Peapod begins Playschool

So finally my baby has taken her first baby steps towards the outside world. Or maybe I can get all poetic and say she has flown the nest.

Every Diwali holidays, our church hosts the VBS(Vacation Bible School) for a week for kids. Its all of 3-31/2 hours with almost 2 hours of singing sessions with actions and an hour of story telling classes. Last year I took a week's leave to coincide with the VBS so that I could take both the kids, the peapod and jellybean to it. They enjoyed it and learnt almost all the songs with actions. On the final day they had a rally around the church shouting slogans. The other older kids just loved and fuzzed around these babies of mine. By the end of day 1, I had offers from boys & girls who wanted to trade little brothers for little sisters. Some also plead with me to let them take the kids home. The 2 enjoyed all the attention but were mostly irritated with the constant picking up and kissing.It was a very nice experience. Ever since I did known, they were both ready for the larger thing called playschool.

She had been wanting to go to some place when mumma and Dada were going to office and she realized that would be school. For 2 weeks I had been listening to her pleas of wanting to go to school every time I dressed up for work. Nursery wouldn't start untill June and I thought she could do with some playing with kids her age so I enrolled her for playschool for the next 3 months. I and the peapod went to her school, got admission, then went shopping for her clothes, which eventually got her all excited. The first day, the day after republic day, she began school. I drove her to school in her new clothes and a small bag with a tiffin and water bottle. She walked in with me holding my hand and she smoothly left mine and held her teacher's fingers and walked off to her class. I forgot about clicking a snap when she was walking in. I stood there not sure what to do next. In 5 mins, the teachers told me I could leave since she did not seem to have a problem. She wasn't crying blue murder nor was she asking for mumma. I walked out reluctantly. I stood outside with a broken heart. I wasn't sure what exactly was bothering me, was it this small step towards independence or was it that she did not cry or cling. I was getting all worked up emotionally. After talking to the shower gang, I felt better. She had grown into this confident little girl, who was ready to explore the world. That thought pleased me. She was waiting for me with smiles when I went back to pick her up in the noon. She told me about her day in bits and pieces over the rest of the day. It was endearing to hear her speak in her babyish malayalam.

The very next day, when I tried to leave her she started crying. But as soon as I was out of the gate she was fine. And this continues till today. The other big thing is also the return arrangement that we have worked out. She comes back in a maruti van. My baby commutes in a vehicle that belongs to a stranger and is dropped right at our gate for mom to pick her up.As my previous post says, she came home with a medal on Thursday to make an already touchy mom to go over the roof.
At 34 months, she can communicate very well in malayalam and can understand English. Walking into a school should have been the next natural thing. Inspite of it all, seeing my baby walk into school was a VERY BIG DEAL. I always knew she would take to it very easily. I always knew it was going to break my heart seeing her walk away from me to a new world. Knowing it and feeling it, very very different.

Say No to Sanjay Dutt

Goofy Mumma has done couple of posts and has linked various people who have very strongly opposed Sanjay Dutt contesting elections in India.

There is nothing new I have to add to what many bloggers from the blogosphere have already said about Sanjay Dutt contesting the next Lok Sabha elections and about his views. I write anyway to just show I totally support the cause.

Some of Sanjay & Amar Singh's quotes or opinions are so ridiculous, I fail to see the primary motive to contest

Sanjay Dutt has been quoted to have said:

“Women should not stick to their fathers’ surname after marriage just for the sake of fashion. It will be a disrespect for their husbands if they do so. They must give up fathers’ surname and adopt husbands’ surname”.

Its been an age old tradition. It was invented at a time when women were just faceless, nameless people in a household who would take orders. That is no more the case and so this is a tradition way past its expiry date. I am not against taking on your husband's name but I would like to have that choice and not forced upon me. The foundation of a marriage should be commitment and love, everything else is just frills. The only thing that you achieve by changing names is you can collectively be addressed as Mr & Mrs Dutt. Otherwise it would be Sanjay & Manyata, its not a meter to prove how strong your marriage is. With people who marry and divorce every 5-10 years, the "department of names" would be a busy one to change when married and then change when divorced.

With that settled now, some of your reasons and statements made in the press about you contesting for elections are really ridiculous

To quote ibnlive,

1. Sanjay cited cricketer-turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu's case, saying "if Sidhu, who faced murder charge, can contest, why can't I"?

Oh so now if you get the ticket, then Dawood Ibrahim can come contest here under the same argument.

2. "..Sunil Dutt's (Sanjay Dutt's father) first job was in Lucknow so Sanjay chose Lucknow as constituency," Amar Singh said.

if you had a choice then why not Bombay? You really take the people of this country for granted, don't you?

3. Amar Singh, however, also said that Sanjay's first priority will be films and politics is only overtime for him

WHAT??? Oh sorry I read "overtime" as "pass time".

Firstly, We do not want a criminal contesting elections in India. Secondly Sanjay Dutt does not seem to have an agenda for Lucknow or have the faintest clue what is required. Last but not the least, from the 10 lines that he has spoken to the media, its kind of clear his thoughts and opinions are way 18th-centurish.

image courtesy: Goofy Mumma

My daughter won a first prize today....

...maybe not. This is what I have been trying to shout from the roof top all day today ever since she is back from her playschool. Today when she was back from school, she had a silver medal like thing hanging from her neck on a blue ribbon. As you can see I am super thrilled without even knowing if I can believe her telling me in babyish malayalam "Joyce fasht vannu, elllllllar clap cheythu", which translates into "Joyce came first, everybody clapped". It doesn't say much. I am not even sure she knows what "first" means. I haven't seen any communication from the teacher. I could have waited untill tomorrow to confirm the news and then post accordingly but then that would be very very sensible of me, also that would be like me sitting on hot burning coals. Maybe they gave it to all the kids. But still. I haven't felt so happy after completing my graduation or getting through my first worth-a-mention-job. I have never ever got a certification for sports in school. So for the rest of today I will bask in the glory of my daughter's first prize.

