Mrs Homemaker Part 2

The next round was GO Karting and Cricket both on the same day !!!

Early morng 6.00 o clock we all met at the office of Twilite Corpos...Irrespective of age ellarum oru jean and top/t shirt!! Believe me every homemaker was lookg smart...In diff cars, we all set our foot for Kart Attack on ECR....

My preparation for this round....again zilch !!! I asked my husband what is this "Go karting"...Romba kashta pattu he explained...and i dint even know to drive a car then...so din know where the brake/ the accelarator is...

Now cmg back to the contest, the drive was really good...car la breakfast( smebdy had got !!!) .The instructor at the Kart Attack explained the nuances.We were given a chance to test drive...and the real contest starts...three in a batch..and I was in the first batch !!! Aiyo...

Slow and steady wins the race nu..side boards mela modina marks cut aaidumnu ninaichu...aamai madhiri ooti...did 6 flaps in 5 mins....there were others who made 9/ 10 flaps as well !!! ithuvum pochu...when we did the flaps we werent told who made how many rounds...this was a nice trick!!! nobody wud know where they stand !!!!

We all came back to RT dead tired ....sumptuous lunch was served...next cmes the instruction "Change and get ready for Cricket round".We were divided in to two teams-Red and Blue.We were given specific T shirts with logo and the wordings-Mrs Homemaker-Not missing the miss.It was real fun to play in the hot sun, a game that I have only enjoyed watchg,din know the nuances and rules...Luckily our team won...I think thats how my points increased !!!

Now the catch is ,we never knew what our score is at the end of each round....Tension thalaikku yeri ukkarndhu irundom...The chief guest for this round was our Chennai 28 Hero Shiva !!!

From this round onwards we were told that we will have many more rounds ...all scores added up and end of it there will be elimination and only 15 of us will go on to Grand Finale !!!!

End of the day, as a dead meat....I came back home...butterflies flyg....thinkg abt the next round...."Village Round"...the thought that was running at the back of my mind. "There r a lot of things to learn in life...and there are so many talented women out there !!!!"

the rounds were devised in such a way to prove, adupu oodhara pengal can go karting as well !!! And to be frank, i learnt all these and much more only when i contested in those rounds....before each round, i did little homewrk for each n every round...and that is when i learnt them...

Couple of days before the village round, we were asked to cme and show all our costumes for the round.Each one was supposed to wear a village costume representg any state...there were participants who were all decked up in rajasthani/gujarathi costumes...remember those bangles running all thru the hand !!!!

east west north south...i cud see everythg there...even madisaar !!!

The D day came...we all dressed up frm home and arrived at the office as usual at 6 am !!! Again I was expectg smeone to bring break fast for me...My mom tied the village style saree for me...she also did my hair...a long plat( ofcourse with false hair !!!) with a kunjalam and flowers running all thru the plat...My husband jus laughed at me !!!! I quietly kissed my sleepg daughter , said goodbye and arrived the at the office....

The journey to a village on the onskirts of Chennai was wonderful !!! We all were singing...dancing..having so much fun...I knew couple of village songs of Vijaya lakshmi Navaneetha krishnan and Pushpavanam Kuppusamy(Tks to my school music teacher !!!) They were the ones who saved me...My friends were quite surprised !!! In all the previous rounds I was totally unnoticed... and suddenly I was in the limelight and everybdy enjoyed the songs so much...I was made to sing again and again...ithhula shootg vera...padaradhu aadaradhu ellam !!!!

When we went there, ammi was ready !!! Yes we had to araichuvy chutney/ thogaiyal in ammi !!! Jus a day before I went to my mom's place and tried the ammi... for the first time in my life !!!! So I was actually confident...Again I was in the first batch...But with all the costumes and jewellery....it was so difficult....i stood....i sat....i bent....mmmmm

eppadiyo peerkanga thogaiyal arachachu !!! We were relaxing and here cmes the instruction-"Get ready..U have the next round !!!"Everybdy had an expression of "Now what??"You know what was awaitg us.....viragu aduppula samaikkanum!!!To cook rice with logs of wood like the good old olden days !!! It was a surprise round...every contest had sme surprise element in it !!!!

I was already tired and my entire hair had cme out of the false hair and I was holdg it in my hand !!! But since its a contest we had to do it....We were given all the essentials...includg the vessel...With the help of other homemakers I learnt the art then and smehow managed to vedichufy sadam !!!!

By now my entire hairdo was in my hand.The judge,Chef Dhamu was already judg the contestants...tastg the rice to see the padam and also tastg the thogaiyal...

