The Nutcracker !!! On 17 th December

Its time to get back to to work.This time we are associating ourselves with Eloquens for their Story Telling Event.Funsquared will handle their promos.
The poster looks quite attractive...Now its time to get people coming !!
Jus hoping we are able to make the magic work again..Need loads of support and encouragement !!
We may have to organise the stalls as well...

The event is on 17 th December

Hap Hap Happy !!

One of the happiest days...Infact Im so proud, that unusually Im not grounded on to the earth..:-))

Its all coz of my sweet little devil...The Annual Gita Chanting Competitions are a proud fete..more so for kids of CV.All the kids are trained every year to chant the selected verses based on the class they study.Ths yr, it was Chapter 11 for Shreya.
The teachings started as early as in April.Well, there were different levels of selctions.First among the class, then a few selected move on to Inter sections.Only the kids who stand first go ahead and attend the finals which is Interschool.
All the kids chant it so well, kudos to the teachers !!So, its indeed honorable even to be part of the Finals.
Shreya vowed to make it to the finals last year !! What a determination!!

On cloud nine....On Seventh Heaven....For all the efforts my little bundle of Joy had put in for mths...the strenuous practice sessions...rigid competition(believe me all kids r too good and have been trained well), different levels of selection...Today was the Finals- Interschool.

And she did it !! 1 st Prize in the Annual Gita Chanting Competition !! Indeed Proud !!
I almost had tears in my eyes...Jus wanted to scream that my baby did it !!Might sound a little ecstatic but this was so important for both of us !!

Rhymes and Storytelling Competition

Its that time of the year again - Rhymes and Story Telling Competition...at school
The annual ritual, has lot of expectations and stiff contests coz of the talented kids...

For rhymes, we had already prepared for the "tree rhyme" with the concept of "GO GREEN".Tks to Guna miss who helped us complete the rhyme.
We hired a "tree" dress .Had a thermocoal behind and a message boldly written was what reqd.


Story telling- I had decided on the story when we were planning for her bday- Its Rapunzel !!
I had the props ready-Tower,long braid and ofcourse the costume too;-))
But it was indeed a little difficult to teach her the story.Simplified the story in to smethg that she cud narrate..added a couple of songs inbetween as usual to add the flavor.
She did well in both according to us...
Okie....u call it Mothers'Syndrome ???
The results were written today in the diary...
1 st in Rhymes and 2 nd in Story Telling....
Initially, it was a little disappointing with the story telling results..
But I din wanna dampen her spirits...Jus told her that according me, she was sooper dooper in both!!
Treated her with her favs in the eve...u know wat, a packet of ellu urundai and a few chocolates..:-))

Srushti -An Online Event for Pregnancy Related Woes !!!!

A friend of mine has started off with a venture .There is gonna be an online event wherein a lotta experienced Docs, Gynaecs,Infertility Experts,Nutritionists are gonna be a part of...
They will be extending and imparting their views,answering queries,will try to find solutions to our problems...
Im sure  a lot of us have unaswered queries and we do not knw where to get the answers from...fears that cannot be expressed...Now here is an informative,interactive  Online event called Srushti which will help us...
Jus be a part of it to be benefitted..For which u jus have to log on to
www.accutimekits.com
And the event happens on not jus 1 day....its for 3 days !!!
25 th,26 th and 27 th Nov...
The most convenient online event..where u don have to go anywhere...be at home and get your queries answered !!!!
Pl do be a part of it....Also post it on all possible networking sites and send mails to your contacts you never know..there is somebody out there looking out for help...they need assistance...U might be helping somebody unknowingly !!!!

Dinamalar Contests

Saw an ad in the paper regarding contests for kids for Children's Day.Was a little hesitant.But registered her name.Couple of days before the event got a call from them confirming the registration and they gave a registration no. too !!
I was quite surprised at the way everythg was handled..especially when we all look down at Tamil dailies.Yes it was a huge crowd at the venue on the D day...Appreciate the organisers and the parents too..who showed immense patience...
Shreya was part of Action Song n Fancy Dress.Fuller utilisation of the "Tree" which we had hired.
For action song, in her age group there were close to 80 kids!!
Well, outta over enthusiasm, I had given Shreya's name for another set of competitions that were being held at Annanagar.Was somehow quite sure that she wud atleast win one there.
So we took a decison to split in to two sets..:-) Shreya n Paatti went to Annanagar Prize distributn( results were supposed to be announced only then).
Vj n myself at Dinamalar..with little hope....
The first set of prizes announced were for 5-6 yrs age group Action songs...and here it goes...First prize Shreya Vijayananad !!!
Well, couldnt have felt so bad...such a prestigious stage..with Hundreds of people flocking...eagerly waiting for their kid's results...and here we get  the first prize...but the kid isnt there..While I was clouded with all kinda thots, I could here somebody shouting...Vaanag ma..neenga vandhu vaangunga...
With a heavy heart, I did go on to the stage and receive the prize...with droplets of tears cornering my eyes..:-( But I could sense the pride within me !!
The irony is, she din win any at the venue where she went !!!
But we are proud of u dear !!!

