I am moving..

..to word press ...here is the new URL.

http://myamusingmind.wordpress.com/

Why ...the reason is the same ...I wanted to write certain things for my ownself ...and so I want to keep them password protected and blogger doesnot allow that ..hence ..

Aryan blog remains where it was.

I hope and I wish to see all of you there ..soon :)

Awarded for Brillance

Yes ! Some of my blog friends think that my blog is brilliant.
Mama-Mia said that I speak my heart and mind with equal ease and puja said that my posts have the "feel good" factor.

Thank you ladies , I am on cloud 9.

Here are the details about the award.

"The Brilliant Weblog Award- a prize given to sites and blogs that are smart and brilliant both in their content and their design. The purpose of the prize is topromote as many blogs as possible in the blogosphere. Here are the rules to follow:

When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, togetherwith the name of who has given it to you, and link back to them.
Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in content or design. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing them that they have been awarded with the ‘Brilliant Weblog’ award.
Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional) to."

So now I go on passing this award to 7 brilliant blogs :

Gauri : Her blog is my guide to motherhood. She writes about two super smart kids and how she manages to raise them the way they are !
Manasi : She is the woman of today , creative and innovative.
Indian Home Maker : Her blog is my food for thought :)
Soliatre : Her blog is like a breeze of fresh air to brighten my day.
PG : She , her thoughts , her kid and her kitchen stories , I totally adore all of them :)
Vidooshak : I look upto his blog for all thats happening around the world :)
Trishna : I love her blog for the honesty with which she writes and for the antics of Aadya :)

Please explain..

Why am I expected to waive off any money less than Rs 10 , to auto drivers , street vendors and service providers ? Is it wrong on my part to wait or ask for my money ? Does that mean I am money minded ? Does that mean I am a miser ? Does that mean I am not BIG at heart ? Is it the only and the right way to show my generousity ? Why am looked with a strange hatred when I do so ? Please explain..

To all the Blog Buddies ...

For my 200th post ...

..Thanks for being there !

Happy Independence Day To All!

Treasure!

Treasure is where you look for it !

Inspired by ~NM and the photo contest on "Freedom" in office , this my entry for this months topic of 'Treasure' at the monthly contest at Point & Shoot.

Just to say Hii!!

Ladies and gentlemen , Thanks for checking on me , yes I am still in this space. Life has been super duper busy at work. Plus with in laws at home , I am not able to give time to the internet even at home.

But its been good so far. Inspite of being busy , I am enjoying , both at work and at home. Aryan is so so so happy these days. Good that I listened to all your advice and allowed him to have a blast for a month. But his happiness will not last for long now.

My in laws are going back tomorrow and I get shivers thinking about the fact that I will have to leave hom to day care from Thursday. Its worse than when I left him to day care for the first time. That time he was small and did not understand much. But this time after a month of fun , with different set of grand parents , I am not sure how he will react to day care. He has been missing my parents since they left inspite of being with Anupam's parents and enjoying with them. Now he will miss all of them like hell :(

Anyways , Lets take life as it comes ! As of now I am happy to see a smiling and excited baby all the time !

I hope to blog a little more often in the near future , and I hope to read all of you more often as well and I hope I will not leave your page before commenting , as I do these days , but no promises till work gets better !

Innovative Film City - Bangalore

Visited Innovative Film city (a new fun park) last sunday with inlaws and a cousin , after first hand reviews from Mama-Mia. And absolutely enjoyed!! Due to lack of time , this time I would just let the pictures do the talking. If you wish to read a great review , here is the place.


The Gate

The Gate from distance

Wall of Fame :)

Aqua Kingdom

Lovely Statues

Metal Circle

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You know them!

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Rippleys -Believe it or not!

Rippleys - From Shark's Tummy!

Rippleys - South America's Original Shrunken Head ! Innovative way to pay tribute!

Rippleys - Six Legs Cow!

Rippleys - Double headed calf!

Cartoon City!

Dinosaur World!

Running At My Best

P.S Lot of work at office , I may not be seen around for a few days !

Don't Test Our Patience !

Friday afternoon Bangalore was struck with serial blasts. We were asked to head for home at around 4.00 and transport was arranged. Evening was spent in front of TV , watching the details on TV , anticipating who it could be , thanking God on not much damage , thanking God for the fact that we were not the victims , thanking God for no near and dear ones were the victims , calling and answering calls by near and dear ones.

But what after that ? Saturday life resumed to its normal. We went out for our weekly grocery shopping. Took around my parents who are visiting us these days. Called over some relatives for dinner.Sunday was also similiar.

Ofcourse life did change for the victims(thankfully not too many in Bangalore) and their families , for some of them that change would be BIG. But no change is bigger than life. We miss loved ones when they go , but life moves on.

So YOU who wants to create panic , forget it. YOU who wants to bring our lives to still , forget it. With each of these incidents YOU make us stronger emotionally , mentally and may be physically also , to fight against YOU. Do not forget that India has lost no battles and it will not loose this in house war too.

P.S : Read an interesting analysis , of why Bangalore and Ahemdabad were the chosen ones here.

My Heart Breaks :(

Today we left Aryan to his day care after a 3 days holiday. He cried out and clinged to me so badly. I still feel like crying for him. He wanted to spend time with his Nana Nani , whom he was missing for a LONG time. But then we thought of sending him to day care alternate days , in order to maintain his habit. Or may be ask my dad to pick him up by afternoon.

Just to tell you the back ground Aryan is very attached to his maternal grand father and paternal grand mother.My parents are here for 10 days and then with Anupam's parents for another 15 days.

After today's incident , I am in a fix. I am asking too much from my little boy :(( May be I can just have him a blast for a month and see what happens when we start the day care again after they are all gone. I know he will be totally disappointed then , but then that will last for a week or so , while he will cry everyday if we go by what we planned.

P.S. : The Birthday Bash post is up , here.

Happy Birthday Son!

Today is second Birthday of my little boy , I am so short of words , just like last time. I would just like to say what I said once before, your unconditional love has made our lives beautiful. We love you baby , May God bless you with all the happiness in life !

Keep Walking !

Quite Interesting forwarded email ..........

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Check this out ...

The Organs of your body have their sensory touches at the bottom of your foot, if you massage these points you will find relief from aches and pains as you can see the heart is on the left foot.

Typically they are shown as points and arrows to show which organ it connects to.

It is indeed correct since the nerves connected to these organs terminate here.

This is covered in great details in Acupressure studies or textbooks.

God created our body so well that he thought of even this. He made us walk so that we will always be pressing these pressure points and thus keeping these organs activated at all times.