I threw whatvr I was holdg in my hand, took a rubber band ,put it as a side ponytail...a piece of flower on it...On top of it we had to present creatively whatvr we had made...kolam, mud vessels, vazhai ilai, flowers...what not... people r creative to the core !!!

And don forget all these were happng in front of a camera !!!

I don think we all wud ve ever done all these and trust me we may not get an opportunity to do it again !!! Another tiring yet fun filled day...Back home by 9 pm.....

Live traffic....

Its not the traffic on the road that Im talking about..Its the traffic on my blog...Im so happy with this Feedjit ...It makes me happy by saying that there are people who read my blog !!! :-))) And from all over the world...from different sites ...they reach here...
But is there any arrangement to make people comment???Don know why the equation isnt correct...when so many people read the posts,why cant they say somethg??? Good ...bad...better...
I always treasure the comments here...They encourage me...motivate me...sometimes allow me to introspect...Hope my readers give me an opportunity to experience all these !! :-)
Let me take an opportunity to thk all my followers who read and also comment..They know what I look fwd to;-))
Tks buddies for being there for me !!!

Mrs Homemaker 2007 Part 1

Hey...Im in some kinda blogging mood...may be the celebration mood is inspiring me to write more....
Recently one of my friends had posted Our Mrs Homemaker 2007 pics.And tht was jus enough to set me in a rewind mode...Wow !!! wat a wonderful experience of 3 full mths...It was jus like back in school college days jus tht we had known each other only now...Republishing this blog which was a grt hit in chennaimoms ( nammale sollikka vendiya dhan !!! )

I din have a blogspot then...Now, that I have one,this post definitely deserves a place here....Days which are permanently sculpted in my memories...Jus the word Mrs.Homemaker are more than enough and I can jabber on and on...
Tks Gayathri for postg those lovely pics and kindling my memories !!!

Now, the story dates back to Aug 2007…I saw an ad in the paper for this contest.After delivering Shreya in Sept 2006,it was jus baby, baby, baby….( ellarukkum athe dhaan !!)

I was looking for smethg interestg, smethg adventurous.I asked my husband, he said go ahead and apply….One fine day( on my b day !!) we went to Twilite Corpos office and filled my appln.Met Sumathi mam and Dharma Sir.Since this was the first time I was participatg in such a contest I was a little apprehensive and mandai fulla ore qns…They answered all my queries….

After a few days I got a call sayg, out of the 250 odd applns, they have shortlisted mine as well and the first round was “ vegetable carving” and “dining décor”.Both on the same day at Residency towers…Appo residency Towers enga irukkunu kooda ennakku theriyadu…ippo thummina RT than !!!

Vegetable Carving- I had a full time maid then and vegetable cuttinge…. “totally out of touch” ithula ennatha carve pannaradu…. dining décor... I was a little confident about…coz people who have dined at ,my place always spk high abt the presentation( ellarum evvalo poi solli irukkanga nu contest pona appuram than therinjudu !!!!)

With bags and baggages we all gathered at the venue. We utilized the waiting time to get familiar with each other…made new friends…exchanged nos….I met homemakers of all age…one who was very recently married to the one who has celebrated her silver jubilee !!!

There were separate tables given for everybody.... almost all veges in the centre.When they said” time starts now”..everybody jus ran and picked all the veges reqd..back at table… and the wrk starts…I din even look at anybdy…lest I know Im jus going to be more tensed…. Etho ennakku therinja scraping, cutting…thuruving ellam panni carving ra perla kuduthachu…

Dine décor…We all had got all the crockery reqd and decorated the table accordg to our creativity…When I finished it, I went around to see how everybody had done….Oooh…my God…what creativity!!!!

I quietly messaged my husband “ I m out” !!!!

Revathy Shanmugam and one more person( she was the owner of sme boutique) were the judges...we werent given the results immdly...suspense continued for a few days...when I suddenly got a call, " You are shorlisted !!!!" I thought I was day dreaming !!! But s I had cleared this round...

Jingle Bells...Jingle Bells...

It was time for Christmas and New Year celebrations at my gym.They come up with something or the other every now and then.And I like it…There is so much fun…Nobody gives you an opportunity to exhibit your skills once you are outta school and college.May be in some work places…Now tht I don wrk full time, I utilize every available opportunity to let my hair down…

It was the day I rejoined gym,I was informed of the celebrations the next day !! And my instructor says “ Mam I have added your name for the dance contest.And anyways Shreya is there in Fairy walk” Which means we both are in…and its time to do some brain storming and head breaking :-)))

Ransacked the CDs available and played each one to see which one wud be easy to make everybdy believe that it is indeed dance !!!Finalised on Ayyasamy..Avoji samy from Or Iravu…Visualised the steps ( point to be noted- no practice).3 yrs back my cousin’s daughter Harini had taught me the steps..But happily forgotten…Tried my best to recollect…and cud only gaze at the empty wall …clueless…Filled the lyrics with expressions tht she had taught me and the music with not-so- difficult steps.