Raindrops and Roses !!! Our forthcoming event for Kids

Heyyy Im sooper excited with our forthcoming event...An event for kids always puts me on the high...
This time we are roping in my good friend Sandhya who has taken up storytelling- her passion as a profession.
Tks to Monisha for giving us the lovely place at Artrobe..
Started off with the promotion..Posters...handouts..online promotion..calls..mails...
We see good response this time.
We are also planning to bring in a Tattoo artist and a few friends have agreed to putup stalls !!!
Its gonna be Fun n Food...Rhymes and Games...The kids also learn to make craft...

Pretty excited...Jus hoping everythg goes well and the kids have a gala time ...

A Lifeless Day !!

Yes it was...and still is, A life less day - as Im penning this down.
Can I be away frm my little devil for more than 10 hrs?? Yes I have been...And its been the boring..life less...dragging..drudging Day !!
Felt as if I had nothing to do at all...thots and mind looked empty...A vacuum...Can somebody fill your life so much...
When almost it was my everyday routine to complain about not having time for myself,here today I had all the time for myself...But still had nothing to do...Or rather I din want to do anythg.
Getting Irritated..Frustrated..the small tiffs...the hugs that follow...isnt everythg a part and parcel of my life???

Its not jus the happiness that she brings in, but realised that I even quietly enjoy her tantrums..getting on my nerves..pushing me to an edge…driving me crazy…

Waiting for Shreya's reaction when she is back home...
Wonder how working moms handle it everyday!!

Time to Celebrate !!!

Jus as I was submerged in some guilty pangs, these laurels put things back in track...
Im Happy...Proud....Elated...

Well, the week before was hectic with preliminary rounds at Art Robe- the place where Shreya goes for drawing class.They were hosting an event called Clusters which was open to all with various interestg contests.
I had given Shreya's name for all the four contests..I jus wanted her to participate...thot she wil get an exposure.
The coloring contest started at 8.00 am on a cool Sunday morning.Picked her back at 9.15 am.At MIL's house the breakfast was ready.Fed Shreya too and dressed herup for the Story Telling Contest...Yeah, its our fav Jala Kula Duppatta Story...see, I don have to force her saying this story..and put in any extra efforts to train her..:-)

It was change of costume again for Dance...I peeped thru the glass door to see how she did...and whoa..she definitely was amazing...Both Shreya n myself were indeed a little disappointed when she wasnt selected for the finale...Clearly, she was the only one with better costumes...but since I din see other kids dancing, din wanna comment on that...

The singing contest was judged by Airtel Super Singer particpant-Srinivas...heard that Shreya got lovely comments and was well appreciated...Now, thats real surprise!!

That isnt the end of it...Cookery contest for women..and yes ,I was part of it.Since the topic was healthy n tasty, Vaidehi helped me with a yummy Salad recipe...Should have done the chopping better.Presentation was good.We tried making a watermelon basket.Tks to Vj.And MIL and Ambika had helped me a great deal in chopping the veges n fruits...Time was my major constaint..Since I was with Shreya the whole of forenoon, cudnt concentrate on this...
Well, no hard feelings, I tried my best..and learnt somethg nice..that was it...


Diwali celebrations at Fitness One had dance contest for kids with prop..since Shreya had already practiced, jus made her do the same but with Damakku Dappa as the prop..:-) Oh she picked it up so well...and I was sooper happy when she was announced the winner!!
There was fashion show for women..and my Rapunzel's costume helped me win it :-))

This Sun, it was Clusters Finale- As expected, Shreya won the story telling contest( only one prize per age group).When she was announced winner for Singing, we all felt like a storm in the tea cup !!
I was overwhelmed when Monisha called me on the stage to giv me a momento..I was totally at loss of words..Wish she goes a long way in her career..and have healthy happy life !!

Nothing is complete without ups n downs...while there were happy winnings..shdnt there be a disappointment too??
The Fashion Show for kids was the last on the agenda.She did do well in the first round.The final round had a Q n A session with simple qns posed..don knw why, she din go on to win...But its jus fine..she did well..she looked amazingly gorgeous,sooper cool...in others' words...And somebody approached me and gave her card and said, "Do u want to put ur kid in ads??"
Now, thats jus enough...its worth more than the contest n the prize !!
I should say that overall I cudnt bottleup my excitement for all the wins !!

Imperfect Mom

The harshness of being called an Imperfect Mom is still lingering in my mind..Though I introspect time n again..I curse myself whenvr I m rude to Shreya, certain things continue the same way.I know I can be a better mom in so many ways...

Yes as somebody said, wat other job I have other than taking care of her....But it comes to me as a shock when I hear it from somebody else...
In this search, I found a beautiful article which I atleast gives me some solace...

http://www.earthyfamily.com/A-goodMom.htm

I wish...I truly wish...someday my little angel will tell me Amma u r the best !!And that will help me get outta my guilty pangs...

