Valentine's Day

We were busy dismissing the day as a marketing ploy.

Then recalled how on campus ( which is pretty remote and isolated) Navy had wooed me with - a set of Mad comics, a watermelon, a bunch of roses and a lovely ceramic turtle.

So I guess there is a time and place when even such things mattered, even to us.
Though I don't recall if I gave anything to him!!

Ex-Home

Off to Chennai and Mumbai trow. The cities I called home for over a decade each.
Always a nice feeling to revisit.

Account Encounters

I shudder when it comes to forms, formats or any govt/ bank related work.

But I actually went through two very comfy interactions to close and to open an account with an MNC and a local bank respectively.

Myth busted that all bank interactions are unpleasant. Or I must be growing up.

Here we go or come?

Tata 2011.

A full year, with loads of happy times and some tense moments.

Office

Won a couple of brands that have been on the wanted list for long. Handling more accounts. A trip to Paris that did not work out and one to Sri Lanka that gave my purse a workout. Had a lot of logistics glitches to sort out - SAPped out was more like it.

Family

Over all good times. Though we had a trying time when we discovered our cook was a thief and went through a couple of maid changes as well. All elders and kids with nagging illnesses this entire year but thank God only the cold cough types

Kids

Both enjoying their new schools, growing up to be independent spirited young ladies inbetween some cycling, keybaord, chess, cooking, swimming and just being kids

Navy

Going along, doing well, sometimes wondering what...great we cleared the housing loan, now let us explore some new stuff

Travel

A source of joy and aches as well- we have had a number of short trips ( Nandi Hills, Lepakshi, Mekedathu, Mysore...) and longer ones were the Sai Vishram beach one and the Badami Hampi trip. Sri Lanka was pure retail therapy for me.

Blogging/ Writing

Mister Muthu comes to an end, as does TON. Story telling sessions made a strong start. Hope to see more of that in 2012. Lots of blogger friends made and fun meets had. Going fairly strong at ST...

Self

Inching slowly towards a fitter me. Finally.

Welcome 2012

What is this life

if so full of care........

I do feel that way when two little "supposedly ill" monsters have bunked school and are at home and I am inside at office( even if it is a home based one)

Maybe I am lucky I am not travelling at least today.

**********
Two more book sales- Butterfly and Strand are here.

A chapter ends

Or shld I say Episode......Mister Muthu and Times of Nishka, the monthly serial stories I have been writing for Chandamama, end this month. ( after over 2 and 1 yr respectively)

Chandamama was a wonderful experience for me as a freelance contributor, be it
- the letters from kids from all over India,
- MM being on the magazine cover,
- having book label stickers with MM alongside the iconic Vikram & Vetal
- or featuring prominently on the index page ....
all have given me immense satisfaction.

Thanks Visitor( wherever and whoever you are) and GB my first editor for seeing and believing in MM.

I will miss you Mister Muthu. You will always be my baby.
Though readers will possibly see him authored by a different person since he is now the property of Chandamama.

Older and wiser?

All Chennai based visitors- please look this up at Lets do something. Sounds really interesting.

And, I let go of one of my wisdom tooth yesterday! First extraction after some twenty years ( had a few teeth pulled out when I wore braces years ago)

Had fun explaining parts of a tooth to Anush with the 'trophy' tooth.

Hmmf

Yesterday was Karnataka Day. Took off since the rest of the family had off.
Did general spring cleaning and chilled out. So much fun!

********

CROCUS 2011 has come to a close. Feeling a bit empty post that as usual.

********

Today is one of those dull days post a fun one where I am wondering what I am doing with my life....hope the clouds lift soon.

Challenges and Contests

Anush has learnt to cycle without the safety/ side wheels. All thanks to her Thaathu. And her own persistence. I feel immensely relieved since I never learnt to cycle.

As per her worksheets, Anush did extremely well in Hindi as well this time.
She did miserably at a quiz in school but was not miserable about it. Thank God.

*********

I usually stay away from contests if I even remotely feel the need to win. I participate if I know I am not going to win but I will have fun at it. Absurd? Go figure.

There is a new contest up on Women's Web specifically for parenting bloggers : http://www.womensweb.in/articles/passport-healthy-pregnancy-contest/

Here is another one at Karadi on a different note-http://karadionline.blogspot.com/2011/10/read-review-blog.html

Rainy Mondays

Peacock using leaves from our garden

The Golu dolls went into the store room.

Did a lot of decluttering of wardrobes/ store.

The kids went back to school today.

Office work is at a high.

I have begun exercising. ... yet again.

Yet I felt a strange emptiness - and no it was not due to hunger.

Carpenters nailed it in Rainy Days and Mondays.

Catching the Lion's tale

Did my second story telling session " The Lion Kings are coming"

Covered three stories and one lion plate craft

- Karadi's version of Lion and Mouse

- Snoring Shanmugam from Tulika

- Royal toothache from Pratham

The turn out was much lower this time- only 7 kids and some parents!!

But the response to the stories was good and the kids were participative.

However one child got a bit scared at some point with the ferocious lion I had turned into and I had to tone down real quick to calm him.

I used lion and mouse finger puppets, a lion hand puppet as well as a net laundry bag as a prop.

Kajal whiskers and noses added to the fun.