So, keep walking...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Head to Heart - A Dialogue

Head:
"Life is full of competition , we need to work hard to stay in competition , upgrade your skills , work hard"
Heart:
"But where is the time , I need to spend time with Aryan and Anupam. I need time to relax
Head:
"You need to find time somehow , don’t give excuses"
Heart:
"But my family is my responsibility. I got married and have a baby and seeing him happy is a priority"
Head:
"Yeah , and that’s why I say work hard to give him a good life , then only he can be happy"
Heart:
"You mean he is not happy now"
Head:
"No I mean , you can make him happier by giving him a better life. And for that you need to work hard and keep your other interests to side."
Heart:
"Okay , you mean my time with myself , the little time and with husband."
Head:
"You need to strike a balance and you decide how you do it. Work hard , otherwise you will lag behind your peers"
Heart:
"Balance , I thought I was doing so :( Happiness is a state of mind is what everyone says , I think I am happy."
Head:
"But will you stay happy forever , as of now you are successful but you will not always be called successful if you stay here."
Heart:
"True , I need to move on and evolve , But I do not know how. I cannot cut my time with family." Head:
"Then cut your time with yourself , your sleep , your fun"
Heart:
"Fun , what fun ? I don't go out except with family , I don't watch TV , No music , only alive hobby is my blog. Sleep , I think I need that, to feel fresh."
Head:
"If you don't want to change I cannot do much for you , don't complain that I never warned you. Look at your friends , they have been working harder"
Heart:
"I don't really know at what cost but... Well , I understand all what you just said , but you know me , I cannot change so easily , please be my side."

P.S : Why does it happen with me always. My parents are coming on friday and office will get busier from tomorrow , busier means BUSIER ..and I will have daily calls as well :( I may not be able to pick them up from station. I may not be able to take 1/2 day for Aryan's Birthday also :(
Why do I always struggle so much for small pleasures , tiny-winy kinds ???? Please let me know , if you know :(

And We Met ...AGAIN!

The planning for the party started more than a month ago and Poppin's Mom volunteered to host it. The date was decided when Tharini announced her visit with dates. People raised hands to join the party and we were more than 15 bloggers in the list ,


Aargee , our host of the last time , Abha a.k.a Mamma Mia , aka.Monica , COS , Noodlehead . 6. Choxbox, Compulsive Dreamer, D, Orchid: a.k.a Orchie, Bangalore Mom , JLT , Tharini , Usha and Sue.


Pretty tempting isn't it , to meet so many new people and catch up with the ones I met last time.


It was different this time for , it was on a weekend, kids were invited as well and plus it was open for husbands too :) But I was never sure I would make to it because


It was quite far and I have never been to that part of city. Reaching there in auto / taxi with Aryan was quite a task for me.

Not many husbands were joining and so I ws not sure of taking Anupam along and making him feel out of place.

Aryan developed severe cough and cold from last sunday and it was going worse day by day.

I feel guilty to go out for fun leaving Aryan behind on a weekend(if I decide so). Plus Aryan wants to be with me and considering the distance , I would be almost 4-5 hours. And who wants to come back to an irritated husband and toddler after such an nice evening.


So I was never sure I will go. But then I never said NO to PM because

I did not want to loose a chance to meet everyone , esp the people who came from out station and who did not make it last time , like Tharini , Sue , Usha , Shruthi etc.

I wanted Aryan to socialize and have fun.

And BECAUSE I WANTED TO GO. PERIOD.

Abha came to my resort by saying that atleast her hubby would join for sure. And so Anupam would atleast have some company in PM's and Abha's Hubby. Aryan's cough was still a problem. On thursday I almost decided to call up PM and say NO , because I did not want to go with a sick baby. Anupam asked me to wait till saturday morning and see if he improves.

But PM called me on friday evening to ask me if I am picking up something for the party and I shamelessly said, "NO". I did not even ask her , if I should for the fact that I was not sure about my own plan. She did ask me if I was coming and I shared my problem with her and just toold her that I would let her know tomorrow if I am not coming. Now that was bad on my part..Sorry PM..please you do not mind.

OKAY ..I know I am supposed to talk about blog meet ..but you need to know the background as well :)


So Saturday , we headed towards the venue, a party hall on terrace at PM's place. On the way I got a sms from Abha , to ask me if I am coming and that I should come fast. I replied that I need a helicopter to avoid the traffic :) Anyways , we reached at 4.15 PM , lesser than expected time.

In the lift I met CubbyR and his dad and believe me CubbyR is so so so cute :) So we landed up in a room full of ladies and kids. All of them playing around. Nice tasty food was served , including Samosas , Puffs , Chips , Cutlets , Cold drinks and a Yummicious Choclate cake. The cake was the yummiest cake I ever had. (Whoever got the cake , please let me know from which bakery was it ..please) And Pasta for the kids , which Aryan loved!

I made self introduction to the people whom I never met and when Sue told me her real name , I asked her to please tell me her blog name for me to connect :P

Time just passed chatting , eating and playing with kids. PM got bubble makers for the kids and since Aryan saw that for the first time he was fascinated. In attempt to make bubbles on his own , he resulted in a head bath :) COS was sweet enough to make bubbles for the kids. And KT took Aryan by hand to play with her.

Aryan made friends with CubbyR and BonBon also and they played along. Aryan's favourite aunties were Abha , Noodlehead and COS.



Outside , on the terrace were some swings and it was a treat for the kids. All of them played along and a blast. Breeze was nice and so we enjoyed chit chatting as the kids played.

About the people , well you know all of them well and some of them ofcourse I wrote about last time as well, but still I would like to mention the little details that formed memories for me.

Tharini , she is a simple, quiet and smiling person. Frankly I never imagined her to be an introvert person. But when she talks to you, she is a great listener. Winkie is an energetic kid. He ran around the entire place. Made friends with the men. And he told me, "Let us play. What shall me play" :-)

Sue was beautiful, tall and slim and full of energy. She was looking stunning in the sari and she made me feel envious. Her son was quiet but naughty and cute :)

Aka Monica's son was the youngest baby and he least wanted his mom. He was happy playing with all the aunties.

D got her elder daughter along and she found a company in winkie. Both of them had a nice time.

COS , I must say was the only mom (of older kids) who spent most of her time with the kids. KT was such darling that any words are less for her. She gave me a hug and a kiss :) COS got goody bags for the kids as well.

I never met NoodleHead before , not do I read her much(confession) but she was easy to gel with.(I would read now :)) Her daughter was looking like a princess on earth. I managed to click 3 pics of her :)

Abha and M form a sweet and jolly couple and little CubbyR is a darling. CubbyR and Aryan had a race on their fours :)

Poppin was a quiet , sophisticated , ever smiling kid. She was on her own all the time and never messed up with any of the kids. I managed to shake hands with her and I came to know that she is fond of jewellary. PM , please put a kala tikka for her , I loved her chubby cheeks :)

PM and her hubby were great hosts. They had a perfect place for the party of its kind.We had so much that we skipped dinner and they packed for us as well. Thank you so much.

We missed a lot of people like BM, JLT, Usha, CD, Shruthi, Choxbox and Orchie. You were missed badly ladies :(

Special thanks to my dear husband , who gifted me such a nice evening. It would not have been possible without his support.

When I think of friends...

When I think of friends,
And of the oldest
Can't think beyond two, the best.

The ones who have seen me grow,
And have stood by me in the highs and lows,

The ones who have spent those sleep less nights,
To see smile all the while,

The ones whom I have let down a thousand times,
But who say I am wonderful and nice.