My First Karva Chauth

Now, don go by the title...Im not recently married...But the Karva Chauth Vrath has fascinated me for long...the movies must be the culprit...
DDLJ,Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,Judaai,Kabhie Kushi Kabhie Gam...the list is endless...

Even if I observe,I knew I wud be like a square peg in a hole...still something was pushing me to observe the Vrath this year.Shreya's classmate Erina's mom helped me with the basic details and guided me in to the simplest way of observing the Vrath.

I went without anything except for a few sips of water occasionaly( heard there r people who go without water too !!!).But the day was unfortunately tiresome with too many activities linedup.
First it was Mathru Pooja at Shreya's school.Though I was not too keen this time, Shreya put her foot down and wanted to go.GAVE IN....From there I pickedup our Interior Designer .Was supposed to drop Shreya at home on the way..SURPRISE !!!Vj was here...Whilst I was only going to see his pic in the eve, I was thrilled that I cud actually have him beside while breaking my fast...The way I had visualised..;-)) Rather the way the movies had over exaggerated...

Ok...cut..the next scene at our new flat with the Designer...after discussions n deliberations..we went to school for Shreya's open day...Again I was quite surprised at the good comments from her teacher...Not that she is bad at studies...she has always been one among the top performers..The complaints earlier have only been about her talkative nature n naughtiness...and this time, even that wasnt there...( may be the teacher herself has got used to her or must be bored talking abt the same thing over n over !!!)And her report card was decorated with A s and A * s !!!

Went straight to Nirmala Dresses to pick her costumes for the next day's competitions( now, that wil be a separate blog:-))
While back home, I remembered one of my another NorthIndian frnds tellg me that mehandi is very important on Karva Chauth!! Convinced Vj to take me to the mehandiwala who sits on the platform near blue star..jus had some simple design adorning my hands...
Back home, I was exhausted ...as if to tempt me, my MIL had made quite a lotta varieties of yummy food...not knwg that I was fasting !!!but I was determined to continue..and I did...took rest for smetime and started off with Ambika to the super market to pick the fruits n veges for the next day-cookery contest !!

Back home, had a quick bath,lighted the lamp,read the Karva Chauth story frm the net.
At 6.30 I went upstairs with water to feed the moon...with some sweets and ofcourse Vj beside...oooopppss...no sight of THE MOON...Yes, I was warned that it wud be difficult to sight the moon !!!

Looked thru the dark clouds...ransacked the entire evening sky...wish I had a telescope..;-(( The Moon, that we wudnt even bother to look at on normal days was playing hide n seek indeed !!

Well, I jus used the 1 hr to feed Shreya...and setoff to the temple.Shreya's dance class kids were performing at a temple closeby...The performances, made me forget my hunger for sometime...Back home, straight hit the terrace...AND, WOWWW !! There is the big wide huge bright MOON !!I literally screamed outta joy like a small kid...Things jus ended the way I wanted it to...:-))
But that I hogged food as if I had not eaten for days is another story...

Rapunzel Rapunzel let your hair down !!!

Its been jus like yday, when I penned about Shreya’s 4 th bday…Has it been really one year since then??? Jus cant believe…

The Making ...
When it was a month to her bday, I casually asked Shreya-Wat theme party wud u like to have??Pat came the reply-Rapunzel.. and there was no second thot abt it…And for me, there was no looking back after that.Discussed with Sudha and she assured that we can definitely do it !! My mind was totally engrossed with Rapunzel and everything looked Tangled since then !!

Made a list of to dos…shared the work load between Sudha n myself.What Sudha has contributed to this bday, is boundaryless.As Vj rightly said,”We r obligated !!”
We decided to make a Tower,a Long braid,Purple Buntings with the theme yellow sun ,and a theme based-handmade thank you card.And who else,other than Sudha can bring it out with her magical hands??
The Invite also went along with the theme.And our house warming party was also clubbed .We ordered a flex banner depicting a scene frm Tangled and a Rapunzel sticker as one of the return gifts for the kids.
Googling all possible sites which had the word Rapunzel ,gave loads of ideas and options.But I had to seriously break my head for wat was possible with the resources available.

Bought a few lanterns in different sizes to suit the theme.Serial lights…with designs…If choosing the right pictures from the web took me a lotta of time, I spent 2 full hrs at the printer to jus get the posters printed.Had a birthday wish card printed too.Got a few coloring sheets with Rapunzel theme printed.Sign boards for Puzzle Corner,Coloring Corner n Tattoo Corner which we had planned to have.Since I was inviting a few from the apartment, had printed a few invites too!!Tks a ton guys- at the printer !!
Ordered for Balloon decoration.Specified the colors.Organised Tattoo artist.Bought a Rapunzel which Shreya was asking for sometime.It did come in handy for designing her dress and also for the cake.Abirami frm chillies zone helped me with her model.Shreya made a Rapunzel Tower with her building blocks)
Vj was doing his best frm his end, getting the party hall n the flat ready.Organising the chairs,tables,fans etc..
Outta the 3 pics I sent to the baker, he said, only one could be replicated.I said yes to it, but made a few changes.Ordered “our” costumes at a boutique in Egmore.I wd have spent more on the transport than the dress !! But yes, it came out well.Tks to Martina…Now, that "came out well" is for Shreya;-)