A spectacle of sorts

Once upon a time, long long ago, a young girl of ten was mighty excited. She lived in a suburb in Mumbai and was an only child. Her parents had taken her on a local train to Fort area to a large spectacle shop. She loved the train ride and the promise of the superb noodles restaurant and her favourite corn soup. She dismissed the newly launched Maggi noodles which was such a rage among her classmates.

After choosing a specs frame, the girl excitedly displayed her skills with the fork while handling the noodles in the restaurant and when asked by her folks, seemed thrilled at the prospect of wearing specs.

This girl grew up, got married, had girls of her own. By now she was wearing lenses.

One day, her older six year old accompanied her to the lens shop. On a whim, she got her eyes checked as well.
And it turned out that she needed specs.

A good four years before her mom had got them.

The young girl who was now a mother was almost distraught. She went back in time and realised how excited she had been about wearing specs.

She told herself that she was being a bit silly. While her mind said it was alright, her heart was broken. She had wished for the better eye gene from her husband to pass on to the kids.

But the child's excitement made her put on a brave face. But she knew it would get cumbersome, there would surely be unsolicited comments in store.

She tried to prep the kid and then realised it was uncalled for.

For now, the child is revelling in her new and cool accessory.

A decade ago

Just ten years back I joined the company I work with.

The highs have outnumbered the lows
This off site - work from home arrangement seems to be working okay for the most part. Touch wood.
I wonder if I could work for any other company other than this one. I feel almost wedded.
But I saw an unanticipated boss change this year and managed to get through that. So who knows!

Till then, I hope I enjoy this place and this place enjoys me.

Excess Snapping

I have made a resolution. I am not going to print about 200 snaps each quarter.

Will maintain soft copies ( like I did anyway) and choose only about 50-60 to print a year

I think I shld be able to save space, paper and money this way and also learn to make some tough choices. Only Aditi may question me when she grows up and compares why there are fewer pics of her versus Anush!!

***********

Another big milestone today- Anush has begun travelling by School bus both ways- the morning ritual of father daughter bonding during the drive is unfortunately coming to an end.

But I told Anush that she could welcome the sunshine smiles and chatter on the bus with friends and seniors and in a year juniors as well!

*********

Anush lost her second tooth- this time the tooth fairy paid a visit and gave her money to cover both the losses. Anush was so excited and genuinely pleased. Cynicism seems to have vanished!

She also felt she owed the fairy something for her generosity and insisted she leave a 100 for the fairy with a note to Thumbelina who she thinks is the one who is a tooth fairy!!

" Otherwise how could she have so quietly placed the notes under my pillow amma. Even you did not get disturbed by her."

My Day !

I was flooded with gifts- flowers, sunglasses, a new cassette - CD- DVD- radio player, DVDs, clothes and cards, cake- cookies and wishes on FB, on the blog and in person/ over phone. Just when I thought it could not get better- we went for dinner to NH 8 - highly recco for veg Rajasthani food barring rotis all was stuff good.

Anush is attending Summer Fun at Swingers and is really having a ball!

Went to Kobe's sizzlers a few days back. Am note sure I like sizzlers anymore( barring the brownie one of course) though teh place and stuff was nice enough.

And here is an Anushism that left us in splits- we were attending a family do on Monday
Anush to her thaatha- " Thaathu, you are looking so smart! " Thaatu was in a gorgeous white kurta- pyjama.

Enter Navy in a white shirt and a mismatched off white dhoti. " Appa thaathu is looking so smart and you are looking so funny....." Navy will never forget to wear a contrast shirt now on with his dhoti.

35 yrs young

That is what I am today.

I believe everyone's life has a movie/book's worth in it. If someone were to capture mine so far, it would make for a happy story.

A big Thank You to all who make my life special and keep me young.

Bye Uncle Pai!

Anant Pai (Uncle Pai) was arguably the face of Indian kids' fiction a couple of decades back. Be it Tinkle or ACK, all of us from my generation have read them. That it was available in other languages made it even more universal in appeal.

I met him once, since my neighbour then was an editor with ACK. He seemed like a regular nice uncle.

A lot of acceptable/ unquestioned stereotyping then is now seen as sexist, racist and so on. Our mythology itself often promotes sons and defines roles for women.

Which explains why many of the series are being revamped- Chandamama and ACK included.
It also explains the popularity of the Tulikas and Taras of the world.

Yet ACK has some gems and made history delightful and accessible to kids who are wary of it. That in itself warrants applause.

Good bye Uncle Pai. RIP.

Monster laugh

I have a loud laugh. Very open and unladylike.
Anush observed very casually that I sounded like the monster in one of her cartoon shows!
Ooops.

Youngest Pillion

Cycling is good exercise even if you are not riding.

The adult balancing the little monster on the pillion and madly chasing after the cycle gets great exercise!

Won't you agree?

Just another year...

This has been an eventful year for me ( bit more than ever)

A location change after 10 years ( turned out fine)
A work style change ( a lot of adjustment)
A School change for the kid ( all for the good)
From own to rented house ( not too bad)
A bit of working out ( Yes!!)
Almost no cooking ( this I miss)
Being a Mother of 2 in the full sense( the best thing ever)
Being almost a full owner of our second home( most of the loan paid off)
Being a reviewer for ST ( yeah to that)
Beginning my second series for Chandamama while MM will also continue ( Yipee to that)
Meeting some old friends and some more blogger friends
Doing a lot of weekend outings and activities with the kids


Thank you 2010!! Welcome 2011.Happy New Year Folks ! See you on the other side.
This year just flows into the next one.............