Blogathon 2018 – Day 47

Hello hello… I know most of us are already part of 100 happy days but just didn’t want to miss out yearly tradition of blogathon that is unique and so close to our heart.

And those who couldn’t make it to 100 happy days please see if you could join our yearly tradition of blogathon event.

Rules is to post every day for next 31 days starting 1st Jan. It could be a picture or one word or 1000 words. Let’s keep it rolling. Please join in.

Over to Maya and all others who would like to be part of blogathon.

Let’s rock 2018!!!

Advance new year wishes to you all!!!

 

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Drive continues – Day 46

Day 2 of driving begins. Hoping to reach the destination by evening.

Yesterday was spent mostly in the car munching biscuits, oranges, veg biriyani, cookies, playing snakes and ladder, little reading and listening to radio all day long. We only took one quick 15 mins break at gas station. Still were delayed by almost 2 hours due to rain and traffic.

Reached extended family’s home around 9pm and there was another my childhood neighbor akka family waiting for us too. Its a small world indeed. Next few hours was spent with good food and non stop chat. It’s always fun to visit friends and families. 6 kids ranging from high school to pre school kept themself engaged with hide and seek and other games.

Drive begins – Day 45

Thank you Maya for the book suggestion. Kids are settled with magnetic board game and me with this book. M is busy driving 😎🤣

Navarasa Day – Day 44

Today was a Navarasa day.

The day started with LHB’s winter concert. He didn’t move a muscle on the stage while other kids were moving all body parts including their ears. I went near the first row to wave at him and make him smile and feel better. I am sure he saw me but he turned away and stayed still with a stern look. I could sense that something was wrong as that was not usual self. Whoever knows him know how much of a happy boy he is.

Later, I figured out that he had a nature’s accident. I had to clean him at school and felt relieved that his reaction at stage was expected for his situation. Adi laughed like crazy (Prachee I captured the moment to observe how she laughs :)) when I told her as imagine the situation “You p**p and you are on the stage”. what would you do? That’s exactly what my little boy did. My brave boy didn’t cry. He just kept a sad face which was more than fine for his situation. Next year is always there to rock the concert. It must be the food we ate last night. Adi and I had stomach upset issues too.

Afternoon was more work as I wanted to wrap up all pending tasks before going on vacation. Yup, we are out next week on a road trip to a different state. Its a total of 17 hours drive one way and we are breaking it into two days drive.

Evening, started with cooking preparations for the road trip and packing clothes. Adi helped with cooking (she made egg curry under my guidance). As it is expected before any trip M got worked up, I had a big vent out session and it was total chaos while LHB was just minding his own business of watching TV as if nothing is happening around. And house is a mess which irritates me even more!!!!

We are supposed to start with the drive at 8am tomorrow but there are still things to do. And I am damn tired. All I want to do is just curl up and sleep as if there is no tomorrow. I wish!!

Today I had my happy, dull, exploding, pleasant, pity and tired moments.

 

Band Concert – Day 43

Today, we attended Adi’s band concert and the girl played a solo piece for less than a minute in the beginning of her song. It was indeed a proud moment for the momma and I was this close to get up and shout as “that is my girl, that is my girl”. But, Adi had strictly warned me against the thought so just didn’t do it.

But, how can I just let it go? So, made friends with an Indian (Tamilian) sitting next to me. They apparently live in same community as us, started with small talks and literally forced them to share about their kid and then I said it. I said “the girl on the piano, that is my girl”. What a relief that was!!! Phewwww!!! I felt so good after letting that out 😀 😀 😀

That is my girl on the piano bending forward, laughing about something. All the kids were amazing. They mostly played Christmassy songs and I was constantly tapping my feet.

I enjoyed every song played in the concert and the attitude of her music teacher. He was rocking the floor with his attitude. His face was full of expressions while conducting and just watching him conduct was an absolute delight. It is the same teacher who wrote that “tomorrow” funny response. One could easily see his passion for his job through his actions. Something to learn.

Coaster – Day 42

Happiness is your son bringing this coaster home and reminding you every now and then to keep your tea on this coaster.