Pickedup a few other decorative items- whenever I went out.Bought a Tangled CD to be played at the end( which I forgot).Pulled out all the lovely pics of Shreya from her birth and asked Jai to make a CD.And it was simply sooper !!Chocolates…Return Gifts( after ransacking a lotta stores !!!!)…Fixing the caterer…finalising the menu…the guest list…IT IS ENDLESS !!!
23 RD Sept 2011- The D Day !!!
Shreya wokeup earlier than usual.All ready to be at school to share her happiness and chocolates with her friends.Vj n myself straight hit the party hall to get a few things organised.Rushed back home to pickup Shreya from school.Quick Lunch and a small nap for Shreya.Sudha was here early to help us and we were back at the hall putting everything together.By 5.00pm we came back home.Got ourselves ready ,picked the cake on the way ... at the venue by 6.45 pm !!
Shreya was pretty excited and was having loads of fun with her closest buddies.The kids were kept busy with the Puzzle Corner(Rapunzel puzzles),Coloring Corner(Rapunzel pics) n Tattoo Corner!!
We started our games around 7.30 pm.It was a Hunt for Rapunzel’s treasures- her tiara,comb,treasure chest and purple flowery clip for her braid !! Kids had great fun looking around…Rapunzel sticker as gift was sooper cool for the kids !!
The next one was a game for all- Rapunzel,Pascal,Maximus and Flynn Rider stuck in 4 corners ,it was the Airport game with the twist.We had 2 winners at the end who got Rapunzel’s jewel box as the gift.
Pinning the Rapunzel’s braid went well with the kids and the adults..But we were already running short of time so we had to jus give away the chocolates to all kids as gifts and move on to the highlight of the eve- A journey in to the world of Rapunzel by Sandy- my friend.She has an amazing art of story telling ..It was not jus the kids, but the moms n the guests were also spell bound !!!…and the best part was a take home handmade lantern as gift !!!
We ended, with the much awaited cake cutting..and yummy tummy filling dinner!!
I shd be really greatful n thankful to all those who made it on that day and made it a special day for not jus Shreya but to us as well !!!! Its gonna be etched in our memories for Looonnnggg !!!
it was fun to make Shreya's choice of theme come alive!! We thoroughly enjoyed putting together things...trying to incorporate the theme as much as possible taking care of the tiniest details...

Happy Birthday My Dear Rapunzel !!!

Navratri at Mumbai !!!

After all the hectic schedules, at Mumbai...relaxing..:-))Now that I sd Im relaxing, lemme substantiate..
Saw a couple of movies...
Movie1- Mankatha- over hyped,ok...to watch once,total masala flick...smebdy pl answer the loads of loopholes!!VP has moved from underplay to larger than life scenario.

Movie 2- Potta potti-lost amongst all the over hyped movies.simple neat screenplay with subtle humor splashed across the movie.Surprise element-Sadagopan Ramesh..he is indeed a natural actor !! Now he is sure to be in my list of fav actors if not cricketers!!

Soft Soulful Shehnai playing behind...beautifully decorated Mantap with Devi Maa...glittering lights...agenda with Aarti,Garba n Naivedya everyday...
A Navratri sans Golu,But with loads of pomp n glory..fun n fiesta!!

Our Rapunzel Turns 5 !!!!

23 rd Sept 2011

Days in to Weeks...Weeks in to Months...Months in to Years !!Its been jus like yday.The Day I was Reborn with my Bundle of Joy...The only person who can make me happy and cry at the same time...The only person who can extract varied emotions outta me...
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…
Our little Rapunzel is turning 5 today !!!!

Had an Enchanting Rapunzel birthday...Shreya is over excited with the loads of gifts... Sudha's magical hands did transform the entire evening in to a Magical one !!! Sandy you took us on a beautiful journey into the world of Rapunzel...With lovely friends as guests and wishes n blessings frm all corners- we had a blast !!Tks all for making it truly a Magical Enchanting Birthday !!

Thanks to FB !!

Been active in this social networking site for more than a year now...I think the best thing happened on 5 th Sept !!
Hap hap happy.....My loonnggg...lost friend Geetha found me here !!! after may be 15 years.....We have been searching her for quite sometime...and here she is...
Kanchana Ramprakash,Lakshmi Iyer,Jeyasri Devarajan,Geetha Srikanth....Tks FB for helping us get back together..lets relive our memories of school days n college days ...:-)))

Memorable Wedding Anniversary !!

"9" is indeed my lucky no.
4 th Sept..9 years of togetherness...Falling in love is the easiest part of any relationship, maintaining that relationship is the most difficult part...Tks Vj Vijay Anand for being there more as a friend than anything else...Been thru our ups n downs..highs n lows...but the fact of being together has helped us sail thru the worst and celebrate the best !!

