You know today is a very special day.
I know already. It's february 29th - the last day of the month.
There's something else very special about it.
I know that too. Tomorrow will be March and that means only two more months for my birthday and one mnth for the fresh bet band show.
Yes. And there's one more thing.
What?
today's date comes only once in 4 years. You knw whAt it's called?
Yes! I know. A Leap Year!
Now it was momma's turn to be surprised. How do you know that?
My teacher told me. Today is the leap year day.
Do you know what is a leap year?
Yes! And with a lots of excitement, chinipie takes a BIG leap(jump)!!!
Suppressing her urge to laugh and at the same time admiring the innocence in the kids, mom navigated the leap to explain tht today's date will take a similar leap in the calendar only to show up in 2016.
But after 2012, it's 2013.
Yes but there will be no february 29th in 2013.
it will take tht big leap?!? and I could see her little mind trying to work out the hopping of the date ;) if it leaps so hard does it bring the earthquake?
The most important thing that we did today was registering Chinipie for her Kindergarten Grade for the coming school year 2012-2013. This, in itself, was an adventure(they just never seem to leave us!). As my neck and shoulders are stiff and swollen, the dad drove to the district office. After dropping chinipie to the school, we had more than sufficient time on hand to reach. But, us being us, covered a distance of 2 miles in 22.5 miles. No kidding! Turns out, there are FOUR 'Church Rd' in our city! And we got to know two of them today! And no, it's not the same road extending miles and miles beyond. And there's not this minor difference of 'street' 'road' or 'avenue'. This city actually has 4 roads with the same name! Some wonderful planners, they must have had! So, after calling the office three times for directions, this despite of our car's in-built GPS, we reached 25 minutes later than the scheduled time, with a fretting-fuming-every-nerve-aching me, calm-as-ever-dad and surprisingly-amazingly-quiet-sugar tagging along with us. The registration process, in itself, was quite smooth as we had more than required documents and sugar had kept herself busy! at a little activity desk set for the kids. She even surprised me by lacing a melissa n doug piece very dexterously!
Despite all odds, This quadrennial day was memorable for us. And this couldn't have been possible without the help of the very special friends we have found here. Thanks to P's mom, A's mom and AA's mom for all that they have been doing for us since Monday. This extra day cannot go by without appreciating all their efforts.
The morning was very smooth as chinipie woke up fresh and helped us sail through. Sugarbun didn't initially want to get up, and reminded us of a mini-me - when I used to give my dad a tough time each morning ;) Later on, she did co-operate and went with the flow. In the afternoon, we did a little craft, had some tickle time, raspberry time and also got to show our skills on some home-made play dough.
Not to miss, At some point during our conversation, chinipie had asked me if R was my real name. When I told her that it was my pet-name, she found it very funny. Are you even a doggie or a kitty or a fish? You are not any kind of pet! How can you have a pet-name?
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
The Bliss!
So momma has been pretty much on high ( owing to the pain killers, anti-inflammatory and the likes) for past 11 days or so.
The 'television' and 'ipad' has turned out to be her best friends, even if she doesn't like them a bit. They keep the kids engaged all waking hours, while she snores on.
With her not being able to do much in the kitchen, (and until some good friends came to the rescue, ) we have been surviving on the dad's culinary skills which includes making khichdi, uttapam (from the store bought batter), and omellete-bread. Also, topping the lists, have been the carry-outs from the Indian restaurants and pizza places.
As chinipie accompanies dad to the most shopping trips/picking up the carry-outs, while sugar has to stay at home (and gets to play with the ipad), we have a new set of complaints. While sugar throws a fit each time they(chini n dad) leave the house, Chini says " u always keep sugar with u and send me everywhere - to school, to shopping, to get pizza, everywhere!"
Not all has been gloomy though, they still light up their momma in their little ways.
When not watching the tee vee, or complaining about nt getting to spend time with the mommy, Chini makes 'get well soon' and 'feel good' cards for mommy. She even decorates them with stickers and adds her precious possessions (rocks,stones,pencils,etc.) with the notes. She went a step ahead and told her teachers at school that mommy was in a car accident. She tries to be gentle around momma as she knows that mommy is still sore n every inch of muscle on her hurts. While she still worries that something is wrong with momma's chin(seeing the neck brace on her), her little sister just orders the mom to take it off, get up and change her arbe's dress. My little sugarbun, for whom momma's trip to the emergency room was a fab outing, is blissfully ignorant of all going around her. What a lovely stage she is in!
The 'television' and 'ipad' has turned out to be her best friends, even if she doesn't like them a bit. They keep the kids engaged all waking hours, while she snores on.