My day starts with a wide smile when I wake up, come to the kitchen and see this coaster on the counter top smiling at me 🙂

 

Today – Day 41

Today was a day I hardly got time to breathe. Let’s see how it unfolded

4:40 am – Wake up
5:00 am – Gym time
6:00 am – Back to home
6:20 am – Enter kitchen
7:50 am – Go to drop LHB at school
8:20 am – Visit dollar store to get gift bags and other supplies
9:00 am – Back to home, start with breakfast preparation (Made karandi omelette as both were working from home)
9:15 am – Quick cleaning of living room and kitchen
9:30 am – Login to work
12:00 pm – Take lunch break and start with lunch preparation (chicken roast)
1:00 pm – Load dishwasher
1:15pm – Login back to work
3:00 pm – Take a break from work and start wrapping all gifts to be distributed today/tomorrow
3:25 pm – Adi comes home
4:15 pm – Sign off from work
4:30 pm – Arrive Kids doctor office for their flu shot. M picks up LHB while we wait at doctor office and I blog hop during the wait.
5:30 pm – Go to LHB’s school and share gifts with his aftercare teachers.
6:00 pm – Arrive Adi’s piano class, share the gift with her teacher.
6:30 pm – Arrive my doctor office for my annual physical checkup.
7:10 pm – M goes back to Adi’s piano class to pick her
7:30 pm – M and kids are back. I blog hop during the wait.
7:45 pm – Leave from my doctor office
8:00 pm – Back to home
8:30 pm – Kids finish their dinner
9:20 pm – LHB and I go to sleep
10:00 pm – I come back to continue with my work
10:20 pm – Adi finishes her homework/assignments. Packs the gifts for her school teachers and friends. Goes to bed.
11:00 pm – I start drafting this post in-between my work
11:50 pm – Publish this post and hope to go to bed in another 10 minutes.

Tomorrow is another equally hectic day but no complaints!!!! The poor girl has to be in school by 7:30am and the poor momma has to pack her dabba before that!!!!

Highlights of the day:

• Made it to Gym and I was the only person at team training today 🙂
• Bought some lovely reusable bags from dollar store for gifting.
• Arrival of all gifts I ordered in Amazon (every 2 hours we had a package delivery today) 🙂
• Karandi omelette and chicken roast (food is very important).
• Gift wrapping of all gifts.
• Adi received her Nike shoe.
• LHB asking his Akka to take deep breath when the doctor was about to give her a shot.
• LHB braving the shot with no fuss and a big man attitude.
• Fun family time at Kid’s doctor office while waiting in the room.
• Gift sharing with some of the teachers. Adi’s piano teacher and his wife loved the gift (porcelain decorative vase)
• My doctor impressed with my numbers from blood work (all under control) and gave some tips for dieting. I have gained 5 pounds from last year’s visit 😦 She didn’t like that beeg fat tummy.
• Read bedtime story and put LHB to sleep. I have to start doing this every day even if my chores are unfinished. Its tough but I must try. Those few minutes of one to one time with him makes lot of difference. That is when he shares all his school stories.

And this is my loot from Amazon. It includes the Christmas presents for Adi and LHB too.Some of the gifts I ordered in multiple like the travel mug, ceramic bowls and jewelry travel pouch to gift for school teachers. I absolutely love my choice of gifts this year and was very happy wrapping them today. They all will be shared by this week 🙂

Fun time at Kid’s doctor office while waiting:

Adi’s Nike shoe. Santa is being very generous to the girl this year 🙂

Christmas tradition – Day 40

This year the tradition was followed last Sunday. Those who have been reading my blog for few years would know about our tradition by now. We visit our ex-neighbors in old neighborhood to wish them for Christmas and New year. And stroll through the neighborhood to re-live Adi’s childhood memories.

I prepared fish kuzhambu on Saturday evening and it was packed for Sunday lunch. Surprisingly the kuzhambu (curry) was liked licked by everyone including LHB. Every time he got into the car, he was like Amma get me my fish rice and was relishing it while on the go. Adi who always complains that I never get the flavors right its always either more or less and never the perfect also liked it.