Our celebrations started on 2nd of Sept when we drove down to Coimbatore to celebrate our anniverasry with frnds and their families.The drive was long and sooper cool.We hit Maharaja Theme Park at Avinashi.Shreya enjoyed the water pool like a Little Mermaid inspite of jittering teeth and shivering:-)
There were jus 10 families and we were 3 among them;-)havent been to an empty theme park like this.But believe me, it was all new and the rides were enjoyable.Why wudnt it be when the rides were operated jus for u !!
The second day was more of a pilgrimage tour..a visit to Maasaniamman Kovil at Pollachi,Echanari Pillayar Temple and Perur Sivan Temple was soul satisfying.
At Monkey Falls,Vj and his friends were only young boys..they were back to their good ol days having all the fun in the world!!
Yes Shreya was a bit difficult to handle...coz of her poor eating she was indeed a little cranky...but she jus held everybody with her sloka chanting...devotional songs...movie songs...and her unstoppable dancing....:-))
On the D day we were at Marudamalai.Though we were plnng for the last 2 days, we were only able make it on Sun.Probabaly,thats how it was meant to be.I was so happy to be at the abode of "Azhagan Murugan".Had a good Dhrashan.We were made to exchange the mala by the kurukkal !!
We set off home after a good lunch.
Beautiful weather....extremely friendly and hospitable friends...laughter without inhibitions...sharing childhood anecdotes were jus a few aspects which made the entire trip so lovely n memorable !!
Tks a ton SK n Gayathri...KC n Sivagami...the kids Guha,Anirudh,Nandu,Deepu were jus adorable!!
Don knw if such days wud ever be back..but "we thoroughly enjoyed" wud only be an understatement!!
Yes we lov loooonnnggg drives...but the drive back for too loonnggg to be spent the entire day in a car..It was almost an Anniversary in Car.Inspite of the lashing rain...terrible roads...heavy traffic due to breakdowns in the ghats...frnd's car brk down, we did enjoy the day .Coz we were jus next to each other doing nothing:-)

If this wasnt enough, we were pressurised by couple of our frnds to visit them watvr time of the day it was...We met Marty at 11.45pm picked the yummy choc truffle cake she had for us..:-)
Back home, we had a surprise !! Candle lit...yummmm choc cake by Ambika n her Fmly !!
Such frnds make us feel that we r indeed lucky n blessed !!
Isnt it a memorable lovely wedding annvrsry ???

Planning planning planning....

We booked our flat when Shreya was 6 mths old and she is gonna be 5 yrs...Our flat has been under construction for more than 4 years...

Keys handed over, Vj's last trip to chennai was squeezed with making a few trips to the Interior decorator.It was fun choosing the colors,designs for the wood work n tiles.And Shreya was with us during the 4 hour stay at Interior Decorator's office.We both were quite surprised at the way she carried herself like an Angel.Allowing us to do our work !!

Now, that leaves us planning for our Gruhapravesam !! An event that we have been longing for...a dream come true...A roof over our head and a floor beneath...and its jus ours !!

Loads of brainstorming sessions and debates ended in finalising the date.Then comes the sastrigal, caterer,menu,Invitees etc etc....
It was sooper interesting to design our Invite...all the more reason that I had to do it all alone:-)
That isnt enough??? Yeah our little devil's bday is cmg up !! Shdnt I plan a special birthday bash for her???
She has already made her choice !! Its a Rapunzel Party !!!
Googling all the possible sites...visualising the decoration...fixing the games n activities..venue...Invitees...Invite....Oooopps...the list is endless...
Sudha is more excited than me..and she is lending all her support..jus as she wud do for her daughter...Tks a ton Sudha !! Proud to have u as my friend.:-)
Suddenly I feel as if my mind is clouded with tooo....many thots.
Jus hoping that everythg goes on well !!

Surprised ??????

Surprised ??????

Have you ever been a victim of any surprises thrown on you…Wondered how people can astound you?? Amazed by the way how somebody can put in so much thoughts and work jus to flabbergast somebody whom they dearly love…
I have been surprised ,shocked,astounded,dumbfounded ,jolted...add as many synonyms u can.....and so many times by my close friends and not to forget the specialist-my dear husband !!!

Every single moment is well engraved in my memories...

small tiny ones like
My husband coming home soon without informing me....
The bell rings, I open the door..and I see my close friend there who comes unannounced...
A hug or a kiss from my daughter when least expected...
A sudden downpour while Im on a beautiful drive in the car....
A repeat telecast of my favorite program on TV which I missed...
Or the big ones like
All my bday,anniversary surprises from my husband....
Appreciations from unknown people...
Opportunities from least expected quarters...

and I appreciate every bit of effort taken by these people to make me happy…I m sometimes speechless …It gives me a feeling that I AM somebody special in their lives…Most of the times….Im in tears( Aananda kaneer)…

And let me share a secret.... even if I get a small hint on it,I control my brain not to work overtime…coz I thoroughly wanna enjoy that particular moment !!!
After lot of such instances, I thot, let me try my hand at it…End result- flop!!! However hard I try…either I blurt it out…much in advance( cashew nut)…infact u can see my head in twos at such occasions!!!

