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December 02, 2007

All about Swimming, Driving, Partying, Cleaning and Sulking.

Ashu has joined a Swimming class and goes once a week. Its for kids under 4 and its basically to get the children get used to the water and lose their inhibition. Ashu has always loved to splash in pools. So shes having fun. A parent has to be present with the kid in the pool so I get to splash around too! The teacher is very sweet and comes up with very cute stuff to keep the children interested. A 4 year old boy there is bullying Ashu while his mom is watching helplessly and I rolled my eyes at him and threatened him when his mom was nt looking. He backed away after that.
One day I go to Ashus room to find that she has emptied all the draws from the chest and all her socks, caps, tights, vests, hair bands, clips, stickers, boxes and other miscellaneous stuff are strewn all over the floor. I got the shock of my life as this is a first. She usually hates mess and likes things to be in order. In the order she likes, that is! Then I found out that she has been looking for one of the missing shoes of her doll and could nt find it and hence the search! I told her never to do such a thing again and to ask Amma if she needs to find something. Of course the next day, the draws were emptied again to look for something else. I miss the Godrej steel bureau which was her wardrobe in Bangalore.

My driving skills are improving as I am driving everyday to drop Ashu at school and then back. Im also picking up Hd in the evening from office. I was reluctant at first to drive after dark. "Pahal laye pasu maadu theriyaadhu. Raathri la eppadi erumai maadu theriyum" (I cant see a cow clearly in the day. How can I spot a buffalo in the dark?) The logic did nt work with Hd. Kazhudhai vayasu aachu, come and pick me up to save 6 Francs, he said! Being the Paththini that I am, I agreed. Oh, I also got clicked by the speed camera one day. I was going in 52 in a 50 zone. Hd says I ll only get a warning letter and no fine! I am both proud and ashamed at the same time!

Ashu has almost a month off from school in December and I want to go to India. I cant believe its only 2 months since I came back from my India trip. Seems like an eternity. Hd gave me a look and suggested I go to the US instead. Nice pair we are, are nt we? Anyway, Im sure I wont be going anywhere. Sit in this freezing cold place and sulk all the time is what I will end up doing. *sulk*

On to some cheerful news, it was Hd's birthday on Friday. 2 days before that, Ashu and I were making a card for him. We were drawing and painting and cutting and pasting and then hid the evidence. I told her we ll give the card to Appa on his birthday and its a surprise. As soon as Hd came home, Ashu ran to him and told "Appa, we made happy birthday appa card. Amma give the card. Wheres the card? Amma card thaaaa!!!!" Thankfully, I did nt tell her anything about the surprise party! Yes, there was a surprise party. My first one as a hostess. I have never thrown a party, let alone a surprise party, for Hds birthday before. It was always the two of us eating out that night. This time, I decided to throw a party for him as he was all depressed that hes getting old! Took his colleague S to my side and she managed to convey the message to the rest of the colleagues. She said she ll bring the cake. One less work for me. I was talking to her and the other wives everyday for the past one week and keeping my mouth shut to Hd was the most difficult part. Then the marathon cooking started on Friday as soon as he left for office in the morning. He suggested we meet up for lunch but I declined. I told him I have some special restaurant in mind for dinner and its going to be a surprise for him. He bought it. At least I think he did!

He came home at 6 pm and I am sure he had his first suspicion as soon as he saw the house spic and span. (What does that tell you about my house keeping skills?) Then I had put balloons all over the living room with some of the party decorations from Ashus birthday party. I had hid all the dishes I cooked in various kitchen cup boards. Hd said, "I can smell puffs and cookies. Did you make them?" I was shocked to say the least! He cant notice my new hair cut but sure can smell puffs and cookies that are hidden inside the cupboards! Duh! Then at 7 pm, the door bell rang and the gang entered with the most amazing looking cake! SURPRISE! Few people turned up later and so the surprise factor was continuing until the last guests arrived!

Out came the food from their hiding places. The menu was Veg puffs, Jam cookies, Jalapeno and Pineapple Pizza, Tortillas chips, Pineapple salsa, Mexican rice, Mexican chili, tortillas, Salad, Spaghetti with Garlic and Pepporoncini and Ice cream. (Yes, I made them all for 15 people except the tortilla, chips and ice cream) Since I dont believe in being humble, let me accept that I outdid myself and the food was a huge hit. The puffs, cookies, pizza and spaghetti were the hit items and people stuffed themselves with all that that I ll be ending up eating the chili and rice for this whole week! Theres enough of that awesome orange cake left for dessert too! Lets just say that Hd is mine for the rest of the year and my wish will be his command! Like I would have thrown a party for him and cooked for an army without any ulterior motive! Duh! How little you know me. ;)

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

The cake look so yummy.. I want that cake now!

mnamma said...

Woww!!! Sounds like an awesome party :) And we knew that you were doing everything with an ulterior motive, right at the beginning of the post ;)Ashu going to her father and letting out the surprise card was so sweet and innocent!

~nm said...

Wow! the party menu sounds so very sumptuous! And I love such surprise parties. But only when I throw them for others :D

Tharini said...

I saw veg puffs hit my eye in the last para and I read the ;ast 2 paras first and learnt all about the surprise party. Well done, lady Boo. Very artful and crafty of you. I would have smelled puffs too as soon as I got home, esp, if they were as yummy as they sounded. Did you light candles and agarbatti and air fresheners WELL before he got home?

