Both girls are in school ...

India trip was very very hectic ... sure it was fun, but we were on the move more than I would have loved. We were constantly driving around ... mostly in 2 wheelers since thats what fancied the kids more than car. I was hesitant to allow BP ride the bike initially ... but had few options since the kids wouldn't budge. We also managed 2 family union trips ... one was really a big one to pull off , comprising of BP's entire family (first circle only) There were about 24 families of which 22 managed to make it. Met lot of folks for the first time. Of course the kids came back rotten pampered.
Although the trip was fun, I had wanted to do some things like meeting my special friends, visit my college lecturers, do nothing and relax on "MY" bed in "MY" house for atleast a couple of days, climb the Chamundi hills ... unfortunately these things didn't happen due to various reasons beyond my control. We also realised that 3 weeks of vacation was very short considering our huge family ... also felt others were influencing too much of our visits / stay.

Anyways .... so we came back almost 3 weeks back. The first week was pretty bad with jet lag hitting us. Kids and me were in bed by 7:30pm and we ate dinner almost a week after we were back.

Once routine kicked in, there were changes in store. Cantaloupe's school began. We went to school a day before school began to check the classroom list. She was little disappointed not to find her friends in her class. She had also hoped to have a certain teacher .. but that was not the case. One of the parents there commented that Cantaloupe's teacher was very strict ... and had little tolerance. Well, Cantaloupe heard that comment and was very hesitant the first few days of school. But she seems fine now ....

And bigger news is Junior started school ... YES... my little baby started pre school from yesterday. I barely slept sunday night ... only imagining how Junior would manage school. But she put all my tensions to rest by walking into her classroom with a big dimpled smile and settled on her chair with play dough and a cookie cutter :) She also went around telling folks at random "My mom will come to pick me up in the evening". Of course mom was there earlier than expected :) To my surprise, she had finished her lunch box as well .. including the fruit. (Idly and mango) I was truly impressed.
My nephew also started school with Junior. The kids are just 5 months apart and have grown up together all this while ... be it grandma taking care of both of them or going to the same home day care. So we didn't want to separate the two and so enrolled them in the same school, requesting the school to place them in the same class. While they agreed to do so while accepting the application, the kids were allocated different classrooms. Our request to accommodate a transfer and have the kids in the same class fell on deaf ears. So as it stands, the little ones go to same school but different classes.

I hope this year turns out to be fun and joyous ride to all three !!

Random Ramble

* My new found favorite fruit: "Grape Fruit" : Whats more, its good for health too !!!!

* Cantaloupe has been enjoying her Art projects ... her latest fascination: Simple cross stitch projects

* Junior can sing "Lambodara Lakumikara" in tune :)

* BP has been having working late hours ... its been going on like this for sometime now.

* California summer is awesome ... simply loving the weather.

* Managed to control ourselves from eating out for 3 weeks ... quite an achievement for us.

* After experimenting with Bournvita, Horlicks and Complan, Boost seems to the favorite in these parts.

* Missing Arya bhavan "Milk Cakes" ... the ones I found here were ok... nothing great.

* Independence day fire work was oohed and ahhed by all including Junior.

* Our current family game : Scrabble :)

Lyrics in Kannada movies

"Akka nimmooralli nayi gu dance barutha?"**

My sister called and asked me listen to this song on youtube. The first time I listened to the lyrics, I couldn't believe my ears ... was I really hearing it right?? Sadly I was right ...

Gone are the days of "Mellusire savi gaana" ....


** translation: sister, do the dogs in your town dance as well?

India trip

Things taken care:

* Tickets booked


Things to take care:

* Plan a family vacation on a date suitable for most - Herculean task I tell you ... considering ours is a biiiig family
* Buy gifts
* Decide on the days we are going to spend in B'lore / Mysore - tricky - considering BP's folks mostly live in B'lore an mine are in Mysore.
* Decide on whom we would be visiting - We certainly don't want to offend anyone ... but its practically impossible to visit every family.
* Decide on places to visit in and around B'lore / Mysore.
* Prepare a shopping list and stick to it :)

Things we hope to do:
* Have breakfast at Vidyarthi Bhavan in B'lore and GTR in Mysore (we have our priorities right ... its always food first)
* Visit the Planetarium in B'lore.
* Ride a 2-wheeler after almost 7 years ... is that pushing oneself too much ???
* "Joy" ice cream - Nuttie Delight
* Visit my grandma's house once - my grandma recently shifted from her house where she was staying alone to her kid's houses
* Buy a pair of anklets for self :)
* Get an extra pair of power cable for the "Shruthi Pettige"
* Climb up "Chamundi Betta" on foot
* Play a match of badminton with cousins

... and more. My parents and MIL are anxiously waiting for our arrival.