For Shreya- taught her a few lines which wud suit a fairy’s costume…When I was searching for couple of lines,she came up with
Iam a fairy Iam a fairy ( Sing jus like I hear thunder… )
Here I come Here I come ( This is frm another v rhyme)
I am going to fly Iam goin to fly…( Ithu sontha sahityam )
Later I changed it to I will make you happy

But she refused to practice  .Shreya has become very adamant these days…and pretends to have short term hearing problem !!! Jus cant hear whatever I say !!! Thot its gonna be a flop….

Picked up the clothes in the morng on the D day…tried to play the music and practice it for a couple of times.Eve I dressed up Shreya…reached the place and got to in to my costume.Thot if I drove the car with tht Kurathi costume, I cud imagine the four legged ones behind me !!!

Amma ,Ambika n Chinnu were our cheer leaders…The show started off with a wonderful Magic show.Followed by kid’s Fairy walk and then the dance.Then we also had couple of games for kids and members.

Time to announce the prize…And we were quite surprised tht we both had won the 1 st place !!!Hurrah !!!

It was indeed a time for celebration…and the show ended with a Dance Floor helping both of us to vent our excitement!!

Personally felt nice to step in to the New Year on a good note inspite of a few set backs and the challenges tht Im looking fwd in the coming New Year !!!

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman

Rejuvenated !!!

Hit the gym after 2 mths…Though I had renewed my membership in Oct end, I took a break…Initially in the name of my sis’s visit frm US.Then jus blamed the rains and the weather  Oh!! jus need sme reason…Knew I was quietly piling a few grams here n there.But din have the guts to stand on the bathroom scale.

As my status msg on FB said,I added those extras happily...I knew where I was heading after this..

Though it’s a short drive,I enjoy those siesta hr drivg when the roads are empty…gettg in to my comfort zone…the right leg only on accelerator and the car on 3 rd gear…less traffic..less tension.

The icing on the cake is humming your favorite melodies along with the beautiful voices on the FM !!

It was good to see all those old faces,enquiring ur whereabouts…Stepping on the treadmill was truly rejuvenating.Said hi to a few other machines and bade goodbye for the day…

PS: My instructor says I have put on weight  Drilling sessions ahead !!

LKG or IAS ???

Though there are lot of thots fighting constantly in my mind asking me to blog,this one took over others....The Big poster on LKG Admission at the school gate is the culprit...I jus stood still for a  moment when I quietly made a journey to the past....Pona jenmam illa... a year back....;-))

In 2009, I had sought admission for my daughter in a preschool.Things happened like the flow of a stream without any ripples….,we felt “Blessed”.

As I am always, I din want things to sail smoothly… After lot of brainstorming at home, we decided to look at 2  schools for LKG admission this year.The only reason being, the present school ( “A”)was startg their main school at a place which is far off.And I din want my little angel to travel a long distance atleast now.

The hunt started ….Initial discussions with friends…blogging on all possible parental sites…reading reviews about different schools in our locality…and all the warnings abt recommendations and donations really horrified us !!!

we shortlisted 2 best ( accordg to me) schools.Lets assume these are “B” and “ C”.

Next comes the application form…Luckily for “B” school they were issuing the forms online.One ordeal saved….

For  "C" school - 10.30 pm the day before - Surprisingly , we found that a few were already waitg there !!! Came back home..got up at 3.00 am …brushed…we stepped out and it was raining heavily….we went to the school to find that they were makg a note of names ....We were asked to come at 7.00 am to get tokens….In the morng, we asked my father to stand in the queue to get the tokens.The no. - 152…

Went at 9.30 am to collect the application form !!! All these were jus for the appln form!!!  Half hope lost !!

Date of interview

“C “  school - Parents with kid were supposed to report at 1.00 pm. Frankly we din do any preparation apart from tellg her to answer for all the qns…While she was eatg, jus put her old educational DVD on…My husband was supposed to join us at the school.While startg,Shreya created a ruckus in choosing her dress…After all the convincing, by the time we reached it was 1.05 pm and her name was already calld!!!

We had to wait for another 40 mins to be included in the next batch….But…my husband din join us either…I was frantically callg my husband’s mobile and he wasn’t pickg up…I had lost all hope and decided to get back home….When they calld “ Shreya”…

With no choice, we went in, jus explained the situation to the Principal.Shreya was taken separately..I dint even know what they asked and whether she answered or not….I was spkg with the Princi…After a few routine qns. She said, “ We will send u an intimation”…With a sigh of relief we left…Shreya had lot of chocolates in hand…and said I answered all the qns…I dint even believe her !!!