The ones whom I told my deepest fears,
And the ones whom I will think of when death is near,

Do I have to say , who are they ?
I think you know and so do they.

Thanks Mummy and Papa.

P.S : I saw oldest friend on Sunday scribblings. I thought of all my friends who have been with me for long. I thought my husband , who has been by my side for 3 years. But then when you say oldest , by age or by time ..no one else qualifies :-)

Thanks for bearing with my horribe poetry ;-)

Another Year of Aryan, But The Same Old Me

I am excited and mad about Aryan's Birthday all over again. Just like last time , this time as well I am not able to digest the fact that he will be another year old. In just about 14 days , he will be TWO. TWO can you believe this ??

Just like last time I do not know how do I plan to celebrate his special day. What would be the best way ? What will that he will enjoy ? He doesnot like too many unknown faces and so I have almost ruled out a party . His dear Nanu-Nani will arrive on 18th and I am sure that he will have a blast. But me being me , I am not contented. I want to do something special for him. Something nice. And me being me , I don't know what :-P

I have few things in mind , like taking a cake to his day care (though he doesnot like cake AT ALL) and some gifts for the kids, going out for a day out , not on the day , but previous or following weekend , inviting our only relative in town for dinner , getting him a gift (don't know what though) and thats about it. But with just all this , will he know that there is something special about this day ??? Will that be enough to make him feel like a king , considering the fact that he has all our attention on all other days as well. Cake doesnot make a difference to him (though he enjoyed balloons and candle on cake at the 18th month silly celebrations ), gifts he gets otherwise as well. We did have a small get together last time as well, but then I do not know if he actually knew that its for him.

So whats that will make it special ? Any ideas welcome.

Am I a materialistic person ?

Today I donated Aryan's old clothes to an organization called Goonj. So while I was going to do that , I was feeling sad and happy , all at the same time. Happy , ofcourse you know , for being able to do little for the society but why sad ?

I was feeling sad looking at those old clothes. I did not want to part with them. Each of his T-shirt reminded me of days when he wore them for the first time. How he looked cutie in them. I felt like parting away with those memories. I felt like hugging those clothes.

Am I a materialistic person ?

What an Idea Sir Ji

I am sure all of you in India ould have noticed Idea Cellular advertisements, featuring Abhishek Bachhan. I must say they are among the most innovative advertisements of the recent times.

The one, where a Panch of the village orders people to be identified with their mobile numbers rather than castes.Addresses a big problem of leaders winning elections due to their caste.

The one, where a deaf and dumb communicates through sms. Tells you that being differently abled doesnot stop you from enjoying the life.

And the recent one ,sees Abhishek as the head of an educational institution. When challenged by the traditional, physically bound classroom methodology that prevents spread of education, he uses mobile telephony to overcome the barrier.

Advertising is all about innovation. And if advertising comes with a social message , nothing like that.Whoever is the brain behind these campaigns , I would like to say to him , "What an Idea Sir ji"


Could not find the image/video of the latest campaign. Read about it here.

Stars, Moon And Ball :-)

Thought of posting it on Healthy and Tasty , but then I am not sure if it qualify as a recipe. Potato cutlets in various shapes for the prince of the house.

Aryan first look was of surprise. Second he tried pasting them to sky. Third he took a few bites :-) Worth the effort..what do you say ?

Of Memories & Surprises

Yesterday one of my friend asked me for ideas to celebrate her first anniversary and gifts for her husband. I was clueless. Then she said , to share the ways I have celebrated my anniversaries.

So I told her that I do silly things and I don't really know what to gift him when. I always believed in greeting cards and buy the most apt ones for all occasions. And she requested me to share those silly things. And here I go. Though I don't really remember , what I did for anniversary ,what for his birthday and what for valentines day , I will share all.

Once , I remember that I was expecting and was adviced bed rest. It was his birthday and I tried hard for a week to order a cake , but could order just a bouque. So I ordered the bouque a day in advance and hid it in balcony. Got up before midnight , prepared his favourite halwa and decorated a heart on it with cashews. Decorated a table , with halwa , flowers and candles and woke him up at 12.00.

Once I ordered dinner and served it on terrace , candle light ofcourse.

Once I got a plane cake and did the icing at home and surprised him :)

Once I sent him perfumes and shirt on office address, on the D day.

Once I gifted him a personalized calender with pics of Aryan.

AND LAST but NOT THE LEAST :


Once, I got up at midnight, took a RED polythene bag and cut out hearts from it , wrote love quotes and pasted it all over the house (mirror,fridge,bathroom ad where ever he would notice). This was accompanied by some heart shaped ballons as well. He was thrilled to see all that next morning.

So thats about it. Its all for you J. And for you Mama-Mia , since you asked me to share my surprise stories :)

Thank you for helping me record these memories :)

Editted to add : Just thought of making this a tag , and I tag ~nm,WIAN,Life Begins,Poppins and DDMom. Share you surprise stories :)

Time Flies

21st June, 2008 , 9.00 AM

Scene : A mother, a father and a kid at home. The kid just woke up and having milk.Father is lost in news paper , while mother is busy looking at the child.


Mother : "Today is 21st, Aryan is 11 months today. It will be his birthday next month."
Father : "Ohh yaa, Next month will be his birthday. Lets buy him a new toy today , to celebrate monthesary."
Mother : "Okay"

Pause

Mother : "Ohh No..Its not 11 months , it will be his 2nd Birthday next month, he is 23 months old today."
Father : "hahhaha"
Mother : "2 years , time really flies"


P.S. : I am weak in maths , but believe me it was not about maths.

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

I read this article in Times Magzine today. Let me write the key points :

1. Studies show that people who sleep between 6.5 hr. and 7.5 hr. a night, as they report, live the longest.

2. People who sleep 8 hr. or more, or less than 6.5 hr., they don't live quite as long.

3. Morbidity [or sickness] is also "U-shaped" in the sense that both very short sleep and very long sleep are associated with many illnesses with depression, with obesity—and therefore with heart disease and so forth.

4. We can prevent a lot of insomnia and distress just by telling people that short sleep is O.K.

5. Spending less time in bed actually makes sleep better.

Conclusion
I am going to live less than normal...for any amount of sleep doesnot satisfy me :)

Do read the full article ..its interesting :)

I am more quirky or Aryan ?

Thanks to K3 and Emaan's mom, I was tagged twice to write Aryan's quirks but then I thought let me write Aryan's and mine. Now you can decide whether I am more quirky or Aryan.
These are the rules:
1.Link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog (here they are!)
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours...
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Mine

1. I keep checking my mailbox for new comments every 15 minutes.
2. I cannot leave a mail unread, whatever it may be.
3. When I eat . I clean my plate till the last grain.
4. I drink water after having hot milk,after sweets and after fruits but never after ice creams.
5. I cannot buy a foot wear easily. It has to be super duper comfortable.
6. I can sleep any time and anywhere.

