Happy Karvachauth

We were greeted this morning by our daughter with this artwork on our kitchen wall!!

Artist: Saumya
Description as given by the artist: Moon is visible from our dining room window. Daddy is standing with a platter of puas (we eat them at moon rise to break our fast).  Mama is smiling, looking pretty in a Saree and Saumya is all ready seated to have dinner. Happy Karvachauth!

Life's Like That

Dear Saumya,

Summer vacation is just about to begin, to be exact its only two more days of school. You must be so happy!! No alarm clocks putting an instant stop on your dreams, no hurry up calls from me in the mornings. Yay! Just lazy summer days of doing whatever you want! Yoohoo!! Yeah, Not so fast honey. With me hovering around you for 24 hours a day, don't expect too much of lazying around. It's not my vacation, I still have all the jobs that I do everyday and then in addition there will be your sweet self to entertain. So just when you think of taking out those water paints and spread yourself on the family room floor, you will hear me calling you for a bath. Just when you think we can go out for a walk, you will see me chopping and stirring in the kitchen. Right when you take that board game out, you will see me lugging that laundry basket down the stairs. And just when you get bored of me bossing you around and decide to lay low and lie down on your bed, I will request you to take out your most complicated puzzle. Make it. I will be like this, for the first few weeks I guess. Many a times I will not answer your questions not because I won't know the answers but to tell you the truth I become very bitter when I am under your radar all the time. Its like you are doing that Police song on me

Every breath you take and every move you make 

Every bond you break 

Every step you take, I'll be watching you 

Every single day and every word you say 

Every game you play 

Every night you stay, I'll be watching you 

You not only watch but also ask the "why" of every move and step I take. 

Why did you cu that strawberry like that? Why did you wash those rice two times, why did you put the ketchup bottle here, why did you stir that pot so fast, why why why!!

And when I am bitter, I like to keep my mouth shut. Sorry sweetheart, people must be  looking forward to their kid's vacation and they must be making such merry making plans of the things they are going to do together. All I am hoping to do, at least in the first few weeks, is to preserve our sanity, your and mine, both! We love each other like no one can but we are so not used to spend every waking moment together and expecting us to smooth sail through this, without hitting any bumps, would be asking for just too much. Totally unrealistic !! Right? Right.

                                    My summer vacations, yes I had those too (!!!) , used to start in my Mausi's home. That's right!!  When I would come back home on the last day of school, I would find Promila Mausi waiting for me with my clothes already packed to go. Mother would call from her office and tell me that I can go with her. And without seeing my mom, I would give my hand to Mausi and hop on the DTC bus, thinking about all the fun I would have at mausi's home, with my cousins. We would go back and forth from mausi's home back to our's, all the while the cousins helping finish each other's holiday's homework, making charts, painting posters, writing essays, collecting pictures for scrapbooks, building models. None of our parents knew what homework we got but they did know that whatever it is, the kids will make sure it's done.

     But sweetheart, here its just you and me. No mausi, mama or bua can come to pick you up. We are so far away from them that no matter how much they yearn for you, none of your cousins can be with us during your vacations. We will not have anyone with whom you can partner in the mischiefs, no sisters to play hopscotch with, no peers to giggle with. I am sorry honey,  Its just me you got. Your dad, as usual, will brighten our evenings, his arrival from work will give both of us a breather. He will salvage us from the weariness we impound each other with. God bless his soul for putting up with us!!

                                I know we will be doing lots of fun stuff together too but who are we kidding, right? Having fun with your mother will always pale in comparison to what you little girls manage to have. Oh well!  In times like these, I am  just left to ask myself this question, where's our family and why are we so far away from them.

               But since life's like that for us, we got to make the most of what we got. And you got me!! So  I wish you a fun filled happy summer vacation, yes we will try!

Lot's of love

Mamma

Joys of Summer

Living on this side of the globe has made me realize what a bliss it is to have summers. For a long part of the year, our region faces nature's fury in the form of snowstorms, ice storms, much much below freezing temperatures. But come the month of May and there is no other place we would rather be. It is lush green everywhere with a sunny warmth and a  touch of breeze. It is seductive to say the least, anyone who visits during summers would want to live here forever. And that's why no guests are allowed in our house over the summers.....just kidding....but you got it, didn't you?
This past Sunday was one such perfect summer day here and we took it all in by being outside in the lawn,Saumya was watering herself  taking care of the plants , savoring juicy red water melon and running around in the lawn. That is all we did. But it was one of those days that stay in my memory forever. The days when none of us is busy and we are just being family, just there. Seeing everyone being joyous and all happy, I decided to surprise Saumya along with my hubby dear with a refreshing summer delight.


                                                                  Mango Lassi

I promised IHM that I will share this recipe, here you go my dear friend.


Here's what all you need to quench your thirst..........

Mango : 1 count
Yogurt : 3/4 cup
Water : 1/2 cup
Sugar : To taste (If you are lucky enough to be in India during mango season, I don't think sugar is needed but elsewhere please adjust it depending on the sweetness of mango)
Here's what you need to do....
Peel and cut the mango. Put everything in the blender and let it run its fury! And there you have it.....Mango Lassi!
Give it a try!

D.E.A.R Spring Visitors

Saumya got a surprise visit, not from one but two lady bugs, right in her bedroom! Sunday morning was spent playing with them, counting their dots, talking about their color, wondering how they made inside the house when everything is closed, how come they both were in Saumya's bedroom, did they come to tell her that weather is warm, finally? We girls can talk, can't we! And then we finally bid buh-bye to them. 

And now on to D.E.A.R, today is Drop Everything And Read day!! I am ready with my stack of books and my reading buddy Saumya. Wait for our report when we reveal what all we dropped to just read, read and read!!