With her not being able to do much in the kitchen, (and until some good friends came to the rescue, ) we have been surviving on the dad's culinary skills which includes making khichdi, uttapam (from the store bought batter), and omellete-bread. Also, topping the lists, have been the carry-outs from the Indian restaurants and pizza places.
As chinipie accompanies dad to the most shopping trips/picking up the carry-outs, while sugar has to stay at home (and gets to play with the ipad), we have a new set of complaints. While sugar throws a fit each time they(chini n dad) leave the house, Chini says " u always keep sugar with u and send me everywhere - to school, to shopping, to get pizza, everywhere!"
Not all has been gloomy though, they still light up their momma in their little ways.
When not watching the tee vee, or complaining about nt getting to spend time with the mommy, Chini makes 'get well soon' and 'feel good' cards for mommy. She even decorates them with stickers and adds her precious possessions (rocks,stones,pencils,etc.) with the notes. She went a step ahead and told her teachers at school that mommy was in a car accident. She tries to be gentle around momma as she knows that mommy is still sore n every inch of muscle on her hurts. While she still worries that something is wrong with momma's chin(seeing the neck brace on her), her little sister just orders the mom to take it off, get up and change her arbe's dress. My little sugarbun, for whom momma's trip to the emergency room was a fab outing, is blissfully ignorant of all going around her. What a lovely stage she is in!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
A Hearty Valentine's Day!!
With two very pinkalicious daughters, love is certainly in the air in our house. Here's what we did the whole of the valentine's week and the last..
Heart Jell-o's for chini's class treat
Hearty Water melons for sugar's class treat
Heart Butterfly Valentines(with bubble sticks) for sugar's friends
Sugar showing her creativity
Chini displaying her creativity
The whole lot of butterflies
Valentine boxes for Chini's friends
with playdough inside
A special Valentine box by Chini - no hearts on this one - any guesses what is drawn?
Valentine's Cake any one? We didn't have the heart pan; we iced with pink heart frosting and lots of sprinkles on each piece and gobbled it up ;)
Heart Jell-o's for chini's class treat
Hearty Water melons for sugar's class treat
Heart Butterfly Valentines(with bubble sticks) for sugar's friends
Sugar showing her creativity
Chini displaying her creativity
The whole lot of butterflies
Valentine boxes for Chini's friends
with playdough inside
A special Valentine box by Chini - no hearts on this one - any guesses what is drawn?
Valentine's Cake any one? We didn't have the heart pan; we iced with pink heart frosting and lots of sprinkles on each piece and gobbled it up ;)
Thursday, February 9, 2012
It's winter at last!
Finally!
So what, that, we had a dry christmas and a rather warm first day of the new year? So what, that, Every time, we saw a few flurries, we let our hopes raise for the ground to be covered in an all-white blanket only to find them melting away as soon as they touched the earth? Though a little later than every year and a lot less than usual, it did snow! Wednesday afternoon, It had started with teeny tiny flakes and, within no time, the grey sky was pouring big, soft and fluffy ones, which had given the entire city a very serene look. The leafless trees, the evergreen shrubs and the soft grass, all had acquired a dainty and pristine white angel-like beauty. We had gone out trying to catch them with our tongues and had managed to taste a few. We tried to enjoy it as much as we could as we knew this one is not going to be like the one before.
One lucky Friday night, about a month ago, in January - All night long! We had woken up in the morning to find the nice surprise ever! We had perched up on the window sills to watch the last bits of those snowflakes filing up the sky. We had pressed our little noses to the glass door observing the parking lots/ cars/ driveways being cleaned. Needless to say, we just loved it- the beautiful pure white layer, everywhere all around.
And then, we had gone out, all geared up, and had our snow ball fights and built our snow princess. The littlest of us all, didn't take well the whole concept of snowballs hitting her and threw a huge fit. But she did cheer for us while we were busy making our snow princess. Until, she threw a fit again and we realized that, in our ignorance, we had used her crown, to be-deck the princess. So, the crown exchanged hands and a new one was found, rather hastily.
When the snow started melting, creating puddles of water, we had a gala time again jumping in them. The huge pile turned into ice, held its place for a long time, sitting in our front yard daring the sun to turn it into water. Melting very slowly as if waiting for more of the newer snow to join in..
So what, that, we had a dry christmas and a rather warm first day of the new year? So what, that, Every time, we saw a few flurries, we let our hopes raise for the ground to be covered in an all-white blanket only to find them melting away as soon as they touched the earth? Though a little later than every year and a lot less than usual, it did snow! Wednesday afternoon, It had started with teeny tiny flakes and, within no time, the grey sky was pouring big, soft and fluffy ones, which had given the entire city a very serene look. The leafless trees, the evergreen shrubs and the soft grass, all had acquired a dainty and pristine white angel-like beauty. We had gone out trying to catch them with our tongues and had managed to taste a few. We tried to enjoy it as much as we could as we knew this one is not going to be like the one before.
