Summer ends and School begins

It is first day of school today. The older is stepping into 10th grade (they call it Sophomore year) and the younger is stepping into 1st grade. I am working from home today and the home is so quiet and empty.

This summer, we didn’t do anything fancy. Kids just stayed home with grandparents and the four of them being at home all the time kept the home fully alive. There is always something going on

LHB’s summer at a glance:

Ammachi (that is how kids call Amma), did you see the TV remote?

Thatha, thanni venum (can you get me some water?)

Ammachiiiii, don’t use the mixer now. I can’t hear anything from the TV!!!

Thatha, its bad to watch laptop in the morning. Close it NOW!

Ammachi, paal (can you get me some milk?)

Guys, who is working from home tomorrow?

Ammachi, dish washer clean-a? (when he wants to grab a cup for water or a bowl)

Ammachi, can you switch off the cooker? It’s disturbing!!!

Ammachi, innikku diiner-ku enna panareenga (what are you cooking for dinner tonight?)

M have installed wireless plugs in main rooms to control the power via phone. He has set a schedule to turn off family room by 9pm and it needs to be manually turned on the next day. This is how LHB demands to turn it ON next day as TV is in family room

Appppaaaa, turn on the TV NOW, or else I am going to eat you!!!

LHB calls me while I am at work in middle of a call and goes on and on and on about how Thatha is not behaving, how he litters and how he sneezes without a tissue!! He starts “Ammmaaa can you hear me? You know what Amma, you know, Thathaaa…..”

He will visit basement office room at least 10 times in a day when one of us WFH. I have trained him to whisper or make gestures to ask if I am in a call and if I am on mute before he starts talking. The way he does that is uber cute.

He would have called out for more Ammachi and Thatha than Appa and Amma in this summer and that is exactly how I have dreamed summer to be for my children. If not all summer, at least one was made possible. I am a happy bean (Oh Adi is into this phase to call everything a bean and I am an influenced mother)

In the last two weeks, he made friends with the high school boys living next door and started messaging them using iPad inviting them to play. They had few play sessions shuttling between the homes and jumping in trampolines. Adi was astonished as she was so hesitant to even say a Hi while this guy was rocking the show 🙂

Today is many first for LHB:

• First day going in school bus all by himself
• First day taking home packed lunch (I hope he handles the dabba well). We practiced opening and closing the dabba a few times at home but still I am nervous
• First day going to public school system

Its new school for both of them and they have to build everything from scratch! It sucks! Hope they will have a wonderful school year.

Why do I yearn for alone time when they are around and miss them terribly when they are not around? Can’t wait for them to come home and share all stories.

Adi’s lunch

LHB’s lunch/snack (Pasta/Apples/Grapes)

Adi boarding bus (that’s another enthu dad taking pic to embarass his kid)

LHB boarding bus (the last guy. why rush?)

LHB’s school (I went to school few mins after the bus left to just witness, enjoy and breathe the first day air at school 🙂

LHB’s new beginning

LHB has started Kindergarten today. Beginning of a new chapter in his life. I hope he copes up with this journey, makes loads of friends and grows as a well rounded human being. After home it is the school where he spends most of his time. Hope it stays as an enjoyable journey for him.

We woke up early in the morning (thanks to Akka’s early morning routine), did all morning routine with no big fuss, prayed God, did our jingu chika dance ritual and reached school ahead of time.

He said no hair styling and pictures but agreed to do them after reaching school. I acted quick pulling out the styling gel kept hidden in my bag, brushed his hair and we took loads of pictures. Happy mommy 🙂

That is his school head teacher and they made it so smooth for the kids to adapt this change of routine.

Good luck kutty!!

For posterity 🙂

 

It’s official

I am a high school mom now 🙂 The girl has started her high school journey today. I hope she enjoys this high school tenure, has loads of fun and stays responsible. She has a bus to catch at 6:45am in the morning for next 4 years. That means the poor Amma has to make her lunch dabba and breakfast ready by 6:30am!!!

We prayed and did our family ritual of jingu chikka dance before heading to the bus stop. Appa, LHB, M and myself were hiding in the bushes closer to the bus stop as the girl strictly denied our appearance in the bus stop. How can I let her go so easily without seeing her blushing?

So, when she was about to board the bus she was telling her friend that “My mom will be here somewhere taking pics” and was searching for me while I walked up to her and clicked this pic. The moment she realized my presence she turned around. A moment that will be etched to my memory for a very long time!

And its my birthday today! Out of all the days, today is the day I noticed a grey hair in my head! Seriously!!! Signs of growing old I guess 😦

And parents are here for a month. Amma made paruppu urundai kuzhambu, beans usili and vada curry today. What more can I ask for?

Trying to live every moment with them as their stay is short.

LHB deserves a separate post. All his terrible two tantrums that were saved for years are thrown at us as if there is no tomorrow. I am just hanging at the edge waiting for his school to reopen in 2 days. Phewwww!!!!

Howdy all?

Graduation 2018

Big day was 19th June. The girl graduated 8th grade. The school arranged for a promotion ceremony and it was a sight to watch all the young ladies and gentlemen dressed up for the occasion. I took day off and played chaperone for the outing planned by Adi and two of her besties after the ceremony.  I took special permission from the school principal to take LHB to the ceremony and he tagged along for rest of the day.