“B” school-Everythg happnd the way I wanted it to be….including a person who can push things!!

Admission

Got the admission at “ C” school wherein there was so…much tension right from day 1….

And in “B” school – they asked us to follow up after a mth…(inspite of a recommendation)

Should there be so much stress and running behind admissions…Shd kids be subject to an interview…

Hundreds of qns might eat ur head but the hardships continue...year in and year out the experience continues...and gets tougher by each year...

After the initial hiccups Shreya had with the new school...crying..howling..throwingup tantrums...me cursing myself for putting my child to such ordeals...

she is finally settled down...Tk all my stars...yes, now I know I have made the right choice...Shreya is enjoying her school...and afterall that is wat every parent looks fwd to !!!

My best wishes to all those parents holding heaps of hope in their eyes !!!

Condemn,Criticise,Complain....Lets Change !!!

These days I find a lot of programmes or articles complaining about the govt.,the public services,the law,the system…and it also boils down to ur friends,family,neighbor….sometimes the husband and the kids fall under this category too !!

Lets stop blaming others and look within ourselves..Take full responsibility.Its easier said than done..Its easy to find fault..sometimes it becomes a habit..Sometimes we even endup criticizing the way somebody eats or speaks.We focus on minuscules and find fault with smallest of the issues.

We have seen this group of people who complain...jus coz they have to..to be in the limelight..to get that undue attention..They don look at the crux and turn a blind eye and a deaf ear !!

Do u think you can live in a world where everybody can think or act the way you do??Rather than criticizing or finding fault, lets try to respect the differences!!Stop blaming and look within urself and try to bring abt a change .Everything in this world keeps changing...

We all are happy being in a comfort zone..Im sure we wud have heard a lot of them say, “ This is the way Iam !!”.These are people who expect others to follow their footsteps and shy away from changes.Life is all about adjustments and accommodations !! You move a step ahead and the other person will run towards you !!Have an open arm ...you can embrace a flock..A closed arm can only embrace U !!

Lets divert our resources in to exploring the situation and implementing the change rather than finding fault.Like a small child explores… Have you ever seen a small child not wanting to try out something new ?They all are always on their toes…Lets Replicate it…

Break the comfy web…Push urself out..Be there..Be the change !!

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

Feel nice after this sermon...ha ha ha...Let me first try to follow these...Even a step ahead is good enough..it will help me grow in leaps n bounds !!

Mathru Devo Bhava !!!

Last year when I heard about  "Mathru Pooja " from one of my friends,I just brushed it aside…quietly smiling…It sounded melodramatic to me …

This year, when I got the circular from the school about Mathru Pooja, I asked Shreya- Do you want to do it? She said yes.

The list of things to be brought was mentioned in the circular.We were at the school at 9.45 am.

Moms were made to sit on a chair.Kids below.The instructions were clearly given on the mic…And the tiny tots were so enthusiastic to do the Pooja.

Feet was washed with water.Then Kum kum Chandan to the feet …then they offered to Amma.Flowers on the feet…a garland around the neck…By now I was really overwhelmed !! Little droplets of tears waiting to drop down…just trying to control …not to reveal that Im an emotional  fool !!

I choked when she fell down to take my blessing..I wish there were words to explain what I went thru…It was a fantastic feeling !!!Absolutely moving…sentimental…touchy…I will never be more proud of anything, than I am of being a Mother.Thank God for the gift !!!

Don know if she really understood what she was doing…But she jus said,in the eve, “ Amma, wasn’t it nice in the morning to do tht Pooja for Amma??”.

I said yes !!

Shiva Shakthya Yuktho....Navaratri Golu 2010

Sarva mangala mangalye shive sarvartha sadhike
Sharanye trayambake gauri, Narayani namostute

O Mother ! You are the personification of all that is auspicious, benevolent form of Lord Shiva, You bestow Divine energy and help people achieve righteousness, wealth, fulfill desires and liberation.You are worthy of being surrendered to. Three eyes adorn You. O Narayani Devi, I pay obeisance to You !  

Worship of the three divine Goddesses !!!

Golu always brings in fond memories of childhood.Amma was /is so religious.The Kuthu Vilaku Pooja,Lalitha Sahasranamam,Amma in 9 yard saree,Ambal  decorated beautifully in different Avatars at the temple,building of the 7 steps with the available dabbas n tins frm the attic….kids parading in all Holy fancy dress costumes-but no contest,no prize…all winners with a packet of  spicy sundal !! What a contentment !!!