One lucky Friday night, about a month ago, in January - All night long! We had woken up in the morning to find the nice surprise ever! We had perched up on the window sills to watch the last bits of those snowflakes filing up the sky. We had pressed our little noses to the glass door observing the parking lots/ cars/ driveways being cleaned. Needless to say, we just loved it- the beautiful pure white layer, everywhere all around.
And then, we had gone out, all geared up, and had our snow ball fights and built our snow princess. The littlest of us all, didn't take well the whole concept of snowballs hitting her and threw a huge fit. But she did cheer for us while we were busy making our snow princess. Until, she threw a fit again and we realized that, in our ignorance, we had used her crown, to be-deck the princess. So, the crown exchanged hands and a new one was found, rather hastily.
When the snow started melting, creating puddles of water, we had a gala time again jumping in them. The huge pile turned into ice, held its place for a long time, sitting in our front yard daring the sun to turn it into water. Melting very slowly as if waiting for more of the newer snow to join in..
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday morning blues
Found this in unpublished archives from last year. Must have been written in fall sometime during the beginning of the school year. Don't remember what had happened that monday morning but the night before was totally cute. Read on. Totally an awww moment, isn't it?
Monday morning blues
They start on Sunday evening in our home with the kids being overtired by seven o'clock and momma, frantically, trying to put the dinner together on table lest the kids go to bed hungry. With two howling kids on her side, a simple task of setting up the dinner plate becomes daunting. The dad takes over feeding the dinner part after which they are serenely quiet. Changed to their night dresses and tucked in their beds, they look like they would start their zzzs as soon as she turns off the light. And content that she can now fill her own hungry belly with some food, she comes downstairs kissing both the girls good night. One-half chapati later, mom-dad hear some voices from upstairs. "that cannot be! They were so tired!" Convinced that their ears must be ringing, they turn back to munching their dinner. Mom's instinct tells her that she cannot be wrong, she decides to go check on them, only to find them having a nice conversation making up some silly jokes of their own. For a while, she stands outside their bedroom door, soaking herself in that cute moment before she gets in and asks them what's going on. Because, her tone was light, and their spirits high, they reply with a laughter and few minutes and another session of tucking, kissing goodnights and patting them to sleep later, momma tiptoes out of the room.
Monday morning blues
They start on Sunday evening in our home with the kids being overtired by seven o'clock and momma, frantically, trying to put the dinner together on table lest the kids go to bed hungry. With two howling kids on her side, a simple task of setting up the dinner plate becomes daunting. The dad takes over feeding the dinner part after which they are serenely quiet. Changed to their night dresses and tucked in their beds, they look like they would start their zzzs as soon as she turns off the light. And content that she can now fill her own hungry belly with some food, she comes downstairs kissing both the girls good night. One-half chapati later, mom-dad hear some voices from upstairs. "that cannot be! They were so tired!" Convinced that their ears must be ringing, they turn back to munching their dinner. Mom's instinct tells her that she cannot be wrong, she decides to go check on them, only to find them having a nice conversation making up some silly jokes of their own. For a while, she stands outside their bedroom door, soaking herself in that cute moment before she gets in and asks them what's going on. Because, her tone was light, and their spirits high, they reply with a laughter and few minutes and another session of tucking, kissing goodnights and patting them to sleep later, momma tiptoes out of the room.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Scrubbing away the flu bug
It couldn't have been a better evening(than my usual ones). By 8:30 p.m. Both the girls were tucked in bed, happily snoring. Momma had big plans of finishing the book she was half- way through, ad then, posting an entry on her own blog while listening to some nice numbers, post- dinner. She just couldn't believe her lucky stars that she did get that 'me-time' she craves for, after all. Momma being momma, had to do the dishes, and finish just 'a few' chores before she could enjoy that much dreamed 'me-time' guiltfree. By the time she worked on sating her conscious, it was 10:15p.m. She checked on the dad(obviosly still at work), who gave his automated reply, anytime she calls her after the normal people's office hours(for our ease, let's presume it to be any time after 6:30 p.m.). So, the exclusive-to-wife automated reply was-(any guesses here?!?) -"I should be headed for home in next 10-15 minutes". Knowing ver wel, that means at least half an hour, and then adding the travel time, she had around 45 minutes for herself. Not much, but still desirable!