Okay...I havem;t read the Ashu updates yet...except the first picture and man, she looked all grown up. I love her hair in this pic...its grown longer and she looks really pretty, with her head tilted like that.

You HAVE to send me the recipe for veggie puffs and the cookie and everything else that was a hit. You HAVE to!

IBH said...

hey boo....that was a great surprise...like tharini asks..how did u manage with the smell and such?

btw kaju just turned 14 months...and i just completed the first update post on her

Timepass said...

So Ashu let out the secret! Wow, so many items on the menu.. Boo, next time u throw a party, I am inviting myself, can i?

Sunita Venkatachalam said...

It's raining surprise parties for husbands in the blogosphere ! I read one somewhere else too. After that menu,I was not going to even talk to you but maybe I can eat humble pie and tell you "Good Job". Send me the recipes (ulterior me too !)

By Deepa and Supriya said...

Boo, do you cater?? No seriously..you made all that!?!?! I don't mean YOU made all that, I mean I can't make any of that..well I can make the veg puffs, nothing else though :)

couldn't comment on ur previous post, left one on the post prior to that wishing ur hubby, not that it matters anymore...o.k I really need to go sleep before I blabber more..btw, come read my 2-part engagement story :)

Unknown said...

why are women surprised by hubbies not noticing their haircut but noticing the smell of puffs ?

dont you know by now that the way to a mans heart is through his stomach ?

:)

birthday wishes to HD.

btw, I am sure you will find a way to not sulk.. between you and Ashu, you will find a way..

:)

Collection Of Stars said...

Birthday wishes to the HD :)
WoW! You are great. You managed to cook so much for so many people and also keep it a surprise? WoW again!
I also have done this a couple of times ;) - 'A 4 year old boy there is bullying Ashu while his mom is watching helplessly and I rolled my eyes at him and threatened him when his mom was nt looking. He backed away after that.'
'

Dubukku said...

haha letting out the secret - manytimes this happens in our house too. My first one when she was young can't keep the secret and will rush to tell me when I enter.

But she's grown up now and pairs with her mom. Nowadays She fools me around too with faux alerts :)

Dee said...

Enjoy :)...loved reading the para where you talk abt your driving skills ;)

Shobana said...

WOW! You cooked so much. Glad to know that it was a hit with the people. Yum, yum!!! Oh, belated b'day wishes to Ashu's appa.

Can I have the recipe for the jam cookies please?

Anitha(Nikki's mom) said...

Boo, please why don't you start a food blog too? pls, pls, pls. The menu sounds smashing. And Ashu looks fabulous in the photo.

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Yashodhara said...

booooo!

i'm linking up to you, hope that's okay?

Anusha said...

woman!!! if you are one woman that is! how did you make that many dishes in 8 hours(?) and clean the house and? hide everything? chili by itself takes a whole hour to cook (and 5 hours before that to chop veggies!)
you are no longer qualified to say things like "I don't know how you guys manage with a kid and work and everything"

Anonymous said...

Hello!

U are related to two of my friends, Manujula and Lakshmi Giridharan! I got hooked on your blog from Manjula's blog and was thrilled to bits when she told me you knew Lakshmi too :-)

Your blog is wonderful, especially the parts you write about your daughter.

Keep up the good work,
Lakshmi - the self confessed Lurker :-)

DDmom said...

Am late here!!
Belated Birthday wishes to Hd.
Guess what, I had almost the number of items as you have listed for my husband's birthday, ONLY difference is that I ordered them. BAH! I am SOOOO JJJJ!!!

Ashu looks absolutely stunning in the first pix, the curly hair simplly too cute..

Indian in NZ said...

First time here - nice post :-) hats off to you for cooking all that all by yourself !

Aryan-Arjun said...

wow..that was indeed a good surprise party.Good that you did not tell ashu about it..other wise flop show like the birthday card episode.
Belated happy birthday to your husband..
Aryan's Mom

Anonymous said...

I have always been awe with ur efforts on cooking and the menu u come out with. U excel in it each time and everytime. glad to knw the party was wonderful. god bless u all.

balan.tt said...

ur blogi very nice

by
www.madhubalan.co.cc

Anonymous said...

Ashu has very beautiful hair, I always wished for curly hair for my little one, but she has straight long hair.
Asha

Mona said...

dude, this is the strangest thing! i've been looking for updates from you forever and nothing shows up on my google reader either and i think you've stopped blogging and today i followed a link from someone's blog and here you are!
blogging! for the past so many months.
:/
welcome back, me.

bubbles said...

hey Boo!

(Long time reader delurking now)

I've been trying to find a way to post pictures on blogger/wordpress with downloading disabled... with zero luck.

I see you were able to do it with this post. Would you be willing to share the trick with me?

Om said...

This is not a comment for this particular post but a comment on your whole blog.. Its fabulous..
Got the link from a news paper article and after that I am very busy gobbling up all your posts from the beginning.
I am a mother of an eight months old.. Had taken maternity leave for 6 months and has joined job from the 7th month.
In my maternity leave I was not connected to internet but at work I dont miss your current posts. I am trying to go through your earlier posts too.

Inspired by your blog I have started my own on my baby.. Dont forget to visit it whenever you get time.

I had a similar experience of my baby's underweight problem at 4 month old age...

Anyhow, do keep on posting.

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