We all had lunch at Panera bread and then watched Incredibles 2 in big screen. We were a good 15 minutes early for the movies on a weekday matinee show but still couldn’t get a better seat. Almost half of the 8th graders from Adi’s school were in for the same movie!!

I suggested the girls to do one thing crazy to remember this day and the outing. They discussed about doing a Russian dance in the parking lot but decided otherwise later. Kids these days are too conscious!!

In the evening, we visited Adi’s piano teacher who is in rehab. He broke both his legs and is recovering slowly. What stood out for me from this visit is the post his son wrote about him in FB wall. He had written that his father had made life so simple for him that whenever a situation comes he would just think “what would my father do in this situation?” and there comes the clarity! To lead by example. I had goosebumps when I read that post and could see the pride in his eyes. It took him a whole 15 minutes to figure out FB and show that post to us and he didn’t even know about that post until a friend of him called and checked about it! Social media is still alien to a set of people.

Wrapped up the day with dinner at A2B. Melt in your mouth awesome food but service was too slow that we had to cancel the order of adai aviyal. They serve one of the best authentic masala chai I have tasted so far in this country.

Summer vacation is starting tomorrow and I so badly wanted to at least get this post out of my way before I disappear for 2 months.

Happy Summer!

Shadow day – Day 89

Today is going to be an interesting day for Adi. She has been randomly chosen by draw to shadow one of her teacher. That means she will skip her classes and will be behind the teacher all day to experience a slice of teacher’s life.

Her friend was home last evening for group study and we were making fun of Adi as what will she do when she or the teacher wants to use the bathroom. We were gossiping for a while about who is going to shadow who and who is shadowing that famous quirky teacher. It was a laugh riot for few minutes and man I love these silly talks with the girls.

Pasta has been packed for lunch in the specific green box with a fork so it doesn’t look messy when she has to share lunch time with her 7th grade social studies teacher.

All ears to hear about her shadow day in the evening!!

Ginger bread man – Day 62/11

At LHB school, they played a game in December where the kids made gingerbread man and the teacher hid it in closet telling the kids that he disappeared and went to visit places.

She requested parents to ask their friends and family from different state/country to send letters to school saying they spotted the gingerbread man near their place and explain the details.

It’s an interactive and fun way to learn about other states and countries. Did I tell you already that I love this school? It plays a major role to the wholistic progress LHB has made in last two years of course in his own pace.

See what his cousins from the other side of this country sent for him. He is one of the first to receive the letter. I loved the detail about the bridge.

LHB now talks about Mexico, China, Golden gate bridge and Florida. He wants to go to Mexico. Hope he takes me along too preferably to a beach town 😎

Elective selection

Yesterday evening, the parent portal was opened up to choose elective courses for next year. Adi has two electives to choose every year. We left it completely to her choice on 6th and 7th grade. This year I wanted her to choose one that has fun learning and one where she can learn new techniques though not much fun (according to her). She wanted to choose both on the fun side and was strongly against the one I suggested.

We had to talk it through for about 30 minutes. She had tears rolling down and I felt terrible. All she was repeating is “Whatever, just go ahead and choose anything”. She was not interested in listening to my justifications. I kept telling myself “It is for her good and she will soon realize it”. What made me feel more terrible is that Adi unlike me doesn’t shed tears that often.

Sighhh!! Decision making is such a painful process especially when you have to decide for your kids and both parties are not aligned.

We ended up choosing one of her choice and one of my choice but I promised her that if she absolutely doesn’t like the elective I choose for her after trying it for two months, then I will make every possible attempt to meet with her counsellor and principal to change her elective. Now, I don’t know if it is possible in this school system but I will definitely try if she doesn’t want to continue.

I hope I made the right choice for her and she will appreciate that unique new exposure. Time will tell!!!!

BOTC

Battle of the classes was conducted by Adi’s school last week. Fun competitions organized between 4 groups (6th, 7th, 8th graders and teachers).

Adi signed up and was selected for the 6th grade battle group. She got 2nd place in jello eating challenge and her dance troop won first place. I was amazed to see their dance moves. It was choreographed by themselves. There was other fun challenges too like popping the balloon, relay race in dressing up the partner etc.. It was total fun and I am glad I was able to make some time to go see them.

My snowman came to life

Adi’s write-up on “My snowman came to life”. I love this creative writing part of her curriculum.

Can you all read it or want me to write it down?

Study plan

Once, she gets the syllabus, we sit together, come up with the plan, put it together in an excel sheet and then its all up to her.  She follows the plan and we have periodic review whenever she is ready. She looks forward to the review sessions, so do I, to mark the completed ones as Done with green background fill.

This is the same pattern we followed during winter break to catch up on the three months missing portions and she did an amazing job.

No more reminding every day, no more constant follow-up as “did you study? did you study?” and no more shouting. All I ask her is “Are you on track?” and she gives me a quick update. How easy is that?

This is the same pattern I have followed during my college days to cover up the 5 units in all 6 subjects during the month long study holidays. I am glad its working for Adi too. 

I only act as a data entry operator here. She is the one who decides the daily plan, background color et all..

Over to the plan for Midterm exam next week.