My heart lies here

When I was a little girl I would play ghar- ghar (house) with my friends, pretending the whole park to be our house with imaginary lines dividing the living room( the drawing room as its called in India), the dining room and the bedrooms. Was it my dream home, No. Somehow in real life I never thought of the kind of house I would live in. There was simply no plan or an expectation. I guess there was this contentment in me which never made me wish for things.
Yesterday we celebrated our home's 4th anniversary. The day we moved in, it was cold and rainy and the moment I stepped in, as my socks were wet too, I slipped on the kitchen floor with Saumya in my arms. The house was already a stranger to me but now it became a hostile stranger. Husband went away for a business trip within four days of moving. I was alone with a baby, in a house which seemed like someone else's. Looking out the window, the bare street and lawns covered in snow, not knowing who lives next door, everything felt cold and I felt like an alien on earth. But with each passing day, reaching little milestones like Ssaumya's first birthday, her first words, her first step, first party, first movie night, our laughters, our tears and many more such things through which life happens, we made this house our own, our home.
They say home is where the heart is and my heart surely is with our home. A home whose walls might still be bare but they stand proud and strong. Rooms might lack appropriate furniture but we don't find the same comfort anywhere else. It may not be clean all the time but this is the place where we find our reality. Its a place we call our own, a place we fill with our love, laughter, cries, joys, hopes and aspirations. That little girl of yesteryear's is not playing house anymore as we have a home and its real.

image courtesy : google images.

Chit Chat

Saumya is back in school and that means she doesn't get enough one on one time with me. For the past few weeks I have been waiting to get here, so I can be alone for few hours and do anything without being answerable to miss smarty pants. It also sounded like a fairytale that would never happen. The day she joined school back, I didn't know what to do at all ! I was excited to be doing something that I loaded myself with much more than I could handle! And while doing my own things, well if you really must know those things were laundry, grocery shopping, re-arranging the kitchen cabinets and cleaning till the last crumb was picked up, yes that is my glamorous life, coming back to the point, so while being busy in my world I kept on missing this little girl who was with me like my shadow at home. I liked the peace and quiet but I missed a cute little face asking me in sweet little voice "what are you doing? why are you putting so much detergent? why did you put that towel in the washer? Why are you smiling? Who were you talking to on the phone? Why? Why are you reading? Why do you want to relax? Why, why , why , why!!!???" You know that feeling when you are doing something and really want to be done and can't wait to be out of it so you can relax but the moment you are finished, all you do is, in your mind, go over all the little details of the thing you just got over with and realize how much you were enjoying that but if I ask you to do it all over again, you would run away? That's where Saumya has left me by going back to school. She was my reading companion, my shopping buddy ( with a critical eye I must say), my kitchen helper, my cheerleader and above a lovely daughter and fabulous person to be with. we shared such good laughs and many times we were simply there around each other. To see her grow up is a joy and I am glad I got to see so much of it over summer. We both made a special bond this summer and I hope we become good friends for life.

Here are some chit chats she did in past few days

1.

Saumya: When is daddy coming home?

Me: I called him but he didn't take the call. It seems he is driving.

Saumya: Did he forget his blue tooth again? We bought him one so he takes our calls!!

Me: Oh, see I didn't even remember he has blue tooth.

Saumya: Well I do! I gifted him on father's day so he can take my calls while driving. !!!!

2.

Me: (she has an extra art class after school today) Saumya, you will be gone for so long today, I am going to miss you.

Saumya: Mamma, I love you a lot too but even if we love we should not keep children home, I am going to learn something and I will be back.

Me: !!!!!! (spellbound)

Saumya: Come here, I will give you a hug.

Me: Thank you Saumya, I am just saying I will miss you, its not that I am sad. It is lovely that you go to school and get to learn so much.

Saumya: Yes, one should not keep anyone away from learning, no matter how much they miss them.

!!!!

"It might feel like eternity but they grow up fast" is not a joke I guess!

image courtesy : google.

Rain rain go away

Too much rain had led to wild growth in our backyard

Do you see a bee here?

Mastering Techniques

Today was a wonderful family day. All three of us spent the entire day outside, me cleaning the cars, husband working in the yard and Saumya darling running around mindlessly while trying to get either one's attention.
Daddy see, I am digging the grass. Oh my, please don't dig the lawn Saumya!
Mamma see I can throw the rocks far away. Honey, throwing rocks can hurt someone.
Little girl was losing the typical childish frivolous animation about herself and was quickly becoming grumpy.
So daddy dear thought of using this 4 year old's time for a purpose and giving her a sense of worth. Hey Saumya, do you see all those weeds in that mulched area. We worked so hard but weeds are ruining everything.
Yes Daddy, its not looking pretty!
So sweety, can you pull out these weeds?
Of course I can!
And she haphazardly starting working in her usual playful manner.
So daddy thought of giving a lesson to the little girl in weeding.
Saumya, I will tell you a technique which will help you take these weeds out the easy way. Blah blah blah blah........went on for few minutes.
So you got it now?
Yes but Daddy another easy way to pull the weeds out which will take the weeds out really fast is that you do it with me!!

Flavors of home

Our dinner last night! We served it to Saumya as Chip(Makki ki roti) and Dip(Sarson ka saag). She ate ever last bit of the green dip with thick chips!
I have not missed my mom like this before, she is on my mind all the time. It may sound weird but to feel closer I am cooking few of her favorite foods these days. She loves Sarson ka saag with makki ki roti but I never liked this dish and now every bite reminded me of the warmth of home, of ma's lovingly bringing rotis hot off the stove for all of us. I love you ma, I wish I could be with you.