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.