She had flipped through a couple of pages of the book, when at around quarter to 11, chinipie came to her, clutching her belly. Using her elusive instincts, momma rushed chini to the bathroom and put her on the pot. And lo! They had made it in time. With only a minute difference. The stuff from chini's belly chose to make its way out, not from the rear end, but all the way up on the bathroom floor! Now, momma is one of those people, who sheds tears seeing water in somebody else's eyes and and and who, for 100 percent, throws up seeing(sonetimes, just liatening to) somebody throwing up. So, yes readers, go on applaud her how brave she was to handle the situation all by herself, which included patting her poor daughter's back while she emptied her belly, washing her, changing her dress and she even managed to calm her down through it!! She was, also, very ardently pepping herself to clean the bathroom floor without getting sick herself. She got the clorix wipes, napkin roll and a trash bag, When she heard that familiar click and heaved a sigh if relief! The dad was home, just in time!! Hearing his daughter's voice at 11 in the night, he instantly came upstairs, looked at her, then the big box of wipes in momma's hands and then the bathroom floor. Without a word, he took the wipes from her and set out to do his job. Some people are Godsend. One of those, in my life, definitely is - the dad!!!
After tucking chini back in her bed, and after dad's cleaning, the finicky mom went to do a thorough clean up( which obviously, always irritates the dad). But it turned out, that the dad didn't get a chance, as chini kept throwing up, from both ends, the entire night. Poor girl! She had to change her night dress twice, her bed was dirty, so he had to be moved with the mom n dad, n after a few minutes their bedsheet hsd to be hanged too. The carpet had to be cleaned for the times, they couldn't make it safely to the bathroom. After to failed attempts to settle her tummy with a frozen pedialyte, they called up the doctor at around 4:30 in the morning who advised to give her just ice chips until morning. Poor thing ws so dehydrated that she kept crying ( with no tears!!) tht her mouth was dry n ice chips r nt helping. But as rhe ice chips seemed to hv worked better n giving her two sips of water resulted in another bout of throw-up that poor mom n dad had to toughen themselves. Only at around nine in the morning, after confirming from the doctor, did they give her diluted apple juice and few pieces of apple. My child was very tired and just wanted momma n papa to sit with her. After she fell asleep, the finicky mom, set to her task again, scrubbing all the bathrooms, carpets, washing the sheets, clothes, lest she as two sick kids at the same time.
It's been two days and chinipie is still not very well. She had thrown up this morning too. And the entire household is on a khichdi diet.
Sugar, missing all the attention, has started saying, "I am sick" "my head is feeling dizzy".
She had flipped through a couple of pages of the book, when at around quarter to 11, chinipie came to her, clutching her belly. Using her elusive instincts, momma rushed chini to the bathroom and put her on the pot. And lo! They had made it in time. With only a minute difference. The stuff from chini's belly chose to make its way out, not from the rear end, but all the way up on the bathroom floor! Now, momma is one of those people, who sheds tears seeing water in somebody else's eyes and and and who, for 100 percent, throws up seeing(sonetimes, just liatening to) somebody throwing up. So, yes readers, go on applaud her how brave she was to handle the situation all by herself, which included patting her poor daughter's back while she emptied her belly, washing her, changing her dress and she even managed to calm her down through it!! She was, also, very ardently pepping herself to clean the bathroom floor without getting sick herself. She got the clorix wipes, napkin roll and a trash bag, When she heard that familiar click and heaved a sigh if relief! The dad was home, just in time!! Hearing his daughter's voice at 11 in the night, he instantly came upstairs, looked at her, then the big box of wipes in momma's hands and then the bathroom floor. Without a word, he took the wipes from her and set out to do his job. Some people are Godsend. One of those, in my life, definitely is - the dad!!!
After tucking chini back in her bed, and after dad's cleaning, the finicky mom went to do a thorough clean up( which obviously, always irritates the dad). But it turned out, that the dad didn't get a chance, as chini kept throwing up, from both ends, the entire night. Poor girl! She had to change her night dress twice, her bed was dirty, so he had to be moved with the mom n dad, n after a few minutes their bedsheet hsd to be hanged too. The carpet had to be cleaned for the times, they couldn't make it safely to the bathroom. After to failed attempts to settle her tummy with a frozen pedialyte, they called up the doctor at around 4:30 in the morning who advised to give her just ice chips until morning. Poor thing ws so dehydrated that she kept crying ( with no tears!!) tht her mouth was dry n ice chips r nt helping. But as rhe ice chips seemed to hv worked better n giving her two sips of water resulted in another bout of throw-up that poor mom n dad had to toughen themselves. Only at around nine in the morning, after confirming from the doctor, did they give her diluted apple juice and few pieces of apple. My child was very tired and just wanted momma n papa to sit with her. After she fell asleep, the finicky mom, set to her task again, scrubbing all the bathrooms, carpets, washing the sheets, clothes, lest she as two sick kids at the same time.
