Milestones

Accomplishments are heard every other day from friends, relatives, news et al, of people known and unknown. But when it is heard from someone dear to you, how small it might be, the sense of pleasure that you get from it is altogether a different one. That was what I got today when V announced his “150 km of cycling in a month” milestone this morning. He is currently cycling only on the weekends and this is his record since he started cycling couple of months ago. Gym as an activity was what he did only as an exercise, to avoid unwanted visitors such as back ache and all. But this is much more, extra elements of interest, zeal, goals, enthusiasm have gone into it. He has started planning even his Friday nights so that the Saturday schedule happens unaffected. He who used to wake up much much late on weekends is now up and out before 7 in the morning.

Hobbies are needed to add that extra element of ‘LIFE’ to life and am glad he found his ! Wishing him many more such milestones that satisfy the zeal in him 🙂

One similar milestone in the family was when A delivered her first dance performance in our apartments as one among a group of four girls, on the day of Ganesh Chathurthi this month, and was heartily applauded by everyone! She gave us all a happy surprise, as we weren’t expecting much 🙂

Happy Cycling and Happy Dancing and Happy Milestones !

Big or small ?

Yesterday….

A : Amma, I want to sleep alone in Atta’s bedroom, am growing big

Me : Ok 

A : I should learn things Amma, am growing big 

Me : Ok, go ahead and sleep 

A : All the best Amma since you are sleeping alone ( V had gone out for a movie)

Me : Ok 🙂

We made little arrangements to the bed, adjusted lighting and not much later, A fell asleep “alone”, in her Atta’s bedroom.

And here was I, in the other bedroom, at the max of 10 footsteps away from the place A is sleeping, and still felt a sense of void, that something is missing. However I slept off…

Today morning…

A : Amma, can I sleep alone tonight also ?

Me : Ok

Tonight, a couple of hours ago…

We arranged everything for A to sleep as yesterday 

A : Amma, come here

Me : Yes

A : Just wanted to hug you 

Me : (sensing something more) You can sleep where ever you want, you can come and sleep in your regular place now and can come back here later when ever you feel like

With no further talk, she came to our room, and slept in her bed, the regular place of hers…

It made me realise that A is still a little girl, who still wants to be in the cozy comfort of the daily routine. And it is going to take a while for her to grow big, and am in no hurry for that …

Let me savour the sweet pleasures of you being a little one, dear A !

Role reversal

 V is known for pulling legs, of everyone in the family, big or small, at all times, day and night . He does this more with the immediate members of the family and he gives such spontaneous responses that we mostly are left speechless and give up after a time. He doesn’t leave anyone, including the one who has come to support him in the leg-pulling process. So anyone who thinks that he can be saved from becoming the victim, by joining his side is under the wrong impression. We even call him ‘Narada’, the character fondly known for creating differences between two people who had absolutely no differences between them. So with experience, we have learnt to be prepared to stay united how hard he tries, but this doesn’t change that we were always, or mostly at the receiving end.
Now, after all these years, there’s a change in the situation and the tables have turned. A seems to have inherited the ability to give back spontaneous replies, sometimes full of wit, sometimes sharp, that even V takes a while to understand what she has hit at. This phase has started a while ago and it’s so much fun looking the two converse at times, with V left spellbound. To top this, A doesn’t let V pull my leg at all and she stays all ready and alert to provide a big circle of protection around me. How much ever time it may last, am going to enjoy this !
All this came back to me this morning when A was trying to tease V with the card that she made below, by calling him Srimanthudu ( a new telugu movie which means ‘an affluent person’, where the protagonist rides a bicycle ), because of his new hobby of cycling 🙂 . It was V’s turn to stay helpless and get teased 🙂
  

One down the bucket list !

Inspired by TGND, I started compiling my bucket list. Things which I want to do just because I want to do them. I came across the bucket list concept numerous times but I never attempted to pen down mine. I never even bothered to think what my list would look like. And then on a fine day, after I read TGND’s list and had a chat with her, I wanted to give a try at “my” list. I started listing down things which I really wanted to do, small and big, easy and hard. The list is in a very primitive state as of now and has got only few items, and am in the process of updating it as and when I come across something that I feel should go into it.
Now coming to the point, while the list is still under construction, I have actually striked one of them. “Read a book with A and watch the movie based on that book with A “, is one of the things I wanted to do. ” Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ” of Roald Dahl came to A as a birthday gift in this February from V’s cousin. From that time, I have been wanting to read the novel with A and then watch the movie with her, and then discuss the characters and the movie, and have long long conversations about all of it. We started reading the book, together for some days, as an individual for some days, left it aside for some days, then restarted it and then finally completed it recently. The book was great, both A and I enjoyed reading it. And then we wasted no time in watching the movie. We watched it couple of days back and the movie was equally good. I couldn’t watch the movie completely sitting in one place but I did watch it.
I hope to do a similar thing for another book, and this time I want to watch the movie more seriously, with curtains drawn, pop corn in hand, lunch ordered, serious conversations about the movie and so on and on….

So here is my first strike off of one of the things in the bucket list, and I look forward to the rest of them !

Do you also have your lists and how far have you reached in completing them ? 

Surprise ! Surprise !

I love surprises !

I love surprise gifts even more !

And if the surprise gift is something that boosts my current passion, can it get any more better ?

Today, my friend gifted me this and I felt totally happy for the surprise as well as the gift !

  
p.s. Long long ago, when I saw a similar thing at her place filled with ear rings, I said I liked it and had tried to get one and she remembered that  🙂

p.p.s. Now I have got a task at hand to fill them all 🙂

Our day of today …

    
  
  
  
Happy Birthday dear V !

Wishing you happy, healthy and fun times ahead !

Circle of life…

There was a time when I used to wait desperately for Teachers’ Day, in anticipation of all those activities, where kids get to act as teachers, where there were no classes, where there were lots of other programs, where there was so much fun .

As years passed by and I started working and I got married, Teachers ‘ day became another day and I didn’t even realise when it came and when it went.

Now, with A at an age, where Teachers’ Day is celebrated in a very special way, I started looking forward for it along with A, with lots of excitement again. For this Teachers’ Day, we decided to gift ear rings and we made these.

  
Times might have changed, priorities might have changed,  but I thank all my teachers sincerely for shaping me as what I am today. 

To all the lovely teachers who play an unmatchable role in everyone’s lives …

Secret or not ?

More than a week ago :

A announces that the birthday card for me and V , due on 11th of this month, is ready .

A couple of days ago , while putting A to sleep :

A : Amma, before your birthday comes, if you happen to chance upon a paper in the cupboard that contains Atta’s suitcase in Nanamma’s room, will you look at it ?

Me : No 😊

A : Why ?

Me : Because I don’t use that cupboard at all

A : But if you find any paper accidentally, will you see it ?

Me : No 😊

A : Takes in a deep breath with a sigh of relief and goes to sleep 

p.s. This girl can’t keep a thing in her stomach and I wish it stays that way as long as it’s possible 

p.p.s. I haven’t seen what’s in there