The house- always filled with friends n relatives,the smell of mallipoo,plethora of godliness and who can forget the yummy sundals n puttu ???

Shreya was born on the first day of Navaratri…I started it only from her first bday…This festival always holds a spl place…the gala…the celebration…the divinity…the networking…joy of giving- it’s a culmination of all!!

On the Amavasya day we had booked  for Enthiran.Dont u think thts a nice way to start off the holidays..Now ,the experience with the Robot calls for a separate blog.But the point here is, I had placed all the bommais in the morning .Came back and accessorized the Golu with Vj’s help.

The first Day of Navaratri-Friday- Saintly combo !! Had invited a few close friends…Tht was jus a start…But after tht our Golu had visitors everyday…Meetg the newly made friends ( Rums  N Jayashree)…catchingup with all the old friends in person after a looonnngg time... not to mention Periammas,Mami n cousins !!! Oh wow …will they ever dropin otherwise ???

It was a small – crockery cupboard converted- fully protected ( we even had a key for it !!) display of all bommais  ( Courtesy- our ever inquisitive,naughty Shreya ).

Though she did promise-“Amma ,I wont touch the bommais”.I knew it was jus a politically correct promise !!

The best part was the way Shreya had imbibed Paatti’s heritage…She loved dressingup each single day…gave chandan kumkum including the vethalai pakku to everybody without exception.And yes,nobody cud escape from her newly learnt Golu song taught by her very own Guna miss !!This indeed was a pleasant surprise to all of us from the “ jaunty joy”!!She really caught us napping this time  :-)) Shreya was pretty much like a storm in the tea cup !!

Here is the link to her performance

A family get to on Sarawasthi Pooja…All the fete came to a climax on Vijayadsami with Shreya joining her Bharatanatyam class- “Bharatham Aarambham” !! Seeking the wishes and blessings of one and all !!

Pics of the naive Golu

http://picasaweb.google.com/iamvjanand/Navratri2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCJWLj_Wbp4j92wE#

Quotidian!!

It jus means tht Im back to the normal day to day actvts...

Its been a fun filled...hectic..people meetg ( no virtual communities or social netwrkg) Navratri.I havent placed all the bommais back...they have been here for the last 10 days..and it really upsets me to put them back !!( jus an excuse for my laziness ;-))
I was tellg Shreya last night tht she shd go to sleep early..need to go to school 2mrw...expectg her to whine for sometime.I was in for a small surprise !! She said " Amma I enjoyed the holidays..It was nice..Tk u!!" ( only englipees these days !!!)

Where is Valmiki??

Bored with panchantantra, jataka, imaginery dragon tales...we decided to intoduce the grt Epic Ramayan to Shreya...After its release,a few days back, Ramayan was running full shows...morning,matinee,evening,night...both oral n visual ( DVD).
Every time she comesup with umpteen questions in the mythology...Infact Im searching for Valmiki this time :-) These are jus a few leaves out of the page...
Scene 1
Viswamitrar is askg Dasarathar to send Ramar n Lakshmanar with him to the jungle to protect the yagam frm Arakkis( !!). Dasarathar is vry upset..says cant send them..they are too...young.

Shreya- Anuppa vendiya thaane..poi sanda pottutu kalyanam pannindu vara vendiya thaane( !!) ithula enna azhugai ???

And when I was tellg her about the way Sita was abducted by Ravana, she was so..worrd and asked innocently,Sita ammakku phone panni sonnangala??? :-))
Scene 2
Hanuman flies over the ocean..reaches Lanka..meets Sita and gives the kanaiyazhi.Tells Seetha to sit on his shoulder so tht he can take her to Rama.Seetha refuses..says only Rama shd cme and take her back .

Shreya- Haiyyo..pesama intha Ramar Hanuman shoulder la ukkandu vanthu irukkalam...then both Sita n  Rama rendu shoulders la ukkandu thirumbi poi irrukkalam...yen appadi pannala ??? yennnn? yennn??

Why??? Engappa Valmiki?? Lets ask him...any explanations..most welcome!!

Four- Roar n Soar !!

Hey…Its Dora’s birthday…I mean the Dora of our house….Shreya’s 4 th bday !!

Yes…I wanted to have a Dora theme party this time..I was more excited..elated..spirited and energized  than Shreya… A lotta backend research gave me wonderful party ideas!! Organising a party requires great planning.I wasn’t planning an extravagant one…but definitely one where it wud be a heyday for all the kids!! A fun filled day for Shreya with her close pals…

Lots of googling…brainstorming..mind boggling discussions( !!)…we finalized the venue- Subway Annanagar.Made a list of invitees.Sent them Dora e-invites.Where the tag read-Games first,Cake next, Food last !!

