Child's shortcomings

Are you open about your child's short comings or you don't talk about them with your friends?

As far as I am concerned ... I am not a very vocal person. I do not open up easily ... I take my time. Once I am comfortable with the person, I speak honestly. Mostly I underplay my kids ... that is something I am working on. I need to give them credit for their achievements and not necessarily talk about their short comings with friends.

But I have seen some moms who are very vocal right from the word go ... and all they talk is about how best the child is in sports ... academics.... etc. That amazes me actually.
There was one on one parent-teacher conferences 2 weeks back. The teacher set the expectations of each child and discussed on areas they could work on. For Eg: For Cantaloupe, the teacher said that she should really try to keep her hands to herself and not help other kids in her table. So when we mommies were discussing about how the conferences went, all parents maintained their child was almost perfect. Really ???

So, are you honest or you discuss your child's shortcomings as well?

How many hours a day

do you spend on your computer / laptop / blackberry / iphone and the like?

Would you be sane if these were confiscated from you for 3 straight days ?
I have a feeling there is a strong addiction to the kind above in our house ... especially BP has this affiliation.

Please tell me honestly ...

Story of my life - Limerick

I found this tag here very sweet ... it reminded me of my days as a young bride and the non stop questioning of those aunties around. I wanted to take up the tag ... Then when I hoped over here ... and I decided I'd give it a shot anyways though I wasn't confident.

So here goes ....


Something in his(BP) email clicked
And thats how we got hitched
Today when I look at the same mail I wonder
What was it that made me surrender ...
It worked ... and already nine years have ticked

Junior Updates

My darling Junior turns 17 months tomorrow ... yep 17 months already ... and I have barely 7 posts about her developmental updates. Hmm ...
She loves her family .. that is her sister, dad and mom and can express her love in action as well ... she comes around looking for us calling out akka .. appa... amma in the cutest voice and hugs us so warmly and starts patting us on our back. She might even plant a kiss if we are lucky. I hope she continues to express her feeling similarly for many years to come.
Her akka is her ultimate guru .... if akka dances, she begins to jump up and down ... err. ... dance. If akka does a somersault, (palti) so does she. Akka picks a book and a pencil, madam immediately demands she be given the same and it better be the same color akka has.
Just 3 night back, both girls were sleeping in their room when I heard a small wail coming out .... I slowly walked up to their room to see Junior awake. Most days I would have carried her and helped her fall asleep ... that night I didn't. I just paused and observed and what to I see. Junior looks at her sister sleeping next to her and calmly settles beside akka, hugging her. She is all secure and falls asleep. I was at peace at that moment ... I just stood there for almost 5 minutes too much consumed by the love I saw. I will never forget this incident ever ...
Just when I thought I had seen the best of sibling moment, another incident happened. This was when we came back from day care on friday. I had picked up grocery and was unloading the same from car. The kids got down from the car .... Cantaloupe carried her school bag and extended her hand for Junior. The little girl confidently grabbed the extended hand and started walking towards our house. We have about 30 stairs to climb before we reach our house I have carried Junior 90% of the time ... the rest of the times I have supervised her as she has climbed the steps. But that day ... she just confidently held her sister's hand and Cantaloupe patiently helped her sister climb up the stairs. In between while climbing, Junior would turn back and grin, almost challenging me to go ahead of her ... Once she climbed all the steps and reached our main door, I could see the sense of achievement in her eyes.
Junior now recognises some colors .. blue, purple, green, yellow, red ... loves to cuddle beside me while I read for her ... enjoys the music any time / all the time ... (she demands music be turned on by saying "Daddy daddy cool" :D)
Her vocabulary has improved a lot over the past few weeks ... most definitely communicates what she wants ... be it demanding her blanket which she calls "Talkie" (for blankie) .. or Toota (for water)... TeeVee (for TV) ... Nana (Snana or bath) .... Dapeeeeeer (Diaper) .. so on and so forth. For words she identifies but cannot spell out she uses a common sound "Thadaa".

She is the darling of our family currently and I hope she continues to be so.

Palkova - Continued recipe ...

Continued from here.

The family reached the temple bright and early. Amma called out the three names for archanam when Ravi added Anjali from behind. Puzzled amma looked over Ravi's shoulder to see a gorgeous young lady in saree. Memories of the past gushed amma's thoughts and she stood there still. The tension in the air was thick.

UPDATE: Continued here.

When was the last time you relived your childhood?

Remember those carefree days as child when you jumped and splashed rain water .... you wore Hawaii chappals and walked without worrying about the annoying sounds it made while walking ... getting all soaked in the beach not worrying about your clothes getting wet or your body being exposed .... building sand castles for hours together and breaking them in minutes ... slurping on those lollies (popsicles) ...
Well I got a chance to re-live one of those moments last weekends. We were invited to a birthday party at this place.

Both the girls were excited from the get go. Cantaloupe wished the birthday boy and didn't waste any time in climbing one of those inflatables. Not to be left behind our Junior ran behind her sister ... but obviously couldn't climb up those inflatables and yelled out for her dad. I was exchanging pleasantries with the hostess and what do I see when I turn back ... 2 girls and their dad bouncing up and down in style. They then moved on to those giant slides. Without a hint of hesitation all 3 spent almost 30 mins on the slides ... when BP realised that there was another person who had accompanied him to the party .. ME !
He came towards me sweating because of all the jumping and urged me to try on the giant slide ... I was ill prepared for this kind of party ... had worn a skirt and refused his offer. But there was only so much I could contain myself. There was another mini slide beside and I just HAD to experience the thrill. I went in those inflatable dens (is that what they are called) and climbed up the stairs which I must admit was a daunting task given the wobbly surface and my long skirt and came down the slide .... AWESOME experience I tell you. I bounced up and down as if there was no tomorrow with my girls until my legs hurt. Actually No ... until it was time to cut the cake.

It had almost been ages since I felt so liberated doing such a simple task as jumping and going down a slide.
When was the last time you relived your childhood moments?

Morning Madness

I have started cooking in the morning ... and dishes are done at night.
But its not the cooking that takes time ... the dabba packing is really making me go mad.

I have to pack 5 dabbas
* One for BP and it HAS to be chapati and curry (one silver foil and one dabba for curry)
* One dabba for Cantaloupes' school lunch (sometimes its chapati and curry for her)
* One lunch box for Junior and one extra box with Yogurt.
* Snacks for both Junior and Cantaloupe which includes mostly fruits and a dabba with the day's breakfast (upma, idli, etc)
* One lunch dabba for self

Along with the above, I have to keep aside fruits for self and BP. I prefer apples, oranges most days since except for washing I don't have to do anything extra ... but then BP ends up buying mangoes, melons and I hate to see them go bad and have to cut these and put them in boxes as well.

By the time I step out of the house, I have another dabba of breakfast in my hand since I wouldn't have the time to eat it at home.

So what gets you mad ? Is it the cooking, doing the dishes or something else ...