Aryan's

1. He cannot see Mummy or papa barefoot. He runs to get slippers for us. Yesterday he woke up at midnight due to cough. So while he was awake, he started crying because I was standing barefoot :-P .
2. He feels that the cook needs all the vessels in the house for cooking and keep giving him one after the other.
3. He thinks that only Nanu(My father) calls me on my phone , so if its my phone , he needs to talk to Nanu.
4. He loves his shoes and so if you wish to remove his pants , do it without removing the shoes.
5. If Mumma opens the window in the car , papa should follow and vice versa. And why can the AC be not on , with glasses down.
6. He calls me papa at times.

And I tag Prisha and her mom, Kuttan and his mom and Rishab and his mom. Do it as you like it , as 2 tags or as 1.
P.S : Aryan's quirks will be replicated on his blog as well for record, but not as a tag.

Just to Inform - I am still alive

Life is busy at office these days , so hardly getting time to read and write :-( The home PC was also unwell , resumed to life yesterday evening. Didnot even replied to so many comments and mails. Sorry ladies and Gentlemen :-(

Whats the post about ..just some updates and rants :)

Weekend was just the usual , with a trip to a mall , buying of veggies , slight back ace , a few fights , cooking favourite dishes, one dine out and playing with Aryan.

Aryan is suffering from cough and cold. I just cannot see him coughing. Blame the weather :(

These days I get head ache too often, need to discover the reason. Plus my weight is increasing exponentially and trust me I try a lot to control my taste buds. I should try and figure out if all is right with the system. Also , should plan some workout. I am too reluctant for this one except for a 15 mins walk everyday , I don't really do anything :-(

I need to study as well. Thats one of my oraganizational goal to complete a certification. This is a reminder to myself :-)

My dilemma for day care / preschool / school and house continues. The current house doesnot suit me. I hate the distance from office and plus the stairs indoors. We should shift. But then we do not know where . Aryan's day care doesnot have a preschool. So we need a preschool , but our concious doesnot allow us for letting Aryan travel from preschool to day care, he is too small. But at the same time we lack guts to shift his day care. Somehow we trust that place plus Aryan is settled. So these questions are at the back of mind 24/7.

Thats it for the day. Will write more when I have lesser work and more time :)

I in ME

Usha tagged me on this one and here I go :



I am: just another woman.
I think: I am lucky to have the life I have.
I know: too little.
I want: Aryan to grow up into a good human being.
I have: the love and support of my family.
I wish: I was little more patient.
I hate: liars.
I miss: my childhood.
I fear: of lonliness.
I feel: Life is beautiful
I hear: Aryan laughing
I smell: roses
I crave: for ice creams 24/7.
I search: for the things I kept safely somewhere :P
I wonder: if you want to know all this about me??
I regret: not being able to become a doctor
I love: nature.
I ache: when I see street children.
I care: for all.
I am not:THE BEST.
I believe: in God
I dance: too bad
I sing: when I am in a good mood.
I cry : often.
I don’t always : know what I want :-P
I fight : for what I think is right
I write: for myself.
I win: friends.
I lose: when I fight with Aryan.
I never: quit before trying.
I always: try to be puntual.
I confuse: between similiar blogger names :P
I listen: to my heart
I can usually be found: running behind Aryan.
I am scared: to loose love.
I need: a vacation.
I am happy about:All I have.



I am not tagging anyone , so feel free to take this up :)

You know your son is a GROWN UP boy when...

... He orders you to keep quiet (by crying or shouting) , as you are humming a song / lullababy to him(NOW , you know how bad I sing).
...He refuses to give / accept a kiss.

Parenting Woes

1. How to make him WALK, when we go out? Whenever we go out , he wants to be carried. Carried and that too , only by Mumma. I figured out that he gets scared on road by vehicles , but then he refuses to walk in Malls and supermarkets as well. If you want him to walk , it has to be a open and peaceful place , like a park :( Outings have become a pain for me due to this reason. I wish to go out and take him out over the weekends and end up with a frown and bad back ache.

2. How to form his potty habit ? The doctor , the MIL and the husband insist on making him do potty after morning milk. But he refuses to sit.

3. How to avoid the language confusion ? I did post on this long ago and the problem persists.

4. How to save my skin. Aryan bites and hits me at the smallest disagreement.

5. How to make him a bit less sensitive and a bit more social.He cries at the drop of a hat and takes a hell lot of time to mingle with people.

10 things...

...I miss right now

1. UP/Delhi's Chaat

2. Dada Dadi's Home and My Dada Dadi also (They are no long)

3. Spending girlie time with my cousins and catching up with their life

4. Those weekends with Anupam when we had too much of time and too little to do.(2 years back ...sigh!)

5. Chatting with friends for LOOOONG over the phone.

6. The year I spent in hostel and the friends there.

7. Delhi ,South ex , Sarojini Nagar and Dilli Haat and DTC Buses :-P

8. My jeans and some other favourite dresses.

9. My College Friends , haven't met them from ages.Couldn't attend their weddings as well :(

10. All the attention I got in pregnancy :-P

...I wish to achieve in next decade
1. Wear those favourite dresses that I mentioned in point No. 8 above.

2. Own a house.

3. Drive a car.

4. Experience motherhood all over again.

5. Visit South East Asia.6. Stay in a house boat.

7. Learn to dance , atleast a little.

8. PLUS ALL THE ONES HERE.

This one was for you Mama Mia.
And I tag PG, Neera, Bickering Kitten & Nirmal.

The Generations Are Coming Closer

I have 3 cousins (SA, S and A) and all of them have been 6-8 years younger to me. I some how always thought of them as kids, only to realize recenty that they are already in their late teens and early twenties. It wondered that this is almost the same feeling that I would have when Aryan will be 18 and I kind of had when Aryan celebrated his first birthday.

These little girls , may have never thought that I consider them almost like my kids , when we stayed tegther and discussed everything under the sun. I would help them with their studies and projects. They would come to me with their adoloscent doubts and I would tell them what I thought was good enough for them to know at that age. They used to talk to me about the boys (and girls ) in their class and when I laughed along with them , I also used to get surprised by how I already feel a generation gap between them and myself. I thought I knew too little of this and that when I was that young. I secretly worried about their well being and always tried to find out where they are heading.

I would somethings get too protective and sometimes too authorative unintentionally and would scold them like elders would do. I know that perhaps at those times they would have wondered why am I being so different. But they never argued and always obeyed.

I do not know why I am writing this today. Perhaps I just had a glimpse of how parents would feel when kids grow up to achieve something. Perhaps I realized today that I am getting old. Perhaps the generations are coming closer. Here is the blog of A , started recently. And I loved her work. And that is what initiated this flash back !

By the way , Do let me know , how is the new look of this page !

Editted to add :

Women at Work : The Never Ending Struggle

Why do women work ? Why did I chose to work ? It was not easy ? It's still not easy ? Why do I say so ? No , not because it's difficult to manage all.