Shopping for Shreya n the family,return gifts,chocolates,gifts for the games,deciding on the menu…the list was endless!!

On 23 rd we kept it simple.Chocolates to school,Afternoon cake cuttg at home- courtesy-Ambika,Ratha Seva at RAGHAVENDRA Swamy temple in the eve.Dinner at a restaurant.Taking the footsteps of our goodold friends out of the cty,we postponed the celebration to Sat-25 th Sept – over the weekend !!

Morning saw me giving last minute instructions at Subway ( Im sure they must ve branded me crazy!!) – on the colors of balloons..checkg on the projector…Dora posters n stickers…and I was asking them for the n th time J

It was a breezy eve,all set,all deckedup in purpley…we arrived at the venue…as usual lateL.We were greeted by Damini n fmly and Ereena n her mom. Early birds-Sorry dears we made u wait…

Slowly the mood set in…The Dora theme music was the background score for the day !!The kids immdly were in to the ball pit..screaming and screeching :-)) The guests were greeted with a welcome drink and cocktail samosas.

Ramya n Jishnu  ( we missed Madhu),Kichu (as Shreya lovingly calls Krishnapriya) n fmly,Vansh with the Kapils,Rekha n Shruthi( Oh we missed Arun too..wish u had stayed back for more time),the twins-Aryan n Adhu,Shreya’s pona jenmathu sister ( !!) Shreeya and my All in All Ambika( or shd I giv a different title now??),Chinnu n Kumar -were the last to join us( yes..after the cake cuttingL) almost completed the guest list.

It was jus fun n frolic time…the kids laughed,bellowed,cheered.And for all of us parents, it was time to catchup with each other.We tried to calm them down with the Dora DVD on the projector,but the kiddos were more keen on the machine equipped games.

It was time for cake cutting…It was a delight to see Shreya feeding each n every kid with a small piece of cake( Is it our devil ??)

My fav part of the entire party- Games time…It was passing the backpack.The backpack was filled with goodies.Dora music playing…whoever has the backpack when the music stops gets a gift from Dora.So, no winner…no loser…everybody wins!! Gift-pack of crayons.

Second game- gave a coloring sheet with Dora n boots to all kids.Made them color with the crayons given …Whoever colors beautifully gets a gift-and all kids did color it amazingly well with so much of enthusiasm n interest !! So gift for all J

It was  return gifts time… popper blasting…snowy all around …

THEN ,comes the best part-Food…which party is complete without filling our tummies with yummies..Soaked our teeth into double chocolate cookies,crunching the crispy wafers and mouthwatering Subs.Quenched our thirst with Ice tea !!( NO eye keepg Okie).

Downsides – Missed Mala n fmly..it was too bad tht the entire fmly loved red!! ( Oh they all had a red eye!!) Martina- where r u??? Too bad di…ur friend missed u so muchL Ambika- no excuses for coming late !!! :-))

Thanks a ton all moms n dads –  for making it more sprightly n lively…the adorable kids made the celebration even more special.All  gifts were exclusive and very thoughtful !! Zillion tks…

When I asked Shreya,if she enjoyed, she gave me a tight hug…I don need words to explain …A sense of satisfaction… A feeling of fulfillment…

Here is treat for ur eyes...

http://picasaweb.google.com/iamvjanand/ShreyaS4ThBdayAlbum?authkey=Gv1sRgCN6Pzqu49IHP3gE#

http://picasaweb.google.com/iamvjanand/ShreyaS4ThBday?authkey=Gv1sRgCKaj_6eDxJXajQE#

Role Play- Mama the Beast !!

My most fav mom n kiddo time- coloring !!  Oh I jus luv it !! Its  a major stress buster...do it once to believe me...We always take a page with two sides to it...she colors one and me another...and the instruction manual will be given by Shreya !! Imp point - Nothing in its natural color...:-))
Roses are blue...mountains are red...Rivers are pink !!!

Its Rhymetime otherwise...hey I know all her rhymes with actions and accent too !! I luv the modern era rhymes...Its better to be kids !!
And the most common - cuddling cartoon time...its better than all those tear jerking serials and unreal reality shows !!

Today...Out of the blue,she said - Role play...and came up with Beauty and the Beast.I said Okie...she jus cudnt bottleup her excitement !!
The best casting director award to Shreya....She -the beauty...Mama -the beast...who else can it be ???And this beauty came in a cute pink cycle instead of horse !!
Oh we had so much fun together...the way she transformed in to beauty...cameup with imaginary dialogues...and in the end,I asked her"Will u marry me beauty?" She said yes and surprised me with a hug n kiss...then said mmm mmmm ....While I was pondering what it meant, she said,"U r a prince now...we have to go happily now !!! "

Elated with her new found game,she wanted Little Red Riding hood next..and no brownies for guessing who the jackal is !!