Patti’s are doing good. The elder of the 3 is using walker and she was complaining about how the snow is keeping her inside. She wants to go out for a walk and is climbing stairs every day to access her bedroom. The youngest (our favorite of the 3) patti is busy helping her cousin who is fighting cancer and visiting extended family who needs assistance. Her energy at this age is commendable.

Then, we also visited another elderly couple in neighborhood. The aunty who has a full time job during weekdays was out to a local temple to help with food preparation. Here I am just a little above half of her age, cribbing about not getting time to rest on weekends and this Aunty is out to help on weekends too. These woman are my true inspirations to keep up my energy level.

Of course, we visited our favorite bakery and gorged on mango cake, cashew brownies, double chocolate cake, plain brownies and chicken empanadas. I loved how LHB, the strict officer allowed us to take one bite from his piece, just one bite though. When Adi reached out for the second bite, he said “no Akka no” you already had your bite. Its Amma’s turn now. Amma take it, take it and he was blocking Adi with his cute little hands while I proudly digged in and claimed my one bite. I didn’t get my masala chai from the Indian street though 😦

Old neighborhood

 

Gifts all packed…

Adi’s doodle in patti’s cards. I also added a family photo of ours in the card. 

Library – that saw us every week few years ago

12-17-17 – Day 39

A major event happened on Adi’s life on this day – 12-17-17. She got her phone.

Brand new iPhone 8 gold color it is. She set it up right away and shared number with her friends. I could see the excitement in her eyes. Santa came early for her 🙂 Waiting for a case to arrive to take it to school. I have the confidence that she will handle it responsibly.

Small letter to Adi:
Phone is something to stay with you for the rest of your life.  Here is to more and more lovey dovey conversations, tiffs with your loved ones, take life decisions, maintain long distance relationships, have meaningless endless conversation with friends, call Amma every day when you fly away from this nest, ask me for cooking recipes, crying, laughing, receiving life changing news about your kith and kin, guide LHB from miles apart and above all be my strength when we live away. Why are tears rolling down my eyes? Why am I so fragile?I don’t know. My fragility seems to only grow as I get old. You are getting more and more independent as every day passes by and some unknown fear is spreading inside me.

Name your phone, decorate it as you wish and hold on to it tight. It is this device that will keep you connected to this world. If there is one thing that I want to share with you from my personal experience and would like you to follow, it will be to not hang up first. Wait for the other side to hang up especially with elders. I only hang up first when I want to slap the other person. There are times when I had silly fights with my friends to make them hang up first. Stay in touch with friends and family and be that person to connect people around.

You saved our numbers as Amma and Appa. You are yet to make your first call though I was behind you to call me first, text me first and whatsapp me first.I know I am annoying so though you are at school and your phone is at home I just called you, texted you and whatsapp-ed you just to be the first 😀 😀 😀

I will always be just a call away from you! Happy phoning kannamma !!!

And it happened – Day 38

Yesterday (Friday) morning, I was making dosa for breakfast and Adi on the table eating her dosas while checking my phone. She has her whatsapp group and emails configured on my phone so technically we share the phone.

Suddenly she asked “Amma what is between my littles and me” I didn’t understand the context for a while and made her repeat the question few times. She got frustrated by the time I understood the question.

She said “I know it’s a blog name but is it yours? Do you have a blog?”. I couldn’t hide it anymore and nodded with a yes. Yes I have a blog.

She didn’t ask anything more and we moved on to next task.

I am not sure when she will start to read my blog. Will she think I shared TMI about her childhood? Will she like this idea of online journal? I don’t know!!!

Not many of my relatives or non virtual friends know about this space and I prefer to keep it that away. I don’t share unless the person is like minded and I am very comfortable with her/him. I don’t talk about my blog at home. This is my personal space and very close to my heart. Adi would not have known if we were not sharing the phone. But I have always fantasized the day she comes to know about it and reads all my posts related to her especially my birthday letters to her.

TMI – Too much information

P.S: Adi told me on Thursday evening that she likes the new elective I chose for her 🙂 🙂 Thank you all for your kind words and support. Happy mommy 🙂