Else I mess up the whole thing…but the intentions have always been good…believe me…
Friends why don’t u share those sweet little memories when you were surprised by your near n dear ones and how u felt about it…

Or you cud be a torchbearer ur self…have u surprised somebody????

Birthday Bash !!

It was indeed a surprise filled bday this year...It all started when Vj was supposed to leave for Mumbai on Tuesday- 7 am as usual...
Only then it dawned,that he isnt leaving !! He had extended his stay for this entire week to be with us...to celebrate my bday...
The day before, on 17 th we set out on a shopping spree.Initially it was to shop a Pavadai for Shreya.Shreya was part of Janmashtami celebrations at school.We were pretty excited-like a storm in a tea cup !!More so coz, this was the first celebration that she was part of "this year"!!
Shreya was supposed to wear a blue pavadai.She din have one.And I jus needed a reason.
That was just a beginning...a saree ...kurtas..patialas...frocks...the list became endless.
Cool cool icecream at our age old Aavin brought back lovely memories in the chill weather.Yeah..it was surprising to see the weather a little cloudy.

Things were VERY normal on the D day...and that made me a little suspicious.
YES...a gift that must have cost Vj an arm and a leg!! There stands an absolutely beautiful garnet red i10!! Jus couldnt believe that he cud bottleup someting as big as a car!!!
For a minute I thot my eyes were cheating me and it took me sometime to realise that it was indeed my bday gift...
Tks a ton Vj...Every time, I think that "its the best ever gift"..."the biggest ever gift"...until I receive the next one !!!
U surpass urself everytime !!

Should I let U go ????

It’s a sad Breakup..Our relationship was definitely successful n flourishing.It leaves me torn in a state of depression.Though my mind says its all about moving on and progressing,my heart doesn’t accept it.We have shared our joy n sorrow, been thru the ups n downs.
I don’t even know if I could accept the change.Im only staring helplessly at the change taking place.
It wasnt my decision at all....I m forced into this dear..:-((
I jus hope u will forgive me for all this...Wish u all happiness wherevr U are....

Let Down !!

Is there a way to deal with your guilty pangs???

It was the Annual Krishnashtakam competitions !! Shreya had definitely prepared well..she was chanting aloud..with all proper pronounciations.
But alas !! She did not win this time!! I know she cant win it everytime ...I cant expect her to be on the winning side always..but still I felt let down...after all the preparations...after all the drilling sessions...It was just a cake walk for her.

My heart broke when she said,"Amma I actually wanted to win it for u...But I dont know why they din give a prize !!! "
I was over a barrel....helpless... !!

And here I was expecting too much from a 4.5 year old...and taking it on her for not winning too!!
Just pray God to be by her side always !! Atleast make her happy for all the efforts that she is putting in !!

A Big Assignment in store !!

Inbetween our bday party preparations and planning for family gettogethers, its time for another event !!!
I was so thrilled when I got a call from AGM,Marrybrown to come and meet him.Though initially, the discussion was to just promote their Kids Carnival which they were planning for Independence Day.Somewhere, there was a spark and I blurted out!! Can we as funsquared organise the entire event???
There it all started...it was exchange of mails about rates and quotations...discussions about games...planning an agenda..and YES, we are doing the event !!!
And that means more work for the next one week!!And Im happy....pressure is something that I love and I wrk better:-)

Driving Me Crazy !!!

Kids can stir all kinds of emotions that we never imagined we had,before children.They are the ones who press our button…and believe me,they do it like no one else can !!

Recently,I realised one of the secrets of dirty motherhood – We all are pushed to the edge.The tiny tots we love the most ,love getting on our nerves.

I have been going crazy offlate and all the credit goes to our little devil Shreya !!

She can instantly transform me into a whirling wind .I wonder with awe,how come there are those moms handling 2 kids ,a job and home with serenity…I feel terrible when Im not able to control her.Iam submerged with guilt when I say those things in anger which I wouldn’t take from anybody else.

Sometimes, we overreact coz of unrealistic expectations- both for ourselves and our kid.Its coz we love them so deeply,we are disappointed and frustrated.( Now that’s jus a solacing thot )

And,after all self realisations….history repeats itself..its only a viscious cycle.

Does it ring a bell somewhere for u??

Proud Moments !!

The academic year has commenced and there is no looking back...Its all about Fun,Celebration,Contests,Projects,Performances...

We both love to be a part of all the school events....There is so much of learning from each contest...each celebration...If not for Shreya,atleast for me:-) Its almost like back in school and its indeed a great deal to wear ur kid's shoes and be there !!

Now all these suddenly brought back memories of the last one year..Wat did we do together ??

Dressing her up in different costumes for all the festivities at school...preparing her... rather drilling her ( !!) for all the contests...having a ball,hugging,cuddling... when she comes back home with prizes n certificates...Energize her when there is a downfall....
Ups n downs have jus been a part of our learning process...and she has seen both and taken it in her own stride !! Surprisingly,this is one thing I definitely need to learn from Shreya...