Quiet a show-off I am, I know. Will get you the entire schooling story and the truth about the medal soon with pics.

Update: The medal was given to every child. Come on, you can not accuse a mumma of been over excited for needless stuff, that is the whole purpose of her existence. no?

2008 in Pictures - Part 2

September-2008.

Best buddies in a tight embrace.


Pretend play


Late September-Early October
I went on my first onsite assignement after the peapod. I travelled to Vancouver, Canada and New York, USA for a week each for work. I loved New York to say the least. Specially Times Square. I loved the lights, the cold chilling breeze, hot coffee, good company, easy talks and energy of the place. My cousin and his wife were more than generous to drive me around New York, day and night giving me glimpses of downtown NY in just the one weekend I had. I even managed to watch a Broadway show with them, "The Phantom of the Opera". This was my first theatrical experience and it was awesome. The sets were just stunning, the way one disappeared and the other appeared. It was a very New York experience they say. There definitely is a next time.



October-November
A favourite game around here was taking turns to jump on the bean bag. This is before the Jellybean left us.



Putting on a little dab of talcom and posing for the camera


A beautiful guest that amused the girls. The duo were scared to get closer to the butterfly on the swing, what better that reach out for each other for courage.



Bed time. Reading out to each other.


Being good girls on the dinner table. They generally sit with their own plates and then what follows is a mother of all messes.


It was time to get Jellybean into a school. So my sister moved back. Nov 27th the Jellybean had an interview and she got through. She came to us as a very clingy and cranky baby a year ago. Now she is a girl with a mind of her own who guards her reputation of a "good girl" like a tressure. After every mess, antic the first thing she needs cleared is her reputation. She goes around asking "I am a good girl?" and if you dare decline, she will shout, howl untill you clear her title.

December-2008.

Dec 8th - The third baby in the family.


Around Christmas


Check the drama queen's expression behind.


That was 2008 in a shell.

2008 in Pictures - Part 1

In the last year my life has seen many ups and downs, both at the personal and professional front. I have hardly done any quaterly posts for the peapod this last year. I haven't even clicked enough pics since I have been just too lost to do any of it. This blog is my only means of putting stuff up for posterity and so I just thought of doing a picture post that represent some event, silly or great in the past year that I have managed to capture. While I should have ideally done a post or 2 on each but knowing myself, I know they will never see the daylights or the weblights. So here I go....

February. You remember we went to this team building activity from office to a place called Kolad. The peapod would have been just happy if I did let her stay and bond with the geese



March. This was our trip to Matheran. I had been to this resort with my first company. It was a all-expenses paid trip for the whole company. It was my first glimpse of beautiful cottages and soft jumpy beds. After 10 years I was back.



Father & daughter in some serious conversation



June - Sharing a sweet corn.



July - Talking to her mother."For the 100th time I am telling you I ate my food, I slept and have not troubled anyone."



"Oh my God, not again. I am already asleep"


A very small bird built a home in the money plant groove on our balcony. They laid eggs and hatched even smaller birds. They provided a lot of reason for the girls & us to stick around the windows and watch.


August- 2 car full of adults and 2 kids, we had a blast in Anand Valley, a place near Pune. The greenery and the clear blue sky was a treat to city bred people like us but for my mom and her sister, the village belles, it went "So what is it we are looking at here? Is this what we paid for?"


My cousins & the kids. My mom's youngest sister is 11 years younger to her. I and my sisters were pampered by her. I and my sisters pampered her kids, these 2 cousins when they were young. We were in school when they were born and were very excited about little babies at reachable distance. And now they adore, play and pamper our kids endlessly. God bless this love-chain.




August 17. My Mom's 60th birthday. She celebrated in admist her sister & family, her daughters,spouses, her grandkids. A total family affair.




To be continued....

The Fridge magnet tag

I saw this lovely tag at Artnavy's blog and I had to do it

What you need to do: Take a shot of the magnets you possess and list out any fond/ funny anecdotes/ background about them.
I too do not have a huge collection but just a few ones:



The top one is from a recent trip to Canada, then there is one from NY, one from Grand Canyon. The orchid is from Singapore. The babies magnet was gifted by a friend. It reads "RELAX, I've got just one nerve and you are getting on it" and the other one I do not remember when or where but it reads "Search for the truth, look for the good and hope for the best"

Pick it up if you like it.

18000 words and then some more ....

Nobody has tagged me so I decided to flick this one from Agelessbonding & HipHopGrandma

The rules are:
Answer the questions below and do a Google image search on your answer, Pick a picture from the results on the first page, with minimal explanation.

1. The age you will be in your next birthday: 34


2. A place you’d like to travel to



and Austria


3. Your Favorite place : Kerala



4. Your favorite food/drink: An Onam sadhya


5. Your Favorite pet
We have never had any. The only one I remember is a dog at my Dad's place ages back. Blackie.


6. Your favorite color combination : Wine Red and Biege


7. Your favorite piece of clothing: Jeans and Tunics.


8. Your all time favorite song: Katra Katra jeene do...


9. Your favorite TV show: FRIENDS.



10. Full name of your significant other: It's there on the cover.


11. The town in which you live: Pune

Pune University



MG Road



12. Your screen name/nickname: No surprises


13. Your First job: A computer lab faculty


14. Your Dream job: Working with books and kids


15. Bad Habit you have: Can choose to be extremely lazy


16. Your worst fear: Being bedridden


17. The one thing you’ll like to do before you die : Backpack in Asia



18. The first thing you’ll buy if you get $1,000,000: A farm house