It's been two days and chinipie is still not very well. She had thrown up this morning too. And the entire household is on a khichdi diet.
Sugar, missing all the attention, has started saying, "I am sick" "my head is feeling dizzy".
Thursday, February 2, 2012
So Sugar goes to School!
And yes! you can close your mouth and wipe that look of surprise off your face! Even I didn't expect it to happen so soon after this. But I guess I saw it coming much before but refused to acknowledge. With sugar trying to pull her older sister out of the classroom, every time we went to drop her off.. with sugar refusing to enter the house afterwards, screaming No! I don't want to go home! as soon as the car halted before the door of our humble abode... with sugar jumping to her feet when I announced that it's time to go get didi..
And momma ooh'ed and aah'ed on the sisterly bond all this time!
Until, one day,
She just kept crying inconsolably. When everything other soothing effort failed, mommy decided to talk it out with her.
Sugar, kyun ro rahi hai? why is sugar crying?
Amidst her tears, she had replied I wanna go
Sugar library jaegi momma ke saath? Does sugar want to go to library with momma?
still hiccuping, NO
Sugar shopping jayegi Sugar will go shopping?
NO with another heartfelt bawling
Now, these were the options, which ought to cheer her up, usually. Not today, though. The only other option left was going to the park, which was out of question on that wintry morning.so, momma asked her again,
Sugar kahaan jayegi? Where does sugar wanna go?
School. uuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnn
Mommy didn't even realize when her baby just grew on up her.
Not quite though. Before this surprise breakdown, momma had already enrolled sugar in two-day two's classes in the same school as chini and was waiting for the classes to start. Though, in truth, momma was still having the separation issues and was fooling herself in wondering how her oh-so-little-baby will handle in. While, in truth, it turned out that she was actually an eager-to-leave-mommy girl who just walked straight to her teachers with her own story to share. Without even turning back to say bye or even look at momma. Whereas the shocked mom was repeating insanely to the chuckling dad over and over and over again, she didn't even look at me. she didn't even look at me. Dad, still as happy as can be, said, Oh! I was never worried about her. Concerned for you, instead!?!?
Today, is the second week of her school and she goes only two days a week. The rest whole week, as her older sister gets ready, she keeps asking, where's my book bag? Where are my school shoes? Why are you not dropping me? Well, I did get greedy and tried to enroll her for two more days at least, but it turned out that there are only two-day classes at the current school for this age group. Am at loss, how to keep her busy the rest of the weekdays for the remainder of four months of this school year. Any ideas?
And momma ooh'ed and aah'ed on the sisterly bond all this time!
Until, one day,
She just kept crying inconsolably. When everything other soothing effort failed, mommy decided to talk it out with her.
Sugar, kyun ro rahi hai? why is sugar crying?
Amidst her tears, she had replied I wanna go
Sugar library jaegi momma ke saath? Does sugar want to go to library with momma?
still hiccuping, NO
Sugar shopping jayegi Sugar will go shopping?
NO with another heartfelt bawling
Now, these were the options, which ought to cheer her up, usually. Not today, though. The only other option left was going to the park, which was out of question on that wintry morning.so, momma asked her again,
Sugar kahaan jayegi? Where does sugar wanna go?
School. uuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnn
Mommy didn't even realize when her baby just grew on up her.
Not quite though. Before this surprise breakdown, momma had already enrolled sugar in two-day two's classes in the same school as chini and was waiting for the classes to start. Though, in truth, momma was still having the separation issues and was fooling herself in wondering how her oh-so-little-baby will handle in. While, in truth, it turned out that she was actually an eager-to-leave-mommy girl who just walked straight to her teachers with her own story to share. Without even turning back to say bye or even look at momma. Whereas the shocked mom was repeating insanely to the chuckling dad over and over and over again, she didn't even look at me. she didn't even look at me. Dad, still as happy as can be, said, Oh! I was never worried about her. Concerned for you, instead!?!?
Today, is the second week of her school and she goes only two days a week. The rest whole week, as her older sister gets ready, she keeps asking, where's my book bag? Where are my school shoes? Why are you not dropping me? Well, I did get greedy and tried to enroll her for two more days at least, but it turned out that there are only two-day classes at the current school for this age group. Am at loss, how to keep her busy the rest of the weekdays for the remainder of four months of this school year. Any ideas?
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