Love you baby..let us, together look forward to the challenging years ahead !!

Father's Day Kondattam - 2009

Last Year,Father's Day wore a different festive look.I had organised a small celeb along with a few friends and their family..Probably my first step towards events...

The Sunday  witnessed a lot of calls and exchange of msgs…We all were supposed to meet at 4.00 pm.The first one to call me was Priya…early bird was there by 3.30 pm.I was jus startg( though I told her Im on my way…Priya adikkada).

Pickedup the snacks on the way..When I reached there,the whole place wore a festive look with happy faces…chitchattg,gossiping..and all dads together..kids playg on the merrygo round and slide…

It took us a little more time to settle down with all the things.After the initial pepup talk( appo thane namma dads ellam konjam enthu aavanga) ,we started with the first game-Truth or Dare.

Each Dad was asked to pick a slip in which there will be one truth and one dare.(Eg,for Vj it was , Truth-2 good n bad things abt ur MIL .Dare-Cry like a kid for chocolate!!)They cud choose either truth or dare and play accordgly.It was real fun to watch the dads findg it tough to make a choice between the two.But yes, ultimately they all were really sportive and took it in the right spirit.

The second game-One leg standing..the most popular game of the evening..The dads were asked to stand on one leg.Whoever stands for the max time was the winner.Surprisingly we had 3 winnners and none of the 3 were willg to budge till the end..I think they stood for close to 5 mins!!! Ottrai kaalil nindra apporva sigamanigaluku Oru Oh Oh !! The winners were Mahesh( Priya’s husband), Amala’s husband and Vj.

The next one was a Q n A session.I had prepared a questionnaire with 5 ques for each mom n dad abt the favorites and interests of their kids.Jus a test of understanding.Here again we had a tie between Ramani ( Jayashree’s husband ) and Amala’s husband.

We had a tie breaker.The dads need to alternate the nos. in two different languages..Like one,rendu,three,naalu..and so on…The winner here was Ramani.Do u know till what nos he said?? One rendu,three four..is what he said…

The dads were already exhausted and needed some rest to gear up for more to come..We had a dance performance by Latha for the song “Alaipayuthe”.Lovely,graceful movements.We all thoroughly enjoyed it Latha…and thks to Upendra for encouraging u !!

Smruthi( daughter of Jayashree ) sang  Karikalan kaala pola ..Superb !! She has an amazingly sweet voice..Jayashree pl do nurture her skills…And here comes our Jayashree with soulful rendition of a song frm Abhiyum Naanum..Apt song for the event !!

And we have a nightingale in Priya !! What a melodious “VASIGARA”..and she dedicated it to her hubby !! How sweet !!Next time I wanna hear u sing a carnatic song…

Din allow the dads to rest…put them on gear with another game-Airpot.Since there were 8 dads we jus had two landings.One- a chair and another-a water bottle !! The dads need to go round the props.Once the music stops,they can group near either one of the props.I had two slips in which the two airport names were written- obviously “chair and water bottle”.Each time, we asked a kid to pick one of the slips…and the ones grouped near that landing are out of the game…Ooooffff…can u believe a tie  here again?? Yes Ramani and Mahesh!!

We had kutti gifts for all the games..and chocolates for all the kids…and chocolates for the performers too !!And we surprised the dads with a Fathers Day Gift  !!

Jayashree had cme up with a funfilled game of tying the balloons behind each kid.They shd try burstg the balloons of others.And the dads shd protect their child’s balloon.It was so much fun to watch the dads running behind kids and burstg balloons !!

And here comes the best part-Food…which party is complete without filling our tummies with yummies..Soaked our teeth into black currant tarts,crunching the crispy puffs,wafers and mouthwatering cookies.Quenched our thirst with Frooti !!( NO eye keepg Okie)

The only sad thing was we all were completely exhausted inspite of the AC hall…

We had adorable kids making the celebration even more special…Achu,Adina,Mahathi,Samriddhi,Illakiyyan,Smruthi,Preethi and Shreya…They all were in their own world..and a few kept their moms as busy as ever !! ( Mine kept her dad busy !!! )

Let me tell u,the dads were absolutely sportive.. sprightly ..lively…they gelled so well with each other..It wasn’t like they were meetg for the first time at all !! Three Cheers to all of them !!!

Tks all moms who made it a wonderful event !! Tks to Molls sis- our official photographer…Smruthi n Preethi- helped us with organizing games…servg food…Jayashree – u ve impressive daughters!!

I have a sense of satisfaction..A feeling of fulfillment…All the more happy when the dads said they thoroughly enjoyed the evening!!

This Day Last Year...

This year,a lot of things have taken back seat coz of health,the family split and at different place..:-( I was jus remembering our last year's hungama and here it is....

The fun started on June 17 th with my DAD’s birthday.The day when Shreya’s school reopened.So the morning saw jus exchange of wishes over phone inbetween all the tension.

When I went to pick up Shreya,the car took a different route and proceeded to “Rasi “to buy a Kurta for Appa.Had baked a cake the day before night.Shreya was pretty excited and helped me in mixing and decorating the cake with nuts.And yes she let the cat out to her Thatha…but he let our drama continue without giving it lotta importance!!