Dasavatharam

Hey..it isn’t a movie review…Im not talkg abt t our UlagaNayagan’s Dasavatharam…

But yes,it’s the different Avatars of our super model( recently she got this title of Kingfisher super model from her dermatologist !!)…the heroine…the drama queen…SHREYA !!

The last one year has seen Shreya in different Avatars.Dressingup is her passion…and already…

Loves mama’s cosmetics…mama’s bangles…mama’s dresses

Here is presenting Shreya’s Dasavatharam…

Shreya was dressed up as Sania Mirza on Children’s Day celebration at A- school.The idea box- my husband – came up with this nth minute concept.We managed to dress her with a short skirt and a tee.Sania Mirza pic on her tee.Hairband ,hand band,sports shoes and socks,toy tennis bat and a ball adorned…she jus looked Sania.A spl mention abt Shreya was made in Times of Annanagar !!

On Republic Day at A -school,Shreya wore an Army uniform…but she almost looked a Bandit queen !!

A - school celebrated sports day at YMCA.Her entire class was supposed to be dressed as Tweety bird.The  beautiful Tweety bird is all smiles !!

The Summer hols saw Shreya attending a summer camp at Root to Wings.This was conducted by the Pogo fame Mad Rob.Shreya thoroughly enjoyed the art n craft classes.The Finale was a gala event at Chettinad Vidyashram hall.She was part of a Hawaiin Dance.Shreya was on stage for the first time.We were more excited than her!! I was almost jumping on the seats when she was dancing on the stage!!! Shreya jus rocked as a Hawaiin girl !!

The present school swells with activities and celebrations !! It started off with Independence Day celebrations.Shreya was part of a dance depicting different states.She jus looked a Punjabi kudi..Oye balle balle !! I had hired all the costumes…and …she broke the nose ring !!

On Onam she was dressedup as Malayala Mole and was rowing a boat with Vansh Kapil for the traditional Malayala song.Stitched the traditional pavadai sattai- courtesy-Ambika.Amma helped me in buying all the accessories from all the nook and corner petty costume shops!! The next two days we were constantly bombarded with the thatha thaiya song !!

Gokulashtami - As expected, Shreya was Radha !! I set my foot in to shopping …A golden duppatta,accessories,googling to find the way Radha wud be dressedup…I was really on toes for a week!! And on the D day, it took me more than an hour to dress her up..The best thing was her souri and kunjalam !! She was pretty excited with her  looonnggg hair…The otherwise Dora looking Shreya ,looked Indian !!

After all the hoopla of Radha, the hangover continued… Shreya was transformed in to a naughty Krishna on Janmashtami.Courtesy again Ambika with Chinnu’s dress and accessories !!

Shreya’s first Fancy dress contest !! The audio release on the TV ,triggered our brains in to dressingup Shreya as Robot!! With Robo da Robo da playing, she walked the ramp and said in the mildest of voice-Im Enthiran !! Im Robot !! Though at home she did extremely well with her robotic walks….

We hired the dress( though the process of hiring has a big story behind…and till date I curse myself for tht !!) Added antennae to her helmet…Appa made those red lights on the front…and we wrapped her shoes with silver foil !!

We were overwhelmed when she won the prize…she was such a cute looking robot !!

Her class had a project on plants.Shreya was to be dressed as Rose plant representing shrubs and was supposed to mouth a few lines on Shrubs…The practice has been going on for months…Though we were informed pretty earlier, as usual, we postponed to the last minute..which we are very much capable of !!

I delegated the making part to Vj- see , he is good at it !! And I don like taking risks …;-))

Vj made a beautiful stem with thermacoal,wrapped with a green cloth, stuck artificial leaves.I was amazed by his idea of making a head gear with a pink hat !! He cut the middle portion so tht her face wud be seen, stuck artificial roses on the sides !! A Rose adorning a rose plant !!

And I was told by her Guna miss, that she did really well !!

And wish us good luck….Im sure there is still a lot more to come….I ve a lonnggg way to go !!

Stop and Rewind....The Day I was Reborn !!

Shreya is turning 4 on 23 rd Sept...Time jus flies...Im all gearedup for her bday...shopping,fixing the venue,buying gifts,making orders....Suddenly,I pushed the stop button and set my memories in to the rewind mode...
The following post was made for an online contest on http://www.chennaimoms.com/ for Mothers Day  and I was one of the winners!!

