the day his tooth decided to fall off on it's own.

For two weeks, his wiggly tooth was so attached to him. G man and mommy G were anxious to get it to fall off but the tooth just won't go.

To be continued...

Ramayan obsessed.

For over a month, my household has been obsessed with the story of Ramayana. The Ram Navami that went by, I did a storytelling of the Ramayana and since then we've been hooked.

G man and I have been retelling the story over and over at bedtime. Even the most exhausted days end with Ramayana. The happiest part of this is the transition my son has made from Baahubali. Yeah, Baahubali. From dinosaurs to Baahubali and from Baahubali to the Ramayana. I don't know where we are headed next, but the happiness we get from these books and stories has been fabulous!

Remo - buddy, brother, friend.

Remo, our four legged brother, passed on to a better place. A place where I hope there are loads of little grasslands to play in, loads of little younger brother puppies for him to dote on, loads of milk bread for him to munch on and loads of love to be showered on him.

He went through the natural process of aging and breathed his last among us all. He lay with his eyes open staring us as much as he could. He lay with his ears up listening to every little sound around him. The entire family including his four legged younger brother Chitti, were around him for the last days.

For us, as a family who had him as a first pet, it was an excruciating process of compiling our feelings of this loss. We sat by him hours together and tears came involuntarily. My grandparents made their evening porch time their time with Remo and Chitti.

When Remo came home for the first time, he was a wee little pup with a few spots here and there. He would sleep in my parent's room and follow my mum around everywhere she went. He was the best greeter ever. He would know when I was visiting 500 metres before I reached itself.

Chitti, our other pal, was Remo's best buddy and confidant. They made a great team. Chitti was different over the past few days. He didn't look Remo in the eye at all. He would lie near by and look the other way. He would walk by so many times but not touch him at all. He is the elder brother now. We hope he copes with this loss of a wingman and roomie.

Remo - buddy, brother, son, friend. We are privileged to have known and loved You!

Reflections..

I've turned 31! And February is almost gone.. just tomorrow left. Well, so far 2018 has been fabulous! Packed, busy, satisfying. We've had our first guests in the home and it was amazing! Germans trying idly dipped in sambar with a fork is so satisfying to watch when you've cooked breakfast on a school morning.

Ever since we've moved in, I've tried to be an organised minimalist to an extent. It's been about 1.5 years of trying hard and decluttering.. it's still an on going phase but the satisfaction derived thereby has been immense. A feeling of contentment like no other.

For 7 years I had cooked for 10 people in one house and I had no idea how to reduce the dish amounts to just 3 of us when we moved here. Shopping for grocery looked so little.. so I opted for farmers markets. What a difference! All I need is a cloth bag and Rs.80 every week. This includes all my greens and veggies.

I had started off with the Marie Konmari method but later I was inspired by a friend Nandini. Yday I attended her workshop on organised minimalism and at the end of the class I realised I had pretty much done most of what she had covered. Well, minimalism isn't stinginess or being miserly. It's just living within your needs.

So far this has been applied as a thought to all aspects of life. Mentally.. at peace and content.

30s itch!

Over last year, I tried a lot of mind training. I focused mostly on my parenting skills and how I can be a nicer parent. I've always been focused on being a disciplinarian but he has made me a nicer parent. It's learning both ways. There have been moments when G would want to try something that i would never want to do. Then I would go ahead and try it anyway.

For instance, he once saw me putting on kajal and said, 'Amma, you look pretty. You should put that everyday.' And I did. I tried it for a while and then I stopped again. But the days I did wear it, G would say the sweetest things - 'Amma, you wore it because I told you to. It doesn't hurt your eyes no?' Another day he just said, 'don't open your eyes fully. They are already big!' He's funny and can make me laugh as much as he can make me a crazy person.

He tried for me too. I wanted him to learn swimming.  Not for silly reasons like 'what if you fall into the river' types. I'm aware enough that our rivers dont have water. My reasons for his swimming lessons were simple.. to encourage a sport in him, to help him learn what exhaustion meant, to help him understand the courage he needed to show himself. He did. He learnt to stay afloat on the fourth day and by day seven he was swimming. After two months of classes, he said he wasn't interested to continue. Fair enough.

Talking to him has taught me so much. He hasn't showed too much interest in cycling or cricket. Being the two activities the kids at my apartments play the most, he would come back home and say he wanted to watch his Bahubali CD. For a while, I did feel worried. But his interest was to watch the Hindi version. He would listen to all dialogues and whenever I spoke in Hindi, he would ask for meanings. It made me so happy to see a little language loving nerd in him. I haven't discouraged the Baahubali addiction. Indian superheroes are so few. At least this one is somewhere from our History.