In the evening,we quietly barged in to my parents’ house and  surprised him with the gifts!! The night out ended with a dinner at Eden !!

On Sat,it was anniversary at Pink,my gym.Shreya deckedup as a Goan girl danced to a rhythmic goan music.I gave a semi classical performance for “Maargazhi Thingal Allava”.More than the appreciation for these two, I was in cloud nine, when somebody asked me, “Do u host shows”!!

For the potluck I had prepared Roti,Rajma and my close associate as usual offered me help with Yummy crispy Pakoda( Chinnusmom-Ambika isn’t part of the gym !!!).

With all these in mind for the last 3-4 days, din plan anythg for Fathers Day though I had lot of cues…Suddenly Shreya said, “Naalaikku appakku spl day illa? Pizza Vaangi tharalama?” I was quite surprised with her idea!! “ I said yes”,Suddenly it dawned on me, that there was a craft which Shreya had made in her summer camp- A photo frame..Took it out, pasted one of the cutest pics…and ofcourse signed by Shreya!!!

Sunday morning witnessed a lot of huggies and kissies…the gift…a roam around the Avenue Express Mall and ofcourse the Pizza from Shreya’s piggy bank savings !!

No better way to celebrate a quiet fun filled Fathers Day!!

Happy Father's Day !!

This is abt the two Dads I know of… ….
The one with whom I lived for 25 yrs- My Dad- My second mother

May be I was a disappointment for my mom on the day I was born- another daughter !! But not for my Dad is what everybody say…I know I am his pet!!! He has been holding my hands…sailing with me thru all my good and bad times…and still the grip is tight….

 Exam times are difficult times for Appa too… Being an early bird, I sleep early and wake up early( Definitely not now!!).4.00 am…..2.00 am ….He is my alarm !!The aromatic coffee he gives me is my enzyme!!

He is a good teacher too…All my credentials are dedicated to him…Don know if I can replicate even an atom of it..He is more than thousand teachers!! All my projects …all my drawings..all my record notebooks were done by him!!( teachers… pl excuse…)

Contests galore- He is my running Library.Jus the day before the  oratorical contests, I wud come home running  with the topic…He wud immdly run… to the nearby library to collect all info…

Telepathy...He has never given me an opportunity to ask for anythg..It was always there before even I cud think of !!

When I wanted to shift my career to HR- no opposition…Do what u like is what he said!!

I love Appa’s rasam…When Amma is not around, he takes on the chef’s hat…We both have ventured in to a lot of stuff when Amma was in US for my sister’s delivery.Infact he was my scapegoat for all my inventions in the kitchen!!! Cleaning…washing..not a single time I ve seen a hesitation on his face…

Havent heard him scold me aloud….Even if Amma does, he wud only support me.And no spanking too!!!Has always swam against the tide in times of all odds with his trade mark silence!!( My mom is a chatterbox !!)He is an epitome of patience…Even when I gave him the worst shock in his life, I cud only see him crying at one corner without uttering a word!!! My heart broke….( But I did what I had to!!)

A simple person he is...Even at this age he wud love to travel by bus, inspite of our repeated reminders abt a car standing outside….Loves to take a stroll to the market nearby and do his own shopping… Makes it a point not to trouble us !!( He wud offer to pay our telephone bill, milk coupon etc etc…)

Help is the only word he shd hear …he will be a butter in a hot frying pan…and there he is…physically…financially…Gregarious dad...

To me He is so..great…so..good…so..flawless… Every bit a Mother!!

And the legacy continues…he does everythg possible for his grand daughter….they are the best ever pals seen!!!

From 25 th year and so on…..Shreya’s Dad

Now, with all this, You wud have known about my expectation for a husband….Yes.. another father!!

Once my husband was kidding, “ She has seen only one gentleman in her life and expects everybody to be same…And Mama has made my life miserable !!”

But u know what…Shreya is jus lucky too…She is his world!!!

Right after delivery, it was both Vj and Amma who were with me in the hospital…

He lost his sleep since then…His fatherhood started with washing her poops and nappies !! Then he slowly graduated to feedg her and making her sleep !!He can do everythg that I do for Shreya and much more…play time …story time( his own invented stories are Shreya’s favorites)…stroll time…bathing time…he makes everythg so fun filled and creative( which I lack !!!)

Last yr- Vj was jus discharged after a spine surgery and Shreya was to be hospitalized coz of high fever..when he was supposed to be on bed rest, he was travellg with us in the middle of the night!!

On her first day at school- he was on leave…On all her spl days- he is WFH!!

Oooooommmmm Shreya is in tears... by the time I chk what it is..she is all smiles…no brownies for guessing why …her dad is around!!He is a grt cook too!! Infact better than me…They have a lot in common and share a special bond…Vj’s favorite pastime- Yapping abt Shreya!!And he is better at it than me !!!

He is so..great…so..good…so..flawless… Every bit a Mother!!