Is being involved in kid's routine uncool ??

This is the impression I am getting when talking to folks (mostly in office) and let me add most of these folks are dads.

When ever my colleagues asked me what my girl's latest mile stone was I'd gladly share the same with them. Being climbing up and using the slides independently at the local park or handling a monkey bar or recognizing the alphabets / numbers or learning new rhymes or showing interest in coloring ... whatever, I'd just share it as a matter of fact. Along the same lines, when asked during our last lunch out, I said, my girl now identifies flags of about 40 countries ... and that she was way ahead of her dad in the quiz to identify the flags.
I thought this was a neat achievement ... Junior has been showing interest in identifying flags lately and I thought as a mother I should encourage her. (she pesters me even now to look up more flags ... I am too lazy to do so).

But I was stunned by the reaction of my colleagues ... they thought I was a pushy mother and I was pressurizing my kids to learn things at a very young age. In fact one of them went to the extent of advising me to leave the kids alone. The other said, my daughter is about 4 now, and she barely knows her alphabets and numbers. She is having fun ... and went to give a Hi-fi to another colleague, as if to imply he was being cool. I asked him what are the things he has taught his daughter and he again insisted he was being cool by not teaching her and leaving it to his wife.

Really ???? Encouraging your kid's interest and being part of their routine is uncool ??? Since when??

My dad likes Badminton ... my sister likes my dad

My mommy likes "Free Time" ... *gasp* (Really??????)
But most importantly they all love ME !!!


This was the note on Cantaloupe's class door (displayed during open house) .... where each student was asked to write about their family "Likes"

It was for the entire world to see what mommy likes ....

Vinova milk and Mandori raaga

We are driving to school with classical music playing in the background. (B Jayashree)

Junior: I want Naat raaga
(said raaga playing in the background)

J: Naata aada mele Mandori barutte
(after Naata, Mandori raaga will come)

Me: yes.. it is Mandaari :)

J: Amma which raaga is this?
Me: Begade
J: Ade nanna room idyalla Melgade (oh ... my room is top floor ... top floor = Melgade)
Me: ROFL .. It is Begade not Melgade
J: Are you sure? (in English)


J (listening to Kande Na Govinda na song) : Oh ide... snaana time (oh this is bath time)
Me : what? (suddenly light bulb flashes ... we say Govinda, end of bath)

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

J: I want Vinova
Me: What??
J: New Vinova
Me: What is that???
Cantaloupe: She means Vanilla milk
Me: ROFL

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

Cantaloupe has split her button collection and calls out
C: Sis,.... I need help
J: Rescue Ranger on the way
Me: WHAT???

And I had tears of joy in my eyes ...

* Was it the "Mother's pride" seeing her daughter confidently singing on stage ... OR
* Was it beautiful lyrics of the song which goes something like "It doesn't matter what color you are .... you always have a dream" .... OR
* Was it the joy of easily identifying my daughter's voice among 80+ other kids from her school during their musical performance ... OR
* Was it because of the bubbling enthusiasm the younger displayed on seeing her sister on stage .... OR
* Was it because parents and teachers came out and praised my daughter for her singing abilities .... OR
* Was it because the way my two little girls hugged each other and celebrated the performance, even as others around them looked on ... OR
* Was it the way the little one ran to her akka and the older one held her hand and led her to her class, all the way introducing her sister to all her classmates ... OR
* Was it the confidence with which my little one greeted the teacher, shelling out her inhibitions ...

Whatever it was .... the day Cantaloupe gave her musical performance was just magical.

Weekend maja

The weekend went by in a blink... but I thoroughly enjoyed it this time. And whats more, accomplished few tasks as well ...

Karadi rhymes has inspired me from the first time I heard it. I always encourage Cantaloupe to incorporate it in her curriculum ... like the other time, when we had to recite a poem about Food ... what better one that the Onion Sambar song on Karadi . Similarly she had to sing a silly song, and I thought "Monkeys" song was just perfect.
So, now there is an International Night coming up at school, and I wanted Cantaloupe to participate in it. Gathered few kids who wanted to participate and we parents were discussing on the performance that the kids should put up. Someone suggested, bollywood dance ... I cringed. Folk dance said another parent... and I pointed out we had exactly 10 days to prepare and getting 6-7yr olds to perform for an entire folk dance would be difficult. I suggested a dance drama .... ofcourse one where I could use ample Karadi music :) I wrote the script for the act (a panchatantra story).... narrowed Karadi songs. The kids had their first practice on saturday ... and they looked cute putting up the act.
I think it is completely age appropriate. Last year, they had sung Vande Maataram and I heard a lot of parents come up to me appreciating the choice. Pls wish me luck ... I have much recording / audio mixing / editing to do .... pls wish me luck.

