Lunch note

On a not so busy afternoon, when I had some time to think, I had an Eureka moment!!

I decided to write lunch note to Adi. I have no idea how I suddenly got this idea 🙂 To keep it interesting, my colleague and I came up with some categories like unscrambler, vocabulary, math puzzle, fun fact etc.

First day, she was not appreciating it much and said she is not a kindergartner and lunch note is too childish! But me being me continued to write the note.

On fourth day, I missed to keep the note and in the evening she promptly asked, why didn’t you keep the note today!! I was jumping in joy (ofcourse in my mind) but just shrugged my shoulder in response saying I forgot.

Following weekend she hosted sleepover and one of her friend told me how much they all like the lunch note! I was again jumping in joy of course in my mind only!!!

So, now it has become a daily routine. She even checks if I kept the note in lunch bag before packing it!!

Adi and her friends in her lunch table read my note and unscramble/learn/solve it every day 🙂 🙂

Some notes:
The one on left is the note from Day 1. I choose an appropriate word to start the series 🙂

Love this new routine!

For LHB, I gave this one day and looks like he told M during evening ride that someone has scribbled on an orange peel and kept it in his snack box 🙂 I had to read and explain it to him later **face palm**

May be I can write to him after few years!

P.S: I have a google sheet for this and spend around 10 to 15 minutes every Friday to come up with the list for next week so I don’t have to squeeze my already little brain in the morning mad rush!!

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Home decor

New additions to home this weekend:

Living room – Tiffany lamp. A lamp that I was browsing for more than four years and finally decided to click Buy to complement the new leather recliner sofa.

 

Bedroom –  Up cycled the tiffany lamp’s package box, covered it with Indian designed bed spread and moved the old living room lamp to the bedroom to make a bedside table with lamp and books that kids read during bedtime. I have to make it shorter to keep it lower than bed!

Bedroom with woods view. I love summer as it gives me this stunning view of woods from my living room and bedroom windows. The greens lifts up my mood instantly!

I spent the whole Saturday cleaning whole house and wardrobes and couldn’t sleep on Saturday night soaking in the glory of a clean home with my favorites at nook and corners. I just couldn’t get enough of it 😀 😀

A clean home does wonders to my mind.

Priorities people

Yesterday, while I was wrapping up work to leave, got a call from Adi. She asked “When are you coming home?” I couldn’t give a definite answer and put the phone down by saying “Soon”.

After the call, I couldn’t focus on work so texted her as it is unusual to get a call from her while I am at work!

Read the text for yourself!!!

Yeah, that is all my family needs from me and we have become dosa monsters in recent times especially those crispy ones with gingly oil drizzled over it.. Sluuurrppp!!!

Concert that I will remember

Adi’s choir concert on last Thursday will be etched on my memory for longer than the other one’s because this is her first concert rather first school show that I missed due to office work. She is pretty upset about it. Me too!!

There was a hackathon event organized by a different company in my office building and I signed up for it at the very last minute just to understand how these events operate and its a good opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. Also it was in same building so all the more reasons to participate.

At the hackathon, we were split into teams in the morning, each team had about 3-4 members and there was total of around 8 teams. Then, each team was asked to pick an idea. One of the guy in my team had this awesome idea and rest of the day was spent in prototyping our idea with zilch break. It was an one day event and the results were announced on same day evening.

My initial plan was to be part of the team, skip the final presentation and go to Adi’s concert. But, I was so hooked to different ideas that I stayed back to see the presentation of all teams. Then, it was judging time. After seeing all the presentation I had a strong feeling that my team could make it to at least the 3rd position so couldn’t leave though my heart was all at the concert. The judges took forever to come up with the results and I was calculating and recalculating the train schedules to see if I can still make it to the concert. I was sitting at the tip of my seat with bags packed and ready to scoot right after the announcement.

The announcement was made finally and all I could say is it was worth waiting 🙂 We won the first prize. Each of the team member were gifted an iPad and I was glad to receive it in person. Judges were impressed with the amount of work we got done in 6 hours and liked our demo. I scooted away right after receiving the prize still holding on to my hope to make it to the last part of the concert. I ran all the way to catch the earlier train and trust me that day commute was the longest I ever had! I just couldn’t stay put in the seat and felt so restless.

Hope Adi reads this post some day and understands why I had to skip her concert. I tried my best to make it to the concert till the very last minute but this is the same day I chose to forget the phone at home. So, took a taxi to her school and by the time we reached her school crossing, concert was over and all the cars were driving out so the taxi driver denied to get into that traffic. Instead, he dropped me home!!

Next day, I collected the videos from fellow moms and watched her perform.

I have refrained from getting an iPad all these years as I didn’t want to add more screens to home. This one hopefully will be predominantly used for LHB’s study purpose **rolls eyes** The last thing I want to see happen is LHB glued on to iPad playing random games and watching videos **rolls eyes heavily**

Cake pop

Last Saturday, we were out all day to attend LHB’s Tamil school annual day function. He said one phrase from Aathichudi and danced for a medley of songs. His program got over around 10am and my initial plan was to leave to tend to other errands. But, looking at all the little ones perform in stage, I stayed put in the seat for few more hours.