Loads of stuff didn't work for me. Every time I drop G at school, I would see other mother's all dressed up and decked up at 830am and I always thought my track pants and mommy waali tees were just not good enough. I decided to make myself looks presentable at the least but I'm just not made of that material. Even for the few days that I tried it, G would say, 'Amma, come like you.' This minion likes kajal eyed mommy in track pants and tees. Fair enough.

Trying to read more didn't work out for me last year at all. I gave in to the Amazon Prime videos for the last two months on 2017 and I have successfully weaned away from them. Once you start rusting on Netflix and Amazon prime, you are rust ridden. For someone who hates TV, I was addicted to them for 2 months of time I will never get back.

I'm back to reading now. Starting 2018 with The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck. Given the irony of this post, I thought I should write about my side of this topic before I jump into the author's.

30s seem like fun.

Sweet spot.

Life is at that beautiful sweet spot in a year where you know it's after Christmas but you do not know the day or date but it's somewhere before new years. That sweet spot where even a place like Tirupur gives you the chills and the breeze gives you goosebumps on your hands.

Socks on, winter cream on, son asleep, tea brewing and waiting for the husband to arrive from the airport. Sweet spot. Tea, socks and cuddled up son on the lap. This time of the year, everything just dials down. Those hundred whatsapp groups that exchange annoying messages and forwards have piped down because everyone is away from their phones or doing something at the end of the year. Sweet spot.

That time of the year when everyone is making life decisions for the next 12 months. Some to keep and some we know we won't. Well, practicality points. Sweet spot. That time of the year when everyone is using up every last bit of grocery so the new year can start with a fresh lot. Sweet spot.

It's that time of the year when everyone is cleaning out their closets to find that sweater they used last December only to find extra cash stashed somewhere for surprises like this. Sweet spot.

The beauty of December.. or let's call it the December wave.. the month that makes you dance when the month starts and when it ends. Just like a wave.. up and down.

Oh December, the beauty you bring in life!

Countdown to 2018!

Phoenix almost ashes.. 2017 bidding bye

Okay I've just reswound this entire year and gone.. wow, that was fast! It was probably the fastest year but truly, I haven't accomplished anything this. Well, out of my bucket list for this year, I have completed a few. And I've done a few first time things so yay!

Run a marathon.
Read & Write with G man.
Learn something - silambam, Zumba and bokwa. (Sticking only to silambam now)
(It's an ongoing process but I've started)
Kayaked.
Train ride with G man.
Trip to Chennai just me and G
Trip to Salem just me and G
Book shelf in the house
Do something arty - pebble painting

G mans list is admirable I guess..

First time on a train
Learnt swimming
Learnt UNO
Learnt memory
Learnt writing sentences
Did a dad and son cook out at school
Kayaked
Played holi

A friend of mine does thus visualization board every year. I'm a bit inspired.. of course I do set goals.. but to visualize something and see it take shape is a bit exciting. I'm working on my visual board over this week. I've planed to occupy G man's room door for the display. Updates in a week !

Motherhood test of time - phase 2.

The first day I dropped Gnan is school was phase 1. It's so difficult as it is to wean them from the womb to the World. Then comes the actual weaning. Then when we release them into the world of school. Now to watch them grow so quickly is a big ball of mixed emotions.

Right now I'm going through phase 2 of this. Swimming class. I got G boy enrolled in swimming classes so he would learn early unlike me and at this age it is quite easy.

The first 3 days tested my patience as a mother. To watch someone else train your child to unwrap their fears and face the water was a new world altogether. He kept looking at me to help him out of it and all I was asked to do was ignore. After four days of ignoring, he is now floating and kicking on his kick board. Another 8 days of this and I'm hoping he will swim without support by then.

The things we have to do!

Social media and Schools

The monsoons are in and now break period has snacks. Samosas puffs and chips to keep the chats going.. well, we are mum's and hungry ones. With the drizzles coming in we have been munching down our snacks fill the kids finish class. This whole week we've yapped about so much that every might there is something to think about.

Some of them had a lot of to say about my abusive usage of Instagram - well, I knew that already.. but then I got home and deleted a hunch of people I knew I wouldn't want seeing my pictures. The topic strayed into sharing picturea online and somehow ended up being about how schools share pictures on Facebook. Wait, what! Why!? Schools do that apparently and I had no idea. Also, I got to know that schools also have whatsapp groups with all parents of each class in one group - Wait, what?!

The weightage of news shared on these Facebook pages and whatsapp groups range from homework details, holiday information, emergency messages and pictures as well. Information about the kids is sent to parents on a day to day basis with pictures. Talk about over communication!

I prefer a simple diary with all information written by the teacher... G boy's class now copies the stuff written in the board now. I get to see him using capitalisation and punctuations on his diary everyday. I'm not an over protective parent but Id rather receive a call from school personally than a message sent to a group. Nuh- uh!