Because our society has still not accepted a working women. People think that the primary task of women is not to work but to take care of the house and kids. I don't question and I don't deny. But I don't agree as well. Who is anyone to decide what's my primary task ? If I decide with my better half , its okay ? But why should anyone else ? And why can you not acknowledge that I can take care of my primary and secondary tasks equally well , with due credit to my better half for being on my side.

I started working when I was single in a mid-size well known company. I was different from others. Because I never stayed in office overnight. I used to work only during office hours. And they said that I am different because I am a woman. So you mean , finishing your work in time , not staying late , not taking breaks for smoking and ususally seen on your desk is a woman's characteritic. Well I always took that as a compliment , in case you don't know that. Yes I am different because I am a woman and I don't feel proud in staying back late in office even if I have nothing much to do after the office and I am staying in a hostel. You may though attribute it to my physical and social incapability.But then you don't have any right to say that unless you prove that I am working less than you do , in TRUE SENSE.

And then I got married. And I moved to a Internationally well known , so called BIG AND FAMOUS company. Did this change anything for me ? Yes it did ! Since I was married now , I was looked down upon with sympathy and sometimes with some artificial respect. Yes , I call it artificial , since I know that you don't really appreciate the effort I make , when I choose to work , but you still try to acknowledge that, with your artificially sweet smile. I want to tell you LOUD AND CLEAR that I don't want that. I want no extra respect and NO SYMPATHY AT ALL , just because I am a working woman. Thats my decision and I will cope up with that , as I would want to. When I am in the office, I leave back all the rest at home. I may have got up at 6.00 and struggled to make breakfast , I may have brushed my hair in the car , I may have to cook when I get back home , but this does not affect my productivity. But you will not know this. 'You' ,the bachelors , 'you' the married males , who do not have a working woman in your life and who feel its okay to leave your shoes and towel for your wife and to think that you have all the rights to sit and just watch TV after you get back home , and claim that you are tired after the day's work. AND ALSO 'you' the SINGLE FEMALES , who know that you will sooner or later end up into my shoes and will have to make choices , but then you wish to leverage what you have today by sympathizing with me.

And then I had kid. And people thought that its the end of my career. Why ? Unless I decide so , who are you to decide ? I know I have a challenge ahead , a bigger responsibility, but when I think that I can manage , why do you worry ? My kid is important, rather most important for me. I think of him day and night. About his well being , his growth , his successes , his failures , yes my life centers around him to a great extent. But why do you think I cannot think beyond him. Why do you sympathize with my physical capabilities of taking care of my kid, home and work. Why do you think I cannot talk beyond my kid and food? And I know nothing else about the world ? Why do you think my individuality no longer exist ? Why do you think that I cannot take up any challenging tasks ? Why do you give excuse of my kid , for not giving me an opportunity , when I never deny for taking up anything ? My kid , my home , my husband and my family is my strength. They motivate me to work. They, in no way hamper my productivity and efficiency. Yes , I still don't want to work late and on weekends , but you cannot question me unless I have slipped any deadlines.

The day I would feel that I cannot manage all , I would quit. So bear with me till then.Don't get sugary sweet with me , for I know the difference between real and fake. If you respect me at all , just DON'T THINK I AM AN ALIEN.


Editted to Add this quote , somehow speaks a part of what I wanted to say :
I'm just a person trapped inside a woman's body.
-Elayne Boosler

The love-link tag

~nm tagged me on this spread-the-love-tag.

Here's the info about the tag:The love-link tag. The Love-link Tag is another of those Linky Love game where you only have to tag 10 person in one post but still there is no actual limit (you can tag more if you want!). Once tagged, you have to copy paste the link in this post, and make them grow! Do not delete any of the links and be honest to yourself! Copy paste the link in this post, and make them grow!

BennyLiew, RamblingMoo, Mum & Kids In Wonderland, Judelittle, Our mini blogsphere, Rooms in My Heart, http://janiceng.blogspot.com/, ChinNee, Jo-N, LadyJava’s Lounge, Strange but True, Mariuca’s Perfume Gallery, Meet Uncle J-Uncle J, Farah, aNgRiAniWoRLd, How’s Life Bout, The Three Heroes, Ceedy, Veena, Vandita, Cuckoo,~nm,swati,

And I tag all the lovely bloggers I met during the Bangalore Blogger meet
Aargee
Poppin's Mom
Kiran
JLT
Mama Mia
COS
Compulsive Dreamer
Bangalore Mom

and to those I would love to meet the next time !

Pixie
Shruthi
Usha

Here's again to the Bangalore Bloggers !

I am an Advocating Realist

They said I am an Advocating Realist. NOW , Whats that ???

Here is where they tell that in detail.

Preserved this just for my own reference :-)

Compliment From Him!

What is the biggest compliment you have ever got about your blog ?

When I started blogging , my husband once read a few of my posts and told me that , I have good writing skills and he loves the flow in posts.

I thought it was BIG COMPLIMENT. Mind it I had ZERO readership then. His compliment was a BIG MOTIVATION for me then. And I continued writing. The husband would read some of my posts once in a week , from home , when he would have nothing much to do. I never prodded him to read more often as I knew that there are few husbands who actually read their wife's blog.

And then recently I noticed that he is reading that quite often. As in once in 2 days and sometimes even daily. And he discusses my posts and give special comments. So day before yesterday when he was looking at the map on the blog , I told him that I have a new reader right at home. And he asked "who ?" :-P I told him "you".

Guess what he said ?? He said "Yes , its really interesting." Period. I need no more compliments :-)

And yesterday evening he told me that he read my blog from office , when he was free for 30 minutes. And this is when he is REALLY busy these days and working late as well. So that was another compliment :-)

(NOW , thats a different story that he doesnot really read any blogs and so he does not really know the meaning of INTERESTING BLOGS ...good for me **wicked smile**)

Found this poem here, and its suits this day JUST PERFECTLY !

All my life you've been there

Any time and any where

When I was young

And even now that I am older.

I have always known

You've done the best you could

Circumstances change, lives change

But family ties are strong.

I want you to know how much

I respect what you have done

For me, for others,

And even for yourself.

When problems knock you down

You just slowly, steadily,adjust your shoulders

And then move on.

Many others would give up,

On love and on life, but you haven't.

You've continued,

Stronger, calmer, and with determination.

That's what you are,

strong, loving, caring, and dependable.

And yet still more

You are my mom.

And I love you.

Happy Birthday Mummy!!!!

And since I forgot to write about Papa's Birthday on 2nd, this one is for him :-)

Chiyya Tutu

I always try to ask Aryan about his day at the day care. Thats a different story that he had not been able to tell me much really,except for some nods to my questions.

Last week though ,I initiated the topic , when he was lying between both of us , just before the sleep. He told me a full story with full animation and eye movements. All I could get was "Chiyya","TuTu" and that he got hurt under his chin.

The next day I asked his Paati (Care Taker in day care) that did he break any toy yesterday. And I was amused to hear what she told me. She told me that Aryan and another kid were pulling a bird toy from both sides and the toy broke into two pieces and Aryan got hurt under his chin , due to the jerk. And that she made them say sorry to each other and do a hand shake.