Adi and M went back home to take care of their work while the vettis that is LHB and me stayed back. The event had a cake stall and I bought a cake pop for LHB while Adi was away. I actually asked her if she wants one and she said no. But, LHB doesn’t know this and asked me to buy one for her. I told him that she doesn’t need one and we left it at that.

The duo came back to pick us in the afternoon and we spent some more time watching other programs. Kids and I were seated together while M sat in a different row. While we were watching the program, Adi asked me to buy a cake pop for her. I said she missed the chance in the morning and she was sulking about it. After a while, LHB wanted water to drink and went to his Appa. They stepped out of the auditorium and when they came back, this little fella had a cake pop in his hand. He gave it to his Akka. Looks like, he forced M to buy one for her as she didn’t get it in the morning and she is crying about it. He was upset as they didn’t have the rainbow pop anymore. He got her a blue cake pop with sprinkles.

When I saw the pop in his hand, I assumed he would have got one for himself too but I was wrong. He bought only one pop for his Akka and didn’t even ask her for a share though he was looking at her gobbling it.

I don’t know if I would have acted the same way if I was in his shoes. The least, I would have bought a second pop for me too but this little boy of mine has made a big impact in my heart that day with this kind act.

God bless you kutty!!

Happy 13th

Dear Adi,

Turning 13 or 13th is our phrase for this year. I am an official teen age mom and soon to be high school mom. It is very overwhelming ma. You are growing to be a beautiful young lady and I have already started drawing my life lessons from you. Its not going to be a mushy birthday letter from now.

We are stepping into the phase where I can feel that gap between us some days. You are getting closer to your friends than us, you chose what to share with us, you have your own world now. Imagine a family with two extreme kids where one is in her own world and the other constantly keeps looking for Amma/Appa. That is us precisely now. I am not liking this setup at all but learning to adapt myself to the reality!!

My only hope is for the table to turn in few years like everyone says. I will wait with all my will kannamma same as how my Amma waited for me. I could so relate your present life to my high school life and how I rebelled to my Amma. Till you come back to me, I will make do with LHB. His unlimited hugs and kisses keeps me sane.

You have an Instagram account and strictly denied me from following you. Your spare time are mostly spent in hangouts. You have hosted couple of sleepovers in past few months at our home and as parents our contribution was just cleaning the home before the event, ordering/delivering pizzas and donuts. That was it. You took care of everything else. I am happy we are able to host sleepovers though we live in a condo and our home is relatively smaller. The presence of those girls cheers me up too.

You are too good at teaching shortcuts to LHB, like the pattern you taught him to remember the dots in a dice. He learns from you in no time whereas Amma has to slog for days to make him remember something. You both have silly fights and you always say he gets his way out easily than you but I am sure you know the truth. You are still our priority and he only gets the attention spared from you! You are the world to him so as I say many many times every day please pretty please be nice to him ma! I know that he gets on to your nerves often but can you not annoy him please? He blindly believes all that you say so please watch your words!! May your sibling love grow more and more with each passing year!

You are continuing with the Indian classical music and piano lessons though I wouldn’t call them as your passion. One thing you did with passion this year is the Odyssey of the mind competition. It was a group competition and the six girls who participated in that became more like twin sisters now. I am very glad to see you with a gang. Friends are very important in life ma. You need them always!

We watched Gilmore girls together this year and we always blame each other as one will watch it without the other sometimes making the other miss few parts. Also, you will declare “Amma I will put Gilmore girls so we can watch it together” but I will get carried away with some other work in 2 minutes while you will continue to watch and then bring me up to speed when I come back to sit.

What I remember the most is the day you rewinded the episode where Lorelai and Luke reconcile after their first big fight and kept it ready for me to watch as I ranted to you that I couldn’t stand to see Lorelai sulk/cry. You wanted me to see the couple get back together. We watched it so much that LHB started liking it and declares “Amma now its your TV, do you want me to put Rory for you?” 🙂

Sometimes you tend to be a tad self centered but Amma is working on it to make you not take things for granted and learn to appreciate any small kind act. I attribute this behavior more to your age than your own self.

You adapt to situations very well. A girl who outright denies Indian dresses was seen wearing kurta/salwar out of her own will during last year India visit. She bugged me to get her few pairs of salwars and even kept bindi in forehead everyday. Do you know that girl by any chance?

You can make stove top Indian tea now. I have been blessed with a cuppa few times last year.

Cleanliness – Its better we don’t talk about it!! **rolls eyes heavily**

I will wake you up with a treasure hunt and we will bake the cake at home as it is our yearly tradition to celebrate your special day ma.. You made sure I am preparing for the hunt and you wanted me to keep a mini hunt for LHB too. This shows that the child in you still exists kannamma 🙂

You are a little scared about high school and the pressure/work involved. I am sure you will handle it with grace given your academic records so far!

Here is to a beautiful and rocking teen years. You know where to go if you get into any trouble. Your family will always stand by you no matter what!

Love,
Amma