I dedicate this to My Angel on whose birth I was Reborn !!!
Tk U Shreya kutti...its coz of u I was able to share the wonderful experience !!!

Every pregnancy is unique in its own way !! 

From the day I read about this contest I ve been wanting to pen my thots and experience…I ve been munching those days at the back of my mind… 

An insight 

The day we saw the faintest pink double line, It was one of the most thrilling days of my life, to know from that moment forward, nothing would ever be the same.

First Trimester: 

 I was  not lookg  pregnant , but  I had already started feelg it. Today I was moody…next day I was  happy-the culprit -my fluctuating hormones.   Morning sickness was  in full swing.My husband was doing his night shifts…I was in a new city ,in an all new apartment where  only a few had moved in…. at nights all alone..with tears rolling down…

 my nausea continued… puttg me in to all kinds of trouble..I wud nt be able to spk continuously for few minutes over phone…People at the other end can only hear oooovaaa…Thats when my parents decided to join us for a mth!! It was a  grt respite…

I started seeing a slight bulging tummy.Thats when I really believed that I was pregnant.And  I shared the arrival of a new member in the family with others.U know what….I was  bombarded with loads of advice from elders,relatives,friends etc etc…

Second Trimester

I can say without a blink,the BEST phase..my honeymoon period…not only of my pregnancy..but of my LIFE !! I was more energetic… I heard a divine call sayg, “Nothing wrong in taking care of yourself.Mark my words….you will never find time for yourself after your sweet little bliss is born”.I took it to my heart and did everything possible to pamper myself and royally allowed others to pamper me!! 

 I hogged everythg that I saw...My husband involved himself in everystage of the pregnancy.I maintained a journal for every mth and took pics so that we can show it to our baby !!!

Mmm..yummy food is something that was always on my mind these days.My husband wud cme back home in the middle of the night and prepare a veg/fruit salad or a sandwich to feed me !!!

I kept myself busy by attending antenatal classes,listening to melodious music,relaxing,exercising,walking and ofcourse  being  forgetfull,dropping things and being clumsy !!!

I luv wearing bangles…I informed my mom that I wanted my Valaikappu in the 6 mth itself so that I can wear it for long..Though my husband’s side, did not have formalities,my MIL ( kudos to her) agreed immdly…And I had the way I wanted it to be…

Third trimester

My belly started looking like a basket ball!!And an itchy belly too… Pushing, Pedalling,Kicking,Cycling… baby’s kickings and somersaults  deprived me of  sleep…but I enjoyed it…

Then comes our search for names…My husband always wanted a girl ..But my hubby refused to shorlist any boy names…Ultimately we settled down on Shreya( which is common name in both Hindu and Jain mythology) and Shreyas for a boy ( since he din wanna think much)

I came to Chennai during the 34 th week.Till the 40 th week, everyweekend my husband wud drive on Sat morng straight frm office to Chennai.Return on Mon morng back to Bglre !! Tks to his co. which gave him paternity leave and he was able to fulfill my desire of being with me during my labour and delivery.

I had my quota of tension with high fever of 103 degrees durg my ninth mth and rashes all over the body when I frequented the hospital in the middle of the nights!!

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The labour 

It was Amavasa day and the next day was the first day of  Navarathri.That was my due date Sept 22 nd..My husband had cme down and was stayg since Sept 17 th…and I was worried why haven’t I delivered??? We went for a checkup…came back home…My mom keeps Golu..my husband was building the steps and placing the dolls and as usual I was givg instructions…We slept at 12 midnite.By 1.00 am I started feeling a little uneasy…Immdly I took my pregnancy bible and looked for symptoms and signs…I waited till 3.00 am and then woke my husband …and then my mom…We started off to the hospital.Had mixed emotions…

When the initial formalities were over,the doc said, “ Its 5.30 am now,if u co operate u will deliver by 8.30 am…U ve already dilated 4 cm”.My husband’s support,God’s grace ,my antenatal lessons  and the doc’s continous encouragement…made me sail thru the labour with absolute ease… 

When I heard the “FIRST CRY”, I saw the clock in front of me on the wall…It was 8.30 am…and I asked the doc what baby? She said girl !! I was overwhelmed with happiness that I din disappoint my husband…I asked the nurse to tell my husband “Its Shreya”. Elated….Exhausted…..The little bundle of Joy was finally in our hands.  

Born on the first day of Navratri…life hasn’t been the same…My whole world exists in her eyes..My greatest achievement so far,,and wud ever be…giving birth to my bliss… I will never be more proud of anything, than I am of being a Mother. I will always be thankful to God  for the gift that has turned me into a mother. 

As a mother you will be reborn with your baby’s birth!!