So that was indeed our first communication where he gave me some feed back about his day at the day care. A milestone , I don't know if it is , but sure a big success and relief for me.

Now another aspect of the story that he has not been able to forget the incident. And everytime I talk to him about the day care , he ends up telling , "Chiyya Tutu" , meaning "Bird Broke". I am yet to figure out why is he not being able to forget the same.

Parenting is not easy , I tell you.

(This post has been written here as well , just the conversation part. The parenting blues come as part of "Whats on My Mind".)

Girlie Wisdom

*** My Favourites are in BOLD***

Women over 50 don't have babies because they would put them down and forget where they left them.

One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.

Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.

Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!

Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' .....Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.

I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day!

And We Met !

Yes, we met !!

Obsessive about puntuality and overwhelmed with excitement , I was the first one to reach. As I pressed the door bell , I was greeted by a lovely lady, with a beautiful warm smile. And then came the little one jumping around. Yes , Aargee's little bundle of joy. The house was neat and beautifully decorated. The lady had made proper arrangement for the entire gathering. As we sat and sipped our cold drinks. After about 15 minutes the door bell rang again and again. Soon there was a room full of energetic ladies , laughing and chatting in excitement.

As they entered , I figured out that how bad I was with my imaginations. Except for Abha , Kiran and Poppin's Mom (Since I had seen their pics) , I could not make out who is who.Poppin's Mom still does not look like a MTB , even in her 7th month , unless you know the fact and focus on her tummy. Kiran should not be believed when she talks about her double chin and her tummy. JLT looks like directly from school and you need to be shocked when she tells you that she has a four year son. She was as bubbly as she sounds on phone with a magical voice. Mama Mia is sweet, friendly and full of life. Aryan loved the book she got for him and also the cap. COS was calm and simple. And she resembles KT , okay vice versa :-D. Glad that she came exceot for all the problems with health. CD , who was new to the gang , made her self comfortable. She has a lovely smile and a familiar face. So familiar that each of us felt like she is a long lost sister :-) Bangalore Mom was so friendly and jolly that you would feel that you know her from ages.

We did not know that it was already past 2 hours before the lunch arrived. The lunch was yummy and we realized that we can still chat for an hour before we go. And so we did. So in all we chatted and chatted for 4 hours , about kids, schools, in laws, husbands, weight , maid, Bangalore and everthing under the sun. And it was the time when our husbands started calling , thinking that we might decide for a ladies night out , if they don't call us :D.

Hope to see you all again soon :)

What will happen when the virtual world will turn real ?

What will happen when the virtual world will turn real ? I always imagined how my blog friends look like. I always wondered that there might be one of those working in the same office or same office campus. There will be one of them staying in my own apartment or the next one.

Now I know their real names. Also where they work and stay. Within some time I will know them by faces. Will I be able to guess who is who. Ofcourse I saw one glimpse of Poppin's mom ( a pic) long back. I have heard JLT's voice 2-3 times. I have chatted with Bangalore Mom and Mama Mia. I have seen Kiran on TV. So I know they are real and not virtual. But the very idea of meeting them in reality , makes me excited. And its not just them , I will be meeting COS , Aargee and Compulsive Dreamer too.

Today I will have so many new friends in this city , where I have always missed having real life friends and family. Ohh..I cannot hold the excitement. Thank you all for inviting me. Will be there in some time :-)

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Whats worse ?
a. Not being aware of the health problems you are prone to ?
b. Being aware and not doing anything ?

2. Whats more stupid ?
a. Asking a silly question ?
b. Not asking any question, thinking that it might be silly ?
c. Hoping that someone will ask your question ?

3. Whats better when you travel in auto ?
a. Hiring with a fix amount , when you know that it is double the meter amount.
b. Hiring with meter + x extra , when you don't know how fast the meter might be.

Aryan, Identity and the Confusion

Prologue : My Parents have become internet savy recently. All they do is check their mails for Aryan's photographs and read Aryan Times.Yesterday evening I got a call from my parents.This is how the conversation went through."

Mom : "Tu bahut nalayak hai" (you are useless)

Me : "Kyo"

Mom : "Tune Aryan ke liye cycle khareed li , hume bataya bhi nahi" (you bought a cycle for Aryan and did not even tell us)***They wanted to buy him a cycle and I have been postponing that***

Me(confused) : "Maine , Nahi, Kab" (Me,No,When)

Mom : "Haan"

Me : "Nahi , aapko kisne bola" (No,who told you)

Mom : "Tune Aryan ki site par likha hai"(You wrote on Aryan's site)

Me(More confused, has someone hacked my blog, who wrote, when ) : "Nahi"

Mom : "Haan ,tetra cycle"

Me(Relaxed now) : "Nahi woh doosra Aryan hai" (No thats another Aryan)

Mom : "Nahi , woh Aryan ki site par aa raha tha"

Me : Sigh !!!

It took me a long time to explain them that they would have reached the other Aryan's blog by clicking at some of her's comment or her blog link on my blog.

Five kinds of blogs :-)

I have five kinds of blogs in my reader :

1. I jump to read them as soon I see a new post on my reader, (reasons are many, would say some other day).

2. I don't read them spontaneously , but I love reading them and I catch up with them as soon as I get time.

3. Though they are nice, I read them, when I have nothing else to read (many reasons here as well).

4. I read once in months , though I would love to read them often but I don't find time :)

5. Need based reading on travel and food blogs.

Now keep guessing , which one of them are you ;-)

BhoothNath is okay for kids ????

Do you think movies like Bhooth Nath are meant for kids and should be shown to kids ???
My answer is NO
Reasons :
1. We do not know ghost exists or not. How can we burden small minds with questions which even great scientists have not been able to answer to satisfaction.
2. Even if they do (if you say so) , I don't think its wise to tell the kids that people who die would still be around in the form of ghosts.
3. I do not think we should tell our kids to find friends or help from supernatural powers.

Okay , so what there are so many movies made on super natural powers.

1. Yeah , And we need to find the content before we allow our kids to see them.
2. In most of those movies we can tell them that the super natural power is fictional , while here the Grand father comes back as ghost.

Sorry about the previous post ..taken it off...thanks for checking Pixie...I am better

I am feeling horrible..I want to rant and cry. I want to shout. Dont ask me why. I cannot tell you . Since this blog is not anon.And I do not believe in talking about certain issues of my life to everyone. But still I want to rant. I am feeling incapable for anything and everything. Do not comment on this post , do not sympathize or ask why.

On second thoughts , perhaps i am good for nothing or perhaps i dont know what is my problem , what i want from life and people around or perhaps i am insane and i need a physco...i dont know.

Suicides And Kids

Last sunday my maid (V) was on leave for some puja at her place. Actually she promised that she would come in the evening after the pooja , but she did not turn up. The next day when she came, I was angry , not because she took leave but because she did not inform me about that. So when I was talking to her about that she just said , "Sorry Amma". And when I said a word further she said that please don't say anything to me Amma. So I kept shut , thinking that she might be too tired or upset about something and anyways me shouting now would do no good.
But wednesday morning again she tells my husband that she will not come on thursday. My husband tried a lot , convincing her to come , telling her that it gets tough for her when she takes leaves and that this will be her 3rd leave in this month. But all in vain , she just kept saying that she has some work and she will not take leaves that often again. So he left it at that.