Mother's day went off quite nice .... woke up to both girls wishing me "Happy mother's day". BP had masala tea ready (he prepares tea every morning) ... and had a long leisure shower. (now thats luxury, in case you didn't know). BP had breakfast ready. (toast in case you cared to know) ... and even vacuumed the house. Then he headed out for his badminton game ... while the girls and I played for sometime, before we had our afternoon siesta. Woke up and went to the mall since BP had to pick up his contact lens ... and went straight to Cold stone. (of course I had Coffee lover's special) Dinner was at my sister's place ... well laid out Karnataka style food. (Bisibelebhath, Majjige Huli, Saaru, Kosambari, Jamoon, Mosaranna). My girls and my nephew wished "Happy Mother's Day" atleast once every 2 mins .. :)

Spring time - 2011

Hello people ... lazy me wrote several posts (of course in my head) but never posted them in the WWW space.
No particular reasons ...

Cantaloupe's school reopened after Spring break. She had a week off and thoroughly enjoyed the same. Friday she said was particularly her favourite ... of course it was. Mommy took off from work and treated her to her favourite ice cream before driving to the library. Here again she selected her books (Rainbow magic series) and then we headed to Barnes and Nobles. Cantaloupe had won a gift card at the Science fair * conducted in her school. We spent a good hour and half here and all we did was check out various books (of course the Rainbow magic series). She picked the latest copy of the Rainbow fairies series for herself and an Earth day book for her sis. (she offered to buy her sister a book from the money "SHE" had earned at the science fair ... commendable na?? Both girls came out extremely happy out of the book store. ( a pat on my back : i never once influenced her decision on the book she wanted to buy, very unusual of me. I am the one who will research atleast a week in advance the day and time I will head out to buy the particular book in mind)
Once home, she headed to her favourite activity on friday evening : Gymnastics. On the way back, we ordered a spicy veggie pizza much to her excitement.
It was an enjoyable day spent with the girls ...


* Science Fair: Conducted Apr 2011 : Topic: Magnets
Cantaloupe learnt a lot about magnets as part of this ... the topic was chosen after much thought and seeing her love/ curiosity about fridge magnets.

Hungama Hungama

For what ???

For "Yellow" oranges to be given to her highness and not the regular "Orange" oranges...

ps: Cantaloupe later explained to us stumped parents, that her sister meant lemons :)

Yet another surprise ...

Junior enjoys reading with me ... I often read to her ... I have prepared my own slides of fruits, flowers , colors, alphabets , shapes and the like and she loves to sit with me and read. She identifies 10 countries by their flag ... and thats enough for me to think I have a genius of a child .. anyways I digress.

Yesterday Cantaloupe and I were working on a fuse beads project for a prop she was going to use at school, and BP was loading the dishwasher and Junior was sitting her favorite Dora coloring book and a lone crayon. (we were too lazy... sorry busy to get her the crayon box and she just picked one random crayon you can so easily find in every room of our house)
And all of a sudden Junior announces "Appa I wrote A ... Amma .. akka I have wrote A". Stumped by what we heard, we rush to see what she has written and it is indeed A ... the cutest A very possible :) (whatever that means). BP thinks its mere coincidence that what she was scribbling resembled letter A and asks her to write it again ... and she goes "One line ... Two line ... Three Line ... there A"
I simple couldn't believe what I saw. What followed was a long video recording / photo session followed by a crayon box reward :) She has been busy since last night just coloring ... while akka was proud of her sister initially, once the crayon set was given out to Junior, it wasn't pretty anymore :(

Sisterly love

Cantaloupe busy playing by herself when she is interrupted by Junior. (Junior thinks being part of Cantaloupe's game is her right and the right way to be part of akka's game is to take away all the toys akka has neatly arranged)

Fearing all her toys / books arranged, Cantaloupe yells at Junior "Go away ... I don't want to play with you"

Junior comes running back to me with tears in her eyes ... "Amma akka said go away ... I want to play with akka"

I talk to akka and request her to include Junior in her game.

Next moment " Go away"

"But akka, I love you ... I want to play with you"

enough to melt my darling older daughter's heart and the next moment, both are hugging each other and falling over all the toys and collectively making a mess :)


ps: We rarely talk to Junior in English ... its a different story with akka though. The entire conversation above happened in English and I was pleasantly surprised at how Junior is forming sentences in English already.

What is keeping me busy these days

Tangoes

Bought it as a gift for my daughter ... but who is using it the most? I'd say its a stiff competition between me and BP.
But someone is not complaining .... she is only to happy to create her own shapes and not bother to solve the shapes suggested on the puzzle cards.