Some time later I politely asked her , what was that she is upset about or is she not well. The reason she told after much prodding , left me without words.She said that her brother's daughter has commited suicide by jumbing into the well 3 days back. The reason was that she failed in her 10th exam. She said that she wants to visit them and has not been able to go for 3 days.
I was too shocked. Why do the kids take such extreme steps. Till now we have been hearing this in urban areas , but now even in rural areas. Good part is that the kids getting aware of the need to be educated. But worse is the fact that these sucides are not because they are worried of their future , but becasue they are worried of the social pressures. What will my parents say ? What will everyone think ?

My maid said that the girl left the world , but she did not thing what will the family go through and how will we feel. I agree with her. People who comit sucide , run away from their pressures but they leave their loved ones to answer so many questions by the society. Parents , who have loved us all their lives , how can we ditch them like that. How can we just escape , leave our parents in all their sorrow to be looked down upon by the entire world.

I felt horrible the entire day. This lady V lost her 17 year old son last year. His death has been a mistery as he was found dead in a well after he was missing for 2 days. People suspected a suicide or an accident. Her only kid now is her 13 years old daugther D, who studies in the same village (stays with her grandmom there ) and will be doing her 10th next year.V wants her daughter to get educated, unlike her and this is what she told me when this girl passed 9th. But V doesnot want to leave D in the village now. Worse is that D has been there since childhood and doesnot want to come back. So V has no choice.

I could feel the pain and the scare in her words. Fear of loosing her only daughter , whom she loves like anything. Why can the kids not understand that their parents love them irrespective of their failure or success. Why do they not understand that running away from a problem is not a solution. Rather it brings immense sorrow and so many problems for our loved ones.

What's in my Bag

~NM tagged me for this one and here I go :

2-3 Lipsticks

1 Bindi strip

1 Comb

1 polythene bag

1-2 SN

My Id Card

My Office keys

My Home Keys

A Diary

A pack of face tissues

Mobile Hands Free

Mobile Charger (sometimes)

Umbrella (Usually, since it rains right at 6 P.M in Bangalore)

Some safety pins

Money ofcourse which includes lots of 10's and coins for Auto Wallas

A small card holder for credit /debit cards

A hair clip

So you know , my bag is "Bhanumati ka Pitara" in true sense , but then thats are ladies handbags for :P Good part is all the things are sorted in different pockets for ease of use.

I tag Mama Mia and JLT for this.

What Parenthood Do to People...

All the mothers and fathers to be , read along and you will know what parenthood do to man and woman:

On the way to Aryan's day care , there is an old locality , where you can see lot of stray animals , as in dogs and cows. So yesterday while we were driving back from office through that locality ,to pick up Aryan , we saw a man taking a pair of cows with pointed big horns. I was thinking , if we would have picked up Aryan already , he would have been thrilled to see the cows , especially with those big horns. Right then , Anupam said ,"Ohho, we are late , else would have shown the cows to Aryan." And I broke into laughter, saying that it was exactly what was on my mind. And Anupam replied , "Kya kare ab bache ko cow dekhna pasand hai na.." and laughed along.

Pug says ..Very Cute Video

My Amusing Mind.. As It Wanders

Today morning , while I was travelling in auto , the stopped at a red light. Next to the auto was a big red AC volvo bus.The auto driver touched the bus and looked at it with some sort of admiration. That action of his initiated a series of thoughts in my amusing mind , as follows.

Why did he do so ? May be he dreams to drive the bus some day , a big AC bus. Or may be he wants to sit in the bus and enjoy the AC. A dust free peaceful ride. Will his dream ever come true. He might have never experienced AC. He might never will. I will pray he will. Actually I will pray that every man and woman should experience all they aspire atleast for day. That there should be at least one day in everyone's life when they feel that I want no more and this is the best I ever wanted. That day may not be same for everyone , but just one day.

And then that led to a different set of thoughts all together , like, what will happen if my prayer will come true. Will it create more problems ? Will be people be more unhappy after that day ? Can there be such a day actually , when humans can say , I am happiest on earth today , there can be nothing more I can wish for myself.

I could have continued with the thought process forever, but then the destination arrived and I payed the amount due and walked into my office.

Editted to Add : After reading the comments I would like to say that the post was just a spontaneous thought flow triggered by the auto driver's action. I agree that happiness is just a perception , I also agree that being content hampers growth sometimes , but all I wished for was EVERYONE getting a day (just a day),when one feels like a king , for example if I ever wished to be the CEO of my company and thought that is the best that could happen to me in this life , let me be the CEO for one day and live my life to full.
As its said :
"Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length." - Robert Frost

A BAD Day Out

Since the time we went for a day out with Aryan in February and Aryan just loved it , we were looking for another day out. Since we had nothing much for this saturday , I went hunting for a near by resort early in the morning over the web. I found one , a well known group of south India and quite near by. I called them up and asked for the details.

And so I packed Parantha and sandwitches for Aryan and some fruits and cold drinks for us , to nibble. Made a quick mango shake and garlic bread for breakfast , before Aryan woke up. As soon as he woke up , we all got ready and started off. The plan was to meet a friend on the way to see their newly born princess and then head towards the resort for lunch. Stay back for High tea and then return back.

All went well, till we reach the resort. The newly born little princess was too cute ( as babies always are) and Aryan was amused to see such small baby.We reached the resort , right at lunch time. But it was way too hot for a day out.

When we reached there, and told them that we have come out for their day out package and that we spoke to a lady in the morning. I was asked , as to how much were the charges told to me. The dumb me told them all the details and we were asked to have food first. The food was not as rich and good as expected. Soon after the food we were charged the full amount for the day out.

Then we headed to explore the resort. To our surprise the swimming pool was too dirty for humans. There were no shady green areas to sit and play. The sun was bad and I was cursing myself to choose a wrong day and a wrong place. We again headed to the reception to complain about the pool. Now there was a lady and when we asked for the charges of day out package we were told 150 RS less per person than what we were actually charged :O

I got quite furious at the whole thing and demaned them to show me a written tarrif plan. Which was not there obviously!

So soon they called their boss , who apologized (though he did not tell why we were charged extra!!) for the pool to be dirty. He told that it was due to the rains and storm last night (well , I wanted to tell him that rains were 3 days back!) and that he was not aware of the pool being dirty (Thats your administration :P). We told him that we would like our money back except for the lunch. They returned us the rest of the money. Though I still wanted to tell him , to show me the written document for the amount they charged for lunch buffet and that the buffet was just half the price, I just left it there.

We headed towards home , and the AC in the car seemed so heavenly with Aryan sleeping in my lap.

P.S : Can anyone suggest me tried and tested day out destinations in Bangalore please?

Healthy and Tasty

Quite recently I started another blog , "Healthy and Tasty". This one is a food blog for kids. The idea is to have an encyclopedia of healthy , tasty and quick recipes for kids of all ages. Adults may use them too :D

I invite everyone else to join the party too. Come share your recipes and try everyone else's. Leave your tips too. Together we will make food tastier :-D for our kids ;-) *And for us too :-D *

ThunderStorm and Aryan

Yesterday night Aryan experienced his first Thunderstorm. When I say experienced , that does not mean that we were out under the sky. Thankfully we got in just 5 minutes before it started. Soon after , we could hear the noise of wind and falling leaves. Then of unbolted doors and tin sheets from the neighbourhood.

Initially Aryan did not pay any attention. Soon the sound of rain made the whole sound effect more horrifying.Aryan was having a confused look and was little distracted at times but then when I told him , all is well, he got little relieved.

It was not long when power went off. Now Aryan got too clingy to Mumma. The emergency light was switched on , but since this was the first power sutdown for the year , he was not able to understand the logic. He insisted on switching on the fan. When we told him that its not possible he insisted on for the TV to watch his rhymes.

I did not expect the cook and so was worried about cooking the dinner too, but Aryan decided not to go to his papa too. So Anupam made Maggi for instant relief and we decided that we would think about dinner later. When the storm settled we got out and inquired with the security , only to know that there will not be any power whole night. A tree has fallen and taken a poll along. Anupam decided to walkdown to a near by restaurant to fetch some dinner.

Aryan remained clingy to my shoulder /lap till the time he slept. Thankfully he slept peacefully in the mosquito net for the rest of the night.

Electricity did come later in night , only 1 phase though. Today morning also Aryan was not comfortable with the darkness and I finished the work somehow.We read the paper to know that a lot of trees fell down and took so many electricity polls along. One tree fell on some's Honda Civic and the car got crushed. I was wondering what would have the owner went through. I mean a new car and that too Honda Civic :(

I hope we will have electricity by the evening.

Note : Photo from Times of India

Awarded : I am NICE

MummyJaan bestowed me with this lovely award. She also digged down to the reason for the award and the creator of the award said so :

"This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!"

I am flattered. I never thought someone thought that I have a positive influence in out blogging world :-P or for that matter, any influence all together.

Thank you MummyJaan for calling me a good blogging friend and a nice person too, I wish everyone around me think the same :-)

I am also obliged with the privelege to acknowledge some of the other blogger , who I feel are NICE ...ohh there are so many ..

But I would pass this on to Tharini, Usha, Gauri and ~nm. Reasons , well I think everyone who reads me know the reason. They are NICE THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE !!!!!!

Confused Identites

I knew it for long that people have been confusing me with two different bloggers , but today I realized that this confusion has been huge. It all started when I went into hibernation due to some personal reasons and while I was away , there cam two different active bloggers namely "Aryan's Mom" (who writes on her son Aryan's behalf) and "Swati". Phew..what more to ask for.

Both the Aryan's are of same age too. When the other Swati commented on my blog , people thought I have been commenting on my post :-P I considered changing my name from Swati to something else , but then that would have led to further confusions.

So recently when the Doula Gang (as in few mommy bloggers around) arranged for a online baby shower for the MTB's(Mothers to be) and when Sue got confused with me being "Aryan's Mom" , I realized that its not only she , but a lot of them from Tharini to Gauri.

So all the (CONFUSED) ladies out there , here I solve another riddle for you.
And yes , here is the blog (Times of Aryan) for my son Aryan.

Latest IPL Humour

You would love this one !

Women will never be as successful as men because they have no wives to advise them.
-- Dick Van Dyke

Now ..Lets Count 5

~nm tagged me of 5 things I do when I get back home. I am sure my list would be different from every one else's. Here it goes.

1. Open the door and dump the belongings inside.

2. Stand in the common area of the apartment at a fixed point decided by Aryan (Anupam does the same and we have fixed stations) and see him running around the hall and smile at him when he sees you.

3. Run inside to fetch a glass of water , when Aryan is too busy running.

4. Convince Aryan to get inside the house, after 5 minutes or so.

5. Give him milk and then hunt something to munch.

Now I tag , JLT ,Rayshama & anyone and everyone who would love to take it up!

I am NOT Impatient

I get impatient when :

-> I am too sleepy to be awake.

-> I have to read too long posts from my favourite bloggers (I don't want to skip and I don't want to read :P)

-> Someone lies on the face. I cannot tolerate that.

-> Auto rickshaw meters are faster than their speed.

-> Aryan gets unreasonable.

-> When one person (G) in office , opens his mouth. He is too irritating to tolerate.

-> When people show off.

-> When TV is too loud.

-> When I read/hear about injustice and find myself incapable.

-> When I am talking and Anupam does not reply.

See, its just 10 and I thought I am impatient. I am sure you can count a lot more than I can ...right ?

More About Me

Maggie (aka Moppets Mom) & WIAN tagged me on this general questionnaire tag.

Last Movie You Saw In A Theater:
Rang de Basanti (Before Aryan was born)

What Book Are You Reading:
None

Favorite Board Game:
Snakes & Ladder

Favorite Magazine:
None

Favorite Smells:
Smell of fresh flowers.

Favorite Sound:
Aryan’s laugh

Worst Feeling In The World:
Being alone

What Is The First Thing You Think Of When You Wake?
Ohh..what a good /bad night it was OR What to make for breakfast

Favorite Fast Food Place:
Chat Bajaar in Meerut

Future Child's Name:
Ananya may be ..if that’s a girl ..for boy ..I don’t know

Finish This Statement. "If I Had A Lot Of Money I'd...”
Buy a house!

Do You Drive Fast?
Yes don’t ask what …Bicycle ..hehheh

Do You Sleep With A Stuffed Animal?
Nopes

Storms-Cool Or Scary?
None

What Was Your First Car?
Hyundai Gez

Favorite Drink:
Jal Jeera

Finish This Statement, "If I Had The Time I Would .....”
..Sleep
..go for a dayout/vacation with Aryan and Anupam , close to the nature

Do You Eat The Stems On Broccoli?
No , coz I don’t eat Broccoli

If You Could Dye Your Hair Any Color, What Would Be Your Choice?
Black /Dark Brown

Name All The Different Cities/Towns You Have Lived In.
Meerut, Bulandshahr, Delhi, Bangalore, Noida

Favorite Sports To Watch:
Cricket

One Nice Thing About The Person(s) Who Sent This To You:
Maggie has a great sense of humour.
WIAN is very straight forward and simple.

What's Under Your Bed?
A Drawer :P

Would You Like To Be Born As Yourself Again?
No

Morning Person Or Night Owl?
Neither :P

Over Easy Or Sunny Side Up?
Sunny side up!

Favorite Place To Relax:
My Bed

Favorite Pie:
Anything is good

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Butterscotch

You pass this tag to -
Bird's Eye View , Pixie, Nanhi Pari

Of All The People You Tagged This To, Who's Most Likely To Respond First?
Pixie ofCourse